River Drives
River drives were part of Maine's thriving logging industry from 1634 to 1975. Lumberjacks harvested timber during the winter, and horses skidded the logs to the banks of the frozen rivers where they sat, stacked, until the spring thaw.
Then the river drivers took over.
The drivers rolled hundreds of logs into the rivers where the wood started its long float to mills downstream. Wearing spiked boots, the drivers balanced on top of the logs, trying hard to keep them from jamming with long, pike poles. It was wet and dangerous work, and the river drivers — able to ride the logs through the swiftest of rapids — were highly respected for their skill and courage.
During their heyday, from about 1832 to 1888, Maine river drivers were paid between $.75 and a dollar for a day's work — and fed four meals a day: breakfast, first lunch, second lunch, and dinner.
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History: 1878 - 1929
1878
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Timberland sells at auction for $.40 to $1 per acre.
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1909
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George T. Carlisle graduates from the University of Maine with a B.S. in forestry, moves to Boston, and starts a forestry consulting business.
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1916
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George T. moves back to Maine to manage the land of Dr. Charles Adams. While developing an excellent reputation in forestry — and a solid client base — George T. Carlisle meets Henry Prentiss, a third-generation timberland owner and businessman.
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1920
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Timberland sells for $1 to $4 per acre.
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1924
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The two join up to form Prentiss & Carlisle — and to manage land for a variety of clients, including several long-time timberland-owning families. Henry Prentiss is elected president of Prentiss & Carlisle, and George T. Carlisle is elected treasurer.
George Banzhaf founds forest resource consulting company Banzhaf & Watson, later to incorporate as George Banzhaf & Company, which will be acquired by Prentiss & Carlisle in 2005.
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1929
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Known for his forestry expertise, George T. Carlisle is asked to testify about the value of the wood held by private timberland owners as the U.S. Government begins to buy up land to create the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina.
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