2 . ▁Other ▁first s ▁of ▁Av on ▁include ▁the ▁first ▁gr ist mill ▁built ▁by ▁Capt . ▁John ▁G anson ▁in ▁north west ▁Av on ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 9 ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁saw mill ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 7 ▁on ▁the ▁Con es us ▁Out let ▁built ▁by ▁Dr . ▁H os mer . ▁ ▁Min eral ▁spr ings ▁were ▁an ▁important ▁resource ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁town . ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 2 0 s , ▁people ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁water ▁as ▁a ▁ther apy ▁for ▁all ▁sorts ▁of ▁mal ad ies , ▁and ▁min eral ▁waters ▁in ▁particular ▁for ▁their ▁re put ed ▁health ▁benefits ▁and ▁even ▁as ▁c ures . ▁Av on , ▁red ol ent ▁in ▁natural ▁spr ings , ▁soon ▁became ▁extremely ▁popular ▁with ▁the ▁aff lic ted . ▁The ▁wealth y , ▁too , ▁seeking ▁relax ation ▁and ▁le is ure , ▁f locked ▁to ▁the ▁town ▁from ▁far ▁and ▁wide . ▁N umer ous ▁hot els ▁and ▁sp as ▁spr ang ▁up ▁to ▁take ▁advantage ▁of ▁this ▁f ad , ▁and ▁bott ling ▁companies ▁pack aged ▁the ▁min eral ▁water ▁for ▁sale . ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 9 0 s ▁to ▁early ▁ 1 9 0 0 s , ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁hot els ▁that ▁had ▁not ▁closed ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁decl ine ▁of ▁the ▁sp a ▁era ▁had ▁succ um bed ▁to ▁fire ▁or ▁were ▁soon ▁raz ed . ▁ ▁Some ▁popular ▁points ▁of ▁historic ▁interest ▁in