Paddle steamer Mount Washington (the "Old Mount")

Original Mount Washington c. 1920

The history of the MS Mount Washington dates back to 1872 when the original paddle steamer Mount Washington was launched from Alton Bay. The Mount was the largest of all the steamers on the lake at 187 feet (57 m) in length, with a beam of 49 feet (15 m). She was driven by a single cylinder steam engine of 450 horsepower (340 kW) that operated at approximately 26 RPM. Power was transferred from the vertical cylinder to the paddle wheel shaft by the walking beam, high above the upper deck, oscillating at the frequency of the paddle wheels.

She was built by the Boston and Maine Railroad Company with the intent of transporting cargo and passengers around the lake. By the late 19th century it was not uncommon for her to transport over 60,000 passengers in a single season. In the 1920s, with the rise of the automobile and declining train usage, the Boston and Maine Railroad Co. made the decision to sell the steamer to Captain Leander Lavallee. Captain Lavallee operated the Mount as a tourist attraction, still drawing crowds of over 60,000 a season.

The "Old Mount" graced Winnipesaukee for a total of 67 years before being destroyed on December 23, 1939, by fire. She was tied up at dock when a fire started at a nearby railway station. The fire spread down the dock and engulfed her at her home port. Efforts to cut the Mount loose were to no avail as it was a time of extremely low water and the hull was stuck fast in the mud of the lake bottom.