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| READ OUR MAIL February 2000 Mailbag SeacoastNH.com |
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February 28 GRAB THE BRASS LANTERN I am looking for a certain motel at Hampton Beach and I can't find it online anymore. Its the Brass Lantern and I know it used to be there online. Did the site move? Thanks Robin Mcfly922@aol.com EDITOR'S REPLY: Don't know of a former web site, but when we called just now, we were told there is one planned soon. The phone number is 603-926-4012 and they have email -- brasslantern@webtv.net . A quick check at the local beach chamber web site shows us that only 10 of the 87 lodging locations in Hampton currently have web sites listed - an all time low for this high tech eCoast region. And a number of those links are not working. We have offered a free link to every lodging site in the area and you will find well over 100 active links when SeacoastSearch.com opens this week. For a sneak preview, click below: http://www.seacoastsearch.com/index.htm February 26 MISHEARD SHOALS LYRIC HAS US MYSTYFIED Hi I'm looking for the song "Isles of Shoals" in either CD format or on Cassette. Do you carry this selection and how can I purchase it? The song I'm looking for was played in the movie Titanic, I think the instrument used was a violin. Let me know. George knights@coollink.net EDITOR'S REPLY: This one really stumped us. We went right to the music section of Amazon.com to see if the soundtrack of the film "Titanic" had a song even vaguely similar to the phrase "Isles of Shoals." We listened to the songs in Real Audio online and still don't have a clue where the connection comes from. If any reader can unravel this puzzle, let us know. We think it is an example of the "misheard lyrics" syndrome, in which song lyrics sound differently to different ears. (For example the Beatles, "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" might sound like "Lucy's getting high with Linus" or Crosby, Stills & Nash song "Don't you know we're riding on the Marrakesh Express" becomes "Don't you know we're writing on American Express.") This is best demonstrated in the web site Kissthisguy.com, which is one of our favorites online and linked below. Our weird connection between the Isles and Titanic is also linked. http://www.kissthisguy.com/ http://www.seacoastnh.com/poems/tryst.html February 25 CHOWDA RECIPE RUSTLERS I was returning from Saba (Netherkands Antilles) on an American Eagle flight reading the in-flight magazine when "lo and behold" I read about Pilgrim Robinson living in NH and quoted about chowder. Have you seen it? I ripped it out and will be glad to send it if you wish. Cheers Andy Kaplan, Pres Kinderworks Corporation of Somersworth kndrwrks@nh.ultranet.com EDITOR'S REPLY: Those chowder bandits have struck again! We knew it was risky putting Grampa Scott's Ultimate Clam Chowder recipe on the Internet. Now it belongs to the pages - of every corn-swaggeling chowder recipe-rustling magazine on the gal-durned planet! (Sound of tobaccy-huide hitting spittoon). Tarnation! We'd brand our recipe and put it in a can, but it has to be made fresh on the spot or ain't worth a plug nickel. Get along little bivalves, yahoo! http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please011898.html February 23 KIDNEY OPERATION Hi. This is going to seem like a very stupid question, but I'm going to ask anyway. I go to Hampton Beach every summer for vacation. I always walk all the way up and down the strip. There is a motel and/or hotel toward the North Beach direction that has a kidney shaped pool that is very close to the street and I can't for the life of me remember the name of it. Would you know or would you know someone to refer me to? Gina who works at Staples EDITOR'S REPLY: As our high school teacher always said, "There are no stupid questions." We called the Hampton Chamber and the woman there seemsto think you are referring to the Vista Motel which, unfortunately, appears to have no web site. When we called the number listed, it was shut off -- which is common among Hampton properties in the winter months. February 22 ALPHA AL ADDED Check out this. Think you'll be intrigued - a new link to add to your Political Humor section. As usual, love your newsletter, though I always know when it shows up in my email, time kind of stops and nothing gets accomplished except sheer enjoyment for an hour or three. And that's good! All the best, Christy in Amherst daychristy@aol.com http://www.alphaal.com/ http://www.seacoastnh.com/primary2000.html February 22 CHECKING OUT THE LANGDON HOTEL Can you tell me where the Langdon Hotel