March 27
KINGSTON DAYS 2002?
Dates for Kingston Days in June ? We do crafts.
Carl R.in Farmington, NH

EDITOR’S REPLY: That may be the shortest inquiry we’ve had yet. We asked the publisher of the Carriage Towne News for the answer. Here it is from ELECTRA ALESSIO: Kingston Days are held the first weekend in August .. this year they will be held August 2, 3, and 4. There will be a Craft Fair and Antiqie Show but I'm not sure who the contact person is .. Your reader can call the Town Clerk's office at 642-3112 .. Mrs. Ouellette will know who it is.
http://www.seacoastsearch.com/feature41.htm

March 25
TOO MUCH TNT AT HENDERSON’S POINT
This one is for Mr. Robinson. There is a group of us that work near Prescott Park, and one day, for lunchtime conversation, talk turned to Portsmouth history; specifically: which was bigger: Halifax 1917 Mt. Blanc or Portsmouth's 1905 Henderson's point? (weird topic for lunch, huh? and not the kind of thing we normally want to dwell on given the increased security at PNS).

Your research/website says Henderson's point took 60,000 tons of dynamite, while the Halifax explosion took 200 tons of TNT; in addition, Hiroshima was the equivalent of 15-16 thousand tons of TNT...hmmmm, houston we have a problem. aside from the per pound effectiveness of TNT vs dynamite, Could it be you meant 60,000 pounds? explosively yours,
Tech Guys Talkin’ Tonnage on the e-coast
http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please092699.html

EDITOR’S REPLY: Dear Tech Guys – You win! At least if you can believe the front page of the Portsmouth Herald from Monday, July 24, 1905. According to eversharp Special Collections Librarian Nicole Cloutier at the PPL, the facts are as follows:

HENDERSON’S POINT EXPLOSION -- The amount of dynamite actually exploded was thirty-six tons, fourteen tons less than it was at first intended to use. The amount was sufficient so the experts say, to entirely destroy The Point. Thirty-five thousand cubic yards of rock was crumbled, weighing approximately 70,000 tons.
http://www.seacoastnh.com/earlyimages/henderson/index.html

March 24
SEEKING LOEB
I'm a student at Claremont Christian Acadamy and it is required of me to do a research paper on William Loeb. I am having a hard time finding information on his life other than with the Union Leader. Do you know of any other websites that would have information? Thanks

EDITOR’S REPLY: You came to the right place. The links may not all be working, but all the ones we have are on Link Free or Die. There’s really not much on Mr. Loeb, whom this editor worked for back in 1969 when I was a high school student. Maybe the less said the better. And don’t miss our recent article on Aristotle Onassis and Great Bay. On the first link, click on Mr. Loeb’s photo:
http://www.seacoastsearch.com/nhlinks/people/index.html
http://seacoastnh.com/arts/please010602.html

March 22
I HAVE NOT YET BEGUN TO BREED
After reading your most interesting newsletter archives, I will certainly not claim anymore to be a direct John Paul Jones descendant! (And I've just signed up for a free subscription.) However, I am told by a very reliable source, my mother -- she never lies -- who is of United Empire Loyalist origin herself, and therefore cannot possibly have any vested interest, that JPJ is an ancestor on my father's side. Or at least a relative, if that's the more accurate term. John Paul, born in the 1850s and from Ayr, Scotland, is on my direct line. Family geneology work revealed that at some point further past, they were Huguenots fleeing France. I recently came across a JPJ site (why didn't I bookmark it!), stating that he did marry a widow of English blood when living in France. I thought (dreamed?) the article also implied she was his second wife. I say this after seeing it stated several times, in your newletter's previous editorial replies, that JPJ never married. Are you sure?

