Logging Railroads
Logging railroads in the New Hampshire White Mountains date back to the 1870s, when the first logging railroad to operate in the White Mountains was built – the John’s River Railroad. Some railroads lasted only for a few years, while others, such as the legendary East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, lasted many years. Now in the 21st-century, some consider the railroad logging era to be the most interesting part of White Mountains history. This work focuses on the history of these abandoned logging railroads, and it also showcases them in their current state.
New Hampshire Books
Woodstock & Thornton Gore Railroad
Woodstock & Thornton Gore Railroad - Incorporated in March 1909, this short-lived logging railroad, operated by the Woodstock Lumber Company, a subsidy of the Parker-Young Company, began at the Woodstock Lumber Company’s sawmill (built in 1906 by the Publishers Paper Company) on the western bank of the Pemigewasset River in Woodstock, New Hampshire. From the mill it traveled roughly 7 miles into the Eastman Brook drainage; traveling through the northern portion of Thornton, known as the “Gore”, eventually ending in ...
East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, Utility Poles
East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, Utility Poles - Telephone wires were strung from utility poles along the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad to the numerous logging camps. In some areas along the railroad, side mounted wooden telephone peg holder pins nailed directly to trees were used in place of utility poles. Today, these utility poles are considered artifacts of the logging era....[Continue reading] ...
East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, Trestle 17
East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, Trestle 17 - Built in the early 1900s, probably 1906-1908 (one reference states 1908) trestle 17 was located along the Upper East Branch of the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad. It spanned the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River near the site of logging Camp 17. Camp 17 was located on the south side of the trestle. This trestle is within today’s Pemigewasset Wilderness...[Continue reading] ...
EB&L Railroad, Narrow Gauge Line
East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, Narrow Gauge Line - The EB&L Railroad was a standard gauge railroad, but in 1901 J.E. Henry and Sons attempted to use a narrow gauge railroad to harvest timber. With the exception of a May 1902 article by Albert W. Cooper and T.S. Woolsey, Jr. in Forestry & Irrigation little is known about this short-lived railroad. There are only a handful of photos (above) of this railroad, and over the years the actual location of ...
Beebe River Railroad, New Hampshire
Beebe River Railroad, New Hampshire - In 1917, the Publishers Paper Company sold the Beebe River land tract (around 22,000 acres) to the Parker-Young Company. And in March 1917, the New Hampshire legislature approved the incorporation of the Beebe River Railroad. Also in 1917, the Woodstock Lumber Company, an affiliate of the Parker-Young Company, built the Beebe River sawmill and mill village in Campton...[Continue reading] ...
1907 Owl’s Head Mountain Fire
1907 Owl's Head Mountain Fire, White Mountains – During the late 1800s and early 1900s, logging activities from railroad logging contributed to a number of forest fires in the New Hampshire White Mountains. Sparks from locomotives were responsible for starting fires along the railroads. And the logging slash (unwanted part of the tree left behind after an area is logged) left on the moun...[Continue reading] ...
East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, Trestle 7
East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, Trestle 7 - During the days of the East Branch & Lincoln (EB&L) Railroad, there were two trestles built at this crossing of Franconia Brook (above). And each trestle serviced different areas of today’s Pemigewasset Wilderness. The first trestle built serviced the Franconia Brook and Lincoln Brook Valleys. And the second trestle, built just below...[Continue reading] ...
Can You Identify These Artifacts
Can You Identify These Artifacts - When documenting historic sites in the New Hampshire White Mountains one of the biggest challenges I face is trying to identify some of the artifacts I photograph. In the big picture of my historical work, identifying what the artifact is and its purpose is important. And because of this, I have to do an extensive amount of research on some artifacts....[Continue reading] ...
Preserve History, Don’t Remove Artifacts
Don't Remove Historic Artifacts - Here in the New Hampshire White Mountains, outdoor recreation is growing at an alarming rate. And there has been a huge surge of people exploring the many historical sites that are in the region. For historic preservation to be successful, it is imperative that we create awareness for the laws that protect these historical sites....[Continue reading] ...
Logging Era Artifacts, White Mountains
Logging Era Artifacts, White Mountains - Today’s blog article is focused on an image keyword search term. Basically, I chose one search term, in this case “logging era artifacts”, and searched my image archive to see what imagery I have available that represents the New Hampshire White Mountains logging era. The below commentary and imagery showcases this search term.....[Continue reading] ...
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.