Many moons ago, on the northern shores of this beautiful lake, lived a great chief named Wonaton.
Wonaton was renowned for his great courage in war and for the beauty of his fair daughter Mineola. She had many suitors but refused them all. One day, Adiwando, the young chief of a hostile tribe to the south, hearing so much of the fair Mineola, paddled over the lake and fearlessly entered the village of his enemies. Wonaton happened to be away at the time, and, admiring his courage, the rest of the Indians did not harm him. Before long, he and the Indian maid were desperately in love with each other. Wonaton, on his return, was exceedingly wroth to find the chief of the enemy in his camp and a suitor for the hand of his daughter, so much so, that he immediately raised his tomahawk and started to kill Adiwando.
Mineola, rushing between them, pleaded with her father for the life of her lover, and finally succeeded in reconciling them. After the wedding ceremony, the whole tribe accompanied the two lovers in their canoes half-way across the lake. The sky, when they started, was overcast and the waters black, but just as the Indians were about to turn and leave them, the sun came out and the waters sparkled around the canoe of Mineola and Adiwando.
“This is a good omen,” said Wonaton, “and hereafter these waters shall be called “Winnipesaukee” or “The smile of the Great Spirit.”
Author Unknown
Lake Winnipesaukee
Area: 44,568 acres
Max Depth: 187 feet
Shoreline: 240 miles
Location: Alton, Center Harbor, Gilford, Laconia, Meredith, Moultonborough, Tuftonboro, Wolfeboro.
Info: Lake Winnipesaukee is NH’s largest and most famous lake. It has 72 square miles of surface Area, 274 islands and approximately 625 billion gallons of water! Its length is 22.9 miles and its width is 7.5 miles and its average depth is 62 ft. It is very popular lake for all water sports, with many lakeside restaurants dotting its Shoreline. Lake Winnipesaukee is the 6th largest natural lake completely inside US boarders. The largest island on the lake is Long Island (1,186 acres), followed by Bear Island (780 acres), Cow Island (522 acres) and Governors Island (504 acres).
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