
Sugarloaf came by its name because its shape reminded
early hunters and pioneers of the sugar loaves common in those days.
A Swiss explorer, in 1707, sketched the earliest known map of the
mountain. A written account, penned five years later, described
a plain atop the mountain and the delicious chestnuts grown by the
trees on its flanks. General Braddock, commander of Brittish troops
during the French and Indian War, marched his men past the mountain
in 1755. Northern and Southern forces alternated in posting lookouts
at its summit during the Civil War. Brave wounded and dying soldiers
were hospitalized in a log cabin that still stands at the mountain's
foot.
Sugarloaf's glory days are not all in the past. It
has a bright and useful future. Today it is available year-round
to the public. Present and future generations may continue to enjoy
its natural beauty in all seasons and weather. This was made possible
by the vision and persistance of a remarkable couple, Gordon and
Louise Strong. For years prior to their deaths, they purposefully
gained ownership of the many tracts making up the present property.
They created a private organization, Stronghold, Incorporated, in
1946, to ensure that the mountain would continue to serve their
purpose of making natural beauty available to all.
Nearly a quarter-million men, women and children visit
Sugarloaf Mountain annually to enjoy its scenic vistas, to picnic
at its overlooks, and to hike and ride horseback along its miles
of trails. Others come to observe and photograph its plant and animal
life. Stronghold Trustees are involved in the program to restore
the once-plentiful American chestnut trees, which were swept from
the mountain's flanks by an alien blight in the early 1900's.
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