Wild River (Androscoggin River tributary)

(Redirected from Wild River (Androscoggin River)) River in New Hampshire and Maine, United States

Wild River
The Wild River at Hastings, Maine
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Location
Country	United States
States	New Hampshire, Maine
Counties	Carroll, NH; Coos, NH; Oxford, ME
Towns and townships	Jackson, NH; Bean's Purchase, NH; Shelburne, NH; South Oxford, ME; Gilead, ME
Physical characteristics

Source	Black Mountain
• location	Jackson, NH
• coordinates	44°13′51″N 71°9′0″W / 44.23083°N 71.15000°W / 44.23083; -71.15000
• elevation	2,810 ft (860 m)

Mouth	Androscoggin River
• location	Gilead, ME
• coordinates	44°23′45″N 70°58′45″W / 44.39583°N 70.97917°W / 44.39583; -70.97917
• elevation	678 ft (207 m)
Length	17.2 mi (27.7 km)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Red Brook, Spruce Brook, Cypress Brook, Moriah Brook, Bull Brook, Martins Brook
• right	Baldface Brook, Cedar Brook, Blue Brook, Twin Brook, Dew Drop Brook, Burnt Mill Brook, Evans Brook, Little Lary Brook, Gammon Brook

The Wild River is a 17.2-mile-long (27.7 km) river in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine in the United States. It is a tributary of the Androscoggin River, which flows east and south to the Kennebec River near the Atlantic Ocean.

Route

The Wild River rises on the north end of Black Mountain in the northern part of the town of Jackson, New Hampshire. It flows northeast off the mountain, entering the township of Bean's Purchase, and picks up the stream outlet of No Ketchum Pond coming in from the northwest. The Wild River continues northeast through a mountain valley separating the Carter-Moriah Range to the northwest and the Baldface-Royce Range to the southeast. The river crosses the southeast corner of the town of Shelburne, New Hampshire, then enters Maine and picks up Evans Brook, flowing northerly from the height of land in Evans Notch, near the former logging company town of Hastings. Maine Highway 113 follows Evans Brook and then the east bank of the Wild River from Hastings northward to the Wild River confluence with the Androscoggin River at Gilead. The Wild River is bridged by U.S. Route 2 and the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad at Gilead.

Early history

Early European settlement of the watershed was northerly up the Cold River valley from Fryeburg, Maine, through Evans Notch and then down Evans Brook to Gilead. Evans Notch and Evans Brook were named for Captain John Evans, who commanded European militia against the indigenous people of the Americas in 1781.

The town of Gilead was incorporated in 1804. The Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad from Portland to Montreal followed the south bank of the Androscoggin River and reached Gilead in 1851. The railroad bridge was the first river crossing durable enough to withstand runoff events from winter storms. Peak runoff events were similarly destructive to attempts to construct water-powered mills adjacent to the river. Construction of the road now known as Maine Highway 113 commenced in 1866.

In 1882, Major Gideon Hastings obtained title to large tracts of timberland and commenced operations of the Hastings Lumber Company.

Wild River Railroad

In 1891, a railroad was built following the present Route 113 from Gilead to Hastings lumber mill on Evans Brook near its confluence with the Wild River. A row of ten houses built along the Wild River for company employees at Hastings became known as "the ten commandments". Rails extended 10 miles (16 km) up the Wild River from Hastings by 1896 with branch lines up tributaries Bull Brook, Blue Brook, Moriah Brook, Cypress Brook, and Spruce Brook. A 1903 wildfire destroyed the unharvested timber in the watershed. The railroad was dismantled in 1904. The lumber company land was purchased for the White Mountain National Forest between 1912 and 1918. Passage of the New England Wilderness Act in December 2006 designated 23,700 acres (9,600 ha) of the watershed as the Wild River Wilderness.

