Griffins Mills, New York
| Griffins Mills | |
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| Hamlet | |
 Griffins Mills
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| Coordinates: 42°43′26″N 78°40′02″W / 42.72389°N 78.66722°WCoordinates: 42°43′26″N 78°40′02″W / 42.72389°N 78.66722°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Erie County |
| Town | Aurora |
| Elevation | 932 ft (284 m) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Area code | 716 |
| GNIS feature ID | 951821 |
Griffins Mills is a hamlet in the town of Aurora in Erie County, New York, United States. It lies on the West Branch of Cazenovia Creek in the area once known as West Aurora. Griffins Mills was founded in the early 19th century at the site of a mill. It is located in zip code 14170.
Griffins Mills was originally named Smith's Mills. In 1806, Abram Smith and his son Humphrey purchased this site along with two other sites along Cazenovia Creek; one in what is now West Falls (at one time called Crockershire and later Florence) and another at the fork of the Cazenovia Creek. In 1809, Humphrey Smith had dammed Cazenovia Creek and had established a mill at this location.
Around the same time, Obadiah Griffin, who was married and had children in Dutchess County, New York during the Revolutionary War period, moved west and settled in Canada, near Welland, Ontario. He and his wife, Mary, requested membership in the nearby Pelham Quaker meeting in November 1803 and were accepted in March 1804. However, the War of 1812 prompted them to return to the United States. Obadiah and family, including sons Robert and James, left Canada during the height of the War of 1812 and sought to settle near his brother, Jonathan Griffin, in the present-day town of Orchard Park. Obadiah and Mary’s Quaker membership was transferred to the local meeting by a certificate dated January 18, 1813.
Upon their return to New York, Obadiah and his sons purchased the mill, ultimately giving their surname to the location: Griffins Mills. They successfully operated a saw mill, grist mill, carding mill, distillery and four asheries which produced potash and lye for soap making. Multiple flumes carried the water to various operations.
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