1 00:00:12,533 --> 00:00:15,133 (guitar music) 2 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,066 (gun shooting) 3 00:00:44,066 --> 00:00:45,966 (canon blasting) 4 00:00:45,966 --> 00:00:48,533 (guitar music) 5 00:01:06,500 --> 00:01:08,566 - Welcome folks to the opening 6 00:01:08,566 --> 00:01:10,833 of the Gambo Pedestrian Bridge. 7 00:01:10,833 --> 00:01:13,966 This is the missing link of the puzzle 8 00:01:13,966 --> 00:01:17,166 to what is a great loop trail if you haven't been on it yet. 9 00:01:17,166 --> 00:01:18,466 It's quite an undertaking actually, 10 00:01:18,466 --> 00:01:20,766 and we're very fortunate to be in the middle 11 00:01:20,766 --> 00:01:22,366 of what is just a gem. 12 00:01:22,366 --> 00:01:23,966 We are like the best kept secret, 13 00:01:23,966 --> 00:01:25,266 and it's one of those things that you hate 14 00:01:25,266 --> 00:01:26,566 to tell everybody about, but it is a, 15 00:01:26,566 --> 00:01:27,700 it is a gem. 16 00:01:29,466 --> 00:01:31,000 - [Narrator] With much fanfare and excitement. 17 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:34,033 Shaw Park opened in the spring of 2006. 18 00:01:34,033 --> 00:01:37,500 Shaw Park is located along the historic Presumpscott River 19 00:01:37,500 --> 00:01:39,066 in Gorham and Windham, 20 00:01:39,066 --> 00:01:42,333 small rural towns located 15 miles west of Portland, 21 00:01:42,333 --> 00:01:44,866 Maine's largest city. 22 00:01:44,866 --> 00:01:48,900 Shaw Park features a nearly two mile long wooded loop trail 23 00:01:48,900 --> 00:01:51,933 located alongside the Presumpscott River. 24 00:01:51,933 --> 00:01:53,500 - The word Presumpscott, 25 00:01:53,500 --> 00:01:57,866 is a native American term that means river of many rocks 26 00:01:57,866 --> 00:01:59,566 or a river of many falls. 27 00:01:59,566 --> 00:02:02,200 (water flowing) 28 00:02:11,866 --> 00:02:13,566 - [Narrator] Shaw Park became a public land 29 00:02:13,566 --> 00:02:15,400 when Shaw Brothers Industry 30 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:17,600 donated property to the town of Gorham. 31 00:02:19,733 --> 00:02:21,333 To make the park a reality, 32 00:02:21,333 --> 00:02:23,766 the company worked collaboratively with state 33 00:02:23,766 --> 00:02:26,266 and government officials, rail trail groups, 34 00:02:26,266 --> 00:02:30,233 the Presumpscott Regional Land Trust, municipal officials, 35 00:02:30,233 --> 00:02:33,233 nature enthusiasts, and historic preservationists. 36 00:02:34,900 --> 00:02:37,466 Shaw Park is a popular stop on what is known 37 00:02:37,466 --> 00:02:39,266 as the Mountain Division Trail, 38 00:02:39,266 --> 00:02:40,800 a 25 mile walking 39 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:43,866 and riding path that flows from Sebago Lake 40 00:02:43,866 --> 00:02:45,466 to Casco Bay in Portland. 41 00:02:46,566 --> 00:02:48,266 The stretch of land on the Windham 42 00:02:48,266 --> 00:02:50,400 and Gorham side of the Presumpscott River 43 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:52,166 is historically significant. 44 00:02:53,700 --> 00:02:55,500 Prior to the Colonial Era, 45 00:02:55,500 --> 00:02:58,300 native Americans hunted and fished along the banks 46 00:02:58,300 --> 00:02:59,566 of the Presumpscott River 47 00:02:59,566 --> 00:03:01,766 for over 10,000 years. 48 00:03:03,066 --> 00:03:05,633 Today, the Presumpscott Regional Land Trust seeks 49 00:03:05,633 --> 00:03:08,200 to raise awareness of the park's history. 50 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,000 Interpretive signage can be seen at intervals 51 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:12,533 along the forested path. 52 00:03:13,700 --> 00:03:15,900 These posters tell an incredible story 53 00:03:15,900 --> 00:03:17,566 that is worth remembering. 54 00:03:17,566 --> 00:03:20,366 - It was top secret for so many years, 55 00:03:20,366 --> 00:03:22,966 so people who lived like I did in Gorham 56 00:03:22,966 --> 00:03:23,900 and grew up in Gorham, 57 00:03:23,900 --> 00:03:25,566 we were never told about it, 58 00:03:25,566 --> 00:03:27,233 never studied it in school, 59 00:03:27,233 --> 00:03:29,300 never heard neighbors talk about it, 60 00:03:29,300 --> 00:03:31,766 and yet it was a good source of jobs, 61 00:03:31,766 --> 00:03:34,333 and a lot of income for a lot of families. 62 00:03:34,333 --> 00:03:35,666 So, that surprised me. 63 00:03:35,666 --> 00:03:37,900 How can that something that big be so secret? 64 00:03:38,766 --> 00:03:40,200 - The magnitude of the mill, 65 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:44,366 I think is somewhat obscured by the forest here. 66 00:03:44,366 --> 00:03:48,566 There was a mill here on the Gorham side, 67 00:03:48,566 --> 00:03:52,366 and there was a store on the Windham side. 68 00:03:52,366 --> 00:03:54,166 One of the issues that came up shortly 69 00:03:54,166 --> 00:03:56,466 after it was purchased was there was a, 70 00:03:56,466 --> 00:03:59,633 an injunction against the gunpowder mill, 71 00:04:01,100 --> 00:04:04,533 because there's a law that says you can't have something 72 00:04:04,533 --> 00:04:06,333 that's potentially dangerous to the public 73 00:04:06,333 --> 00:04:10,000 within a certain distance of the public. 74 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:11,466 And of course, 75 00:04:11,466 --> 00:04:13,600 the gunpowder mill was within distance of the store, 76 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:18,200 and so they had to pay a fine in order to clear that, 77 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:22,133 in order to continue to run the gunpowder mill. 78 00:04:22,133 --> 00:04:24,566 (soft music) 79 00:04:33,900 --> 00:04:35,800 - [Narrator] It's hard to imagine that this quiet, 80 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:37,466 peaceful setting was once home 81 00:04:37,466 --> 00:04:40,466 to the historic Gambo Powder Mills, 82 00:04:40,466 --> 00:04:43,300 a 19th century gunpowder production facility 83 00:04:43,300 --> 00:04:45,933 in operation from 1824 to 1905. 84 00:04:48,266 --> 00:04:50,833 (guitar music) 85 00:04:55,866 --> 00:04:58,100 The men who originally established the mills 86 00:04:58,100 --> 00:05:00,333 were Edmund Fowler and Lester Laughlin 87 00:05:00,333 --> 00:05:02,200 from Southwick, Massachusetts. 88 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:05,733 Laughlin's family had been making gunpowder 89 00:05:05,733 --> 00:05:07,466 since the Revolutionary War. 90 00:05:08,366 --> 00:05:10,633 In the summer of 1827, 91 00:05:10,633 --> 00:05:12,900 Fowler and Laughlin drowned when their boat 92 00:05:12,900 --> 00:05:15,600 capsized during a storm on Sebago Lake. 93 00:05:17,066 --> 00:05:18,833 The men left widows behind 94 00:05:18,833 --> 00:05:21,066 and these women hired superintendents 95 00:05:21,066 --> 00:05:23,133 to continue operations at the mill. 96 00:05:24,333 --> 00:05:25,933 When this didn't work out, 97 00:05:25,933 --> 00:05:28,133 they sold the mills to Oliver Whipple 98 00:05:28,133 --> 00:05:30,300 of Lowell, Massachusetts. 