Title: William Gray Nowell Papers, 1876-1914
Creator: Nowell, William G., 1838-1929
Accession / Call Number: 2012.057
Object ID: 2012.057
Date: 1876-1914
Bulk Dates: 1903-1907
Physical Description: 1 box
Level of Description: Collection
Abstract: A minister and teacher by profession, William Gray Nowell is best-remembered today for the work he did planning and building trails in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the late 1800s. These papers shed light on the work Nowell did on Mt. Adams and other peaks in 1876 and on his stays at the Log Cabin in the early 1900s. They also provide fascinating insights into Nowell and the meticulous manner in which he recorded his activities and observations.
Scope and Content: The William Gray Nowell Papers offer a unique look at the early years of trail development and tramping in the White Mountains as well as life at a high-mountain cabin. They also provide fascinating insights into Nowell and the meticulous manner in which he recorded his activities and observations. The two most important items in the collection are the journal Nowell kept in the summer of 1876 and the Log Cabin Register for the years 1903 to 1907. In the journal, Nowell records the many ascents he made of Mt. Adams in 1876 during which work was done on Lowe's Path and measurements were taken. He also describes ascents he made of other White Mountain peaks and makes note of the first Field Meeting of the Appalachian Mountain Club in North Conway in July 1876. Interspersed throughout the journal are panoramic sketches Nowell made from various summits and other locations; tables detailing meteorological and trail data; random notes Nowell made on art, zoology, and geology and mineralogy; and a list of camping and tramping equipment. In the register for the Log Cabin, entries record the arrivals and departures of visitors to the Cabin and the hiking routes they took to and from the Cabin. Some of these entries are written by Nowell, some by other individuals. Particularly interesting are those written by Nowell, who made lengthy stays at the Cabin between 1904 and 1907, during which he recorded weather conditions, wildlife he observed, excursions he made from the Cabin, trail work he did, and visitors to the Cabin. Once again meteorological tables kept by Nowell are interspersed throughout the register, as well as brief summaries (e.g., on p. 67) of the history of the Log Cabin, the opening of Lowe's Path, and the naming of various features. Nowell also lists "The Teacher's Eleven Commandments" (p. 88) and transcribes a letter he received from Frances F. (Mrs. Grover) Cleveland, who visited the Cabin in Aug. 1906 (p. 95).
Arrangment: The William Gray Nowell Papers, 1876, 1903-1907, 1914, are organized by type of material.
Subjects:
Log cabins
Locations: Mount Adams, NH
Mount Madison, NH
Mount Jefferson, NH
Mount Washington, NH
Nowell's Peak, NH
Carter Dome, NH
Boy Mt., NH
Gray Knob, NH
Spur Cabin, NH
Presidential Range, NH
White Mountains, NH and ME
People:
Nowell, Harriet,
Nowell, Fred,
Nowell, Grace,
Lowe, Charles E.,
Lowe, Leon P.,
Lowe, T. S.,
Pickering, Edward C.,
Edmands, J. Rayner,
Stearns, Charles M.,
Stearns, Myron M.,
Stearns, Alice
Organizations:
Appalachian Mountain Club,
Randolph Mountain Club
Credit Line: Gift of Rita Latham in August 2012.
Location Code: TL/1E
Restrictions: Available for research.
Preferred Citation: William Gray Nowell Papers, 2012.057. New Hampshire Historical Society, Concord, NH. Date Accessed.
Finding Aid Link: RS24889_Nowell_William_Gray_Papers_2012.057.pdf
Related Materials: Hudson, Judith Maddock, Peaks & Paths: A Century of the Randolph Mountain Club. 917.78a2/R193h
Waterman, Laura and Guy, Forest and Crag. 917.4/W328f
Appalachia, vol.1 (1876-1878). 796.05/A646
Appalachian Mountain Club, Map of Northern Slope of Madison, Adams and Jefferson, 1906. 912.778a2/N874
Ralph C. Larrabee Collection, M2009.041, S2008.026