The Pineland Lumber Company was organized as a Maine Corporation nearly 95 years ago on March 12, 1912 with John C. West, President, Charles L. Turgeon, Treasurer and Albert E. Turgeon, Secretary. They bought the land and buildings from the owners, later selling the most southerly lots to the Lake Auburn Crystal Ice Company who cut ice on the Androscoggin River until a little before 1930. Prior to 1890 the property belonged to the R.C. Pingree Company, who ran a sawmill for many years. The brick building with the large chimney housed the boilers and engine. Logs were brought down the river and they were held in a boom near the shore. Sawn lumber was piled on the land, which nearly reached to the Maine Central Railroad. This was an operation of considerable size with an office where the former B. Peck Company warehouse was located on Middle Street, another where the Empire Theater stands and a large planing mill where the Bates Mill weave shed is now located. After a disa... [Detail]