Go Back   Winnipesaukee Forum > Winnipesaukee Forums > Diving Winnipesaukee
Home Forums Gallery Webcams Blogs YouTube Channel Classifieds Calendar Register FAQDonate Members List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-29-2009, 09:35 PM   #1
Diver1111
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Exeter NH
Posts: 596
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1,027 Times in 224 Posts
Default Lees Mills wreck on shore

I took this photo while cruising through the Lees Mills area; Long, interesting wreck of what I guess would be a good sized steamer, or perhaps a barge-I just can't tell until I dive it and/or land on it and crawl around.

Water at this time I think was low because I've cruised through Lees Mills before and as I recall the water was higher in the past because I would have seen this -although it could be missed due to its position in the area-not something folks would see unless they were facing it or looking for it. I was looking for it.

I believe there might have also been a rail line in this basin at one time.
Attached Images
 
Diver1111 is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Diver1111 For This Useful Post:
SunsetPointWentworth (01-12-2016)
Old 09-30-2009, 10:48 AM   #2
Nadia
Senior Member
 
Nadia's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Laconia/Vegas/Florida
Posts: 160
Blog Entries: 1
Thanks: 24
Thanked 19 Times in 10 Posts
Default

Where is this located exactly? Looks to me like it might be a good spot for some pickerel fishing! Interesting findings, again!
Nadia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2009, 03:21 PM   #3
Tallyho
Senior Member
 
Tallyho's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 312
Thanks: 439
Thanked 16 Times in 13 Posts
Default Lee's Mills wreck

There is a possiblity that this is the remains of the Moultonborough. She was a steam powered tug/workboat that was supposedly towed to Lee's Mills and left, after having her machinery removed. She was good sized vessel, probably 50 -60 feet in length, with a straight stem and a squared off stern. There are pictures of her in Edward Blackstone's Mt. Washington book, I believe.
Tallyho is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2009, 06:49 PM   #4
Pineedles
Senior Member
 
Pineedles's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Moultonborough & CT
Posts: 2,534
Thanks: 1,058
Thanked 652 Times in 363 Posts
Default washed ashore derelicts

You guys have a better eye than I. It looks like an upside down dock to me. Guess that's why I'll never get rich in the antique arena.
Pineedles is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-02-2009, 01:06 PM   #5
Redwing
Deceased Member
 
Redwing's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: New Haven, Connecticut and summer resident of Moultonborough, NH since 1952
Posts: 216
Thanks: 324
Thanked 43 Times in 27 Posts
Default Less Mills - logging center

I read with great interest the book "As I remember Moultonboro" by Frances George Stevens, in which she explained that the entire little bay in front of Lees Mills was filled to the brim with floating logs during the heyday of logging and milling at Lees Mills, and there were railroad tracks around perimeter of bay (as you look out from Lees Mills, to the left) which were part of the logging operation. You can still see some of the tracks under water. David Thompson - of the Steamboat Rally fame - would very likely know what you saw: barge/steamboat/railroad tracks/dock.

As a point of interest, author Frances George Stevens is the aunt of David Thompson. She is the sister of David's late mother, Jesse George Thompson, and Jesse was a former postmistress in Moultonboro and a good friend of mine, even though she was the same age as my mother. The Georges/Thompsons/Stevens are long-time Moultonboro families, as well as long-time steamboat families and David probably knows every square inch of the area in and around Lees Mill.
Redwing is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Redwing For This Useful Post:
Tallyho (10-02-2009)
Sponsored Links
Old 10-02-2009, 06:04 PM   #6
Diver1111
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Exeter NH
Posts: 596
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1,027 Times in 224 Posts
Default Location of the wreck on the shore

If you were standing on the Lees Mill dock looking out-southward-it is at 10 o'clock to your left.
Diver1111 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2009, 04:38 PM   #7
Redwing
Deceased Member
 
Redwing's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: New Haven, Connecticut and summer resident of Moultonborough, NH since 1952
Posts: 216
Thanks: 324
Thanked 43 Times in 27 Posts
Default Location

Yes... that is the location. I think your photo may be what we always thought were the remains of the railroad tracks, but they were submerged in murky water and we were unable to get a clear view of them; however, with the low water level you may well have captured them. On the other hand, this may be something altogether different!
Redwing is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2009, 06:36 PM   #8
KTO
Senior Member
 
KTO's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Meredith, NH
Posts: 391
Thanks: 30
Thanked 117 Times in 26 Posts
Default

Hey guys...

I've snorkeled on that area before, and there seems to be a submerged platform just below the water level as a permanent structure and not a boat. It was kind of eerie to stumble upon that unexpectedly and it seemed to be a very large structure...or at least it was at one time.
KTO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-06-2009, 02:42 PM   #9
Rattlesnake Gal
Senior Member
 
Rattlesnake Gal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Central NH
Posts: 5,252
Blog Entries: 1
Thanks: 1,447
Thanked 1,349 Times in 475 Posts
Smile Could Tallyho Be Right?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallyho View Post
There is a possibility that this is the remains of the Moultonborough. She was a steam powered tug/workboat that was supposedly towed to Lee's Mills and left, after having her machinery removed. She was good sized vessel, probably 50 -60 feet in length, with a straight stem and a squared off stern. There are pictures of her in Edward Blackstone's Mt. Washington book, I believe.
Good memory Tallyho. Great book.
Attached Images
   
Rattlesnake Gal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-06-2009, 04:54 PM   #10
Diver1111
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Exeter NH
Posts: 596
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1,027 Times in 224 Posts
Default Photos

Wow RG-those pictures are amazing-thank you; Clear shots of the vessels-where did you find them?

