A complete archive of mail from January 2005

SEE Last month's reader mail 

January 25
SPEAK UP ON SOC-SEC
To The Editor; Social Security is the tax-payer's safety net and should not be privatised! It has meant the difference between dignity and despair for generations of Americans and the only crisis is the one being "manufactured" by radical right wingers who want to kill a program that they have never liked. Keeping Social Security healthy for the next century will require only a small future revenue infusion; less than we are paying for the Iraq war fiasco and only a quarter of the amount lost annually to Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy. In fact it will mean cutting benefits to retirees, raising taxes or massive government borrowing, quite probably all three. The real danger would be in diverting our retirement savings to the profit driven corporate account managers of Wall Street. It is a gamble and a risky strategy meant only benefit the rich, who after all, are Bush's base. After the less than truthful shuck and jive, the shuffling and shadow boxing in the run-up to the Iraq war fiasco, how can anyone of us believe the hype of this so-called Social Security "crisis"? "Ownership Society" is merely a euphemism for the ongoing transfer of wealth from the middle classes to the corporations which now control our government through their influential political contributions, rightly called "bribery" by those who see the system for what it is. Speak up now or you will regret it later. Kind regards.
Charles B. Carr, New Boston, NH

January 24
STARK FACTS
I have one bicentenary coin with face GENERAL JOHN STARK in relive in good condition. What is the value?
Luis Algarin

EDITOR’S REPLY: Except in the most fascinating cases, our policy is not to talk about historic items in terms of price. Our goal is to entice people into an appreciation of history, to enjoy collecting, and to donate items when possible to historic associations that can preserve and exhibit these items. In the case of the Stark medal, just check similar items usually available on eBay to get the going rate. We got our copy for a few bucks. 

January 21
TAKING THE RAYNES
I am trying to find some information about ship building in Portsmouth. Specifically I am interested in finding information about an ancestor of mine that was a shipbuilder there. The last name is RAYNES, not sure of the first. I would be very appreciative of any advice or information that you could give me regarding this topic!
Jennifer Hebert

EDITOR’S REPLY: You want George Raynes who is well known here as a major Portsmouth shipbuilder. There is plenty of info available at the Portsmouth Athenaeum, but you can start with two books, both by Ray Brighton and published by the Portsmouth Marine Society. Look for Clippers of the Port of Portsmouth & the Men Who Built Them (1985) and Tall Ships of the Piscataqua 1830-1877, published in 1989. Both are available from Peter Randall Publishing.

January 20
RESEARCHING PORTSMOUTH HOME
You are a wealth of local history. Can you help me? I recently purchased an 1820 brick cape on Maplewood and have traced ownership back to the will of Nathaniel Jackson in the late 1800s when he willed it to a John Mooney for $1. Jackson was 7th generation to live in the historic Jackson House and his will instructed his daughter Mary to divvy up the Jackson spoils. The will refers to Mooney's inheritance as land and buildings thereon, Jackson's inventory speaks of Maplewood Ave and the so-called barn. No actual description of said buildings and-or barn. I am dying to know the purpose of my home that was part of the 65-acre Jackson estate,
Elizabeth Dinan

EDITOR’S REPLY: Our knowledge of 19^th century barn details is weak to none. We’ll have to defer to the experts. Check the housing survey maps at the Portsmouth Athenaeum, the vertical housing file and the street-by-street records at Strawbery Banke. If no go, we suggest hiring a local researcher to dig deeper, and be sure to let us know how it goes.

January 19
SON OF BLACKBEARD?
I have also been looking for the history of blackbeard because I am also a blackbeard. I come from kenya and there are still very many black beards there. My late grand father is called william blackbeard. He told me before he passed away that our blackbeard family is traced back to south africa. I would like to know if blackbeard was ever in south africa. Last but not least if possible i would like to get contact with other blackbeards.
Anthony Blackbeard

EDITOR’S REPLY: Sorry. You may be a real Blackbeard, but Blackbeard the famous pirate was not. His real name was Edward Teach and the other was just his nickname, so no relation is possible.

