The Town of Millis is a suburban industrial town in the Charles River Valley, incorporated in 1885. First settled in 1658, the first mill was built in town in 1662 on Bogestow Pond. The town's early economy was based largely on agriculture and grazing. King Philip's war destroyed every building in town except the fortified stone house built for protection. There were taverns, grist and sawmills serving the farming population in town after 1710, and the community remained a prosperous agricultural town throughout the century.
In the next century, the town's character changed with the two cotton mills established in 1805. One of these mills is reputed to have installed the first lace loom in America in 1818. Brickyards, organ and organ pipe factories, along with a paper mill and canning factory, in operation in 1837, joined the textile operations as significant town industries.
In modern times, however, all that remained of early industrial operations were Herman Shoes, Safe Pack Mills and the Cliquot Club ginger ale plant. Millis retains a significant number of bungalow-style houses as well as some Greek Revival and Italianate buildings.
