At 3,165 feet above sea level, Mount Monadnock commands an inspiring view. This week, Rosemary takes a look at the mountain's recent history.
Mount Monadnock, in full fall colors. (Courtesy Jeffrey Newcomer)
In the past year or so, several books have been published about Mount Monadnock and its creative influence on people. This isn’t new of course. The mountain’s mystique has attracted famous artists and writers going back to Thoreau and Emerson. At the turn of the last century, it even inspired the formation of an artist’s colony at its base in Dublin.
One of its most famous of these is a painter named Abbott Thayer, whose works and life were greatly inspired by the “mountain that stands alone.” In turn, he greatly influenced how Monadnock looks today.
Thayer moved to Dublin in 1901. He was an ardent bird lover and even helped inspire the use of camouflage clothing based on his study of cryptic coloration in nature. Thayer always slept within view of his beloved mountain — often outside, even in winter.
Perhaps that constant vigilance is what led Thayer to discover in 1913 that a large tract of land ringing the summit of Monadnock was threatened by development. He contacted the newly formed Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests for help.
Enlisting the aid of his many wealthy patrons and friends, Thayer worked with the Society to protect those 400 acres. Over the course of two long years, they were finally able to secure permanent protection for this key property. And that was just one of many steps that eventually resulted in the now 4,000 acre Forest Society reservation, which also includes the land that makes up Monadnock State Park.
In the nearly hundred years since, Monadnock’s rugged beauty has continued to inspire many more painters and poets. And thanks to the dedicated efforts of people like Abbott Thayer, Monadnock should continue to do so for an inspiringly long time.
