Another Alton Bay Landmark bites the dust

[upthesaukee]

Originally Posted by Argie's Wife

Waitaminute.... You're telling me there was a real public beach in Alton at one time?

(I'm not talking about that 12' strip of sand and port-o-let that they're now calling a beach.*)

I wish Alton Bay still looked like that... they've paved paradise and put up a parking lot.




*Disclaimer: I realize that there's a committee that's worked very hard to make that beach a nicer place. This is NOT directed to them - they have my respect and thanks for all the work they've done! My comment is more towards the vein of, "Why did we sell the old public beach in the first place?!"

Actually, if you look at the postcard, the property is Downing's Landing, and the Town beach can be seen in the mid right of the postcard on the edge. It was then, as it is now, about a 12-15 foot wide strip of beach, which over the years was affected by runoff from up Bay Hill Road and across 28A, coupled with ill-conceived ideas on fixing the beach. The old Town Beach was not sold off, and the "new" town beach occupies the same location as the old.

The "railroad ride" is in what is still Downing's Landing, which was paved by the owners. As to the demise of the railroad ride, I would guess it too fell to the ravages of time, becoming too expensive to maintain without increasing the cost to ride, and no one in a family to continue the legacy. Such is the price of progress, unfortunately.