LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE HISTORICAL SOCIETY


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“Discovery of the lake in the 1880’s”
A WINNIPESAUKEE WEDNESDAY AT THE LWHS MUSEUM

 

(November 18, 2005 – Weirs, NH) The Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Society invites you to another “Winnipesaukee Wednesday” at which Rev. Frank E. Greene will speak about the discovery of the lake in the 1880’s. The free hour long program will take place on Wednesday afternoon, November 30, beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the LWHS Museum in the Weirs.

The 1880’s was a time when much of the area’s farmland had been abandoned and the beauty of Lake Winnipesaukee was discovered by the wealthy families from the city. Frank Greene’s family had manufactured the popular Greene’s Nervura Tonic, a patented medicine of herbs and alcohol, and was one of these early summer residents. Greene’s grandfather, Frank E. Greene, built the Windemere estate on Moultonboro Neck, and his well-known great-uncle, J. Alonzo Greene built the former New Hotel Weirs and was Mayor of Laconia in the early 1900’s.

Other well-known families that Greene will speak about include Thomas Plant who built the Castle in the Clouds, the Dumaresque family who built Kona Mansion (and also known for donating the fountain to the town of Center Harbor), and the families of the Far Echo Colonies.

“These people are worth remembering,” stated Greene, indicating that his “Uncle Lon” was “quite a character.” Of his many memories, Greene shares a story about a time when J.A. would come to Windemere in a coach with matching chestnut horses. He’d tell the coachman, “Old Mr. Mallard,” to “get in the back,” and J.A. would give the kids a good show driving in fast up to the front of the house.

Frank has always been “a nut about history” and speaks enthusiastically of the past. Frank observes that the Civil War made a big difference to people’s knowledge and perspective, learning about places such as Indiana and Ohio where loam was deep and you didn’t have to dig rocks. Abandoned farms were a dime a dozen and the industrial revolution enabled people to make a lot of money in manufacturing. The late 1800’s was a time when the rural farmers of New Hampshire took the advice of Horace Greeley to “Go West, young man” and pursued what they saw as an easier and more lucrative life.

“Winnipesaukee Wednesdays” is a new lecture series sponsored by the Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Society. On selected Wednesdays throughout the year, various aspects of life on the lake from an historical perspective will be featured. The programs will be scheduled for approximately one hour in length and are free and open to the public.

The Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Society was established in 1985 to preserve and promote the history of Lake Winnipesaukee and vicinity. The LWHS Museum is open Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. all year and is located directly on Route 3 in the Weirs, just south of Funspot. If you would like to share your stories, sign up for free email notification of these events, or for further information, please contact info@lwhs.us, 603.366.5776.










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The Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Society is a non-profit organization.