Big Bridge Gone
Greenville Trestle Bridge
December 9, 1907
Fire Destroys the Span Over Souhegan River. Locomotive Spark Probable Cause of Blaze Near Greenville, N H. GREENVILLE, NH, Dec 9-The highest and longest bridge in New Hampshire was destroyed by fire shortly after 6 this evening. The bridge was located one-half mile from here, over the Souhegan river, and measured 626 feet long. It was 105 feet above the river. The fire is supposed to have been started by a spark from a passing freight train. The bridge was constructed in 1850. A big force of firemen and citizens made a splendid effort to extinguish the flames, but they were powerless, and after burning an hour it dropped in the river. The bridge was used by the Fitchburg division of the Boston & Maine railroad. Passengers were transferred around the bridge by teams.
Original Wooden Bridge (Burnt)
Replacement Bridge (Metal)
James Roger diary entry
September 8th 1908 (Tuesday)
Fair sunny and cool north west wind. David at Ashburnham. I swept Hall and pulled some grapes in afternoon. Got pc from Hamish. D.P. Maynard, Mr. Hudson, Guy Blanchard, C Knowlton and a stranger commenced shingling Town Hall today. Caucus meeting tonight about 30 present.
September 14, 2024 - 13:30
New Ipswich Historical Society cordially invites the public to its Annual Meeting and Program.
FINNS: An Oral History of Finnish-Americans
in New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region
Presented by Patricia Kangas Ktistes
New Ipswich Museum of History (72 Academy Road) - formerly Appleton Academy
Our 30-minute business meeting will be followed by this year’s featured speaker, Patricia Kangas Ktistes, who will describe her experience of interviewing Finnish-Americans in New Ipswich and surrounding communities for the purpose of preserving their stories for future generations.
In addition to sharing interesting anecdotes and audio clips that she collected for her Master’s thesis in the 1990s, Patricia will provide participants with her recommendations and useful tips for collecting family histories before elders pass and their knowledge and experiences are lost to time.
Patricia Kangas Ktistes was born in New Ipswich in 1952, and attended town schools through ninth grade. In 1967, she moved out of state with her family. In 1987, she earned a B.S. from Colby-Sawyer College and received her MALS degree at Dartmouth College in 1997. Her master’s thesis is entitled FINNS: An Oral History of Finnish-Americans in New Hampshire's Monadnock Region. Patricia has two daughters and five grandchildren; she and her husband John Ktistes reside in Rockport, MA
Excellent photos
It would not be a stretch to say that Bronson Potter was an eccentric gentleman. He graduated from Harvard University and also attended the Sorbonne in Paris. While working in the young field of technology he was a successful inventor who sued the Polaroid Corporation for stealing his patent on a key part of the famous instant camera. He won and it’s said the royalties helped pay for the 500 hundred acres of land he purchased in Mason NH and bequeathed to the town upon his death.
He came to Mason in the 1960’s and passed away there and was buried in the Prospect Hill Cemetery in 2004 at the age of 74. Bronson Potter’s connection to the Greenville Trestle that is notable.
On the Fourth of July in 1979 he flew his small single engine airplane down into the gorge of the Soughegan River and under the 97 foot high Greenville Trestle. The plane had a wing span of between 35 and 40 feet and he flew between two piers only 74 feet apart ! The FAA took away Potter’s pilot’s license but judging by his gravestone the incident was a memorable part of his distinguished life.