Also, JPJ, by numerous accounts, is remembered as a womanizer. By my calculations he became a Jones around the age of 26, which would have given him ample long summer nights, while still a Paul, to foster plenty of progeny. Your beautifully-designed site is one of the best on JPJ, of the hundreds, I've browsed. Sure gives me the taste to change my travel plans and visit the Seacoast this summer!
Jeanette Paul of Longueuil, Quebec

EDITOR’S REPLY: We never understand why so many people want to claim a blood line to one of the most cantankerous unlivable characters in American history. Perhaps the JPJ birthplace in Arbingland Scotland can offer a genealogy chart to John Paul’s sisters. That would be the only possible blood line. We never said JPJ never had kids. There are many claims to illegitimate children as be bounced from bed to bed. But he certainly never married anyone in which any record survives, and never mentioned an heir outside his siblings in any will. Bogus accounts abound and, it seems, he fathered half the population of North Carolina in an imaginary visit there. But true descendants, for now, will have to trace their lineage back to the Paul family of Scotland, not to JPJ. If all the imaginary descendants joined the John Paul Jones House Museum for $25, we’d have more than enough cash to keep this old building outside our office window standing. Each membership comes with an “honorary” family tree?
http://seacoastnh.com/jpj/

March 21
NO STARBUCKS SERVED ON RANGER
Thanks for the reply and link (see previous letter below). I appreciate the answer. I found a copy of the Morison book in my local library and read with great trepidation that the letter from JPJ to Joseph Hewes that mentions my ancestor was indeed non-existent. This letter was "dated" 22 May 1778 and was printed in Chapter VI of Volume 1 of the Buell "biography".

Morison never makes any explicit mention of the crew listing in the Buell book. Buell states that it was garnered from the list of persons present when the Ranger arrived in Brest bearing the news of Burgoyne's defeat. Is this crew list also in question?

The Morison biography mentions that the action on the 24th April 1778 against the Drake resulted in the loss of Lt. Wallingford and one seaman, with 5 or 6 others wounded. In the Buell book, my ancestor, Matthew Starbuck is mentioned as one of the "severely wounded", but doing better.

Do you know if any mention of the other wounded persons is made? I understand the doctor had a diary that was published. Maybe in there? I appreciate any response you can provide. I thank you for your previous assistance. P.S. As Morison says in his biography, maybe there should be a change of Dewey decimal number for Buell's two volumes, from biography section to fiction.
Tim Cooper

EDITOR’S REPLY: The most authoritative list of RANGER crewmen is in the appendix of the Joseph Sawtelle book ‘John Paul Jones and the Ranger’ (1994) by Peter E. Randall Publisher. There is no mention of a Starbuck in the roster that Sawtelle carefully compiled over years of research. But the good news is that the official roster has never been found. I’d suggest that someone from the Ranger Foundation might now more, except that, as their historian, that would be me. – JDR
http://seacoastnh.com/jpj/rangerinterview.html

March 21
COME TO COLONIAL NEW HAMPSHIRE!
I go to Greenland School. I have a project where I need to make a brochure about NH as a colony, on of the original 13. I have to make it a travel brochure to encourage people to move to NH. Do you know where I can get pictures to put in my brochure?
Ryan

EDITOR’S REPLY: Now THAT is a good school assignment! Why would people want to come here in the 1600s and 1700s. There are TONS of possible pictures on our site that you can use in school if you email us back, tell us which one, and ask permission. We’ve sent one of our favorites for you to consider. And there is, of course, that little building called the LIBRARY, that must be full to ceiling with colonial pictures you could use. Any photo of an unspoiled area of this region today would also work fine. And here’s an article you may want to read on just that topic.
http://seacoastnh.com/arts/please021702.html

March 20
JPJ WRITES TO JOSEPH HEWES
I am curious whether any of the correspondence between John Paul Jones and Joseph Hewes survives. In particular, there was referenced in the book by Augustus Buell, a letter sent to Hewes after the engagement with the Drake. In this letter, JPJ mentions several crew members that were casualities. One of these crew members may be an ancestor. I would appreciate any insight you could provide where to look next. As I understand it, Joseph Hewes died without any progeny, maybe the papers were left with an institution or university?
Tim Cooper in Punxsutawney, PA

