"Woodstock was no achievement for Max. The festival was just an extraordinary event that widened his experience in life because of his contact with these people." — Mrs. Miriam (Mimi) Yasgur
Max Yasgur was born on December 15, 1919 and is most famous for owning the location of the original Woodstock music festival. Between August 15 and August 18, 1969, Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York was the most important location in music history, and the farmer became a music icon.
Finding the Site
After the original festival plans in Wallkill, NY had fallen through, fortune shined upon Woodstock Ventures. The cousin of Artie Kornfeld, Lenore, had a neighbor who was the nephew of Max Yasgur. Kornfeld asked Lenore to give Yasgur their number, and he spoke with Kornfeld and co-producer Michael Lang. Yasgur agreed to rent his 600-acre dairy farm for the concert.
The dairy farmer was no hippie, and his decision to rent his farm to Woodstock Ventures was not universally popular among his neighbors. Many local residents were opposed to the influx of young people and the disruption that would come with the festival.
Address to the Crowd
Yasgur himself addressed the crowd from the Woodstock stage, telling the 400,000 assembled young people: "You've proven something to the world — that half a million kids can get together and have three days of fun and music and have nothing but fun and music, and I God bless you for it!"
The dairy farmer's sincerity and his evident pride in what the young generation had accomplished at his farm made him a beloved figure.
After Woodstock
After the original festival, Yasgur was sued by his neighbors for property damage caused by the fans. His property also sustained extensive damages, and less than a year after the festival, he received a $50,000 settlement.
Less than two years after the festival, Yasgur sold the farm. He died at age 53 in 1973 of a heart attack and received a full-page obituary in Rolling Stone — one of the few non-musicians to receive such an honor.
After Yasgur's death, the farm was purchased by Alan Gerry, and Bethel Woods Center for the Arts was created on the site. A Woodstock memorial was also created at the site to honor the farmer and his role in music history.