Melvin Village's Link to "Legionnaire 70"...

[ApS]

Not many folks know of the Melvin Village connection to Lake Winnipesaukee's most famous "Laker".

Member McDude has previously recorded a lengthy history of the "Legionaire 70", excerpted in part here.

"...In October of 1940, the fastest 'passenger boat' in the world arrived at Alton Bay from the Corby Estate at Bald Peak Colony Club in Moultonboro..."

A long-time resident of Melvin Village advises that the famous "Legionaire 70" was previously named the "Jay-Cee III", for Jacqueline Corby of the famous Gin-manufacturing family. It was nicknamed "The Fastest Family Runabout in the World". While the two accounts conflict, it's only on this runabout's name Jay-E III or Jay-Cee III (or possibly JC III), and the two nicknames.

As previously noted, the "Legionnaire 70" was 36 feet long by 8 feet, 7 inches. It had a single 1,000 H.P. 12 cylinder V-type Packard engine and built by Garwood in 1929. It ran on 75% aviation gas and 25% benzol. Its gas consumption, when running at wide open throttle, was 100 gallons per hour.

What isn't widely known is that this boat was maintained daily on-site by two professional Packard mechanics hired by Corby. It ran an honest 70-MPH.

The Jay-Cee III was black, built of mahogany, and had three cockpits to seat 8 persons (3/3/2), and ran an honest 70-MPH.

It was stored in the Moultonborough area at a boathouse that has seen several owners: In the mid-30s, the owner at that time was Kip Scott, according to my source. Renamed, the boat became particularly well-known on Lake Winnipesaukee after World War II.

Though my source's memories of 1930s Melvin Village are prodigious, any updates, photographs, or corrections are welcome.

Any errors may be due to the penciled notes taken from this dern wrinkled paper napkin!