In the 1800s, Manchester was a large mill town that was known for two things: the largest textile manufacturing in the world and Lake Massabesic.

When the lake’s Native American name is translated, it means “place of much water.” The Native Americans used this lake for fishing, bathing and other purposes. The Native American population stayed much longer around the lake than it did everywhere else. Before the mid-1800s, the shore of the lake was covered with nothing but woods.

Soon, the booming population of Manchester discovered that the lake was a hidden gem, and small cottages began to spring up. Slowly, boat clubs, saloons, restaurants, dance halls and even grand hotels were built on its shores. The Manchester train line extended its tracks to the lake, building a massive train station to accommodate travelers from Boston. Electric trolleys ran to the lake from the city, and soon the lake’s tourism exploded and an elegant hotel was needed.

Mr. Offutt, of Lowell, Mass., moved to New Hampshire in the early 1800s to run his business. After a while, he decided to buy an old tavern on the lake. Upon purchasing it, he renamed it the “Massabesic House” and made many renovations. Offutt soon added a hall for political meetings and parties, stables for horses, and a children’s zoo, which had many species of animals and an occasional monkey. The hotel became the most successful on the lake, filling up each summer with wealthy families from Boston who tried to escape the heat of the city in the countryside. The neoclassical architecture of the building gave it an elegant look, and the hotel began to be known all over the country.

People could enjoy themselves as they sat on one of the hotel’s many porches and looked at the lake. The “Gem of the Lake,” one of the largest steamboats on the lake, docked at the hotel, and guests and other vacationers would spend a whole day on the steamboat. In 1870, the owner died, leaving the hotel to be run by his children. Steamboats were common on the lake. One of the largest steamboats on the lake, the “Winnie L.” could hold 500 passengers and was 101 feet long.

Most of the time, the steamboats sold out. The “Winnie L.” towed a large barge behind it for people to dance on. Moonlit cruises were as popular as day cruises, and at night the dancing never stopped. Boating on the lake was so popular that every Fourth of July, the lake would host an annual sailboat regatta. Massive estates of wealthy mill owners and Bostonians sprang up all over the area. The lake soon became the retreat of authors, artists, successful businessmen and their families, as well as promising young men. Even in winter months, the lake was used for skating, horse races, ice boat races and ice cutting. The ice was shipped to Boston, where it was used in ice boxes.

The lake received the name “Little Coney Island” because of all the nightlife and fun activities. It became so popular that the tourism (at one point in the late 1800s) was greater at Massabesic than at Winnipesaukee. It seemed that nothing could stop this tourist attraction, but a series of events did. The Manchester Water Works board determined the water in Lake Massabesic – some of the most pure lake water in southern New Hampshire – would be good for city water since wells in Manchester were becoming a hazard because of pollution. In the mid-1900s, the Water Works board slowly began to regulate recreation on Lake Massabesic.

At first, the changes had little effect, but soon the cottages on the lake began to disappear, and so did the steamboats. The board bought all the land on the lake, and in one case they burned down a house because a man refused to sell it to them. The hotels lost most of their business, and after being closed for a year, two of the top hotels were burned by a arsonist. He was later caught and sent to a mental hospital. Now, the lake is a great place to view wildlife and boat, but no swimming is allowed. With technological advances, one question is going to be asked more and more: Will we ever be able to swim in Lake Massabesic?

Antonio Pastor is a seventh-
grader at Riddle Brook School.