Bear Island

Bear Island is in Meredith NH

It is the largest non-bridged island on Lake Winnipesaukee.

According to the Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Society, the island got its name when a few hunters along with a few members of the Pennacook tribe were sent to survey the island. However, they encountered a few bears, which they decided to hunt.

Originally the island was named "Big Bear Island", which was later shortened to "Bear Island" when the island was annexed by the town of Meredith in 1799.

The island was once home to a small community of farmers who tilled the rocky soil and raised livestock.

During the steamboat era, the Bear Island hotel attracted many guests who came to the region by rail.

Bear island is located east of Meredith Neck in Lake Winnipesaukee.

Its nearest point to the mainland is about 1,200 feet off the southern end of Meredith Neck, while most of the island is 0.5 to 1.0 mile out into the lake.

The island is 3 miles in length with about 8.5 miles of shoreline.

The island is divided roughly into two land regions by The Carry, a narrow section in the middle of the island, legendarily named for the practice of carrying one's canoe to reach the other side of the island. Each of the two halves of the island rise approximately 150 feet above the surface of the surrounding lake.

The whole island is generally forested. The shoreline is lined with seasonal cottages, with the exceptions of the summer camps described below.

The majority of the interior land is placed into conservation. Walking trails abound. As the rocky soil was once farmed, a number of stone walls cross the island.

Solomon Lovejoy operated a ferry service out of what would become Shep Brown's shore house on Meredith Neck in the mid-1800s.  As that time wooden sailing gundalows had been replaced by "horse boats" powered by two whose weight on a sloping treadmill caused the lags of water wheels on each side of the boat to move.  In July 1988, a scuba diving team located a horse boat hull on the bottom of the channel near the buoys between Pine and Bear Islands.  This horse boat most likely belonged to Mr. Lovejoy.

Dolly's Point opposite Cattle Landing was named after the daughter of an early Bear Island settler who ran a taxi (ferry) to Meredith Neck at Cattle Landing and in her free time distributed stiff (alcoholic) beverages to Bear Islanders.

Solomon Lovejoy purchased the Bear Island House on a rise on the northern part of the island in 1852.  It had been operated as a boarding house prior to that time.  His wife, not being afraid of hard work, did all the cleaning and cooking for the 100 guests who came to stay in the 40 rooms of the hotel.  Sol spent more of his time sitting under the trees thinking about new inventions.  He was reported to have built the first gasoline-driven boat on the lake. 

St John’s - a non-denominational church was established in 1927.  It was built around a then 25-year-old observation tower. Services are offered on summer Sundays at 10:00. The chapel is located on the highest elevation of Bear Island.  It can be reached by a short walk from the church docks located in Deep Cove on the west side of the island, as well as by other marked paths.

The island houses two YMCA summer camps, one for boys and one for girls. The boys' camp is called Camp Lawrence, and its sister camp is called Camp Nokomis. Both are sponsored by the Bear Island Camps Association under the direction of the Merrimack Valley YMCA.

Mail is still delivered daily by the only floating post office in the United States, the Sophie C. to a dock at the northern end of the island.

Bear Island Post Office (2017)

Lovers Lane - A dirt road that originates at the Post Office at the northwestern end of the island and continues through much of the northern portion of the island.  Many home owners put out sign posts, mail boxes, and benches along Lovers Lane at the border of their land.

Annie Duquette - Becky Fuller's Great Great Grandmother, for generations Becky's family has owned cottages in French Cove on the southern tip of Bear Island across from Mark Island.