Ray Craig, May 30, 1931. Image credit: www.dollycopp.com
The drive from Bangor, ME to Gorham, NH took the greater part of a day. Those little state roads are slow going, and one-lane each way means no passing the pokey people. But we made it to Dolly Copp campground by 4:30pm no problem. Dolly Copp was named after Hayes Copp and his wife Dolly Emery Copp who were the first settlers here in 1827. According to the dolly copp website:
The White Mountains themselves had been considered by early Americans to be an unfortunate waste of land. Climbing them for sport back when Hayes settled was then almost unknown.
But interest in the mountains (especially Mount Washington) as a destination began around 1850, and by 1876 the Appalachian Mountain Club was created. Around 1900, the idea of “camping” became popular and Dolly Copp was recognized as a campground by 1918.