how has geography impacted mills in maine in the past?

Question

before the 1950's

Answer 1

The mills are in Maine in the first place because that's where the timber grows so well and you can float logs down the rivers and export/take south sawn timber by coastwise shipping.

Answer 2

If your referring to lumber mills and or paper mills geography had a large impact. Both of these types of mills required them to be located on a river to generate power as well as provide a means of transporting and receiving the raw materials,i.e. logs from high terrain where they were harvested. Water was also a necessary product in the production of paper itself.