They roughly match the length of the wreck on the shore I posted. I bet one of them is it.

Great stuff.
Diver1111 is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Diver1111 For This Useful Post:
Jonas Pilot (10-06-2009)
Old 10-06-2009, 05:05 PM   #11
Rattlesnake Gal
Senior Member
 
Rattlesnake Gal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Central NH
Posts: 5,252
Blog Entries: 1
Thanks: 1,447
Thanked 1,349 Times in 475 Posts
Arrow Farewell Old Mount Washington

Tallyho is the one who knew where to look. The pictures are from Farewell Old Mount Washington by Edward H. Blackstone. The story of the steamboat era on Lake Winnipesaukee. A great read! I was lucky enough to find a hardcover copy, which I love.
Attached Images
 
Rattlesnake Gal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-06-2009, 05:50 PM   #12
hemlock
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 52
Thanks: 1
Thanked 35 Times in 15 Posts
Default

The wreck you saw is the remains of a work barge that Will Raymond used to use in construction on the lake many years ago. It is mentioned in Frances Stevens book. I think it was being modified and it broke up and was abandoned on the shore there.The railroad tracks mentioned are just to the right of the barge. Basically there are wooden beams, tracks and a couple of old railroad wheel carriages that were used to pull the barge, out of the water. They are submerged but you can see them if you look carefully My boys and I call the old barge the Bones.
hemlock is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-06-2009, 06:03 PM   #13
hemlock
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 52
Thanks: 1
Thanked 35 Times in 15 Posts
Default

Also as far as the old steamboats I had talked to Dave Thompson and he said that they were broken up and removed in the 50s by the town
after a hurricane had destroyed several buildings at the Lees mill landing. I remember him saying that the hull of one of the boats was still sound as it was made of cypress and he had hopes of one day salvaging it.
hemlock is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-07-2009, 11:30 AM   #14
Redwing
Deceased Member
 
Redwing's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: New Haven, Connecticut and summer resident of Moultonborough, NH since 1952
Posts: 216
Thanks: 324
Thanked 43 Times in 27 Posts
Default

Delighted that you were able to speak with Dave Thompson and clarify the various scenarios. We kayak in that area frequently and have always thought that we were looking at the remains of old railroad tracks, and now we know that is the case (among the work barge remains)! Nice to have your complete information.... many, many thanks! As I said earlier, Dave Thompson knows every square inch of that area and his knowledge of the history of steamboats (and specific steamboats) is second to none!
Redwing is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-07-2009, 01:32 PM   #15
NoBozo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Portsmouth. RI
Posts: 2,231
Thanks: 400
Thanked 460 Times in 308 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by hemlock View Post
The wreck you saw is the remains of a work barge that Will Raymond used to use in construction on the lake many years ago. It is mentioned in Frances Stevens book. I think it was being modified and it broke up and was abandoned on the shore there.The railroad tracks mentioned are just to the right of the barge. Basically there are wooden beams, tracks and a couple of old railroad wheel carriages that were used to pull the barge, out of the water. They are submerged but you can see them if you look carefully My boys and I call the old barge the Bones.
I suspect the railroad rails and ties might have been fastened to the deck of the barge and were used to transport Rail Cars across the lake. In the old days, wealthy people did their travelling in their own Private rail cars....sort of like todays Large motor homes. NB
NoBozo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-31-2015, 07:50 AM   #16
loopcharged
Member
 
loopcharged's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 26
Thanks: 17
Thanked 14 Times in 6 Posts
Default Wreckage at Lee's Mill

I grew up here with a 14' Mirrocraft and a 10 Johnson. I know every inch of the bay. What you are looking at in these pix is the wreckage of the hurricane of 38. The large wall is a part of a building that once was at the landing. The main part of town stood here prior to the storm. Bob Lamprey of Lamprey and Lamprey real estate had pictures hanging in his lobby when I was a boy that showed the village at Lee's Mill. There were tracks that descended down from the mountain when I was a boy in the 70's. They disappeared in the 80's. Probably scrappers. There are still tracks on trusses with a rail car still in the water near the shore and are very visible during mid-summer when water levels are lower. There are many steam boats out in the bay, some of them still tied to docks wrecked during the storm. In the 70's before the milfoil took over many were still visible on a sunny day.
loopcharged is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to loopcharged For This Useful Post:
ApS (01-12-2016), Descant (12-31-2015), Senter Cove Guy (12-31-2015), Tallyho (12-31-2015), wifi (12-31-2015)
Old 01-12-2016, 08:05 PM   #17
SunsetPointWentworth
Senior Member
 
SunsetPointWentworth's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: claremont/wolfeboro
Posts: 155
Thanks: 114
Thanked 51 Times in 26 Posts
Default

It would be nice to get a definitive answer to this. To my eyes, it looks like a boardwalk type of dock or the railway that Diver was talking about. It's very long for a barge. But, I suppose if the barge hauled logs, it needed to be massive.
SunsetPointWentworth is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:37 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.

This page was generated in 0.29655 seconds