Home Comfort Stove, Wilderness Trail – Seen above in 2009 is an old Home Comfort Stove made by the Wrought Iron Range Company in St. Louis, Missouri. This protected artifact remains along the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad (1893-1948) at the sight of logging Camp 18 in New Hampshire's Pemigewasset Wilderness. Today’s Wilderness Trail passes by this historic site.
Built in the early 1900s (possibly 1906-1008) on the bank of the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River, the railroad used this rail-side camp on and off for 20 years, more or less. It's very likely the camp 18 site has flooded a handful of times over the last 100 plus years.
Up until 2011, this stove was overlooked by most hiking the Wilderness Trail; it could not be seen from the trail. In 2011, an out-of-state volunteer trail crew working in the Pemigewasset Wilderness rerouted a wet section of the Wilderness Trail near logging Camp 18. They rerouted the trail so it travels right next to the stove.
Pictured above is how the rerouted section of trail looked in 2011. The Home Comfort stove can be seen on the edge of the trail covered in brush. Since this photograph, the brush has been taking off the stove.
Removing artifacts from the White Mountain National Forest without a permit is a violation of federal law. The destruction (digging) of historical sites is also a crime, so metal detecting in the White Mountain National Forest, where artifacts could possibly be, could potentially lead to legal issues.
More reading:
East Branch & Lincoln Railroad Book
North Fork Junction, Thoreau Falls Trail
Trestle No.7, Lincoln Woods Trail
Photographs of Historical Stoves
Happy image making..
© Erin Paul Donovan. All rights reserved | Historic Information Disclaimer | White Mountains History
To license any of the photographs above for usage in print publications, click on the photograph.
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.
ScenicNH Photography LLC
Specializing in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the White Mountains region of New Hampshire, Erin Paul’s photography and writing focuses on the history of the White Mountains, and telling the story of abandoned places and forgotten historical sites.