Traditional Artists Commemorate St.John River Lumber Drives this Weekend

According to an article in the St. John Valley Times, recent Maine Arts Commission grant recipients are bringing a taste of history to the St. John River this weekend with a river-drive from Grand Isle to Van Buren. The river-drive will bring back memories of the days when men used boats, called bateauxs, to reach and break log jams, as well as herd floating lumber downriver to the various mills along the St.John River.

The drive begins at 9:00 am on Saturday, July 25 and features a reception that is planned at the Van Buren Public Boat Landing where onlookers can get a hands-on experience with these pieces of floating Maine history.

The two bateaux’s featured this weekend were built by Maine Arts Commission Traditional Arts Masters, John Connors and David Wylie, along with their apprentice Chace Jackson. All three can be seen in the photos above with Maine Arts Commission Chairman, John Rohman.

You can read the entire news article about this event online on the St. John Valley Times website, and you can read more about the Maine Arts Commissions Traditional Arts Programs at MaineArts.com.