was? I have an old postcard showing it on a corner of two streets in town, but the buildings do not look familiar to me. Any information you might have would be great! Thanks. Lisa of Portsmouth, NH Litigate4u@aol.com EDITOR'S REPLY: We have the same postcard in our collection too (click to see) and had no idea where it was. But you're in luck. Prof. Richard Candee, author of "Building Portsmouth" happened to be at the Portsmouth Athenaeum when we called this quiet Sunday afternoon. Assuming your postcard is from the early 20th century, he checked the Portsmouth Directory for 1912 and discovered that the Langdon Hotel was listed than at 12-14 Vaughan Street. That street used to run from Congress to Deer before urban renewal in the 1960s obliterated that area and gave us the lovely Portsmouth Parade Mall and ac five parking lots. We're not sure whether any of the building survives on the Franklin Block side of if it was on the other side by the Little Professor and the Whaling Wall parking lot area. You could easily find that out with a trip to the street directory listings at either the Athenaeum or Strawbery Banke. Both are open to the public for research. February 22 DOWNEASTER DOWNUNDER I was trying to find out where Bailey Isle, Maine was located. It was the site of the US Naval Unit 1-A (Loop Receiving Station) from 1942 to 1945 and used for anti-submarine defenses. None of my maps show where it is (was?). Please help. Richard in Brisbane, Australia waldingr@mbc.qld.edu.au EDITOR'S REPLY: We thought that sounded familiar. According to MapQuest.com, Bailey Island is in the Casco Bay area. You'll have to go all the way up to the Brunswicj/Bath area and then head south again to Harpswell where you can get their over the Bailey Island Bridge.If Bailey "Isle" is different, we hope our readers will spot and correct our error. http://www.state.me.us/mdot/maint_op/covered/baileyis.htm February 20 FORT-- UNATE REQUEST I am doing a school report on the r.war. When i was doing some research on it i found this web site, when i was searching for forts. Well if its to much to ask I was woundring if you could give me some picutures on forts of the r.war!! and maybe some info. Julie bunnyju_41@hotmail.com EDITOR'S REPLY: You lucked out on this one Julie. We just happened to be talking online to our friend Peter Payette who has a web site dedicated totally to FORTS in this area. And he is part of a group that writes about even more forts. So here are those links. http://www.geocities.com/nhfortress/harbor.html http://members.aol.com/naforts/forts.htm http://homepages.go.com/~sitecr1/index.html February 19 PSST, SECRET DOORWAY HERE!!! I am an engineer, and my wife a middle school teacher. We 're thinking about relocating to Maine. New Hampshire is a small state, but I would appreciate any comments about the job market, lifestyle, culture... Alain in Pembroke Pines FL lefloch@gate.net EDITOR'S REPLY: A small state in geography only, but we find it has one of the biggest hearts of the whole 50. Are you sure you want to make the trek from FL to today's 4 inches of snow? Our pipes froze a month ago and we ain't had water since. You won't hear that from the chamber of commerce. Anyway, SeacoastNH is top heavy with cultural info - about 2,000 web pages worth at the moment. Having not had a "real" job since 1982, however, the editor is not much help with your question. We were going to send you a lot of statewide links (like NH.com, visitnh.gov, state.nh.us) and tell you about how our amazing regional search engine is opening in a few days. But instead, let's try a little experiment. Attached is the "secret" URL code that will let you in to Seacoastsearch.com. This has been a closely held secret for a year. But instead of us continuing to do all the work, now you can go in there and look for yourself. Check under Employment and Chambers of Commerce and Engineering, and Education and Town Government. Let us know if you agree that this is the best darned resource since the telegraph. Send an email pronto and tell us what you think. You be the Beta-tester, and let's see if any of our regular readers are savvy enough to find the secret doorway embedded in this letter. If so, let us know: http://www.seacoastsearch.com/index.htm February 19 LAST TRAIN TO PORTSMOUTH I'm interested in taking the train from NYC to Portsmouth.....can it be done? Robert in New York City Chekrdgfld@aol.com EDITOR'S REPLY: We were just facing the reverse dilemma today. Our nondriving editor wanted to get to CT, near NY. There are buses that come directly from Market Square in Portsmouth, NH to Boston. MA. From there, the no-car commuter has