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| READ OUR MAIL June 1998 Mailbag SeacoastNH.com |
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June 30 EN-LIGHTNING FAMILY HISTORY I think we told you at the Strafford Genealogy Meeting how addictive genealogy can be! There are so many stories of our ancestors. My 8th great grandfather was Captain of the garrison on Castle Island in Boston Harbor and was killed by lightening while he slept with his dog on the floor beside him. I'm sure every genealogist has a story to tell...... Another series ?? Janice Todd jandhtodd@prodigy.net June 27 MORE WHALE WEB-SIGHTINGS We are planning a trip down there next week and plan to go whale watching. We would like some more info. scott and michelle scar0601@together.net EDITOR'S REPLY: We're still assembling our whale page. Here are four links to get you through the weekend. http://www.islesofshoals.com/wwe_ios.html http://www.whale-watching.com/ http://www.newburyportwhalewatch.com/ http://www.caww.com/ June 27 BIEN VENU TOO YOU TO I am from Quebec, Canada and i am interesting to receive your 64 pages. Guide on Hampton Beach. Would it be possible to mail it to me? Carole EDITOR'S REPLY: Although we were given a nice mention in about 100,000 Hampton Beach mailers sent to Canada, the brochure is distributed by the local chamber of commerce: http://www.hamptonbeaches.com/ June 26 JPJ FOR KIDS IN VIRGINIA Our new state standards call for us to teach the biography of John Paul Jones in our first grade program. Since we live in Va. Beach and the Navy is so evident here, it is certainly appropriate. However, we are having trouble finding age appropriate materials. Do you have anything we could use or know of a place that I could contact? Lisa Z in Virginia lisazeb@exis.net EDITOR'S REPLY: Someone we spoke to on the phone from Annapolis recently mentioned a book on Jones for young adults. We found it on their site (click below), but the navigation requires a cyber seaman of JPJ's calibre. Click from US Naval Institute homepage to the Naval Institute Press, then to Browse and look under "Biographies and Memoirs." Scroll down to find "John Paul Jones: America's Sailor" by Clara Ann Simmons. It is for 8-13 year olds and has under 100 pages with 30 illustrations. Tell them we sent you. http://www.usni.org/ http://www.seacoastnh.com/jpj/index.html June 25 PAUL REVERE'S HORSE? I am trying to find out the name of the horse (I believe it was a Narragansett pacer) that Paul Revere rode on his famous ride. Any information on that? Robyn rjbrooks@emji.net EDITOR'S REPLY: We didn't even break a sweat on that one, Robyn. According to Beverly Meyer at the Portsmouth Library, you want to read "The Horse's Name Was" by Terri Wear. Unfortunately, the name is unknown. According to Weare, Revere rode "a light and sure-footed chestnut Narragansett pacer mare of small size and good quality borrowed from Deacon John Larkin's stable." Some say her name was Brown Beauty. Revere rode in the revolutionary deed memorialized inaccurately by Longfellow. To read about his ride to Portsmouth (horse unknown), click below: http://www.seacoastnh.com/history/rev/revere.html June 24 POOCH OR POSH? YOU PICK We are two romantics looking to spend the week-end in Hampton Beach with our golden retriever friend. He' s a shy and sophisticated fellow. We would be interested in a cozy and ambianced lodging, more than a motel-cabin sort of accommodation. Marie-Sophie msdood@interlinx.qc.ca EDITOR'S REPLY: You get dogs, or you get ambiance. Lamie's in Hampton town center allows pets, but only ones under 20 pounds. Mary, who has been at the Hampton Chamber for 18 years (they call her "Brag-tannica") has three Hampton motel options: the Blue Jay (603-926-3711); the Kentville (800-992-4297) which will allow a dog in ground floor rooms; and the Emerald Isles (888-863-9877). Here's another possibility. Why not stay nearby in Exeter? Richard, who just opened his B&B there called the Gov. Jeremiah Smith House (603-778-7770), says he will gladly arrange to board your golden with a nice woman just down the road. It's a cozy town, a colonial home, just 7 miles from the roar of the ocean. Talk it over with Rover. http://www.seacoastnh.com/touring/lodging.html June 23 WE'RE CRAZY, BUT IT'S FREE I'd like to know how i could go about adding a link to my website under my free listing on your site. I'm listed under "business/graphicdesign." thanx! Kim Foss, ampers& kimf@tiac.net www.ampersandstudio.com