99 00:05:30,300 --> 00:05:32,733 Whipple was Lowell's largest taxpayer. 100 00:05:34,033 --> 00:05:36,366 He expanded land holdings on both sides 101 00:05:36,366 --> 00:05:39,500 of the Presumpscott River to grow the business. 102 00:05:39,500 --> 00:05:41,066 He appointed his brothers to work 103 00:05:41,066 --> 00:05:42,833 as superintendents at the mills. 104 00:05:43,866 --> 00:05:46,866 On October 12th, 1855, 105 00:05:46,866 --> 00:05:50,666 another terrible explosion killed Oliver Whipple's brother, 106 00:05:50,666 --> 00:05:54,666 James and his grandson, along with five other workers. 107 00:05:56,033 --> 00:05:58,833 This explosion did extensive damage to the complex. 108 00:05:58,833 --> 00:06:01,966 Given the tragic personal nature of his loss, 109 00:06:01,966 --> 00:06:04,633 Oliver Whipple decided to sell the complex 110 00:06:04,633 --> 00:06:07,566 to G. G. Newhall of Salem, Massachusetts. 111 00:06:08,900 --> 00:06:11,733 The Newhall's operated the Gambo Powder Mill 112 00:06:11,733 --> 00:06:13,733 throughout the US Civil War. 113 00:06:13,733 --> 00:06:16,566 (drums strumming) 114 00:06:23,666 --> 00:06:25,866 - So I usually start my tours 115 00:06:25,866 --> 00:06:29,033 by gathering people on the bridge 116 00:06:29,033 --> 00:06:31,433 that crosses the Presumpscott River. 117 00:06:31,433 --> 00:06:35,066 And one of the first questions that people seem to want 118 00:06:35,066 --> 00:06:38,200 to know is where did the name Gambo come from? 119 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:42,900 There was a person who apparently was brought to the area, 120 00:06:44,100 --> 00:06:48,800 probably back in the 1700s by a sea captain, 121 00:06:49,966 --> 00:06:53,066 and he had perhaps been a former slave, 122 00:06:53,066 --> 00:06:55,700 but he was not a slave at that time. 123 00:06:55,700 --> 00:06:58,733 And he became a resident of the the Gambo area, 124 00:06:58,733 --> 00:07:02,066 and then the Gambo area became known through his name, 125 00:07:02,066 --> 00:07:03,566 which some, 126 00:07:03,566 --> 00:07:05,666 I don't know if it was a first name or a last name, 127 00:07:05,666 --> 00:07:08,500 but everyone referred to him as Gambo. 128 00:07:08,500 --> 00:07:11,333 And it was apparently one of the activities 129 00:07:11,333 --> 00:07:14,666 of the locals was to, on a Friday night, 130 00:07:14,666 --> 00:07:18,233 go down to Gambo and listen to the music 131 00:07:18,233 --> 00:07:22,100 and dance to the fiddle music played by this individual. 132 00:07:22,100 --> 00:07:24,666 (fiddle music) 133 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,900 When you turn to come down Gambo Road. 134 00:07:33,900 --> 00:07:38,166 The first building on the right was the home 135 00:07:38,166 --> 00:07:40,433 of the superintendent. 136 00:07:40,433 --> 00:07:42,966 There are at least two other structures, 137 00:07:42,966 --> 00:07:44,366 I believe, 138 00:07:44,366 --> 00:07:47,800 on the right hand side that were boarding houses 139 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:50,066 where the workers lived, 140 00:07:50,066 --> 00:07:52,166 individuals who were at one time 141 00:07:52,166 --> 00:07:55,533 or another responsible for the mill operations here. 142 00:07:56,933 --> 00:07:58,966 Not on the land trust property, 143 00:07:58,966 --> 00:08:01,300 but farther down the to the towpath, 144 00:08:01,300 --> 00:08:06,300 there are at least three more old stone foundations. 145 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:08,900 Those old foundations have endured 146 00:08:08,900 --> 00:08:11,733 for a couple hundred years. 147 00:08:11,733 --> 00:08:14,133 (soft music) 148 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:20,733 - [Narrator] Today, the scattered rock walls 149 00:08:20,733 --> 00:08:23,000 and building foundations are all that remain 150 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:26,400 of the old gunpowder mills that once operated here. 151 00:08:27,300 --> 00:08:29,700 (soft music) 152 00:09:15,733 --> 00:09:20,733 (birds chirping) (water flowing) 153 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:25,366 (upbeat music) 154 00:09:26,733 --> 00:09:28,900 The land where the gunpowder operation was located 155 00:09:28,900 --> 00:09:31,766 looked substantially different in the 19th century. 156 00:09:33,266 --> 00:09:36,666 Former pathways leading to and from the industrial complex 157 00:09:36,666 --> 00:09:38,300 are now underwater. 158 00:09:38,300 --> 00:09:39,633 And the historic wooden dam 159 00:09:39,633 --> 00:09:42,133 that proceeded today's concrete structure 160 00:09:42,133 --> 00:09:45,366 is also submerged in about 25 feet of water. 161 00:09:45,366 --> 00:09:47,966 (upbeat music) 162 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,866 The concrete dam seen today was built in the early years 163 00:10:01,866 --> 00:10:03,433 of the 20th century, 164 00:10:03,433 --> 00:10:06,233 thereby raising the water level substantially. 165 00:10:08,433 --> 00:10:11,900 - There's a small island that you can see on the north side 166 00:10:11,900 --> 00:10:14,533 of the Gambo Road, 167 00:10:14,533 --> 00:10:18,466 and it was occupied by five large buildings. 168 00:10:19,533 --> 00:10:21,433 The building containing the ovens 169 00:10:21,433 --> 00:10:24,200 for cooking the woods, so to speak. 170 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:27,333 The black powder consisted of carbon, 171 00:10:27,333 --> 00:10:31,233 which came from local trees, usually alders 172 00:10:31,233 --> 00:10:33,266 that were brought in from local farms 173 00:10:33,266 --> 00:10:36,300 or brought to the site by local farmers 174 00:10:36,300 --> 00:10:39,766 and packing as much as possible into these ovens. 175 00:10:39,766 --> 00:10:41,066 So that, 176 00:10:41,066 --> 00:10:43,033 and it ultimately would yield, charcoal. 177 00:10:43,033 --> 00:10:47,200 Then the charcoal had to be pulverized in the mills 178 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:51,600 that would basically break up the chunks of charcoal 179 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,000 into a very fine powder. 180 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:56,866 We assumed that it was a 24 hour operation, 181 00:10:56,866 --> 00:10:59,033 because it didn't make sense to stop. 182 00:10:59,033 --> 00:11:00,166 But particularly, you know, 183 00:11:00,166 --> 00:11:01,500 the making of the raw ingredients, 184 00:11:01,500 --> 00:11:04,300 the carbon, the charcoal, 185 00:11:04,300 --> 00:11:07,300 those operations continued around the clock. 