A Wild West Halloween

A Wild West Halloween

By Thomas P. Caldwell

The Old West may be long-gone except as portrayed in old movies featuring Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and John Wayne, but the spirit of those days continues among groups such as the Northeast Six-Shooters, whose members dress in western costumes and compete with horses in mounted shooting matches.

Lakes Region residents will have a chance to see those cowboys in action — and perhaps even participate themselves if they are members of the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association — when the Six-Shooters hold a Halloween Shoot at the Lakes Region Riding Academy in Gilford on Saturday, October 29, beginning at 11 a.m.

The Northeast Six-Shooters are affiliated with the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association, a national organization that coordinates competitions across the country. The Six-Shooters boast membership from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

“We promote our cowboy heritage through competition, costume & camaraderie, focusing on safety, friends & fun,” according to the group’s website, www.nesixshooters.com.

Christine Boudreau, the treasurer of the Northeast Six-Shooters, said the organization has been in existence since 2005, having started out in Massachusetts as the MA Six Shooters. When Dina Baratta from New Hampshire took over as president in 2011, the organization changed its name to the Northeast Six-Shooters.

“We average anywhere from 40 to 60 members,” Christine said, although the numbers were down for the last couple of years because of the pandemic.

The Northeast Six-Shooters hold multi-day events that allow participants to enjoy cowboy hospitality, sharing stories, food, and an occasional campfire. The group also makes road trips to matches up and down the east coast. They have held events at the Lakes Region Riding Academy since around 2014 or 2015. The organization also holds events in New Hampshire at the Hillsborough County Fair and the Hopkinton State Fair, and in Massachusetts at the Barre (MA) Riding Club and the New England Equestrian Center in Athol. This year, they added the Cheshire Fair in Swanzey, New Hampshire, and the Vermont State Fair in Rutland.

Christine said they have been approached to possibly attend the Cornish Fair in New Hampshire next year.

The competitions are fast-action timed events in which mounted riders with two .45-caliber single-action revolvers attempt to shoot 10 balloon targets while riding through a variety of challenging courses. Riders must make use of both horsemanship and marksmanship. The competitor who rides the fastest with the fewest missed targets wins.

Most events have a dress code that includes a long-sleeve western shirt, five-pocket blue jeans covered by chinks or chaps, western boots, and a cowboy hat or helmet. Some outfits harken back to the late 1800s with shirts that have no collars and high-waisted pants with buttons instead of zippers.

For the Halloween Shoot, Christine said, they are encouraging riders (and horses) to dress up in costumes different from those required by the normal dress code.

“Any horse or mule can be used,” she said. “Some horses take to this sport easily; others do not. It is up to the horse’s temperament and your desire to train him or her to get used to shooting, turning, and going fast.”

She noted that some riders will use earplugs for themselves and their horses.

Safety is a big concern for the organizations sponsoring the fast-growing sport. Live rounds are strictly prohibited at competitions, with the guns using specially loaded blank cartridges instead of lead bullets. The brass cartridge is loaded with black powder much like that used in the 1800s. According to the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association, that load is capable of breaking a balloon from as far away as 15 feet.

The guns used are Old West-style .45-caliber single-action revolvers like those used in the late 1800s. They have to be cocked by drawing the hammer back each time before firing. Double-action revolvers, which can be fired by simply pulling the trigger, also were used in the Old West, but they are not allowed in the CMSA events. Only .45-caliber fixed-sight single-action revolvers such as the Colts designed prior to 1898, or reproductions of them, are allowed. Examples are the Colt Single-Action Army or Bisley Model, Smith & Wesson Schofield, Russian, or Remington Models 1875 & 1890, their reproductions, and Ruger Vaqueros, Bisleys, or Montados.

Riders can buy replicas of the old-time gun belts and holsters off the shelf, or have custom-made gun belts and holsters. Christine said that several custom-makers are listed in “Old West” magazines.

“Safety in horse-training and firearm-handling are emphasized at all times,” according to the CMSA. Clubs such as the Six-Shooters sponsor clinics to assist new shooters in starting their horses and learning the basics of safe firearm-handling. The clinics train the horses to take part in the shooting events without flinching, and give riders a chance to experience a gun’s weight, sound, and recoil. The Six-Shooters also occasionally offer advanced clinics for mounted shooting professionals.

