Maine History Online

Clustered in the churning waters below dams and falls, mills were among the most important businesses of Maine's past. Called "privileges" these mill sites often gathered villages around them much as off-ramp gas stations form the nucleus of small enclaves near the interstate.

They produced enormous quantities of cut lumber for an impressive array of wood products for local and distant use — barrel staves, shingles, housing members, fence posts, eventually railroad ties, and above all frames and planking for ships. Larger shipyards even had their own mills on site.

The schooner, specially fitted for bulk cargoes such as lumber, lime, cotton, coal, and granite, became the state's major wooden trading vessel. This ship particularly appealed to American and European buyers who valued its workmanlike design and carrying capacity. Quite versatile, square-riggers of various sizes plied both the coasting and carrying trades. Although in decline since the 1880s, schooners endured into the 20th century as serviceable, practical and reliable conveyances for volume cargoes.

Clipper ships, on the other hand, were built for speed to capitalize on the China trade in tea and luxury goods, and the California and Australian gold rushes. Shipyards at Kittery, Damariscotta, Rockland and elsewhere launched dozens of the elegant craft during the 1850s.

Emphasizing speed over carrying capacity and built during a comparatively brief period in the 19th century, Maine clippers have been romanticized and their impact exaggerated. By demonstrating the possibility of global reach swiftly achieved, however, they helped open the way for steel and steam.

The 20th century brought with it the demands of a more industrial age, and Maine shipbuilding responded by designing and building iron ships. This segment of the industry was especially well suited for large merchant marine and military applications. Known for its private and racing yachts, Bath Iron Works bent its talents to the nation’s military preparedness on the ramp up to World War II.

BIW and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard were among many Maine yards awarded major contracts during the war, delivering destroyers and submarines to the U.S. Navy and Liberty merchant ships to help America's ally, Great Britain. The Cold War brought additional prosperity to the state’s iron ship works, but the major shipyards today regularly face competition and threats of closure as the nation's military needs change.

Benefiting from favorable trading practices and consumer demands, Maine shipbuilding also was subject to the vagaries of other forces. The industry suffered under national crises like the Panic of 1857, and the economic policies of various administrations such as Andrew Jackson's infamous tariff of 1828. Wars and their aftermath offered near simultaneous boom and bust times for shipyards as they hustled to respond to wartime challenges, then struggled to adapt to peacetime demands.

Shipbuilding has proven itself a resilient and resourceful enterprise over the years, one that has brought glory and prosperity to the state, but one that must continually demonstrate its relevance in the face of ongoing challenges. Currently, Maine's smaller wooden vessels are enjoying a renaissance as their classic lines attract devotees who appreciate fine craftsmanship.

Trading on Location

Maine has all three basic requirements for a shipping industry to thrive: marketable goods, favorable elements (such as weather, climate, currents, and tides), and hospitable harbors.

Former Yale President Timothy Dwight visited what was then the District of Maine in 1797 and again 10 years later. He described the topography, discussed town histories, quoted population statistics, and editorialized on people's religious inclinations. He praised Maine's numerous harbors, describing Portland's as "safe, capacious, and rarely frozen" and "sufficiently deep to admit ships of the line."

Not surprisingly, Maine's primary exports emerged from its natural resource economy. While lumber was of major significance, Maine also supplied other materials to local, regional, and global markets.

Granite quarries at Vinalhaven and throughout the Penobscot Bay area attracted skilled immigrant labor and contributed cut and polished stone to the erection of museums, office buildings, customs houses, post offices, and other significant structures, public and private, across the nation.

Wood-fueled kilns converted limestone culled from Rockland area cliffs into lime, which was used in fertilizer and as a critical ingredient for plaster and brick mortar. It was understandably in high demand during the 19th century's building boom.

Lime is especially tricky to transport because it is flammable when exposed to water. Shipping was profitable and worth the risk until 20th-century building technology replaced lime with less volatile materials.