186 00:11:07,300 --> 00:11:11,100 - Each mill was considered its own entity, 187 00:11:11,100 --> 00:11:15,300 even though it was a sequential function to make gunpowder. 188 00:11:15,300 --> 00:11:18,566 You had a mill for the carbon. 189 00:11:18,566 --> 00:11:22,633 You had a mill across the river to process the saltpeter, 190 00:11:22,633 --> 00:11:24,433 the potassium nitrate. 191 00:11:24,433 --> 00:11:28,833 You had a mill on this side to process the sulfur. 192 00:11:29,866 --> 00:11:31,600 So now you have the sulfur powder, 193 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:35,866 you have the potassium nitrate powder or crystal, 194 00:11:35,866 --> 00:11:37,866 and you have the charcoal powder, 195 00:11:37,866 --> 00:11:40,300 and then they would go to the mixing mill. 196 00:11:40,300 --> 00:11:41,866 And the best of our understanding, 197 00:11:41,866 --> 00:11:46,000 this round mill next to us here was probably a mixing mill. 198 00:11:50,966 --> 00:11:53,533 (guitar music) 199 00:11:57,566 --> 00:11:59,033 - [Narrator] In its heyday, 200 00:11:59,033 --> 00:12:02,233 the Gambo Powder Mill complex was a bustling operation 201 00:12:02,233 --> 00:12:04,933 that employed hundreds of men for nearly a century. 202 00:12:07,266 --> 00:12:11,233 - [David] We know from Windham Historical Society records 203 00:12:11,233 --> 00:12:14,966 that there was a stone mill here circa 1800. 204 00:12:14,966 --> 00:12:16,700 This was in front of the stone mill, 205 00:12:16,700 --> 00:12:19,066 and this would've been late 1800s. 206 00:12:19,066 --> 00:12:20,566 It gives you, I think, 207 00:12:20,566 --> 00:12:24,933 a flavor of the youthfulness and the ragtag appearance 208 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:32,000 for the people that were working here. 209 00:12:33,433 --> 00:12:34,966 - [Narrator] When you look around the Gambo preserve today, 210 00:12:34,966 --> 00:12:38,800 you'll see clear evidence of the former gunpowder operation. 211 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:42,466 - [Don] There's a large rock right near one 212 00:12:42,466 --> 00:12:45,433 of those foundations that's got these iron rods in it. 213 00:12:45,433 --> 00:12:49,466 And those were connections for bridges, 214 00:12:49,466 --> 00:12:50,433 foot bridges 215 00:12:50,433 --> 00:12:51,966 that were across the river. 216 00:12:51,966 --> 00:12:54,000 They went to a little, what I call, 217 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:56,900 an island in the middle, which is still there. 218 00:12:56,900 --> 00:12:58,700 And then there was another bridge on the other side 219 00:12:58,700 --> 00:13:01,100 of the island that went over to the Windham side. 220 00:13:03,033 --> 00:13:03,866 - I found, 221 00:13:03,866 --> 00:13:04,966 found out where it was, 222 00:13:04,966 --> 00:13:06,800 I took different people down there, 223 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:07,700 and there's nothing. 224 00:13:07,700 --> 00:13:09,966 There's a few foundations, 225 00:13:09,966 --> 00:13:12,000 and then we were right beside a railroad track 226 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:15,966 and there was a pile of old rusty cans, 227 00:13:15,966 --> 00:13:17,366 and we picked them up and they were 228 00:13:17,366 --> 00:13:19,166 from the Oriental Powder Mill. 229 00:13:23,433 --> 00:13:24,966 - [Narrator] The mills produced gunpowder 230 00:13:24,966 --> 00:13:27,566 for a wide variety of uses. 231 00:13:27,566 --> 00:13:31,200 Gunpowder produced here was used for a range of explosives. 232 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:32,333 Most commonly, 233 00:13:32,333 --> 00:13:34,000 the blasting powder needed to blast 234 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,400 through rock ledge For western expansion. 235 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:39,066 (rail clicking) 236 00:13:40,466 --> 00:13:43,666 Major projects included construction of railroad beds, 237 00:13:43,666 --> 00:13:45,766 canals, quarries, roads, 238 00:13:45,766 --> 00:13:48,466 and for farming purposes, the clearing of tree stumps 239 00:13:48,466 --> 00:13:50,633 and large rocks on forested land. 240 00:13:52,233 --> 00:13:55,666 (horns blaring) 241 00:13:55,666 --> 00:13:57,466 Perhaps most noteworthy, 242 00:13:57,466 --> 00:14:00,833 this once thriving gunpowder manufacturing company 243 00:14:00,833 --> 00:14:03,733 supplied vast amounts of gunpowder for some 244 00:14:03,733 --> 00:14:06,200 of the deadliest wars of the 19th century. 245 00:14:07,300 --> 00:14:09,700 These battles were most notably 246 00:14:09,700 --> 00:14:13,866 the Mexican War of 1846 to 1848, 247 00:14:13,866 --> 00:14:16,700 the Crimean War of 1854 in Russia, 248 00:14:17,700 --> 00:14:19,433 and much closer to home, 249 00:14:19,433 --> 00:14:23,866 the United States Civil War fought from 1861 to 1865. 250 00:14:26,966 --> 00:14:28,566 During the US Civil War, 251 00:14:28,566 --> 00:14:32,600 the mills and Gorham and Windham produced an estimated 25% 252 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:36,566 of all the gunpowder used by the Union troops. 253 00:14:36,566 --> 00:14:39,600 - The Gambo Mills had the reputation for being one 254 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:42,800 of the highest quality sources of gunpowder 255 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:46,400 during the Civil War and perhaps in all other times as well. 256 00:14:47,700 --> 00:14:50,833 - Very interesting thing happened in the Civil War. 257 00:14:50,833 --> 00:14:51,966 At that time, 258 00:14:51,966 --> 00:14:54,033 England owned India, 259 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:58,033 and England was very favorable to the Confederacy. 260 00:14:59,166 --> 00:15:01,200 And when the war broke out, 261 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:05,633 England enacted an embargo that neither England 262 00:15:05,633 --> 00:15:09,266 nor India could send any more saltpeter 263 00:15:09,266 --> 00:15:11,033 to the United States. 264 00:15:12,366 --> 00:15:14,800 When Lincoln got the news, 265 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:16,633 he dispatched a man by the name 266 00:15:16,633 --> 00:15:19,200 of Lammot du Pont to England, 267 00:15:20,433 --> 00:15:23,500 who argued and must have been very diplomatic, 268 00:15:23,500 --> 00:15:28,233 because the British finally decided to rescind the embargo. 