November History, White Mountains

November history, Undercast from the summit of Mount Osceola in the White Mountains, New Hampshire.
Undercast – Mount Osceola, New Hampshire
 

November History, White Mountains – Here in the White Mountains, November is one of the quieter months of the year. The autumn foliage season has come to an end, and winter is knocking on the door. Many outdoor enthusiasts enjoy this time of year because there is less foot traffic along our public hiking trails.

When it comes to White Mountains history, some interesting events happened in November. A family-run business put the town of Lincoln on the map, a road was completed, and fire destroyed a grand hotel. Included here are a few interesting events.

November, Pinkham Notch in Green's Grant, New Hampshire during the autumn months. The scenery in the Mount Washington Valley is spectacular during the autumn foliage season.
Pinkham Notch – Green's Grant, New Hampshire
 

On November 11, 1774, Green’s Grant was granted to Lieutenant Francis Green of Boston. Consisting of 2,032 acres, the entire tract of land lies within the White Mountain National Forest. The autumn foliage in this grant is incredible!

Mount Clinton Road in Crawford's Purchase, New Hampshire. Completed in 1901, the Mount Clinton Road is the southern division of the Jefferson Notch Road. Built in 1901-1902, in two sections, the purpose of the Jefferson Notch Road was to connect the Crawford House with Jefferson Highlands.
Mount Clinton Road – Crawford's Purchase, New Hampshire
 

Built by Thomas Trudeau of Piece Bridge, the southern division of the Jefferson Notch Road (today’s Mt Clinton Road) was opened on November 8, 1901. The purpose of the Jefferson Notch Road, known as Jefferson Notch Highway in the early days, was to connect the Crawford House with Jefferson Highlands. Along this road is the highest elevation reached by a public highway in New Hampshire.

November history, railroad track along an abandoned spur line of the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad deep in the Pemigewasset Wilderness of Lincoln, New Hampshire. This was a logging railroad in operation from 1893-1948, and this spur line was located along the North Fork Branch of the railroad.
Abandoned Railroad Track – East Branch & Lincoln Railroad
 

J.E. Henry and Sons Company was incorporated on November 4, 1903. Henry and his sons transformed the sleepy wilderness village of Lincoln into a thrivng mill town. And their East Branch & Lincoln Railroad is the greatest logging railroad ever built in New England.

One of the stone abutments that support the abandoned Trestle No. 16 in the Pemigewasset Wilderness of New Hampshire. Seen here in July 2010 this trestle was built in the early 1900s and crosses Black Brook along the old East Branch & Lincoln Railroad.
Trestle No. 16 (2010) – East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, New Hampshire
 

The flood of November 1927 caused extensive damage throughout the White Mountains. Dams, dwellings, railroads, and trestles were destroyed, and there were also numerous landslides. Many trestles along the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad were washed out during the storm. Trestle No.16 was one of the few trestles that survived the flood; a large section of this trestle collapsed in 2018.

Crash site of Northeast Airlines Flight 792 on Mount Success in the New Hampshire White Mountains. This plane was a Douglas DC-3 that crashed on November 30, 1954. The seven people on-board survived the initial crash, but two later died from injuries while waiting to be rescued.
Northeast Airlines Flight 792 Douglas DC-3 Plane Crash Site, Mount Success
 

On November 30, 1954, Northeast Airlines, Flight 792, encountered snow squalls, reducing visibility to zero, during its flight to Berlin, New Hampshire. The plane continued on, and while trying to navigate only by instruments to the Berlin Airport, it crashed into the southern slope of Mount Success in New Hampshire.

Crawford House c. 1906 in the New Hampshire White Mountains by the Detroit Publishing Company. Courtesy Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection,[LC-DIG-det-4a13669].
c. 1906 Crawford House – Courtesy Library of Congress, LC-DIG-det-4a13669
 

The first Crawford House was built in the 1850s and destroyed by fire in 1859. And the second Crawford House, seen above in 1906, was built in 1859. It burned to the ground in November 1977. The resort was known worldwide, and notable guests include Daniel Webster, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thomas Starr King, and a few presidents.

To license any of the photos in this blog article for publications, click on the photo. And you can read more about the White Mountains here.

Happy image making..


 

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Bibliography:
Donovan, Erin Paul. “Scenic Backroads, White Mountains.” ScenicNH Photography LLC, 01 Sept 2016, https://www.scenicnh.com/blog/2016/09/new-hampshire-backroads/.

Donovan, Erin Paul. East Branch & Lincoln Railroad. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2018.

Donovan, Erin Paul. “East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, Trestle 16.” ScenicNH Photography LLC, 17 Sept 2013, https://www.scenicnh.com/blog/2013/09/trestle-16-pemigewasset-wilderness/.

Donovan, Erin Paul. “Mount Success, Douglas DC-3 Plane Crash.” ScenicNH Photography LLC, 17 Aug 2010, https://www.scenicnh.com/blog/2010/08/mount-success-douglas-dc-3-plane-crash/.

Donovan, Erin Paul. “Crawford House, Gibbs Brook Dam.” ScenicNH Photography LLC, 15 Jul 2018, https://www.scenicnh.com/blog/2018/07/crawford-house-gibbs-brook-dam/.

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