EDITOR'S REPLY: Here's how it works. We have created a number of free listings. We gather the info and put up the page, like Web Designers. Then, amazingly, we link your site for free, as well. Are we insane? Perhaps. The plan is simple. We think the Internet is about information. The more links we light up, the more people will visit the page. Then, when we begin soliciting ads in the future, the ONE banner advertiser at the top gets exclusivity and full value out of sponsoring the page. This is a revolutionary new way to advertise and disseminate info. Listers who come later pay a nominal fee to be added to the directory and also get a free link. Each year, we update the page. We're in this for the long haul. You win now. We win later. Slow and steady wins the race, right? http://www.seacoastnh.com/business/graphicdesign.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/business/media.html June 22 PRODIGAL SON E-MAIL My place of birth was Portsmouth, NH. I just wanted to say hello to all you good people back there. Victor P. Nichols, Oklahoma vnichols@olp.net June 20 STAR ISLAND IN AUGUST? I would like information about ferry service and accommodations on Star Island. Our family of four will be in New Hampshire to deliver our son to UNH by August 12. He is seriously considering studying marine biology, and we've heard that UNH has a research station on Appledore I. We would possibly want to stay August 8-11 on the island. Jana M MAX3379@aol.com EDITOR'S REPLY: Scroll down to the Smuttynose letter below for even more links and info on staying at Star. Again, the Oceanic only books conferences, so you need to sign up for one to get ashore. But you can get a daytrip on the Thomas Laighton ferry any time. Their site is linked below. And we have attached the Marine Shoals link for you. If nothing works out, we've attached our penny postcard tour of Star as a consolation prize. But call ahead. That is the week Ironsides was supposed to be in town (and isn't) so things are heavily booked up around here still. http://www.islesofshoals.com/ http://www.sml.cornell.edu/ http://www.seacoastnh.com/postcards/star/index.html June 20 OOPS! WE MEAN MASS. NOW, ABOUT YOUR CAPITALIZATION… i have been reading articles by j.dennis robinson and others of the uss. constitution. there have been numerous referrences to "Charleston" and "Charleston harbor". are these mentions in south carolina, or are they supposed to mean "charlestown" and "charlestown harbor(boston)"? i'm a native of portsmouth now residing in california. dennis from calif 71hd@best.com June 20 CAN'T FIND HERALD I can't seem to find the web sites for the Portsmouth Herald and the Exeter News Letter . Do you know ? Larry G at Rye, NH LGillis521@aol.com EDITOR'S REPLY: You can click to the Herald web site (which has a URL oddly similar to ours) and all other local media from our Print Media Directory. The Herald was recently purchased by the Ottaway newspaper chain which includes the Exeter Newsletter, Hampton Union, and many North Shore and Cape Cod papers, but we see, as yet, no site Exeter web site. Click for the whole story: http://www.seacoastonline.com/ http://www.seacoastnh.com/business/print.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/tjioct97.html#herald http://www.Ottaway.com/ June 20 STUDENTS WANT TO SEE SMUTTYNOSE I've been asked by a professor at the Univ. of Maine, Orono, if its possible to spend an overnight on any of the islands of the Isle of Shoals. They had a class on the Smuttynose murders and would like to experience what it would be like to live there. Any type of accomodation, camping would be fun. Bill in Essex, Mass jakebrak@msn.com EDITOR'S REPLY: The little spit of an island at Smuttynose is privately owned and pretty much off limits. You can stay at the Oceanic Hotel on nearby Star as part of a conference group. You'll find the Star Island Corp connection on our Isles Hotlinks page. Appledore, also nearby, contains the Marine Biology lab operated by Cornell and UNH and sometimes has openings. http://www.starisland.org/ http://www.seacoastnh.com/shoals/links.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/shoals/index.