269 00:15:30,033 --> 00:15:34,400 If Lammot du Pont had not succeeded in that thing, 270 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:37,100 we most likely would all be whistling Dixie 271 00:15:37,100 --> 00:15:38,300 up here right now. 272 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:41,600 (soft music) 273 00:15:49,033 --> 00:15:51,566 - [Narrator] During the final year of the war, 274 00:15:51,566 --> 00:15:54,700 the powder mills produced over a million pounds 275 00:15:54,700 --> 00:15:57,566 of the volatile and dangerous black powder. 276 00:15:58,700 --> 00:16:01,433 (fire blaring) 277 00:16:01,433 --> 00:16:05,566 The Gambo Gunpowder Mill complex began operations in 1824. 278 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,566 The Gambo Powder Mill was easily the largest such mill 279 00:16:09,566 --> 00:16:12,566 in Maine and the fourth largest in the US. 280 00:16:14,300 --> 00:16:16,966 The largest at the time was the DuPont Industries 281 00:16:16,966 --> 00:16:17,966 in Rhode Island. 282 00:16:19,333 --> 00:16:22,233 Gambo produced all three types of gun powder, 283 00:16:22,233 --> 00:16:25,066 military, hunting, and blasting powder. 284 00:16:25,066 --> 00:16:28,066 (explosives firing) 285 00:16:30,766 --> 00:16:32,133 (gun clicking) 286 00:16:32,133 --> 00:16:34,533 Gunpowder is believed to be a Chinese invention 287 00:16:34,533 --> 00:16:37,400 that arrived in Europe around the year 1240. 288 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:39,866 (fire lighting) 289 00:16:39,866 --> 00:16:44,433 Gunpowder was first introduced in Massachusetts in 1639, 290 00:16:44,433 --> 00:16:47,933 prior to the first of many brutal Native American wars 291 00:16:47,933 --> 00:16:49,933 that were fought throughout New England. 292 00:16:51,266 --> 00:16:52,766 (gun shooting) 293 00:16:52,766 --> 00:16:54,866 The three ingredients used to make gunpowder back then, 294 00:16:54,866 --> 00:16:59,333 charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter were carefully weighed 295 00:16:59,333 --> 00:17:02,066 and mixed together in the proper proportions, 296 00:17:02,066 --> 00:17:05,366 depending on the type of powder being produced. 297 00:17:05,366 --> 00:17:08,000 The mixture was then transferred from the production mill 298 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:10,500 to the incorporating mills along both sides 299 00:17:10,500 --> 00:17:13,066 of the river in Windham and Gorham. 300 00:17:13,066 --> 00:17:15,166 - [David] And they just looked like little sheds. 301 00:17:15,166 --> 00:17:16,300 I mean, 302 00:17:16,300 --> 00:17:17,766 it was what was going on inside them 303 00:17:17,766 --> 00:17:18,900 that made a difference, 304 00:17:18,900 --> 00:17:20,066 as to whether it was a pressing mill, 305 00:17:20,066 --> 00:17:22,833 a kernelling mill, a mixing mill, 306 00:17:22,833 --> 00:17:24,366 sorting mill, you know, 307 00:17:24,366 --> 00:17:26,033 'cause they, they had to sort the grain 308 00:17:26,033 --> 00:17:30,300 to determine whether it was for civilian use for birdshot, 309 00:17:30,300 --> 00:17:31,900 a rifle shot, 310 00:17:31,900 --> 00:17:34,133 or whether they were making it for military use, 311 00:17:34,133 --> 00:17:36,766 which had just a slightly different formula, 312 00:17:36,766 --> 00:17:40,566 and it went in anything from small multi ounce flask 313 00:17:40,566 --> 00:17:42,866 all the way up to a hundred pound barrels. 314 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:49,266 - [Narrator] Despite careful packing, 315 00:17:49,266 --> 00:17:52,800 the gunpowder remained a seriously dangerous material 316 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:56,200 and was a challenge to transport in those days. 317 00:17:56,200 --> 00:17:57,600 Back in the 19th century, 318 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:01,566 the historic Cumberland Oxford Canal made transport 319 00:18:01,566 --> 00:18:04,933 of gunpowder and other goods safer and more efficient. 320 00:18:06,233 --> 00:18:09,233 The historic canal towpath was a manmade series 321 00:18:09,233 --> 00:18:11,933 of canals connecting Sebago Lake 322 00:18:11,933 --> 00:18:15,133 with training centers along Portland's coast. 323 00:18:15,133 --> 00:18:18,066 - [Don] The canal was originally financed 324 00:18:18,066 --> 00:18:21,166 by creating a new bank called Canal Bank. 325 00:18:21,166 --> 00:18:23,900 And they were the forerunners of what is today KeyBank. 326 00:18:25,333 --> 00:18:27,800 - [Narrator] The canal was constructed to enable transport 327 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:30,366 of vital supplies to the settlers. 328 00:18:31,700 --> 00:18:34,266 The Gambo powder mills had their own canal boat, 329 00:18:34,266 --> 00:18:39,266 and it was in use from 1830 until the canal closed in 1871. 330 00:18:40,500 --> 00:18:41,533 A time corresponding with the introduction 331 00:18:41,533 --> 00:18:43,233 of railroad transport. 332 00:18:43,233 --> 00:18:46,700 - [Don] The trains came through about 1870 333 00:18:46,700 --> 00:18:47,866 through Windham at least. 334 00:18:47,866 --> 00:18:48,900 They had been in operation 335 00:18:48,900 --> 00:18:50,966 for a few years before that. 336 00:18:50,966 --> 00:18:52,933 The tracks still exist. 337 00:18:52,933 --> 00:18:56,133 The right of way was sold by the Oriental Powder Company 338 00:18:56,133 --> 00:18:58,233 to the railroad at the time. 339 00:18:58,233 --> 00:19:02,133 That led to the demise of the canal, 340 00:19:02,133 --> 00:19:03,866 because the canal, first of all, 341 00:19:03,866 --> 00:19:05,200 was seasonal. 342 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:06,666 It only operated, you know, 343 00:19:06,666 --> 00:19:08,333 during warmer months. 344 00:19:08,333 --> 00:19:10,433 Trains could run year round. 345 00:19:10,433 --> 00:19:13,866 However, the trains were reluctant in the beginning 346 00:19:13,866 --> 00:19:15,900 to carry explosives. 347 00:19:15,900 --> 00:19:19,300 Eventually, I guess they determined that it, 348 00:19:19,300 --> 00:19:21,733 that if they took proper precautions, 349 00:19:21,733 --> 00:19:23,233 that they could could do that. 350 00:19:24,366 --> 00:19:25,533 - [Narrator] Prior to the railroads, 351 00:19:25,533 --> 00:19:27,166 gunpowder would be transported 352 00:19:27,166 --> 00:19:29,633 by boat from the mill to Portland, 353 00:19:29,633 --> 00:19:32,566 and from there it would be transported to Boston 354 00:19:32,566 --> 00:19:34,900 and other ports along the eastern seaboard. 355 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:40,500 - [Don] Sometimes they would sail all the way to Boston, 356 00:19:40,500 --> 00:19:43,133 but they also discovered that they would 357 00:19:43,133 --> 00:19:45,500 not always be allowed to tie up 358 00:19:45,500 --> 00:19:46,333 (Don laughing) 359 00:19:46,333 --> 00:19:47,733 on a wharf. 