The early settlers invariably built their hamlets near some natural waterfall from which was developed the power to turn the crude wheels of early industry and later expanded to gigantic plants with modern equipment and transmission of power to great distances. In the early days, however, these waterfalls ground the wheat and corn for the pioneer farmers. Crude sawmills were then erected, rather simple at first but in the era from about 1875 to 1900 large mills with equipment to saw up to 100,000 ft. per day were erected along the banks of the Racquette from Tupper Lake to Norwood. During that era our older residents will remember seeing the Racquette River literally choked with logs floated down from Adirondack forests, collected at various sorting booms and distributed to the mills as their ownership indicated by the marks stamped upon the ends of the logs. In Potsdam village the mill on Raymond Street, where the water house now stands, and one on Fall Island gave this village the appearance of a lumber town, while at Sissonville, Hewittville and Norwood were even larger mills.

There naturally grew up about these mills small hamlets which still retain their pioneer names.

The heavy inroads on the virgin forests during this period resulted in the progressive abandonment of the sawmills. A new industry using wood fibre came on the scene. The discovery of the use of wood pulp for the making of paper caused a revolution in that industry. It was possible also to use for paper trees of smaller size than for lumber. So the pulp and paper mill became the successor to the sawmill.

The history of the development of paper pulp reads like a fairy story. While the process was crude at first and is actually still in process of discovery and improvement, it at once made cheaper paper possible and greatly increased the output of paper, and it's larger consumption. On the old sawmill site at Unionville where lumber had been manufactured from the early 60's and abandoned some time in the 80's, a pulp and paper mill was established in 1892. It's founders were largely old sawmill men and it's first president was George W. Sisson. Mr. Sisson came to Potsdam in 1867. He was associated with many other men of that era in the development of the logging and sawmill activities of this region. Among these men were the late Hollis Snell, father of congressman Snell, Henry Watkins, Luke Usher, the Turner Brothers, and others who might be mentioned.

This section has seen the passing of it's large lumber industry, the gradual disappearance of it's forest material. The high cost of importing pulp or pulp wood from other regions, the keen competition from the great development of the paper industry in the extreme South and the far Northwest threatened the continuity of the industry on the Racquette River.

What was once a very fine mill at Piercefiled is now abandoned, as is also one at Norwood. This does not mean that constant research and development of high grade special papers, finding new markets, and finding new uses will not solve the problem and warrant the continuation of the remaining mills on the Racquette River. These forest using industries utilize not only our forest growth but the power produced by the falling waters of the Racquette. They give employment and contribute much to the prosperity of the section. Their development and such success as they have achieved is a tribute to the far seeing men who established and guided them.

In a large way these men, while looking for profit in their operations, were conscious of their responsibility to the communities which they served.

This is but a brief sketch of the Racquette River in its relation to our industries. The Racquette has other memories attached to it like the camping beauties on its shores, the boating and canoeing of the young people who have found it one of the pleasures of their school life. Again, like all nature's resources, we can see in this noble river something of esthetic beauty and romance which makes it dear to those whose lives have been spent in this region.

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