EDITOR’S REPLY: Yes, but beware any letters in Buell’s 1900 2-volume biography of Jones. According to later biographer Samuel Eliot Morison, Buell had a bad habit of simply making up letters and facts whenever the fancy struck him. All of Jones’ correspondence that survives was issued a few years back on 10 reels of microfilm. This is the ONE resource you need to find the authentic letters of Jones. We have one here at the Portsmouth Athenaeum, but check any large library. A 178-page guide to the microfilm collection was published in 1986 by James C. Bradford, and that can sometimes be found on eBay or Bibliofind.com and is available used from Amazon.com. Start there and with Morrison’s biography and toss out the Buell.
http://www.seacoastnh.com/jpj

March 19
MORE ON THAT BOTTLING CO.
Actually I did find some information on the Rochester Bottling Company (see previous letter below), It was found looking through a collection of Dover street directories, at the Dover Public Library They were listed in the directories from 1909 to 1917. There are gaps in the directory collection and so the following is what they have. -- 1905- no listing -- Gap until 1909 listing under bottlers, also an advertisement that reads: Rochester Bottling Company: General Bottlers, Wholesale and retail liquor merchants, Family trade is our specialty, special attention given to mail orders. (40 Third Street, opposite B&M Depot, Dover NH)
Marguerite in South Berwick , Maine

March 18
SEEKING ROCHESTER BOTTLING
I was told you may possibly beable help me, I am looking for information on the Rochester Bottling Company, it was located in Dover, have you any knowledge of this? I f you can help me please let me know and Thank You
Marguerite Snow

EDITOR’S REPLY: This sound like a job for Robert Griffin on his Rochester History web site. To read more about his work and to contact his site, click below:
http://www.seacoastsearch.com/feature91.htm

March 18
INSIDE PORTSMOUTH’S “CASTLE”
The history of the "castle" Portsmouth, NH Naval Shipyard old military prison. I was a marine on temporary duty there in 1994 and have not been able to find any websites with the history or old photos. I even went inside and only could see with a flashlight. It was very interesting and would like to know more.
Chad T in Austin, TX

EDITOR’S REPLY: You’re right, we really need to get inside that concrete monster with the 6-foot thick walls. Two years ago, it looked like the former Portsmouth naval prison might become an office condo, but the death of philanthropist-entrepreneur Joe Sawtelle and 9-11 have rewritten that story, temporarily. The Portsmouth Herald did a superb photo gallery of images from The Castle back then in the newspaper, but it’s been pretty quiet since. It’s definitely on our TO DO list. Time, money, accessibility and the reported 2-foot long rapid rats are the only things keeping us from the story at present.
http://www.seacoastnh.com/postcards/yard1/ph11.html

March 18
POSTCARDS FROM GRANNYFISH
Dear Guys: I was at an antique show this week and spent an hour going thru a vendor's 300+ postcards. I bought some of Ports., and vicinity, and would like to donate them to you to show my appreciation of your site and hard work! At one time I had Dennis' address, but lost in during the move here to Reno. NV. Maybe not all are available locally, all needed only 1 cent postage. (I still get your newsletter with thanks!)
Peggy Fish in Reno, NV
http://www.seacoastnh.com/earlyimages/index.html

March 18
MORE OF THOSE 1923 JOHN HANCOCK BOOKS
I have 3 booklets you don't have - Lafayette, Mount Vernon and Christopher Columbus. I also have 5 booklets that are the same titles as 5 of yours - The Story of the Pilgrams, John Hancock, The Constitution, The Flag, and Framing the Declaration of Independence - but the covers are different. They are all in perfect condition so if you would like scans of the covers, let me know.
Clymore

EDITOR’S REPLY: Cool. We did go a little overboard that day when we began showing the 1923 brochures created in the 1920s to promote life insurance. But there is value in knowing how a previous generation defined the “super patriots” of American history back then. How we define ourselves today as a nation has a lot to do with our self image over time, although it does not always have to do with the facts of how our nation was founded. We find that a fascinating study in cultural history. Thanks for the scans. It may take us a lifetime to post them, but we'll get to it.
http://seacoastnh.com/jpj/johnhancock.html

March 18
AN OLD CLOCK BY GAINES
I have a grandfathers clock which was built by John Gains of Portsmouth. Do you know of a clockmaker by that name? Is there any information available? Thank you,
Randall Hale of Nottingham, NH

FROM TOM H. AT THE PORTSMOUTH ATHENAEUM: John Gaines (1775 - 1854) was a clock and watch maker in Portsmouth from 1797 to 1839. His father was George Gaines the joiner. For more info see Charles Parsons' book New Hampshire Clockmakers. AND FROM HISTORIAN & CURATOR JOHN MAYER: John Gains (or Gaines) is listed in Brock Jobe's "Portsmouth Furniture" book. According to Jobe, John Gains was a clock and watchmaker who was active in Portsmouth from 1797 to 1839. The Gains family were important furniture makers in Portsmouth as early as the 1720s. This could be a very nice artifact.

