Ashuelot River Headwaters Forest

The land is part of the estate that was owned for generations by the Wright family of Keene, which made its fortune in silver polish. Legend has it that John Wright’s first silver polish was developed in the late 1800s as the result of an accidental encounter with a cow on a muddy back road. Finding the cow mired in a bog, he enlisted a local farmer to free the animal. As he wiped dried mud from the cow’s bell, Wright discovered that the bell was brighter, as if it had been polished. He purchased the land containing the mud, part of which became known as Silver Mountain. By 1887 he had developed the dry powder into a cream that was eventually marketed as Wright’s Silver Polish.

Both Silver and Bean Mountains are within eyeshot of Mounts Monadnock, Sunapee, and Kearsarge – three iconic New Hampshire summits that the Forest Society worked to conserve. However, unlike these popular neighbors, the peaks of the Ashuelot River headwaters remain comparatively undiscovered by hiking crowds.

Help us care for this property by following these guidelines during your visit:

• This property is open dawn to dusk
• Carry out all trash
• Dogs must remain under control and owners must pack out all dog waste
• No motorized wheeled vehicles
• No camping
• No Campfires
• Hunting and fishing are allowed
• Leave natural and cultural features undisturbed