EXPLORATIONS AMONG THE WHITE MOUNTAINS. 79 



proprietor of the Alpine house, in Gorham ; and many thousand people 

 remember their stay here as one of the novel experiences of the mountain 

 tour. Within two years the Mt. Washington house, a new and very 

 commodious hotel building, provided with all the modern improvements, 

 and quite in contrast with the former accommodations, has been erected 

 on the summit. It was first opened to the public in the summer of 1873, 

 averaging about one hundred guests daily. J. E. Lyon and Walter Aiken 

 are understood to be the proprietors; and the manager is Capt. J. W. 

 Dodge. 



There has been a controversy concerning the ownership of the land 

 upon the summit of Mt. Washington. In the early legislation of New 

 Hampshire respecting the unoccupied lands of the state, little attention 

 was paid to exact boundaries ; consequently, each of the two parties 

 claiming the summit had reason to believe it to be included within their 

 limits. Mr. Bellows, of Exeter, owns the land upon the east side, and 

 was the party in possession till about fifteen years ago, when his tenants 

 were ejected by the sheriff acting for Coe & Pingree, of Bangor, Me., and 

 Salem, Mass. Probably more than twenty-five thousand dollars was 

 spent in contesting the matter of ownership before the courts, which has 

 since been settled through purchase, by Coe & Pingree, of all the rights 

 and claims of the former occupant. 



The first good public house for summer visitors was built near 

 the Giant's grave, about seven miles west from the base of Mt. Wash- 

 ington, and came into the hands of Mr. Fabyan. This was destroyed 

 by fire about twenty years since. The Fabyan house, a large and ele- 

 gant hotel, has been recently built at this place, the Giant's grave being 

 levelled down for its reception. It was first opened to guests in 1873. 

 The well known White Mountain house, about a mile west from 

 this place, was built by Mr. Rosebrook, a descendant of the pioneer of 

 that name, about thirty years since. About four miles farther west, fol- 

 lowing the Ammonoosuc river, we come to the Twin Mountain house, one 

 of the finest and most complete of the mountain hotels. The Notch 

 house, kept by T. J. Crawford, is no longer in existence ; but its place has 

 been more than made good by the large and well kept hotel, a quarter of 

 a mile farther north, known as the Crawford house. At the foot of the Mt. 

 Washington Railway is the Marshfield house, a smaller but comfortable 



