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| READ OUR MAIL Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct 2003 Mailbag (c) SeacoastNH.com |
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October 25 HAS SEEN GHOST OF OCEAN BORN MARY I don't know if Ocean Born Mary ever lived in that house in Henniker or not but she sure was there in 1963. My mother was a psychic (not a quack) but truly gifted. She had been tested by Duke University and had an average of being 80% correct. She was convinced that I too had some psychic ability and dragged me and I mean DRAGGED ME under duress, kicking a screaming to every darn haunted house in New England. I wanted nothing to do with any of it I was 12. I wanted boys and dances and other things 12 year olds wanted. Well after a huge mother/daughter fight she stuffed my in the trunk of the family car (only kidding) and off we go to meet Mr. Roy caretaker of that awful place. As we were leaving I looked back at the house and as sure as I know what my name is I swear by all that's holy that I saw Mary looking at me from the upstairs window. It scared the beeJesus out of me. Had we not taken the tour of the house and known that no one else was in it I would have suspected a visitor. But noone else was in that house. Trust Me on this one. Mr. Roy got scared as well and so did my mom. I know down deep in my guts that it was Mary whom I saw. That damn thing must have taken a shine to me because at the ripe old age of 12 I kept feeling her calling me and asked mom to take me back. I am now 55 and remember it like it was yesterday. So shoot holes in the house If you will but I know what I saw. And...........Don't want to see it again thank you very much. Signed "Pbrenn" http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please042101.html October 21 LESS CHOWDA, MORE FRIED CLAMS ok, enough about the different types of "chowdah" (see letter below) and which one is best. Clear, white, pink, red, thick or thin, I say to each his own. Down East Mainers like clear or thin white, Bostoners like thick creamy white, Rhodeys like theirs pink, and guess what, North Carolinians like theirs clear as well. I was down there a few years ago (in Morehead City) and tried the NC Clam Chowder. It came clear, in a clam/chicken broth, and it was surprisingly pretty good. That was the first time I ever had a clear chowder. I grew up liking a creamy, slightly thin, white clam chowder in my youth in NH. Fish chowder, I remember, was always thinner than clam chowder. Don't know why. Most commercial canned chowders are too thick or starchy for my tastes, and I've tried them all. Here in Virginia we can buy Snow's, Doxee, and the Neptune brands from Maine in our grocery stores, in addition to the local varieties and the national brands. I usually add a can of chopped clams, with the broth, to the pot because I love my clams. When I visit the NH Seacoast every now and then, every restaurant I go to has the same basic type of clam chowder, thick and creamy. That's what everyone expects.
Now, about fried clams - why in hell can't I get whole fried clams south of New York? Clam Strips are nothing but hard and chewy rubber bands. I don't go near them anymore. Trying to get the clam bellies in Virginia gives me dirty looks and remarks from the cooks. Yet they eat oysters that way. Go figure.
October 19 MORE HILTON & HADDOCK Hi from the "Original" Washington, England -- 3 miles from Hylton Castle on the banks of the River Wear. Interesting that both the "Hiltons" and the "Haddocks" can be traced back to the River Wear in England. It has long been claimed that it was William Hilton of Hylton Castle who arrived at Plimoth on the "Fortune" in 1621 who founded New Hampshire. You reckon that the Haddocks settled temporarily over there in 1610.
Recently discovered information at Hylton (Hilton) reveals that; "William Haddock, was "a common carrier between Newcastle and Sunderland" (Hylton is now part of Sunderland) and "that the Haddocks were mean illiterate persons, who destroyed several of the ancient
evidences of Barnes Estate. Several of their conveyances to jenkins and Ettrick are signed with the mark of the elder Haddock" - Bishop Sancroft in his "Historical Collections"
(A Haddock married a local heiress, inherited the estate and sold it in the 1660’s). Perhaps it's not all just an old load of Hilton & Haddock?
October 18 CLAM CHOWDER ADDICTS UNITE! Well, I have to tell you this, you're recipe is basically the same as mine (or better, my mother's, who is 82 and lives in Belfast, ME) except we add the clams raw rather than steam them first. That's why I tend to make fish chowder -- less work. Same recipe, just fish. But my main reason for emailing you is that your recipe and mine call for NO (I repeat) NO starchy thickener like flour or corn starch. In fact once you add the starch you have to cook the chowder longer, which is contrary to the spirit of the dish. Here's an observation: Go to a restaurant that serves both fish and clam chowder. Order both. The clam chowder will come back so thick that your spoon stands up in it. The fish chowder will be a more or less true chowder. Why the difference? The restaurant has to sell what people expect and people expect awful thick clam chowder. The fish chowder for the majority of them is just a curiosity on the menu. Unfortunately this observation is true now even north of Boston.
One last thing: manhattan clam chowder is chowder in name only. It is no chowder. I guess I sound like a chowder snob. I'm not. People can eat what they like. I make my own chowder. It's great to experiment with food and ingredients. But in my opinion, its best to leave this soup alone as I never thought "improved" versions did anything for this dish except for the addition of a small amount of cream.
