Between 1780 and 1874, more than 150 vessels were built on the Saco River. From 1845-1856 records show the building of 40 vessels--an average of 3.33 per year. The following eight years (1857-1864) saw only nine vessels built in the area, or about one per year. This was due in part to economic depression and political upheaval prior to and throughout the American Civil War.
