Before steam or gas engines, people relied on water to generate power, with falling water spinning turbines that powered many kinds of machines. Water-powered mills could grind flour, saw wood, or pulp paper, and Dingmans Creek had a dozen mills at its peak. At Factory Falls, the Brooks family operated a busy woolen mill from 1823 to 1832, an uncommon enterprise outside large cities. Water ran from a headrace upstream of Factory Falls, down a flume through the foundation walls to turn the turbine that powered the mill's machinery, then left through the tailrace to rejoin the creek downstream.