wanted to see the natural world but preferred comfortable accommo- dations. Hotel owners built increasingly larger hotels with more ameni- ties. They even built a large hotel on the site of the Willey disaster.
The climate of the White Mountains experienced major shifts as the human presence in the region peaked. Early monitoring of precipita- tion at Hanover, New Hampshire, shows an extended drought through the mid-nineteenth century. Tourists visiting this water-rich region may have enjoyed drier and presumably warmer conditions throughout the 1860s to 1880s. The impact of the drought on farming and logging is difficult to discern, especially given the rapid social and technological changes throughout the U.S.
One possible business reaction to the dry period was initiating the monitoring of river flows at the Pemigewasset River in Plymouth, New Hampshire. The Proprietors of Locks and Canals on the Merrimack River controlled waterpower for the mills downstream from the White Mountains and, in the 1880s, began monitoring water volumes flow- ing from the White Mountains to the Lowell area. The decision was certainly driven by the water-powered textile milling industry reach- ing a maximum; however, the role of the mid-1800s dry period in the White Mountains may have been an important factor. Without a signifi- cant dry period, there could have been less motivation to monitor the Pemigewasset.
The White Mountains provided the most accessible mountain scenery in the country, and tourists flocked to the region. More artists followed
Pemigewasset River in West Thornton, 1883 Samuel Lancaster Griggs Oil on canvas, 12 x 6 inches Private collection
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