New Hampshire
Before the fall: Stories behind the Old Man of the Mountain, 22 years on
He’s a symbol of the state of New Hampshire. Almost all of us know how he fell, but how was the Old Man created? It’s been 22 years since the fall of the Old Man of the Mountain, and we’re revisiting a few stories of where he came from in the first place.
Geology
Brian Fowler, president of the Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund and a structural geologist, says the Old Man’s creation story is a pretty simple one: He was always, slowly, falling apart.
“A lot of people would say, ‘Oh, it can’t possibly be created by Mother Nature.’ But it was,” Fowler said.
Pieces of the rock face fell from the wall in just the right way and at just the right time. Fowler says unlike man-made profiles, think Mount Rushmore, the Old Man was created by degradation, so his fate was destined to collapse.
Explorers in the area knew that long before Fowler first examined the Old Man in the 1970s.
Courtesy
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Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund
“Even back in the late 19th century, the then-state geologist, C.T. Jackson, was [telling] people: ‘If you haven’t seen it, you should get up there and have a look because it’s living on borrowed time,’” Fowler said. “A lot more time than I think he thought at that time it would have, but I drew the same conclusion.”
Since the Old Man fell in 2003, Fowler has received thousands of postcards, emails and photos from people who claim to have found another rock profile that could replace the Old Man. They do occur elsewhere from that same degradation process.
But Fowler said he doesn’t go out searching for them on his own.
“I guess I kind of figure I’ve seen the best, if you know what I mean,” Fowler said. “But they’re all over the place and people love to find them. So, I think there’s something in the human blood that is attracted to it.”
History
For years, independent curator Inez McDermott has studied the attraction and historical lore that have led people to the Old Man for centuries. She curated an exhibit at the Museum of the White Mountains for the 20th anniversary of when he fell. Fowler and McDermott are friends.
“You can look at the origin story as the geological scientific origin, which Brian [Fowler] has a good handle on, although a lot of it’s still a mystery,” McDermott said. “My understanding of the first white settlers to see the old man was in 1805, and there is still a battle between sort of two camps as to which surveying team saw it first.”
Some believe it was a team from Franconia, others say it was a team from Woodstock who first saw the Old Man.
People from urban areas in the northeast used to take horse-drawn carriage rides around New England, and would make pit stops in the White Mountains. It took a while before the Old Man gained cultural traction, the advent of rail travel helping, but McDermott said he really became a household name when the hotels and resorts started cropping up in the area in the late 1840s and 1850s.
“When people vacationed up there, a lot of times they would stay for three, four, five, six weeks,” McDermott said. “That’s when the Old Man starts to become a real tourist attraction.”
Inez McDermott
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Courtesy
A profile so massive and clear, it was described as godly or supernatural by some. The Old Man beckoned landscape painters, writers and poets to the area.
McDermott says the work of 19th century novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne further popularized the Old Man. His 1850 short story “The Great Stone Face” prompted many visitors to see the Old Man for themselves and is culturally relevant, managing to clinch a 3.8 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.
In Hawthorne’s version of the story, the Old Man was part of a prophecy. It claims a man who resembles the rock face would eventually be found, and he would be “the greatest and noblest personage of his time.”
Hawthorne drew parallels between the Old Man and 19th century lawyer and New Hampshire representative Daniel Webster.
A love story
Griffin Hansen, a 25-year-old filmmaker from Goffstown, reimagined the Old Man’s origin. In Hansen’s short film, “Within the Crystal Hills,” he is an impoverished miner from Franconia Notch who, motivated by love, becomes trapped in the mountains of the notch, transformed into the Old Man.
Hansen came up with the story alongside one of his classmates from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
“She brought in these beautiful, folksy and fairy tale-esque ideas of love and romance and belonging and being something for someone,” Hansen said. “And I brought in these very New Hampshire ideas of being very disciplined, of course the Old Man of the Mountain proper and all of these elements of local history from the ironworks and Saugus to the character being named Carrigain, after the mountaineer and the mountain.”
