AN OUTDOOR RECREATION TREND LEADER^ George T. Hamilton 2 It
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NEW HAMPSHIRE - AN OUTDOOR RECREATION TREND LEADER^ George T. Hamilton2 It seems appropriate (at least to me) that He went on to say that, a national symposium focusing on trends in outdoor recreation be held in the Granite State; "Recreation, however, is not the outdoors, a state which has played historically a role in but our reaction to it". the evolution of a variety of recreation acti- vities far out of proportion to its size and Well, no matter how we define it, it appears population. After all, outdoor recreation is that outdoor recreation is here to stay. Here more than 150 years old here in New Hampshire. in New Hampshire we understand what Aldo Yet should I ask you to consider the field of Leopold is saying for we have been in this outdoor recreation in a national perspective, business for a long time. We have seen I suspect that most of you would think of a recreationists, or tourists, in all shapes and great variety of people, places, activities, sizes engaging in a myriad of activities. We agencies and organizations far removed from the have fished them out of the water, located them State of New Hampshire. In terms of history, in the deep woods, plucked them off cliffs, you might think of the states of California and carried them off the mountains. Yet tens and New York, of the Niagara Falls Reservation of thousands have come year 'round for a and the Catskill and Adirondack Parks, of the century and a half in perfect safety in spite National Park Service and Sequoia and Yellow- of themselves. stone, of Stephen Mather and Frederick Law Olmstead and many others. In terms of activi- BACKGROUND - HISTORICAL NEW HAMPSHIRE ties, you might consider boating in Florida, surfing in Hawaii, wilderness travel in Alaska, It might be helpful to take a brief look dune buggies in California, scuba diving on the at New Hampshire's colorful history first in Gulf Coast and hang gliding in the Rockies or order to establish a background for understanding mountaineering in Washington State, (or perhaps the origins and evolution of outdoor recreation volcano watching.) With an exception or two, in this state. Scarcely 9,300 square miles in we have all those activities here in New size, it is one of the nation's smallest states, Hampshire as well, along with many others. yet it is endowed with such a variety of natural beauty that it has attracted visitors from far The phrase "outdoor recreation" has not and wide since its earliest days of existence. been in common usage for very long, relatively It enjoys a lovely, albeit limited, coastline speaking. And, there has been considerable of about 18 miles in length. The Canadian Border debate and speculation as to its precise defini- lies northerly about 200 miles away. One can tion. We never really used the term widely drive across its widest point between the states until the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review of Maine and Vermont in approximately two hours. Commission Report brought the term forcefully Overall lies a wealth of hills and mountains, to the public consciousness upon its release in ponds and lakes, fields and forests. As our 1962. In his essay "Conservation Ethic" from favorite poet, Robert Frost, said in his poem his book, A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold "New Hampshire" : discussed the complexities of defining outdoor recreation: II---- Just specimens is all New Hampshire has, One each of everything as in a showcase "~arringlove and war, few enterprises Which naturally she doesn't care to sell----". are undertaken with such abandon, or by such diverse individuals, or with so From sea level to the summit of Mt. Washington, paradoxical a mixture of appetite and our state does offer, indeed, something for almost altruism, as that group of avocations all tastes in terms of natural attractions. known as outdoor recreation". EARLY SETTLEMENT 'paper presented at the National Outdoor Firsc settled in 1623 and briefly established Recreation Trends Symposium, Durham, NH, April as an independent province, then governed by the 20-23, 1980 Massachusetts Bay Colony until 1741 when it became Zpresident,,~h~ ~~~k,116 N. Main Street, a separate royal province once again, New Hampshire Concord, NH 03301. has a long and glorious history, fascinating to scholars and lay people alike. Time does not south and some from other countries. As roads allow an in-depth review, obviously, but let us were constructed and railroads extended throughout take a quick look at the evolution of the state. the state, visitors began to appear. The first settlers found a land heavily Before the Revolution, circa 1769, Provincial forested. Along the coastline were huge pine Governor John Wentworth became enamoured with the trees which, along with fishing, provided the lovely scenery around Wolfeboro and built an ex- colonists with their first industry; that