Purgatory Brook
Encyclopedia
Purgatory Brook is a 5.8 miles (9.3 km) long tributary of the Souhegan River
in southern New Hampshire
. It rises in a marshy area on the border of Lyndeborough
and Mont Vernon
, and flows south over three small waterfalls, intersecting the Souhegan in Milford
. For much of its length, it constitutes the border between Lyndeborough and Mont Vernon.
Mont Vernon town histories say it is unclear where the name "Purgatory
" came from. At least one other brook with the same name exists in nearby Massachusetts.
The northernmost cascade, Upper Purgatory Falls, drew many visitors in the late 19th and early 20th century, when Mont Vernon was home to a number of hotels that drew summer visitors from the heat of Boston. At one time the area had a dance hall and a bowling alley, as well as camping sites - none of which exist today. Also there used to be railings, and evidence of these are still visible as metal poles. Townwide celebrations drew hundreds of people up through the Great Depression
, according to Mont Vernon town histories.
Today the upper falls can only be reached on the Mont Vernon side by four-wheel drive vehicles, and on the Lyndeborough side by a short walk from a town-maintained road. The lowest waterfall can only be reached by a short hiking trail. The middle waterfall can be reached along a public trail, the length of the brook.
Souhegan River
The Souhegan River is a tributary of the Merrimack River in the northeastern United States. long with a drainage area of , it flows north and east through southern New Hampshire to the Merrimack River....
in southern New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. It rises in a marshy area on the border of Lyndeborough
Lyndeborough, New Hampshire
Lyndeborough is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,683 at the 2010 census.- History :Originally granted by the Massachusetts General Court to veterans of New England's first war with Canada from Salem, Massachusetts, the area was known as Salem-Canada...
and Mont Vernon
Mont Vernon, New Hampshire
Mont Vernon is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,409 at the 2010 census.It is not clear why it is spelled differently from the many other towns in the United States named after Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington...
, and flows south over three small waterfalls, intersecting the Souhegan in Milford
Milford, New Hampshire
Milford is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States, on the Souhegan River. The population was 15,115 at the 2010 census. It is the retail and manufacturing center of a six-town area known informally as the Souhegan Valley....
. For much of its length, it constitutes the border between Lyndeborough and Mont Vernon.
Mont Vernon town histories say it is unclear where the name "Purgatory
Purgatory
Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...
" came from. At least one other brook with the same name exists in nearby Massachusetts.
The northernmost cascade, Upper Purgatory Falls, drew many visitors in the late 19th and early 20th century, when Mont Vernon was home to a number of hotels that drew summer visitors from the heat of Boston. At one time the area had a dance hall and a bowling alley, as well as camping sites - none of which exist today. Also there used to be railings, and evidence of these are still visible as metal poles. Townwide celebrations drew hundreds of people up through the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, according to Mont Vernon town histories.
Today the upper falls can only be reached on the Mont Vernon side by four-wheel drive vehicles, and on the Lyndeborough side by a short walk from a town-maintained road. The lowest waterfall can only be reached by a short hiking trail. The middle waterfall can be reached along a public trail, the length of the brook.