Two men on a mill : $b The story of the restoration of Baxter's Mill

In the quiet town of West Yarmouth, a 250‑year‑old water grist mill sits beside a tranquil pond, its stone walls and wooden gears echoing a bygone era. When two devoted locals decide to bring the mill back to life just before Christmas 1961, they set out to raise a pen gate, mend a turbine, and coax the ancient machinery into motion once more. The narrative weaves together the mill’s colonial origins, the families that tended it, and the subtle humor of the restoration crew as they confront rusted timbers and stubborn tradition.

As the water begins to turn the wheel, the story shifts to the personal reasons that drive the restorers—nostalgia for a disappearing New England, a love of simple craftsmanship, and the stubborn curiosity of neighbors who question the practicality of grinding corn by hand. Interlaced with lively anecdotes about town characters, old‑time barbers, and the occasional skeptical onlooker, the book paints a vivid portrait of community memory in action. Listeners will feel the creak of wooden beams and the steady rush of water, gaining a tangible sense of history without ever leaving their seats.