Historical piece on the Kennebec River and its surrounding valley towns, from the end of the American Revolution until the river's final log drive in the second half of the twentieth century. Relationships between early settlers and Native Americans. The river as an economic engine for its Maine region. The rise and transitions of the lumbering industry and the work of loggers past. Railroad life, activity around Moosehead Lake, and the characters who helped build the Kennebec River Valley north of the Maine town of Bingham. Area folklore and the river's place in it. Illustrated with regional maps, advertisements, and photographs taken by the author.