A colorized postcard, based on a photo that seems to have been taken just a few minutes before the previous postcard.

Passengers loading onto the steamship.

Passengers on deck of the Mount Washington as the Mount approaches Center Harbor. Red Hill can be seen in the distance.

Many of the men are wearing straw boater hats, which were popular summer hats from the 1880s to around 1930. The hat was derived from the hats traditionally worn by gondoliers in Venice, and always featured a flat top, a flat brim, and a ribbon around the hat.

Steamer Mount Washington making a landing

Her duty done for the day, the Mount sits idly at her home wharf in Weirs Beach, empty of passengers. This great postcard shows clearly that the steamstack was indeed, two separate pipes, one small, one large. We can also see clearly under the semi-circular paddlewheel box the paddles that were the steamship’s means of propulsion. The paddlewheel box protected the wheel from damage and shielded passengers from the turning wheel and from the water thrown up by its blades. At the center of the box was an 8′ wide decorative carving of the sun rising over the real Mount Washington, New England’s highest peak. Known as a lunette, the carving seen here on the starboard side of the steamer was saved from the ruins of the steamer when she burned at her moorings in December of 1939 and now resides at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, CT. The port side of the steamer sported a similar lunette, except instead of rising, the sun was seen setting over Mount Washington. Unfortunately the port lunette was destroyed in the 1939 fire.

Ladies gather at dockside, in front of the port lunette.

Governor Endicott Steamer

The steamer Governor Endicott shared the wharf with the Mount Washington. Here are a few photos of the smaller steamer. For many more photos, and additional info about the Governor Endicott, click here.