>> THIS WAS A MEETING PLACE OF PEOPLE, PEOPLE WOULD MEET AT THE MILL AND THEY WOULD DISCUSS THINGS.

IT'S THE ONLY WAY PEOPLE GOT THE NEWS.

WE DIDN'T GET NEWS ANY OTHER WAY.

BUT NOWADAYS IT'S JUST SUCH A DIFFERENT WORLD.

>> OKAY, I'M ELLIOTT MOSS.

I LIVE IN EAST MONTPELIER.

I CAME FROM CALAIS.

JOEL ROBINSON WAS MY GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT-GRANDFATHER.

HE'S BURIED UP HERE IN THE ROBINSON CEMETERY.

IN FACT I WENT UP YESTERDAY TO SAY HI TO HIM BUT HE WAS KIND OF SILENT.

[LAUGHTER] WE'RE IN HISTORIC KENT'S CORNER, VERMONT, AND WE'RE AT THE JOEL ROBINSON SAWMILL.

YOU ALL CAME FROM REHOBOTH, MASSACHUSETTS, IN 1792, AND HE BUILT A HOUSE, THEN HE BROUGHT HIS FAMILY UP AND BUILT THE MILL.

>> HOW HE EVER GOT UP HERE IS ANYBODY'S GUESS BECAUSE YOU HAD 300 MILES TO GO.

YOU HAD RIVERS TO CROSS.

HE HAD TO FEND FOR HIMSELF BECAUSE THERE WEREN'T PEOPLE ALL ALONG THE WAY.

THEY SAWED A LOT OF LUMBER HERE UNTIL PROBABLY 60 TORE 70 YEARS AGO.

SHOULD RUN AGAIN, SO WITH A LOT OF HARD WORK WE PUT THINGS BACK TOGETHER.

A LOT OF THE PARTS HAD BEEN THROWN INTO THE POND.

WE COULDN'T FISH THEM OUT, BUT MY UNCLE MADE NEW PARTS.

I DO REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME WE GOT THIS MILL RUNNING, THERE WERE MAYBE 100, MAYBE 150 PEOPLE ON THIS BANK WATCHING US.

I WAS ABOUT TO PUSH THE LEVERS AND MAKE IT RUN AND I SAW TEARS COMING FROM THEIR EYES.

THEY WERE SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT ONCE MORE THE MILL IS GOING TO TURN.

AND NOW THE MILL IS SILENT BECAUSE THE MUD HAS SLOWED THE WATER WORKS DOWN IN THE POND.

>> IF WE GET THE MUD OUT OF THE POND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE PEN STOCK, WHICH IS THE LONG TUBE THAT THE WATER FLOW THROUGH AND HITS THE WHEEL AND THEN THE VISION IS TO BE ABLE TO USE THAT WATER TO ACTUALLY CUT WOOD.

>> THE FOUNDATION STONE WAS FALLING DOWN AND NEEDED REPAIR.

THE BUILDING HAD SOME ROTTING TIMBERS, SO WE HIRED A TIMBER FRAME EXPERT TO FIX THE MILL, REPLACE THE PEOPLEERS ABOUT AND LEVEL THE BUILDING.

THIS WAS PROBABLY ONE MUCH THE VERY FEW IN THE COUNTRY THAT WERE STILL A TOTALLY WATER POWERED SAWMILL THAT MIGHT OPERATE.

THERE'S A LOT OF OLD SAWMILLS THAT ARE NOT IN GOOD SHAPE.

THE BUILDING MAY BE THERE BUT THE WORKS ARE GONE.

>> EVERY TOWN USED TO HAVE A SAWMILL.

THE FACT THAT MAYBE THIS IS GOING TO BE BACK UP AND RUNNING I THINK WILL GIVE PEOPLE INSIGHT INTO WHAT IT WAS LIKE WHEN PEOPLE LIKE JOEL ROBINSON WERE SETTLING THIS WHOLE AREA.

>> IT'S NOT A MAYBE, LARRY.

IT WILL BE UP AND RUNNING.

>> DID I SAY MAYBE?

>> YEAH, YOU DID.

[LAUGHTER] >> I TELL THE LITTLE KIDS NOW, ASK QUESTIONS.

ANYBODY YOU CAN SEE, ASK QUESTIONS.

THEY WON'T ALWAYS BE THERE TO ASK.

I WANT ALL THE LITTLE KIDS, THE ONES BEING BORN TODAY, I WANT úTHT THE HERITAGE.

THE WORLD IS CHANGING, BUT IF THEY CAN SEE THOSE WHEELS WHIRING AND LISTEN TO US OLD PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IT, THEY MIGHT REMEMBER I