FRESH STUFF DAILY
Seacoast New Hampshire
& South Coast Maine
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
|
|
| |
|
|
|
1164
propecia 5mg canadianpharmacy get viagra without a prescription Pharmacy Suopport Team propecia guaranteed canadianpharmacy canada cheapest med where to buy fenfluramine canadian cialis cheapest daily cialis online viagra viagra canada pharmacy viagra on line canadianpharmacy cialis daily 25mg no prescription online pharmacy get viagra pharmac y support group viagra online cialis viagra canada get viagra viagra for sale online viagra with no prescription viagra canada cialis 5 mg free cialis online prescritions viagra how it works canada cheapest med lexapro viagra with no prescription propecia without prescription propecia without prescription viagra online without prescription
0
|
Memoir of a Clever New England Girl
|
 |
 |
|
Written by J. Dennis Robinson
|
|
Page 1 of 3
HISTORY MATTERS
In an unfinished memoir dictated in her dying days, Charlotte Haven (1819 –1900) of California told of growing up in Yankee society in Portsmouth, NH. Selections from her revealing, but brief autobiography are published here for the first time courtesy of Ruth Given.
Memoirs from the early days of Portsmouth are rare. Rarer still are the recorded lives of women, especially talented writers like Charlotte Ann Haven. Charlotte moved to Wisconsin in the 1850s to join a utopian community. Years earlier, she met Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church, and recorded her impressions.
Charlotte made her way to California soon after the Gold Rush days, and just before her death in 1900, she dictated a few precious pages of her early memories to her daughter. Ruth Given of California, a descendant, sent me a transcript after she saw one of my Portsmouth history articles online. Bursting with enthusiasm and detail, this 37-page memoir has never been published – until now. Here are a few samples.
A Shaefe Haven
Charlotte Haven was born in 1819 in a house on Vaughan Street previously occupied by a young Daniel Webster and his wife. Across the narrow street was the ornate Assembly Rooms that 30 years earlier George Washington had called "one of the best I have seen anywhere in the United States." In fact, before dining there with the "very handsome ladies" of Portsmouth in 1789, Washington visited privately with Rev. Samuel Haven, Charlotte’s grandfather. She was also descended from the Shaefe family whose ancient warehouse still stands in Prescott Park.
The grand Assembly House is gone, and Vaughan Street fell to urban renewal in the 20th century. But back in the early 1800s, Charlotte’s mother recalled watching the fancy parties and dancing classes across Vaughan Street from an upper window. Charlotte’s brother Henderson, according to family legend, "would take a huge fan that my father brought back with him from the East Indies and pace on the top of the house fanning himself, to the great amusement of the people attending the dancing school."
Soon after her birth, Charlotte’s family moved to the expanding residential neighborhood on Middle Street. Her wealthy uncle Charles Haven owned a three-story house with 17 rooms, a brick carriage house, two "water closets" and 10 storage closets, some as big as bedrooms. The parlor contained a Russian fireplace – "an indescribable affair of soap-stone, eighteen feet by fifteen feet". Candles were the primary lighting source. Silver and green paper imported from France covered the walls and a Grecian window opened and led down to the garden. Charlotte, the seventh of 12 children, lived here until she migrated West.
CONTINUE PORTSMOUTH MEMOIR
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 Next > End >>
|
Please visit these SeacoastNH.com ad partners.
Portsmouth Herald
|
Portsmouth Herald Latest Headlines
|
| Portsmouth Herald News from SeacoastOnline.com |
-
UNH football rallies past Maine to secure playoff spot
DURHAM — Another year, another trip to the Division I playoffs for the University of New Hampshire football team.Another year, another excruciating loss for Maine.
-
UNH hockey powers past Terriers
DURHAM — The play of the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team special teams looked, well, special, Friday night against Boston University.
-
Father-son coaches creating legacy with Winnacunnet football
HAMPTON — If nothing else, Winnacunnet High School has proven that two Steve Magris are better than one when it comes to coaching football.
-
Bergeron wins it for B's in OT
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Patrice Bergeron scored with 47 seconds left in overtime, lifting the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.
-
NFL's premier corner Revis mans up on Moss again
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Darrelle Revis has heard enough about his last matchup with Randy Moss. The New York Jets cornerback just wants to move on to the next one.
-
Emotional home finale for UNH football
DURHAM — One year ago this week, University of New Hampshire strong safety Terrence Klein intercepted two late passes to preserve a snowy 28-24 win at Maine, more proof that...
-
Carter, Magic drop Celtics
BOSTON — Vince Carter scored 26 points, Rashard Lewis had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic beat the Boston Celtics 83-78 on Friday night.
-
Portsmouth says stimulus jobs overstated by White House
PORTSMOUTH — While federal stimulus dollars flowing into the city may help both causes and the economy, at least one local project echoes concerns expressed nationwide about the accuracy of...
-
Joseph Popluhar
TAMPA, Fla. — Mr. Joseph Popluhar, 71, of Tampa, formerly of Portsmouth, N.H., beloved husband of Marjorie (Hunt) Popluhar, died Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009, in Florida.
-
Turkey Trot 5K in Portsmouth on Thanksgiving morning
PORTSMOUTH — Thanksgiving is one of the most charitable times of the year. If you're in the giving mood, why not get a little exercise, too?
-
Marshwood Middle School parents told 58 of 60 kids accepted unknown Facebook friend
ELIOT, Maine — Marshwood Middle School parents were shocked to learn from Internet expert Jayne Hitchcock Thursday evening that 58 of 60 middle school honors students accepted her as a...
-
Newington tax rate drops, but selectman chides state lawmakers
NEWINGTON — Town taxpayers will pay a lower tax rate for 2009, but the chairman of the Board of Selectmen announced the good news with some concerns for state politicians.
-
Memorial Bridge re-opens
PORTSMOUTH — The Memorial Bridge reopened ahead of schedule on Friday following a month of repairs that forced motorists to seek alternative routes between the city and Kittery, Maine.
-
Bakers bustling for Sunday's pie festival
GREENLAND — Judy Alix laughed excitedly. "Thirty made, only 470 more to go!" she exclaimed.
-
3-car crash on Woodbury Ave.
PORTSMOUTH — A three-car, chain-reaction crash snarled lunch hour traffic Friday on Woodbury Avenue and sent a Maine man to Portsmouth Regional Hospital.
-
Runner's Alley helps racer achieve her goals
I would like to thank Janine and the staff at Runner's Alley for their great work in this community. Their contribution, enthusiasm and encouragement are a shining example of what...
-
John R. Genthner
HAMPTON FALLS — John Richard Genthner, born Jan. 28, 1943, in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, died peacefully Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, after a long illness. He was surrounded by...
-
Thumbs up to preservation, determination
Thumbs up to the heirs of Mary McIntire Davis for selling a 239-acre parcel of salt marsh and forest along the York River to the York Land Trust ,and to...
-
New Generation raises $10,000 with golf tourney
The New Generation Golf tournament was held at Breakfast Hill Golf Club. With the help of all those who supported it, we made more than $10,000.
-
Memorial is a N.H. bridge; Herald must act to save it
Sitting a couple of hundred miles up the Maine coast, there isn't anyone who knows or cares about our bridge. They've got their own big-time problems that aren't getting fixed.
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, November 21, 2009 |
|
|
|
