Many thanks to Esther Rancier for sharing her information on the Slawson Family. Esther is researching in Richland and Mexico the Soul/Soule, Brace and Daniel P. Smith families, and would appreciate hearing from anyone researching these surnames. 
Esther Rancier at: <[email protected] >

       In the 21st century people fail to remember the importance of the village mill.  Colonial America became self-supporting through the use of mills.  Along the Atlantic seaboard early towns sprang up where the streams from the hills hit the lowlands via waterfalls.  The presence of cataracts meant free power to run the grist- mill.  The grain, corn, barley, wheat, oats and rye grown by the farmers could be cheaply turned into life-sustaining food for man and his domesticated animals.
       One of the primary reasons Oswego County was settled were the waterfalls dotting the rivers and streams as they ran to Lake Ontario and Oneida Lake.  Oswego’s towns were perfect places to settle for 19th century technology.  Gristmills were numerous.  Later they were expanded to sawmills, fulling mills, carding cotton and wool, make nails, plane wood and much more.
       One of the most famous industries ever located in Oswego were the corn- starch making mills created by Kingsford.  The county had abundant millers.  Not all were famous like Thomas Kingsford.   A lesser known miller, Jesse Abbe Slawson, was born 2 January 1824 in Duanesbury, Schenectady Co., NY., son of Ebenezer E. and Jemina (Abbe) Slawson.  
       The Slawsons were from Stamford, Fairfield, CT.  Ebenezer E., born 3 May 1798 at Poundridge, Westchester co., NY, was the son of Samuel and Hannah (Smith) Slawson.  They lived at Poundridge until 1800 when they removed to Duanesbury.  Sadly Ebenezer E. was orphaned in 1803.  Afterwards he was raised by Jesse Abbe who later became his brother-in-law.  Ebenezer E. married Jemina Abbe on 16 January 1823.  Her parents were Samuel and Miriam (Hall) Abbe.  
       On 2 April 1836 Ebenezer E. and Jemina moved their family to Parish, NY. Ebenezer E. was a farmer.  The 1850 census showed Ebenezer, age 52; Jemina, age 41; Jesse A., age 26; Hannah M., age 24; Louisa, age 19; Ebenezer, age 17; Lorenzo, age 14; Rebecka, age 7; George W., age 5; and Mary L., age 9 months.  The Hannah M. mentioned was the wife of Jesse A.  They married 26 September 1847 in Parish.  She was the daughter of Erastus Fyler.  Hannah Died 24 January 1865.  She was buried at Pleasant Lawn Cemetery.  It is unclear if she ever had any children.
        In May Ebenezer and Jemina went to Neosha, Dodge Co., WI.  In October they returned to Parish.
       On 18 December 1865 at Fulton Jesse A. married Sarah E. Lawrence, born 13 February 1845 in Canada.  She was the daughter of Russel and Marie (Townsend) Lawrence.  
        The first and only gristmill in Parish was not built until 1828. It was a great building, two stories high, set about 80 rods downstream from a dam on the Salmon Creek. The stones for the foundation came from the bottom of the creek bed.  The foundation walls were 30 feet square and 14 feet high next to the stream.  At the bottom the walls were 3 feet thick. It wasn’t until 1845 that a cast iron mill was installed to crack the corn, cob and all to make feed.  In 1872 Almeron Thomas owned the mill when it burned with an $8,000 loss.  Afterwards Jesse and Romaine C. Robertson for $18,000 erected a new mill named Ceresco Mill.  
       Mills required special construction.  They were designed in a double structure.  The interior was separated from the exterior so that vibrations caused by the machinery did not damage the building overall.   The mill had to be positioned over running water in a millrace.  This mill had 3 or 4 runs of stone.  The largest in the US only had 6 runs.  Through a series of gears, the power of the water was transmitted from the water wheel to an upright staff which supported and turned the grinding stone.  This mill could turn out 40 barrels of flour and 10 tons of mash per day.
       The gristmills were moneymakers.  Much of the mash was used to make beer.  However, the rich soil of the area was rapidly depleted.  The local grain supply began to lag.  Oswego County stopped being a mill driven economy.  Diary farming and cheese making began to dominate.  Supplies of waterpower no longer created much demand.
       Ebenezer E. died 1 February 1878.  Jemina had died 2 June 1876.  They were both buried in Pleasant Lawn Cemetery in Parish.  Two of their sons remained in Parish.  In the 1880 census their families were listed thusly:
Household l:

Lorenzo Slawson  farmer  44
Lucinda J.   “             wife  40
Alice            “   daughter 19
Marey [sic]  “       daughter 14

Household 2:
George Slawson  tailor  35
Martha A.   “   wife  23
Frank          “   son  4 months

Jesse A. and his wife, Sarah, had removed into Mexico, NY by 1880.  The census showed the following household:
Jesse Slawson   farmer  56 NY
Sarah E.    “   wife  35 CAN
Minnie E.  “   daughter 12 NY
Emma B.  “   daughter 9 NY
Irwin S.    “   son  7 NY
Maria T. Lawrence  mother-law 65 MA
Henry T.      “   brother-law 38 CAN

Before 1902 the mill building was no more.  Only the foundation stones could be found.  When Jesse gave up his active participation a Palmer took it over, but demand lessened each year.  Other mills could do the grinding needed.

SOURCES:
Churchill, John.  Landmarks of Oswego County.  Syracuse: Mason, 1895.
Descendants of George Slawson.  Available [online] https://sites.rootsweb.com/~ctfairfi/stamford/slawson [17 November 2002]
The Historic Complex at Newlin Grist Mill.  Available [online] http://www.newlingristmill.org/complex.htm [23 November 2002]
Johnson, Crisfield.  History of Oswego County, New York.  Philadelphia: Everts, 1877.
Jones, Jesse H. Account of the Holmes Family and Their Settlement of South Richland, Oswego County, NY.  Available [online] https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nyoswego/towns/richland/holmesfam.3.html [24 November 2002]
Loomis, Elias.  The Descendants of Joseph Loomis, v.2.  New Haven: Tuttle, 1880.
Newlin Grist Mill.  Available [online] http://www.fieldtrip.com/pa/04592359.htm [23 November 2002]
Swartz, Bridget.  Parish History.  Available [online] https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nyoswego [17 November 2002]
U.S. Census, Oswego Co., NY 1850.
U.S. Census, Oswego Co., NY 1880.
The Village Mill.  Available [online] http://www.parker-river.org [23 November 2002]
WorldConnect Project. Available [online] http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com [17 November 2002]