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/smuttynose/index.html June 19 WHEW, LONG PULL FROM ARIZONA I would like to have any information about your area. My husband and myself will be in your area this fall and would like to know where to go and what to see. We will be pulling our camper and will need a good place to park it. Curtis & Lillian of Hope, Arizona crandy@arkansas.net EDITOR'S REPLY: You're all set with just two clicks. The first tells you, in one page, over 100 things to do in our region. The second is our camping directory. We'd like you park in our driveway, but the neighbor's dogs are territorial. http://www.seacoastnh.com/touring/camping.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/101nh/az.html June 18 SOUL SEARCH IS UP Greetings. I am the manager of the Black Search engine "Soul Search". I would like to list your web site with us. Soul Search is the one stop on the Internet to search for Afro/African American resources Harold Conover info@soulsearch.net http://www.soulsearch.net/links/ June 18 NH STATE MILITIA AWOL During WWII, the State of New Hampshire had an organized and uniformed state militia. I am interested in doing a project on this subject. Does anyone know where the records might be kept for research. Alan S astone@ttlc.net EDITOR'S REPLY: On statewide issues we humbly defer to the tremendously efficient NH Historical Society in Concord which has just moved its site to this address: http://www.nhhistory.org/ June 17 BUT PITTSFIELD AIN'T NEAR THE OCEAN There is a memorial in Pittsfield, NH erected May 30,1975, dedicated to men + women of Pittsfield who served their country in time of war. I believe it includes my grandfather John Powers born in Mass. He was gassed during WW1. Is it possible to see if his name appears on it? Sylvia (Powers) Davie jdavie@smartt.com EDITOR'S REPLY: Pittsfield (pop. 3,500) is outside our Seacoast turf, but we checked with sources who say the monument is in Dustin's Park on Main Street. Try calling the Carpenter Memorial Library (603-435-8406) or the local historian Larry Berkson (435-7575). June 16 WE LOVE NIT-PICKERS Really a great site you have! Looking through your South Coast Maine Photo Gallery image # 4 should be titled Seagulls & Skiff, or Rowboat. It's definitely not a dory!!! Under your " Capsule History of the Isles of Shoals ", paragraph 6 states that most of the population emigrated to Appledore; when actually they emigrated to Star Island in NH ( Appledore is in ME. ). See "Isles of Shoals in Lore and Legend" page 27, by Lyman V. Rutledge. Paul pweisner@zdial.com http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/photosgair/index.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/shoals/history.html June 15 READERS SUGGEST FAVE HAMPTON ROOMS FOR JILL Hello, i am trying to plan a short trip to Hampton Beach. There are 4 of us and we would need two rooms. We would prefer a place with a pool and we need a place right on the beach. We are planning to come up July 3rd and leave july 5th. In the rooms we need either queen size beds or king size beds. It is very important that the place is clean and safe and that we stay on the beach and that there is secure and safe parking. I hope you can write back to me and let me know which hotel/motel we should check out....also price is a factor so we would like to stay as cheap as possible, while still sticking to our wishes of being near the beach and near all of the arcades and shops. thank you for your time, and again send me any info you can including rates. jill STINKYJ17@aol.com EDITOR'S REPLY: We're running this letter in hopes that readers will send Jill a reference. This letter is typical of the beach inquiries we get daily. Our little volunteer team tries to help every one of our readers, but even more HB online services are needed. Sponsors, we're ready to rock like a lobster. Call us. June 15 KINGSTON ONLINE Great stuff!!!! Do you have plans to include more info. on the small towns in the area? Have you seen the Kingston, NH WEB site? Is it linked to your page and I missed it? Please take a look and if you feel it is worth a link. Tom O'Connor in Kingston TomnKrisO@aol.com http://members.aol.com/kingstonNH/pubpage.html EDITOR'S REPLY: Nice Kingston site ,and you read our minds! Our secret summer project includes content for, not only Kingston, but 24 other Seacoast NH communities. The work is currently underway thanks to our intern John Smart who is on loan from the University of Maine at Orono. (John is actually from Kittery next door.) Expect to see our new sections this fall. June 13 NEW PORTSMOUTH MARKETPLACe My folks say the Navy has deep-6ed the visit of Old Ironsides. While that may be a sorry loss, I'm still wondering about the possibility of doing some craft sales in Prescott Park (or Market Square) during