The Alton Bay Bridge

Here are photos of the newer, stone arch bridge.

Here’s what the old bridge looked like.

The Bridge Roadway

Views approaching the Alton Bay bridge from the east side.

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.

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

The store below was located in the downtown section of Alton Bay, as evidenced by the railroad tracks and railroad bridge on the right, and the name of the street, Depot Street. In the first photo the store was called J.B. Place’s. In the second photo the store is called L.P. Varney’s.

The Legionnaire

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.

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.

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.”

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.

When There Was No Beach

Below are photos 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

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.

Aerials

Aerial views of Alton Bay, 1960s