J.G. Deering & Son Lumber Co., Biddeford, ca. 1880
Maine Historical Society
During the Civil War, Maine laborers worked in logging, milling, papermaking, built ships, fished, and processed fish; mined and cut granite and slate; cut and shipped ice, as well as farmed the state's rocky soils. Biddeford and Saco were well known for ice harvesting, granite cutting, and cotton textile manufacturing. Businesses that supported the war did well and were able to hire more employees. Biddeford and Saco were luckier than other towns and cities due to having access to raw materials.