History of Coos County, New Hampshire, Part 4

Author: Merrill, Georgia Drew
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Syracuse [N.Y.] : W. A. Fergusson
Number of Pages: 1194

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The Magalloway, soon after it enters the state of Maine, forms one of the peculiar streams in this northern country. It flows for a time with a rapid current, and then for a long distance it is the most sluggish of streams, often deeper than it is wide, while on either side there are numer- ous ponds and bogs. Parmachenee lake, into which it flows, is about the size of Connecticut lake. For four miles below Parmachenee the stream is very rapid, and then, for almost the entire distance to Escahos falls, the descent is slight. Upper Magalloway settlement lies above the falls. The Magalloway enters New Hampshire in Dartmouth College grant. It flows about a mile and then goes into Maine, but enters New Hampshire again in the northeast corner of Wentworth's Location, and flows into the Androscoggin a mile and a quarter from Umbagog lake. Although the river is very crooked yet the water is of sufficient depth so that a steamer runs up nearly to the Maine line, and down the Androscog- gin to Errol dam; below this, the Androscoggin is for the most part quite rapid, and, in the sixty-six miles of this river in New Hampshire, the fall is 464 feet. The tributaries of the Magalloway and Androscoggin from New Hampshire are the Little Magalloway, four and a half miles south of Parmachenee lake, and the Swift Diamond, which has its source in the Diamond ponds in Stewartstown, and has a tributary, the Dead Diamond, which rises two and a half miles southeast of Second lake, and flows into the Swift Diamond a mile and a half from its confluence with the Magal- loway in Dartmouth College grant. Clear stream flows into the Andros- coggin in Errol. In Gorham the tributaries are Moose and Peabody rivers, the latter of which rises in the Great gulf between Mt. Washington and Mt. Adams. A considerable tributary, Wild river, rises in Bean's Purchase,

HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.

but flows into the Androscoggin in Maine. Besides these from the west, the Androscoggin has three tributaries in New Hampshire from the east, the Molichewort in Errol, and the Chickwalnepy and Stearns brooks in Milan.

Country Along the Maine Line. - The northern extremity of New Hampshire is a mere point of upland-sterile and comparatively destitute of lumber of value. In those townships formed from the Carlisle grant large spruces are now standing, and the different branches of the Magal- loway are so located as to afford for them egress without excessive expense.

The tracts on Stearns brook and Chickwalnepy river in Success, afford good settling land. Considerable pine is still standing upon the township. Standing upon Mt. Ingalls the eye takes in a valuable tract of this land and the adjoining town of Riley in Maine, which, situated as they are, near the Grand Trunk Railroad, and possessing the advantages of the Androscoggin, besides excellent water-power, must at no distant day be of increased value. No better land can be found than some of that in the towns of Chatham and Stowe, while more northerly the farms in Errol and Wentworth's Location, possess natural advantages, which, together with those of the rich bottom meadows on the Diamond in the second grant to Dartmouth College, are of a high order. Although the general surface of the ground along the line is uneven and broken, yet there are large tracts of fertile lands which must at some period vield a handsome remuneration to their holders. The eastern portion of New Hampshire lying north of Mt. Royce, is drained by the Androscoggin and Magalloway rivers, the former of which, after serving as the outlet of those great lakes extending from Umbagog far into the wilderness to the northeast, debouches from this lake, receiving, one mile below, tribute from the Magalloway, a stream equal in size to the Connecticut at Hanover, which, taking its rise on the boundary range, drains that whole water-shed north and west of Umbagog.

The soil along the valley of the Magalloway, Androscoggin, Diamond and their branches, is rich and alluvial. The highlands are characterized by an argillaceous formation entirely different from the granitic structures of the White and other mountain ranges in our State. Mineral wealth exists in the township of Riley, Success and Shelburne, and probably along that portion of the line lying between Lake Umbagog and the Androscog- gin. at the latter town. Spruces of fine proportions were frequently met in large tracts north of Umbagog, while the maple, the birch, the beech, and those other forest trees indigenous to our latitude flourish in regal lux- uriance in the forests north. The cedar is found in great quantities on the low lands around Umbagog. In fine, the country and its natural charac- teristics are such as to warrant the belief that it will be at some time reclaimed from its present state and yield ample remuneration for the labor bestowed.

TOPOGRAPHY.

