At 40 ft tall and 25 ft wide. It was the landmark that embodied the granite
state. Inspiring Daniel Webster to say in the mountains of New Hampshire. God
Almighty has hung out *** sign to show that there he makes men.
This wasn't carved like Mount Rushmore. It it it, it was carved by nature and
it is absolutely perfect. It was absolutely perfect.
This monument represents one of the greatest things about New Hampshire and
it stood for more than 10,000 years.
He's been on medals plates, signs *** stamp. The old man of the mountain has
made his mark on New Hampshire history. He was *** unifying force in New
Hampshire.
On May 3rd, 2003, the old man of the mountain collapsed. The famous profile
was created by centuries of frozen ice that melted and carved out. The
mountain. Water gets between two rocks, turns to ice and eventually the rock
breaks away creates *** landslide. None of the experts that we talked to
expected that after thousands of years, such *** famous rock pile would give
way during their lifetime. Throughout the decades, efforts were made to keep
the old man intact. Cracks were filled, support beams and wires put in place.
But despite those efforts, the old man finally crumbled.
Danielsen and his family served as the official caretakers, fighting time and
the forces of nature to keep the old man as long as possible. Perhaps what
we did to the old man made him last *** little bit longer and or we would not
have had him as long as we had.
Hundreds of people stopped to see where the old man of the mountain once was.
They drove from across the state to look at the rocky cliff, void of the
rugged profile, that was *** symbol of New Hampshire. There's *** lot of
people, some folks right there that are actually crying because it's really
hurt them deeply
from bagpipes to *** full color guard presentation. There were all the
trimmings of *** memorial for *** close friend underneath the mountains that
once held the old man up roughly 300 people gathered to remember him. Some
wore his image on their clothes, others carried signs. Our world changed
forever.
We will survive and we will become stronger because of it.
By executive order, Governor Benson created *** 12 member group to figure
out an answer to the question. What's next? The governor gave him 120 days to
develop *** plan
in 2004. This 3d view finder was installed for people to remember him.
The old man of the Mountain Legacy Fund was created and raised private funds
for *** memorial. Dick Hamilton helped to spearhead the effort to raise
hundreds of thousands of dollars dollars to build the Old Man Memorial
site in Franconia Notch. Look at all these bricks. Each one has *** name of
*** person impacted by this stone faced man. The half million dollar memorial
is all raised, is done by private donations of people purchasing pa of
stones. *** series of steel profiles have been installed on the shore of
profile lake and from *** certain angle, it's like nothing has changed. You
stand in *** particular spot and there are stones that say three ft, 5 ft six
ft and you stand on that one of your height. And it puts an image on that
profile right back on the cliff where it used to be in the same size.
2023 will mark two full decades since the collapse of the old man of the
mountain, an enduring symbol of granite state identity that upcoming
anniversary prompted State Representative John Pettus of Derry to
put in *** bill this session to recognize May 3rd as old man of the
mountain day because this is part of who we are in New Hampshire. I thought
let's have *** remembrance day, not *** big holiday but *** day of remembrance
for when the old man decided to come down. I would like to see *** permanent
day dedicated to the old man of the mountain. So that future generations
will stop and pause and think what the great stone faced metro state, top
state leaders will be observing. Old Man of the Mountain Day on May 3rd, the
20 th anniversary of the formations collapse.
Two of our viewers were on February vacation in Saint John. As they passed
*** spot called the Windmill Bar. They noticed *** familiar profile there on
the rocks. Take *** look at that. They tell us, quote, maybe he didn't
actually perish back in 2003. He simply decided to retire to *** warmer climate.
So that's where he's been the Virgin Islands. Apparently. What do you think
side by side? New Hampshire State symbol lives on, on license plates,
road signs and uniform patches or at the old man of the mountain Museum near
profile plaza. It seems the legacy started by nature and held together by
man is still very much alive.