Of the 50 forest parcels, 39 were or had been owned by farmers. After 1920, as
farming and timber harvesting became less and less profitable, these people turned
to other occupations, and no small number moved to other regions of the state or
other parts of the country (Russell 1976, p. 393, 517). In some cases the family
farms or forests were maintained in the hands of family members for generations.
Gradually, however, most of the land has been sold. Of the 50 parcels in our study,
only five were inherited by the current owner from parents or other relatives. One
parcel is held by a person whose family has owned it since 1864.