[2] It is home to parts of the White Mountain National Forest in the south and northeast and to Santa's Village, a Christmas-themed amusement park.

Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth first made land grants in this area in 1765, but the location was so deep in unexplored territory that few settlers took up their claims.

Consulting President Abraham Lincoln, he organized a balloon corps during the Civil War, and went on to invent the ice-making machine, and later the water-gas process.

Local hotels immediately arranged daily excursions to view the scene, now marked by a New Hampshire historical marker (number 152) titled "Cherry Mountain Slide".

[4] Jefferson's third marker (number 229) honors Deborah Vicker, known as "Granny Stalbird",[4] who is said to have brought the first bible to the north country.

During the early 1900s, Jefferson was a popular summer resort, boasting one of the largest "grand hotels" in the White Mountains—the Waumbek, with accommodations for nearly 300 guests.

At tourism's peak, Jefferson had over 30 inns and boarding houses, accessible by several mainline depots, including Riverton, Baileys, Meadows, and Highlands.

In 1988 and 1989, Jefferson gained national attention when a local volunteer firefighter was charged and tried in connection with dozens of arson fires that had plagued the area.

Set astride the broad Israel River valley, the town commands remarkable views of the Presidential Range and other White Mountain summits.

[10] In the past few years, thousands of acres of Jefferson have been sold or donated by private interests to the White Mountain National Forest.

These include the Randolph Town Forest, a part of which is within the boundaries of Jefferson, the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, and Mount Starr King.