1850: Scratching Out a Living

". . . naturally, it being hardwood country, they just threw grass seed and [it] caught very readily.î

"You couldn't call it a farm . . . it was so damned stony you'd get your brains knocked out if you went to plough.î

-John Joe Turner, describing first the Egan farm near Milldam and then the Baldwin farm on the Pine River.

Surveyors and settlers used trees to assess soil conditions and farming potential. Hardwoods like maple grew in deep richer soil, while soils in pine were often poor for crops.

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