Wolfeboro: Character of Lore, Monte-zuma
Wolfeboro Legend Monte-zuma This is the true story of a character from Wolfeboro Falls called Monte…Monte-zuma in full. This wasn’t his real name but that’s what the local boys used to call him back in the late 1950’s. Anyone familiar with the Smith River Canoe Race in Wolfeboro Falls knows where he lived because it is right on the opposite shoreline in a 12×8′ ft sturdy shack 80 yards down from the rapids. To this day, there is a sunken wooden platform covered in slippery moss that he used to get back and forth across the river. Back then, the wooden platform was above water and Monte covered it with corrugated roofing to keep it from getting wet. The roofing was also nice and loud in case he had any visitors which will come later in the story.Monte was the night watchman and maintenance man for the Wolfeboro Mills that used to exist along that long flat stretch of river across from his shack. He had a pigeon coup right at the edge of the river and he raised the pigeons for food. He also enjoyed eating fish he caught from the river. Monte wasn’t a lean scraggly-old hermit but actually clean shaven and roundly with a receding hairline. He didn’t mind a visitor now and again; he was known to serve his guests soda biscuits and peanut butter from his outdoor stone fireplace. He entertained with a pet racoon and a blue jay that he spoke to as if they were his children. One night some local boys were camping out in Wolfeboro Falls and they decided it would be a good idea to give old Monte a scare. Ronnie Keslar was up for the task and started across the wooden platform on the river until the corrugated roofing gave him up. The shack door flew open and Ronnie ran for his life as he heard the bellow and the hammer of the gun. He ran so fast in the darkness that he stumbled to the ground as a bullet went over his head into the sign post above. Monte wasn’t bothered much at night by the boys again. It wasn’t until a Mr. Malone purchased the mill and it was converted from excelsior to t-shirt manufacturing that Monte was forced to move on. His shack was burned to the ground and all that remains is the sunken wooden platform and stones from the outdoor fireplace. By Jeremy Osgood Author and Photographer Visit my photo gallery PHOTOS 4 NATURE Check Out Jeremy’s Historical Novel Based On the Legend Of Chocorua PHOTOSNATURE Click here to View my Gallery and Purchase Images Instagram Facebook Linkedin Youtube
Heron Breakfast Spot
Great Blue Heron, Fernalds Basin, Lake Wentworth Heron breakfast spot in the pre-dawn. Image taken at Fernald’s Basin, Lake Wentworth, Wolfeboro, NH. This is one of the first wildlife photos that I was really proud of. I’ve evolved quite a bit since then but I love the mood of this image. It has a softer prehistoric feel. Be sure to check out my gallery and Etsy store for wildlife and nature photography. Thanks, Jeremy.
O-SO-GOOD Barber Stylist
Judy Osgood and Michelle Riley celebrate 15 years of cutting hair together.
Lake Wentworth Sunrise
Lake Wentworth Sunrise Photo A crack of dawn wake-up reward…this photo was taken from the Bridge Falls path where the tracks split Fernald Basin from Wentworth. Wentworth freezes several weeks before Winnipesaukee and usually a week or so before Crescent Lake due to currents from the Smith river canal and the the Smith river dam that drain into Back Bay,Winnipesaukee. Wentworth is also relatively shallow with the deepest point at around 60ft out at Fuller’s Deep. The ice must be at least 8 inches thick now because i saw Stu pulling his winnebago “ice Palace” fish house out on the ice this afternoon. I’ll get a shot sometime this week. Update: Below I’ve posted a bonus image from a summer sunrise over Lake Wentworth
The Wolfeboro Railroad-Bridge Falls Path
The bridge falls path, the old Wolfeboro railroad, and community.