Woodstock ‘69: The sad, true story of Max Yasgur

Farmer Max Yasgur was a lifelong resident of the area where Woodstock 69 was held in 1969. He owned 500 acres of land where he raised cows for his dairy. He agreed to lease part of his farm to the Woodstock promoters for the famed music festival. He thought 40,000 would show up. Half a million showed up! He never wavered in his opinion that the kids were mostly peaceful and he was glad he leased his farm. His fellow dairy farmers and local residents were not so happy. It ruined his life. This is the sad true story of the groovy farmer, Max Yasgur.

[@morgigeadler]

This was so moving - thanks so much for investigating this story and making this video

[@RagtopHistorian]

Thank you for watching! I felt his story needed to be told.

[@gregflaten4859]

very good history story many probably only know of woodstock music festival never giving a thought to where it was actually held. Hopefully yasgur is at peace. good research on this.

[@RagtopHistorian]

Thanks, Greg! I hope he is at peace too!

[@Lisa-t1n7l]

The stress of being hated by the neighbors couldn't have helped.

[@RagtopHistorian]

No, in fact that I’m sure that is why he had to move. Very few people would do business with him in Sullivan County. So sad…

[@AbeFroman-zx5hs]

‘Hated’? Lol. Amazing how the very people who put this country where it is today have no idea

[@mermaidlu5125]

I’m from that county , people in Sullivan are followers I bet half oh them didn’t care about the concert they just do what others tell them .

[@RagtopHistorian]

@mermaidlu5125 I’m sure it was a culture shock for them.

[@manoftheworld1000]

I have always honoured him and I will always honour him as a great human being❤. May he rest in peace!

[@TheAvivakta]

Did you know him personally?

[@RagtopHistorian]

@TheAvivakta no, I didn’t, but would have loved to have known him.

[@spikejonzelover420]

I feel like his name isn’t incredibly known which is sad considering he’s essentially responsible for one of the greatest concerts ever. Thank you for posting this !

[@RagtopHistorian]

Thanks, Britney! His story really touched my heart when I read it. He paid a very steep price for helping young people have a nice event. God bless him! Thanks so much for watching and your kind comment!

[@kxrv6629]

Thanks for your video regarding Max Yasgar. We visited the Woodstock site last summer. Stayed overnight in our RV on what was Max Yasgar’s Farm. There is still a small square of the Farm that they never sold

[@RagtopHistorian]

Thank you for the kind message and for watching!

[@maryg.249]

Oh how sad! The poor man. It must have been so stressful for him. Thank you for following up on the owner of the property where Woodstock happened. Have a lovely rest of your weekend. Mary

[@RagtopHistorian]

Thanks, Mary! His story made me sad too! You have a wonderful Labor Day tomorrow! Robyn

[@whitetiger7462]

He was a wonderful man! ❤ I think he knew his neighbors were assholes & he did this for the kids. Meanwhile, all those neighbors made money!

[@giveitathink6749]

Well, perhaps. Nevertheless, Max is a legend.

[@tomspettel3646]

Not a$$ holes they like alot of other people that dident like this self centered generation expressed there opposition to something they knew was going to happen. Trashing out that part of the country side and i dont blame them. I watched the news reports on this when i was nine years old and even then i though it was pointless and it still is but people still want to resurrect something that holds absolutely no substance what so ever and that could be said about the whole movement of the late 1960’s that ruined the culture of america up until 1980.

[@AbeFroman-zx5hs]

‘Half a million kids, mostly peaceful….’ 😊

[@JoshM23]

i wasn't alive when Woodstock happened (was born in Oct '78), but have really gotten into it courtesy of my dad. I'm finally going to visit the site for the 1st time ever in 3wks & needless to say I'm beyond excitied to walk those hallowed grounds soon. If it wasn't for Mr Yasgur, history might not have been made. RIP Max 🙏🪦

[@RagtopHistorian]

Josh, have a great time at Bethel Woods and the historic site of the festival! History was made there and it had to be amazing! I was only 6 when it happened, but I DO remember seeing it on the news! I knew then it was history! Again, enjoy your trip and thanks for watching my video and commenting!

[@theodorajackson6233]

It's really sad that he had passed away from a heart attack at 53 years old he was a kind hearted man he did what he to do for the young people it's really sad that his neighbors shunned him and send him death threats he had heart problems he was only 49 years and died at 53 years old in 1973 life is brutal but its the circle of life we all have to die one day

[@RagtopHistorian]

It really is very sad. He is one of the unsung heroes of his time. I want to keep Max Yasgur’s name in the history of Woodstock! Thanks so much for watching and your comment!

[@peeweereese7270]

I'll bet the "neighbors" weren't really friends of his even before the festival. Friends don't treat each other like that.

[@RagtopHistorian]

I don’t think they were friends either. I think they all did business together occasionally. Thanks so much for watching!

[@kenmusillo8667]

A statue should be erected of him mayb there is somewhere,May he rest well

[@PennsylvaniaCountryFolk-zo8bt]

His family should have made millions selling that historic site! What happened?

[@RagtopHistorian]

He sold the property and moved to Florida. After Woodstock his neighbors openly showed their dislike for him and it was hard on the family. Very sad.

[@jameshunt5504]

How sad, he made enough money to live his last years in the Keys?!?!? Sounds like a sad place to be for a dairy farmer. Crazy.

[@RagtopHistorian]

He was shunned by his fellow farmers and almost forced to retire young. It’s a good thing he did retire young, he died at the young age of 53. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@tonyl6203]

This isn't particularly accurate. Max did get a lot of heat before the festival from neighboring farms and townspeople, but the entire town pitched in when they found out there was a shortage of food, with townspeople getting together to make sandwiches by the thousands, making hard boiled eggs etc, anything they could get to the kids on the field. After the festival things settled back to normal for the town, and many enjoyed the notoriety afterwards, sold Woodstock "mementos" etc. Max had a vacation home in the Florida Keys that they went to every year. He decided to retire after a long career in farming (the Woodstock field was his alfalfa field...feed for his dairy cows) and retired to his home in the Keys. He did die young, which is sad, but it wasn't the neighbors or "the stress of Woodstock" that made that happen, and he wasn't "forced to sell". He was a hard-working man who decided he'd had enough and wanted to retire. But such is the internet, that folks will believe whatever is presented to them, and other folks will present information as truth without doing their full research. In the end, Max will be remembered in history as the man who made Woodstock possible, and the entire Woodstock Generation remembers him to this day. Peace and Love. :-)

[@RagtopHistorian]

Thanks for the comment. My research was compiled from contemporary newspaper articles from the period. Townspeople were interviewed and quoted for the articles. I am sure the townspeople helped feed the attendees. I also have no doubt Yazgur took a lot of flack from the same said townspeople. The fact is it was history and he helped make it happen. I hope my video comes across as being favorable to him, as I see him as a hero. Thanks again for watching and adding to the story! Robyn

[@scottprather5645]

I think a lot of the anger at Max was fueled by bigoted ant i-hippy sentiment none of those people are remembered by history but Max is 👍

[@mermaidlu5125]

And Sullivan county hasn’t changed 😂 I dare anyone to be different and have a different opinion then others the whole county not like you still in 2024

[@billyshane3804]

Enabling immoral druggies and layabouts to soil your property and violate the local community is hardly a noble or community minded act.