“Range masters are in the arena at all times during competitions to ensure safe riding and shooting is exercised,” Christine said. “New shooters are usually required to demonstrate that they have achieved minimum acceptable levels of riding and shooting skills.”

In addition to training for those competitions, members have an opportunity to learn to rope, sort, and pen cattle; play gymkhana and versatility games; do dressage and stadium-jumping; “and enjoy plain ol’ trail rides.”

“N6S is there to help connect ‘tenderfeet’ with ‘old hands’ to try, find, and share stuff to get you going,” according to the website.

The Six-Shooters initiated a Clean Shooter Incentive in 2016, offering the chance to gain credits toward a free non-championship match. Clean Shooters are those who have no time penalties for missed balloons, dropped guns, dropped barrels or gate cones, or lost hats.

Participants also may enter a Clean Shooter Jackpot which splits the proceeds among those achieving Clean Shooter credentials.

The Northeast Six-Shooters is a family club and shooting events are open to a variety of levels of competition, ranging from novice to professional levels. The CMSA lists a men’s division, a women’s division, and a seniors’ division, each with classes ranging from 1 to 6. There also is a “Wrangler Class” for those 11 and under, with special rules for young riders.

“Kids are allowed to ride … we actually encourage them because they are the future of the sport,” Christine said. “The riders in the Wrangler Class ride the same pattern that the grown-ups do, but they may shoot Hollywood cap pistols, engaging each target as if they were shooting real blanks. They then shoot the real McCoy (.45’s with blanks) at balloons when they reach the age of 12.”

She said the senior class is for people that are 50 and older, but “I personally think 50 is too young for ‘senior.’”

There are more than 50 possible riding patterns for the competitions, with the specific patterns being either pre-determined or drawn from a hat on the day of the competition.

“Each pattern consists of 10 balloons,” Christine said, noting that a competition may have between three and six patterns a day.

“To give you an idea of riding a pattern, let’s say that there are five white balloons and five red balloons. The five white balloons may be grouped together in one place or spread out over the entire arena. The rider shoots all five white balloons first. Then, the rider holsters the first gun while riding to the far end of the arena, draws the second gun, and shoots the five red balloons, which are usually five in a row straight towards the finish line. This is called ‘the Rundown’.”

Riders are scored on both time and accuracy. There is a five-second penalty for each missed balloon, a five-second penalty for dropping a gun, a 10-second penalty for not running the course correctly, and a 60-second penalty for falling off a horse.

“Speed is important; however, accuracy is usually more important than speed,” Christine said. “A typical pattern can be run in 15-35 seconds, so penalties can really hurt.”

Origins

Cowboy Action Shooting, as embodied by the international Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association, originated in Southern California in the 1980s and quickly spread across the country. The sport features mid- to late-1800s handguns, rifles, and shotguns, with participants in appropriately styled western costumes or soldiers’ uniforms competing on the ground and on horseback, sometimes using live rounds.

One aspect of the sport was the requirement that participants select an alias from the Old West, or a name with an “Old West flair” such as a banker shooting under the alias “The Loan Arranger.” Each registered name had to be unique and not sound like another registered name.

The Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association formed in the mid-1990s with an emphasis on equestrian handling skills as well as competitive shooting but forbidding the use of live rounds and limiting the guns to the single-action revolvers. While it draws from both equestrian groups and those involved in Cowboy Action Shooting, it limits the competitions to mounted events. It sanctions events such as the Halloween Shoot, allowing contestants to accumulate points that can be applied to other CMSA competitions.

The Northeast Six-Shooters hold occasional practices that reinforce the training and offer exhibition runs at matches to help riders overcome “game day” excitement.

For more information about the Six-Shooters and the Halloween Shoot, email n6s.club@gmail.com.

Thinking About Purchasing a Pontoon Boat?

Thinking About Purchasing a Pontoon Boat?

By Thomas P. Caldwell

Docked at Cottage

The image that comes to mind is relaxing in the sun, diving into the water, sharing a cool drink, and enjoying company while at anchor on a calm lake.

Or maybe it’s gently moving along with fishing poles poised for catching bass or lake trout.

