Turners Falls Lumber Company - Turners Falls MA

(Adapted from “Picturesque Franklin” , Wade, Warner & Co. , Northampton MA 1891)

The Turners Falls Lumber company was incorporated in May 1872. The mill is situated at Gill, Mass., on the Connecticut river and makes a specialty of cutting spruce dimension. About nine million feet of spruce logs are annually consumed; these being driven down every year from the headquarters of the Connecticut. The officers of the company are as follows:

President—T. M. Stoughton.

Treasurer—T. L. Comstock.

Directors—H. A. Lamb, Boston: C. Comstock, New York; W. O. Comstock, New York; T. M. Stoughton, Gill; T. L. and S. W. Comstock, Greenfield.

Had we space in this connection, we might describe the enterprise of log-driving, which is a part of the work involved in lumber production, but readers who would appreciate it will find a very interesting description of this in the companion-work to this, “Picturesque Hampshire.” It is but just to state that much of the ancient prejudice against log-driving has disappeared in later years because of better management of the drives. Formerly there was much complaint of

interference with ferries and boats, but by means of personal attention and carefully constructed booms, most of this difficulty has disappeared. The cost of lumber has been greatly reduced and thus the cost of building lessened, to the advantage of the man of small means who may desire to build for himself a home. Therefore the river may be called the poor man’s freight carrier to this extent.

The easy means of bringing logs to market helps also in other directions. Both at Northampton and Turners Falls paper pulp mills use up the surplus wood product and thus cheapen also the cost of paper.