Bogs and Swamps .- Bogs and peat swamps are very numerous in the northern part of this county. These are often of great extent and found in every town. Sometimes they present a broad surface, without a tree or shrub, except along their borders, the whole surface being covered with a luxuriant growth of grass. One of the largest of these bogs is at the head of Bog brook, a mile and a half west of Second lake, and has an area of fifteen or twenty acres. West of Perry stream there is another extensive bog, directly west of the one previously described. Near the head of Perry stream there are several, more or less occupied by shrubs and trees; here and there a hackmatack or larch rises from the surface covered with lau- rels, Labrador tea, and other swamp plants. North of Second lake is a very extensive swamp where, besides the laurel, Labrador tea and larch, we fre- quently find the cedar and alder. A short distance south of Connecticut lake are two small open bogs, on which cranberries grow abundantly. The peat here is not more than six feet in depth. One of the most extensive swamps in the State is in the Dartmouth College grant. The distance across it, north and south, is about three hundred rods, and the distance east and west is much greater. Several interesting peat deposits exist along the Androscoggin. One in Milan contains many well-preserved trunks of fallen trees, principally tamarack. In Shelburne the reclamation of a peat-swamp has been quite successfully carried on.

These bogs when drained and dressed with sand or sand and lime are excellent soils, very productive in hay and oats. Many of them may in this way be reclaimed, for, in time, the peat will be used as fuel and as a fertilizer. Peat makes a valuable fertilizer. It absorbs and retains water and ammonia, promotes the disintegration of the rocks, renders light soils more productive, and acts valuably in other ways. Those who have experi- mented with it, and compared its properties with ordinary stable manure, find that it gives. in a certain quantity, an equal amount of lime and nitro- gen and one-third more organic matter, but is deficient in magnesia, potash, phosphoric and sulphuric acids. These elements may be given by adding to one hundred pounds of fresh peat one pound of commercial potash, or five pounds of unleached wood ashes, one pound of good super-phosphate, or one pound each of bone-dust and gypsum.

In view of the small amount and the cheapness of the materials to bring peat to the fertilizing standard of stable manure, it would appear as if our farmers could greatly enrich their lands at small expense.

HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.

CHAPTER IV.

SCENERY OF COOS.

Pittsburg-Crown Monument -- Megantic Mountain-Headwaters of St Francis and Chaudiere Rivers-Along the New Hampshire and Quebec Boundary-Third Lake-Mt. Carmel-Mt Agiz- coos-Cascades-Little Diamond Falls-Huggins Branch-Dixville Notch-" The Old Man of Dixville "-The Flume-Cascade Brook-Huntington Cascade --- Scenery of Errol -- West Stewarts- town to North Stratford -- Groveton-Stark-Milan -- Lancaster-Jefferson-Randolph-Dalton- Shelburne-Gorham.

ROFESSOR HUNTINGTON says that the lovers of the grand, wild and picturesque in nature, will especially delight in the primeval for- ests of Coos county. A journey of a day and a half in Pittsburg, from Connecticut lake through an unbroken forest, will take one to Crown monument, which is at the extreme northeast corner of the state. It is on the water-shed between the waters of the St. Lawrence and the streams running south into the Atlantic, and it is so called because a monument was placed there by the commissioners who established the boundary between the states and the provinces. From a ridge of land 2,568 feet above the level of the sea, where, looking northward, the land slopes toward the St. Lawrence, and southward, toward the Atlantic, the view must be extensive. In either direction we look over only illimitable for- ests, except that in the dim distance, a little to the east of north, there is a small settlement, probably at the north end of Megantic lake, -otherwise the view embraces a boundless forest. Immediately north, the slope is quite gradual, and, as it stretches northward, the country seems like a plain extending to the horizon. To the northeast is Saddle mountain, with hills and ridges, to the northwest, Megantic mountain rises as from an immense plain. Embraced in the view northward are the headwaters of the St. Francis and Chaudière rivers, while east and west is the high ridge that forms the water-shed. The view directly south is limited, for a moun- tain ridge runs from the Magalloway directly west into New Hampshire. To the southwest, the high ridge that encircles the basin where the many branches of the Magalloway have their source, obstructs the view in that direction. To the southeast there is nothing. as far as the eye can see, but high ridges and mountain peaks, which follow each other in rapid succes- sion until in the far distance they seem to pierce the sky.

