Where might this be? How about in the middle of the Suncook Mountains and a source of the Suncook River.
(1857 - New Hampshire as it is ... By Edwin Azro Charlton)
“The source of the Suncook is a pond on the top of one of the Suncook Mountains, 900 feet above its base. The water of this pond falls into another at the foot of, the mountain, about one mile in length and half a mile in width ; Mowing through this, it falls into another, covering about 500 acres, from which it winds through the town, receiving several streams in its course.”
Sitting quietly below Suncook Mountain is a jewel of the range called Round Pond. It drains south through a series of waterfalls and meanderings to what is now called Manning Lake, eventually reaching the mighty Merrimack.
But mountains and ranges have a way of changing names over time and it seems that Suncook may be one of the last references to the native Indians of the area in this range. In an area once called Gillman Town and The Kings Woods, bordering the western side of Winipissioket Pond (1771) it seems only one mountain has survived the longest with its name of Mount Major (at least as far back as 1784). There was also a Mount Minor but which peak I am not sure. At one point the highest point of the range was called Gilmanton Mountain and later reports show it carried the name of Gunstock and Belknap. The county, mountain and range are now called Belknap in honor of “Rev. Dr. Jeremy [Jeremiah] Belknap, noted preacher, educator, naturalist, historian and author of The History of New Hampshire.”
Settled in 1778 by James Ames and S. S. Gilman, Gilman Town later divided as Gilford annexed itself from Gilmanton because it was too difficult for them to get to the Meeting Hall (church), especially in winter, because they had to go over the mountains (perhaps by the way of the roads near Suncook Mountain).
I pondered this and more from my research as I enjoyed going over these mountains today. How many native Indians and early settlers passed by this same pond that I now sat along side of in the autumn sun and admired its beauty?
Suncook Mountain is a short bushwhack reached by some lovely trails now nicely accessible from a new parking area at the end of Bickford and Wood Road.
(But the sign warns: No vehicle use after 6 PM – maybe this will happen )