Union Falls, Saco River, ca. 1910Item 74465 info Maine
Historical Society 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.