360 00:19:47,733 --> 00:19:50,266 They had to anchor offshore and transfer their load 361 00:19:50,266 --> 00:19:52,166 through some other means. 362 00:19:52,166 --> 00:19:53,233 (Don giggling) 363 00:19:53,233 --> 00:19:55,633 (soft music) 364 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:01,133 - [Narrator] Gunpowder mills in Maine and elsewhere 365 00:20:01,133 --> 00:20:03,500 were all built on rivers or streams to ensure 366 00:20:03,500 --> 00:20:05,400 they had a good source of water power. 367 00:20:06,666 --> 00:20:08,466 The various production buildings were usually 368 00:20:08,466 --> 00:20:11,800 of wood construction on stone foundations. 369 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:13,600 Most of them were one story high, 370 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:17,066 and each building was positioned at some distance apart 371 00:20:17,066 --> 00:20:19,766 so that if an explosion or fire occurred, 372 00:20:19,766 --> 00:20:22,466 the whole production operation would not be destroyed. 373 00:20:23,866 --> 00:20:26,433 The charcoal house was built on an island separate 374 00:20:26,433 --> 00:20:28,100 from the rest of the operation. 375 00:20:29,266 --> 00:20:31,966 Trees also served as natural barriers. 376 00:20:31,966 --> 00:20:34,666 The charcoal house and various buildings located 377 00:20:34,666 --> 00:20:37,100 on both sides of the river were connected 378 00:20:37,100 --> 00:20:38,533 by wooden plank walks, 379 00:20:38,533 --> 00:20:41,100 which had to be kept free of sand and dirt. 380 00:20:42,500 --> 00:20:45,400 Iron and steel were prohibited in building construction 381 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:47,466 to prevent striking a spark. 382 00:20:47,466 --> 00:20:49,666 - There was always a risk of a spark. 383 00:20:49,666 --> 00:20:52,133 You know, there was no occupational safety 384 00:20:52,133 --> 00:20:55,166 and health people at, in those days, 385 00:20:55,166 --> 00:20:57,600 and it was just a dangerous place to work. 386 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,166 And everyone was encouraged to be careful. 387 00:21:00,166 --> 00:21:02,766 - That's the bane of the existence of the gun powder mill, 388 00:21:02,766 --> 00:21:04,066 were sparks. 389 00:21:04,066 --> 00:21:05,966 One of the story goes from Morris Whitten 390 00:21:05,966 --> 00:21:09,466 is a farmer neglected to change, 391 00:21:09,466 --> 00:21:10,966 went home, 392 00:21:10,966 --> 00:21:15,800 and as he was standing next to his kitchen wood stove, 393 00:21:16,533 --> 00:21:17,866 he started to spark, 394 00:21:17,866 --> 00:21:19,700 because he had so much gunpowder dust on him. 395 00:21:20,900 --> 00:21:22,733 - [Narrator] To further prevent sparking all 396 00:21:22,733 --> 00:21:24,666 of the wheelbarrows and various tools 397 00:21:24,666 --> 00:21:27,266 used by the workmen were made of wood. 398 00:21:28,233 --> 00:21:30,200 Workers were not allowed to smoke 399 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:32,933 or carry matches on the premises. 400 00:21:32,933 --> 00:21:35,233 No artificial light was allowed except 401 00:21:35,233 --> 00:21:38,000 for a kerosene lantern outside of the window 402 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:39,733 on each wheelhouse. 403 00:21:39,733 --> 00:21:42,566 All workmen had to have specially constructed boots 404 00:21:42,566 --> 00:21:44,666 or shoes with no iron nails. 405 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:48,866 Wooden pegs were used instead of nails. 406 00:21:48,866 --> 00:21:51,600 Some workmen chose to go barefoot in the warmer months 407 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:53,600 to help ensure safety. 408 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:57,000 Others used cotton felt boots or slippers. 409 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:58,566 Every meal had a wash house 410 00:21:58,566 --> 00:22:01,733 and the men were required to launder their work attire 411 00:22:01,733 --> 00:22:03,200 and to change into other clothes 412 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:05,066 before leaving the premises. 413 00:22:05,066 --> 00:22:07,100 Returning home in work clothes covered 414 00:22:07,100 --> 00:22:10,266 with gunpowder dust was risky and dangerous, 415 00:22:10,266 --> 00:22:12,466 not only to the laborers, 416 00:22:12,466 --> 00:22:14,033 but also to their families 417 00:22:14,033 --> 00:22:16,766 who would be put at risk from a possible explosion. 418 00:22:18,300 --> 00:22:20,200 Despite these safety precautions, 419 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:23,733 the ongoing risk of gunpowder ignition in the mills 420 00:22:23,733 --> 00:22:26,466 was real and deeply feared. 421 00:22:26,466 --> 00:22:29,166 - The gunpowder operation over the years there in, 422 00:22:29,166 --> 00:22:30,333 in the 80, 423 00:22:30,333 --> 00:22:32,533 approximately 80 years that it ran, 424 00:22:32,533 --> 00:22:34,600 was a dangerous place to work. 425 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:37,266 There were multiple explosions. 426 00:22:37,266 --> 00:22:41,000 The buildings themselves were also built very loosely. 427 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:42,933 They were built that way on purpose, 428 00:22:42,933 --> 00:22:44,166 you know, 429 00:22:44,166 --> 00:22:45,666 so that if they did have an explosion, 430 00:22:45,666 --> 00:22:47,266 (explosion blasting) 431 00:22:47,266 --> 00:22:50,366 the building would come apart easily 432 00:22:50,366 --> 00:22:54,000 and maybe be deflected more upward than outward. 433 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:55,900 So they knew what they were dealing with. 434 00:22:55,900 --> 00:22:57,100 It wasn't like it, 435 00:22:57,100 --> 00:22:59,700 every explosion was a big surprise. 436 00:22:59,700 --> 00:23:01,166 (fire blaring) 437 00:23:01,166 --> 00:23:02,766 - [Narrator] Over the 81 year span 438 00:23:02,766 --> 00:23:05,100 of the Gambo Powder operation, 439 00:23:05,100 --> 00:23:09,500 46 men tragically lost their lives in horrific explosions. 440 00:23:10,666 --> 00:23:13,833 - The incorporating mills were one 441 00:23:13,833 --> 00:23:15,466 of the places where they, 442 00:23:15,466 --> 00:23:18,033 they were very much subject to explosions. 