Abenaki Indian Shop (circa 1900) as a Conway Scenic Railroad train heads toward Conway, NH.
Nestled in the woods next to the former Intervale, NH train station is the Abenaki Indian Shop and Camp. Preserved in 1989 and added to the National Register of Historic Places, the site is significant to both the history of the Abenaki people and the tourism that built the White Mountains region. Joseph Laurent, chief of the Abenaki and an entrepreneur, established the store and camp in 1884 to bring his people back to the region and generate income for the Abenaki tribe. Traditionally ranging from Maine to Vermont, the Abenaki were pushed northward to the current-day Odanak reservation in Quebec, Canada starting around 1660. Chief Laurent returned to the Intervale area and hashed out a mutually beneficial deal with a local hotelier, leasing land and drawing tourists to the area who would purchase ash-split baskets and other handicraft made by the Abenaki craftsmen who lived there seasonally.
The most visible element of the site, a yellow-trimmed shed which stands opposite the station platform, was the first of seven buildings which made up the camp. The shed changed hands multiple times, purchased from the Maine Central Railroad some time before 1900. The railroad used the shed to store a handcar and other tools for track maintenance. The Laurent family eventually added a sun porch to the shed between 1940 and the 1960s, expanding the overall retail space available. As of summer 2023, the shop and other buildings which remain stand in various states of decay, boarded up and nailed shut to keep out vandals. Based on my observations, the shop is in the best shape and would have the greatest chance of restoration into a miniature museum or some alternate use.
Cabin (circa 1884-1910) and residence of Stephen Laurent. The kitchen cabin and Cabin D, closely associated with Emanuel Laurent, stand opposite.
Set back in the forest, a total of three buildings remain of the six total (excluding the purchased shed) which Chief Joseph Laurent built at the camp between 1884 and 1910. These buildings are all residential in nature, as the basket storage shed and another cabin were destroyed some time before 1989 when the National Register of Historic Places paperwork was prepared. A contingent of 12-18 Abenaki men would travel to Intervale each summer from Odanak, living on-site for the season. Stephen Laurent’s cabin, son and successor of Chief Laurent, looks to be in the best shape with only minor vandalism visible from the exterior. The camp’s kitchen, centrally located and looking somewhat like a barn, is the largest building left. Meals were prepared there for the whole community, though cooking was done outdoors as well.
The Mount Washington Hotel, one of the tourist attractions which drew visitors to the White Mountains and spurred growth in Intervale.
A granite stone with a plaque presented to mark the township’s acquisition of the property in 1985. The site would be listed on the National Historic Register in 1991.
The last remaining cabin stands to the left of the camp’s kitchen. This cabin is 1 1/2 stories like the others, but looks to be in an advanced state of decay with plywood patching what must be a gaping hole in the rear left corner. Stephen Laurent, expanded the site to include a model Indian village which featured a wigwam and an authentic totem pole, dismantled in 1982.
At the peak of production, baskets and other handicraft would be made over the winter in Canada and toted to the US for sale. The booming tourist business, driven by opulent hotels like the Mount Washington Hotel, set up a steady stream of customers for authentic Abenaki goods. Beyond the shop, baskets were also sold on consignment at local hotels. Other Abenaki camps were established during the summers from the White Mountains to the Adirondacks, but none were as permanent as the Laurent family’s camp.
Chief Joseph Laurent operated the shop and camp for over 30 years until his death in 1917. Beyond his contributions to the Intervale area, Chief Laurent also published a crucial Abenaki to English dictionary which helped to preserve the Abenaki language in 1884, the same year he established the camp in Intervale. His widow continued to operate the business until 1960, when their son Stephen took things over. In 1985 the property on which the camp sat was gifted to Conway Township, who maintains the interpretive signs and historic structures. Clearly revered by the community even after his death, it was reported that 500 people showed up to the unveiling of an honorary plaque dedicated to Chief Laurent by his children in 1953.
Plaque donated in memory of Chief Joseph Laurent by his children, situated to the right of the old Abenaki shop. 500 people attended the dedication ceremony in 1959.
Looking North East down the railroad tracks towards Mount Washington from the former Intervale railroad station opposite the camp.