Ellsworth's shipbuilding industry thrived along the waterfront in the 1800's, with numerous shipyards, wharves, sail lofts, and a steam mill supporting the lumber trade that carried local products around the world. Benjamin Milliken built the first vessel there in 1773, and the largest was the 1,775 ton Horizon, built in 1855. In 1853, Ellsworth concerns owned 149 vessels, and by 1884, 92 vessels hailed from the port. The two-masted schooner was the most common design because it was easier to handle on Maine's rivers, harbors, and tight waterways. Although some vessels were built for fishing, most served international trade, carrying lumber, granite, and ice to distant ports in the West Indies, Japan, and India.