Perhaps it’s moving at a faster pace to tow a wakeboarder or enjoy the breeze on a hot summer’s day.

All of these are possible with a pontoon boat, one of the most flexible watercraft out there.

Choosing the right pontoon boat, however, can be daunting. You will need to consider where you’ll be using it. For speed and stability on large lakes or the ocean where the waters may be choppy and there is a need to travel longer distances, a longer pontoon boat with a more powerful motor will be necessary. On smaller, protected lakes and rivers, shorter, easily maneuverable boats with less horsepower make more sense.

The size of the deck and weight capacity also are important if you expect to carry passengers. Mid-sized boats offer greater flexibility in a number of situations, but if you do not plan to carry many people — or only intend to use it as a “party boat” — smaller or larger boats may be more appropriate.

As you consider the size, you also have to consider the price, and here it is important to also keep in mind the cost of licenses and registration, fuel, annual maintenance, and off-season storage — amounts that could reach thousands of dollars.

Boat dealers and marinas can offer valuable advice on such decisions and also discuss the options in seating and electronics that you will need to consider. Standard equipment such as lights and horn can be customized with specialized lighting, sound, and electronics.

A depth-finder is useful in all cases, but for fishing and navigating in unfamiliar areas, it is an essential tool with many levels of sophistication to consider. Fishing packages can include specialized electronics, fishing seats, rod storage, and a livewell.

Dealers also can advise those planning to tow tubers or wakeboarders on horsepower needs. Having at least a 150-hp outboard with an optional towing pylon or tow bar are things to consider.

In addition to audio systems and interior lighting, those planning to do entertaining on board may want to upgrade the standard upholstery and flooring for more comfort and luxury.

Whatever the intended use, a Bimini cover can be considered an essential option, providing shade from the sun and some protection from an unexpected storm.

Another useful option is a changing room to get in and out of swimwear. The most economical ones are pop-up enclosures, some of which offer enough space to accommodate a small portable toilet as well. Drop-down changing rooms offer more space, or you can have custom-made changing areas for more ease and privacy.

Various floor plans and seating option are available, depending upon the intended use.

Boaters who simply want to enjoy an easy cruise on calm waters will have a great time on the common two-tube pontoon, but those looking for more speed or wanting more control in choppy waters may favor three-tube pontoons, which offer better balance and weight distribution, and can provide greater stability with the more powerful engines.

Keep in mind that three-tube pontoon boats are larger and may require a larger trailer to support the middle tube and longer hull.

That brings us to the matter of the towing capacity of your vehicle. Unless you plan to buy a new vehicle as well, or on hiring someone to tow your boat trailer, it is a good idea, before purchasing a pontoon boat, to check on whether you can safely tow it. To make sure the weight is within your vehicle’s towing capacity, add the weight of the boat to the weight of the trailer that will carry it. The boat also should fit completely within the trailer.

Besides towing capacity and trailer size, make sure the boat you consider purchasing will fit your dock and boat storage area.

Once all those issues have been addressed and you have your new boat, you still need a boating license in order to operate it. New Hampshire requires the completion of a boating education course for those at least 16 years old and those who will be operating a ski craft or a vessel with a motor of more than 25 hp.

The website learntoboat.com offers an online course that is approved by the the state, making it easy to learn the necessary information to pass the boating examination. Students completing the course will receive a voucher for a proctored exam. To schedule an exam, go to https://www.register-ed.com/programs/newhampshire/175.

Among those lessons is the importance of wearing life jackets (personal flotation devices) at all times while you are on a boat. The water can be extremely dangerous, especially if you are not a good swimmer. Drownings have occurred in such minor situations as attempting to retrieve a hat that has blown off in the wind.

The online course teaches the types of navigational aids, such as buoys, that warn of dangers; proper procedures when encountering other watercraft; how to embark from and return to a dock; what to do when weather affects visibility or threatens to get worse; and other things that a pilot must keep in mind.

One thing that boaters always have to keep in mind is the danger of intoxication. When a pontoon boat serves as a “party boat” that is an especially important lesson. Whoever is piloting the boat must avoid all alcoholic drinks, and even passengers should drink in moderation so they are prepared if there should be an emergency on the water.