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Within the Crystal Hills
Hansen says the Old Man’s love story brought his family together. His maternal grandmother is the narrator of “Within the Crystal Hills.” Her family has lived in New Hampshire for generations.
Hansen’s iteration of the Old Man’s origin story was completely from his mind and that of his collaborator, inspired largely by a type of animation style they wanted to try out. He acknowledges there are many other tales of the Old Man out there.
“There’s a dozen origin stories,” Hansen said. “The Abenaki have origin stories. Nathaniel Hawthorne has origin stories. A lot of people and authors from the White Mountain area have come up with their own legends, so we wanted to come up with one ourselves.”
There are origins myths attributed to the Abenaki people, but NHPR was unable to confirm those stories with direct Abenaki sources. McDermott and Fowler have done extensive research on it, and have a theory. Since the Old Man was only visible for a few hundred yards at a specific spot and there’s little evidence of human land use in the area from centuries ago, it’s possible he wasn’t seen or documented by Native Americans before the settlers who documented it in the early 1800s.
A living legacy
Whichever story you believe about his creation: a natural geological process, a prophecy from on high, or a love story, the Old Man has an enduring legacy in New Hampshire. He graces highway signs, license plates and rest stop shot glasses. Some Granite Staters have him tattooed. There’s something about the Old Man that has kept him in the cultural zeitgeist for centuries, and Fowler and McDermott said they don’t expect that to go away anytime soon.
Are you ready for your mornings reimagined?
Hi! I’m Garret Doll (like Ken, but less hair and not as handsome), and I’m teaming up with Katie Killourhy for 97.5 WOKQ’s new morning show, Garret & Katie in the Morning!
You ready to join us?
So, Who Is Garret Doll?
I’ve learned something about myself… I don’t like clutter. Unless it’s my clutter. Then it’s not clutter, it’s a system.
That’s probably a pretty accurate starting point for who I am. A little self-aware, a little stubborn, and definitely someone who knows what he likes. I like tacos, steak tips and lobster rolls. (Fun fact: I’ve never had a lobster roll until moving here.)
How It All Started
This whole radio thing started for me when I was 15. My mom helped me land a job at a radio station in my hometown (cause she worked there), and I fell in love with radio. I’ve never left this career.
I’ve spent my entire adult life doing this job, and I still feel like I lucked into the best job in the world. No two days are the same. One minute you’re talking about life, the next you’re playing your favorite songs, then suddenly you’re out in the community meeting people who feel like friends you’ve known forever.
Most of my career took me to places like Denver, Charleston, and Richmond. Now, somehow, it’s brought me here to New Hampshire.
Honestly, I look at it like a “this is exactly where I’m supposed to be” moment. It’s a new start on life, so to speak. You will learn more about that as we get to know each other and you listen to the show on 97.5 WOKQ.
Why WOKQ Matters to Me
WOKQ is one of those stations you hear about in radio. It’s got history. It’s got heart. And it’s built around a community that actually cares about local connection and country music throughout New England.
That matters to me.
I don’t want to just “be on the radio.” I want to be part of what’s happening here. The towns, the events, the random conversations at a bar, the places you tell your friends they have to check out.
That’s the fun part of all of this.
What I’m All About
I’m a pretty simple dude:
I’m the guy who would give you the shirt off my back
Glass half full (even when it probably shouldn’t be)
Always smiling
Authentic… sometimes too authentic
And yeah, there are definitely moments where I say something before thinking it all the way through.
So if you ever hear me and think, “Did he really just say that?” There’s a decent chance the answer is yes.
Some Quick Hits About Me
Coffee order: Americano
Drink Order: Old Fashioned or just a good local beer
Favorite food: Tacos (not even close)
Guilty pleasure show: The Big Bang Theory
Pet peeve: Close talkers… and people who are late
Random fact: I once got a tattoo of Dopey from the Seven Dwarfs because a girl I was dating wanted one. We got them together. (Don’t worry, it’s been covered up by a microphone and a rose… and I haven’t heard from her in about 20 years)
Let’s Do This Together
I’m new to town, which means I could really use your help.