January 18
STARVING WRITERS INK
I appreciated his insightful article on Why Writers Starve. Thanks.
Leslie Brown

January 17
AFTER READING "NH AT BUNKER HILL"
I enjoyed the account of the Battle of Bunker Hill and the role of New Hampshire men in the encounter. Did you know that a month earlier on May 27th the Battle of Chelsea Creek took place just outside of Boston? Colonel John Stark distinguished himself as a hero in the capture of a British war ship the Diana. Putnam and others came later that day, but the campaign to remove livestock from the Boston Harbor islands more inland to starve the redcoats was led by Stark.

I teach a course in local history in Revere,MA and in those days we were part of the town of Chelsea so our history is common in those days. The Battle of Chelsea Creek marked many firsts: the first naval battle in the War; the first time several colonies fought together against the British(MA, NH, and CN. troops)l the first use of cannon in the war; and of course, the capture of a British warship.
Jeff Pearlman

MORE BUNKER HILL
More Italian-Americans served and lost their lives than any other nationality in WWII, but we were all fighting for the same cause with the same purpose. So it was at Bunker (Breed's) Hill. The gallant men from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Conn. etc. were New Englanders one and all, fighting for the same cause, same puropose. In both wars we all fought as one. We still do and always will. We are the UNITED STATES of AMERICA. May we always stay that way forever.

Living in Florida now, but originally (60+years) a Massachusetts native (lless than a mile from the Salem, NH border. Happy New Year to all the New Englanders back home!
Fred Valerio

January 16
SEEKING PORTSMOUTH PIX
My husband and I have been trying to get some pictures of historic places in portsmouth like the ones we saw at the 99 Restaurant, Friendly’s and Paddys -- but are unable to find out where we can purchase them. We both are past Portsmouth residents and would like some pictures of the historic houses and any other Portsmouth scenes.
Dottie

EDITOR’S REPLY: You’re right that there is no central place to purchase images of the famous historic houses. There are a number of great books that offer great photos, though out of print and available on used book sites. Try Architectural Heritage of the Piscataqua, Seacoast NH, A Visual History, etc. We’re not seen the images at the restaurants listed to know whether they are early images or new, but a central archive should exist. Ralph Morang has stock images at NewEnglandPhoto.com as does Neil Troost at SeacoastImpressions.com. Our book on the Portsmouth area is available from Twin Light Publishers.

January 12
HAWTHORNE AT THE SHOALS
Extremely well done.
David MacEachran,Preisdent, ISHRA

Wow - fascinating.
Robin Whittaker, Isles of Shoals Steamship

January 12 Extremely well done. Wow - fascinating.

January 12 Extremely well done. Wow - fascinating.

January 12 Extremely well done. Wow - fascinating.

January 12 Extremely well done. Wow - fascinating.

January 12 Extremely well done. Wow - fascinating.

January 12 Extremely well done. Wow - fascinating.

A wonderful treasure!
Hilary Niles, Star Island Corporation

January 10
PRINCE WHIPPLE ASAP
Hi seacoast! I'm a 9 year old 4th grader that needs your help because all the other internets don't have what I need for my reserch projects, not that I don't like them or anything. So I was wondering if you had ANY information on Prince Whipple. Please e-mail me. Will you do this by the 14 of Jan. If you do I will tell about your network to all my friends and I'll say "Go to SeacoastNH.com." Thanks. Bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EDITOR’S REPLY: We have an article about Prince in the Black History section that is in neat of tweaking for accuracy, but a good start. You’ll find more in Brewster’s Rambles, his grave on GOseacoast and his house in the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail section. We’ve sent the links via separate email. Good luck with the 4^th grade.

