William Hilton II

William Hilton II (January 13, 1886 – February 13, 1964) was an American business executive and engineer who worked as the Vice President of the Maine-based Great Northern Paper Company from 1929 to 1957, and then as the company's Director from 1957 until his retirement on January 1, 1960. He is also known as one of the first forest fire lookouts in the United States.

Early life and education William Hilton II was born on January 13, 1886, in Chesuncook Village, Maine, to Leonard and Adeline (née Foss) Hilton. At the time of Hilton's birth, fewer than 60 people lived in the village. Hilton lived a few years of his life in Chesuncook Village before his family moved to Greenville, Maine, nearly 60 miles away, so Hilton could attend primary school. As Vice President, Hilton represented the company in a lawsuit (Michalka v. Great Northern Paper Co., 151 Me. 98 (1955)) that reached the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, where the plaintiff alleged Great Northern negligently released water from Ripogenus Dam in Piscataquis County, Maine, and caused widespread property damage to his farm. The lawsuit resulted with no fault found from Great Northern.

In 1957, Hilton was elected Director of Great Northern by the company's board, a title he held concurrently as Vice President. Following various forest fires in lands managed by Great Northern, Hilton instituted a company policy that any pulpwood cutters recruited to Great Northern not only agreed to cut pulp but also fight any forest fires on company property. Hilton also took part in the first land negotiations with former Maine Governor Percival Baxter that ultimately created Baxter State Park.

Personal life For Hilton's entire life, he was a proponent of wilderness conservation efforts, and served on the Committee of Timberland Owners, who advise the Maine Forest Commissioner. Also in attendance were Richard E. McArdle, eighth Chief of the United States Forest Service, and Maine Forest Commissioner A.D. Nutting.

Constructed in East Boothbay, Maine, in 1961, the William Hilton, and her younger sister ship, the O.A. Harkness, were inland water tugboats intended not to pull larger ships, but instead haul logs from northern lakes, to the Penobscot River, and to the mills in Millinocket and surrounding towns. These ships, manned by a crew of half a dozen men, eliminated much of the manual labor involved in traditional log drives. William Hilton II was the namesake for the William Hilton, while O.A. Harkness was named after the former Great Northern superintendent of motorized equipment, Orris Albert Harkness. He was buried two days later on February 15, at Mount Hope Cemeterey in Bangor next to his wife, Florence, who died in 1956.