Harold et al. 
You might try "America's Wooden Age: Aspects of Early Technology" by Brook
Hindle.  If my memory serves me it has a section of sawmills.  I think you
will find that up & down gangs saws were employed in North America from a
very early age.  You will also find that most of the saw mechanisms were
Dutch built due to the Nederlanders expertise with wind powered sawmills.
The sawyer guilds in England had been very forcefully against the use of saw
mills in England.

Gang or frame saws had, for the most part finer teeth for sawing finished
boards, etc.  The large mule type saws were for lumber that required less
finish.  With enough practice you can start to distinguish the difference
between up & down saws and band saw marks on the timber.

The people at Upper Canada Village and Daniel Boon's Homestead both have a
great deal of experience with up & downs.

Rolland Miner
Director
New World Dutch Barn Survey 2000
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
URL: http://www.nwdb2000.org
E-list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NewWorldDutchBarns