to take a train. There is also a bus from (or to, depending on your destination) Pease Tradeport, but how to get there from downtown? It is only a few miles, but no regular public transport makes the trip. Local taxis, in our experience, had been slow to arrive and costly. Too confusing. We stayed home. Those who purport to promote local tourism should note that it was easier to get in and out of Portsmouth back in the mid 1800s when the trains were running on schedule, than it is today. Talk of bringing trains back to Portsmouth, so far, is just that. There hasn't been any direct access to this place via rail since WW2. http://www.seacoastnh.com/poems/railroad.html February 18 HEADS-UP FROM SLEEPY HOLLOW I have been reading your Web site on a regular basis for the past eight months, and commend you on an excellent job. I have not viewed a better site to obtain information on the beautiful state of New Hampshire. Erin of Sleepy Hollow, NY eemcgowan@aol.com February 17 LADY PEPPERRELL HOUSE LOST & FOUND I have been trying in vain to find any info or especially any sites on Lady Pepperrell's Mansion in Kittery or Fort Foster. The Kittery site doesn't have anything. I know you're on the other side of the river but any ideas??? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Michael Wilson mwilson32@earthlink.net EDITOR'S REPLY: Our early photo of the house online (below) does not do justice to this lovely restored Revolutionary-era mansion still standing in Kittery Point just across from the church and cemetery there, overlooking the Piscataqua. The reason you will find little online is that the house is privately owned and usually open for view to the public on rare occasions. We culled this little description for you from a 1925 guide to Kittery. You will see quick shots of the house in our Seacoast 101 Highlights video and in the video just released on the history of Kittery. For more info, try calling Hope Neilson at the Rice Library which is not far away in Kittery center - and also linked below. The Pepperrelll history is well worth any time you might spend tracking down fascinating details. The family was split apart by Revolutionary war loyalties, but were once among the wealthiest families in America. For more on the THREE Sir William Pepperrells, check the middle link below. LADY PEPPERRELL HOUSE: Opposite the church, on the west, is the attractive Colonial dwelling known as the Lady Pepperrell house, built for her about 1765, after Sir William's decease, and which she occupied until her death, in 1789. Later it became the property of and was occupied by the Cutts family. It is now owned by William W. Wood, of Ohio, a summer resident, who has thoroughly beautified and repaired it out of its former semblance, though preserving most of its antique features in the process. The picture shows it as it was before the alterations were made. Across the road on the south, adjoining the water, is the old cemetery, where many of the forefathers of the hamlet sleep, together with their wives and children. Among the many quaint and interesting inscriptions to be found are several notable ones, conspicuously the so-called Browning epitaph, and that of Margaret Hills, a "victim of the raging sea," October 31, 1803, aged only 28. The Browning stone marks the grave of Levi Lincoln Thaxter, the gifted husband of Celia Thaxter, the poet. Mr. Thaxter was an admirer of the poetry of Robert Browning and an interpreter of Browning in many places where he gave readings. (From 1925 guidebook, "Kittery: Ancient & Modern")
February 17 OLD TWAIN BY THE SEA I might have known a good many "seacoast women" in Portsmouth, except I was too young for such goings on. Loved the article about Mark Twain ("The Day Twain Wore Black") and his views of Portsmouth, and the Boston & Maine (Formerly of Portsmouth, NH, with ancient tender memories of Strawberry Banke and those views of the Piscataqua River.) Joseph Nagarya of Boston, MA jnagarya@n2mail.com February 16 TWAIN WASN'T REALLY DRUNK AT ALL! Your article, "The Day Mark Twain Wore Black," was recently brought to the attention of the Mark Twain Forum and, for what it's worth, I have a couple of comments regarding same. My recollection of the story of Twain's being "uninvited" to dinner and being shown the door is that it ends with this delicious "twist": Mrs. Aldrich learning afterwards that Twain was not drunk at all, that he was just being himself! (Which only further proves how much their personalities clashed.) Also, the "bookseller story" about Aldrich and Twain happened on the Rue Saint-Honore in Paris, per p. 137 of _Thomas Bailey Aldrich_ by Ferris Greenslet.
