The Buckland-Shelburne Falls Bridges

In 1818 there were twelve houses on the Shelburne and three on the Buckland side of the river, and a record states that at that date a very crude boat was being used for crossings. This boat was about three feet wide, twenty feet long and hollowed out of a pine tree. As was the custom of the times, when a person wished to cross the river, he would go to the water’s edge, and if the boat was on the opposite shore, call, “Hello, the Boat!” It then became the duty of anyone who heard the call, no matter how busy he might be, to cross the river, and get the passenger.

—The History of Buckland, Massachusetts 1779-1935,
Fanny Shaw Kendrick