Northern Forest Heritage Park

Over the last couple of years I have had many requests to do some type of Historical Tour of the region.

I recently discovered a place called the Northern Forest Heritage Park in Berlin, NH. The park is a replica of a logging camp circa 1900. I Berlin was a city that was founded on the Timber Industry and was a major hub of this activity in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The last run of logs down the Androscoggin River occured in 1964.

From Northern Heritage Park

This past Wednesday we took our first trip there with a group of about 16 people to the park to see how it would be. We were met by a tour guide who walked us thru the park down to the boat launch. There we divided the group into 2 groups so that some could do the River Ride and the rest could receive a guided tour of the park. The park will be host to a Lumberjack Competition in ealry October.

From Northern Heritage Park

We started out at the Filers Cabin. The Filer was responsible for sharpening the saws for the lumberjacks. He knows the saws need to be sharpened differently depending on the type of woods being cut and the time of year.

From Northern Heritage Park

Next we went to the Horse Hovel. This is where the Teamster lived and took care of the horses. What the horses were used for depended on their size. Smaller horses were used singly to drag logs to the cutting area. Larger animals were teamed and used to pull sleds and tote supplies. The very biggest are used to drag large logs. The Teamsters usually slept in the hovel as the horses often smelled better than the loggers.

From Northern Heritage Park

Next it was off to the Blacksmith. The Blacksmith was usually one of the first perople to arrive at the end of Summer. He spends long hours in his shop building logging sleds, complete from runners to poles, maintaining and designing logging tools and chains, building whiffle trees, and acting as a farrier and veterinarian.

Our next stop was that of the cabin which house the Scaler (he measures the work out in teh forest), the Boss who is responsible for the entire camp , and the Clerk who keeps track of wages earned and things the workers purchase in the company store.

From Northern Heritage Park

The last stop was the Cookhouse and Bunkhouse. The Cookhouse was where the loggers ate their meals. The Lunch Room Rules from circa 1920: 1. Please don't spit on the floor. 2 Don't drink the catsup. 3. Don't lick the mustard paddle. 4. Don't come here to loiter and think. 5. This place is here to eat and drink.

I will be making a 2nd entry about our visit here later today.