Photos of Zealand
Zealand, or New Zealand as it was sometimes called, was a logging town situated where the Zealand River and the Ammonoosuc River join, near today's Zealand camping area.
The town was built by the controversial logger, J.E. Henry and his partners about 1880. Shortly thereafter, Henry bought out his partners and continued on his own, eventually bringing his three sons into the business. He built a large, steam powered sawmill at about this time.
Henry started building his Zealand Valley railroad in 1884. Prior to that time, logs cut in Nash and Sawyer's Location and Crawford's Purchase (both slightly to the east of Zealand, in the area where the Mt. Washington Hotel stands today).
J.E. Henry built his home in Zealand, and also built homes for his workers, a large boarding house, a store, five charcoal kilns and other buildings. There were two railroad stations in the town. The photo at the top of this page shows the mill and some of the other buildings.
By 1892, the Henry family had completed most of their logging in the Zealand Valley. They moved their operation to Lincoln. When they arrived there, in the summer of 1892, the town was not where we know it today. They set up operations along the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River, built their mills, another logging railroad, the East Branch and Lincoln Railroad and their second company town. But that's another story.
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:
As of yet, there is no reference book solely devoted to Abandoned Towns.
"Logging Railroads of the White Mountains" by C. Frances Belcher, includes information on the towns associated with the logging railroads.
"J.E. Henry's Logging Railroads" by Bill Gove has a lot of information about J.E. Henry and his two towns and two railroads.
As noted earlier, "Chronicles of the White Mountains" by Frederick Kilbourne is excellent and also has information on some of the towns.
