▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁mill s , ▁the ▁settlement ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁" Jan ney ' s ▁Mill ". ▁ ▁The ▁town ▁grew ▁quickly ▁as ▁a ▁center ▁of ▁commerce ▁for ▁grow ers ▁of ▁gra in . ▁ ▁G row th ▁Am os ▁Jan ney ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 7 , ▁leaving ▁his ▁estate ▁to ▁his ▁six teen - year - old ▁son , ▁M ahl on . ▁M ahl on ▁replaced ▁the ▁original ▁log ▁mill ▁with ▁a ▁two - story ▁structure . ▁ ▁The ▁village ▁continued ▁to ▁grow , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 0 , ▁ ▁on ▁the ▁south ▁side ▁of ▁Main ▁Street ▁were ▁sub div ided ▁into ▁ 1 5 ▁lots , ▁upon ▁which ▁sh ops ▁and ▁homes ▁were ▁built . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 7 9 0 s , ▁the ▁village ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁Water ford , ▁named ▁after ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Water ford , ▁in ▁Ireland , ▁where ▁some ▁of ▁its ▁found ers ▁had ▁once ▁lived ▁before ▁imm igr ating ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁New ▁residents ▁continued ▁to ▁come ▁from ▁Pennsylvania , ▁as ▁Qu akers ▁were ▁followed ▁by ▁Pres by ter ians , ▁Luther ans , ▁Bapt ists , ▁and ▁Method ists . ▁Water ford ▁was ▁also ▁populated ▁by ▁African - Amer icans , ▁both ▁free ▁and ▁ens la ved . ▁ ▁Civil ▁War ▁By ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁Water ford ▁remained ▁largely ▁Qu aker . ▁As ▁pac if ists ▁and ▁abol ition ists ,