Concord in Merrimack County, New Hampshire — The American Northeast (New England)

Turkey Pond ~ 1938 Hurricane

Photographed By Douglas Finney, February 2, 2019

1. Turkey Pond ~ 1938 Hurricane Marker

Inscription. The Great Hurricane of 1938 devastated New England's forests. As a result, Turkey Pond was used to store almost 12 million board feet of salvaged white pine logs, more than anywhere in New England. From 1941 to 1943. the H. S. Durant mill, operating on this site, sawed most of the volume floating in Turkey Pond. On the pond's north side, the U. S. Forest Service constructed a sawmill that was operated by a group of local women. Led by sawfiler Laura Willey, the women proved themselves to be an exemplary crew. "Snow, rain, or sub-zero weather never slowed them up,” wrote one Forest Service manager.

Erected 2003 by New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. (Marker Number 0184.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Horticulture & Forestry • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1938.

Location. 43° 10.112′ N, 71° 35.013′ W. Marker is in Concord, New Hampshire, in Merrimack County. Marker is on Clinton Street (New Hampshire Route 13) one mile south of I-89, on the right when traveling south. Just south of the dirt road leading to the Turkey Pond boat ramp. This boat launch road would be a good spot to pull off to park and view the marker. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Concord NH 03301, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. This Monument is in Memory of Samuel Bradley (approx. 2.2 miles away); Mary Baker Eddy (approx. 2.3 miles away); Concord Memorial Field (approx. 2½ miles away); Lafayette Posts (approx. 2.6 miles away); Molly Stark House (approx. 2.7 miles away); Andrew Jackson’s Visit (approx. 2.9 miles away); In Honor of Those (approx. 3.2 miles away); Fletcher-Murphy Park (approx. 3.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Concord.

Also see . . . New Book Chronicles N.H.'s Women's Sawmill of WWII (UNH Today, March 22, 2011). (Submitted on February 6, 2019.)

Photographed By Douglas Finney, February 2, 2019

2. Turkey Pond ~ 1938 Hurricane Marker

Photographed By Kelly Marsh, June 14, 2023

3. Turkey Pond ~ 1938 Hurricane Marker

<i>Operation by Women of a New Sawmill at Turkey Pond, New Hampshire</i> image. Click for full size.

US Department of Agriculture (courtesy of the National Archives at Boston), November 10, 1942

4. Operation by Women of a New Sawmill at Turkey Pond, New Hampshire

"Women lumberjacks at the newly set up [Northeastern] Timber Salvage Administration's lumber mill at Turkey Pond, N.H. get $4 a day for this kind of work, carrying logs out of Turkey Pond for storage near the mill, before winter's grip locks the logs in the pond ice. The project, experimental, is to use women to replace men in sawing up 7,000,000 feet of 1938 hurricane timber."

<i>The crew of the women's sawmill at Turkey Pond</i> image. Click for full size.

John Willey (photo courtesy of the University of New Hampshire), January 14, 1943

5. The crew of the women's sawmill at Turkey Pond

"The crew of the women's sawmill at Turkey Pond assemble for a picture on January 14, 1943. Left to right: Mary Plourde, Barbara Webber, Violet Story, Carmilla Wilson, Lucy DeGreenia, Ruth DeRoche, Daisy Perkins, Laura Willey, and Chimney the dog."

Credits. This page was last revised on June 14, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 5, 2019, by Douglas Finney of Concord, New Hampshire, USA. This page has been viewed 706 times since then and 147 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 5, 2019, by Douglas Finney of Concord, New Hampshire, USA. 3. submitted on June 14, 2023, by Kelly Marsh of Moultonboro, New Hampshire. 4, 5. submitted on February 6, 2019. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.