Berlin, New Hampshire is the “City That Trees Built.” Built around the lumber and paper mill industries the town has seen better days with the phasing out most of the large paper mills and curtailing of extensive lumbering. The Androscoggin River is the lifeblood of the town as it was essential to bring logs down from the north woods to the paper mills in Berlin and Gorham. The Brown Paper Company was once the largest paper producer in the world. Berlin was very much a company town with most businesses owned by the company. There were two major lumber companies up river who would mark their logs with a distinctive mark on each log. The small man-made islands in the river would have barriers put into place so that the logs could be separated for the two lumber companies. These “boom Piers” can still be seen in the river today.
Berlin has transitioned from an industrial company town to a hub for wonderful scenic drives and wilderness adventure. Check out the state parks in the area and try canoeing and hiking.
