Working the Bay

Herring Weir Fishing, Rockport

Harlan Hurd is dipping herring out of a weir in Rockport Harbor.

Knowlton Brothers Foundry Works

Knowlton Bros. was an extensive foundry and manufacturing business in Camden that included more than ten buildings. They made castings, did machine shop work, and even made railroad cars.

Anchor factory employees, Camden


Knox Woolen Mill

Camden's Knox Woolen Mill made felts for Maine's growing paper industry and other industries. It was located to take advantage of the waterpower available in Camden. This photo shows some of the employees of the company. In the 1890s the company expanded greatly and built the building now visible in Camden.

Castine Ropewalk

Castine had ropewalks in the early 1800s, one burning in 1828 and its replacement burning in 1830. J.W. Dresser had a ropewalk business in the second half of the nineteenth century, here shown on a winter or early spring day. By the 1870s, though, it was made up of a head house on Pleasant Street and a long, low dilapidated building with three machines making 80 dozen lines per day. Toward the end of the company's operation, it specialized in fishing lines, including long trawl lines. The Dresser Rope Walk was purchased in 1900 and became known as the Line and Twine Factory.

Caulking Mallet

Wooden caulking mallet, for driving oakum or cotton into the seam between planks of a wooden vessel, to make the vessel watertight. Used with a caulking iron. Slots cut into the mallet head produce a distinctive ring when the caulking material is seated solidly in the seam.

Shipbuilding inside Hull

With the frames in place, the shipbuilder is laying out where the keelson will be placed, along the centerline of the ship, on top of the frames. Note the auger used to drill holes for treenails. These were generally made by having a auger bit welded to a iron crank shaped handle. Two men have are boring, while the others are posing for the camera.

Sardine Plant



Brewer Waterfront


Cutting Ice on Lilly Pond



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