March 17
ILLUSTRATED MEMORIES ALREADY ONLINE
I have a 1905 book of black and white large photographs titled: 'Illustrated Memories' of Portsmouth, Isles of Shoals, New Castle, York Harbor, York Beach and Rey, New Hampshire. G.W. Morris Publisher. Many photos of old homes dating back to 1664 and historical buildings and scenes. I am interested in selling this book if this would be something that may appeal to you if you do not already possess it. I can email photos for you to download as well. Thanks.
Hilary in Miami, FL

EDITOR'S REPLY: Thanks, but we put that one online back in '99, about 100 years after it was published. In fact, we've added two dozen pages of "Illustrated Memories". Our recent essay on tourism shows how these fit into the grand scheme of things. (last link)
http://www.seacoastnh.com/earlyphotos/memoriesnh/index.html
http://www.seacoastnh.com/earlyphotos/memoriesmaine/index.html
http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please021702.html

March 17
HOTEL RESTORATION BEGINS
It is great to see the Wentworth Hotel story come full circle since I first visited your site in search of information. I hope that when it is ready to greet visitors again, you will add new photos of it to go along with those you graciously added some time back, when I asked to see photos of it in it's then dilapidated state. Perhaps this Tennessee girl really will get to stay at that grand old hotel some day in the near future! It's just wonderful to know it's been saved!
Joan in Clarksville, TN
http://www.seacoastnh.com/wentbysea

March 17
HAUNTED B&B?
Are there any haunted inns/hotels to stay at inseacost? I will be visiting from florida and staying in Keene. Also, how far is Keene from there? thank you
Donna in Tampa, FL

EDITORS REPLY: We re not much into that haunted stuff around here, it appears. Nobody we know is trying to make a dollar off an old legend. Sounds more like the tourist approach of Salem, MA which has a few haunted hot spots. Or how about the Lizzie Borden, Bed & Breakfast in Fall River, Massachusetts? (www.lizzie-borden.com). Our Grave Site sections is linked below. That sounds spooky. Keene is a good two hours from the Seacoast
http://www.seacoastnh.com/dead

March 15
IN SEARCH OF CANADA LEE
I read with great interest an article about the filming of the movie "Lost Boundaries" which is posted on your web site and was researched by J. Dennis Robinson (copyright 1997). I am writing a book about Canada Lee to be published by Faber and Faber in the spring of 2003, and I would like to include information about his experiences filming this movie on location in New Hampshire. First, I would like to request permission to quote from the material posted at SeacostNH.com. If you have a specific format for citations that you would like me to use, kindly forward that via e-mail to this address.

Second, I wonder if Mr. Robinson or someone else on your staff could verify some information in the article as there would seem to be a question regarding dates. The article cites an interview with Louis de Rochemont "just after the final location shooting in Kennebunkport, Maine, in April 1949." A few paragraphs later, the article says that the premier of the film took place in Portsmouth on June 22, 1949. It seems awfully speedy to be still filming in April 1949 and have a finished product ready to screen by June 1949, although perhaps that is in fact what happened. I would truly appreciate it if someone could verify for me:

a) What weeks/months were the cast (inlcuding Canada Lee) filming in your area, and was this indeed in 1949 -- or was it in fact 1948?

b) Did the premiere did in fact take place on June 22, 1949, with Canada present?

