Historic Wicwas Lodge topic of Meredith Historical Society program

MEREDITH – Tourism has been an area of focus this year for the Meredith Historical Society, and the next program in the society’s speaker series will focus on a key venue of that industry.

Dean Dexter of Concord, whose family has a many-generations-long association with Lake Wicwas, will be the featured speaker at the Tuesday, Oct. 1, program titled The Smiths of Wicwas Lodge.

Dexter grew up in Laconia, spending summers during his childhood at a family cottage on Lake Wicwas “in the shadow of a great summer boarding house,” he said.

Set on a hill overlooking the lake, Wicwas Lodge was also a working farm operated by his grandparents on land owned by the Smith family since the 1800s. It replaced the Wicwas Lake House, which was destroyed by fire in 1935. A large four-story edifice, the Lake House was where his grandfather Joseph Smith Jr. and siblings grew up. The Smiths went on to become successful in business, education, veterinary medicine and politics.

Dexter has had a long career in journalism and public service. He is a past president of the Lake Wicwas Association and a current board member. He is a former editor and reporter for two former Lakes Region newspapers, The Laconia News and Laconia Evening Citizen. He also served a stint as editorial writer for the Manchester Union Leader; for several years was contributing editor of New Hampshire Magazine; and conducted a public issues interview program for a Manchester cable company for a decade.

“Wicwas Lodge was one of the more popular tourist destinations in Meredith for many years,” said John Hopper, president of the Meredith Historical Society. “Dean’s program will be a great opportunity to learn more about this historic property.”

This program will be held Tuesday, Oct. 1, at the Meredith Community Center. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for light refreshments. The program begins at 7 p.m.

For more information, visit meredithhistoricalsocietynh.org.