Alton Bay
“Greetings from Alton Bay” postcard, 1940s, showing snippets of Alton Bay scenes inside the letters. Letter A: Campground from East Side Drive. Letter L: Alton Bay Inn. Letter T: Back Bay stone arch bridge. Letter O: Legionnaire speedboat. Letter N: Busy Corner store. Letter B: Legionnaire docks. Letter A: Footbridge at Sandy Point resort. The footbridge connected the Point to a small island. The island is now connected to the Point by a road bridge. Letter Y: Bay View Pavilion.
The Alton Bay Bridge
Here are photos of the current Alton Bay bridge, built in 1934. The bridge separates Lake Winnipesaukee from the Merrymeeting River, which flows into the Lake at this point. The bridge is a concrete frame bridge with stone faced concrete railings. It is listed as NH DOT bridge 163/184 and carries Main Street over the Lake.
Here’s what the old, pre-1934 bridge looked like. The railings were wooden on the approach abutments, while the center span over the water had a decorative metal railing.
Not to be confused with the current Alton Bay bridge is the stone arch, Back Bay bridge in Alton Bay, built in 1942. The bridge carries Route 11 (the Mt. Major Highway) over the Back Bay, and is listed as NH DOT bridge 157/193. The Back Bay is noted for its colorfully painted houses, object of many a photographer’s camera.
The Bridge Roadway
Views approaching the Alton Bay bridge from the east side.
An engraving of the Alton Bay bridge roadway in 1874, from Bachelder’s “Popular Resorts and How to Reach Them”. The Bay View House, Number 1 on the engraving, was later renamed the Winnipiseogee House.
An inset from a larger, 1888 map of Alton and Alton Bay. On the inset, the number 8 corresponds to the Winnipiseogee House; 15 to the Alton Bay Campgrounds, and 16 to the B. & M. R. R. Station. To the right of the number 8, the small white building with triple dormers on the brown roof still stands today. The building was called the Busy Corner in the 1930s-1960s.
1892 advertisement for the Winnipiseogee House. Multiple modes of transportation are depicted in the ad: horse, stagecoach, train, steamship. The house was built, owned, and operated by the Downing family. It burned down in 1903. The still extant, Busy Corner building is seen on the left, where the road turns left towards the lake. The railroad tracks on the right were removed in the late 1930s.
The Bay View Pavilion
Visible at the center of the first photo is the two-story, Bay View Pavilion. Built in 1921 by Stephen Lynch, the building housed a restaurant and movie theatre, but it was best known for its dance hall. Below are photos of the two-story building.
The two-story building burned in 1928 and was replaced by a more modest one-story building in 1929. The new building continued to offer dancing and other entertainment. In 1940, it became a roller-skating rink, which lasted until the mid-1980s. In 2006, the building was in the process of being converted to condos when it burned down. Below are photos of the one-story building. In the first photo, an airplane can be seen in the yard in the lower right. In the 3rd and 4th postcards, “Alton Bay” lettering has been added to the roof of the building. Alton Bay had become a popular seaplane base, and the lettering could be easily seen from the air.
A 7-pc band playing at the Bay View Pavilion.
Emerson’s Store
W. P. Emerson’s was the original general store in Alton Bay and also served as the Post Office. Later, the Post Office moved to Busy Corner (see below).
McGrath’s Store
Sometime in the 1940s the W.P. Emerson store was sold and renamed McGrath’s. McGrath’s burned down in 1971.
Other Alton Bay Stores
Wilson’s Store and Landing
This postcard folder is captioned “Merrymeeting Bridge, Wilson’s Store and Landing”.
This old postcard shows not only Emerson’s, but also a store in the foreground marked Downings Ice Cream and Cold Soda. The Busy Corner store can be seen in the back on the right.
The L.P. Varney Store is on the right, Busy Corner on the left, and the New Winnepesaukee House is in the center. The street is named Depot Street here, but today it is the Mount Major Highway, Rt. 11. Just a bit of the railroad bridge can be seen on the far right.