Locomotives

Number	Name	Builder	Type	Date	Works number	Notes
1	Gilead	Lima Locomotive Works	2-truck, 3-cylinder Shay	30 September 1891	370	purchased new - destroyed by boiler explosion 18 April 1899
2		Portland Company	4-4-0	1871	202	formerly Portland and Ogdensburg Railway #4 Hyde Park - replaced by # 4 and boiler used in the wood alcohol mill of the Hastings Chemical Company
3		Lima Locomotive Works	2-truck, 3-cylinder Shay	10 November 1896	523	built as Success Pond Railroad # 6; leased from Blanchard & Twitchell Company of Berlin, New Hampshire to replace # 1; went to White River Railroad of Woodstock, Vermont when Wild River Railroad was dismantled
4		Baldwin Locomotive Works	2-4-2 Tank locomotive	1900	17433	purchased new to replace # 2 - sold to Berlin Mills Railroad in 1904

Recreation

In the summer and early fall, this river becomes little more than a trickle. However, it does hold native brook trout that eagerly attack small dry flies, much to the delight of fly fishermen that visit. Wild River Trail follows the old railroad grade along the river. A visit in early spring or late fall should be pursued with caution as Route 113 is not maintained in the winter. It is a long way around if you get there and find the road closed. The Appalachian Trail follows the crest of the Carter-Moriah Range along the western boundary of the watershed.

Notes

New Hampshire GRANIT state geographic information system
"Wild River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
Wight (1971) p.20
Wight (1971) p.22
Wight (1971) p.48
Wight (1971) p.65
Wight (1971) p.66
Wight (1971) p.77
Wight (1971) p.125
Wight (1971) p.95
^ "Wilderness Connect".
Wight (1971) p.122
Wight (1971) pp.133-135
Koch (1971) p.338
Wight (1971) p.98
Wight (1971) pp.101&122
Koch (1971) p.399
"Lima Locomotive & Machine Co. Shop Number 523". Shay Locomotives. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
Westing, Fred (1966). The Locomotives that Baldwin Built. Bonanza Books. p. 106.
Wight (1971) pp.112&122

References

Koch, Michael (1971). The Shay Locomotive Titan of the Timber. World Press.
Wight, D.B. (1971). The Wild River Wilderness. Courier Printing Company.

Androscoggin River watershed

Tributaries

Maine

New Hampshire

Lakes

Towns

Landmarks

Rivers of Maine by drainage system

Bay of Fundy

Passamaquoddy Bay

Saint John River Watershed

Casco Bay

Fore River Watershed	Fore River Long Creek Stroudwater River South Branch Stroudwater River
Presumpscot River Watershed	Bear River Chute River Crooked River East Branch Piscataqua River Little River Muddy River North Branch Little River Northwest River Piscataqua River Pleasant River Presumpscot River Songo River Sticky River Tenny River
Others	Cousins River Harraseeket River Little River New Meadows River Royal River

Gulf of Maine

Blue Hill Bay (Union River Watershed)	Bog River East Branch Union River Little Bog River Middle Branch Union River Union River West Branch Union River
Chandler Bay	Sandy River
Dennys Bay	Dennys River Hardscrabble River Orange River
Englishman Bay	Chandler River East Branch Chandler River Englishman River
Frenchman Bay	Jordan Stream Skillings River
Harrington Bay	Harrington River Mill River
Little River Watershed	Little River (Drakes Island) Merriland River
Machias Bay (Machias River Watershed)	Crooked River East Machias River Machias River Maine River Middle River West Branch Machias River
Mousam River Watershed	Littlefield River Middle Branch Mousam River Mousam River
Narraguagus Bay (Narraguagus River Watershed)	Little Narraguagus River Narraguagus River Spring River West Branch Narraguagus River (Cherryfield) West Branch Narraguagus River (Hancock County)
Pleasant Bay (Pleasant River Watershed)	Little River Pleasant River West Branch Pleasant River Western Little River
Piscataqua River Watershed	Great Works River Little River Neoutaquet River Piscataqua River Salmon Falls River
Sheepscot River Watershed	Back River Cross River Dyer River Marsh River Sasanoa River Sheepscot River West Branch Sheepscot River
Wohoa Bay	Indian River Southwest Branch Indian River West River
Others	Batson River Benjamin River Cape Neddick River Damariscotta River Johns River Jordan River Josias River Kennebunk River Little River (Boothbay) Little River (Georgetown) Little River (Goosefare Bay) Little River (York) Morse River Ogunquit River Pemaquid River Sprague River Webhannet River York River

