The history of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, By a committee of the Dorchester antiquarian and historical society ...

HISTORY OF DORCHESTER. 627
dam there, and he carried on the manufacture of
gun-powder until he sold out his mill privilege to
Edward Preston, in 1757. Mr. Preston was a clothier by trade, and resided at Commercial Point;
but after purchasing this property, he altered the
powder-mill to a fulling.mill. He passed part of
the year at his mill, and part on his farm at Commercial point.
About the year 1770, Mr. Preston fitted up a
chocolate-mill, with one kettle, in addition to his
fulling-mill, and manufactured chocolate for John
Hannan, then residing in Boston. On the 12th of
October, 1775, Mr. Preston's mill was consumed
by fire, and Mr. Hannan returned to the chocolatemill built for him in 1765, Mr. Preston rebuilt his
mill and carried on his business as clothier. Soon
after the death of Hannan, in 1780, Mr. Preston again
fitted up a chocolate-mill, and for about seven years
manufactured chocolate for Dr. James Baker, who
commenced the business soon after Hannan's death.
Baker then hired the Clark mill. Mr. Preston's son
John, who was brought up in his father's mill, continued to work there at both branches of the business. In 1793, the mill passed into the hands of
Mr. John Preston, by virtue of his father's will. In
1812, Mr. John Preston put up a corn and chocolate
mill, and carried on the three branches of businesshis son John, then a young man, assisting him until
the father's death, in 1819. Mr. John Preston, the
younger, hired and carried on the mills about two
years, when his father's estate was settled, and he
purchased the mill, in 1823, of his brothers and sis