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14-529: The Biddeford–Saco Mills Historic District encompasses the historic mill complex that flanks both sides of the Saco River in Biddeford and Saco, Maine . It covers 38 acres (15 ha) of property adjacent to both cities' downtown areas which has seen industrial uses since the 18th century, and presently contains a collection of well-preserved 19th and early-20th century industrial buildings. The district

28-470: Is required from the State of Maine for campfires along any unposted river beaches. The Saco is a major attraction for canoeists. One area of the river, Walker's Rip, is a set of rapids that has caused less talented canoers to capsize, although it can be navigated successfully. Several canoeing rentals are available throughout the river's distance. The Saco River is also famous for sport fishing, even though

42-642: The Appalachian Mountain Club and now maintained by the Saco River Recreation Council) to Brownfield, Maine . There are many sand beaches along the Saco when not at flood stage, and camping is allowed along some of these beaches for free. Misuse, including large quantities of garbage left behind by users and illegal fires, as well as discourtesy toward landowners, has led many beaches to be posted and monitored. A permit

56-462: The 1760s, when Thomas Cutts, a merchant and ship owner purchased the island in the Saco River between the two city centers. Now within Saco city limits, it became known as Cutts Island, later called Saco Island. Cutts established a lumber mill and in 1811 iron works founded by Cutts and Josiah Calef. In 1826 the first textile mill was built on the island. The oldest building in the mill complex

70-537: The district is bounded on the south by Main, York, and Lancaster Streets, on the west by Lincoln Street, and on the north by Pearl Street. Two of buildings on Saco Island are noted for their length: the York Mills #1 and #4, which are oriented roughly east–west across the center of the island parallel to each other, are more than 500 feet (150 m) long. The industrial history of the Saco–Biddeford area began in

84-502: The number of fish in it has decreased tremendously throughout time. Multiple violent and reportedly alcohol-related incidents in 2001 led to increased police patrols and efforts by livery companies, landowners, and government agencies to improve conditions. Listed from source to mouth: Hills Beach Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include

98-558: The river branches into the "Old Course" Saco River and the more commonly used "Canal River". Constructed in the 1800s to be more convenient for farmers, the 6-mile-long (10 km) canal is 15 miles (24 km) shorter than the old course and is now considered to be the official course for the river, as the upstream end of the old course is largely silted over. The two channels merge again near Lovell, Maine . After running through six hydropower stations operated by NextEra Energy Resources (including Skelton Dam and Bonny Eagle Dam ),

112-645: The river comes out", which he connected to similar place names like Saugus , said to come from the Pawtucket word for "outlet". The river rises at Saco Lake in Crawford Notch in the White Mountains and flows generally south-southeast through Bartlett and Conway in Carroll County, New Hampshire before crossing into Oxford County, Maine . Shortly after entering Fryeburg, Maine,

126-627: The river enters York County , crosses under Interstate 95 , and passes between Saco and Biddeford, where it is bridged by U.S. Route 1 . It enters Saco Bay on the Atlantic with Camp Ellis in Saco on the north shore and Hills Beach in Biddeford on the south shore. The United States government maintains two stream gauges on the Saco River. The first is at Conway, New Hampshire ( 43°59′27″N 71°05′29″W  /  43.99083°N 71.09139°W  / 43.99083; -71.09139 ), where

140-437: The river's watershed is 385 square miles (997 km ). Discharge (stream flow) here averages 962 cubic feet per second (27.2 m /s) and has ranged from a minimum of 40 cubic feet per second (1.1 m /s) to a maximum of 47,200 cubic feet per second (1,340 m /s). The second is at Cornish, Maine ( 43°48′29″N 70°46′53″W  /  43.80806°N 70.78139°W  / 43.80806; -70.78139 ) where

154-441: The watershed is 1,293 square miles (3,350 km ). Flow here averages 2,756 cubic feet per second (78.0 m /s) and has ranged from a minimum of 244 cubic feet per second (6.9 m /s) to a maximum of 46,600 cubic feet per second (1,320 m /s). The Saco is a popular recreational river, drawing an estimated 3,000 to 7,000 people per summer weekend, mostly on the stretch from Swan's Falls (a campground formerly maintained by

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168-540: Was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Many of the buildings in the district have been rehabilitated and repurposed for other uses, including residential, commercial, and industrial. The district has more than forty historically significant structures spread across 38 acres (15 ha). Six buildings are located on Saco Island, south of Gooch Street and west of Main Street. In Biddeford,

182-482: Was built in 1832-33 by the York Manufacturing Company. From this beginning the industrial growth of the area proceeded, occupying the entire island and a large adjacent area on the Biddeford shore. The most recent historically significant building was built about 1940. Saco River Samuel de Champlain sailed a portion of the river in 1605 and referred to it as Chouacoet , which he said

196-579: Was the name used by the Almouchiquois people. Various sources also give their name as "Sokoki" (a term also used for the Missiquoi people of western New England) and as being either the ancestors or close relatives of the Pequawket who lived along the river near present-day Fryeburg. William O. Bright attributed the origin of "Saco" to an Eastern Abenaki language word meaning "land where

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