As a member of the Mark Twain Forum, and a bit of a "closet Aldrichian" (if
there is such a term), you are to be commended for helping to keep T.B.A.'s
memory alive. It's such a shame to read that T.B.A. was in the literary "Top
Ten" a century ago, but has long since disappeared. His poem "Heredity" is, I think, one of the best poems ever written.
Best regards,
February 15 THE SEACOAST TOURIST CRUNCH IS ON!! Don't know if this is the right place to ask, but I'm looking for a guide or some other publication that lists the hotels, motels, etc. in the Seacoast -- Hampton, Rye Area. I'll be taking my family on vacation there this summer. If you have information available, or can forward this message to someone who does, please send the info. Mike from Roterdam, NY EDITOR'S REPLY: This seems to be the time of year that people plan their Seacoast vacations and we've been swamped with requests for info. We are, technically, not the hub of that info. You will want to contact each of the TWELVE are chambers separately. The Hampton Chamber of Commerce offers their booklet at 1-800-GETATAN. Their website has the best online list of locations to call. Unfortunately, about 90% of Hampton Beach accommodations still have no web sites. We have been trying for years to make this point, especially since many longtime Canadian visitors are used to a very formalized tourism system that receives government funding. We checked and found many of the links nonfunctional and have been calling lodging owners to get links where available. Our static list of Lodging links is also a bit outdated, but you will find all the latest info when we release Seacoastsearch on March 1. In the interim, although the Exeter chamber is still offline this year, you can reach them by phone. All the NH Seacoast chambers are linked below and we will add the South Coast Maine chamber links soon. The Portsmouth Chamber is awaiting an update to their site as well, but funding has not been approved by the board there. They do offer two very good guidebooks and one is free for the asking. Our upcoming online listing will provide readers with the largest clickable list of Seacoast Lodging and Dining links available anywhere - about 125 of each when we come online in a couple of weeks. Watch for it! http://www.seacoastnh.com/business/cofc.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/touring/lodging.html February 12 WHERE IS WENTWORTH UPDATE? Do you have any new info on the Wentworth-By-The-Sea hotel? Have they started renovations yet? The last article I see is date October. Michelle from Boston mbarlow@arn.com EDITOR'S REPLY: There's been nothing the press in 2000 that we've seen on the still perilous state of the Wentworth. We did find one more Herald report from 1999 that has been added to the list. No one seems to want to talk about it and, despite the latest positive movement toward saving the last Seacoast grant hotel (besides the Oceanic), we remain on pins and needles here. http://www.seacoastnh.com/wentbysea/news.html February 11 THE COAT ARRIVES !! Hello, I received the beautiful Shearling Leather Coat last night. It fit my husband perfectly and he looks wonderful in it. I want to Thank SeaCoastNH and Timberland for the great prize that my husband will treasure for years. We have told everyone we know along with numerous news groups we frequent about how wonderful SeaCoast NH and Timberland are. We hope all the promoting brings you many new customers to your site. Thank you again Yvonne and Ray Morris yvonne16@frontiernet.net http://www.seacoastnh.com/contests/index.html February 11 SMUTTYNOSE MURDERS, THE BALLET? Hi everyone! Is there any advertising, publicity or buzz about this Smuttynose Ballet which I plan to attend on Feb 19? Hope to see many friends and support the ballet! See you then, I hope. Jane Vallier in Iowa jevall@iastate.edu EDITOR'S REPLY: We contacted the UNH Dance group sponsoring the event and