Granite State Grove, Canobie Lake

This photograph is from a tourist brochure, produced by the Agriculture Department of the State of New Hampshire. With the abandonment of many farms in New Hampshire in the late 19th Century, N.J. Bachelder took a two prong approach to overcome the problem. First, he encouraged farmers to operate boarding houses on their farms, during the summer months, (the rates of boarding houses could be found in this brochure.) Secondly, he encouraged wealthy and middle class people to purchase New Hampshire farms as summer homes. The Saint Gaudens artist colony in Cornish is a notable success, among others. This photograph shows Canobie Lake in Windham, where Hayes Hart Road is today. At the time, Granite State Grove was operating here. From the brochure: “Within the borders of New Hampshire are thousands of private summer homes varying in quality from rustic cottage to the elegant mansion, and affording ideal rest and recreation. Vacant farms have generally been utilized for this purpose, the buildings being transformed in accordance with the taste and necessities of the purchaser. A list of such farms, with tenantable buildings still for sale, can be obtained by addressing the secretary at Concord.” The brochure was provided to me by Dick Hannon, a long time resident of West Shore Road in Windham.