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 ASK, RANT OR PRAISE, BUT NEVER IGNORE
This is the heart of our web site, the place where readers reign. So many of the best ideas come from you. But don't forget that we need you to subscribe to our email NEWSLETTER. ANd more, we need you to tell your friends to sign up. That's how we measure our success and draw in our advertisers who pay for this all to happen -- in our NINTH year.
MAP TO DURHAM CASTLE?
Would you please send me a map of what Durham Castle looked like in1788-89. And A map of the closest port to the Durham castle during that time. I am writing a novel and would appreciate your help.
Thank you in advance.
Susan Zimmerman
EDITOR’S REPLY: No Durham Castle in New Hampshire, USA that I know of. There is a town of Durham, founded in 1630, but if there's a castle, I'd like to see it too. We focus on the Seacoast region of New Hampshire.
Susan Zimmerman 
FRANK JONES BOTTLE OPENER
I was researching a bottle opener I found in the mid 90's and your site was mentioned. I live on Long Island, NY and was wondering if you could date the opener for me. i found it digging to repair a broken water pipe, cleaned it up and it works better than most of the modern stuff out there. Any help you could give me is greatly appreciated. If you can give me a direct email I can send some pictures.
Todd Cantrell
EDITOR’S REPLY: The Frank Jones Brewery in Portsmouth, NH was, during its heyday, among the largest in the nation. Jones bought the business and named it after himself around the time of the Civil War. Jones sold the business well before his death in 1902, but the company continued into the 1930s or 40s. You will likely find similar items on eBay.com if you want to price your opener. A variety of Frank Jones’ bottle openers , dated from the late 1800s to early 1900s, appear there very often. To learn more about Jones the man, the best book is by Raymond Brighton -- Frank Jones: King of the Alemakers -- out of print but available from Amazon.com as a used book. My book on the history of Wentworth by the Sea also has two chapters on ale tycoon Frank Jones.
ROBINSON CUT FROM NH GAZETTE?
Dear Dennis Robinson -- Where have you gone? Have you left The Gazette forever? I practically live for your articles and cannot imagine a Cleveland winter without them and a pot of green tea. Seriously, it is a huge loss.
Sorry on Lake Erie,
Diane Mather
EDITOR’S REPLY: Thanks for asking,.I haven't moved, but the Gazette has cut itself in half and dropped my two columns. The history column will appear, instead, every other Monday in the Portsmouth Herald starting this Monday -- but all the articles I write will remain online only at SeacoastNH.com. So never fear. They will all be here.
OBAMA AND BOOMERS
Loved the write-up! (Newsletter Editorial, February 2008) I find it interesting that the polls say the older generation does not go Obama’s way ... I am one of “those” and have many friends who support him... could they be wrong? Or aren't there enough of the 'older' ones out at the polls to respond? It is such an interesting story with support for 'hope' building up all around the world as well.
Jan H
PRINCE WHIPPLE UPDATE
Dear Mr. Robinson, A letter to the editor in my local newspaper, The Pocono Record, (PA) mentioned Prince Whipple as the African-American portrayed in the famous painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware. Since I had never heard of Whipple, although I lived several years in Lee, NH, I decided to do a bit of surfing. My search led me to your multi-part series on Whipple. That led to a search to determine if your publication had ever had an article on Sarah Haven Foster. You know where that led – SeacoastNH.com. Thanks again for leading me back to New Hampshire and fond memories of "rediscovering" Sarah Foster back in the 1980's.
Al Hall, Canadensis, PA A FLYING YANKKEE MEMORY
THE YEAR WAS 1938,I WAS 12 YEARS OLD.THE FLYING YANKEE WAS HOLDING AN OPEN HOUSE AT THE OLD PORTSMOUTH DEPOT.I HAD THE PLEASURE OF GOING THROUGH THE TRAIN. I GOT ON IN THE POWER CAR WHERE THE BIG DIESEL ENGINE WAS AND WALKED TO THE BACK. THE SEATS IN THE PASSENGER AND OBSERVATION CARS WERE A PLUSH DEEP RED VELOUR. BEAUTIFUL. THEY SAID THE
TRAIN COULD GO FROM PORTLAND TO BOSTON IN 50 MINUTES AND COULD GO 100 MPH. IMPRESSIVE. I BELEIVE IT IS IN FINAL STAGES OF RESTORATION IN LINCOLN,NH.
BRAD HARRINGTON REMEMBERING PRINCE CHARLES
I was reminded of Prince Charles' visit to the area. I did take my children to Fort McClary to watch the arrival of the ship bringing him to Portsmouth -- a destroyer? But at the critical moment there was a salute of guns. And the ship & sailors lining the rails were obscured by smoke. Oh well! There was a rumor that he did some surfing at York's Long Sands. So, thanks for the memory, (1973 was a long time ago !!) or what I THINK is a memory.
PAMELA KERR SMUTTYNOSE DIVORCE
Hello, I have enjoyed reading your newsletter, i read the book "Weight of the Water", and seen the movie, I was interested in the true facts, which your newsletter has been very informative. I was wondering if it is known why Maren returned to Norway without John, her husband, I beleive it was stated he was remarried, I was wondering if there was any additional information on this.
Verne
EDITOR’S REPLY: That question has puzzled many of us for a long time. A group of amateur historians traveled to Maren’s home town years ago, but discovered very little. The same is true of John Hontvet. So far, both have largely disappeared from history after their breakup after the murders.
CAN YOU DECIPHER POLITICAL PIN?
Wondering if you have heard of anything that might help me decipher a small pin we found in the basement today. It is a small green and white pin, a little bigger than a dime, with the names Winant Moses and Straw on it. Below only readable with a glass is the IPEU logo and the number 47A. I have traced the logo to international Photo-Engravers' Union, a precursor to the Teamsters. I am guessing that 47A was the Portsmouth Local.
