The river appealed to settlers because its 45-foot rise in close proximity to navigable water each provided potential waterpower sites.

On the western (or town) side of the river was a scythe and axe factory owned by Joseph C. Batchelder.

Six railroad spurs extended from the tracks running behind Main Street to the Forest Paper Company, traversing today's Royal River Park.

Rail cars delivered logs, coal, soda and chlorine to the mill and carried pulp away.

In 1971, the Marine Corps Reserve tore down the old factory, before a Navy demolition team used fourteen cases of dynamite to raze the remains.