will post more info on Monday. The show runs Feb 16, 17, 18 (7pm), Feb 19 (8pm) and Feb 20 *(2pm) at Johnson Theatre, UNH, Durham, NH. The box office phone is ox Office phone is 603/862-2290. Keep an eye on the Smuttynose section for more details. (Note: Jane is author of two books on Celia inclugind "Poet on Demand") http://www.seacoastnh.com/smuttynose/index.html http://www.perpublisher.com/per10.html February 09 NO BETTY AT BLOCKBUSTER We have been searching to buy the video "Interrupted Journey", also known as "The UFO Incident (1975)". Can you suggest someone who has it available? Lesley G in Canada lgurney@sd83.bc.ca EDITOR'S REPLY: A quick search on Internet Movie Database, Amazon and Reel.com show the Betty Hill made-4-TV film starring James Earl Jones is still not available on video. Betty, who will be 81 in June, says it has never been issued on video. It appears on TV a lot and she often gets copies in the mail, she says, sent by friends and fans who have taped it off TV. Why not start a write-in campaign to the producers? You'll find them listed on the IMDB.com link at the top of our pages below. We'd like to have a copy too. For more on Betty and the aliens: http://www.seacoastnh.com/ufo/bettyhill1.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/ufo/bettyhill2.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please020299.html February 09 UPDATE ON MRS SAFFORD IN OAK BLUFFS Per your article ("Mrs. Stafford and Paul Jones Flag") there was a Mrs. Philip Stafford from Oak Bluffs (Lagoon area) who died in June, 1984. During the summer of 1919 she spent the first of many weeks on the Vineyard as the guest of her fiancee's family. Later that year, she married Philip Henry Stafford, a 1914 graduate of Harvard who had served as a lieutenant in World War I. They settled in Swampscott, their home for a half-century to follow. Every summer, the Staffords came to Martha's Vineyard. She was survived by Elizabeth Stureke of Blacksburg, Va., and Oak Bluffs; and Anne Houston ofSchenectady, N.Y., and Oak Bluffs. In checking our files I do no find either women any longer on the Vineyard. Hope this helps - It's all I have. http://www.mvgazette.com/ Eulalie Regan, Martha's Vineyard Gazette news@mvgazette.com http://www.seacoastnh.com/jpj/stafford.html February 08 SALAD DAYS IN DOWNTOWN PO-TOWN Thanks for giving us an article ("Topless to Tapas in Downtown Portsmouth") packed with decades of your resident insight into the commercial and social heritage of Portsmouth ,as well as the very likely, future downtown scenario. As I read from my small, damp, overpriced studio here in San Francisco, I longed for my old, beautifully huge apt. in NH that was twice the size for half the price and had more FREE steam heat than I could handle. I really enjoyed my five plus years of residence in NH, with its low cost of living / high quality of life, beautiful autumns, and stubborn down-to-earthedness. I dream of someday retuning, buying a small house and opening up my own business. Between now and then, if the face of Portsmouth continues its change for the better, with downtown revitalization projects , and local business growth (I feel we can all do without Starbucks and Walmart), I believe it is destined to become the most desirable place to live on the New England coast. This however, could possibly be a bad thing , but between now and then it will be a good ride!
You hit the nail on the head when you wrote about "young
entrepreneurs...flush with borrowed funds" and their businesses failing
"within three years" .Still, my plans remain the same. Should my
supposed business come and go as others have, I will be satisfied
knowing I gave it my best try. I take comfort in knowing there will be
another stubborn, idealistic, young New Englander behind me who will
pick up where I left off and attempt build their own little dream. Thanks for keeping those of us who have left the area still connected.
