VALLEY OF THE ST. CROIX 13 



the products of the forests. Fish and game abounded and 

 the forests and waters were alive with singing birds, game 

 birds and water fowl. St. Stephen, N. B., opposite 

 Calais, Maine, was settled between 1776 and 1779 ; while 

 in 1780 a settlement was made in the southern part of 

 Calais. Some years previous to the above dates white 

 men had located on the river, but it is probable that the 

 first permanent settlements were made in the above years. 



Among the first things these early settlers did was to 

 build saw miUs and lumbering soon became the most 

 important industry. As early as 1790 a saw miU called 

 the "brisk mill" was built by Peter Christie, Abner 

 Hill and others. This was built at what is now called 

 Milltown. It is an interesting fact that the lumber of 

 which the old state house in Boston was built was sawn 

 in this "brisk miU" and shipped from the St. Croix in 

 1795. A large business was also done at these early 

 mills in getting out masts and ton or square timber for 

 the English market and for the West India trade. The 

 entire river on both the English and American sides was 

 lively with saw mills and there were no less than twenty- 

 five firms engaged in the business of manufacturing and 

 shipping lumber ; among them the great names of Chris- 

 tie, HiU, Todd, McAUister, McAdam, Eaton, Boardman 

 and Murchie take high rank. Indeed, no more remark- 

 able group of business men have been produced in any 

 section of the provinces or the states than those who rose 

 to afiluence and power by virtue of their ability in devel- 

 oping and gaining control of the vast lumbering inter- 

 ests of the St. Croix valley during the last half century. 



St. Stephen, N. B., and Calais, U. S. A., lie on oppo- 

 site sides of the St. Croix at "salt water" or the head of 