A similar photo to the previous postcard, but the store is called J.B. Place. The New Winnepesaukee House is obscured by trees. The Busy Corner store is off-photo to the left. Railroad tracks and railroad bridge are on the right.
Alton Bay in the future. A trolley is arriving at the L.P. Varney store, publisher of the postcard. Featured are an overhead train to Boston, a subway to Rattlesnake Island, and various aircraft.
The New Winnepesaukee House, seen in the middle of the previous photo, behind the trolley car.
New Winnepesaukee House and Dancing Pavilion, Alton Bay, N.H. The hotel replaced the earlier, 1860s-1903 Winnipiseogee House, in the same location.
The New Winnepesaukee House was renamed the Alton Bay Inn in the 1930s.
The Alton Bay Inn was renamed the Dell-O-Lodge in the 1940s.
The New Winnepesaukee House/Alton Bay Inn/Dell-O-Lodge building still exists. It is now known as Foster’s Tavern. It is at 403 Main St., where the Mount Major Highway (Rt 11) turns the corner towards the Alton Bay bridge.
The Legionnaire
Note the Mount Washington cruising out of the bay, way off in the distance…the ducks add a nice touch. Legionnaire sign is on the right.
In this white border postcard, postmarked in 1935, just a solitary, red gas pump can be seen in the lower left corner, while out in the bay, the old Mount appoaches.
Notice the seaplane heading toward the beach. In 1947, seaplane rides were offered by Skinner Seaplane Service. Even today, there is still a seaplane base in Alton Bay.
Once again we see a seaplane arriving. The sign says : “Ride in the speed boat Legionnaire by the hour at reasonable rates”.
There were actually 3 different Legionnaire speedboats offering 3 different rides. The cheapest was a 35 cent, 7-mile ride in the regular Legionnaire, a 28′, 150hp Gar Wood. Fifty cents would get you a 10-mile ride at 45mph in the Legionnaire Special, a 26′, 225hp Chris-Craft. And a buck would get you the 10-mile ride at 65mph in the Legionnaire 70, a 36′, 1000hp Gar Wood.
The Legionnaire brochure. Both the cover and center photos were made into postcards.
Speedboat with the Alton Bay Bandstand (in the middle of Alton Bay!) in the background.
An ad from the 1939 Lakes Region Association’s “Where To” guidebook.
A close-up aerial view of Downing’s, from an advertisment in the 1956 Lakes Region Association’s “Where To” guidebook.
The Yankee Flyer
Downing’s Legionnaires had competition. Right across the way one could ride Cram’s Yankee Flyer or the Minute Man ( a 26′, 275hp Hackercraft). Over the years there were four Roman numeral versions of the Yankee Flyer. Version I was a 30′, 350hp Dodge. Version II was a 28′, 275hp Dodge. We have no information regarding Version III. Version IV was also a 28′ Dodge.
A view of Cram’s from Downing’s. The Bay View Pavilion is visible in the background behind Cram’s.
Legionnaire docks on the left, stone arch bridge in the middle, and Cram’s Yankee Flyer docks on the right. To the extreme left we see a wee bit of the seaplane base.
Ride the Speedboats
PROGRAM COVER, 31ST ANNUAL ANTIQUE & CLASSIC BOAT SHOW, JULY 31, 2004, MEREDITH TOWN DOCKS, BY ALTON, NH ARTIST PETER FERBER
(Also on Weirs Times cover page, Thursday, July 29, 2004.)