443 00:23:19,433 --> 00:23:22,666 The tray that these large granite wheels roll slowly 444 00:23:22,666 --> 00:23:24,433 around driven by the water mill, 445 00:23:25,700 --> 00:23:29,600 had to keep a constant charge of the mixture 446 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:32,866 between the wheel and the metal tray. 447 00:23:32,866 --> 00:23:34,166 And the reason, of course, 448 00:23:34,166 --> 00:23:37,533 is that if the granite wheel came into contact 449 00:23:37,533 --> 00:23:39,233 with the metal tray, 450 00:23:39,233 --> 00:23:41,933 it was a steel or iron tray, 451 00:23:41,933 --> 00:23:42,766 and it, 452 00:23:42,766 --> 00:23:44,166 if it was just one spark 453 00:23:44,166 --> 00:23:46,700 (explosion blasting) ignited by that interaction, 454 00:23:46,700 --> 00:23:48,633 the whole thing would go up in a, 455 00:23:48,633 --> 00:23:51,900 in a giant explosion involving about 300 pounds 456 00:23:51,900 --> 00:23:54,833 of blasting power. 457 00:23:54,833 --> 00:23:55,866 And it happened. 458 00:23:55,866 --> 00:23:58,366 It happened more than once. 459 00:23:58,366 --> 00:23:59,566 Beside the towpath, 460 00:23:59,566 --> 00:24:02,266 if you walk towards the power line, 461 00:24:02,266 --> 00:24:05,066 there's a wheel, two halves of one of them. 462 00:24:05,066 --> 00:24:07,966 We don't know how that one actually got there. 463 00:24:07,966 --> 00:24:10,166 We were curious that it might have been blown there 464 00:24:10,166 --> 00:24:12,333 by an explosion 'cause it's quite a ways 465 00:24:12,333 --> 00:24:14,400 from where it would've been utilized, 466 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:16,400 you know, as a part of the machinery. 467 00:24:20,533 --> 00:24:22,966 - [Narrator] It's impossible to convey how terrifying 468 00:24:22,966 --> 00:24:26,066 and gruesome the injuries caused by these explosions were. 469 00:24:27,500 --> 00:24:30,300 The blast shook nearby farms on both sides of the river 470 00:24:30,300 --> 00:24:32,500 and could be felt as far away as Portland. 471 00:24:32,500 --> 00:24:34,033 - [Linda] Buildings were, 472 00:24:34,033 --> 00:24:35,100 would shake and sometimes windows would break. 473 00:24:35,100 --> 00:24:36,466 (glass shattering) 474 00:24:36,466 --> 00:24:40,066 So there was a big rush of doctors and undertakers 475 00:24:40,066 --> 00:24:43,466 and workmen who would show up to get those jobs 476 00:24:43,466 --> 00:24:45,000 that were now available. 477 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,933 - [Narrator] These catastrophically deadly explosions 478 00:24:47,933 --> 00:24:51,500 once provided sensationalist front page news fodder 479 00:24:51,500 --> 00:24:53,366 for the 19th century newspapers. 480 00:24:53,366 --> 00:24:56,833 like the "Portland Advisor" and "The Eastern Argus." 481 00:24:56,833 --> 00:25:00,333 One story described an explosion at the mill this way, 482 00:25:00,333 --> 00:25:03,366 (explosion blaring) 483 00:25:04,700 --> 00:25:07,166 "A frightful explosion that the Gambo Powder Mill 484 00:25:07,166 --> 00:25:09,500 in Gorham took place yesterday morning, 485 00:25:09,500 --> 00:25:12,033 causing a great loss of life. 486 00:25:12,033 --> 00:25:14,000 A devastating explosion occurred 487 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:16,966 as seven men were loading a canal boat with gunpowder. 488 00:25:18,266 --> 00:25:20,666 One man was thrown nearly a quarter of a mile. 489 00:25:21,966 --> 00:25:23,866 Two men were blown into the canal 490 00:25:23,866 --> 00:25:26,333 and their mutilated bodies were recovered shortly 491 00:25:26,333 --> 00:25:27,666 after the disaster. 492 00:25:29,033 --> 00:25:30,566 The smoke from the explosion 493 00:25:30,566 --> 00:25:34,466 cast a dent black funeral pall over the site for hours. 494 00:25:35,966 --> 00:25:40,133 Most of seven men killed leave behind wives and children." 495 00:25:40,133 --> 00:25:43,700 - There was a lady who wrote a lot about history in Windham 496 00:25:43,700 --> 00:25:45,900 and she told about the schoolchildren 497 00:25:45,900 --> 00:25:48,900 at school when they heard explosions, 498 00:25:48,900 --> 00:25:51,400 they all put their heads down on their desk 499 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:53,100 and they started to cry. 500 00:25:53,100 --> 00:25:55,700 And the reason why was their fathers were working 501 00:25:55,700 --> 00:25:57,500 in the gunpowder mills, 502 00:25:57,500 --> 00:25:59,466 so they were afraid it might be their family. 503 00:25:59,466 --> 00:26:01,700 - If you lost your breadwinner, 504 00:26:01,700 --> 00:26:04,366 the family was gonna be in a bad way for a long time. 505 00:26:05,500 --> 00:26:08,266 (dramatic music) 506 00:26:15,533 --> 00:26:18,166 (dramatic music) 507 00:26:18,166 --> 00:26:20,800 - [Narrator] One might reasonably believe mill operators 508 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:23,033 would have trouble locating replacement workers 509 00:26:23,033 --> 00:26:25,133 after such gruesome fatalities, 510 00:26:25,133 --> 00:26:26,766 but that was hardly the case. 511 00:26:28,266 --> 00:26:30,733 Astonishingly, these horrific deaths were not a deterrent 512 00:26:30,733 --> 00:26:32,866 for those seeking good paying work. 513 00:26:32,866 --> 00:26:35,933 The mill paid roughly $2 per day to laborers, 514 00:26:35,933 --> 00:26:38,066 an impressive sum of money at the time. 515 00:26:39,433 --> 00:26:41,533 After a deadly explosion at the mill, 516 00:26:41,533 --> 00:26:44,600 as many as 15 or more job applicants would be 517 00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:46,766 in line the following day, 518 00:26:46,766 --> 00:26:50,000 seeking to replace the unlucky souls that had perished. 519 00:26:51,266 --> 00:26:53,433 Some of the descendants of the original owners 520 00:26:53,433 --> 00:26:54,800 were among those unlucky enough 521 00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:57,100 to be killed in a workplace detonation. 522 00:26:58,066 --> 00:27:00,800 On July 19th, 1828, 523 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:03,266 a severe explosion killed seven workmen. 524 00:27:04,666 --> 00:27:07,566 Many more employees would fall victim to explosions 525 00:27:07,566 --> 00:27:10,466 before the mill finally closed in 1905. 526 00:27:15,066 --> 00:27:17,800 (dramatic music) 527 00:27:27,233 --> 00:27:31,266 - Moses Little was a well-known member of Windham's 528 00:27:31,266 --> 00:27:35,366 and he provided funds for people when they needed money. 529 00:27:35,366 --> 00:27:37,466 He was a money lender. 530 00:27:37,466 --> 00:27:40,133 He had a giant store in South Windham 531 00:27:40,133 --> 00:27:41,400 and he didn't even work there. 532 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:42,700 He owned it, 533 00:27:42,700 --> 00:27:44,366 but he made a lot of money from that store, 534 00:27:44,366 --> 00:27:46,500 so he built perhaps one of the biggest houses 535 00:27:46,500 --> 00:27:48,866 at that time in Windham. 