August. Cynthia in California CynJane@aol.com EDITOR'S REPLY. Prescott Park does not allow vendors,, but you are in luck. A new Portsmouth Markeplace begins on weekends starting next week. It will feature crafts and food and is to be situated in the parking lot next to Eagle Photo near Market Square. For a vendor application form (there is a fee and a sign-up list) call PAUL immediately at 603-431-4333. Tell him we sent you. June 12 NEW PORTSMOUTH GUIDE OUT Please send me a local travel & info guide of the area with listings for restaurants, clubs, hotels, things to do and see etc. Planning a trip the end of June. Maria periwink@crocker.com EDITOR'S REPLY: The extraordinary new guide is available from the Portsmouth Chamber, and we're not just saying that because it mentions our site. To get the free guide click below, fill out the form, and scroll to the bottom of the page and tick off Seacoast Guide: http://www.portcity.org/chamber_products.html June 12 GOT IT ALL Excellent site! found all the info I was looking for! We plan to visit in August. thank you. Linda June 12 NEW HAMPTON BEACH LINK Do you have a listing of accomodations in the Hampton Beach are you could send me. Also, cottage rentals that are available for 6 people. Sue in St. Albans, Vermont sbushey@sover.net EDITOR'S REPLY All our info is online including a guide to Hampton Motels under LODGING. Unless a local real estate agent has one, we've yet to find a central Hampton summer rental site. Glenn French of the Hampton Beach chamber just wrote to say he has a new web site which is listed below with our new Hampton site. http://www.hamptonbeaches.com/ http://www.seacoastnh.com/touring/motels.html#beach http://www.seacoastnh.com/hamptonbeach June 10 CLONING JPJ? Looking at the John Paul Jones page addressing the exhumed (presumed) body of the hero. Have you heard of any DNA testing to be done? Interesting stuff. Dave GRACE.DAVE@email.mcclellan.af.mil EDITOR'S REPLY: The 1906 autopsy on John Paul Jones, 114 years after his death was pre-DNA. The government report actually shows microscope photos of his bodily organs. Were you thinking of cloning the 5' 6" Scotsman? If so, try contacting Annapolis where the body, we assume, still rests in its coffin after its transatlantic trip from Paris. To read the autopsy report, click below: http://www.seacoastnh.com/jpj/autopsy.html June 10 FIRST SHIPYARD INHABITANT When was the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard island first settled by white man? David J valnad@nh.ultranet.com EDITOR'S REPLY: Actually, there are were islands, Seavey's and another smaller island variously known as Lay Claim, Fernald's or Dennett Island. Even before that, in the early 1600s era of English "owner" Ferdinando Gorges, the two spots in the Piscataqua were used as a base for fishing by John Puddington and were called Puddington's Islands. We assume they are the same as those now occupied by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. According to a privately printed navy yard book "Cradle of American Shipbuilding" (1979), they were granted to Thomas Fernald in 1645. The islands were purchased in 1800 among the first six federal shipyards in the Nation. For more on the history of this controversial spot read on: http://www.seacoastnh.com/tjinov97.html#map June 10 WHALING ON THE WEB Info: whale watching -- Rye NH? Linda of Alexandria Bay, NY lovely@gisco.net EDITOR'S REPLYL Wow, that has to pass as the most concise request we've ever had. Here are three web sites that will give you info on whale watching in this region, including Al Gauron, the Thomas Laighton and a site called WhaleNet. http://www.portsmouthnh.com/port/gauron/home.html http://www.islesofshoals.com/ http://www1.wheelock.edu/whalenet-stuff/whalewatch.html June 09 UFOs OVER THE SEACOAST You seem to know something about everything on the seacoast. Two of the most famous episodes from Ufology took involved the seacoast. The Incident at Exeter still stands as one of the most authoritative and puzzling accounts of UFO activity. I just wondered if you had a tidbit. Rick B editor@nh.com EDITOR'S REPLY: More than 15 years ago my Exeter journalism students and I did a 25 year retrospective on "The Incident at Exeter." We did the usual interview with Betty Hill re: her "Interrupted Journey" with her husband Barney, and then managed to locate the key figure the John Fuller book "Incident." Norman Muscarello, at the time a high school student, was the one who first saw the