Where’s your go-to spot when you just want to get outside? Best place to hike? Kayak? Local bar? Just disappear for a few hours?
READ MORE: Hidden Gems in New Hampshire: 5 Secret Places Worth Discovering
Drop me your favorites, because if there’s one thing I know, it’s that the best recommendations don’t come from Google… they come from you! The ones who actually live it.
And I’m ready to start exploring and getting to know you. So make sure to tune in to Garret & Katie in the Morning! See you there.
BankNH Pavilion: Summer Show Lineup, 2026
Gallery Credit: Sarah Sullivan
HUDSON, N.H. — An animal cruelty investigation led to the arrest of two former tenants who police say left three cats behind in the apartment they were evicted from.
The Hudson Police Department said officers responded to 19 Oliver Drive on Nov. 25 after the town’s animal control officer received a report that multiple cats had been left behind in an apartment previously occupied by Faith Byers, 48, and Kevin Greene, 57.
The pair had reportedly been evicted a week earlier, on Nov. 18.
Police said that attempts to reach Byers and Greene by phone were unsuccessful, and the property owner later confirmed that the two had moved out without taking the cats or arranging for their care.
With the owner’s permission, police entered the apartment and found three cats alone inside the unoccupied residence.
Police said they determined the cats had been left unattended for several days in conditions lacking adequate airflow, sunlight, litter and consistent access to food or water. Police added that no care plan had been made for the animals, and neither former tenant indicated any intention to return for them.
The animals were safely removed and transported to the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire in Bedford, where they are now receiving care.
Arrest warrants were issued for Byers and Greene, who are each charged with one count of cruelty to animals, a Class A misdemeanor. They were arrested on Friday and released on personal recognizance bail.
They are scheduled to appear in 9th Circuit Court Nashua District Division at 1 p.m. April 28.
Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.
Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will meet in Islamabad today in an attempt to come up with a plan to de-escalate the Iran war.
The meeting comes as several thousand more U.S. troops arrived in the region and after another group got involved in the expanding conflict: Yemen’s Houthis.
The Iran-backed Houthis launched missiles towards Israel, and there’s concern their involvement could threaten another vital global shipping lane in the Red Sea.
Here are more updates on day 30 of the Iran war.
Diplomacy Push in Pakistan
The four foreign ministers from regional powers will meet in Islamabad today and Monday for a push towards diplomacy to end the war.
In a statement ahead of the meeting, the Egyptian government said: “Discussions are expected to focus on recent developments related to regional military escalation and ongoing diplomatic efforts to contain tensions and promote de-escalation.”
“The talks come amid heightened concerns about regional stability, with participating countries seeking to coordinate their stances and support political solutions to emerging crises,” it added.
Whether whatever consensus the countries known as “the quad” come up with will be accepted by the US, Israel, and Iran is another question.
Pakistan has emerged as a possible peace-broker in the conflict, passing messages between the U.S. and Tehran. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Saturday that “dialogue, diplomacy, and such confidence-building measures are the only way forward.”
Dar also welcomed the fact Iran has agreed to allow 20 Pakistan-flagged ships – or two a day – through the Strait of Hormuz.
Houthis enter war
Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen launched the first missile they have fired since the war began toward Israel on Saturday. Israel’s military successfully intercepted it but the Houthis’ attack opens another front in a war that has now moved into its second month.
Up until Saturday’s missile launch the Houthis had stayed out of this war. But a Houthi spokesman said attacks will continue until “the aggression on all resistance fronts stops.”
Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs / AP
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AP
The Yemen-based rebels were active during Israel’s war in Gaza, firing on cargo ships in the Red Sea and disrupting global commercial traffic.
With Iran essentially blockading the Strait of Hormuz, driving up global oil prices, there are concerns that if the Houthis start attacking ships in the Red Sea again global shipping will be even more disrupted.
Iran also hit multiple sites around Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Saturday and Israel’s military says Iran is increasingly using cluster bombs.
Designed to detonate at high altitude the munition disperses dozens of smaller bombs that are more challenging for Israel’s multi-layered air defense system to intercept and can cause damage over a wider area.
