January History, White Mountains – Here in the White Mountains, January is like no other month. The winter season is in full swing, and outdoor enthusiasts are enjoying the snow-covered landscape. Usually, we have had at least one big snowstorm by now, but this year the snow accumulation is on the low side. Hopefully, we get a blizzard sooner than later.

When it comes to White Mountains history, some interesting events happened in January. The town of Lincoln was granted, the United States Geological Survey built a stream gauging station, and a horrific plane crash awoke the quiet town of Woodstock. Continue reading to learn more about these events.

The town of Lincoln was originally granted on January 31, 1764. Governor Benning Wentworth granted 24,000 acres of land to James Avery of Connecticut and others. Avery was also granted the town of Landaff on the same day. None of the grantees lived in Lincoln, and they likely never visited the township. Lincoln was named after Henry Fiennes Pelham-Clinton, 2nd Duke of Newcastle, 9th Earl of Lincoln.

The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) was formed at a meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 8, 1876. This is also the first year that the club published Appalachia Journal. The AMC has been instrumental in getting people interested in the White Mountains and the great outdoors.

A flow measurement station was established in January 1912 on Burnt Brook (today’s North Fork of the East Branch Pemigewasset River). In 1911-1912, the United States Geological Survey built a number of stream gauging stations in the White Mountains. These stations where used to determine the effects of deforestation on streamflow. The results from these studies showed that cutting trees from the forest affected streamflow and ultimately helped in the creation of the White Mountain National Forest. Above is remnants of the Burnt Brook Gage.

In January 1917, the Publishers Paper Company sold the Beebe River land tract (about 22,000 acres) to the Parker-Young Company. In the same year, the New Hampshire legislature approved the incorporation of the Beebe River Railroad. Also in 1917, the Woodstock Lumber Company, an affiliate of Parker-Young, built the Beebe River sawmill and mill village in Campton. Remnants of the Beebe River Railroad can still be found today.

On January 14, 1942, five weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor, a Douglas B-18 Bolo Bomber returning to Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, Mass, near Springfield, from a patrol over the North Atlantic Ocean for German submarines crashed into the side of Mount Waternomee. Out of seven crew members, five survived the crash and were able to remove themselves from the wreckage. The remaining two crew members perished shortly after impact when fire and leaking fuel combined causing the bomber to explode.

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..

Connect with us on Facebook | Historic Information Disclaimer | White Mountains History

Bibliography:
Donovan, Erin Paul. “Forgotten Lincoln.” ScenicNH Photography LLC, 25 Feb 2018, https://www.scenicnh.com/blog/2018/02/forgotten-lincoln-new-hampshire/.

Donovan, Erin Paul. “Beebe River Railroad, New Hampshire.” ScenicNH Photography LLC, 19 Apr 2018, https://www.scenicnh.com/blog/2018/04/beebe-river-railroad/.

Donovan, Erin Paul. “B-18 Bomber Crash, Mt Waternomee.” ScenicNH Photography LLC, 02 Sept 2009, https://www.scenicnh.com/blog/2009/09/b-18-bomber-crash-mt-waternomee/.

Erin Paul Donovan

Owner of ScenicNH Photography LLC

Erin Paul is a professional photographer, writer, and author who specializes in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the New Hampshire White Mountains. His work is published worldwide, and publication credits include: Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Backpacker Magazine, and The Wilderness Society.