With the opening of the mill in 1877, more people in the area focused their attention on agriculture. The climate and land in the Similkameen Valley proved to be ideal for growing grain as well as other crops. Construction of the mill allowed First Nations, Europeans, and other settlers to realize "the wonderful productiveness of the soil."(Grist Mill, 2.)

Owners of mill's were hard pressed to keep up with the changing technology. However, Barrington Price would spare no cost in order to keep his mill up to date with the current technology. This aggressive attitude towards getting only the best was wonderful for the customer however it is quite expensive for the owner. Financial difficulties forced Barrington Price to look for other alternatives to make money. Barrington Price leased the mill and store to John H. Coulthard in 1884 in an effort to recover his investment.

	The Coulthard's converted the general store into their home and proceeded to raise their family. In retrospect, Barrington Price spent too much money on the mill. Price had to give up controlling interest of the mill in 1903 to John Coulthard.
British Columbia Archives b_00633

Since there was no supply store in the region Barrington Price also constructed a general store on the Grist Mill site in 1877. The general store later was converted to home and used as a place of residence until 1979 "when it was acquired by the British Columbia Heritage Trust." (Ibid., 10.) Over the years the interior of the building has changed. The original log structure has been covered in wallpaper, then wood, and a widow was added to provide a view of the road. As for the mill, it was not used "for many years until the upper floor was put to use as a chicken house, then to store hay, and later as an artist's studio. Meanwhile, all machinery lay hidden away in the boarded up lower floor." (Ibid.)

The general store/house, along with the mill, has been converted into a fun and interactive historic site for the entire family to enjoy. Inside the store/house, now called the Exhibit building, there is a model of the mill and an area devoted to explaining the restoration process.

Along with historic information provided inside the building "you'll find our unique action displays where you can experiment with pulley assemblies, grain augers and other hands-on setups. These will help you understand how everything works inside the Mill!"(http://www.heritage.gov.bc.ca/grist/things.htm) After a visit to the Exhibit building make sure to see the Grist Mill in operation.