In Maine, more wooden sailing vessels were built in the 19th century than in any other state. Two miles upriver at The Landing, entrepreneurs built hundreds of ships between the 1760s and 1867, but as demand grew for giant vessels with greater tonnage, shipbuilding downstream became more profitable. From this location, ships could launch in a wider channel and deeper water closer to the ocean, and many shipbuilders, including D&S Ward, Emmons, Littlefield, Christensen, and Clark, could launch their ships more cost-effectively. A bridge allowing access to the sea was vital. Shipbuilding declined by 1918, and the bridge swung open for the last time in 1984.