From collection Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Company Collection
Presidential Range from Grand View Farm, Denmark, Maine 516.
View of Presidential Range taken from the fields at Grand View Farm, Hotel Lane, Denmark, Maine, ca. 1915-20 The Presidential Range is a mountain range located in the White Mountains of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Containing the highest peaks of the Whites, its most notable summits are named for American presidents, followed by prominent public figures of the 18th and 19th centuries. The Presidential Range is notorious for having some of the worst weather on Earth, mainly because of the unpredictability of high wind speeds and whiteout conditions on the higher summits. Because of the poor weather conditions, the Presidential Range is often used for mountaineering training for those who go on to climb some of the world's highest mountains, including K2 and Everest. Mount Washington, long home of the highest winds recorded on the surface of the Earth at 231 mph, is the tallest at 6,288 ft., followed by neighboring peaks Mount Adams at 5,793 ft and Mount Jefferson at 5,712 ft. The range is almost entirely in Coos County. Notable summits The highest mountains in the Presidential Range are named principally for U.S. presidents, with the tallest mountain (Mount Washington) named for the first president, the second tallest (Mount Adams) for the second president, and so on. However, due to a surveying error, Mount Monroe is actually 22 feet taller than Mount Madison, which is not the correct order of presidents. Among the range's most notable summits (in sequence from southwest to northeast): Mount Webster — after Daniel Webster Mount Jackson — after Charles Thomas Jackson (19th-century geologist) Mount Pierce — after Franklin Pierce (formerly Mt. Clinton — after DeWitt Clinton) Mount Eisenhower — after Dwight D. Eisenhower Mount Franklin — after Benjamin Franklin Mount Monroe — after James Monroe Mount Washington — after George Washington (a general at time of naming in 1784, and only later a president) Mount Clay — after Henry Clay (State of New Hampshire changed name to Mount Reagan after Ronald Reagan; U.S. government still recognizes Clay name) Mount Jefferson — after Thomas Jefferson Mount Sam Adams — after Samuel Adams Mount Adams — after John Adams Mount Quincy Adams — after John Quincy Adams Mount Madison — after James Madison Mount Adams has four subsidiary peaks besides its summit that are also commonly recognized by name. Two are listed above (Sam Adams and John Quincy Adams). The third and fourth are: Mount Abigail Adams (formerly Adams IV) Adams V