of tensive set of buildings overlooking the shores of cutting the huge trees and shipping them to Lake Wentworth, thus giving the town grounds for England to be used as masts for British mer- her slogan, "Wolfeboro, Oldest Resort Town in chantmen and men-of-war. These trees ranged America". In a very real sense this could be from 150 to 200 feet in length and were from called the beginning of summer resorts and vaca- three to six feet wide at the butt end. For tion travel. I suspect that after riding in a more than a century, New Hampshire colonists carriage from Portsmouth to Wolfeboro over a worked at this trade until the large trees were rough, dusty and very primitive roadway, one would gone and the British then looked to the Prov- need a vacation! ince of Maine as a source of masts. Many English and American poets and artists The Colonists slowly pushed inland and during the period 1825 to 1850 discovered the settled further and further from the coast. scenic beauties of the state, and through their Soon after the early settlers landed, some works spread the word far afield. Soon visitors enterprising adventurers explored the interior began to appear in large numbers. Improved roads reaches of the area; in fact one Darby Field, and an extensive railroad system saw resorts spring accompanied by two Indian guides, followed the up all over the state. Hotels were quickly built banks of the Saco River to the Conway inter- during the 20-year period prior to the Civil War; vales and ascended Mt. Washington in 1642 -- soon after the War came the era of the Grand Hotel. my wife, incidentally, is a direct descendent These imposing structures brought visitors via of Darby Field. But in general, the settlers carriage and railroad while management served were slow to proceed into the northernmost lavish meals, and catered to every whim of their reaches of the state because of the danger from guests. Along with tourists came new activities Indians during the French and Indian Wars. It for out-of-door enjoyment; hunting, fishing, wasn't until after the Revolutionary War that horseback riding, sightseeing, boating, hiking, settlement north of the White Mountains pro- and later mountaineering -- all became popular. ceeded steadily. The famous raid by Rogers An extensive system of summer resorts along the angers against the St. Francis Indian Village coastline, in the various lake regions, and around in Quebec in 1759 virtually eliminated the the White Mountains was clearly established. threat of raids by the Abnakis. Sadly, the Tourism continued to grow and to flourish all Abnakis were virtually wiped out. They were through the years with only brief periods of one of several tribes of the Algonquin Nation retrenchment during times of national crisis, such which inhabited this area. Many of their as the Great Depression and World War 11. colorful names linger on since many New Hampshire locations, rivers, lakes, and moun- One activity in particular New Hampshire can tains bear names from their language, to wit: point to as an early trend leader is hiking. Piscataqua, Pemigewasset, Androscoggin, Earlier we noted Darby Field's first ascent of Ammonoosuc, Contoocook, Coos, Winnepesaukee, Mt. Washington in 1642. That unusual exploit Kanasatka, Waukewan, Winnesquam, Wonalancet ---. (for the times) can scarcely be singled out as the beginning of hiking as a recreational activity However, during the Revolution the threat in New Hampshire. That distinction lies in the of Indian raids into northern New Hampshire completion of the Crawford Path from Crawford became real once again, when the fierce Mohawks Notch to the summit of Mt. Washington in 1820 by of the Iroquois Nation sallied into the upper Ethan Allen Crawford; today that trail is dis- reaches of the Connecticut River Valley at the tinguished as the oldest continually-used foot behest of the British. trail in the Nation. Following the Revolution, towns and vil- In 1876 the Appalachian Mountain Club was lages were developed all the way to the Canadian organized in Boston and promptly focused many of Border, although it was not until the Webster- its acitvities in New Hampshire where many of Ashburton Treaty of 1842 that New Hampshire's its members built footpaths in the White border with the Province of Quebec was firmly Mountains. In 1888 the Club built its first established. mountain hut at Madison Springs, the forerunner of the hut system, which today numbers eight OUTDOOR RECREATION, ORIGINS units plus an extensive headquarters in Pinkham Notch which is open year 'round to the public. Even before New Hampshire's northernmost Through efforts of the AMC, the U.S. Forest boundary was settled, newcomers were settling in Service, and other groups, New Hampshire has ever-increasing numbers; some from states to the established the greatest concentration of hiking trails in the Country, a system which has been 1932 - First National Downhill Ski Champion- in existence since the mid 1930's.