Ossipee

Ossipee takes its name from the Indigenous people who lived near the lake and mountains of eastern New Hampshire. The Ossipee Mountains form a circular range west of the lake, the remnant of an ancient volcanic ring. Several streams feed Ossipee Lake, whose outlet flows east toward the Saco River.

The Ossipee had a stockaded fort here, intended to protect them against attacks by the Mohawk from the west. In 1725 the fort was destroyed and Captain John Lovewell rebuilt it; the new fort became one of the largest in New England. Colonial settlement later developed under the name New Garden, and the town was incorporated as Ossipee in 1785. Farmers used the rough ground for pasture and grew wheat and potatoes.