[fatlazyless]

In 1822, the Lakeport Dam was built in Laconia and it raised the Lake Winnipesaukee water level by about 18 feet. Prior to that, Lake Winnipesaukee was about seven or eight smaller lakes that were interconnected by a natural downstream flow of water from Lee's Mills to Moultonborough to Melvin Village to the broads to the Weirs, to Paugus Bay, to the Lakeport Dam in Laconia, and over the dam and into the Winnipesaukee River. A lot of water has gone over that dam since 1822! Lake Winnipesaukee contains about 75-billion gallons of very fresh water and is about 22 miles long.

Starting in the 1820's, using water power from the Lakeport Dam, Laconia used to be a world famous mill town that produced cotton material for clothing, and railroad cars/street cars for use in railroads/trolley systems around the U.S.