SeacoastNH.com Presents

Historic Portsmouth #308b

The Original Cat in the Hat

This one is way off the charts, but I could not resist. Recently I spoke to the Newmarket Historical Society. I have long been a fan of their eclectic collection of artifacts packed into display cases that encircle the first floor of the old school house. The museum is located in a monumental stone structure right next to the Stone Church at the top of Zion’s Hill on Granite Street. (Continued below)

The collection includes signs, shoes made at the nearby mills, dolls, Edison wax music cylinders, clothes, farm implements stacked everywhere. My eye fell immediately on this printed picture of a cat in a hat and collar. No one knows where it came from or what it means, but it proves our fascination for animals wearing clothes began long before YouTube. It also seems to symbolize the whimsical nature of this entertaining town archive. Every town in the seacoast region has an hsitorical society. They are a joy to visit on a lazy summer afternoon just a short drive from Portsmouth. Public access to the Newmarket Historical Society is limited to two hours per week (Thursdays 2-4 pm, June through August) or by appointment at 603-247-3375. (Courtesy Dave LeGault)