The town of Gorham was incorporated in 1836 after having been in existence since 1771 as Shelburne Addition. In its early years, the town contained little more than poor rocky farms, small logging operations and a few stores and stables. The arrival of the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad in 1851, however, changed all that and had a strong and lasting impact upon this part of the Androscoggin Valley. Suddenly, other White Mountain towns which had enjoyed the bulk of the fast growing tourist trade found their stagecoach connections eclipsed by Gorham and its railroad. Tourists from Boston and the seacoast regions flocked to the White Mountain Station House and from there to the Glen House, the summit of Mt. Washington, and other places of interest.

The Grand Trunk Railroad, which later became known as the Canadian National and, more recently, the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad, opened the area to tourist trade, now the principal industry of the community. At first, Gorham, midway between Montreal and the Atlantic, was a major yarding and repair center, but, gradually, the significance of Gorham to the railroad diminished as did the significance of the railroads to the country. Logging for boards and building timber, exemplified by the famous Libby and Peabody lumber companies, has likewise declined though pulpwood is still an important resource which is harvested principally for the paper mill in Gorham.

In 1973, the existing railroad station, which was built in 1907, was saved from destruction by the Gorham Historical Society and now serves as the headquarters of that organization. The building, which is architecturally unique, contains displays on area and railroad history and is open to the public. One of the aims of the society is to expand museum exhibits dealing with the three forces in Gorham's history: railroads, tourism, and logging. By this effort we hope to entertain visitors with a visual history of this interesting and unusual corner of New England.

A 1911 Baldwin 0-6-0 steam locomotive, rescued from the scrap pile in 1986, is a key part of our railroad exhibit.  Other railroad equipment on display includes: 1949 F-7 B&M diesel locomotive, two 1929 boxcars, a 1951 Russell snow plow, a 1924 boxcar and a 1942 caboose.

Come visit our unique Model Railroad, found within a boxcar, and also the special Quinn-Crocket Railroadiana collection, also located within a boxcar. GT-CN Historian John Davis, from Maine, oversees this special exhibit.

Work on the Diesel restoration project will continue in 2009, converting the B&M locomotive into a picture gallery and movie theater, with access to the cab. Donations and a NHDOT grant helped us complete approximately half of the work so far.

    
Gorham Railroad Station & Historical Society
Located at 25 Railroad St., Gorham, NH 03581
Mailing address is P O Box 351, Gorham NH 03581.
2008 Officers of the Gorham Historical Society:
President - Reuben Rajala
Vice President - Ralph Maxwell
Secretary - Cathy Dick
Treasurer - Vacant
Membership Director - Dorothy Eichel

Monthly meetings are held the 3rd Thursday of the month at 6:30 PM in the Vestry of the Gorham Congregational Church unless otherwise noted in local press or community event's listings in area newspapers.

Gorham Historical Society Museum and the Model Railroad will be open for the 2009 season Memorial weekend through Columbus Day, with some earlier and later weekends, depending upon weather and volunteer availability. Hours are normally 10 AM-2 PM but volunteers may be present earlier or later. Call or email one or more days in advance to assure that someone will be present. Arranged tours are also possible.

We value group visitors and would encourage anyone bringing a group to please call before coming so we will be prepared with sufficient guides. Call (603) 466-5338 or email
gorhamhistoricalsociety@gmail.com

2008 marked the 35th anniversary of the Gorham Historical Society.
We invite all who wish to donate artifacts or funds to support our work to volunteer or to become a member or corporate sponsor.