Walter Ring settled in Monroe County in 1836. In 1840, he purchased a large tract of land from John Cline, and built a log cabin. The cabin was just temporary shelter for his family. Walter started constructing a better house shortly after he built the cabin.

In 1846, Walter finally completed this sandstone house. The sandstone was quarried from the nearby hills and hauled on site by several teams of oxen. Oddly, the two feet thick sandstone walls were painted to resemble brick. Walter lived here with his wife Margaret and their son George. Members of the Ring Family continued to live here up until 1972.

The property that Walter purchased contained a gristmill along the Little Muskingum River that had been built around 1817 by John Cline. In 1848, Walter replaced the original gristmill with a five story structure and added a sawmill two years later. He operated the mills up until 1864. George took over the milling operation after his father's death. The mills and the house stayed in the family for four generations. In 1921, a flood washed out the dam and damaged the gristmill. The sawmill operation ceased shortly after that.

Ring's Mills were the focal point of the small village that was once located in this area. It was appropriately named, Ring's Mills. The Ring's were a highly respected pioneer family of Benton Township. They organized the first church in the township. Walter also served multiple terms as the Township Trustee.