Captain Joe Lavallee had rounded out his career with
the dismantling of his dependable old steamer, Melvin.
After some years of well-earned retirement he departed
into the mists of his last voyage, leaving four sons,
Leander, George, Fred and Louis to carry on the family
tradition of being good boatmen. Captain Leander emerged
as the most prominent member of the clan, and with his
son, Edward, fashioned the final chapters of this romantic
period. Mention must be made at this time of Charles Sanborn
of Lakeport, who had long been identified with the steamboat
business as an engineer, and whose influence on steamboating
as a capable pilot and senior Counselor with the Lavallee
interests was considerable.
"The Boston and Maine railroad, which had for several
years been disposing of what were called outside operations,
such as trolley lines and steamboats, sold its steamboat
Mt. Washington to Captain Leander Lavallee (supposedly
for $3,000), who took possession of her in 1922. The fine
old steamer had rounded out an even half century of continuous
service as a railroad steamer.
"Upon the retirement of Captain H. A. Blackstone
as commander of the Mt. Washington, another of the names
long identified with the steamboat business disappeared
from the roster of steamboat families. Mineola which had
been successively owned in the last years of its career
by Harry E. Brown, Elmer Davis and Robert Lamprey, had
long ago left the steamboat scene, and this, together
with the retirement of Ralph 0. Brown as an engineer on
Mt. Washington, ended the careers of these families in
the steamboat field. Names like Leach, Lynch, Lovett,
Corliss and many others were long gone from steamboating.
Many steamboats, with their crews and owners, had come
and gone, but no attempt has been made to mention them
all, as their impact upon the commercial steamboat field
was relatively unimportant.
"The concluding chapter of this fascinating business
on New Hampshire's largest lake was dominated by the Lavallee
interests. Upon the purchase of Mt. Washington, Captain
Leander Lavallee sold Governor Endicott to his son. Captain
Edward Lavallee, who successfully operated her until 1927,
when he sold her to the Reddington interests. After two
final years as an excursion steamer, she was dismantled.
"In 1934, one of the bitter feuds that occasionally
appeared during the steamboat era culminated in a lawsuit
between Captain Leander Lavallee and Captain Archie Lewis.
Damages were awarded to Captain Lavallee, and the former
mail steamer, Uncle Sam, was among the assets taken over
by the courts to satisfy the award.
