This website is part of
the Upper
Pemigewasset Historical Society project to
document the history of
LOGGING, and the SAW
MILLS, PAPER
MILLS, LOGGING RAILROADS, MINES
& OTHER INDUSTRIES, along with the
TOURIST INDUSTRY, in the Pemigewasset River Valley.
The towns of Lincoln and Woodstock, New Hampshire
are the focus of our collections and the surrounding
towns of Livermore, Thornton, Warren, Franconia, Campton, and
the Crawford Notch area are also well represented
. We're documenting the lives of the
ordinary men and women who worked
in the mills, on the railroads, in the woods and the
entrepreneurs who helped shape the area: J.E. Henry,
Martin Brown and Sherman Adams. The area was
dominated by the mill complex in Lincoln, but that mill was far from the only one and
a wide variety of activities, many of them forest related,
were carried on in this region. Many miles of
logging railroads served the mills and many miles of
mainline track served the tourists Farming, and the
forests, supported the early settlers, although farming
decreased through the 19th century. As the 19th century
progressed, tourism became a major industry and several large
hotels were built. As the large hotels declined,
tourist camps and cabins were built to serve the needs of
visitors. Today, serving the many visitors to the region,
remains as a major industry.
In some cases, very
little documentation has survived
to tell the stories of
these industries that provided employment for hundreds of men
and women for over 150 years. And even less has
survived that tells us about life in those mills, the
woods, and on the farms and in the towns. The UPHS is
in the process of
collecting and preserving as much of this information as
possible. We'll be talking to men and
women with first hand
information, as well as
descendants of mill and railroad workers. We'll be asking
to borrow (so that we may copy) photographs, letters, and
any other documentary material that may be available.
It's our plan to create a
comprehensive record of the mills, railroads, hotels, and
the people who did the work. We plan to publish
the results and to create a
permanent record for our residents, current and future, as well
other interested folks. This website is a major component
of this project and will make available to interested
persons much of what we learn and collect.
The Historical Society has a
wonderful collection of photographs and other images of Lincoln,
Woodstock, and the surrounding region. We're adding these
photos, plus others from public and private collections,
to this website. The page for each town has a link to
photos of that town and the links below will also take you
to photos.
This website will keep you informed
of our progress and will also ask for your assistance. If
you have information that you think might help us, please let us know. The link (on the
left side of this screen) labeled
"Looking For" will have photographs
and other questions
we need help with. You'll also find easy email links which
you can use to pass along information and other comments.
This link will take you
directly to the Lincoln Photos
This link will take you
directly to the Woodstock Photos
New Pages and New
Photos Visit the page and photo album that relate to
the crash of the Douglas B18-A bomber on Mt. Waternomee, in
1942. Most of the vintage photos in the photo album have
never been published. They are part of the UPHS
collection. Click on the "Bomber Crash" link at the
left.
We've added a page
and a Photo Gallery about Maple Sugar. It was, and is, a
major industry in this area. Click on the "Maple Sugaring"
link at the left.
And we now have a page
and a Photo Gallery showing Men and Animals at Work in the
Woods. Click on the "Logging Photos" link at the
left.
The Livermore Tripoli
Company was a mining company,
founded by Charles Henry, J.E.'s son. It mined
diatomaceous earth in the White Mountains. It was the only
enterprise of it's type in the White Mountains. Very little
was known until we found some photos in an old Henry family
photo album. Read what we've learned so far, see the
photos, and perhaps you can help add to the story. There's
much we don't know.
Who Was James E. Henry ? A real-life Horatio Alger story.
He founded the mills in
Lincoln, he owned the town, he
owned hotels, he was called a "Wood Butcher" by many
because of his logging practices, he raised a family, gave much
to charity, but had more than his share of critics. Learn
more by clicking the link above, or the link on the left.
Lincoln's Steam
Locomotives: There are more
Steam Age Locomotives in Lincoln, than anyplace else in New
Hampshire. (Maybe more than any other place in New
England.) Click on this link, or use the link at the
left, to learn about these locomotives, and other rolling
stock. There's also information on
photographing.
The Bill
Gove Collection: Bill Gove, author of
"J.E. Henry"s Logging Railroads" has donated the extensive
collection of photos, he used in preparing this book, to the
UPHS. This collection includes the Zealand Valley
Railroad, as well as the East Branch and Lincoln Railroad.
Bill has also donated the photos and maps he used
in his latest book, "Logging Railroads Along The Pemigewasset
River". This book and collection includes
many previously unpublished photographs of the
Woodstock Lumber Co., the Johnson Lumber Co. the Veasey
Lumber Co. and more. The entire collection is
available for viewing and research in
Lincoln.
To join
U.P.H.S. and help support our activities, please use the "To
Join" link at the left.
Check these pages
often.
Carol Riley, President, UPHS email
Rick Russack, Curator email
copyright Upper Pemigewasset Historical Society and Rick
Russack, 2005, 2006, 2007
