"According to many sources, New Hampshire's Lake Winnipesaukee has been a tourist destination for more than a century, and the Town of Wolfeboro became the “Oldest Summer Resort in America” when Colonial Governor John Wentworth established a summer home there in 1770.The Native American name Winnipesaukee means either “Smile of the Great Spirit” or “Beautiful water in a high place”, depending on whose translation you use.Islands are places of discovery, mystery, isolation and adventure. There is also a certain dreaminess and romance to the idea of traveling to and living on an island. Think of the many movies that featured island life: Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson, Treasure Island, Blue Lagoon, and Cast Away to name a few.Bizer Corporation, one of the premier makers of boating charts for Lake Winnipesaukee, has a list of 253 islands on the lake, and old wives tales claim there are 365 islands, one for every day of the year.In The Islands of Winnipesaukee, the authors document their kayaking adventures to all of the islands on the lake, with more than 275 beautiful, full-color photographs and remembrances."

A world unto itself, Lake Winnipesaukee and its environs have attracted and sustained a variety of cultures over the past centuries, from early American Indian tribes, to New World settlers, to today's seasonal tourists. Whether Indian hunter, aspiring pioneer, or modern-day angler, each, in turn, fell for the region's wild allure: its sheer natural beauty, fertile soils, and waters teeming with an assortment of fish, including great quantities of shad, salmon, pickerel, smelt, and trout. Within this magnificent setting, scores of hardy, resolute frontier men and women worked tirelessly to fashion homes and towns along the bays, tributaries, islands, and shoreline of the lake. Lake Winnipesaukee documents the history of the region from its early Native American heritage to the lasting legacy of the first American settlers. With over 150 accompanying illustrations, the many stories recorded in this unique volume evoke memories of a simpler way of life, when the lake was evolving from a scattering of humble villages, like Laconia, Meredith, and Wolfeboro, and just beginning to toy with a budding tourist industry. Readers of many generations will enjoy reliving the early summer camps, upstart businesses, and the variety of entertainment and recreation the lake's waters have provided, such as canoe trips, steamships rides, and ski boat adventures.

The islands of southern Lake Winnipesaukee have a rich and diverse history. The first summer home on Sleepers Island was Hale's castle, a replica of a medieval castle constructed by the same stone masons who built Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough. An indigenous archeological site and other relics have been uncovered on Rattlesnake Island. Treasure Island and Cub Island were originally developed as a boy's summer camp. Diamond Island was a stop for the steamboat Lady of the Lake, and the Diamond Island House was cut in half and moved across the lake to become the Hotel Weirs. In later years, the U.S. Navy established a research station on the island. Local author and islander Stephanie Erickson shares the history of the islands and how they have shaped the culture of the islanders today.

This book is a detailed study of the history of settlement on Bear Island, Lake Winnipesaukee. Drawing upon meticulous original research, the book traces how the founding of the New Hampshire colony in 1623 and the establishment of Meredith in the 1760s ultimately created the environment in which the first farmers settled on Bear Island in the early 1800s. It then delves in great detail into the ownership changes that took place on the island, traversing four periods: the era of year-round farmers; the 19th century summer tourism era; the early summer vacation era; and finally the rapid expansion of the vacation era after WWII. This history is enriched throughout with vignettes about people and events that impacted the entire Lakes Region and well beyond. These include such topics as the sheep craze, the Lakeport dam, the railroad, the steamboat, and the Methodists among numerous side stories. The book closes with vignettes on the early, largely untold history of more than 30 other islands.

A world unto itself, Lake Winnipesaukee and its environs have attracted and sustained a variety of cultures over the past centuries, from early American Indian tribes, to New World settlers, to today's seasonal tourists. Whether Indian hunter, aspiring pioneer, or modern-day angler, each, in turn, fell for the region's wild allure: its sheer natural beauty, fertile soils, and waters teeming with an assortment of fish, including great quantities of shad, salmon, pickerel, smelt, and trout. Within this magnificent setting, scores of hardy, resolute frontier men and women worked tirelessly to fashion homes and towns along the bays, tributaries, islands, and shoreline of the lake. Lake Winnipesaukee documents the history of the region from its early Native American heritage to the lasting legacy of the first American settlers. With over 150 accompanying illustrations, the many stories recorded in this unique volume evoke memories of a simpler way of life, when the lake was evolving from a scattering of humble villages, like Laconia, Meredith, and Wolfeboro, and just beginning to toy with a budding tourist industry. Readers of many generations will enjoy reliving the early summer camps, upstart businesses, and the variety of entertainment and recreation the lake's waters have provided, such as canoe trips, steamships rides, and ski boat adventures.