Peninsula founder Hermon Bronson knew how to take advantage of a natural fall in the Cuyahoga River. In 1832, he built a water-powered grist mill here, beside the Ohio & Erie Canal. Local farmers came to the mill to have their grain ground and then shipped out to distant markets on canal boats. When the Valley Railway arrived in 1880, it competed with the canal. To get goods over the river to the new station, the mill built a bridge from its upper level to the east bank. Wagons heavy with ground grain and feed crossed over and were offloaded onto freight cars.

In 1902, Chandler Moody and Charles Thomas bought the mill and enlarged it. They continued to mill flour and feed until 1931, when a fire burned the mill to the ground. While the dust from grinding grain is highly combustible, questions have remained about the fire.

For more history, head north to Lock 29 or head south to Deep Lock Quarry. For your safety and to protect park resources, do not climb on the stone ruins.