Dundee Area
If you looked on a map you might not find any such place as Dundee. But, you will find Dundee Road. It connects the Intervale area of Bartlett to Jackson Village. This "zoomable" satellite map can be found at https://mapcarta.com/22527250/Map
​
Water windlas at a house on Dundee Road. circa 1940.
FACEBOOK VIDEO OF DUNDEE: Last Stand on the Saco . . . Dundee.
Six houses stood once along a spur of track that lasted four years and then vanished into the woods.
#DundeeNH #NH #History #WelcomeToNH #GraniteWhispers
Number 14
From the town column in the April 4, 1895 issue of the
North Conway Reporter:
A little warmer at the present writing.
E.A. and Daniel Dinsmore, who have been representing the Chicago Portrait Co., returned home Saturday night.
G.F. Garland and Frank Locke are working for Walter Pitman.
Mr. and Mrs. Nute are staying with Mr. and Mrs. James Garland this spring.
There was an unknown man slept in Charles Gray's barn, one night last week.
Mrs. E.M. Dinsmore visited her sons at Thorn Hill, last week.
Mr. and Mrs. Parker of Lower Bartlett, are stopping at F.E. Littlefield's.
Mr. and Mrs. W.H.H. Pitman visited at Chatham, last week.
Rumor says that I.W. Hodge of Bartlett, will soon move his family back to his old home.
Mrs. Catherine Andrews Hodge, wife of James H. Hodge, was born in Chatham, and died at her home here, the 15th of February. Mrs. Hodge had a shock two weeks before her death from which she never rallied. She was a great suffer to the end. The funeral was held the 17th, Rev. Andrews of Intervale, officiating; also the Intervale Choir was in attendance. Several beautiful wreaths of flowers were furnished by relatives. Mrs. Hodge was a very quiet woman, never going around much. She will be much missed in the neighborhood. She leaves a husband and two children, Mrs. Fred E. Littlefield of this place, and John W. Hodge of Bartlett. We extend sympathy to the relatives.
The Ham House Ad Hoc Committee was authorized by the Upper Saco Valley Land Trust (USVLT) in 2023 to oversee the stabilization and rehabilitation of the historic c.1830 Ham House in Bartlett, New Hampshire. [1, 2]
Key Details & Background
-
The Mission: The committee manages the preservation of the Ham House, a traditional northern hillside cape that survived 65 years of abandonment. The project bridges land conservation and historic preservation, repurposing the homestead for the future. [1]
-
The Volunteers ("The Ham Hocs"): A core group of dedicated volunteers, affectionately nicknamed "the Ham Hocs," actively donate their time and materials to perform traditional building repairs. [1]
-
Progress & Funding: The group has successfully executed critical structural work, including rebuilding the granite foundation, replacing joists, and repairing the roof. In 2025, their efforts were supported by a $7,500 grant awarded by the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance and the 1772 Foundation specifically to replicate and install early 19th-century windows. [1, 2]
-
Historical Significance: The property's final occupants were sisters Sarah and Hattie Ham, who famously lived a historic agrarian lifestyle on the farm entirely without electricity, central heat, or indoor plumbing. [1]
-
The Ham House (c. 1821/1830): One of the most prominent surviving landmarks on Dundee Road is the historic Ham House, a timber-frame structure built around 1821–1830 on a granite slab foundation. Preservation groups and local historians—such as the Jackson Historical Society and the Upper Saco Valley Land Trust—have worked to protect and restore the building. [1, 2]
-
Dundee Community Forest: In recent years, conservation efforts culminated in the establishment of the Dundee Community Forest, which spans 1,250 acres across Bartlett and Jackson, New Hampshire. The forest is managed by the Upper Saco Valley Land Trust with a conservation easement held by the NH Division of Forests and Lands, protecting the wildcat brook source and adjacent White Mountain National Forest lands. [1]
July 20, 2023 - Today, Trust for Public Land, Upper Saco Valley Land Trust and the State of New Hampshire announced the creation of the Dundee Community Forest spanning 1,250 acres in the Towns of Jackson and Bartlett.Seventeen parcels of land were assembled over a period of 60 years by the late William “Mack” Beal of Jackson. Trained as a forester and a surveyor, Mr. Beal was a careful steward who kept the lands open to community use for hiking, hunting, and cross-country skiing. The acquisition of this land was made possible by dedication from the Beal Family, Trust for Public Land, Grantors, and many USVLT staff and volunteers who shepherded this project - for more than five years - to completion.
William D. "Mack" Beal, Jr. (April 20, 1924 – August 26, 2014) was a prominent community leader, conservationist, and artisan in Jackson, New Hampshire. [1, 2]
Key Contributions & Life in Jackson
-
Arrival & Family: Moved to Jackson, New Hampshire in the mid-1940s, where he lived for nearly 70 years with his wife, Sally, and raised four sons. [1, 2]
-
Wildcat Ski Area: Was one of the original founders of the Wildcat Ski Area in 1957. [1]
-
Land Conservation & Dundee Management: Created Dundee Management Corporation in 1959 to acquire and protect local land. Over 60 years, he assembled 17 parcels across Jackson and Bartlett that later formed the basis of the 1,250-acre Dundee Community Forest. [1, 2]
-
Civic & Institutional Roles:
-
Co-founded the White Mountain National Bank in 1963.
-
Served as a New Hampshire Fish and Game Warden.
-
Served as a Life Trustee for the Mount Washington Observatory. [1]
-
Conservation Easement
December 16, 2013
The 237-acre Dundee Conservation Easement was donated to USVLT in 2013 by the descendants and relatives of Maxwell and Elizabeth Foster — Joel Horn, Susan McGrath, Robin Foster and Colleen Curran. The Land Trust is grateful to the four owners for the opportunity to help preserve and steward this property into the future.
An important conservation asset, this property forms part of a large “conservation block” of protected land, which also includes the White Mountain National Forest and 495 acres of land owned by the New England Forestry Foundation. While mostly wooded, the property also boasts a mix of grassland habitat and wetlands, all of which provide for excellent wildlife habitat.