Trail of the old man: Historic and Legendary Tales of the Old Man of the Mountain

High above the lush valley which makes up Franconia Notch, the gateway to northern New Hampshire, there lived an old man. He has been described as a relentless tyrant, a fantastic freak, and a learned philosopher, feeble of mind and weak of mouth and of unique beauty, most stern and very solemn, one of the most remarkable wonders of the mountain world. Daniel Webster once said, ..."Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades; shoe makers hang out a gigantic shoe; jewelers a monster watch, and the dentist hangs out a gold tooth; but up in the mountains of New Hampshire, God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that there He makes men."