536 00:27:48,866 --> 00:27:52,133 He had six children and only two lived to be 537 00:27:52,133 --> 00:27:54,433 over the age of six years old 538 00:27:54,433 --> 00:27:56,600 and one of them was his only son. 539 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:58,166 So when his son got older, 540 00:27:58,166 --> 00:28:01,566 his son worked at the gunpowder mill 541 00:28:01,566 --> 00:28:04,100 and he was killed in one of the explosions. 542 00:28:04,100 --> 00:28:07,033 His only son got killed 543 00:28:07,033 --> 00:28:09,333 and he had no one to leave all his money to. 544 00:28:09,333 --> 00:28:11,200 He had no one to leave his name to. 545 00:28:12,066 --> 00:28:14,833 (dramatic music) 546 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:25,200 (soft music) 547 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:37,033 (soft music) 548 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:53,733 - [Don] The mill continued to operate 549 00:28:53,733 --> 00:28:57,800 as the Oriental Powder Mill right up until its demise 550 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:00,700 in about 1904. 551 00:29:00,700 --> 00:29:02,266 At that time, 552 00:29:02,266 --> 00:29:06,533 the demand for black powder was diminishing significantly. 553 00:29:06,533 --> 00:29:08,766 There were other powder manufacturers 554 00:29:08,766 --> 00:29:11,633 that had sprung up across the country. 555 00:29:11,633 --> 00:29:15,000 The railroads were also moving the country west, 556 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:20,000 so the demand for powder from the Gorham-Windham Mills 557 00:29:20,700 --> 00:29:21,900 were diminishing. 558 00:29:26,333 --> 00:29:28,933 (dramatic music) 559 00:29:28,933 --> 00:29:32,700 Based on the number of job duties 560 00:29:32,700 --> 00:29:35,900 that existed there during the time when there 561 00:29:35,900 --> 00:29:37,566 were more than 50 buildings, 562 00:29:37,566 --> 00:29:38,933 both sides of the river. 563 00:29:38,933 --> 00:29:40,666 If you looked at all the different mill operations 564 00:29:40,666 --> 00:29:44,433 and all the storage operations and supporting operations 565 00:29:44,433 --> 00:29:46,400 and maybe administrative functions, 566 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:50,233 we estimated 60 people to support the operation, 567 00:29:50,233 --> 00:29:51,766 at its peak. 568 00:29:51,766 --> 00:29:54,866 And that's based on just how many people does it take 569 00:29:54,866 --> 00:29:57,833 to run an incorporating mill. 570 00:29:57,833 --> 00:30:00,700 Would they be running it 24/7? 571 00:30:00,700 --> 00:30:03,700 (bugs chirping) 572 00:30:03,700 --> 00:30:06,133 (soft music) 573 00:30:11,433 --> 00:30:14,200 (dramatic music) 574 00:30:22,566 --> 00:30:23,700 During the Civil War, 575 00:30:23,700 --> 00:30:26,866 they were losing employees to the draft. 576 00:30:26,866 --> 00:30:30,800 One of the affiliates was a gentleman by the name 577 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:32,566 of William Jackson, 578 00:30:32,566 --> 00:30:36,666 and he had been a mill superintendent at that time. 579 00:30:36,666 --> 00:30:41,633 Mr. Jackson had his legal folks draft a letter 580 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:44,066 to the Governor of Maine at the time, 581 00:30:44,066 --> 00:30:45,833 and this letter was submitted to him 582 00:30:45,833 --> 00:30:48,766 by Mr. Jackson's attorneys explaining 583 00:30:48,766 --> 00:30:53,566 that they were losing employees to the draft 584 00:30:53,566 --> 00:30:56,700 and that that was going to impact the ability 585 00:30:56,700 --> 00:30:58,800 to produce the military grade gunpowder 586 00:30:58,800 --> 00:30:59,600 needed during, 587 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:00,600 by the Union Army. 588 00:31:03,066 --> 00:31:06,466 - "Will your office go so far as to use your best endeavor 589 00:31:06,466 --> 00:31:09,533 with the governor of the state to have the workman employed 590 00:31:09,533 --> 00:31:12,333 by this company in manufacturing gunpowder 591 00:31:12,333 --> 00:31:14,433 exempt from the draft? 592 00:31:14,433 --> 00:31:16,633 It must be obvious that without powder, 593 00:31:16,633 --> 00:31:20,100 wars cannot be carried on and that our expert workman 594 00:31:20,100 --> 00:31:22,233 in a powder mill is of more service 595 00:31:22,233 --> 00:31:23,733 than he would be as a soldier. 596 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:29,933 The loss of workman is enough by accident beyond control, 597 00:31:29,933 --> 00:31:32,766 and we should not have them taken from us by draft. 598 00:31:34,633 --> 00:31:36,800 If you can aid us in this matter, 599 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:38,166 you would confer a favor, 600 00:31:39,266 --> 00:31:40,266 William Jackson." 601 00:31:41,500 --> 00:31:43,800 - [Don] They made an appeal to the governor 602 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:46,900 to declare that people who were working 603 00:31:46,900 --> 00:31:50,500 in the gunpowder operations would be exempt 604 00:31:50,500 --> 00:31:52,133 from the draft. 605 00:31:52,133 --> 00:31:55,366 That was approved by the governor 606 00:31:55,366 --> 00:31:57,666 and put into law at the time. 607 00:31:58,866 --> 00:32:00,133 - [Narrator] In 1870, 608 00:32:00,133 --> 00:32:02,633 a major financial crisis was underway 609 00:32:02,633 --> 00:32:05,600 and many companies went bankrupt during this period. 610 00:32:06,766 --> 00:32:09,300 The mill sold for $100,000 611 00:32:09,300 --> 00:32:12,533 and was renamed the Oriental Powder Mill. 612 00:32:12,533 --> 00:32:14,033 In 1879, 613 00:32:14,033 --> 00:32:17,033 other large firms started buying stock in the company 614 00:32:17,033 --> 00:32:19,233 and the operation was eventually sold, 615 00:32:19,233 --> 00:32:20,100 yet again. 616 00:32:21,300 --> 00:32:23,333 The DuPont firm of Rhode Island, 617 00:32:23,333 --> 00:32:25,666 at the time the largest producer of gunpowder 618 00:32:25,666 --> 00:32:28,866 in the United States wanted to buy the mill, 619 00:32:28,866 --> 00:32:31,366 but was not able to secure sufficient capital 620 00:32:31,366 --> 00:32:33,066 for the purchase. 621 00:32:33,066 --> 00:32:37,166 DuPont was eventually able to identify sufficient resources 622 00:32:37,166 --> 00:32:41,133 and ultimately acquired the Oriental Powder Mill operation. 623 00:32:42,266 --> 00:32:44,333 - Due to the reduction in the demand 624 00:32:44,333 --> 00:32:47,233 for various types of gunpowder, 625 00:32:47,233 --> 00:32:50,466 The other gunpowder operations around the state, 626 00:32:50,466 --> 00:32:53,333 Buckfield, Warren, and Camden, 627 00:32:53,333 --> 00:32:56,500 many of the resources utilized in those locations 628 00:32:56,500 --> 00:32:59,700 were acquired by the Oriental Powder Company, 629 00:32:59,700 --> 00:33:03,300 possibly some of it consolidated back in the Delaware area 630 00:33:03,300 --> 00:33:07,400 where the DuPont company had major operations. 