The area had a number of small mills along the banks of the Little River, a tributary of the Westfield River, but only one complex, the Theron Higgins Mill on South Worthington Road, has survived from the 19th century.

A falls in the Little River proved a good location for a sawmill, which was standing by 1794, and followed by a grist mill in 1812.

The village flourished as a service center for the local farmers, and additional mills survived for a time in the 19th century, one of which was used to manufacture window blinds.

The village also achieved some notice as the birthplace and summer home of Russell Conwell (1843-1925), a famous Baptist minister and writer who founded Temple University.

Conwell's summer stays in the house of his youth brought visitors to the community.