Ford Mill had very mixed fortunes over its lifetime, but was reasonably prosperous in the early 1900s under the Cairns family from Galashiels. It is at the centre of the photo below, with the Parish Church above it and the Mission Hall to the right.

It was previously called Boatford Mill on a site originally developed in 1866 for hand weaving, and became Ford Mill in 1878.

It had various owners, including Thomas Moses, who subsequently worked for Reid & Taylor, before it was owned and operated by James Cairns (1831-1905) and his sons John (1856-1938) and James (1861-1924).

During the Great War, John was on the Town Council as its senior bailie (magistrate) and James was a prominent figure in the Townhead Literary Society.

The Ford Mill was next to the Hope Hospital, whose records include a complaint to the mill that hospital windows had to be closed when the wind was blowing from the direction of the Ford chimney. Unfortunately surviving records do not indicate the outcome.