Forgotten White Mountains – When most think about the New Hampshire White Mountains, the beauty of the region first comes to mind. The mighty Mount Washington rules the Presidential Range and keeps visitors of the area busy for hours. And during the winter months, ski areas offer an unforgettable view of the mountains blanketed in snow. The White Mountains are an outdoor lover’s paradise.
What I just described is tourism (camping, fishing, hiking, skiing, etc.) and it has been a big part of the White Mountains since the early days. And it has been said the historic August 1826 Willey landslide tragedy in Crawford Notch had a connection to the rise of tourism in America. Now in the 21st century, historical sites are of great interest to many, so today I am going to share a few photos of the forgotten White Mountains.
The moss covered pile of boulders above is possibly remnants of a stone foundation from a building at Camp 14 (Hancock Branch) of the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad. Today’s East Pond Trail utilizes the railroad bed and travels by this site. Mother nature has swallowed up many of the old logging camps.
A telltale sign that man was once in an area is old rock foundations (above). These rocks piles are often overlooked because they blend in well with the surroundings. What you see here is believed to be remnants of a building foundation at the 1890s Whitehouse Mill on the Pemigewasset River in Franconia Notch. Owned by Frank Whitehouse, this mill was located about one mile north of the now gone Flume House. Today’s Pemi Trail passes by this site.
All types of mills were scattered throughout the White Mountains, and the abandoned 1900s Tripoli Mill is one of the more interesting ones. This mill was located along the Woodstock & Thornton Gore Railroad, today's Tripoli Road. And it dredged East Pond for diatomaceous earth in the early 1900s.
During the Lincoln logging and mill era, there were several dams on the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River. Two of these dams were used to generate electrical power. One was located just below today’s Loon Mountain bridge, and the other was located upriver from the bridge just above where Clear Brook drains into the East Branch. The timber and metal rods in the above photo are from the dam that was located upriver.
Built in the early 1900s, one of the grandest pieces of White Mountains history is Trestle No. 16 (above) in the Pemigewasset Wilderness. It crosses Black Brook along the abandoned East Branch & Lincoln Railroad. This trestle has lasted longer than most have ever expected, and it is amazing that it is still standing. Update: The above section of trestle collapsed in 2018.
To license any of the above images for usage in publications, click on the image. And you can view more images of the forgotten White Mountains here.
Happy image making..
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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.
Wonderful pictures. We had a group of 8 pass by the trestle in 1972 and on to the junction of the Pemi and the North branch. There was a big sandbar in the river and we camped there and had a bonfire. Great night with great friends.
Thank you, John! The Pemigewasset Wilderness is awesome. I love exploring the Pemi. 🙂