Chebacco Lake's Unique History to be Highlighted

Chebacco Lake's history, ranging from its former tourism industry to the "flying fish" flight of 1910 will all be part of a presentation on Thursday in Hamilton.

The presentation by Hamilton Historical Society President Butch Crosbie takes place Thursday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. at the American Legion Hall at 37 School St. It's been organized by the Chebacco Lake Association.

"I'll be talking about hotels, the ice industry, the railroad, streetcars and the historic flight," said Crosbie. "It's just about things around the lake."

Crosbie, who has served as president of the historical society for 15 years, also indicated that he plans to bring a porcelain sign bearing the logo of the American Tourist Association, which was a predecessor to today's AAA, that was found a few years ago on the lake bottom.

The historic flight in question was conducted by Augustus Herring on Feb. 28, 1910 and briefly took off and landed on the ice of Chebacco Lake, earning the nickname "The Flying Fish." That was seven years after the Wright Brothers made their own historic flight in North Carolina, but the Flying Fish marked the first successful flight in New England.

In the days before refrigeration, Chebacco Lake was also one of many New England lakes that had an ice industry where workers would harvest blocks to fill the primitive iceboxes of the era.

Another topic of the evening will be the former railroad branch to Essex that transported tourists as well as timber workers and other laborers to and from the region. Before that branch was constructed, tourists were transported to Chebacco Lake in open horse-drawn buggies after arriving in downtown Hamilton.

Another industry that was active on the lake for decades was tourism, which declined in part because of the advent of the automobile.

"People were going different places and they were not just coming locally anymore out of Boston," said Crosbie.

Chebacco Lake was home to two hotels - and the ruins of one of them can be seen to this day next to the state boat ramp, not far from the Hamilton town beach. This particular hotel opened in the late 1800s under the name "Winnepoyken House" and later became the Lake Croft Inn.

The second lakefront hotel from this part of Hamilton's history was the Chebacco House, which was erected around the time of the Civil War and which was renamed "Villa Veranda" around the turn of the century. Both of these hotels were located on the southern end of the lake.

Crosbie also noted that the historical society headquarters in the basement of Hamilton Town Hall is a useful resource for anyone interested in learning about the town's past. The headquarters features various files as well as pictures, maps, books, as well as some genealogical and historic house information.