February 07 VALENTINE TO THE SITE WITH A HEART HI Guys: Just a little note to say thank you for having such a wonderful site not all full of advertisements trying to hawk something. I get so tired of avoiding this crap and you guys really have it going on. I really enjoy this site and it's a pleasure every time my newsletter arrives. I don't even remember how I ever started to get this letter but I'm very happy I did. Keep up the good work guys and do me a favor don't get TOOO!! big that you forget the key is entertainment, information and it's nice to see a site that has heart. Fran from Maine pandora@tdstelme.net February 07 SLAVES IN WINTER? I am making a documentary concerning African slaves in the 1800's. I was wondering what the slaves did during the winter, in the more northern states when there was snow. Ana Ziegler d_scullyf_mulder@hotmail.com VALERIE CUNNINGHAM REPLIES: Dear Ana -- Thanks for writing to us with a very good question. Northern slaves generally worked side-by-side with their owners in the North doing whatever was necessary to survive and to thrive. Therefore, they wore the same types of clothing, ate the same kind of food and even lived in the same house. Newspaper ads for the return of runaways often described in detail the clothing worn by escapes. Check your local library for microfiche of pre-1800 newspapers from Boston or other New England towns for some fascinating reading. You can learn much from ads, not only about runaways but also about private sales, describing the physical characteristics, personalities and occupational skills of enslaved people. Best wishes with your documentary. Will you send us a copy? Valerie http://www.seacoastnh.com/blackhistory/index.html February 06 WE'RE FEATURED ON ABOUT.COM I wanted to let you know that your Web site is listed in my feature article appearing this week on the About.com Classic Movies site, entitled The Black Experience in Hollywood located on About.com. Classic Movies was named one of the two best classic film sites on the Web by Roger Ebert, in an article in the June Yahoo Internet Life magazine. About.com as a whole, according to Media Metrix, is now ranked #1 among news and entertainment sites (ahead of MSNBC and ZDNet), and #9 overall on the Web! Brad Lang classicfilm.guide@about.com http://classicfilm.about.com/entertainment/classicfilm/library/weekly/aa020600a.htm February 05 OUR FAVE LETTER OF THE MONTH Very soon, my husband and myself , son and well behaved 13 yr old dog are moving up in your vicinity. We need to find out where to go to locate places to rent, such as houses that accept a great well-mannered dog, who is 13 -- and we have had him since he was six weeks old. If we move soon, we will look for a furnished place until summer, then we will look for a house to rent for a year or so, until we decide weather we want to buy or build? And weather we want to live in NH or Maine for your property taxes are really high? He will probably be working in Portsmouth, NH. So I guess we could either live in NH or Maine like I said. but have no idea where to find this information? All I can find on line on puter is Nashua, Concord or some other towns that are two far away, and Portsmouth seems very expensive to rent or buy? If. PS. We now live in Florida but hate it here,I am originally from Rhode Island and we both love New England also have family in NH . but only state in NE I dislike is CT. VT is too far away.!!!!! Carol Not Long for Florida DANCAR82@aol.com EDITOR'S REPLY: We usually just get a zillion emails saying "Mail us your materials on the Seacoast," without even a by-your-leave or thanks. This letter, however, sounds like a real person headed our way. We like that. And like Carol, we're equally frustrated that no central online means exists for visitors to find the info they want about our region quickly - especially for relocators. That's one reason we'll be releasing SeacoastSearch.com on March 1. Among those listings will be at least 50 real estate references and a link to all 12 chambers of commerce on our 40 town region. All told, over 1,000 web sites will be linked to the first ever seacoast regional search engine. Think of it as a phone book of the Web, only better, since you can click over and find more info instantly. We're going to let this reader have a private sneak peek at the search engine and see if it helps. (The rest of you just get to see the splash page.) Hang on Carol -- we're a-coming for ya - and your dog too! http://www.seacoastsearch.com/ February 05 FROM ENGLAND My husband and I currently live in England, stationed at a U.S. Navy Base. We well be relocating to America and leaving the military by the end of the summer. We are very interested in the Northeast, particularly New Hampshire. Can you send us some information on New Hampshire (maps, real estate, sailing, tourist info). Sharon MFerencsik@tesco.net EDITOR'S REPLY: What amazes us as we get more familiar with the season of tourism is how the mail requests for printed maps and guides explode come February. We continue to explain every day that - a web site