Hattiesburg lies in the Pine Belt region of Southeast Mississippi, named for the plentiful longleaf pines that grow in the area. In the late 1800s, railroads were built in the region, opening its forests to extensive harvesting. Today, forest products continue to play a significant role in Hattiesburg’s economy. There are harvesting, logging equipment, and sawmill companies based in and around the city. For much of the 20th century, Hattiesburg was host to Cavenham Forest Industries LLC. Cavenham Forest Industries LLC produced logging & forest products processing films, many of which are held at the Forest History Society in Durham, N.C, including Falling Logs, Safe Logging, and Forests for the Future.