famous UFOs and then convinced the local police who reportedly saw the same. Norman came into the classroom and gave us a pretty detailed account which we hope to reprint here on the web site soon. A good chunk of the X-Files craze is based on events actually from Seacoast NH. (JDR) June 08 SHOCKED BY NORTH CEMETERY Yesterday my wife and myself took a walk down to North Cemetery. I wanted to show her a few of the old gravestones at this site. Unfortunately, I was appalled at the condition of the cemetery. This cemetery has the remains of men and woman who help found the freedoms that we live by today. We should honor these patriots and their families by showing some respect for these historical grounds. These grounds were littered with old branches, leaves, empty beverage containers and high-untrimmed grass. I would mow it and take care of it myself, if I had the equipment. Is there an organization that maintains this historical site? If there isn't, I will start an organization myself to help clean up this tragedy. Kevin Clifford Ostrich911@aol.com EDITOR'S RESPONSE: We could not agree more. The last time we stopped by the tomb of Gen. William Whipple, signer of the Declaration of Independence, it was covered in Budweiser cans. We have a Portsmouth Herald article from the turn of the century that says the condition was much the same, then goes on list the number of Revolutionary War heroes, including Prince Whipple, who are buried there. If you contact the City of Portsmouth to find out the scoop, we'll work with you to create a web site page dedicated to the North Cemetery. Let's get a grassroots movement going. Far-away readers can offer financial aid, locals sweat equity. Contact the City below: http://www.cityofportsmouth.com/ June 08 WHEN DID LEARS ARRIVE? Could someone give me a lead as to the origin of the Lear family? Is there anybody that you know of who has done a complete genealogy? I am searching the name myself and there is little info on my line which is in PEI in the mid 1800's. Please respond if you can help direct me. Robert M, Esq. Learmackay@aol.com EDITOR'S REPLY: Dorothy Vaughn, who is 93 and frequently spends days meeting summer guests at the Wentworth-Coolidge House next door to the Lear House, is the resident Lear genealogy expert. Call during week days and you may be lucky enough to reach her, or write care of the address on the web site below. According to Ray Brighton's book, "The Checkered Career of Tobias Lear," our Tobey was the fifth Tobias Lear descended from a mercantile family that probably came from the English West County. The first Tobias Lear married Elizbeth Sherburne, widow of Tobias Langdon of Portsmouth on April 11, 1667. http://www.seacoastnh.com/lear/index.html June 05 NH HOLLYWOOD STUDIO? Do you have any information about a major studio (Universal, I think)building a new studio in Tilton, NH? (This is what I was initially looking for.) I agree that Maine and Mass. have us beat in the film website category. Why is that?? Thanks for your help, and thanks for expanding the film section of your web site. Karen of Durham, NH karen@nhptv11.unh.edu EDITOR'S REPLY: We love our state to death, and not to get political, but there is a downside to tax-free NH. Around here, you don't want to get old, sick, attend school in some towns or try to set up a film board. Anything requiring money not already in the budget since the Revolution is forbidden. We hope, in time, to lobby for the means to attract film makers. The economic impact is great, but it costs a few bucks to attract film makers. A local hotel recently covered the cost of showing a few Miramax scouts around town in hopes of getting a proposed John Irving film, but the costs have to be borne by local far-sighted individuals. As to the proposed 25,000 square foot movie studio in Tilton, NH -- it was featured on the front page of last week's Foster's Sunday Citizen. Proponents are looking for $2.3 million to rehab an existing warehouse complex there. You can read all about it by clicking below: http://www.fosters.com/news98b/may/31/xdos531a.htm http://www.seacoastnh.com/film/index.html June 03 CELIA IN FOURTH GRADE I am in the 4th grade and have to do a report on Celia Laighton Thaxter for school. Please inform my E-MAIL box of sights in Portsmouth or where I can get more information on her I find her very interesting. Samantha LPa1731142@aol.com EDITOR'S REPLY: When Celia was your age she was living on a very isolated island with her family 