Olympic Swimmer Helen Wainwright Hired at Hotel

My lecture at Wentworth by the Sea was postponed this week due to–well, you know why you’re “sheltering at home” these days. There’s a point in my talk where I show a black and white photo of an attractive woman in her 50s. I tell the audience this is the most famous employee in the history of Wentworth Hotel in New Castle, NH. Does anyone recognize her?

Unless someone cheated and has read my book, no one knows. Then I click my remote control and a picture of a long-haired girl in a leather suit appears. She is holding a rifle and, of course, it is Annie Oakley. Oakley offered target shooting classes to women staying here at the hotel. Classes were held on the golf course in the post-World War I era. Having retired from Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, the former “Little Sure Shot” made a comeback as a summer attraction sponsored by the Red Cross. Ms. Oakley was still able to blast the “pips” out of a playing card while on horseback.

This being Women’s History Month, we’re looking at the second most famous employee of the New Castle hotel. A decade after Annie Oakley, former Olympic diving and freestyle medalist Helen Wainwright offered swimming lessons to hotel guests. She also gave demonstrations in the large salt water pool built by owner Harry Beckwirth for his exclusive clientele. The pool was connected to “The Ship,” a ship-shaped structure with a bar, restaurant,and movie theater, now replaced by rental units and condos.

While other employees were happy to take home $200 for an entire summer’s work, Wainwright reportedly signed a contract for $5,000. Her male counterpart, Olympic diving medalist Johnny Weissmuller, had since gained fame as Tarzan in the movies.

I chronicled all this in my book-length history of the hotel. Soon after the book appeared in 2004, I was approached by then-Mayor Evelyn Sirrell (1931-2009). “You forgot to include the most famous Wentworth by the Sea employee in your book,” she said with a mock serious face.

“Who was that?” I asked with authentic horror.

“IT WAS ME!!” the mayor laughed, and slapped me on the back. “But I forgive you,” she said.

Copyright 2020, J. Dennis Robinson, all rights reserved.