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Little Known Facts about Blodgett Landing
Here is a set of informative “facts” about Blodgett’s. How many did you know already?
- The first Spiritualists of New Hampshire Camp Meeting of was held at Blodgett’s in 1876, the same year as the US Centennial celebration (1776-1876).
- The Spiritualists of NH annual “Camp Meeting” was held at Blodgett’s for 4-5 weeks in July, August or September.
There was a Spiritualist Temple at the corner of Washington St. and Postoffice St. – now a park.
- There also was an outdoor Spiritualist Temple at the fork in the road between Lake Ave. and Washington St. The outdoor Temple was similar to “Cathedral of the Pines” in Rindge, NH.
- Spiritualist’s annual Camp Meetings are still held in many states. There are numerous active Spiritualist Churches currently. Spirtualists believe that we all die physically, and that some aspect of the personality or mind survives this and continues to exist on a spirit plane.
- There was a Bandstand next to the outdoor Spiritualist Temple, along Lake Ave.
- George Blodgett’s main cottage was next to the outdoor Spiritualist Temple and is still standing (68 Lake Ave.). It was one of the original “twin peaks” cottages at Blodgett’s. He owned seven cottages at Blodgett’s according to an 1892 map of the Landing. His main cottage was white with red and blue trim (patriotic).
- The “Wenonah” steamboat sank in front of 47 Lake Ave on the evening of July 4th 1908. This was the site of the “Wenonah Dock”. The rest of the steamboats were built and owned by the Woodsum Brothers and they landed at “Big Dock”, The Wenonah was originally named the Edmund Burke and was launched in 1885. Edmund Burke was a businessman from Newport. He was part of a consortium that built and operated the “Edmund Burke”. Edmund Burke’s cottage was at 5 Lakeside Rd. It still looks much the same.
- The captain of the Edmund Burke was Wesley Cilley. He was a nephew of George Blodgett and probably related to the large family of Cilley’s that “Cilleyville”, Andover NH, was named after.
- The house at 60 Washington St. was built in 1906-07 from two 15’x15’ dormitories originally used by the Spiritualists.
- The “Hotel/Inn” across the street from the present day Casino grounds on Blodgetts Landing Rd. was known as the Forest House, Blodgett Lodge, and the Angler’s Camp at various times.
- There was a photographer’s studio at the corner of Blodgetts Landing Rd and Bowles Rd. which was owned/operated by J.B. Warren (of Franklin, NH) during July and August in the 1890s to early 1900s. He took excellent photos of Blodgett Landing during those years. Mrs. Bowles had the studio demolished at some later date - when she owned the property.
- There was a boarding house at 30 Washington St. ("Ammonoosuc Lodge") at one time. There were also a boarding houses at 16 Lake Ave. (“Wa-See-Wic”) and 18 Lake Ave (“Lakeshore House”).
- There once was a boardwalk from Bowles Rd. to Cressy Point – before there was a house on the point. The boardwalk had a fancy (Adirondack style) railing and a set of wooden steps up the back of the “Big Rock” as an observation point.
- Will Cressy and Blanche Dayne had a summer cottage on “Cressy Point”, which was named for him! Will was one of the most famous vaudeville performers in the world from 1900 to 1930 and a major contributed to the COA.
- There were a group of seven small cottages owned by Mose Miller located where 26 Lake Ave. is now. They ran between Lake Ave. and Washington St. They were later replaced by the Taylor Lodge (Taylor’s Camp) which was then replaced by the house at 26 Lake Ave.
- Louis Watso lived at 62 Lake Ave. He was an Abenaki Indian from Canada. He sold baskets (probably at store on corner of Blodgetts Landing Road and Pine St.) and was a realtor, among other things.
- There was a bowling alley, grocery store, dance hall and photo studio near the hotel on Blodgett Landing Rd. They all pre-date the building of the Casino.
- The Blodgett Landing US Post Office was established officially in 1893. The first three postmasters were all Blodgett’s. In 1915 Alice Wells was appointed postmistress where she served for forty years, until 1955!
- The wooden railings on the Lake Ave. boardwalk were replaced by metal pipe railings in the late 1920’s.
- There was a steamboat landing (Rowe’s Landing) at the present-day 130 Bowles Rd. That was the location of the “Kamp Komfort Klub”, a private club from Springfield, MA – also established in 1876. Numerous photos of that fun-loving group were taken by J.B. Warren and are included in the Blodgett’s 1890-1910 Photo Album.
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