Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 2.

[p. 130] some two or three years after her husband's death, and then John married and dwelt there himself. He had quite a career as a miller in the West Indies and Canada, and really was quite an enterprising man. Not long after 1801 he built a wind-mill in Medford for grinding grain. At Medford also he became one of the earliest fishermen on an extensive scale in the Mystic river. For this right, in 1803, he paid sixty-five dollars, the privilege being more particularly near the ‘Dike’ or ‘Labor in Vain,’ and he often piloted vessels at this time between Medford and Boston. He owned lighters and transported brick to the city, some of which are now seen in the buildings on Central wharf and Doctor Sharp's (now Charles street) church. In 1810, having purchased the grist mill of Caleb Richardson, in Woburn, latterly known as the Cutter's mill, in Cutter's village, in Winchester, he built a new structure with two run of stone, which he improved and occupied until his death. In 1817 he built a grist mill in North Chelsea run by tide water, which was occupied by his sons till the year 1830, when they sold the estate and removed to Winchester.

Zachariah Cutter, a brother of the last-named John, carried on the old tide mill in Medford for a number of years, and then went to Milton, Mass., and engaged in the same business. His death occurred in 1808.

Gershom Cutter, a brother of the above, after having had charge of the North mills in Boston, bought the old homestead mills in Medford, and building a new grist and saw mill in 1810, continued in the same occupation till his death in Medford, May 22, 1840. His son Gershom carried on his father's mill until 1845, when he purchased the Tufts mill on the Medford turnpike (now Mystic avenue), rebuilt that structure, which had been destroyed by fire, and which was again burned and rebuilt while in his charge. He was mainly engaged in the sawing of mahogany. Other brothers of this family ran grist and saw mills elsewhere than in Medford, and quite successfully.