NeoAkela
Active member
When cleaning up some of my grandmother's possessions, I came upon a very old, ragged notebook filled with faint penciled script. It took me a while to realize that it was a daily journal written by my grandfather when he was a young man of 20 and working in Pinkham Notch. After picking my way through the pages, I felt that this story might be one that would interest those few who enjoy a bit of the history of our area. It is certainly not high drama, nor is it written to entertain an audience; but it does portray a snapshot of an era long gone.
“The year of 1926 has gone by. I, nor Clyde nor Raymond will forget those days when on the Dome, Dolly Copp Camp Ground or Wild River, the great times we had. Nor the time of down in Wild River with Forest Guard Dean Hale, Ranger Hale, and Lookout Arthur Hale”. – Howe Smith (Written by Clyde's brother, inside cover of notebook)
Saturday, July 3, 1926
Packed up tents and tools to point of trail above camp called “Cabbage” by USFS. Made camp, went over trail with Hale, spotted water bars.
Sunday, July 4, 1926
Went up Mt. Washington via Tuckerman’s Ravine Raymond Path. Lots of snow below headwall 50ft. banks. Clear day on summit, good view below. Took Pictures. Went home via Great Gulf to Camp Grounds.
Monday, July 5, 1926
Packed up food and dishes to camp. Started on trail work afternoon. Graded corner and cleaned water bars. Black flies were extra hard on us. Left camp at 6 O’clock for Gorham in thunder shower.
Tuesday, July 6, 1926
Nothing to pack today. Arthur Hale Carter Dome Lookout worked with us on trail. We moved big rocks from the path, put in water bars and fixed a good part of the trail halfway to spring.
Mr. Hale left us at 2 O’clock in the afternoon.
Wednesday, July 7, 1926
I went up to the fire lookout on the summit of the Dome. Good view, very clear below. Left Raymond 2 miles down on trail. Went back and down to Gorham. Jack was waiting at the end of the trail for us.
Thursday, July 8, 1926
We have worked in most a quarter mile of trail to a spring we planned to reach after three days work. This morning we packed up mail and few supplies for Guy Weeks in the lookout. Tonight we started from our camp on the trail. It is raining quite hard and the clouds are low on the Dome. We arrived here at the lookout 7:35. Kicked Guy out of his bed and got two mattresses.
We sleep in tower tonight. Just called up the girls. The wind is blowing very hard and the tower is shaking.
Friday, July 9, 1926
Slept in tower last night. Bad storm swept over the Dome. High winds moaned around, and rocked the tower like an earthquake. This morning the clouds are low and all signs point to a wet day. The valleys below cannot be seen. Not a good day to work on trail. Think we will go down to Gorham with Guy Weeks. We had a very good breakfast and feel fine.
Saturday, July 10, 1926
Cloudy and cold. Mist. Clouds hang low to the bases of the mountains. Forests are wet and in no danger from fires.
This is another day we cannot work.
Tried out our Ford. Went to Glen Ellis Falls in afternoon. Bad thunder shower tonight.
Sunday, July 11, 1926
Went to Glen Ellis. Saw Guy Weeks at Peabody River Ranger Sta. The weather looks promising again for trail work. Expect to do quite a stretch tomorrow after this rest.
Monday, July 12, 1926
Packed up supplies. Started at 8:00 O’clock entrance of trail.
Nice dinner of beans and potatoes and onions 12:00. Started work again 12:35.
Stopped work 5:30 to go to Gorham to make application for car license. Went up to ranger station 8:00 O’clock saw Guy Weeks and Arthur Hale. Met them on Camp ground.
Tuesday, July 13, 1926
Got up early 5:30. Arrived at trail 7:15, arrived at camp 8:15 and started to work. Dinner at 12:00, start work again 12:30, end of day 4:52.
We wonder about the health of one porcupine, and are terrible afraid of a bad case of acute indigestion.
First, it was a cardboard box, and one shovel handle. Now he must have a damn tough gut with no special regard to his diet for after the cardboard box and the shovel handle, there is now the end of one blanket, one lb. of butter and a piece of our tent.
We suggest lead pills for this gentleman.
Wednesday, July 14, 1926
It looked like rain this morning, but we started for work early. The clouds lifted by noon.
Done quite a piece of trail today. Struck the turn by the telephone line. Black flies were an awful bother in afternoon.
Killed porcupine below Carter Slides. Took a few pictures today. Work is getting more interesting as we go further up the trail. Better view of Presidential Range and the forest the trail goes through is wilder.
