History It is not known for certain when the first mills came into being but by 1274 water mills, driven by rivers and streams, had becomefamiliar sight.In 1414 the earliest known drainage mills were invented and by 1450 many could be found in South Holland. The mills did not originate in Holland but were said to have been introduced to Europe by the Middle East during the times of the Crusades. The development of the mills, however, are most certainly attributable to Holland as it