The old mill above shown had many owners. Perhaps Thomas Opdyke was the first, as well as the builder. Others say Elijah Rittenhouse, after whom it was named. Among the owners were Tunis Myres, who carried on the milling business here for a long number of years; William Cobb, ex-Freeholder Robert Holcombe and others.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The first miller here was either William Rittenhouse or his son Peter Rittenhouse. In his will of 1761, William Rittenhouse left to his son Peter, along with lands already conveyed, a sawmill and 100 acres along the Wickecheoke near Locktown, for a total of 240 acres. In Peter\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s will of 1791, he left all his \u201a\u00c4\u00falands and tenements\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 to his son Elisha Rittenhouse. Elisha and his father Peter were taxed on 206 acres and a gristmill in 1790. In 1801, Elisha Rittenhouse sold the mill and 112 acres to Thomas Opdycke, who died intestate in 1805. The estate was in limbo until 1818 when the 112 acres and sawmill were sold to the grandson of Elisha Rittenhouse, Andrew Bray (1789-1849) who then sold it back to Elisha Rittenhouse, who held it until his death in 1846. His executor John Risler sold the mill and seven acres to Tunis Myers in 1847. Myers was married to Keturah Rittenhouse, granddaughter of Elisha Rittenhouse. He and his wife sold the mill in 1871 to W. S. Cobb and Anderson Bray and moved to Nebraska around 1890. Times were hard in the early 1870s, so Myers was lucky to find a buyer. Bray was the son of Andrew Bray, previously mentioned, and Cobb was the actual miller. Cobb sold out to Bray in 1873, and on the same day Bray conveyed the undivided interest in the mill to Cobb\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s wife Adelia. Was it estate planning or were the Cobb\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s separating? Probably during Adelia Cobb\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s ownership, Robert Holcombe took over running the mill, which he did for many years, so long, in fact, that the mill took on his name. Holcombe died in 1892 and may have been the last miller here.<\/p>\n
Probably other mills were standing near the place previous to the erection of the one here shown, as according to the authority above quoted, \u201a\u00c4\u00faThomas Opdyke bought the dower of the wife of Benjamin Tyson in a mill and meadow land, near this place, at Sheriff\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s sale in 1790.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Benjamin Tyson\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s mill was at Headquarters. Some might not consider that very \u201a\u00c4\u00fanear\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 to the Rittenhouse Mill. (See \u201a\u00c4\u00faBenjamin Tyson\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s Mill<\/a>.\u201a\u00c4\u00f9)<\/p>\nThe old mill is still in running order, and could still be used for grinding purposes, but as old-time methods have given way to the new, it is at present standing idle. This and the old Sergeant mill standing about one mile farther south, are the only two of the many grist, saw, oil and fulling mills left standing, the wheels of which were once rotated by the rapidly flowing waters of the ugly named Wichkecheoche.<\/p>\n
Since the first settlement of this part of the country, four grist, six saw, one oil and one fulling mill have been erected along the banks of the above-named stream, and its branches.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Mills on the Wickecheoke<\/span><\/h4>\nThe old Sergeant mill\u201a\u00c4\u00eewith a saw, clover and fulling mill\u201a\u00c4\u00eewere operated by a rivulet known as Cold Brook, which flows into the main stream at Sergeant\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s mills.