Finally, this is a big favor to ask, but if there is any way for me to have copies of any newspaper articles about the filming and the premiere -- particularly those articles that mention Canada Lee -- I would gladly reimburse any and all costs involved and thank the generous party profusely in the book!
Mona Smith , New York

EDITOR'S REPLY: Whew! That should take about a week, but we're going to pass the buck to the Special Collections librarian in Portsmouth who has offered to help find the newspaper articles that are collected in a scrapbook in the History Room. We can't wait to read the book. Meanwhile, here are notes from historian VALERIE CUNNINGHAM:

Hi Mona, The filming and premier of Lost Boundaries was very big news in Portsmouth and was on the front pages for weeks. Yes, things happened fast in those days. If you don't find what you're looking for directly from the Portsmouth Herald or the Portsmouth Public Library, as Dennis mentioned, let me know and I can get microfilm copies for you. Unfortunately, the deRochemont papers did not go to the UNH library, so they do not have anything more than Portsmouth library in that regard.

The book Dennis referred you to is the PBHT Resource Book published by the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail, Inc., 1996. In it, I discuss briefly the desegregation of a local hotel making it possible for Canada Lee and the other Blacks to be housed and meet together during filming. Many of the local people who appeared as extras in the film have died but there are a few survivors (Black and white) who remember their experiences, though I don't think they came in personal contact with Canada Lee. The owners of a nearby well-known Black summer guest house were in the film and would have been the most likely to have met Canada Lee if he'd been accessible and/or interested in meeting the locals--however, that did not happen.
http://www.seacoastnh.com/louis/lostsum.html

March 15
LOOKING FOR LINCOLN
hi: just finished viewing your website tour of Abraham Lincoln sites in Washington,DC. i was wondering if you might help me with a request. are copies available of the disposable camera tour of these sites? my health and finances prevent me from returning to this area, and i would dearly love pictures of the outside, and especially inside of ford's theater, especially the presidential box itself. i am also looking to find pictures of the peterson house, inside and out, especially the death room. my mother worked in d.c. in the war(II), and ate lunch at the theater and peterson house.
David Vandever

EDITOR'S REPLY: We were only there a few hours, but Fords Theater and it's superb book shop remain. We suggest going right to the source. We're just tourists.
http://www.seacoastnh.com/lincoln/death1.html
http://www.nps.gov/foth/index2.htm

March 15
PERFORMING PIGS ONLINE
Can you please advise me who is in charge of hiring entertainment for this event?
Steve Valentine, Valentine's Performing Pigs

EDITOR'S REPLY: We usually answer such requests offline, but we wanted our readers to see this one, before we forwarded it to the Somersworth Festival Association - the people who put on the Children's Festival. It's the only performing pig web site we've seen so far! Oh, and the Children's Festival address is -- ww.nhfestivals.org - and you'll find it in SeacoastSearch.com. There are also Seacoast children's events in Portsmouth (May) and at Hampton Beach (summer) that we know of. We liked Valentine's pigs so much, it is now SITE OF THE WEEK.
http://www.seacoastsearch.com/feature96.htm

March 15
SEACOAST TOURING IN BLACK AND WHITE
I have one copy of Seacoast Region of New Hampshire, but there is no date on it or in it that I could find. How do we know when they were printed? I found your article of interest in the recent issue of your Newsletter.
John M. Holman, History Volunteer, Lane Memorial Library

EDITORS REPLY: We have four of these black and white Seacoast tour guides, three undated. But one has the date 1949 visible in tiny letters. That,s where our estimated date came from. We look forward to your great history work on the Lane Library web site, an amazing achievement.
http://www.seacoastnh.com/earlyphotos/seacoastpix.html

March 15
THE "BONNIE DICK" VS THE BONHOMME RICHARD
On February 20, in your Editor's reply, I'm confused by someof the wording. John Paul Jones was defintely a commissioned officer in the USNavy. In fact, he was the first to fly the Continental flag on the ship Alfred. He was commissioned a Lieutenant Dec. 7 1775. I probably misunderstood what you were saying in your reply. His commissioning date is public record. One aside... old Navy guys refer to the Bon Homme Richard as the Bonnie Dick. Being married to an old Navy guy, I know this.

