Among the Clouds

Now that the Fourth of July has passed, it is time to think about heading for higher ground to escape the summer heat. If it were 1881, you might hop on a special train out of Boston and head for the White Mountains. Included in our large collection of material related to the White Mountains is Among the Clouds, a regular newspaper published "During the Season" from the summit of Mount Washington. It provided news of the comings and goings of tourists, updates on good scenery, and of course, the weather report.

This issue from July 13 was only the second of the season for 1881. It was clear and cool with a high temperature of 57, and the paper reported that the snow banks were still particularly large on Mount Washington. But it was more than just the cool weather that delighted:

The full moon shone down upon the low hanging clouds last evening which fills Pinkham Notch and the valley of Saco. It was a beautiful sight and brought back to recollection the many similar views that we have witnessed here before. The clear, limitless view of mid-day bears no comparison with that of Monday evening. The rugged outlines were softened, and one seemed to be almost in fairy land.

Ask for White Mountains F41.1 .A56 to learn more about 19th-century tourist life in the White Mountains.