If we should follow along the boundary between New Hampshire and Quebec, there would be many points where we should wish to stop and view the grand panorama spread out before us. Two of the most remark- able outlooks we will notice. Not far from three and a half miles south-

SCENERY OF COÖS.

west from Crown monument there is a point of land 2, 812 feet in height. The distant view is not unlike that from Crown monument, but the immedi- ate surroundings are much more grand; among the attractions is a moun- tain lake, which lies in a depression to the west $00 feet below the sum- mit, and it is so near that we seem to look directly down upon it. Another point of interest is in the vicinity of Third lake. The view northward embraces a continuous forest. extending fifty miles or more; and in the distance, Megantic mountain stands massive and alone. The only habita- tions to be seen are one or two houses in Ditton (Canada).

South, half a mile distant, we look down on Third lake. On a bright day in early summer, when the stately forests are mirrored in its clear waters, it presents a scene of quiet beauty that cannot be surpassed. Gen- erally the view southward is not extensive, but on some of the higher points we can overlook the nearer hills, and some of the peaks of the White Mountains can be seen.

Mt. Carmel .- Mt. Carmel rises 3,711 feet above the level of the sea. It is on the line of New Hampshire and Maine, and consists of a long ridge, on which there are two points of nearly equal height, half or three-quar- ters of a mile apart: from the point east there is a gradual slope for half a mile, then the descent is almost perpendicular down to the debris formed from the fallen rocks. Before we reach this precipitous height, there is a ridge that branches off and runs towards the northeast; and along the east side of this there are perpendicular walls of rock. As Mt Carmel is some- what isolated, the view from the summit is extensive.

Immediately northward is the great basin where rise the many streams that unite to form the Magalloway. Beyond is the ridge that forms the boundary between the states and the provinces, and, through gaps in this, we can see a peak far to the northeast. To the east the view is fine, while near at hand you look down into the valley of the Magalloway. Here you catch glimpses of the stream, and, save here and there, where the water reflects the sunlight, the valley is a dark forest of evergreen. Eastward from the summit of Mt. Carmel we can see far beyond the valley, and such an array of hills, ridges, and mountain is rarely seen. Here a mountain, irregular in outline and broken abruptly off; there two. similar in shape, while beyond, and farther south, is a mountain summit that has a grace- ful contour in its curving lines of beauty. Southward for twenty miles the view is unobstructed down the Magalloway; then from the east. Mt. Agiz- coös, with its bare summit, extends partly across the valley. Southward, sixty-five miles distant from our view-point, we can see the dim yet per- fect outline of the White Mountains. In some respects the view to the west and southwest is the most interesting. Here is a succession of undu- lating ridges and hills, which, with their shadows and ever-changing color, give a peculiar charm to the scene; then, in the midst of the forests we can

HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.

see the Connecticut lakes. There is not probably another mountain-peak in New Hampshire of this height, where one feels so entirely away from the habitations of men. In every direction, the whole country, embracing thousands of square miles, is one vast wilderness, except at the outlet of Connecticut lake. From the summit of Magalloway mountain, three miles east from Connecticut lake, there is a fine view of mountains, hills and lakes.

Cascades .- Though not numerous in the northern part of Coos county, there are two or three cascades that should be mentioned. On one of the western branches of Indian stream, near the north line of the Colebrook Academy grant, there is a cascade which, on account of its rare beauty, deserves especial notice. It is in a deep ravine, and on either side there is a dense forest of evergreens. Here the extreme heat of summer is unknown, for the coolness of the water tempers the atmosphere. The cascade has a height of forty feet, -the first twelve feet the water is broken by jutting rocks: for the remaining twenty-eight it flows over a ledge, which has a descent of sixty degrees. At the top the stream is four feet wide, and at the base twenty feet. The pure water, the white spray, the dark, moss-covered rocks, the cool, delicious atmosphere, the shimmering light through the trees, the mossy banks of the stream, the perfect stillness, broken only by the music of the waters and the songs of birds, form an attractive combi- nation.

East from Connecticut lake, and southeast from the summit of Magal- loway mountain, the Little Diamond falls in a series of rapid, wide cascades. The rapids extend for half a mile: and the fall in that distance is 150 feet, with perpendicular falls of from three to ten feet. Southwest of the same mountain there is a fall on Huggins's branch. There are rapids for half a mile before we come to the falls; then a slope of fifty degrees and a fall of fifteen feet; then a fall of twelve feet perpendicular: then a slope of forty- two degrees and a fall of about forty feet. confined between nearly perpen- dicular strata of rock, and the water finally rests in a great basin at the base. Just below the stream turns east, with a fall of ten feet. This is a beautiful cascade, and well worthy of a visit.