As usual I get my authentication from the Dictionary of American Biography. That's where I got part of the story about his connection to my Branch family. I know you have many articles on this subject but I am sending you another, just for fun. Love SeacoastNH.com newsletter!
Carol Smith of San Angelo, Texas

EDITOR'S REPLY: Technically, JPJ was never in the Navy since the Navy was not created until after his death. Even the Navy is not sure when it was founded, either in 1794 or 1798, according to a Navy History web page. As to the "Bonnie Dick" that was clearly the nickname of the USS Bonhomme Richard CVA-31, but not of the original Bonhomme Richard captained by JP of the USS Continental (temporary) Navy. The Bonhomme was originally named for Ben Franklin,s "Poor Richard,s Almanac"

March 15
TYPO, TIPPO, TYPEO
I finally talked my wife to look at your neat site which Ienjoy very much by the way. She noticed a number of typo's. I did my best to defend your proofreaders----but---it was bad.
Terry and Phyllis of Portland, Oregon

EDITOR'S REPLY: No need to defend our proofreaders, since there are none, nor copywriters, nor ad salespeople, nor graphic designers. It's all done by one badly sighted editor/author who works with a computer that actually READS the words. The technical term is "low vision disabled" but that sounds so awful. Often its hard to find typos while listening to the text. Your humble does as best he can, but when readers spot a typo - it sure helps a lot - to provide the actual error with a correction and the URL of the page. There may be a million typos on the 3,000 pages posted to date, but they,ll only be found with your help.

March 14
WE MATCH BO DEREK
Your site rates a 10 once again! Wish everyone could enjoy your place as I do. Happy St. Patrick,s Day, Passover and Easter!
Donald Hakey

March 14
15-ACROSS, JPJ SHIP
My daughter has this question on an Excel cross word puzzle. Can you help? There are 15 letters in the word. Thank you!
Mariann

EDITOR'S REPLY: We prefer not to cheat on other people,s homework or crossword puzzles, so we,ll let your daughter pick the correct ship from among the following list. All names are taken in order from "The Ships of John Paul Jones" by William Gilkerson -- Friendship, Two Friends, Betsy, Providence, Alfred, Ranger, Bonhomme Richard, Alliance, Ariel, America.
http://www.seacoastnh.com/jpj

March 14
FOUR RECALL POET ESTHER BUFFLER
Dennis, I just read your article on Esther in today's Sunday. Fosters. It was in itself a poem. Also very moving. (From a former social Studies teacher PHS, now retired up here in Rochester --- liked your pick of the Rochester site also :) -- Brian P. Brennan of Rochester, NH

That tribute to Esther is superb. Thank you! -- Marie Harris

That was a very lovely piece you wrote on Esther. As beautifully composed as a perfect little short story. -- Rodman Philbrick in Florida

I just read your beautiful tribute to Esther Buffler in the paper. It was a wonderful story. -- Nancy Landroche of South Berwick, ME
http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please031002.html

March 13
15-ACROSS, JPJ SHIP
My daughter has this question on an Excel cross word puzzle. Can you help? There are 15 letters in the word. Thank you!Mariann

EDITOR'S REPLY: We prefer not to cheat on other people,s homework or crossword puzzles, so we,ll let your daughter pick the correct ship from among the following list. All names are taken in order from "The Ships of John Paul Jones" by William Gilkerson -- Friendship, Two Friends, Betsy, Providence, Alfred, Ranger, Bonhomme Richard, Alliance, Ariel, America.
http://www.seacoastnh.com/jpj

March 13
BEWARE OUR TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
We've had almost no tech problems in more than five years online, but this week our hosting company decided to make a few changes that are affecting SeacoastNH.com and SeacoastSearch.com. We're looking into them and should ahve them fixed soon. That means people trying to ADD web sites to our search engine or access databased info from our Dining and Lodging guides may get an ERROR message. We apologize for the inconvenience which is out of our hands. It seems all we have to do is type a simple line of code into about 30 web pages, then test the changes, and we'll be back running smoothly. Ya, sure. The search engine will search, and most other functions work and about 3,000 pages are unaffected, but man on man, are the others annoying. Thanks for your patience.
The Editor, SeacoastNH, SeacoastSearch.com

March 11
NH NATIURALLY
Is there a NUDE BEACH in or around the N.H. Seacoast area? If so, where is it? PLEASE give directions, THANK YOU>
MC in Littleton, NH

EDITOR'S REPLY: NH has only a scanty list of ocean-side beaches, and none are for nudes over age 2. But Cedar Waters campground offers a pond for Naturists among the tall trees of Seacoast, New Hampshire. We featured the family nudist camp in our video "101 Highlights of Seacoast NH". Here,s that web address from SeacaostSearch.com: NHnude.com. No kidding!

