A channel was dredged in the late 1800s from "The Hook" below Sheppard's Point to beyond the Hallowell business district. The dredging became the fill that created Front Street. Hallowell is known for its fine granite and much of it is at the bottom of the Kennebec River. Blasting was required in places to bring the channel to the required depth. Arthur Moore, one time river pilot and harbor master, once recounted that the combination of current and granite bottom made it difficult for ships to anchor in Hallowell.