“These ride boats had already seen many years of service by 1948, the year pictured here, but they still drew flocks of eager passengers in the upbeat years following World War II. “The Minute Man” was a 28 foot Hacker Craft from the late 20’s or early 30’s, named for its mile-a-minute speed. As it moves out, a fellow optimistically looks for a challenge match in his new 15 foot Lyman powered by some serious “iron”, a 1948 33.4 horsepower Evinrude Speedifour. Returning from a “thrilling” run up Alton Bay is the “Yankee Flyer IV”, a 28 foot Dodge triple cockpit runabout. Across the channel awaits the “Legionnaire 70”. Billed as “the fastest public speedboat in the world”, this custom-built 36 foot Gar Wood, powered by a 1,000 horsepower Packard engine, burned airplane fuel and reached speeds in excess of 70 mph. Downing’s Landing anchored the tip of Alton Bay and was ready to provide you with everything from breakfast or lunch in the “Land-Ho” snack shop, to boat rides, gasoline, a new boat or motor, but always a happy memory.”
Alton Bay 1950s
In this 1950s photo both the Legionnaire and Yankee Flyer buildings have been removed. The gas docks are still there, and Cram’s is now the Alton Bay Yacht Club.
A boater approaches the gas docks in this 1950’s chrome photo.
Boats arriving in Alton Bay in the 1950s.
A boat leaving Alton Bay in the 1950s.
The New Mount Washington at its wharf.
Alton Town Beach
The Alton Town Beach was built on the east side of Alton Bay in the 1950s. In the first two gallery photos, a red seaplane and its seaplane base can be seen.
The East Side
Below are photos from the East Side, and of the East Side, before there was a beach.
Land Ho!
These postcards show a land-based view of the Legionnaire docks. The location, Land Ho!, offered a miniature train ride as well as speedboat rides!
Myrtle Ann Dining Room
The Myrtle Ann Dining Room was located at the junction of Routes 28 & 11, at the approach to Land Ho!. The caption on the first postcard in the gallery advertised “A GOOD PLACE TO EAT. Serving Steaks, Chops, Chicken & Turkey Dinners, Sea Food and Home Made Pastry.” A sign for the restaurant can be seen on the far right of the next two postcards.
Black and white postcards of the Myrtle Ann and its predecessor, Mary Jane’s.
Views from Bay Hill
Views from Bay Hill, on the east side of the bay.
The West Side
Alton Bay – The Playground of Lake Winnipesaukee, N.H.
West Side Drive, Alton Bay, Lake Winnipesaukee, N.H.
Scenic Highway and Victoria Pier, Alton Bay, Lake Winnipesaukee, N.H., 1940s
Victoria Pier, Alton Bay, Lake Winnepesaukee, N.H. Card postmarked in 1928.
Black and white photo of the Victoria Pier, built in the mid-1920s.
Victoria Pier, 1960s. Since the summer of 1994, the building has been Shibley’s at the Pier, a fine restaurant.
“Uncle John Card’s Boat Landing. Boats to Let and For Sale. Smokers Retreat.” This small building was located on the west side of the bay, and was torn down in the mid-1920s, replaced by the Victoria Pier. Not to be confused with the Bay View Pavilion, which was also on the west side, a little further up the bay.
Harbor View and Bay View Pavilion, Alton Bay, Lake Winnipesaukee, N.H.
The original Alton Bay docks. A crowd is awaiting the arrival of the Mount Washington steamship.
View of the inner bay from the steamship docks.
Busy Corner
Views approaching the Alton Bay bridge from the west side. The Busy Corner store on the left was previously the J.H. Downing Store, seen in the second, 1920s photo. It was also the post office at that time. The building, built in the 1880s, still stands, and is today Berry’s Bait Shop.
Alton Bay Aerial Photos
Aerial views of Alton Bay, 1960s
The marina with extensive docks seen in many of these aerials was once Downings, and is now Parker Marine.
In the lower left corner of this aerial, Back Bay is seen, separated from the larger Alton Bay by Route 11.
Aerial of Sandy Point.
Sandy Point Footbridge
There are a great many vintage postcards of Sandy Point, but we are going to show here only two postcards. They are of the footbridge that is also seen in the letter “A” in the “Greetings from Alton Bay” postcard at the top of this web page.
Greetings from Alton, N.H.
