History of the White Mountain
As early as 1810, the state of New Hampshire began selling off its public land. In 1867, Governor Harriaman sold the White Mountains Region. Large logging companies purchased much of the New Hampshire timberland, and by 1890 there were 832 sawmills operating and 17 logging railroads crisscrossing the state.
The Weeks Act enabled the lands cut over
and burned over to once again become a part of the public domain.
In 1914, the first land parcels were acquired in the White Mountains
under the Weeks Act. For just over $13.00 an acre, 7,000 acres were
purchased in Benton, NH. Today the WMNF has grown to almost 800,000
acres in New Hampshire and western Maine. The WMNF is one of the
most visited forests in the country with over 7 million visitors
annually.
As one of the original 13 colonies, New Hampshire is rich in heritage
resources. The Pilgrim's Plymouth Rock, a 4 hour drive, lies just
south of the Forest. The land was heavily settled in the 1600's
and many sites pre-dating the revolutionary war exist on and around
the Forest.
This long period of settlement leaves historic resources on almost
every area of the Forest. These include historical sites such as
numerous early day farmsteads, logging camps, mills, factories,
CCC camps, old railroads, cemeteries, and abandoned communities.
It also includes prehistoric sites as well. The White Mountains
have spiritual values to the four federally recognized tribes, the
Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Micman, and Maliseet, as well as unrecognized
tribes in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The highest peak in
the northeast, Mt. Washington as well as the largest expanse of
alpine area in the eastern U.S. were heavily used for vision quests.
The complex and diverse rich history of the area has necessitated
a close working relationship with State Historic Preservation Offices
in the States of Maine and New Hampshire. Due to the complexity
of managing projects within the historical context of the area -
District rangers, Assistant Rangers, paraprofessionals, and many
of the Forest's program managers are on a first name basis with
the State Archeologist and his Staff. This is almost unheard of
in other States where SHPO involvement is sporadic or even adversarial.
The State's are not only involved with review but are involved up-front
in project design to ensure resources are protected and interpreted
in a professional manner. The Forest has been exploring the possibilities
of conducting thematic surveys that will help sort out the information
across the Forest for the diverse historical uses.
State colleges and local universities are involved in not only
site inventory but have entered into agreements to curate archaeological
discoveries on the Forest. Forest personnel regularly serve as adjunct
professors at these colleges in teaching classes and leading workshops.
Graduate students often use the Forest as sources for their work.
Forest staff work with State officials in inventorying prehistoric
sites both on and off the Forest. Joint training sessions are designed
and attended by both Forest Service and non-governmental personnel.
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