History of Lake Shore Park

[dml01532]

New here..not sure if this message is going where i want it to, or going anywhere. I got curious when mr v mentioned the "ufo" message. Someone called mr v, john. I believe I know him from the summer of '68 and that he was from NJ..(Borman?). My parents were members of the LSPA until the summer of '69. The "room" brought back great memories. I see a few families are still members. I remember mentioned names like the Mercandantes and the Degroots...friends of my parents and older brothers. We had Mercandantes old site next to Degroots. Just want to know what the park is like today. I haven't been there since the summer of '70.

[RLW]

dml01532, I just noticed that you are fairly new to posting on the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends.

Happy Thanksgiving and it sounds as if you may of heard of some of the residence up here. You keep looking and asking question and I'm sure you will get answers.

[MeredithMan]

I have found this entire thread to be very interesting and fascinating. The Lake has been an important part of my family's life, and it all began on Labor Day Weekend, 1973. We went away for the weekend and ended up at The MaryKay Cottage on the shores of LSP. I was just a 12 year old boy at the time, but it is probably one of the best childhood memories I have...playing ball in the water with my parents, a folk mass on Saturday evening in The Pavillion, and some older gent at the cottage next to The MaryKay who talked my father's ear off and began every sentence with, "Well anywho...."

The MaryKay was for sale at the time, I believe for $5,000.00. My parents were very tempted, but as I remember, you could only buy the cottage and not the land....not sure if that is accurate or not, but that is what I remember my parents saying. As a result, they didn't buy it, but eventually did find a place that brought them great joy the rest of their lives.

Now, as an adult with my own kids, the lake is our home-away-from-home and we owe it all to that weekend at LSP and the MaryKay cottage.

MM

[SteveA]

Originally Posted by MeredithMan

The MaryKay was for sale at the time, I believe for $5,000.00. My parents were very tempted, but as I remember, you could only buy the cottage and not the land....not sure if that is accurate or not, but that is what I remember my parents saying. As a result, they didn't buy it, but eventually did find a place that brought them great joy the rest of their lives.

MM

Yes.. LSP is still the same. Members own their cottage/mobilhome, but they don't own any "land" Instead they hold a VMC (Voting Member Certificate) that makes them 1/310th owner/member of the LSP Association.

This setup was the result of a long court battle that went all the way to the NH Supreme Court. The Town of Gilford wanted the land and buildings to conform with the town zoning laws. End result was a settlement that set the outside measurement of all cottages and mobilhomes, and restricted the addition of any "new" sites. At the time of the settlement there was 310 "Members" and that number can never me increased.
Bottom line was the court decided that LSP Assc. Had enough land to cover the 310 member sites, (LSP owns a whole lot of land on the other side of rt 11)

The coolest part of the ruling from the court was ' (paraphrased) "LSP is like a chicken farm, the town can control the number of chicken coops, but not where they are located" result was that we can't add any more coops.

I was 23 years old, and bought in for $800! Best investment I ever made!

[Mr. V]

Originally Posted by dml01532

I got curious when mr v mentioned the "ufo" message. Someone called mr v, john. I believe I know him from the summer of '68 and that he was from NJ..(Borman?).

Yes D.L. (originally from Worcester, IIRC), it's me, John.

I moved to the west coast many years ago, but manage to get back to the lake occasionally to see family and just relax.

My family left the park many years ago; we still have a place near Ames Farm.

I wonder what ever happened to Paul?

Those UFOs were cool (thanks Dickie B from HB for showing me how!); we're lucky we didn't cause a forest fire with the danged things.

[Dickie B from HB]

Well another Labor Day has come, and even though I haven't spent a summer at Lake Shore Park in over 50 years, Labor Day always brings back the memory leaving LSP and heading back down the road to New Jersey.
We had a cabin on Long Beach, four spots away from MiniHaHa (now Ellacoya).
We would leave New Jersey around the end of June and head to the lake, spend all summer there, and return home on Labor Day.
Nothing was more depressing than going back to New Jersey on Labor Day!!!
What made it even worse was that school would start the following day.
My parents would pack up the old Oldsmobile (no luggage, just laid all the clothes out in the trunk), while I would be out saying goodbye to all my friends, sometimes leaving a summer girlfriend behind.
We would close up the cabin, put the shutters on the windows, and lock the door. Then it was one last ride out through the ball field and over the bridge at the swamp and up to the pavilion to fill up on gas. Then out the bumpy dirt road past big rock (giving my father a final opportunity to curse at all the potholes) to the end and past the old Lake Shore Park sign and onto route 11.
Nothing was more painful then the ride from New Hampshire to New Jersey. Going from the pristine air of New England to the choking haze that hung over New York and northern Jersey is a memory that I would like to forget.
But, Labor Day always brings it back.

[RailroadJoe]

The first photo on this post was of the railroad station by McDude. I am curious to know if the gentleman who had the sign on top "LAKE SHORE PARK" ever gave it to the association? Last time I went by his pl;ace it seems he has moved on, not sure. Name of Roger

[mcdude]

“Lake Shore Park-an Historical Cruise”, Featuring Gerrie McKenna
(Weirs, NH – Wednesday, August 19th, 7 p.m.)
Lake Winnipesaukee Museum is hosting a presentation, “Lakeshore Park-an Historical Cruise, Featuring Gerrie McKenna

The year was 1890 and the date was June 17, the Concord & Montreal Railroad finished a rail line from Lakeport to Alton Bay. This railroad ran through Lake Shore Park which was owned by the Boston & Maine railroad and was one of the stops along the way.

Through these park grounds the Lake Shore railroad runs, dividing the park proper, on the water-front from the park community establishment, which occupies the remainder of the tract, on the south side if iron highway.

Gerrie has been a resident of Lake Shore Park for over 80 years. She will present the history of Lake Shore Park with historical photographs and documents. She will bring the history from when Lake Shore Park began up to the current day.

This event is free for Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Society members, for non members there is a $5 fee with all proceeds going to benefit the Historical Society’s ongoing renovations. We are located on Route 3 in Weirs Beach, next to Funspot. Please RSVP to 366-5950.

[Mr. V]

I recall walking to the Pavillion every morning, container in hand, to hand pump drinking water from the well: it was the only potable water source.

I also recall how the well was very close to a pazoozy (sic), i.e. a communal bathroom.

The toilets drained into a septic system, not sewers.

My questions: was there regular testing of the well water to detect contaminants such as bacteria?

Any known incidents of people getting ill from contaminated well water?

[SIKSUKR]

Just ab fyi. I thought most setbacks from septic to wells were only mandated to be more than 100 ft. Doesn't sound like much but I dont think the bacteria get far from your system

[Dickie B from HB]

Originally Posted by Mr. V

I recall walking to the Pavillion every morning, container in hand, to hand pump drinking water from the well: it was the only potable water source.

I also recall how the well was very close to a pazoozy (sic), i.e. a communal bathroom.

The toilets drained into a septic system, not sewers.

My questions: was there regular testing of the well water to detect contaminants such as bacteria?

Any known incidents of people getting ill from contaminated well water?

That well was said to be over 300 feet deep. Don't think that the seepage from the johns ever contaminated it. Never heard of anyone getting sick from the water.