Merrymeeting Bay

Androscoggin River Watershed

Kennebec River Watershed

Muscongus Bay

Saint George River Watershed	Back River Dead River East Branch Oyster River Mill River Oyster River Saint George River West Branch Oyster River
Others	Back River (Medomak) Back River (Meduncook) Goose River Medomak River Meduncook River

Penobscot Bay

Penobscot River Watershed

Others

Saco Bay

Saco River Watershed	Charles River Cold River Hancock Brook Kezar River Little Cold River Little Ossipee River Little River Little Saco River Mad River Middle Branch Mad River Old Course Saco River Ossipee River Saco River Shepards River South Branch Mad River South River Tenmile River West Branch Tenmile River
Others	Dunstan River Libby River Nonesuch River Scarborough River Spurwink River

Rivers of New Hampshire by drainage system

Gulf of Maine

Atlantic coastal tributaries	Blackwater River Browns River Drakes River Hampton River Hampton Falls River Little River Old River Taylor River
Merrimack River watershed	Baboosic Brook Back River Baker River Bear Brook Beards Brook Beaver Brook Beebe River Big River Black Brook Blackwater River Cockermouth River Cohas Brook Contoocook River East Branch Baker River East Branch Pemigewasset River Fowler River Frazier Brook Gridley River Gunstock River Lane River Little River (Big River) Little River (Merrimack River) Little Massabesic Brook-Sucker Brook Little Suncook River Lost River Mad River Melvin River Merrimack River Merrymeeting River Middle Branch Piscataquog River Moosilauke Brook Nashua River Newfound River Nissitissit River North Branch Contoocook River North Fork East Branch Pemigewasset River Nubanusit Brook Pemigewasset River Pennichuck Brook Piscataquog River Powwow River Purgatory Brook Red Hill River Salmon Brook Shedd Brook Smith River Soucook River Souhegan River South Branch Baker River South Branch Piscataquog River South Branch Souhegan River Spicket River Squam River Stony Brook Suncook River Tioga River Turkey River Warner River West Branch Mad River West Branch Souhegan River West Branch Warner River Winnipesaukee River
Merrymeeting Bay (Androscoggin River watershed)	Androscoggin River Chickwolnepy Stream Clear Stream Dead River Dead Diamond River East Branch Dead Diamond River Little Dead Diamond River Little Magalloway River Magalloway River Middle Branch Dead Diamond River Middle Branch Little Magalloway River Mollidgewock Brook Moose Brook Moose River Peabody River Rattle River South Branch Little Dead Diamond River Swift Diamond River West Branch Dead Diamond River West Branch Little Dead Diamond River West Branch Little Magalloway River West Branch Magalloway River West Branch Peabody River Wild River
Piscataqua River watershed	Bean River Bellamy River Berrys River Branch River Bunker Creek Cochecho River Ela River Exeter River Fresh River Isinglass River Jones Brook Lamprey River Little River (Brentwood) Little River (Exeter) Little River (Lamprey River) Mad River North River North Branch River Oyster River Pawtuckaway River Piscassic River Piscataqua River Rattlesnake River Salmon Falls River Squamscott River Winnicut River
Saco Bay (Saco River watershed)	Bearcamp River Beech River Chocorua River Cold River (Bearcamp River) Cold River Cutler River Dan Hole River Deer River Dry River East Branch Saco River East Branch Whiteface River East Fork East Branch Saco River Ellis River Little Cold River Lovell River Mad River Middle Branch Mad River Mill Brook New River Ossipee River Pequawket Brook Pine River Rocky Branch Saco River Sawyer River Shepards River South River South Branch Mad River Swift River (Bearcamp River) Swift River (Saco River) West Branch Whiteface River Wildcat Brook Wonalancet River

Long Island Sound

Connecticut River watershed

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