The quaint New England village of Jackson, New Hampshire resides within the shadow of Mount Washington, a celebrated national landmark that defines the landscape of White Mountain National Forest. The location possesses the highest point in the entire northeastern United States, with an elevation of more than 6,000 feet. Originally called “Agiocochock” by local Native American tribes, Mount Washington was named after George Washington shortly following the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War. The use of his name began a tradition in which the names of other U.S. presidents would be applied to the neighboring mountains. In all, seven other mountains bore the names of various presidents, forming a geographic location known as the “Presidential Range.” Those individuals are as follows:

• John Adams, 2nd President of the United States
• Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States
• James Monroe, 4th President of the United States
• James Madison, 5th President of the United States
• John Quincy Adams, 6th President of the United States
• Franklin Pierce, 14th President of the United States and New Hampshire’s only native son to sit in the Oval Office
• Dwight D. Eisenhower, 35th President of the United States

But local officials continued to name neighboring mountains after other prominent national figures, including Senators Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, as well as Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. The Presidential Range is one of the central features within White Mountain National Forest and can be navigated by traveling along the Presidential Traverse.

Mount Washington itself has attracted curious travelers for years due to its dominant command over the entire area. In fact, John Sebastian Cabot—one of the first Europeans to explore the New England coastline—could even see the mountain’s peak from the Gulf of Maine miles away. Americans have continuously visited Mount Washington ever since, as many have hiked through the region to experience its flora and fauna. Mount Washington today serves as a training ground for experienced hikers who plan to climb such harrowing destinations as Mount Everest and K2. In order for nature enthusiasts to traverse the steep topography of Mount Washington and the greater the Presidential Range, local outdoorsmen cut several massive trails throughout the countryside. Among the most historic of those trails is the Crawford Path, which was first developed by Ethan Allan Crawford in 1819. The pathway navigates the Crawford Notch to reach the summit of Mount Washington. Yet, there are many other novel ways to access the mountain, including the Victorian-era Mount Washington Cog Railway. Founded in 1868, it is the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway!

Jackson itself is quite an interesting place, too. Its own history harkens back to the 18th century, when the first local settlers arrived from the neighboring settlement of Madbury. Granted the land from colonial governor John Wentworth, the colonists decided to establish a quaint little hamlet called “New Madbury” upon the site. The region became important after a couple pioneers cut a road through the nearby Pinkham Notch. As such, New Madbury was one of the few locations that was near a safe route through the towering White Mountains. In 1800, the community’s residents decided to rechristen it in honor of President John Adams, who was a popular figure throughout New England at the time. Nevertheless, the name was permanently changed a final time some two decades later after another American president, Andrew Jackson. Over time, Jackson gradually developed a reputation for the beauty of its surrounding geography. Artists were among the most responsible for creating this perception, particularly those belonging to the influential White Mountain School. Their romantic pictures of the area enticed even more people to travel north to Jackson. The town had thus become an incredibly popular tourist destination by the height of the Gilded Age. Jackson has since retained its identity as a fantastic wilderness retreat. It has also been visited regularly by enthusiastic alpinists, who enjoy using it as a base to further explore the Presidential Range. (Jackson is home to many unique attractions, too, such as the covered Honeymoon Bridge.)

In 1916, the Gales’ son, Arthur, took over the Eagle Mountain House. He immediately left a significant impact on the building’s identity, overseeing a massive renovation that rebuilt the structure from the ground up. In doing so, he gave the Eagle Mountain House its well-known colonial-inspired appearance. Over the following years, Arthur Gale continued to enhance the appeal of the Eagle Mountain House as its national reputation grew stronger. Indeed, he specifically commissioned yet another massive renovation on the eve of the Great Depression that practically doubled the size of the building. (Other changes he implemented involved installing such iconic features as the expansive verandah and historic elevator.) With the national popularity of golf surging throughout the United States, Gale decided to include the creation of a magnificent golf course amid his greater renovations. Golf had been one of Eagle Mountain House’s most cherished amenities, as a series of rustic, winding fairways had been present on-site since the Gilded Age. Over time though, those holes gave the resort hotel a stunning reputation as a premier destination for golf in New England. Seeking to further enhance that perception, Arthur Gale proceeded to construct a brand-new, nine-hole course at the height of the Roaring Twenties. Landscapers worked diligently for months to transform the verdant rolling pastureland aside the resort hotel. When the construction finally concluded in 1931, it quickly emerged as one of the most tranquil courses in New England. It subsequently remained an incredibly popular spot for a round of golf for many years thereafter, even as economic depression and global warfare periodically affected American society.