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Posted in New Hampshire Events January 20, 2017 by Kelly A. Burch

These 11 Rare Photos Show New Hampshire’s Logging History Like Never Before

In the early days, New Hampshire was full of a most-needed resource: wood. New Hampshire’s tall trees and rolling forests gave rise to a logging industry that supported the state through much of its early development. Logging wasn’t just an industry – it was a way of life for New Hampshire residents. These 11 historic New Hampshire photos will show the logging industry in a way you’ve never seen.

1. These men standing on a pile of logs in Keene in the nearly 1900s shows that hard work didn't stop once the logs were out of the woods.

2. You would never believe that this is a photo of Concord, back when the state capital was little more than a logging town.

3. Back in the day there were no massive logging trucks. Logs moved through Keene in a much slower fashion.

4. Rolling the logs onto a transport sled was a massive undertaking.

5. Nothing like a little snow to complicate the work for these horses in Gillford in 1939.

6. In 1954, horses were working hard to clear the land on Dartmouth College Grant in Coos County.

7. Trains were an essential part of transporting lumber out of the Granite State.

8. Driving logs down the river was dangerous work where men balanced on wood to keep it moving downstream.

9. Berlin was one of the largest logging meccas in the state.

10. Driving around New Hampshire today you still see plenty of logging, like this scene from Andover.

11. Logging gets a bad reputation, but it can lead to some beautiful scenery.

Love New Hampshire history? Check out these 12 photos of New Hampshire in the 1960s!

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Kelly A. Burch

Kelly Burch is a freelance writer from New Hampshire. She shares stories of travel, adventure and anything else that catches her interest.