Alton Fort

Diver1111 · 11-09-2013, 08:26 AM

I have read more than once about an old fort along the eastern shore in Alton. I think it may have been away from the water somewhat on the embankment.

Did this really exist? Can anyone tell me more about it? Did it ever have a wharf? Who built it?

Diver1111 · 11-09-2013, 04:50 PM

Found it w/some more research.

Diver1111 · 11-09-2013, 04:56 PM

Sorry wrong post-I found the old Winnipesaukee Yacht Club location in Alton.

bclaker · 11-09-2013, 08:38 PM

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=217+f...ed=0CCkQ8gEwAA

Spit'n Image Farm · 11-11-2013, 09:28 AM

Here is what I have on the "Alton Fort". It was Fort Thunderbird. It was a boys camp located in the Black Point to the Camp Kabeyun property, Chestnut Cove area and included most of the shorefront. Bought in 1952 by Haven Langdon. The boys camp had a frontier theme, the Juniors slept in covered wagons scattered at varios campsites and the Seniors had teepees on platforms. It was short lived, opened in 1953 and closed in 1954. Hope this helps.

rgilfert · 11-12-2013, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spit'n Image Farm

Here is what I have on the "Alton Fort". It was Fort Thunderbird. It was a boys camp located in the Black Point to the Camp Kabeyun property, Chestnut Cove area and included most of the shorefront. Bought in 1952 by Haven Langdon. The boys camp had a frontier theme, the Juniors slept in covered wagons scattered at varios campsites and the Seniors had teepees on platforms. It was short lived, opened in 1953 and closed in 1954. Hope this helps.

The cottage that I used to rent every summer (for 12 years) for my family was located on Black Point directly across the bay from the Littlemark Island light. The family that owned our rental property (Sean & Betsy Callahan) lived in the home next to us and Betsy's family had owned a good chunk of the shore for many years (including a very large old home slightly inland and high up over the lake). The owner's shore front has a very distinctive blue log cabin style boathouse with a sign over the entrance that reads "Fort Thunderbird". We always wondered what the significance was to this sign. Given the info about the boys camp, the "Fort Thunderbird" boathouse must have been part of the boys' camp back in the day and in thinking about it....the large home that I referred may very well be the "old fort" that you are inquiring about. In all the years that we stayed there....we never ventured up the hill to the main house because it had a locked gate (near the tennis court) and I didn't want to get caught spying.

mcdude · 11-12-2013, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diver1111

Sorry wrong post-I found the old Winnipesaukee Yacht Club location in Alton.

Diver1111 · 11-14-2013, 09:19 AM

Thanks McDude for the article-I had found that originally-don't recall where-and researched off of that same document and found the original WYC site last week.

As to the fort, in a book I re-read recently I found the attached reference to a fort, right hand page, 3rd paragraph starting with a reference to King George's War. What an interesting dive that would be.

BraunBay49 · 12-13-2016, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgilfert

The cottage that I used to rent every summer (for 12 years) for my family was located on Black Point directly across the bay from the Littlemark Island light. The family that owned our rental property (Sean & Betsy Callahan) lived in the home next to us and Betsy's family had owned a good chunk of the shore for many years (including a very large old home slightly inland and high up over the lake). The owner's shore front has a very distinctive blue log cabin style boathouse with a sign over the entrance that reads "Fort Thunderbird". We always wondered what the significance was to this sign. Given the info about the boys camp, the "Fort Thunderbird" boathouse must have been part of the boys' camp back in the day and in thinking about it....the large home that I referred may very well be the "old fort" that you are inquiring about. In all the years that we stayed there....we never ventured up the hill to the main house because it had a locked gate (near the tennis court) and I didn't want to get caught spying.

I attended Ft. Thunderbird in 1958. The boathouse looks as I remember it (although I can't vouch for the color) If you had crept up the hill, and it was still standing, you could have seen the main building that is pictured in the attached photo.

nealprescott · 06-20-2018, 01:40 PM

I was an employee at the camp in 1957 & 1958. I recently went back to visit and was given a tour of the original main building. It is still there, but looks a lot smaller than I remember from the 50's. The stable, rifle range and archery range are no longer there but the boat house and beach look great.

My jobs included archery, rifle range and waterskiing training. Also got to do a lot of houseback riding early in the pre-season to calm the horses down. What a great job for a teenage!!

Descant · 06-20-2018, 08:28 PM

Welcome to the Forum.

11-09-2013, 08:26 AM	#1
Diver1111 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Exeter NH Posts: 602 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,032 Times in 227 Posts	Alton Fort I have read more than once about an old fort along the eastern shore in Alton. I think it may have been away from the water somewhat on the embankment. Did this really exist? Can anyone tell me more about it? Did it ever have a wharf? Who built it?

11-09-2013, 08:38 PM	#4
bclaker Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Laconia Posts: 479 Thanks: 545 Thanked 147 Times in 66 Posts	Could this be the location https://maps.google.com/maps?q=217+f...ed=0CCkQ8gEwAA

11-11-2013, 09:28 AM	#5
Spit'n Image Farm Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 25 Times in 5 Posts	Alton Fort Here is what I have on the "Alton Fort". It was Fort Thunderbird. It was a boys camp located in the Black Point to the Camp Kabeyun property, Chestnut Cove area and included most of the shorefront. Bought in 1952 by Haven Langdon. The boys camp had a frontier theme, the Juniors slept in covered wagons scattered at varios campsites and the Seniors had teepees on platforms. It was short lived, opened in 1953 and closed in 1954. Hope this helps.

06-20-2018, 01:40 PM	#10
nealprescott Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2018 Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Ft Thunderbird I was an employee at the camp in 1957 & 1958. I recently went back to visit and was given a tour of the original main building. It is still there, but looks a lot smaller than I remember from the 50's. The stable, rifle range and archery range are no longer there but the boat house and beach look great. My jobs included archery, rifle range and waterskiing training. Also got to do a lot of houseback riding early in the pre-season to calm the horses down. What a great job for a teenage!!

11-09-2013, 04:50 PM	#2
Diver1111 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Exeter NH Posts: 602 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,032 Times in 227 Posts	Found it w/some more research.

11-09-2013, 04:56 PM	#3
Diver1111 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Exeter NH Posts: 602 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,032 Times in 227 Posts	Sorry wrong post-I found the old Winnipesaukee Yacht Club location in Alton.

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06-20-2018, 08:28 PM	#11
Descant Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Merrimack and Welch Island Posts: 4,248 Thanks: 1,300 Thanked 1,598 Times in 1,034 Posts	Welcome to the Forum.