With all these things in mind, there is no reason not to get out on the water in a pontoon boat and enjoy the weather, the water, and good companionship. It is what lake living is all about.

One-Stop Shop for Meredith History

One-Stop Shop for Meredith History

By Thomas P. Caldwell

The completion of a $50,000 renovation project and the creation of a timeline of the town’s history have made the Meredith Historical Society a must-see location for those wanting to learn about the people and buildings that contributed to the community one sees today in what is known as the “Latchkey to the White Mountains.”

The society’s museum at 45 Main Street has two floors of historical displays as well as a research library with archives that include material from the town’s past and genealogical files for those looking for information on their ancestors.

The museum has both ongoing displays and revolving exhibits of the artifacts people have donated through the years. Current displays include examples of 1920s women’s clothing and accessories associated with the era of the Women’s Progress Club.

From pre-European-settlement information on the Native Americans who originally populated the area, and continuing through Meredith’s being named by Travel and Leisure magazine as one of the top 10 small towns on the East Coast to visit, the timeline offers a decade-by-decade account of the highlights, beginning with the 1750s when the township proprietors named their land grant “Salem.” It was renamed New Salem in 1752, and Meredith in 1768.

Among Meredith’s most famous residents from the early years was Dudley Leavitt, for whom Leavitt Park is named. He moved to town in 1806, publishing his New England Almanac and opening a private school. This summer, Leavitt’s descendants from around the country will be holding a reunion in the area, with plans to visit the museum, which has a portrait of Dudley Leavitt and a display of some of the tools he used. The display also includes a figure depicting Leavitt, created by acclaimed dollmaker Gwen Flather of Meredith.

The building housing the Meredith Historical Society’s Main Street Museum dates to 1812, when Abel Kimball built it as a home and saddle shop. Through the years, the building has served as a post office (with a safe that remains in the building), a bank (with its own safe still there), a needlework shop, and a toy store. The Meredith Public Library had been located on one floor of the building until the current library building was erected, and White Mountain Power Company, a predecessor to the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, also had its headquarters there at one time.

The Meredith Historical Society dates back to 1950, when a group of residents that included Ruth and Carl Colby formed the society. A collection of historical artifacts donated by Charlie Roberts, who had operated Pinnacle Park Zoo until it was washed out in the hurricane of 1938, made up the core display at the museum.

Harold and Esther Wyatt got involved with the historical society a couple of decades later, and their daughters remain active in the organization today.

The group first operated out of the Pottle Meeting House, a former First Free Will Baptist church situated on Winona Road. When the Main Street building became available in 1994, the historical society acquired it and converted it into a museum. The Pottle Meeting House became the society’s farm museum, displaying farm tools and other artifacts from its collection.

Transforming The Town

As the timeline indicates, Meredith was largely built around mills, with its ample supply of waterpower. By 1842, there were 11 mills, 10 stores, and three taverns in town. Voters in 1845 voted to invest $10,000 in the newly incorporated Boston, Concord, and Montreal Railroad, and tracks reached Meredith Village in 1849. That also was the year the Winnipisseogee Steamboat Company launched the Lady of the Lakes, ushering in the new “vacation era.”

Other major events in the town’s history included the loss of the Meredith Bridge section of town, which included Lake Village and The Weirs, to the newly created town of Laconia in 1855. That section represented about 45 percent of the town’s population and much of its commercial base.

Then came the Civil War, with Meredith men comprising the majority of recruits for Company 1 of the 12th New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry. The regiment would experience severe losses at the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg.

The Boston & Maine Railroad launched the steamboat SS Mount Washington in 1872, the same year workmen discovered what has become known as the Meredith Mystery Stone while digging near the outlet of the village canal.

The S.S Mount Washington is not the same ship that now plies the waters of Lake Winnipesaukee. It was a wooden side-wheeler, 178 feet in length, and it was destroyed when a fire broke out in the railroad station in December 1939, spreading down the ramp to the dock where the S.S. Mount Washington was berthed for the winter.

