Cherry Mountain Landslide, Jefferson – Once referred to as Pondicherry Mountain, this mountain consists of two peaks: Mount Martha, the highest peak, and Owl’s Head. Mount Martha is one of the mountains on the New Hampshire 52 With A View hiking list. And Owl's Head was the sight of a massive landslide in July 1885.
Cherry Mountain is mostly known for the Cherry Mountain Slide (also referred to as the Stanley Slide and the Owl’s Head Slide). At 6:00 AM on July 10, 1885, a massive landslide, beginning near the top of Owl’s Head, traveled about two miles down into the valley, destroying Oscar Stanley’s farm. To view a larger preview of any of the scenes below, click on it.
The house, which was being rebuilt from a fire weeks earlier, a barn, crops, and animals were destroyed; at least one horse and cow were rescued from the debris. Donald J. Walker, one of Oscar Stanley’s hired workers, was working in the barn when the landslide hit the farm, and when he tried to escape, he was buried in the debris. Oscar Stanley and two of his workers, Moses and Cliff McDonald, managed to dig him out of the debris, but because his injuries were so severe, he died days later.
The Stanley family, others, and the cow and horse that survived the landslide can be seen in the above stereoscopic view. In some photographs, the landslide path is not well defined; the information included with this stereoscopic view indicates that this scene is from sometime after the landslide event. And variations of this stereoscopic view support that this particular scene is from after the landslide.
The Bourdeau family lived just above Oscar Stanley’s farm. While the landslide came very close to their house, only their property was damaged. Seen above is the family standing on top of the landslide debris.
The Cherry Mountain Slide historical marker at the Owl’s Head Trailhead on Route 115 in Jefferson states, “A million tons of boulders, trees and mud” came crashing down the side of Owl's Head. The above scene from Owl’s Head shows the path of the landslide.
The Cherry Mountain landslide became a huge tourist attraction. Special excursion trains and stagecoaches brought tourists to the landslide sight daily. The Whitefield and Jefferson Railroad built a new station house called the “Slide Station”; it was only a short walk to the Stanley farm from the station. A Boston Globe article, dated July 11, 1885, states that “4000 people” visited the sight on the day of the landslide.
Shortly after the landslide, Oscar Stanley sold half of his property to Frank P. Brown of Whitefield (he would eventually sell the remaining half to him). Brown fenced in the destroyed dwellings and charged a per-person admission fee. Oscar Stanley received half of each admission fee. Financially, he did well from the proceeds, and he was able to purchase another farm in Jefferson.
For a couple of years after the landslide, crowds of tourists visited the site daily, but by 1890 the popularity of this devastating landslide had run its course.
Happy image making..
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Bibliography:
Chase, Persis F. “The Great Landslide.” Boston Evening Transcript, 12 Jul 1890, p. 14.
Cherry Mountain Slide Historical Marker. Jefferson, NH; New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources, 1985.
“Down Owl’s Head; Career of an Avalanche at Jefferson, N.H.” The Boston Globe, 11 July 1885, p.5.
“From Sea To Summit: New Famous Stanley Slide.” The Boston Globe, 26 Jul 1885, p. 14.
Ramsey, Floyd W. Shrouded Memories; True Stories from the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Littleton, NH: Bondcliff Books, 2002.
Owner of ScenicNH Photography LLC
Erin Paul is a professional photographer, writer, and author who specializes in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the New Hampshire White Mountains. His work is published worldwide, and publication credits include: Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Backpacker Magazine, and The Wilderness Society.
ScenicNH Photography LLC
Specializing in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the White Mountains region of New Hampshire, Erin Paul’s photography and writing focuses on the history of the White Mountains, and telling the story of abandoned places and forgotten historical sites.