It wasn’t the calendar worthy, majestic grandeur of the White Mountains, nor the craggy, timeworn, granite valleys, nor the splendor of lush foliage that brought our forebears to this isolated, handsome land. No! Abundant forests, powerful rivers, teeming wildlife, natural resources did.
One mill, the somewhat benign, patriarchal Brown Company grew to be the world’s largest & most innovative. The blessing of work drew a mosaic of hungry immigrants, who settled, adapted and adopted the American Dream. Once named Berlin Falls for its impressive, roaring waterfalls, Berlin developed into an industrious city, in the process, a civilizing influence.
Though cradled in Nature’s finest, Berlin was a gray city. Paper mills are aggressive polluters & Brown Co. was big. Chlorine, super dioxide, precipitates & many other effluents were health hazards. The smell of rotten eggs, evident 25 miles out. The noble Androscoggin River, that saw an Indian river trade of arrowhead jasper from the city’s eponymous mountain became a chemical & organic waste sewer. A 6-12 inch layer of brown & white foam floating on it’s dark surface, unfit for human or animal.
The unwanted effect was also psychological. Our sense of dignity, of self worth impacted, Our city was the butt of jokes spoken by outsiders. Regarded as backwater relatives, often deprived our fair share of attention by State Government.
We persisted, thrived. Berlin was “Hockey Town USA.” Block parties, concerts, juried art festivals, flea markets, celebrations & events defined us. Friday night, we ritually dressed up to go shopping downtown, an excuse for good friends, good conversation. Pride, love and duty-Norman Rockwell stuff. We were a tight community.
The slide began in the 60s. Urban Renewal, a well-intentioned mistake subtracted numerous buildings and businesses from the Downtown, reducing our Critical Mass as barely anything replaced these. The coming of age of shopping malls, later Walmart devoured our Main Street.
After many attempts to retain our major, if not only employer(earlier, Converse had moved overseas), the Brown Company doors were closed, the smokestack fell like a tall tree. Globalization, inability or failure to modernize, and/or other factors had killed the only horse.
Businesses closed, buildings emptied, homes were lost, workers left, role models left & the kids with promise left. Housing prices plummeted, attracting a hapless element, uncommitted to the neighborhood, or City-more takers than givers, a difficult but honest appraisal. Then the incredible occurred. Three arsonists burned down huge sections of the Downtown. A rubbleless war site, Downtown.
Beaten, but not down. A great many of us have faith in Berlin, in ourselves. We are regrouping. Certainly, the restoration of the Ski Jump, the superb river walkway, the hydroponic plants project, all are inspirational. To add, the Downtown may be blighted & pose serious questions, as concerns revitalization. But they can & will be resolved, the issue is time. We can’t wait. The opportunity is, somewhat, at our doorstep. Consider this.
We after all, have been gifted.
The White Mountains, Mt, Washington(the East’s highest), Tuckerman’s Ravine, the Appalachian Trail are renown for hiking, mountain biking, ice & mountain climbing, skiing, as well as providing scenic, breathtaking views. The Androscoggin River, one of the finest fishing rivers, presents excellent canoeing & rafting. Coos County is THE place to ATV or snowmobile. Boating & watersports on our unspoiled lakes, the wildlife, moose, eagles, bears, ospreys, the scenic wonder that NH is, absolute tell stunning fall foliage. All of these are thriving around us.
The exponential growth of ATVing, and snowmobiling is beyond a spark. It is the key to a new economic engine & the rebirth of Berlin. The air & the river now clean, returned to its natural state. We are the city to outfit and entertain the recreational tourists. Doing so, will lead to more restaurants, nightclubs, museums, theaters, plays, concerts. Good for tourism, good for the citizens. We have a tract of land, the Tondreau Peninsula, in the Downtown that should be our Central Park. Landscaped judiciously, the Presidential Range could be the backdrop. A half-shell stage built would bring an incomparable outside venue for quality concerts & other performances. Expansive enough to hold large events of most any type, a 300+ parking lot at one end, already existing & easily connected to Main Street. So many possibilities now that were pollution free.
In returning Berlin to a better place than it’s ever been, the gray stain that has stained our psyche will eventually disappear, replaced by hope, by confidence, by security, by the realization that we are home.
Join us. We have donuts and coffee. -Richard Poulin
5 фев 2020
