Maine Memory Network

As early as 1633, entrepreneurs along the Piscataqua River in southern Maine utilized the force of the river to power a sawmill, recognizing the potential of the area's natural power sources.

Maine's major rivers – the Penobscot, Androscoggin, Kennebec, and Saco – along with hundreds of smaller ones– provided falls and rapids, which, along with dams, could help the settlers capitalize on timber and other natural resources.