Faster Means of
Travel
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Logging by Railroad
By Kayla E.and Brianna S.
Before 1870 there were no railroad lines used only to
haul logs out of the White Mountain region. The regular
trains The Boston, Concord & Montreal and the Atlantic
& St. Lawrence carried large amounts of timber and
lumber, along with their passengers and other freight. In
1867, Gov. Harriman's administration sold the public lands
of the White Mountains to benefit a "literary fund" for
school maintenance. Unfortunately,the land was stripped of
trees, causing erosion and forest fires.
J. E. Henry became the largest landowner in the area. In
order to get his timber out of the forests, he built several
small rail lines, which connected to the larger railroad
lines. His logging operations clear-cut about 10,000 acres
in the White Mountains.
By 1878 there were seventeen railroad companies hauling
the timber out of the forests to the sawmills and
woodworking firms, where softwood went for lumber and
hardwood for such manufactured goods such as bobbins and
shoetrees. From 1850 to 1900 the value of NH lumber
increased 9 times. The development of logging railroads and
steam mills made this possible.
The Star King and the Waumbek were two of the railroad
engines owned by the Brown Lumbering Company. It went
through Whitefield to Jefferson Highlands.The Boston,
Concord and Montreal leased the railroad in 1879 and
passenger trains took over, bringing rich tourists to the
White Mountains.
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Locomotives housed at North Conway
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Railroads of N.H.
by
Spencer S., Chris C. and Hans P.
Railroads began running in N.H. by the early 1800's, and
by 1840 the state of N.H. had approximately 50 miles of
usable track. By the early 20th century the total had
increased to just about 1300 miles. However, many of the
smaller, privately owned railroads ( the logging railroads )
were soon abandoned and the public's disinterest in railroad
travel caused this type of service to decrease. Despite the
lack of interest in railroads there are still 3 rail lines
and 150 miles of track in the state of New Hampshire.
Growth in the White
Mountains
After 1850 railroad travel was the fastest way for
tourists to reach the White Mountain region, and New
Hampshire's first railroad started running in 1838. The
Atlantic and St. Lawrence railroad reached Gorham in the
summer of 1851, and transformed the whole White Mountain
region from one that was inaccessible. After 1850 railroads
had become the most important means of transportation in
N.H. In 1842 the northern train from Concord went across
N.H., and from Berlin, Gorham, Whitefield was opened in
1853. The building of the Portland & Ogdensburg RR
increased travel to the White Mountains, opening many new
grand hotels and boarding houses in the Crawford Notch area
in the 1870s. Stagecoaches
continued to be used for short day trips into the mountains
from the elegant hotels in the 1880s and 1890s.
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Railroad Station in North Conway, NH.
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The Concord Coach
By Deanna S. and Cheree S.
(A type of sturdy 19th century stagecoach.)
The Concord Coach was made by Lewis Downing and Stephen.J.Abbot in
June,1827. Early records show that Lewis started his business in
Concord in 1813. It increased so rapidly that he moved to a new shop
and hired Stephen.J.Abbot and other helpers.
In June 1827 they made an advertisement announcing The Concord
Coach. Lewis Downing and Stephen Abbot made three Concord Coaches and
tested them in the market. The newly designed body, which was oval,
rather than the traditional box shape, with a flat top and rounded
bottom, became extremely popular. The thing that made the Concord
Coach so popular was that instead of springs they had three-inch
leather straps for the suspension, which made a better ride. The
frame and body of the coach were made of stong oak. The wheels were
cut of ash and then hand fitted with rims and hubs.
By 1847, around 700 coaches had been built by Abbot and Downing
and another 3,000 had been built by firms that had bought out the
company. They became so famous that other countries in Europe and
Africa bought the high quality coach. As the West became settled,
stagecoach companies wanted the well-made coaches for the primative
roads.
The business lasted for over 20 years, but dissolved in 1847 with
Abbot keeping the old shop and Downing opening a new shop in another
part of Concord. By 1873 the firm was named Abbot-Downing Company.
The company began to produce streetcars and omnibuses, which were
used in such cities as Boston, New York, Cincinnati, Concord and
Dover. Then they stopped making Concord Coaches when travel by
railroad became faster and more efficient.
(Records)
Records of the Abbot-Downing company, manufacturers of Concord
Coaches and wagon, have come into the possession of the New Hampshire
Historical Society over the past thirty years.
Illustration by Deanna S.
This Concord Coach is stored at the Flume
Building in Franconia Notch, NH
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The Plymouth and Franconia Coach
This coach, built in 1826 carried the mail and passengers
from Plymouth, NH and the Profile House in Franconia Notch.
It made its last run in 1911. The elaborate decorations were
hand painted by John Burgam at the Abbot-Downing Company. He
and his son, Edwin were employed as coach painters. Each
coach was custom made and decorated, which is one of the
reasons the company couldn't survive after the assembly line
type of manufacturing developed.
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The Mt.
Washington
by Ryan C. and Randy H.
In the late 1870s the Boston and Maine Railroad system built the
steamship Mt. Washington for passenger and freight services on Lake
Winnipesaukee. She was launched at Alton Bay and began sailing in the
spring of 1872. The Boston and Maine railroad station was built right
on the water front in Alton Bay, making it easier for the tourists to
leave the train and board the steamship for a trip on the lake. She
became popular with tourists and businesses around the lake.
Passengers would take the trains from the crowded cities and spend
the day or week in the Lakes Region touring on the "most beautiful
sidewheeler ever built in the United States."
illustration by Ryan C.
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After World War I automobiles became more popular than
railroad travel, so the Boston & Maine Railroad sold the
Mt. Washington, which was losing business. Captain Leander
Lavallee turned the ship into a passenger vessel to take
tourists around the Lake. The Mt. Washington traveled at
more than 20 mph. Fire destroyed the steamship in 1939 while
she was stuck in mud at the Weirs Beach dock.
Today's version of the Mt. Washington was launched at
Lakeport in August, 1940. The Mount Washington II has
undergone two major changes: the addition of two diesel
engines and an additional 25 feet added to her length. The
230 foot vessel carries passengers from all over the world
to its ports of call at Alton Bay, the Weirs, Wolfeboro, and
Center Harbor.
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