7th Finglish trip August 2008 #11
Howard Mortenson of Charlestown, New Hampshire. was born in Berlin, N. H. Situated in a heavily forested region, the community of Berlin developed early into a center for logging and wood industries. Falls on the Androscoggin River provided water power for sawmills.
By 1885, the mill town was home to several pulp and paper mills. Because of the need for labor in the mills, immigrants arrived from Russia, Norway, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Ireland, and Germany. Many others were French Canadians from nearby Quebec. Around 65% of its residents speak a variant of New England French, which is locally known as “Berlin French”.
Howard´s grandparents came from Finland, Norway and Denmark. Both Howard and Martha studied at the Keene Teachers College, now Keene State College. After some years teaching, Howard became a banker in Charlestown, N.H. When Howard left banking, he and Martha founded an Insurance and Real Estate Agency, with offices in Charlestown and Walpole, N.H.
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