by Renney E. Morneau (Author), Berlin and Coos County Historical Societ (Author)
Two hundred years ago, no one could have foretold that a picturesque valley in the shadow of Mount Washington, with ample virgin timber and flowing rapids, would develop into one of the most technologically inventive and ethnically diverse communities in New England. Berlin, New Hampshire, is a city that truly epitomizes the term "melting pot." With the Androscoggin River serving as a catalyst for the paper industry-based economy, this "city that trees built" has always paid homage to the ingenuity of the Brown Company. Through the Browns' industriousness, fortitude, and character, they forged a way of life for the many immigrants who toiled tirelessly--not only for their mentors, but for future generations. Through the brawn and taming of this wilderness came a necessary component of a burgeoning city. The evolution of the business, civic, and religious communities came together to weave an ethnic quilt--a mosaic tinted with the autumn colors of the hills that would ultimately come to provide Berlin with her labor, culture, and pride.