The town of Londonderry lost some of its heritage last week when Harold T. Estey lost his battle to a long-term illness.
Harold was born and raised 77 years ago at the Estey family farm on the corner of Nashua and Old Nashua roads.
He was enrolled in one of the first classes at Matthew Thornton Elementary School and even helped plant the spruce tree that has stood in front of that school for the past 70 years.
He took over running the family farm and wood mill after his dad’s passing and has worked there with his son, Tom Estey, until his illness and recent passing.
In honor of his contributions to the town as a hardworking local business owner, we are running a story we ran back in November of 2001 that was written by Debbie Curtin.
“Wood – A Family Way of Life”
Lumber is an American word invented in Colonial New England. For years the English avoided it in official documents, preferring, “timber”. New Hampshire was clear on this from the beginning. Timber goes into a mill, lumber comes out. There were 20 sawmills in NH in 1665, 50 by 1700.
By 1680 more than 50 vessels carried New Hampshire lumber to Boston and in 1695 more than 100 vessels carried nearly two million board feet of lumber from Portsmouth to Massachusetts.
New England pine, oak and pitch were “discovered” by European traders to help supply its mercantile and warfare pursuits. Portsmouth became the New England center in the mast trade. The British Admiralty purchased vast quantities of lumber from the dock. Soon everyone involved was making money at the business. Farming developed slowly as the timber industry accelerated. So much so that the British Parliament eventually claimed, through legislation, all trees 24″ and larger in diameter in land grants (except private) in NH townships by 1699.
From its beginnings as a colony under British rule to its independence, NH and its people have persevered. The strength of the state is its history, unavoidably present in the stonewalls and meetinghouse greens that incorporate every town.
The farms that have been abandoned throughout the state have become wooded again. Within the 86% of forest land is the pastoral landscapes and scenic stonewalls of green lichen and rugged gray hard scape. Tucked in amongst our suburbanism are the elements we need to remind us of Londonderry’s rural history; the barns, some ancient stalwarts to the land, picturesque vistas of rustic fences and orchards and the families that are making a living in their connection to the land.
Harold Linwwod and Elizabeth Estey came to Londonderry, NH to farm in 1939. They milked their cows and raised pigs and chickens and farmed successfully for many years. Harold Thomas Estey grew up knowing farming as a way of life. There wasn’t any thinking about getting paid for what you did on the farm. It wasn’t until young Harold went to work on the Hussey farm and made six dollars one day that it made sense. You can make money doing what you love.
The building industry was beginning to expend into southern NH that the Estey’s decided to get into the lumber business. They built a mill on the property, which is where the business operates today. Tom grew up in this business as his dad did in farming. They know what grade lumber to tell you to use for a particular job, the characteristics of a certain wood and its use, etc. Wood is the number one choice of building materials. Its “strength to weight ratio” is one of the best bets. Its beauty endures beyond all fashion. And it’s still relatively a bargain.
Harold T. Estey, Inc. caters to a certain clientele. They have the equipment to give you anything from plywood and pressure treated, rough and finished lumber to v-groove, shiplap and clapboard. Estey Lumber also cuts landscape timbers and does select harvesting.
Competition is tough in a market where a nickel or dime times a hundred board feet could make the difference of a sale. As Harold looks wistfully away when asked what keeps him going he says, “For my parents. To honor their way of life (with farming). It is my obligation.”
Harold T. and Tom have a commitment to the business. Tom has seen a steady increase in the cordwood they offer and the bark mulch supply they are constantly processing. He sees a need for improvement in parts of the milling process as well as incorporating technology into the day-to-day operation. As father and son attempt to negotiate their way into the 21st century we are reminded of Londonderry’s agricultural heritage. I asked Tom about the future of Estey’s Lumber. “I will stay as long as I can keep it profitable.”