Thursday, July 15, 1926
Killed porcupine. Fixed turn by telephone line. We consider it very good. Black flies are thick. The west is clouded over the Presidential Range signs of rain.
Friday, July 16, 1926
Got up on trail very early. Graded trail 300 ft above telephone line curve. Put in a few water bars. Went up to Carter Slides for water.
Saturday, July 17, 1926
Did 300 ft. more of trail today. Went up to the fire lookout tower on the Dome at noon hour. Guy Weeks was painting. Today was clear and we had a very good view of the country in Maine and the Presidential Range. The snow in Tuckerman’s Ravine still hangs and does not seem to have changed much since July 4th.
Sunday, July 18, 1926
Went up to Norton Mills by way of North Stratford, Island Pond. Clear day, had good trip. Norton is a very pretty place although it seems to be quiet.
Monday, July 19, 1926
Packed up supplies. Nothing doing today except a little work on trail in afternoon.
Tuesday, July 20, 1926
Ted Jones is with us today, arrived at camp a little later than usual. Ranger Hale came up and joined us at dinner. Raymond and I went to work on trail and Ted Jones went on up to the fire lookout. Hale and I went as far as the Carter Slides spotting water bars. Saw plane that flew over Dome.
Wednesday, July 21, 1926
Nothing but work and black flies.
Thursday, July 22, 1926
Work and flies.
Friday, July 23, 1926
Work and flies.
Saturday, July 24, 1926
Had company for dinner. Girl from Clearwater Fla. Man, woman and boy from Malden Mass. Did good days work on trail struck a pretty rocky and stumpy washout on trail. Guy Weeks went up in the lookout today.
Sunday, July 25, 1926
Went 140 miles in our car today through Franconia & Crawford notches. Stopped in Bretton Woods at Mt. Washington Hotel. Saw “Old Man of the Mountains”.
Today was a nice clear day. The car had a knock but we went through the two notches and around the Presidential Range through Bartlet and Jackson up over Spruce Hill and home.
Monday, July 26, 1926
Went up to work with people from Lynn Mass. A woman, man, a little boy and girl. They were very pleased with the new trail and as it was their first trip up a mountain they had to stop every twenty feet to take in the scenery. Which is very good especially where the trail goes through spruce timber and on the trail above our camp and the Carter Slides. Did quite a piece on the trail today. Raymond stayed down to work on car. Howe and I went up to the lookout tower to stay for the night. Had supper with Guy Weeks (fish chowder). The night is clear and the lights from cities and towns 100 miles around can be seen. The Cape Elizabeth Light at Portland ME. is plainly seen flashing in the distance.
The moon rose at 9:00. It was a red moon and looking over the great distance below us from the lookout it was a great sight, reflecting the Atlantic Ocean and lakes for miles around down in Maine. The lights of Berlin were the brightest.
The snow below the headwall in Tuckerman’s Ravine stood out against the blackness of the mountain when the moon shone on it. The lights in the summit house were bright, and cars coming down the carriage road made a great flash of lights. Went to bed by moonlight shining in through the windows of the tower.
We are sleeping on top of the world.
Tuesday, July 27, 1926
Got up early at 6:00, had good breakfast. Went up over Mt. Hight with Guy Weeks. The morning is clear. Went to work at 7:00. Did about 200 ft. of trail today, got by rough spot.
Party of girls and fellows from some camp came down from Dome late in afternoon. Came up from Carter Notch huts. Went down at 5:00 met Jack and Ted Jones at trail entrance.
Wednesday, July 23, 1926
Went to work on Dolly Copp Campgrounds digging rubbish holes. There are 7 of them and the first two we dug today are so full of rocks and big ones that come up to 300 or 500 or 1000 lbs. It takes some lift to get them out of a hole 6 feet deep.
In the afternoon we carried lumber for Arthur Hale. We finished our holes but busted one long handled shovel to do it.
Thursday, July 29, 1926
Rain this morning. Did not go up to work till afternoon.
Dug two more holes in afternoon. Rocks are very plentiful, and they still measure up to standard size of ½ ton or more.
Friday, July 30, 1926
Dug two holes today and that’s that.
Saturday, July 31, 1926
Finished what we did not do yesterday.
Sunday, August 1, 1926
Ted Jones left today for Bean Town. We wonder if he has any corns in the rear, as he spent most of his vacation on that special part.
Took ride up to Glen Ellis Falls. Evelyn was with us. We took a few pictures. Came back minus a windshield. Had a great time. Today was some warm but we cannot kick at old Sol. It is much better than 30 or 60 below and just right at 94 above.