Captain Leander Lavallee announced that he would replace the vessel, and he located the Chateauguay, a 203-foot-long iron ship, on Lake Champlain in Vermont. He brought it to the Big Lake and renamed it the SS Mount Washington II, and it operated under that name until 1946, when the steam engines were replaced with diesel engines, and it was rechristened the M/V Mount Washington. In 1982, the ship was cut down the center in order to add 25 feet to its length, and it was reclassified as the M/S Mount Washington.

The Mystery Stone was another story. Seneca Ladd, a founder of Meredith Village Savings Bank in 1869, had men digging on the outlet of Lake Waukewan in 1872 when they unearthed an engraved egg-shaped stone, encased in mud.

Rudy VanVeghten, a member of the Meredith Historical Society, said similar rocks — oval with holes drilled in each end — were used by Woodlands Indians to weigh down their fishing nets.

“But they didn’t have carvings on them,” he said. “So what’s going on?”

Architects who have examined the rock — now on display at the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord — have questioned its authenticity, but VanVeghten says, “I don’t think Seneca Ladd would have forged it himself, and who would have planted it there in the mud?”

Twentieth Century and Beyond

Meredith residents, saying, “The fear of meeting automobiles has deterred many people … owing to the fact that numerous runaways and broken wagons were the result of the encounters with the ‘red devils,’” established a speed limit of 5 mph in 1903, according to the society’s timeline.

Babe Ruth, whose wife, Helen, had lived in Meredith, began winter visits in 1916, where he is said have enjoyed sleigh riding.

The year 1955 was an important one for the town, as Annalee and Chip Thorndike established Annalee Dolls, which became a worldwide enterprise, and Hart’s Turkey Farm Restaurant opened for business. Hart’s remains a popular place for its turkey dinners and catering service. (The Historical Society Museum has a display of Annalee Dolls, along with those of Gwen Flather; and Annalee’s daughter-in-law, Karen Thorndike, serves as president of the historical society.)

Bob Montana of Archie comic book fame moved to Meredith and incorporated some of the town’s residents and locations into the series. He also took part in community theater productions and was active in other community events. The Historical Society Museum has a display of original Archie drawings, among other artifacts, and also in downtown Meredith, a statue of Archie on a park bench occupies Community Park, across from the building Montana used to occupy.

With the mill era having ended by that time, Edward “Rusty” McLear developed the Mill Falls Inn and Marketplace around the old mill buildings in 1984, leading the town’s transformation into a modern tourist destination. In 1993, his company purchased the building at One Bay Point and renovated it into Lago Restaurant and the Inn at Bay Point. In 2003, they acquired the St. Charles Church property to create a resort hotel named Church Landing.

Karen Thorndike said the timeline has inspired teachers of third-grade students in the Inter-Lakes School District to encourage the children to write their own personal timelines, and the Meredith Farm Museum sends old farm clothing and tools to fourth-grade students as part of their studies.

Heart and Hands Thrift Shop donated $1,500 to have the timeline printed in a booklet that could go out to the third- and fourth graders.

John Hopper, who did the bulk of the writing for the timeline, also takes part in the Meredith Historical Society Speakers Series, having recently given a talk on Meredith’s Page Pond Community Forest. VanVeghten will be releasing his new booklet on Native American history, “Clash of Cultures: The Story of the Penacooks, the Winnipesaukees, and Chiefs Passaconaway, Wonalancet and Kancamagus,” during a talk at the Meredith Community Center on Tuesday, July 5. The full schedule of talks appears at https://meredithhistoricalsocietynh.org/2022-calendar/.

The historical society has partnered with the New Hampshire Boat Museum of Wolfeboro for some lake-related exhibits, including water skis.

The Meredith Historical Society’s extensive family files are due to the work of John McFarland, a former teacher who had a background in history and an interest in genealogy when he joined the historical society.

“I’m building a genealogy of the early families of Meredith, which is an unending task for us,” McFarland said. “It’s building to close to 6,000 individuals.”

Rita Polhemus serves as the society’s database manager, and Judy Dever staffs the museum, which is open six days a week from Memorial Day through Columbus Day, then once a week “through Thanksgiving or Christmas, or as long as we can keep people coming in,” said VanVeghten.

For those unable to visit in person, the society’s website at www.meredithhistoricalsocietynh.org offers a great deal of information on Meredith, with links to other sources.