
4 minute read
The Last Word
The Sugar River Region keeps history present
Few areas of New England pack as much culture, recreation, scenery, agriculture and history in as compact a package as the Sugar River basin does. For more than two and a half centuries, the region has been home to many diverse activities, ranging from hiking and boating to high-precision metalworking and covered bridge construction.
That tradition lives on today, and the region offers an array of activities, attractions and year-round events that can bring enjoyment and entertainment to folks of all ages. A comprehensive catalog of the area’s attributes could fill quite a volume, but as this guide has showcased, history and culture echo through to the present here.
As a lifelong resident of Sullivan County, I have a deep affection for the region and its people.
The area’s strongest suit has long been its agriculture, and it continues today to be a powerhouse with a highly diversified blend of large commercial farms and smaller enterprises focused primarily on producing crops for nearby markets. The two largest dairy farms have over 450 milking cows each, and others range down to about 40 animals. Two of them produce ice cream sold by the cup or cone in a festive setting at the farm.
As a longtime farmer myself, there is nothing greater than to be on a tractor and mowing around and around. You can daydream and just think about all kinds of stuff.
Then there are farms producing vegetables, berries, apples, flowers and even trout. Several have farm stands retailing their produce directly to consumers, others sell to wholesale markets, and a few offer pick-your-own options to customers. The area has long been New Hampshire’s largest producer of maple syrup, and most of its sugarhouses continue to welcome visitors during the busy sap season.
Most Sullivan County farms have been recognized as New Hampshire Farms of Distinction, meaning they’ve met high standards for appearance and stewardship. The Cornish Fair is renowned for its emphasis on the region’s agriculture, and it regularly attracts the largest number of show animals of any fair in New Hampshire and Vermont.
To ride the highways and byways of Sullivan County is to see a lot of history in the architecture of its homes, churches, public buildings, covered bridges and stonewalls. Just about every road offers some gems. Some notable sights to look for are the magnificent meetinghouse atop the hill in Acworth, the great brick mill buildings along the falls in the Sugar River in Claremont and the 1866 covered bridge linking Cornish with Windsor, Vt. These and many more places are history on display.
In 2018, I aided in the Plainfield Historical Society’s oral history project. I’ve lived in Plainfield for more than 75 of my 80 years, and was sure I knew most of the town’s accumulated history in that span, but to sit with men and women who came home from the Korean or Vietnam wars, a guy who built a multimillion dollar business out of nothing, a woman who saved her son from drowning in an iced-over pond, or a couple who had taught in local schools for half a century, is to add a vast new dimension to my knowledge and understanding of the town.
Libraries, historical societies, community theaters and educational institutions serve a continuous menu of lectures, music and drama. Opera house stages in Claremont and Newport book a wide variety of performances for every season. Outdoor bandstand concerts are among the favorite traditions of summer life in the region. The stage set and backdrop created by artist Maxfield Parrish in Plainfield’s historic town hall draws hundreds of viewers.
Recreation — winter, spring, summer, fall — is a foundational aspect of the region. A vast network of trails, some on abandoned railbeds, serves hikers, bikers, snowmobilers, cross-country skiers, equestrians and even dog teams. They are replete with magnificent views of hills, mountains, meadows and streams along the way. Local water bodies are beloved by swimmers, fishers, boaters and all who enjoy their clear, cool water.
Fishing locations abound on the Sugar River and along its many tributary streams, and the mighty Connecticut River affords additional opportunities for power boating, canoeing and whitewater kayaking on the Sumner Falls rapids in Plainfield. Long stretches of the river are unspoiled by development, leaving them as in primeval times. The many trails and the waterways all afford great spots for picnicking, too.
The Sugar River Region is home to authentic New England charm, where the past lives side-by-side with the future. For those who spend time here, the connection to the land, hardworking people and their stories is something deeply felt and not easily forgotten.