Pinkham's Notch

by Carol Hayes

Thousands of motorists traverse daily the steep grades of the highway through New Hampshire's Pinkham Notch, traveling ten miles in minutes. Few people know the story of Daniel Pinkham (1779-1855), a young farmer in the town of Adams (now Jackson), New Hampshire, who attempted to build the first road there. A multi-talented jack-of-all-trades - a carpenter, a mason, a wheelwright, a minister, and a blacksmith, he had a vision of making a road to the north, through a narrow, rocky defile along Mount Washington's base. After two heated town meetings, he got the go ahead to seek state aid from the Legislature. The road had to be finished in three years, complete with bridges, and safe for every sort of vehicle. His beloved project was nearly completed, in record time, when it was ruined by an unprecedented three-day storm of disastrous rains, swollen rivers, and horrendous landslides. Because Dan had received no monetary consideration, the storm brought financial disaster. Pinkham then mo