“Little Museum at the End of the Road”
Early Recreation in Waterville Valley
What Brought you to Waterville Valley?
Waterville has been a popular destination for lovers of outdoor activities for many years and many generations.
This page showcases a selection of photos and artifacts from the exhibit presented in our ‘Little Museum at the End of the Road’ beside the Post Office from July to December 2025, focusing on the early origins of recreation in Waterville.
Origins
Nathaniel Greeley and his wife came to Waterville in 1831, and they built a log cabin on Snows Mountain in an area now known as Greeley Hill. They later built a home on the valley’s floor and opened their home to guests.
What brought these early travelers to Waterville, despite the difficulty of accessing this remote valley? Nature and healthy air were a big attraction. Fishing became popular in the 1840’s. Hiking came next, and in the 1850’s Nathaniel created the first system of hiking trails in the United States.
The number of summer visitors continued to grow, and in 1860 Nathaniel and his two sons built Waterville’s first summer hotel. A “bowling saloon,” was built the same year as further entertainment for the guests, and a “resort” was born.
Unfortunately, the hotel burned to the ground in 1861, just one year later. The fire did not stop guests from coming to the valley, and Nathaniel once again opened his home to these guests. In 1868 Nathaniel and son built a second hotel, which was smaller and attached to his home.
We know that croquet was being played in front of the second hotel in 1871, and tennis arrived in 1884. Golf was introduced in 1898 by two summer residents.
Fall of 1916, Hike in the woods, donated by Jerauld Adams
Canteen, US Forest Service Department of Agriculture
1918, Four hikers cooking over fire, donated by Jerauld Adams
Can of FLIT, Fly and Mosquito Killer
Hiking in Waterville Valley
Ladies fishing from a bridge
Fly fishing rod and case, Casting Reel and line Donated by the Lorenz family
Trouting in Waterville
By Raymond W. Kucharski
Nathaniel Greeley built a farmhouse on the floor of the valley sometime around 1845. It wasn’t long before word got out that the Mad River and its tributaries were loaded with large brook trout. Soon fishermen began arriving, asking to stay at the farmhouse. An ardent admirer of Waterville wrote in the Boston Journal, “Trouting is a great attraction for the gentlemen, many brooks prolific in the spotted beauty emptying themselves into the main river.”
An 1868 advertisement for Greeley’s House read, “It is situated in the midst of the wildest mountain scenery, with a climate remarkable for its cool and equal temperature, with numerous streams and ponds in the immediate vicinity, comprising the best trout fishing grounds in the State.” Now the word was really out and Waterville was on the map.
Trout only live in beautiful places, and Waterville Valley has more than its fair share of beautiful places. The Mad River and its tributaries continue to hold wild brook trout, and the New Hampshire Fish and Game stocks the river with one and two-year-old brook and rainbow trout. In Town Square, Corcoran Pond provides accessible fishing for the younger set.
Fishing in Waterville Valley
First bowling alley(saloon) built in 1860 collapsed under snow in 1903
Inside of Bowling Saloon
Wooden Bowling Ball, donated by Birdie Britton
Bowling in Waterville Valley
Croquet Photo, 1872, l-r Mary Bachelder, Mrs. N.S. Bachelder, Mary Briggs, Frank Briggs, Alice Fletcher
Croquet mallet, hoop, ball, stake, Donated by the WVAIA
Louise Fabyan in her “Gay Ninety” Croquet Best, Donated by Jerauld Adams
Croquet in Waterville Valley
1904 Young tennis players on Official’s Chair, Katherine Wheeler, Francis Whittlesey, Grace Wheeler, Judd Farley
Tennis rackets, donated by the Lorenz family
Tennis ladies getting ready for a match including Francis Whittlesey
Tennis in Waterville Valley
Judge Bacon golfing (possibly a friend of the Fabyans’s), donated by Jerauld Adams
Golf bag and two clubs, donated by the Lorenz Family
1920 Golfers in front of the Inn, including Dr. Briggs, Henry Stearns, and Judge Wheeler
Golf in Waterville Valley
Art Show Poster from 1979 Waterville Valley 150th “Sesquicentennial” Celebration
Framed photo, 1949 “Dressed in Drag”, L-r Gerard McNutt, Stephen McNutt, Warren Mansfield, Mrs. Bassett, Augusta Patton. Donated by Jerauld Adams
1924, Two young men on burros
Framed photo, The Kitchen Police of Waterville, August 1942, donated by Jerauld Adams
Framed photo, August 31, 1932 Solar Eclipse Party at the Fabyan Cottage, donated by Jerauld Adams
1872 Play: The Spirit of 1776
Social Events in Waterville Valley