The three names are all connected to NH government as listed below, but not in such a ways that they would be on a ballot together, so I am not sure if this was a pin declaring the candidates the IPEU local was backing at a certain time or not. I thought I would see if they sparked anything in your seacoast area data banks. No need to spend time on it, just let me know if something comes to mind.
Don't know if these are the three people on the pin, but the most likely:
Ezekiel A Straw: NH Governor 1872-1874
John Gilbert Winant: NH Governor 1925-1927 and 1931-1935
George Higgins Moses: President Pro Tempore of the Sentate 1925-1933
Zhana
EDITOR’S REPLY: We’re clueless on this one. One reader has suggested trying a note to the NH Political Library.
MORE TRAIN MEMORIES
THIS IS IN RESPONCE TO THE FEB. MAIL FROM JOESEPH MICKELA (see letter below) .WHEN I WAS A YOUNG LAD I USED TO TAKE THE TRAIN INTO THE NORTH STATION TO GO TO THE BOSTON GARDENS FOR THE RODEOS.I REMEMBER GENE AUTRY BEFORE HE WENT IN THE SERVICE,ALSO ROY ROGERS AND DALE EVANS.I WOULD GET OFF THE TRAIN AND GO TO THE THEATERS AND SEE ENTERTAINERS LIKE THE MILLS BROTHERS OR SEE A MOVIE.THE TRAIN FARE AT THE TIME WAS A COUPLE OF BUCKS ROUND TRIP.IN THE LATE 30'S THEY HAD RAILROAD CARS ON SIDINGS FEATURING EXHIBITS LIKE THE LARGEST AND SMALLEST COWS IN THE WORLD,A HUGE WHALE ON A FLAT CAR AND A FLEA CIRCUS.YOU COULD SEE ALL THESE EXHIBITS AND MORE FOR $.25 CENTS
BRAD HARRINGTON SEEKING OLD TRAIN STATION PIX
B&M RDC Buddliners stopped coming to Portsmouth in the year of 1964. I am trying to find out when the last one trip occurred. In 1963, my family went down to north station to see the ice show. This was one of my pleasent memories of that time. Some years later, i worked in the old train station when it was a warehouse. I am looking for old photographs of the station at this time with the trains awaiting to depart. Thank you for any help I receive from the posting of my e-mail. I was born in Portsmouth in 1952. My family took a train trip in March of 1963 to North Station by train to see the ice follies show. I do not think there are too many people left around today that can actually remember taking the train to Boston for work or pleasure.
Joseph Mickela. YOUR WEB ADS WORK!
I can not thank you enough for the advertising on SeacoastNH.com. It has helped tremendously.
Sue Reynolds, Captm., Uncle Oscar ABOUT THOSE NAZI BINOCULARS
My father, a Chief Bo'sun Mate -- Shore Patrol, was from Mass., and enlisted in Boston for WW II. He had been a policeman (in Randolph, Mass.), so of course, was assigned to Shore Patrol. He was stationed in Bremerhaven, Germany at war's end. He got "souvenirs" from the U-boats surrendered there, including a large, heavy pair of binoculars. Unlike the ones shown, these were painted gray and had a 'bayonet mount" on the bottom, since the binocs were far too heavy to hand hold. The binocs had a rotating device on the top, with clear, yellow, and dark black filters. One could look directly into the sun with the black filter, I suppose to look for US aircraft. I recently donated a U-boat ensign and jack that he brought home to the US Navy Hampton Roads, Virginia, Naval Museum. The binocs I merely left on my US Navy ship when my service ended -- I was in the Navy from 1962 - 1967. The Signalmen loved those powerful binocs.
Ralph Simmons IN SEARCH OF SWEDE
I am very disappointed not to find "Swede" Momsen's contribution to Naval History amongst The Portsmouth Navy Yard History. All he did was rescue the crew of the sunken submarine Squalus when nobody else in the Navy thought it was possible. Then he raised the submarine itself. All that did for submariners was give them hope and courage that if they ever went down they might be rescued.
Tom Cowart EDITOR’S REPLY: We’ve done a couple of articles on "Swede" as portrayed in a film about the sinking of the Squalus. MORE ON STRAWBERY BANKE BOOK
I really enjoyed the historical knowledge/information, wit and wisdom of your talk about Strawbery Banke at the Wentworth Coolidge Mansion on Wednesday night. It was a delightful evening in the extreme. Thank you!!! And thank you for doing the book.The book is truly fabulous and I think I am hearing that it is selling almost like hotcakes. I hope so. Writing this, I realize I don’t even know the derivation of "selling like hotcakes!"
Diane E. Woods Got your book for Christmas from my wife and have just finished reading it carefully. Great job! Unrelentingly honest and accurate. Was astounded to find out how much I did not know about SB's history. All the best,
Steve Clarkson MORE HANCOCK BOOKLETS
I have a total of thirty-five John Hancock pamphlets, including two "Presidents of the United States." Each goes from Washington to Franklin Roosevelt; however, one cover is vertical red, white, and blue stripes and a red back cover. The other has a white, yellow, green, and black drawing of the White House on the cover; the Capitol in the same colors is on the back. Any idea what these are worth?
William A. Gagnon EDITOR’S REPLY: We're received literally hundreds of these items since writing about them online. Based on ebay prices, these seem to be worth about 25- 50 cents each since they were published in huge quantities in the 1930s, 40s, 50s and 60s.
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ASK, RANT OR PRAISE, BUT NEVER IGNORE 
ASK, RANT OR PRAISE, BUT NEVER IGNORE 