Dirville Notch is one of the most remarkable exhibitions of natural scenery in the state. equaling, if not surpassing the White Mountain notch in picturesque grandeur. The angular and precipitous appearance of the rocks, rising hundreds of feet, almost perpendicularly, on either side, is strikingly different from the rounded and water-worn appearance of most of the crystalline rocks throughout the northern part of the United States, and seems to come nearer to the scenery of the Alps than anything else in New England. This notch is easy of access, being only ten miles from Colebrook village: and although the highest point in the road through the notch is 830 feet above that village, yet the ascent is so gradual that few

SCENERY OF COÖS.

would believe they had reached so great an elevation. It surpasses most other notches in the vertical height of its walls, one point being 560 feet above the highest part of theroad. Some of the highest precipitous masses stand out in bold relief from the sides. Table rock projects 167 feet, while the ragged, serrated edges everywhere form projecting points. One can easily imagine that he sees here the turrets and spires of some ruined cathe- dral, or the battlements and towers of castles of the medieval age; or. as one stands on Table rock, he can imagine that a bridge once spanned the chasm below, and that these masses of rock standing in the debris are the ruins of piers on which it might have been built. The rock here differs in cleavage from that of similar composition elsewhere in New Hampshire. It splits in huge longitudinal fragments: and Nature has here quarried posts that equal in just proportion those wrought by human hands.

On Table rock the view embraces a wide sweep of country. One can see quite a distance in Maine, a part of Vermont, and, when clear, places in Quebec can be recognized; and from Table rock the view down through the Notch is always grand. After passing the height of the Notch, going east on the right, we can see a profile, -" The Old Man of Dixville,"-which has very fair proportions. On the left, still farther east, there is an excel- lent representation of the walls and turrets of a ruined castle.

The " Flume " shows itself on the north side of the road, thirty or forty rods back in the forest. It is a chasm, in granite, about fifteen feet wide and fifteen rods long; and the stream running through it falls about thirty feet in cascades. In one place there is a pot-hole seven feet deep, with a diameter of four feet. The granite is divided by two vertical sets of seams or joints, so that large columnar blocks could be taken out without quar- rying. The excavated rock seems to have been a trap-dyke, part of which may still be seen. Nearly opposite the Flume, but farther down the val- ley, is "Cascade brook," a branch of Clear stream. Upon this may be seen a series of cascades for more than half a mile. They were named " Hunt- ington cascades " by the New Hampshire Press Association. The top of the most interesting cascade is 274 feet above its base. Here the stream is divided by a trap-dyke two feet wide; and the water falls on each side a distance of forty feet. The rock here is the same argillaceous schist as in the Notch; besides there is an interesting trap-dyke, containing glassy feldspar and basaltic hornblende, which, Dr. Jackson says, resembles more a volcanic rock than any other found in the state. Most other notches we can see a long distance before wereach them, but here we have scarcely any intimation that there is such a vast rent in the mountain until we are almost in the very gap itself.

Errol .- In Errol there is one of the grandest outlooks in New Hamp- shire, which can be seen while driving along the road. In the distance are the grandest of mountain summits. After crossing the Androscoggin,

HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.

from Errol Dam to Upton, Me., the road winds along and over the ridge of land between that river and Umbagog lake. As we ascend the hill the grandeur of the scenery begins to unfold itself. On our right, and a little south of west, is the Androscoggin, which pours along over rapids until it rests in a quiet bay, where the river widens to receive the waters of Clear stream. After leaving the bay, the river becomes rapid again, and pours along between the hills, and soon is lost to sight. Westward, among the hills, is Aker's pond, and, following up the valley of Clear stream, the view is limited by the high ridge running through Dixville. A little farther south we look over the hills in Errol and Millsfield, and we can see a few peaks in Odell. To the southwest there is nearly thirty miles of unbroken wilderness. For a distant view, I know not where the White Mountains can be seen to such advantage as just south of this height of land; neither do I know of any distant point where they appear so high.

