Of the many tales told about 1969’s Woodstock Music and Art Fair, an event that has come to symbolize the ’60s and its many hopes, dreams, and tropes, the one about the host, Max Yasgur, remains particularly prevalent.

Yasgur, then nearly 50 years old, was the farmer who rented out his farm to concert organizers after the original venue, Howard Mills Industrial Park in Wallkill, N.Y., fell through, per Time magazine. Legend often has it that Yasgur was a peaceful farmer who was sympathetic to the peace and love cause. Yasgur’s dairy farm, however, was massive enough that he was able to let out just a portion of it — a staggering 600 acres. He also didn’t do this entirely out of the kindness of his heart; he was reportedly paid around $75,000 for the rental, although the exact amount remains unknown.

Furthermore, at first glance, Yasgur was about as far from a hippie as one could get. He was politically conservative and had supported the Vietnam War. On the other hand, he championed  the concept of free expression, even if people expressed beliefs and opinions different from his own. He once told the New York Times, “If the generation gap is to be closed, we older people have to do more than we have done.” His Bethel, New York neighbors disagreed with him and were unhappy with his decision to host the festival. Some threatened him physically, others called for boycotts of his dairy products, but Yasgur held firm.

Yasgur blessed Woodstock's attendees

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