40 years after On Golden Pond, Squam Lake maintains its appeal
By Linda Laban
New Hampshire s Lakes region is dominated by the deliciously pronounceable Lake Winnipesaukee. But it was nearby smaller Squam Lake that gained fame 40 years ago with the release of the movie “On Golden Pond,” the second highest growing movie of 1981. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” came in first, but Indy takes some beating, even now.
The small town of Holderness, which wraps around Squam Lake’s western shore, doesn’t look much changed since Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda rolled in to shoot the three-time Oscar winning film. Big stars though they are, it was some local characters who stole many scenes: Squam Lake’s loon population, calling out in their eerily beautiful fashion, became overnight sensations.