March 09
STONE FISH STILL LURING READERS
My first thought was that it is a pestle used for grinding grain or medicines. I am a pharmacist if that means anything.
RJC

EDITOR'S REPLY: We put this story up in 1997 and responses still come in. That,s one of the cool features of the Web. As long as you pay your hosting fees, readers keep showing up. For readers who never saw the Mystery Stone Fish - click below:
http://www.seacoastnh.com/tji/stonefish.html

March 07
KODAK LIKES DISPOSABLE CAMERA TOURS
Were all these pictures taken with one-time-use cameras? They are very good, and not what I normally experience with a single-use camera... I enjoyed your web site. I admire the elegant, engaging ways you've chosen to portray cultural history.
David Kassnoff, Managing Editor, Eastman Kodak Company
http://www.kodak.com/

EDITOR'S REPLY: We started out using a Kodak "one-time-use" camera, but lately the images have been taken with a digital camera. We liked the name "Disposable Camera Tours" because it sums up the goals of this section. We want everyone to explore America, to dig into their local history, and to capture amateur images to pass on their families. Although we have a lot of professional photos online, this section is by an amateur. Here we just want to capture the feeling we get when visiting scenic and historic sites in our rare travels outside the region.
http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/camtour.html

March 06
ABOUT THAT "OLD IRONSIDES" PHOTO
Dear Sirs, I very much enjoyed the article and the interesting historic photos on the USS Constitution. If you permit me one remark: On "inside" photo showing the deck arrangement the "housing over" is clearly visible from inside. Couldn't it be that the 1895 dating is correct and not 1931 as you suggest, as by that time this housing over was already demolished if I understand it correctly?
Dr. Ákos György, Hungary
http://www.seacoastnh.com/earlyphotos/ironsides/ph8.html

Editor's Reply: We don't have a clue. This is one for the USS COnstitution Museum in Charleston. The photo that we scanned looked very new, had richer tones than any of the early images and matched the photo shape, size and emulstion of the other 1931 era images we scanned. But yes, it goes look like the housing is on top. We await the word of smarter historians.
http://www.seacoastnh.com/ussconstitution/index.html

March 05
THE DOLPHIN AND THE LION
Did the Wentworth By the Sea have a crest or a specific insignia? If so is it from the Wentworth Family? Did it change throughout the years? Please e-mail back, if possible send a picture. Thank you!!
Jessica Smith, Hampton, NH

EDITOR'S REPLY: Quickly scanning 125 years of WBS brochures, we don't see any repeated, consistent imagery from the promotional materials. But according to the text of a 1920s brochure, the original Wentworth house Inn was called "Ye Dolphin's Inn" that led to the use of a dolphin in the hotel crest. (see text and picture links below). There was no connection, historically, between WBS and the Wentworth family. We've don't know if the derivation is just legend or true, but the figure of a woman writing a dolphin and playing a shell like trumpet appears in the 1920s imagery that is frequently associated with the historic hotel - which is now being reconstructed by Ocean Properties of Portsmouth for a 2003 opening. We didn't find any Wentworth family crests that included a dolphin in a quick scan of that families crest online. Thomas Wentworth, earl of Strafford's crest, for example, includes crosses, diamonds and lions. It isn't by accident that the Wentowrths, who trace their English history back to the Norman Conquest, were leaders of both Strafford and Rockingham - now the two counties in Seacoast, New Hampshire. Molly Bolster at the Wentworth Coolidge Mansion in Portsmouth would likely be able to lead you to sources of the New Hampshire Wentworth family crests. But it looks to us like the dolphin idea was a clever marketing tool used in the early 1900s during the resale and revival of the hotel under new management. A lion would have been more authentic, but was already being used at the Rockingham Hotel by original WBS owner Frank Jones. SeacoastNH.com contains a ton of info on the Wentworth family, so use our search engine for me. We've attached a recent article below.
http://www.seacoastnh.com/wentbysea/brochure.html
http://www.seacoastnh.com/wentbysea/1920.html#dolphin
http://www.seacoastnh.com/wentbysea/index.html
http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please121501.html

