The 200th Anniversary of the Willey Family Landslide in Crawford Notch

The original Willey House in Crawford Notch, late 1800snext to the larger Willey HotelNH State Park photoIn 1793 the Willey Family of Bartlett, New Hampshire bought an isolated farmhouse and land in Crawford Notch. This was about ten miles away from Bartlett, and about 20 miles from North Conway, where their extended family resided. They named their farm the Willey House Inn, hoping to attract boarders, especially the artists and writers who passed through this area. In the early 1800s the White Mountains were attracting fame as a tourist destination. In June 1826 a landslide in the notch frightened Samuel Willey, the head of the household. He built a shelter near the house to protect his family from another landslide. But later, in August 1826, following a severe two month drought, a heavy rainstorm caused a flood. The Saco River, across from his farm, rose 20 feet, and a bigger landslide. The extended Willey family found the Willey House intact, but the Willey family and their hired…