THE ADAMS GRANT – 1656 Henry Adams, his wife Edith and their nine children emigrated from England to Boston in 1636. He received a land grant at Mount Wollaston which later became a section of Quincy. Thus began the Adams family dynasty in America. Sons Samuel, Thomas and John removed to Concord. Thomas was one of twenty- nine petitioners to found Chelmsford in 1655. The inhabitants were in dire need of a corn grist and saw mill, so Thomas sent for his brother Samuel, a wheelwright. The Adams Grant, “July day ye third 1656,” established Captain Samuel Adams in his mills on Great Brook. From Captain Adam’s youngest brother Joseph descended Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams .
Over the years the site served a sawmill, grist mill and winter ice harvesting and storage
The dam and mill Sept-6-1888 
Loading Blocks of Ice cut from the pond 
Loggers of Chelmsford 
Cutting Ice on Russell Mill Pond
1954-1955 View of tailrace below dam. Mill will be re- built just to right of photo in background.