Starting in the early 1800s, Kelly’s Mill used water from the Blackstone River to power its spinning machines. Wilbur Kelly purchased the mill in 1825 and soon allowed the new Blackstone Canal to pass by the mill, gaining the right to use the canal’s waterpower in return. That additional power supported the mill’s success and growth, and in 1845 Kelly built an extension. In 1867, Ashton Mill was built just across the river, about 12 times larger than the original Kelly Mill, illustrating how much mills changed in the mid-1800s.