631 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:10,066 (water flowing) 632 00:33:20,300 --> 00:33:22,866 (guitar music) 633 00:33:25,633 --> 00:33:30,466 SD Warren Company acquired property here 634 00:33:30,466 --> 00:33:32,733 in the early 1900s. 635 00:33:32,733 --> 00:33:37,100 The 1907 dam was created in order to provide 636 00:33:37,100 --> 00:33:40,466 a greater supply of water that could be used to run 637 00:33:40,466 --> 00:33:43,166 through their hydro power generating station, 638 00:33:43,166 --> 00:33:45,800 which is just downstream from here. 639 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:48,866 So, hydropower is still being utilized from here down 640 00:33:48,866 --> 00:33:50,966 to the Sappi mill in Westbrook, 641 00:33:50,966 --> 00:33:53,666 and they're utilizing the electricity 642 00:33:53,666 --> 00:33:56,400 generated right here in Gambo as we speak. 643 00:33:59,133 --> 00:34:01,700 (guitar music) 644 00:34:07,466 --> 00:34:09,500 - [Narrator] The remains of the gunpowder mill 645 00:34:09,500 --> 00:34:12,966 hold a certain mystique for visitors exploring the woods 646 00:34:12,966 --> 00:34:15,633 and waters where the operation once stood. 647 00:34:17,833 --> 00:34:19,366 Today, walking the pathway 648 00:34:19,366 --> 00:34:21,400 through this historic site is a peaceful, 649 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:23,466 serene experience. 650 00:34:23,466 --> 00:34:25,866 Visitors are often unaware they are hiking 651 00:34:25,866 --> 00:34:30,266 on hallowed ground once traveled by 19th century men, 652 00:34:30,266 --> 00:34:32,333 working long grueling hours 653 00:34:32,333 --> 00:34:35,333 in an extremely dangerous environment to earn money 654 00:34:35,333 --> 00:34:36,766 to support their families. 655 00:34:44,566 --> 00:34:47,500 - Most of the immigrants here in Windham, 656 00:34:47,500 --> 00:34:48,966 at least first generations, 657 00:34:48,966 --> 00:34:50,700 were all out of Massachusetts, 658 00:34:50,700 --> 00:34:53,966 and a lot of 'em did have Scotch-Irish backgrounds. 659 00:34:53,966 --> 00:34:55,700 They paid a heavy price, yeah. 660 00:34:55,700 --> 00:34:58,133 (soft music) 661 00:35:05,766 --> 00:35:08,333 (guitar music) 662 00:35:25,266 --> 00:35:26,366 - [Narrator] The Presumpscott River 663 00:35:26,366 --> 00:35:28,700 has a rich and storied past. 664 00:35:28,700 --> 00:35:30,300 And the gunpowder mills remain one 665 00:35:30,300 --> 00:35:32,033 of the most fascinating chapters 666 00:35:32,033 --> 00:35:33,833 in Maine's industrial history. 667 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:40,066 - I find it very interesting that they were able 668 00:35:40,066 --> 00:35:41,533 to use the water power 669 00:35:41,533 --> 00:35:44,233 and to harness that power very creatively 670 00:35:44,233 --> 00:35:49,200 requiring considerable engineering talent. 671 00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:53,500 It's a testimony to what mankind can do. 672 00:35:53,500 --> 00:35:55,100 Back in those days, 673 00:35:55,100 --> 00:35:59,000 that was considered high-end engineering technology 674 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:00,466 even though it was dangerous. 675 00:36:01,333 --> 00:36:02,966 To me, that, 676 00:36:02,966 --> 00:36:07,133 you know, represents one legacy of the the mill operation, 677 00:36:07,133 --> 00:36:09,000 what it took to make it work 678 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:11,133 and what they were able to do with it. 679 00:36:11,133 --> 00:36:12,400 During the Civil War, 680 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:14,866 they were producing almost 3 million pounds 681 00:36:14,866 --> 00:36:19,833 of powder from the Gorham mills to support the war effort. 682 00:36:19,833 --> 00:36:23,066 When the powder mill ceased operations here, 683 00:36:23,066 --> 00:36:24,166 the land, 684 00:36:24,166 --> 00:36:26,000 particularly on the Windham side, 685 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:30,300 continued in some business orientation. 686 00:36:30,300 --> 00:36:35,066 The property where the saltpeter mill was located originally 687 00:36:35,066 --> 00:36:38,633 was acquired by the Eastern Dynamite Company, 688 00:36:38,633 --> 00:36:43,633 and they were producing there a product 689 00:36:44,500 --> 00:36:46,433 called wood flour that was used 690 00:36:46,433 --> 00:36:50,233 as an ingredient in the manufacturer of dynamite. 691 00:36:50,233 --> 00:36:52,933 (spark igniting) 692 00:36:52,933 --> 00:36:55,500 (guitar music) 693 00:37:02,366 --> 00:37:05,433 - [Narrator] Today, Shaw Park and the Gambo Preserve 694 00:37:05,433 --> 00:37:08,466 are places locals go to experience the outdoors 695 00:37:08,466 --> 00:37:11,266 in a peaceful, quiet environment. 696 00:37:11,266 --> 00:37:13,733 The Gambo Preserve is a tranquil place, 697 00:37:13,733 --> 00:37:17,266 one that stands in stark contrast to the noisy grind 698 00:37:17,266 --> 00:37:21,266 of a productive wartime industry that once produced millions 699 00:37:21,266 --> 00:37:22,966 of pounds of gunpowder 700 00:37:22,966 --> 00:37:26,233 for some of the 19th century's deadliest wars. 701 00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:30,500 Whether we realize it or not, 702 00:37:30,500 --> 00:37:32,933 history is always beneath our feet, 703 00:37:32,933 --> 00:37:37,233 and our landscape offers mysterious clues to our past. 704 00:37:37,233 --> 00:37:40,133 Today's visitors enjoy recreating here, 705 00:37:40,133 --> 00:37:42,633 but some visit the site of the old gunpowder mills 706 00:37:42,633 --> 00:37:46,400 to remember and honor those whose lives ended here, 707 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:48,366 the hardships they endured, 708 00:37:48,366 --> 00:37:51,133 and the generations of families they left behind. 709 00:37:52,566 --> 00:37:55,233 The laborers who worked in the extremely dangerous 710 00:37:55,233 --> 00:37:58,566 and stressful conditions at the Gambo powder mill 711 00:37:58,566 --> 00:38:01,766 were the backbone of the local economy for generations. 712 00:38:02,966 --> 00:38:05,633 May their sacrifices never be forgotten, 713 00:38:05,633 --> 00:38:09,300 for they too were casualties of war. 714 00:38:09,300 --> 00:38:11,866 (guitar music) 715 00:38:20,666 --> 00:38:23,233 (guitar music) 716 00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:33,200 (soft music) 717 00:38:43,666 --> 00:38:46,100 (soft music) 718 00:38:57,166 --> 00:38:59,600 (soft music) 719 00:39:09,733 --> 00:39:12,166 (soft music) 720 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:27,200 (soft music) 721 00:39:36,466 --> 00:39:38,900 (soft music)