Max Yasgur
December 15, 1919 – February 9, 1973
Max Yasgur was just your average dairy farmer in upstate New York who unwittingly became a pop culture icon after he offered up his farm for a music festival that would become known as Woodstock. An unlikely supporter of “hippies” and their music, it has been reported that Yasgur leased the farmland to event organizers after a bad year for hay production. His apparent fee of $50,000 would help him purchase hay for his cows in the coming year. In the end, Yasgur, a staunch Republican who supported the Vietnam War, was a perfect host to his thousands of counter-culture guests, even providing free food and water to many. Yasgur sold the farm and moved to Florida in 1971 – likely due to the fact that many locals turned against him for hosting the festival. On February 9, 1973, Max Yasgur died of a heart attack at the age of 53.