By Foot and Horseback, Stagecoach and Car

Generations of visitors followed this trail. According to local historians, Native Americans once traveled a path through the area to hunt and fish. During the nineteenth century, writers and artists, moved by the splendor of the scenery, became promoters of the White Mountains and romanticized this “wilderness tamed” in poetry, painting, and travel articles. After the Civil War, tourists attracted by the clean mountain air and easy access by train began visiting Passaconaway Intervale and the Falls, and local farm families, including the Shackfords, started taking in guests. Jim Shackford brought his guests from Conway to Passaconaway House by stagecoach and also took them on day trips to favorite spots such as nearby Sabbaday Falls. The automobile eventually opened the area to scenery seekers of all income levels.

Waterville Valley, New Hampshire · United States