Within the White Mountains there are several abandoned towns. Some were farming communities, like Thornton Gore, some were lumbering towns such as Livermore, Zealand, Carrigain, and others. There were also towns built around mining or quarrying activities, such Redstone, and towns built around manufacturing plants such as Pike and Scythe Village.
Reasons for abandonment vary. Logging towns were abandoned when timber supplies were exhausted while agricultural towns were deserted for a number of reasons. Some of the towns are well documented; others are not and serious research would likely be most productive.
There are cellar holes and remnants of mills and dams throughout the region. Some are on private property and others are within the White Mountain National Forest. AMC guide books identify these locations. Some are a series of cellar holes, while others have significant remnants of the past.
Historic and archaeological sites are special places that tell the story of our past. Leave artifacts as you find them. Rearranging them limits their scientific value and the experience of future visitors.
Visitors are reminded that Federal law prohibits
disturbing these sites or removing any artifacts.
Suggested Reading There are not any books that focus on abandoned towns, as such. However, "Logging Railroads of the White Mountains" by C. Francis Belcher has useful information on the abandoned logging towns.