March 04
BRITISH FORGIVE JOHN STARK AT LONG LAST!
I am researching portraits for reproduction in the New (British) Dictionary of National Biography to be published in 2004 by Oxford University Press. I wonder if you could give me more information about the portrait of JohnStark (1728-1822) that appears on your website? Who painted it? Who now owns it? And might it be possible to order a photograph of it for reproduction. I'd be grateful for any information you could provide.Yours sincerely,
Arianne at the Nat,l Portrait Gallery, London, England

EDITOR'S REPLY: We,ve got a couple of pages on John Stark online. The engraving on the first page is from an 1895 book called (no kidding) "Proceedings in Congress upon the Acceptance of the Statures of John Stark and Daniel Webster". The image on the other page is from the state house in Concord, New Hampshire. Glad to see man who coined the phrase "Live Free or Die" is finally getting recognition in Merry Olde, England.
http://www.seacoastsearch.com/nhlinks/people/johnstark/index.html
http://www.seacoastnh.com/framers/stark.html

March 04
TUGBOAT HITS BRIDGE
Melbourne Smith, internationally famed designed of tall ships (Prde of Baltimore, Nagra, Privateer Lynx, etc.) just sent us the following link. It's a wild one. Readers will want to check it out.
The Editor
http://www.netcopspsi.com/temp/towboat.htm

March 01
CAN,T FIND CARLTON
I am doing a project for school on Carleton Fiske, the baseball player. There isn't very much about him on the web. Do you have any ideas on where to go?
Sean in Exeter

EDITOR'S REPLY: The Web is like an English teacher - you have to spell things right. We searched on Carlton "Fisk" instead and found tons of web sites, including this one (below). We usually don,t get into searches, but any guy from NH is a good guy to us.
http://www.carltonfisk.com/

March 01
"SUBMERGED" ON VIDEO? DUNNO
Hi, There are great articles on your web-site about the movie Submerged. Is there a video of the movie so that I may purchase one. Thanks
Bob

EDITOR'S REPLY: As far as we know (checking Amazon.com) the made for TV movie about the rescue of the Squalus submarine crew off the coast of New Hampshire in the 1930s is not yet available on video and still showing on cable TV. We emailed the director in Malibu, but have not received a response. We did receive a phone call from Gerald McLees of Portsmouth who was among the submariners rescued in the actual event. He said he loved our article about the movie. So here's that article again and a HUGE archive (four web pages full) of photos from the film.
http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please060201.html
http://www.seacoastnh.com/navyyard/submerged.html

March 01
DIGGING INTO WHITTIER
I'm researching a book of poems I purchased recently titled "Whittier Poems" published by the Butler Brothers of Chicago and New York.I haven't been able to locate the title on the web. Eighteen of the poems in the book are not listed in "The Compleat Poetical Works of John Greenleaf Whittier".The book is inscribed to Henry B.Stanton and some of the poems are different from other published forms, example, a poem entitled "White Mountain" seems to be the basis for "Mt. Agiochook". A note under the section titled Miscellaneous Poems reads "The Poems which follow are not devoted to the cause of Emancipation, but have been included in this collection at the request of some of the author's friends. Many of them, in their passage from one newspaper or scrapbook to another, had become mutilated and imperfect...".
Jack Steiner

EDITOR'S REPLY: Although we have a dozen articles about Whittier on SeacoastNH.com, we,re from experts. There are a zillion editions of Whittier poems since he was among the top 5 poets of his era in books sales. You can contact the two Whittier Homes in Amesbury and Haverhill at the link below. Or check the Whittier Collection at the Haverhill Library in the second link. Check Bibliofind.com for similar items on sale.
http://www.seacoastnh.com/postcards/whittier/index.html
http://www.haverhillpl.org/Departments/special/WhittierBio.html