In the early to mid-19th century, Stone's Mills stood on the Neuse River as a bustling industrial enterprise where carts and wagons brought corn to be ground into meal and rough bales of cotton were ginned and made into thread or cloth. The mills also served as community centers where families spent the day socializing while they waited, traded corn for staples such as sugar and coffee, and used the services of a local blacksmith or mill wheelwright. In warmer months, adults and children swam and fished in the river and mill pond. As technology changed, waterwheel mills were replaced by larger, more efficient electric-powered steel roller mills, and with the arrival of railroads their goods became easier to transport. The old mills fell into disrepair and were gradually reclaimed by the rivers and forests, though remnants remain in the Neuse River and nearby, including the old mill dam, canals or races that carried water to the mill, and low stone foundation walls.