Donald McLeod of Green Bay purchased Alden Chandler's water-powered mill, the first sawmill built on the Escanaba River, and in 1844 sold it to John and Joseph Smith. Chandler was again first when he became the first postmaster serving Esconawba. The Smith brothers built a second mill on the river at the site of Mead's No. 1 Dam, located just downhill from this point. A tramway extended from this dam to a point below the rapids where schooners could receive lumber from the mill. The tramway was constructed of 10" x 10" red pine ties with 6" x 6" oak rails on which cars were pulled by oxen. Evidence of this tramway existed as late as the 1950's. The watermill period on the Escanaba lasted from 1836 to 1888, when the I. Stephenson Co. built a huge steam sawmill at the mouth of the river.