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Mid-eighteenth century Hispano settlers of New Mexico constructed small water-driven gristmills which were unique in the American West because of their horizontal waterwheels and the absence of any gear mechanism. Counter-clockwise rotation, which is associated with the Iberian and Latin American tradition, supports the thesis that the mill type was introduced into the region from Mexico. The folk mills continued to perform an important economic function in many of the more remote settlements until the 1930s. In 1973 only one mill remained fully operative at its original site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]