10 miles from shore. By 14 she was engaged to be married. You will want to see her book about living on the island, and maybe look at the paintings of her garden. Start with the history room in the Portsmouth Library where they have both books. Donna Titus has written a Celia coloring book which is, I think, at the Little Professor. Or best of all, take the ferry out to the gift shop on Star Island. The info you need is all linked to our Isles of Shoals site. Be sure to check the Celia story and the Celia Hotlinks pages. And don't foget to readn, "The poem Sandpiper." Let us know how it turns out. http://www.seacoastnh.com/shoals/links.html#celia http://www.seacoastnh.com/women/thaxter.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/women/thaxter.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/postcards/star/index.html June 02 JP JONES DONATION Our son, Bernie Marvin, is a Captain of Firefighters for the great City of Portsmouth. We visit the city often, boat in the River, catch big fish and are looking forward to the visit of the Mighty USS Constitution. We hope it happens. There is no better place to visit that Portsmouth. My son and I are Marine Corps veterans and are looking forward to visiting the John Paul Jones House and Museum. Nice web site you have built. We love it!! Bernire & Polly of Haverhill Corner, NH northcountrynews@connriver.net EDITOR'S REPLY: This e-mail came with a $25 donation pledge to the JPJ House Museum, now in the middle of a $30,000 project to restore the oldest documented wooden fence in the city. If each of our 1,000-2,000 daily site visitors would support one historic house, the work of preserving the Seacoast would be a done deal. Thanks B&P. We need more like you. http://www.seacoastnh.com/touring/jpjhouse.html June 02 SUMMER ACTING CLASSES I will be in the seacoast area for the summer and am looking for some acting classes or workshops. Can you advise me where in the seacoast area I might find such classes? Linda H joli@wilmington.net EDITOR'S REPLY: We scoured the coast, and your best bet is to call Gary at the Player's Ring (603-436-8123). He is offering adult classes this summer in playwriting, acting and direction. His classes can now earn undergrad credits from Franklin Peirce College. Most other classes we found were for children, but you can check NH Theater Project, Seacoast Rep, Ballet New England, Pontine, the Mill Pond and others by calling from our clickable theater listing. The Player's Ring site is also linked below. Break a leg. http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/theaters.html#groups June 02 MIGHTY IMPATIENT When will the movie "Mighty" be released? Cary Kihara kihara@poi.net EDITOR'S REPLY: Miramax still wants an Oscar and is holding out for October release, though the locally-written film did get a giant standing-O at Cannes and is now at Newport Film Festival. Stay in touch via our Shobiz section: http://www.seacoastnh.com/film/shobiz.html June 01 SANDY NOSTALGIA Years ago my family vacationed every summer at Hampton Beach and we stayed at a place called "The Vandemere House & Motel" on Ocean Blvd. This July I plan to return. Hampton Beach holds many fond memories for me. opera-nut@usa.net http://www.seacoastnh.com/earlyphotos/hampton/index.html June 01 THESPIANS ON THE LAMPREY Hello! We would love it if you could add the Leddy Center for the Performding Arts in Epping to your on-line Seacoast Theater Directory! Our telephone number is 603/679-ART-1 (2781) Ellen Gregg leddyctr@nh.ultranet.com www.nh.ultranet.com/~leddyctr EDITOR'S REPLY: Epping on the Seacoast? OK, since the Lamprey River runs through Epping and flows into Great Bay, we think you qualify. Now we want Seacoast theater-goers to swim upstream to see your artistic efforts. When Tim gets a breather, your site will be added to our clickable list: http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/theaters.html June 01 GREAT SCOTTS!! I just read about your grandpa's clam chowder, and as usual, I loved your writing. I thought you might be interested to know that my Grandpa Scott also came from Worcester. Robert Scott was born in Edinburgh somewhere shortly after the turn of the century and was one of four brothers who settled in and around Worcester. Think there's any connection? Well, at least we have clams in common.:-) Sandy D glencoe@concentric.net http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please011898.html |
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