Did you know that the forests of Northern Maine once supplied some of the best ship masts in the world and that Bangor was once the largest shipping port for lumber in the world? Massive white pine trees, the modern date state tree, were the wood of choice for the masts on many British and American ships, among others, and the vast northern Maine woods made the area one of the biggest suppliers of lumber for decades in the 1800's. More recently, paper mills, such as the former Great Northern Paper Company, and saw mills produce forest products including coated specialty papers and lumber, among many others, that continue to write the story of the history of logging in Maine.

The Patten Lumbermen's Museum was established to document Maine Logging History, by preserving the logging heritage and accomplishments of early inhabitants of the state of Maine. Exihibits at the museum include some of Maine's most notable contributions to the early mechanization of logging, including the Lombard Steam Hauler, Lombard Gas Hauler, and the Peavey Cant Dog.

We invite you to lean more about Maine Logging History, including the use of bateaux on waterways to transport supplies, the stories of the fearless river drivers, what life was like inside a remote logging camp, and even the role of bean hole beans by following the links above or by visiting our museum in person.