On the Connecticut there are many places where the scenery is enchant- ing. At almost every turn in the road, from West Stewartstown to North Stratford, there is something that attracts the attention,-a mountain of grand proportions, a hill with graceful outline, the trees, the forests, or the river, as it runs through grassy meadows or along a wooded hillside. There is some remarkable scenery in the vicinity of Groveton. Coming from the south towards the village, Percy peaks will attract the attention for their symmetrical form and color. The village itself is surrounded by mountains. The summits of those that are farthest away are scarcely more than ten miles distant, while Mt. Lyon, on the south, is not more than four. Although the hills and mountains are so near, yet, on account of the broad interval of the Connecticut, we do not feel as though the out- look had too narrow limits, but rather that in the whole view there is a beautiful symmetry. It is especially grand to watch the moon as it rises above the Pilot hills, breaks through the passing cloud, and throws its gentle light across the forests. There are hills on every side, climbing which we have distant views. From Percy peaks, northward, we have forests and wooded summits; southeast, the White hills rise in all their grandeur; south, we have the long line of the Pilot hills; and, a little west of south, we look down the valley of the Connecticut, and, in the distance, Moosilauke rises against the sky.

The summit of the south peak is easily gained from the southeast, but the western slope of this, as well as the north peak, is so steep that it would require an expert in climbing to be able to reach the summit of either peak · from that direction.

Stark is a town of mountains and hills. Approaching Stark station, either from the east or the west, the points of the mountains from the opposite sides of the valley, project by each other so that there seems to be an impassable barrier across the valley; but we know that the stream

SCENERY OF CooS.

must pass through the mountains, and Stark station is in the gap of the mountain through which it passes. On the north is a perpendicular wall of rock forming a vast amphitheatre, while on the opposite side of the val- ley, and a little east, is Mill mountain. Although in every other direction surrounded by high mountains, yet, looking a little west of south, we can see in the distance some of the high peaks of the Pilot range.

West Milan .- Here the peaks of the White Mountains begin to appear, and besides, there is quite an array of mountains westward. In the south- east part of Milan, near the line of Berlin, and about a mile east of the Androscoggin, we have one of the most striking views of the White Mountains.

In Lancaster the view is always grand. Mt. Lyon to the north, and thence eastward the broad sweep of the Pilot range, and the group of mountains of which Starr King is the culminating point, are so situated that every fine sunset gives to them that deep coloring which is the charm of mountain scenery. Most of the White Mountain peaks can be seen from the village, but two miles east, on the road to Jefferson, to a point between three and four hundred feet above the Connecticut, brings then out in bolder relief, and at the same time gives a charming view of the Connecticut valley and the village of Lancaster. From Mt. Pleasant, which is easy of access. the view is more extended, and embraces the mountains southward.

From Jefferson hill and thence on the road to Randolph, we get a nearer view of the mountains. At the Mt. Adams the broad sweep of forests. reach- ing from Israel's river almost to the summits of the mountains, gives us one of our grandest views. From Dalton mountain we have the sweep of the whole horizon; westward, the mountains in Vermont; the Connecti- cut valley northward; the mountains of Stratford, Mt. Lyon, the Pilot range, Starr King. all of the White Mountains, the chief of the Franconia mountains, and Moosilauke, southward.

Shelburne .- The scenery is varied and lovely to those artistic enough to appreciate it. Artists say that nowhere have they seen sneh rich autumnal coloring as in Shelburne. Several picturesque spots may be found on the Lead Mine brook, and the little flat called The Garden is used as a camping ground by tourists. On the north side of Mt. Winthrop is Moses' rock, so-called. sixty feet high, and rising at an angle of fifty degrees. In the winter water trickles over it, forming a beautiful ice cas- cade. Near by was the Granny Starbird rock. where the old doctress held her horse by the bridle through a stormy night. It has since been split up for railroad bridges and underpinnings. On Peabody brook, between Red hill and Baldcap, are Shelburne falls. In the spring they can be seen two- thirds the length of the town, appearing like a great drift of snow. The Falls are one of the objects of interest to summer visitors.

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History of Coos County, New Hampshire, Part 4

Author: Merrill, Georgia Drew Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Syracuse [N.Y.] : W. A. Fergusson Number of Pages: 1194

Author: Merrill, Georgia Drew
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Syracuse [N.Y.] : W. A. Fergusson
Number of Pages: 1194