Mt. Moosilauke (1870) - Deer Lake
". . . The bear catcher [Joseph Whitcher] said he got two deer once in the meadow where was the little pond which was the head of Baker river, and that once he fished clear down to East-parte and got more trout than he could lug, and Mr. Fifield said he didn't believe a word of it. But Joseph Whitcher did not care a copper whether he believed it or not, and went on to say that he had a sable line every year on the Oliverian, and that every one of these streams, Tunnel brook, Swiftwater, Moosehillock river, Baker river, and the Oliverian, had its source within a rod of the mountain summit where they stood.
Moses [FortyFoot] Ellsworth said he knew this was a lie for he hadn't had a drop of anything for an hour to wet his whistle with, and he was most choked to death and would like to see the springs from which the streams started. . . ."
From "The History of Warren, A Mountain Hamlet Located Among the White Hills of New Hampshire" by William Little, 1870.
". . . On account of its isolation, and also because fogs and clouds rarely settle here, Moosilauke is one of the best view-points in the State, giving a noble grouping of the Franconia and White Mts., and overlooking the rich Connecticut Valley for leagues. In the adjacent forests there still remain a few deer and bears, sables and wild cats, fishers, squirrels, and hedge-hogs.In the meadow between the high crest and Mt. Blue, from Deer Lake, a little sheet of water "about as large as one's hand," flows Baker River. . . ."
From Ticknor's Guide, 1888.
". . . The trail [Beaver Brook] goes through a saddle above Jobildunc Headwall, and here may be seen the remnants of a glacial lake now filled in by sphagnum and partly over-grown with spruce and fir and birch. About 150 yards to the right is an open area of peat moss and bog plants, with a small open spring - all that remains of the lake. The only known stand of Labrador Tea on the mountain is here. This is at an altitude of 4200 feet. The dampness encourages grass and False Hellebore to grow in profusion along the trail. The route from here up is quite stony, and quickly reaches scrub growth. . . ."
From "Mt. Moosilauke - A Guide to Make Your Visit to the Mountain More Enjoyable" by John A. Gustafson, 1948.