Dozens of countries have signed onto a cluster munitions treaty banning the weapons – except Iran, Israel and the U.S.
Iran threatens U.S. universities in region
Iranian authorities and residents say more airstrikes hit them overnight. Social media videos from across Iran showed strikes hitting all over the country.
Israel’s military said it had completed what it called a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting weapons production and storage sites.
Iran claims U.S.-Israeli strikes hit a Tehran university over the weekend and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened American university campuses in the Middle East in retaliation.
“We advise all employees, professors, and students of American universities in the region and residents of their surrounding areas” to stay a kilometer away from campuses, the statement, carried by Iranian media, said.
Several US universities have campuses in the Gulf, including New York University in the United Arab Emirates and Texas A&M University, among others, in Qatar.
Meanwhile, Iran continues to fire drones and missiles at Gulf countries, with Kuwait saying it was intercepting missile and drone attacks early Sunday. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed ten drones.
Iran also claimed it had attacked two major aluminium sites in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Emirates Global Aluminium confirmed an Iranian attack wounded several and caused significant damage to its plant.
U.S. Troops injured, more arrive
At least 15 U.S. service members were wounded Friday in an Iranian strike on a Saudi air base that hosts American troops, according to the Associated Press, including at least five in serious condition. The missile and drone strikes targeted Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan air base, located outside the capital Riyadh.
Iran has targeted U.S. service members at bases throughout the region since the war began a month ago, in retaliation for the U.S. attacks and seeking to drive troops out of the region. Overall, the Pentagon has put the U.S. casualty toll at 13 killed and more than 300 injured.
On Saturday, troops from the Japan-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, made up of around 3,500 sailors and Marines, arrived in the Middle East, according to U.S. Central Command.
The U.S. military will not say where and how they might be deployed. Thousands more soldiers from the U.S. military’s 82nd Airborne Division are also expected to be deployed.
Journalists killed in Lebanon
Three Lebanese journalists covering the Israeli invasion of the country’s south were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Jezzine.
One of them worked for a TV channel affiliated with Hezbollah and Israel accuses him of being a militant rather than a journalist – but has not provided evidence. The journalist Israel says it targeted was Ali Shaeb, a veteran TV correspondent and household name in Lebanon. After killing him, Israel’s military issued a statement accusing him of exposing the locations of Israeli troops.
The other two journalists killed were siblings, TV correspondent Fatima Ftouni and her cameraman brother, Mohammed Ftouni. Afterward their father appeared on TV, saying he was proud of his children.
All three had been covering Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon.
Lebanese officials called the attack a flagrant violation of international law, and said they’re complaining to the UN Security Council. Hundreds of fellow journalists marched at a protest vigil in Lebanon’s capital.
The three journalists were among at least 47 people killed Saturday in Israeli attacks, according to Lebanese health officials.
Nine of those killed were paramedics, which the head of the World Health Organization called “a tragedy,” noting health workers are protected under international law.
Israel has intensified its attacks across Lebanon, mostly in the South, where Israeli ground troops are moving northward to try to oust Hezbollah militants.
Another Israeli soldier was also killed in Lebanon, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing his condolences on X over the weekend.
Developments in Syria, Iraq
The war is spreading to more parts of the Middle East. On Sunday, Syria said it had intercepted a drone strike from Iraq targeting a U.S. military base. Pro-Iran Iraqi groups have claimed responsibility for some attacks on US interests.
Separately, the Syrian and UAE governments condemned an attack targeting the residence of the Kurdish region’s president Nechirvan Barzani.
French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the attack saying: “The sovereignty of Iraq, and of Kurdistan within it, is essential to regional stability. Everything must be done to prevent Iraq from being drawn into the ongoing escalation.”
On Sunday, the Israeli army said it had launched its “first” attack into Lebanon from Syria.
Jane Arraf in Amman, Emily Feng in Van, Turkey, Lauren Frayer in Jezzine, Lebanon, Carrie Khan in Tel Aviv, and Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg contributed to this report.
Copyright 2026 NPR
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