mill , ▁cabinet ▁shop ▁and ▁bridge ▁and ▁owned ▁about ▁ ▁of ▁land . ▁The ▁new ▁dam ▁replaced ▁the ▁original ▁wing ▁dam , ▁but ▁was ▁built ▁on ▁sand ▁and ▁port ions ▁of ▁it ▁were ▁was hed ▁out ▁by ▁flo od ▁waters ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 8 5 9 . ▁The ▁dam ▁was ▁rep a ired , ▁but ▁was hed ▁out ▁again ▁the ▁following ▁summer . ▁The ▁Little ▁F alls ▁Man ufact uring ▁Company ▁fal tered ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁factors , ▁including ▁" the ▁ill ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁economic ▁de pression ▁that ▁swe pt ▁the ▁front ier ▁and ▁ultimately ▁the ▁nation ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ." ▁ ▁William ▁St urg is ▁and ▁James ▁Fer g us ▁left ▁their ▁Little ▁F alls ▁business ▁interests ▁in ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁their ▁w ives ▁while ▁they ▁went ▁west ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁gold . ▁The ▁story ▁of ▁this ▁chapter ▁in ▁Little ▁F alls ▁history ▁is ▁told ▁through ▁letters ▁written ▁between ▁James ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Pam elia ▁in ▁the ▁book ▁" The ▁Gold ▁R ush ▁W id ows ▁of ▁Little ▁F alls " ▁by ▁L inda ▁Pe avy ▁and ▁Urs ula ▁Smith . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁invest ors ▁from ▁Louis ville , ▁Kentucky ▁formed ▁the ▁Little ▁F alls ▁Water ▁Power ▁Company . ▁A ▁new ▁dam ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 8 ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁to ▁re develop ▁Little ▁F alls , ▁and ▁this ▁created ▁jobs ▁and ▁attract ed ▁imm igr ants ▁to