White Mountains History


White Mountains, New Hampshire history, the abandoned and forgotten places in the White Mountains help tell the fascinating story of our heritage. These articles, blog articles, essays, photographs, and pages showcase the abandoned places, forgotten 19th-century farming settlements, 20th-century ghost towns, railroads, and tourism history (hiking, grand resorts, Mount Washington, waterfalls, etc.) in the White Mountain National Forest and the surrounding region.


Identifying Artifacts, White Mountains

Logging Camp - Sawyer River Railroad, New Hampshire
Identifying Historical Artifacts, White Mountains - If you are picking up trash in the New Hampshire White Mountains during the 2020 human impact issue, please educate yourself about historical artifacts and the laws that protect them. I now know of two instances where do-gooders picking up trash removed artifacts, thinking they were trash, from the White Mountain National Forest...[Continue reading] ...

Ammonoosuc River Waterfalls

Ammonoosuc Falls - White Mountains, New Hampshire
Ammonoosuc River Waterfalls, White Mountains - Beginning at Lakes of the Clouds on Mount Washington in Sargent’s Purchase, this roughly 55 mile long river travels through a number of towns before draining into the Connecticut River at Woodsville in the town Haverhill. Ammonoosuc is an Abenaki word meaning “fish place” or “small narrowing fishing place". The Abenaki fished and camped along the river.....[Continue reading] ...

East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, Utility Poles

East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, New Hampshire
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] ...

Sanders Bridge, Randolph Path

Sanders Bridge - Randolph Path, New Hampshire
Sanders Bridge, Randolph Path - Originally built in 1976, the Sanders Bridge crosses Cold Brook along the Randolph Path in Low and Burbank's Grant, New Hampshire. It is a memorial to Miriam Sanders, who was a long-time resident of Randolph and treasurer of the Randolph Mountain Club (RMC) for many years...[Continue reading] ...

Trailside History, White Mountains

Franconia Ridge - White Mountains, New Hampshire USA
Trailside History, White Mountains - The history of the trail system in the New Hampshire White Mountains is amazing; early 19th-century trail builders are true legends of the White Mountains, and they are forever implanted into the history books. Trails built in the 1800s, such as Crawford Path, Davis Path, and Lowe’s Path, are still in use today. And while the building of hiking trails is a great topic, there are also many interesting features along the trails....[Continue reading] ...

Memorial Bridge, Randolph

Memorial Bridge - Randolph, New Hampshire
Memorial Bridge, Randolph - Built in 1923-1924, Memorial Bridge crosses Cold Brook along “The Link” trail in Randolph, New Hampshire. The bridge was dedicated as a memorial to Randolph's early pathmakers (19th-century trail builders) on August 23, 1924. These early pathmakers are responsible for cutting many of the trails in the Northern Presidential Range....[Continue reading] ...

Abandoned Mills, White Mountains

East Branch of the Pemigewasset River - Lincoln, New Hampshire
Abandoned Mills, White Mountains - During the 1800s and early 1900s, cut-up mills, grist mills, sawmills, and various other types of mills were found throughout New Hampshire. And because of the abundance of water in the White Mountains, there was no shortage of water-powered mills in the region. This blog article showcases a handful of the abandoned mills in the White Mountains...[Continue reading] ...

Baston Falls, Woodstock

Eastman Brook - Woodstock, New Hampshire
Baston Falls, Woodstock - This forgotten waterfall on Baston Brook in Woodstock, New Hampshire is kinda of a mystery. Using possibly the only historical reference that mentions this waterfall, it is easy to find, but it's not where we think it is. However, based on property maps of Woodstock, it is probably on private property...[Continue reading] ...

Lincoln Woods Trail, White Mountains

Lincoln Woods Trail, New Hampshire
Lincoln Woods Trail, White Mountains - There isn’t a grand story about how the Lincoln Woods Trail came to be, and the trail isn’t named for any famous person. However, this trail is the direct result of J.E. Henry’s historic East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, and that is what makes it so unique....[Continue reading] ...

Pemigewasset Wilderness, Random History

Trestle Abutment - East Branch and Lincoln Railroad
Pemigewasset Wilderness, Random History - This designated wilderness is the result of one the greatest conservation laws ever passed; the Wilderness Act, which has protected over 109 million acres across the United States. While the history of New Hampshire's Pemigewasset Wilderness mostly revolves around the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad, the railroad is not the only interesting piece of history surrounding this unique region of the White Mountains. This blog article features random tidbits of history about this one of ...