(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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Williamsburg, Massachusetts, was once home to many factories, including a silk mill, a brass works and the first ivory button shop in the country. The town has two villages, Haydenville and Williamsburg. When the Williamsburg reservoir dam broke on May 16, 1874, it flooded the Mill River valley and killed 139 people, making it the deadliest dam failure in the U.S. at the time. After the flood, many of the factories were not rebuilt. The grist mill was in operation at least to the early 20th century.

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Grist Mills Pond, Williamsburg, Mass.

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