Monday, August 2, 1926
Finished work on Camp ground today. Hurrah! Back to the woods and the old trail tomorrow if it don’t rain.
We were up to the Ranger station tonight playing the victrola.
Had a good time but still I feel there is something lacking.
“The year of 1926 has gone by. I, nor Clyde nor Raymond will forget those days when on the Dome, Dolly Copp Camp Ground or Wild River, the great times we had. Nor the time of down in Wild River with Forest Guard Dean Hale, Ranger Hale, and Lookout Arthur Hale”. – Howe Smith (Written by Clyde's brother, inside cover of notebook)
Saturday, July 3, 1926
Packed up tents and tools to point of trail above camp called “Cabbage” by USFS. Made camp, went over trail with Hale, spotted water bars.
Sunday, July 4, 1926
Went up Mt. Washington via Tuckerman’s Ravine Raymond Path. Lots of snow below headwall 50ft. banks. Clear day on summit, good view below. Took Pictures. Went home via Great Gulf to Camp Grounds.
Monday, July 5, 1926
Packed up food and dishes to camp. Started on trail work afternoon. Graded corner and cleaned water bars. Black flies were extra hard on us. Left camp at 6 O’clock for Gorham in thunder shower.
Tuesday, July 6, 1926
Nothing to pack today. Arthur Hale Carter Dome Lookout worked with us on trail. We moved big rocks from the path, put in water bars and fixed a good part of the trail halfway to spring.
Mr. Hale left us at 2 O’clock in the afternoon.
Wednesday, July 7, 1926
I went up to the fire lookout on the summit of the Dome. Good view, very clear below. Left Raymond 2 miles down on trail. Went back and down to Gorham. Jack was waiting at the end of the trail for us.
Thursday, July 8, 1926
We have worked in most a quarter mile of trail to a spring we planned to reach after three days work. This morning we packed up mail and few supplies for Guy Weeks in the lookout. Tonight we started from our camp on the trail. It is raining quite hard and the clouds are low on the Dome. We arrived here at the lookout 7:35. Kicked Guy out of his bed and got two mattresses.
We sleep in tower tonight. Just called up the girls. The wind is blowing very hard and the tower is shaking.
Friday, July 9, 1926
Slept in tower last night. Bad storm swept over the Dome. High winds moaned around, and rocked the tower like an earthquake. This morning the clouds are low and all signs point to a wet day. The valleys below cannot be seen. Not a good day to work on trail. Think we will go down to Gorham with Guy Weeks. We had a very good breakfast and feel fine.
Saturday, July 10, 1926
Cloudy and cold. Mist. Clouds hang low to the bases of the mountains. Forests are wet and in no danger from fires.
This is another day we cannot work.
Tried out our Ford. Went to Glen Ellis Falls in afternoon. Bad thunder shower tonight.
Sunday, July 11, 1926
Went to Glen Ellis. Saw Guy Weeks at Peabody River Ranger Sta. The weather looks promising again for trail work. Expect to do quite a stretch tomorrow after this rest.
Monday, July 12, 1926
Packed up supplies. Started at 8:00 O’clock entrance of trail.
Nice dinner of beans and potatoes and onions 12:00. Started work again 12:35.
Stopped work 5:30 to go to Gorham to make application for car license. Went up to ranger station 8:00 O’clock saw Guy Weeks and Arthur Hale. Met them on Camp ground.
Tuesday, July 13, 1926
Got up early 5:30. Arrived at trail 7:15, arrived at camp 8:15 and started to work. Dinner at 12:00, start work again 12:30, end of day 4:52.
We wonder about the health of one porcupine, and are terrible afraid of a bad case of acute indigestion.
First, it was a cardboard box, and one shovel handle. Now he must have a damn tough gut with no special regard to his diet for after the cardboard box and the shovel handle, there is now the end of one blanket, one lb. of butter and a piece of our tent.
We suggest lead pills for this gentleman.
Wednesday, July 14, 1926
It looked like rain this morning, but we started for work early. The clouds lifted by noon.
Done quite a piece of trail today. Struck the turn by the telephone line. Black flies were an awful bother in afternoon.
Killed porcupine below Carter Slides. Took a few pictures today. Work is getting more interesting as we go further up the trail. Better view of Presidential Range and the forest the trail goes through is wilder.
Thursday, July 15, 1926
Killed porcupine. Fixed turn by telephone line. We consider it very good. Black flies are thick. The west is clouded over the Presidential Range signs of rain.
Friday, July 16, 1926
Got up on trail very early. Graded trail 300 ft above telephone line curve. Put in a few water bars. Went up to Carter Slides for water.
