Beede Falls, Sandwich – Located on Bearcamp River, off of the historic Sandwich Notch Road, in Sandwich, New Hampshire is the scenic Beede Falls. A popular destination since the early to mid-1800s, Beede Falls (also called Beede’s Falls) is named for the Beede family; they were early settlers of the area, and at one time, they owned the waterfall and surrounding land. The name "Beebe" (Beebe River) is believed to be a corruption of "Beede." The parking lot for Beede Falls is at the Sandwich end of the notch Road, and the Bearcamp River Trail passes by this interesting water feature.
The name of the river dates back to the mid to late 1700s; a group of hunters had a camp along the river, and while they were away from the camp, a hungry bear invaded the camp, so they named the river Bearcamp River or Bear Camp River. Colonel Jacob Smith, Israel Gilman (Mount Israel is named for him), and Simeon Smith, all early settlers of Sandwich, were believed to be part of the hunting party.
In 1926-1927, Susan Bacon Keith purchased the Beede Falls land tract; she donated the land to the town of Sandwich in 1932 to be used as a park. It was then named Sandwich Notch Park. A popular destination since the early to mid-1800s, the area around Beede Falls has seen heavy use.
Over the last 100 years, more or less, the area known today as Sandwich Notch Park has seen a substantial increase in human impact. The Civilian Conservation Corps worked on improving the park in the 1930s, and over the years, many volunteers have helped conserve the park for future generations.
In August 2012, OBP Trailworks, LLC worked in Sandwich Notch Park; they addressed human-caused impact and riverbank erosion. They also built fences and a steel-and-timber combination footbridge over the Bearcamp River. The bridge, which is located along the Bearcamp River Trail, near the falls, is pictured above in 2015. When it comes to trail work and trail restoration, OBP is the best of the best.
Located a few minutes east of Beede Falls, along the Bearcamp River Trail, is a natural feature known as Cow Cave. Local legend has it that a cow wandered away from a nearby farm and spent a winter in this cave. During the 1800s, a number of farms were in the area, and the legend could have some truth to it.
From my Sandwich Notch Road, New Hampshire write-up, "A few history books refer to Cow Cave as being a ledge overhang along Bearcamp River Trail, near Beede Falls, while others state Beede Falls is Cow Cave. A sign at Beede Falls, next to the bridge, indicates the cave is along the trail. And after viewing a historical image of the cave, I believe the above cave is Cow Cave."
More reading:
Beebe River Railroad
Sandwich Notch Farming Community
Sandwich Notch Road
Happy image making..
© Erin Paul Donovan. All rights reserved | White Mountains History
To license any of the photographs above for usage in print publications, click on the photograph.
Bibliography:
Donovan, Erin Paul. “Sandwich Notch Road, New Hampshire.” ScenicNH Photography LLC, 05 Aug 2015, https://www.scenicnh.com/blog/2015/08/sandwich-notch-road-new-hampshire/.
Okie, Tom. “Coming Back to the Land, 240 Years of Human Activity at Mead Base.” Summer 2001, https://www.wodc.org/files/mead_base_history.pdf.
Sandwich Historical Society. Ninety-Third Annual Excursion of the Sandwich Historical Society. Sandwich, NH: Sandwich Historical Society, 2012.
Sandwich Historical Society. Seventy-Second Annual Excursion of the Sandwich Historical Society. Sandwich, NH: Sandwich Historical Society, 1991.
Sandwich Historical Society. Sixteenth Annual Excursion of the Sandwich Historical Society. Sandwich, NH: Sandwich Historical Society, 1935.
State of New Hampshire. Biennial Report of the Forestry Commission For the Two Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 1928. Manchester, NH: Granite State Press, December 1928.
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. He has written two photo history books about the White Mountains: the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad (2018) and Franconia Notch (2024).
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.