The logs driven past Turners Falls, Massachusetts, were spruce harvested in the far northwest corner of New Hampshire. Loggers cut them in the winter and gangs of rivermen began floating them downriver at the beginning of the snowmelt. A log run monopolized the river except where booms successfully contained it, driving other users to dock until the logs had passed. At Turners Falls, a dam kept the water level high for power to run the mills and factories. Annually, once the spring floods subsided, the height of the dam was extended by placing boards, called “flashboards,” atop the dam. A log drive needed water flowing over the dam for the logs to pass, but flashboards obstructed that. In 1909, as the article notes, the river level was naturally high and enough water was available for all uses.
Greenfield Gazette and Courier. “Log Drive Nearly Past Turners.” August 21, 1909. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l02-089/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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