Stone's Falls takes its name from Rufus Stone who came to the area with his family in 1816. He built a saw mill there which was in operation till 1840. He was the first to use its waterpower. He also built a flaxseed oil mill in 1825.

In 1821 a Mr. Dorr had a woollen Mill in operation. In 1839 three men built a hoe factory at the falls. It prospered from the start and they made preparations for expanding it. But was destroyed by fire in September of 1841.

From Dansville of the Past, 1902

Recently a friend and I visited Stone Falls in Dansville. I'm disappointed to say that the falls are not what they used to be. I visited them 2 years ago and they were as magnificent as your photos with a wide flat cliff spreading the water out 15 feet wide or more. That summer yielded a lot of rain so the river was wide and the current fast, producing a huge roar from the falls.

It appears that these falls were created by a dam that has since been removed. Due to the drought conditions this year, we were able to see that the lower ten feet of the falls are natural, while the remaining 18 feet were created by a dam made of concrete. If you look at your photos you can see the 10 foot of natural falls directly in front of the hiker. Now half of the dam has been removed leaving only the columns which used to create that symmetrical cascade on either side of the falls. I would estimate that this has caused the height of the falls to be shortened by 10-12 feet. I doubt that you would vote these the most symmetrical falls in your area anymore.

We still had a wonderful time, and beacuse of the low rainfall this year, were able to have a picnic lunch on the creek bed near the falls. Perhaps we will try the Pocamoonshine Falls next time. Thank you for creating the website.