Saturday, July 17, 1926
Did 300 ft. more of trail today. Went up to the fire lookout tower on the Dome at noon hour. Guy Weeks was painting. Today was clear and we had a very good view of the country in Maine and the Presidential Range. The snow in Tuckerman’s Ravine still hangs and does not seem to have changed much since July 4th.
Sunday, July 18, 1926
Went up to Norton Mills by way of North Stratford, Island Pond. Clear day, had good trip. Norton is a very pretty place although it seems to be quiet.
Monday, July 19, 1926
Packed up supplies. Nothing doing today except a little work on trail in afternoon.
Tuesday, July 20, 1926
Ted Jones is with us today, arrived at camp a little later than usual. Ranger Hale came up and joined us at dinner. Raymond and I went to work on trail and Ted Jones went on up to the fire lookout. Hale and I went as far as the Carter Slides spotting water bars. Saw plane that flew over Dome.
Wednesday, July 21, 1926
Nothing but work and black flies.
Thursday, July 22, 1926
Work and flies.
Friday, July 23, 1926
Work and flies.
Saturday, July 24, 1926
Had company for dinner. Girl from Clearwater Fla. Man, woman and boy from Malden Mass. Did good days work on trail struck a pretty rocky and stumpy washout on trail. Guy Weeks went up in the lookout today.
Sunday, July 25, 1926
Went 140 miles in our car today through Franconia & Crawford notches. Stopped in Bretton Woods at Mt. Washington Hotel. Saw “Old Man of the Mountains”.
Today was a nice clear day. The car had a knock but we went through the two notches and around the Presidential Range through Bartlet and Jackson up over Spruce Hill and home.
Monday, July 26, 1926
Went up to work with people from Lynn Mass. A woman, man, a little boy and girl. They were very pleased with the new trail and as it was their first trip up a mountain they had to stop every twenty feet to take in the scenery. Which is very good especially where the trail goes through spruce timber and on the trail above our camp and the Carter Slides. Did quite a piece on the trail today. Raymond stayed down to work on car. Howe and I went up to the lookout tower to stay for the night. Had supper with Guy Weeks (fish chowder). The night is clear and the lights from cities and towns 100 miles around can be seen. The Cape Elizabeth Light at Portland ME. is plainly seen flashing in the distance.
The moon rose at 9:00. It was a red moon and looking over the great distance below us from the lookout it was a great sight, reflecting the Atlantic Ocean and lakes for miles around down in Maine. The lights of Berlin were the brightest.
The snow below the headwall in Tuckerman’s Ravine stood out against the blackness of the mountain when the moon shone on it. The lights in the summit house were bright, and cars coming down the carriage road made a great flash of lights. Went to bed by moonlight shining in through the windows of the tower.
We are sleeping on top of the world.
Tuesday, July 27, 1926
Got up early at 6:00, had good breakfast. Went up over Mt. Hight with Guy Weeks. The morning is clear. Went to work at 7:00. Did about 200 ft. of trail today, got by rough spot.
Party of girls and fellows from some camp came down from Dome late in afternoon. Came up from Carter Notch huts. Went down at 5:00 met Jack and Ted Jones at trail entrance.
Wednesday, July 23, 1926
Went to work on Dolly Copp Campgrounds digging rubbish holes. There are 7 of them and the first two we dug today are so full of rocks and big ones that come up to 300 or 500 or 1000 lbs. It takes some lift to get them out of a hole 6 feet deep.
In the afternoon we carried lumber for Arthur Hale. We finished our holes but busted one long handled shovel to do it.
Thursday, July 29, 1926
Rain this morning. Did not go up to work till afternoon.
Dug two more holes in afternoon. Rocks are very plentiful, and they still measure up to standard size of ½ ton or more.
Friday, July 30, 1926
Dug two holes today and that’s that.
Saturday, July 31, 1926
Finished what we did not do yesterday.
Sunday, August 1, 1926
Ted Jones left today for Bean Town. We wonder if he has any corns in the rear, as he spent most of his vacation on that special part.
Took ride up to Glen Ellis Falls. Evelyn was with us. We took a few pictures. Came back minus a windshield. Had a great time. Today was some warm but we cannot kick at old Sol. It is much better than 30 or 60 below and just right at 94 above.
Monday, August 2, 1926
Finished work on Camp ground today. Hurrah! Back to the woods and the old trail tomorrow if it don’t rain.
We were up to the Ranger station tonight playing the victrola.
Had a good time but still I feel there is something lacking.