is a a web site -- and that all of our maps (our own original maps) are free and online, but people still want paper. So we are preparing a tourism page that will answer all key questions and lead you to the right wen site, whether chamber of commerce or private, that will give you the best information. In this case, the reader might do best by the state of NH guide or the Portsmouth Chamber guide Coastline. http://www.visitnh.gov/ http://www.portcity.org/coastline_mag.html February 04 BEEBE FAMILY AUSTRALIAN LINK I do believe I am a descendant of the Beebe family (a cemetery on the Isle of Star). Would it be possible that the Isle of Shoals was once called the Isle of Scholes and if you have any further information pertaining to the Beebes I would be truly grateful. Many thanks Katie Gargett, Albany Western Australia kinway@rainbowis.com.au EDITOR'S REPLY: We have a special place for Shoals questions. Send your same message to our Shoals Bulletin Board and then wait for responses from local historians. Did you SEARCH on our home page at SeacoastNH and see that there are a number of mentions of the Rev Beebe family? There is even a picture from the 1870s of the Beebe family cemetery (see below) where the girls all died. Rev Beebe is well known on the Shoals, and what you have there is variation on the spelling of the Shoals. It is the same place, and we have the key web site dedicated to the shoals here. There is much Beebe info and it might be a good idea to join ISHRA and get to know the local historians who can be very helpful. http://www.seacoastnh.com/shoals/11.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/shoaler/index.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/shoals/index.html February 04 SOUTH CEMETERY MYSTERY Ask Experts: While walking one afternoon through the South Cemetery, my girlfriend and I noticed an odd grouping of grave markers. They are along the roadway that runs into the cemetery from Richards Ave., across the road from the far end of the pond. The markers, about a dozen or so, are identical in size and arranged in a line starting with dates of death in the 1850's/60's up to the beginning of the 1900's. What made me curious is that they all appear to be women's names, with no mention of any other family members. I thought that they may have been nuns, but there was no mention of any titles on the markers. Could you shed any light on this? Thanks, and keep up the great work. nayrb@star.net EDITOR'S REPLY: We don't have any light to shed, but we know where you might be illuminated. There are City cemetery records, of course, to start. Louis Tallman knows more about these graveyards than anyone on the Seacoast. Her collected records are available at the Portsmouth Athenaeum. There are also extensive biographical files there for cross referencing. And the Portsmouth Public Library has recently assembled a very good listing of deaths in the area culled from tons of newspapers over the years. Maybe there's a story here for the Grave Site! http://www.seacoastnh.com/dead/index.html February 04 WE WANT VALERIE! I am a fifth grade teacher in Somersworth, NH and would like to know if there are any outreach programs or speakers who would give a local perspective on Black History. We are currently studying the early colonies and slavery in the southern colonies. I read the article in Foster's by Valerie Cunningham would she be a good contact person for this type of presentation? Joanne Fuller NHPORT@aol.com VALERIE CUNNINGHAM REPLIES: Hi Joanne. The Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail would like to provide a speaker for your class. This is a busy time of year for us, but we would like to visit your class at some time. Please let me know what your time frame is, best day of week, time of day, size of class, etc. There is an honorarium that helps support our nonprofit organization. We can also offer other possibilities for a public school. If you want to give me your address I'll send you a brochure describing the self-guided walking tour and a description of our Resource Book which we recommend to school libraries and social studies teachers. Thanks for your interest. http://www.seacoastnh.com/blackhistory/pbht.html February 03 GLOBE TAVERN PIX NOT FOUND We are looking for information and photos of the old Globe Tavern that stood near the intersection of Peverly Road and Middle Road at the Plains in Portsmouth, NH. Dana K. Ball of Concord, NH dkball@mediaone.net EDITOR'S REPLY: Historian Dick Winslow took this one on, but did not find pictures of the Globe. It is references in the 1902 Calvin Gurney guide to Portsmouth on page 61. The history is very relevant to Black History month now ongoing. The Globe (also called the Plains Tavern and King George's tavern) was historically the site of the 18th century "Negro Court" of 150 local slaves as described by Charles Brewster. The Plains are also the site of the well known Indian 1696 massacre (see September 17, 1999 in Read Our Mail ARCHIVES). We wonder if Sarah Haven Foster painted the Globe among her 1,000 pictures completed in the