Hazen, White and Company operated at the mouth of the Oromocto River. The Oromocto operation was an out-post of Simonds, Hazen and White, a trading company which was established in 1763 at Portland Point, at the mouth of the St. John River. James Simonds, William Hazen, and James White, all of Massachusetts, were the major partners in the firm, which began on a small scale on the Saint John and the Passamaquoddy. Success led them to expand their operation to: "enter upon and pursue with all speed and faithfulness the business of the cod fishery, seine fishery, fur trade, burning of lime and every other trading business that shall be thought advantageous to the company at Passamaquoddy, St. Johns, Canso and elsewhere in or near the province of Nova Scotia and parts adjacent".
In 1764, James Simonds received a license from Nova Scotia to occupy Portland Point. Thus, the Company established the first permanent settlement at the mouth of the St. John River.
The Company, trading through Newburyport and Boston in New England extended its operation up the St. John River establishing out-posts at Gagetown, Maugerville and St. Anne's Point (where Benjamin Atherton was in charge). The business interests of the company were extremely varied: fishing; the fur trade; manufacturing lime; shipbuilding; sawing lumber; cutting wood; digging stone; clearing land; curing fish; cutting hay; and attending stock. The Company's fortunes declined somewhat during the American Revolution, because their trading links with New England were cut off. However, the arrival of the Loyalists provided Simonds, Hazen & White with a new clientele, and ensured their success. In 1782, Hazen and White were granted 8000 acres on the north side of the Oromocto River. This secured their business in that area.