The Passamaquoddy Indians named this place “Machias”, to warn others of the nasty character of the falls there. As Europeans settled there beginning in the 1630’s, the perception of the Falls changed from bad to good. By the 1770’s, water power at the Falls was used to power industry. By the late 19th Century there were eight lumber mills and two grain mills in Machias. The Machias Electric Light Company was started in 1888, and continued to generate electricity at the Falls through the middle of the 20th Century. Today, a few remnants of this activity remain. The dams have been removed to allow the migration of fish up the river. The Bad Little Falls is now home to a small park.