Old Photo Trivia

[NeoAkela]

Every now and then someone starts a thread with some old photos for us to try to identify. I've always found it quite interesting, so here is my attempt!

Some of these might be a challenge - I put the easier ones first. All are State Park or WMNF related, all within northern New Hampshire, and a few of the photos are almost 90 years old. Good luck!

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12 (Where was this sign located)?​

​

 

[Motabobo]

Pure guesses :
#1 : Three Sisters fire tower
#2 : Greenleaf hut
#3 : Crawford Notch
#4 : Dixville Notch
#5 : Cannon Fire Tower
#6 : Liberty Springs (old shelter)
#11 : I'm compelled to say either Rocky Branch shelters although it's probably wrong...
#12 : Looks like the Rim trail sign...
I hope I am at least 3 on 8

 

[1HappyHiker]

Thanks Chris for posting such an intriguing thread!
I won't even hazard a guess about any of these. I have enough difficulty identifying things that currently exist!
I'll be very curious to eventually learn what locations are shown in the images you posted.

 

[smitty77]

I usually stink at these, but here's my best shot...

1. At first I though Mt. Monadnock, but then read you said northern NH. My guess is Sandwich Dome?

2. Madison Hut

3. Indian Head

4. Dixville Notch

5. Cardigan

6. Liberty Spring Shelter

7. Hale

8. Edmands Col?

9. Carrigain

10. No idea

11. Desolation shelter? Just a guess, never been to that area.

12. Moosilauke?

If I get 1 or 2 I'd be happy.

 

[nartreb]

#1 is most definitely on Middle Sister by Mt Chocorua - the photo is labled "Mt Chocorua" at lower left.

#6 I concur with Liberty Spring - Cannon cliff in the background and the foreground ledge shape looks right.

 

[NeoAkela]

Great guesses! Motabobo and nartreb are correct with photo #1 - it is the fire tower on Middle sister.

Number 2 is also correct for Motabobo - The original photo caption reads "Eagle Lake Hut AMC". Not sure if this was a "working title" for Greenleaf Hut or not as it was being constructed - my guess is that the hut had not been named at the time of the photo, as the picture was taken and captions written by a State employee and AMC member.

Number 3 is still unclaimed. A hint is that it was taken somewhere to the east of Mount Washington.

Number 4 is indeed Dixville Notch - not sure what the date of the photo was. Good eye Smitty77, and Motabobo guesses right again!

5 is also correct - motabobo again! Cannon Fire Tower.

6 is correct by smitty77 and motabobo again - Liberty Springs Shelter in 1953.

7 is correct again - this photo is of Mount Hale in 1929 during the construction of the lookout station. Of particular interest (at least to me) is the building slightly below which the photo caption identifies as "our camp on the slope". This photo was taken from "Hale's Nose", which must mean today's East Hale. I wonder if there is any remnant of that old camp still in existence?

8 is still unguessed. Hint is that this was east of the Presis. Photo taken in 1927.

9, 10 and 11 are tough ones. All three were north of route 2, if this helps as a hint!

Number 12 was correct again from motabobo - great job! Rim Trail sign in 1952.

 

[Raymond]

Number 3 is in Evans Notch; East, or maybe West, Royce.

That must be the lion for which the Laughing Lion Trail is named.

Here’s a picture of the same scene taken two months ago:

Someone please draw Steve Smith’s attention to that black-and-white photo at the beginning of this thread! He was wondering where that trail name came from. I suggested that there may be a lion’s face up on that cliff, but it didn’t look as distinct on the back of my camera as it does in the old photo.

 

[Raymond]

Is Number 9 Cabot?

 

[NeoAkela]

Yes, number 3 is a roadside photo of East Royce in 1937. That is really interesting about the Laughing Lion! I wondered the same thing about the name, but looking at the photo now I can really see it! Thank you for pointing that out!

And, yes, number 9 is indeed the Mount Cabot lookout!


Another hint.... #8 is in the Carter Range, and 10 and 11 are in the Kilkenny region.

 

[Lefty E]

Could 10 be Deer Mt.?

 

[J&J]

#8 = Imp Shelter.

Did you help build that Imp Shelter Moses?

 

[NeoAkela]

Imp shelter it is! The photo caption reads: "Imp Shelter Hut USFS April 1927". I haven't been able to find any other photos of this old structure. There is one online from around 1910 that does not look anything like it.

 

[nartreb]

For anybody else who couldn't detect a lion in the photo in this thread, here's one that works for me:

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1046157410037922106VUUXIV

Just a head, facing viewer's right.
Mouth is the pale area with the horizontal crack (upturned into smile), big overhang near the top marks the eye, bridge of the nose is outlined by the solid diagonal line of trees.

 

[NeoAkela]

Since there have been no more takers, the last two photos are:

#10--Lonesome Ridge Lookout Tower. This tower used to be located just north of Godfrey Dam near Mount Cabot.

#11--"Camp 19", also in the Kilkenny area. Photo taken in 1927. Since the old Camp 18 was on the route of today's Landing Camp Trail, I am guessing that this one was somewhere in that area. The sign on the side of the shelter (blurred out in the photo) reads: "USFS Camp 19 Camp Ground". The caption reads: "Camp 19, Upper Ammonoosuc Valley White Mountain Nat'l Forest... A haven for fishermen and hunters, developed U.S.F.S."

 

[Lefty E]

Well I guess I was close as Deer Mt. is in the Kilkenny Range and I thought I might have had it..see my Dad, who will turn 90 Jan. 31, led a group of school kids to Cabot in 1939, and could easily see the tower on Deer Mt. and asked the Ranger on Cabot about it..the Ranger would not acknowledge the tower on Deer, maybe due to pride of his on Cabot!! though it was in plain sight!!! and Lonesome Ridge tower was nearby to overlook heavy logging operations...another nice old tower was Cambridge Black (check NH Firetower history for a photo of that log built tower)..I have seen the debris but it is about gone..Lefty E