mid-1800s. If so, those pictures are in a scrapbook in the history room of the Portsmouth Public Library. You might call the Special Collections librarian there. Also try Roberta at the Strawbery Banke library. http://www.seacoastnh.com/brewster/43.html February 02 MIKE IS CHAIR OF WINDSOR INSTITUTIE Interested in information about Windsor Institute. Read article in "Country Living" magazine about a place to learn to make chairs. Nick Wilson, Susanville, CA nwilson@thegrid.net EDITOR'S REPLY: We think you're referring to our native son Mike Dunbar and his Windsor Chair classes in Hampton. It may be a long hail for you commuting from one coast to the other for classes, but we hear the product is worth the trip. Mike's two web sites are linked below. He says the phone has been "ringing off the hook" since that article appeared. http://www.mikedunbar.com/ http://www.thewindsorinstitute.com/ February 02 NEW YORKER WINS $500 TIMBERLAND COAT I was on your site this morning and was thrilled to see that I'm your January Grand Prize winner of the Shearling coat. To help Promote your site I will be telling all my friends, family, clients and the numerous newsgroups that I frequent to check out your great site!!!!! Thank you Yvonne Morris of Rochester NY yvonne16@frontiernet.net February 02 THE GREAT JOHN LANGDON I am doing a project on The great John Langdon. I live in Texas so Books onthe this man are limited and I was wanting to know if there is anymore information on John Langdon, anymore unique facts or pictures of him would be nice. If you could send some more information I would be greatful and do my best to honor this Nation's Hero. Nathan EDITOR'S REPLY: Yes, his house is just up the street from us, but poor John does not have a lot of Internet info besides the info we have online (linked below). The organization that runs the Langdon House is not set up to respond via email. Your best central source of info is as follows. Go to the school library and ask the nice librarian to help you find the American Biography Series (Oxford Press, 1999). You will find two pages on John Langdon telling you about him and all the places you can go to get more info on the first "President" of New Hampshire. http://www.seacoastnh.com/houses/langdon/index.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/blackhistory/slaves5.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/framers/jlangdon.html February 02 LET'S BE FRANK You wrote once about Frank Annese performing in Boston. ("The Job of Theater") I'm would like to get in touch with him ? Do you have any idea how ?? Anonymous from Lausanne, Switzerland EDITOR'S REPLY: Sorry. We tried to contact him ourselves and have never heard a word back. That's ok. We haven't been to Boston since. http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please061297.html February 02 BALLAD OF LOUIS ONLINE II am in a book club and we are currently reading the book By Anita Shrieve The Weight of Water...I enjoyed and am now interested in the history...I was hoping to find a film or a song about this .I have the words to the ballad. Would you be able to direct me to where I could purchase the music by John Perrault? Jacquelinedb2@hotmail.com EDITOR'S REPLY: The address of Rockweed Music, John's publishing company, is at the bottom of the ballad. You can write to him and order the record there. His office is Alghren & Perrault on Market Street in Portsmouth, NH. Or you might try ordering from Kevin at Rock Bottom Records listed below: http://www.seacoastnh.com/smuttynose/ballad.html http://www.spwa.com/rbr/ February 1 THE SUB THAT GOT STUCK IN THE ROAD What were the circumstances of a submarine being moved to a museum and it got stuck, you could see it from the highway ? people don't remember or believe my story. I think it was in the 1970's. Any details would be appreciated. PS. Do excursion boats still go to Isle of Shoals Charlie Welcome of Vero Beach, FL rinpop@aol.com EDITOR ROBINSON REPLIES: That was the USS Albacore, launched March 1952 and hauled onto land as a museum on May 4, 1985. Well sort of. It got stuck for a short while where the Market Street Extension had been cut away to float the ship from the Navy Yard down the Piscataqua to its permanent home as a museum. It was a bold plan and we have all the engineering blueprints here. And it worked, eventually, when the tide was right.
The scary part is that, in looking through my records, I not only found
the "Official Haul-Out Brochure" (click to see the cover), but
discovered by reading the credits on the back that I had written it!
Plumb forgot, though I was on the bridge that day. We probably should
do a special section on old Albacore soon since this is the 200tha
anniversary of the Navy Yard. One of the links below will show you a
nice photo from PortCity. As to the ferry to the SHOALS, my goodness,
have you not seen our Shoaler Bulletin Board and special sections?
C'mon Charlie. Time to get back up here to NH and take the tour. You can
start by taking our Maritime Heritage Quiz below. |
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