January 4
HAWTHORNE IN NH
I know Nathaniel Hawthorne has made many trips to NH. I also discovered this summer he had gone to the Isles of Shoals. Is there any information of where he stayed out there? Why he was there? Did he write anything about the Isles or while he was there? Thank you very much for reading this and keeping history alive. I am 19 and have been visiting this site for at least 3 years. Sincerely,
C. Brown

EDITOR’S REPLY: Hawthorne and Franklin Pierce were pals at Bowdoin College in Maine. Franklin, who later became President was a native New Hampshire man. Hawthorne, with regrets, even wrote Pierce’s campaign biography (1852) which was recently republished by the eighth-grade class in Tamworth, NH. You might check the introduction of that book published by Peter E. Randall. (You can also find the text of Hawthorne’s "Life of Franklin Pierce" online.) As a reward for his writing, Pierce appointed Hawthorne to be American ambassador to Liverpool, kicking off the author’s extended tour of Britain and Europe. There is also a new biography of Pierce by Peter A. Wallner from Plaidswede Publishers in Concord, NH that include info on Hawthorne and Pierce. They traveled together to the White Mountains, I believe, and the Isles of Shoals. Passages of Hawthorne’s writing about the Shoals are quoted in Gosport Remembered by Peter E. Randall and Maryellen Burke. We have now added (with the help of Mr. C Brown above) the entire 10,000 word Hawthorne journals on the Shoals from 1852 to SeacoastNH.com.

January 1
We have an old newspaper dated April 26, 1893 detailing ceremonies held at the Twin Lights of Navesink, NJ, which states the original flag of John Paul Jones was hoisted at the ceremony. The U S Monitor Miantonomoh and other battleships in the harbor fired their cannons as the flag was raised. It says the flag was hoisted by Mrs. H. R. P. Stafford "whose ancestor jumped overboard so long to save Paul Jones flag, pulled the flag to the masthead, eighty years old though she is." It also mentions that the flag, tattered and shabby. was immediately hoisted back down, so a new one could be flown. John Winfield Scott presided over the ceremony. Our question is; What happened to that flag? Where is it now?
Tim at Lighthouse Digest

It says the flag was hoisted by Mrs. H. R. P. Stafford "whose ancestor jumped overboard so long to save Paul Jones flag, pulled the flag to the masthead, eighty years old though she is." It also mentions that the flag, tattered and shabby. was immediately hoisted back down, so a new one could be flown. John Winfield Scott presided over the ceremony. Our question is; What happened to that flag? Where is it now?

EDITOR’S REPLY: It’s great to start out the new year with a question we can answer. The Stafford flag, apparently, was not authentic. Here’s the story as we tell it in our John Paul Jones section.

TROLLEY TALES
Thoroughly enjoyed your review of the Seacoast Trolley vs the giants . Well said. Also glad to hear that next year's Chatauqua will highlight events of 1905 and include TR.Regards from the south,
John Wheeler

WHAT IS IT?
When cleaning out my deceased mother's home before selling it, I found an artifact that has piqued my curiosity. It is a piece of metal, perhaps steel, a little more than an inch long, and perhaps a little better than a half inch wide. (I do not have it before me as I write this). Engraved upon it is an image of a diesel submarine with the name: USS Squalus. My mother was a lifelong N.H. resident except for when she worked in a shipyard in Norfolk, Va. during WW2. My father served in the USN aboard a Destroyer Escort. What do you suppose is the origin of this little object? Could it be a souvenir given out at some memorial ceremony held back in 1939 after the rescue of the survivors?
Dave P

EDITOR’S REPLY: Sound about right. But send us a photo. That way we can ask our readers, who know much more than we do.

PLAYING DOCTOR ONLINE
Hi, I was looking up a doctors address on your website, when I clicked on the doctors link I was brought to an "adult" web site. The URL of the page where this happened is attached. Thought you would like to know about it.
Suzen D

EDITOR’S REPLY: Many thanks. We do appreciate readers who tip us off and who understand that we have no control over changing content on sites that we link to. This is a common occurrence. Someone in our search engine likely let their URL lapse, forgot to pay the annual registration fee, or sold the domain name. Adult site owners are always looking to disguise themselves behind formerly legitimate sites with built-in traffic. Often the original owner is unaware that the change has even occurred. When we discover one, we delete it.