On June 24, 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower stood in Franconia Notch to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the discovery of the Old Man of the Mountain. Seeing the famous profile for the first time, Eisenhower was asked what he thought of it. His polite answer was “Remarkable. Wonderful. Interesting.” But what he was really wondering was: What does the Old Man of the Mountain think of us? In the remarks that followed, Eisenhower reflected on the sweeping changes the Old Man had witnessed—and on humanity’s enduring pursuit of peace, liberty, and happiness.

In August 1953, as Woodstock celebrated Old Home Week, local resident and automobile enthusiast W. Murray Clark shared the story of his treasured 1909 Ford Model T Touring Car—a vehicle that had already become a piece of history. Written with humor, pride, and firsthand knowledge, Clark’s article offers more than a description of an antique automobile; it captures what the Model T meant to rural America. From its original $950 price tag and gas-powered headlights to the colorful nicknames and memorable quirks that made it famous, Clark brings the “Tin Lizzie” to life for a new generation. Best of all, the very car he describes had been lovingly restored by Clark himself, making this article both a celebration of automotive history and a personal tribute to one family’s remarkable automobile.

Published in 1949, Franconia Notch Reservation—White Mountains, New Hampshire, invites readers on a lively tour through one of New Hampshire’s most celebrated landscapes. Written in the conversational style of a letter to a friend, the letter-booklet recounts a visit to Franconia Notch’s iconic attractions, including the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway, the Old Man of the Mountain, Echo Lake, Profile Lake, and the Flume Gorge. Along the way, readers encounter colorful local stories—from Aunt Jess Guernsey’s discovery of the Flume to firsthand accounts of the devastating 1948 landslide on Mount Lafayette. Equal parts travel guide, promotional piece, and snapshot of postwar tourism in the White Mountains, it captures a time when Franconia Notch was emerging as one of New England’s premier destinations for sightseeing, recreation, and outdoor adventure.

In May of 1897, Justus Conrad reflected on the excitement surrounding the newly built Beard Opera House on Main Street in North Woodstock. His article captures a moment of civic pride, optimism, and wonderment, celebrating the transformation of a local enterprise into what he called “one of the best, if not the best, public halls” in rural New Hampshire. More than a simple building report, Conrad’s writing reveals a strong sense of shared identity across Woodstock, urging residents to set aside “sectional feelings” and embrace improvements anywhere in town as benefits to all. He goes on to describe the Opera House in vivid detail—from its grand stage and balcony to its storefront tenants and basement businesses—and closes with a lively account of the building’s formal dedication, a masquerade ball filled with music, costumes, and community spirit.

In August 1925, former Johnson Lumber Company General Manager James McGraw recorded his firsthand recollections of the Bog Pond Tract in Lincoln, documenting nearly a decade of logging operations, timber sales, and industrial expansion within the Upper Pemigewasset region wilderness. His account traces the rise of the Johnson Lumber Company, the transfer of the tract to the Matson Manufacturing Company, and the transformation of the remote forest into one of the region’s ambitious early twentieth-century lumber enterprises.

In a letter dated December 1928, Harold describes his winter journey into Franconia Notch and the Pemigewasset Wilderness, where he finds work with the Parker-Young Company on the East Branch logging railroad. From ski trails and chance rides to life in a remote lumber camp beneath Mt. Bond, he offers a vivid and often humorous glimpse into daily life in the woods—complete with rough bunkhouses, booming cookshacks, and the rugged rhythms of logging operations deep in the White Mountains.

Published in 1828, Martin Field’s “Notice of the Profile Mountain in New Hampshire” is among the earliest known published descriptions of the natural rock formation that would later become famous as the Old Man of the Mountain. Writing after a visit to Franconia in 1827, Field describes the Profile as a “rare phenomenon,” noting how the human likeness appears strikingly clear when viewed from the north yet vanishes almost immediately when seen from another angle. His brief account also provides an early description of the surrounding landscape, including Mount Lafayette, Franconia Notch, and the dense forests that covered the mountainsides. Written decades before railroads, grand hotels, and organized tourism transformed the region, the article offers a fascinating glimpse into how early nineteenth-century travelers and naturalists viewed one of New Hampshire’s most iconic landmarks.

Presentation by New Hampshire Governor Sherman Adams given at the 1986 meeting of the Newcomen Society of the United States.

As a result of the Weeks Act, the U.S. Forest Service changed the New England landscape from a devastated land to “unspoiled wilderness.” But the Weeks Act also changed the national political landscape for the U.S. Forest Service. Was that a positive change as well?

In this lively 1880 account from Appalachia, Mrs. Lucia D. Pychowska recounts an adventurous excursion by a small party—five women and their guide—to the remote lakes and rocky summits of Loon Pond Mountain in the Pemigewasset Valley. Battling swollen rivers, indistinct trails, and rough, burn-scarred terrain, the group presses on with determination, rewarded by crystalline mountain ponds, alpine flora, and sweeping views of Cannon, Lafayette, Liberty, and Flume rising beyond the East Branch. Blending careful natural observation with understated humor and grit, Pychowska’s narrative offers a vivid glimpse into early recreational exploration in the White Mountains—and into the often-overlooked role of women in nineteenth-century mountain travel.