PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 29, 2025
Bob Chadbourne, who died Sept. 17 at age 84, continued a family tradition of logging that stretched back 11 generations, helping shape the woods and economy of western Maine. The Chadbourne family’s roots in the lumber business trace to 1634, when William Chadbourne arrived from Devonshire, England, on a King’s grant to harvest masts for the Royal Navy. He built what is believed to be the first sawmill in America in South Berwick. In the 1930s, Bob’s father, Philip Henry Chadbourne, established a logging operation in Bethel. After his father’s death in 1986, Bob bought out his siblings and took over the sawmill and timberland management. He emphasized sustainable forestry practices. Chadbourne’s wife, Nancy, and daughter Nancy Stearns and her family continue the family legacy, now managing 4,000 acres in the Bethel area.