October 17 BUSH-NAZI CONNECTION Dear Mr. Fowle, NH Gazette (Via SeacoastNH.com “Site of the Week” Archives): A few days ago, I found, on the internet, an article titled Bush-Nazi Link Confirmed, written by Mr. John Buchanan. I've been interested in this link, ever since I heard John Loftus, Director of The Holocaust Museum, in Tampa, Florida, discuss this topic, on C-Span, earlier this summer. Mr. Loftus, is a former US Justice Dept. Nazi War Crimes prosecutor and is currently writing a new book which details more involvement of the Bush family, and the Nazis. I'm wondering if it would be ok, to copy this article and send it, along with my donations, to my political party. I would not do this without your permission. I also would not do this if it were illegal. I'm outraged that the mass media will not print the facts of this story, so citizens, of our country, can make an informed decision, as to whether or not, they want any of the Bushies involved in running a state, or federal government.Cordially, Lynne V October 16 KEN, WHAT’S THE WEATHER? Hi Ken, First, let me tell you how much my coworkers and I enjoy your website and weather predictions. You have become sort of a hero here. Thank you for the care and effort you put into your column. Bottomline is sponsoring a company-wide yard sale Saturday to benefit the United Way. We need your help forecasting the weather on Saturday. Its not that we're expecting you to be able to change the weather -- but we need to know by end of day tomorrow if we should cancel for this Saturday (due to weather) and reschedule for the following Saturday. Suzanne at Bottomline Technologeis KEN’S REPLY: I am very glad you enjoy my work, and am humbled by your remarks and long-time support. I'll be very glad to help you out. As I review the various data tonight, there is still that bothersome noise in the various models. The primary says the Saturday morning storm will go out to sea just far enough that we will see only a few sprinkles. The other says we will actually see some measurable rain during the day. Tomorrow morning's forecast will be the official one for Saturday, but I'd love to update it for you later in the day. The other consideration is that the medium range outlook for the following Saturday will be fairly unreliable..so we should really try to squeeze it in this weekend, the one we know. It will be cool and variably cloudy Saturday, at best. I'll put extra effort into tomorrow's outlook for ya! http://www.seacoastnh.com/weather/index.html October 15 YOU SAY THOMPSON, AND I SAY THOMSON I have recently confirmed by direct lineage to David Thompson (Thomson) and are beginning to do some research regarding his history and subsequent generations. Do you have any references, on-line resources, research sources etc. that might be of help to me. I have downloaded a number of your pages, but are looking for more specific details. Dave in Sylvania OH EDITOR’S REPLY: We have two unpublished books on the life of DT, the first recorded NH settler, but drawing a direct genealogical line is tricky indeed. Thompson (1592-1628) disappeared mysteriously leaving one son and a wife who remarried. The only book I know that is available to the public is “First Yankee” by Peter E. Randall, available via his web site. The book is a paperback study by Ralph E. and Matthew R. Thompson. Peter also publishes the large work of the Piscataqua Pioneers tracing the history of all the early settlers in the region. http://www.perpublisher.com/ October 13 BROKEN HEART & BROKEN HOME I just wanted to say that my heart was broken about a year ago. My husband had announced, after being laid off of his job in Georgia (where we lived prior to moving to Maryland) that we would be moving to New Hampshire. For me, it was like a dream come true. You see, I have a sister who lives in Ossipee, NH. We grew up in a very hostile family environment in Florida. She was the brave one and left, running away to the open comforting arms of New Hampshires tall pines. I stayed behind. Over the years I heard about how lovely it was there, how peaceful and inviting and I finally found out when I turned 18 and was able to find out. I didn't stay for long, but over the years New Hamsphire kept drawing me to it's open arms, it's warm inviting mountains and now I am still trying to get back there where I believe I belong. My husband could not find employment so we ended up in Maryland. Maryland is okay, but for me New Hampshire will always be my home. I am looking for a way to get back to that place so I can share a life with my sister, my family that I never knew. Hats off to New Hampshire...It's a place that continues to call to me. You all are lucky to be there. Many Blessings, Mary in Columbia, Maryland October 12 MO COMPELLED TO CLICK I am from Ash Grove, MO, founded by Nathan Boone. I was lead by my heart to know about New Hampshire. What I see (on your site) is wonderful. I never thought to learn about this part of the country until I “felt pulled” (No other way to express it) to NH, then began typing in “History of New Hampshire” and found you. MO October 08 Dear Mr. Robinson: I recently purchased a new computer having been without one since the beginning of this year. So, I was sad to learn of the passing of Norman Muscarello. Did you ever get to interview him again since he spoke to your Exeter HS class in 1980? Also whatever became of Exeter patrolmen Bertrand and Hunt? As you are aware the fortieth anniversary of the "Incident" will occur in September of 2005; Are you planning to do a retrospective? I will never forget the event as I was a senior at Woodbury HS (soon to become Salem HS when the new building was completed in January 1966).
More importantly my Draft Board was located in Exeter
and I found myself visiting the town periodically to
check on my status. My wife Lynne and I enjoy your web site very much I hope you will be around for a long time to come.
October 07 ONE FOR THE LIBRARIANS Hello Dennis, I liked your column (DMOZ vs. Google, Site of the WEek)in Sunday's /Foster's DD. /(I myself use Mozilla browser and love it: fewer pop-ups and spam than w/ Explorer). I would like to call your attention to another wonderful site called the *Librarians' Index to the Internet: www.lii.org*. It is similar to DMOZ in its directory style but the links and sites are chosen by professional librarians for inclusion in this up-to-date and so useful resource. This is where I start my searches if I have no clue. You're right about Google, it's great if you have some inkling of what you're looking for, but lii is terrific for digging. Cathy Beaudoin. Director, Dover Public Library http://lii.org/ October 06 SAMPLE NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS I am originally from Portsmouth NH and heard about you though seacoastonline.com. We need to visit Portsmouth more often!! Thanks for the website. I was born in London, England, but now live in Tamworth in the Midlands of England. Heard about you from Google. Very interesting to see how other Tamworthians live. Our Tamworth is also very old and very interesting ! Took a day off and headed to southern Maine. Your web site was great, listing all the waterfront restaurants. I am from Dover. Great site! I am from Maine and heard about you on a genealogy site. I am looking for information on ancestors and how they lived and where they lived and your publication is the area that they lived in, so I might get lucky! I am from: Kittery, ME and heard about you from a friend. I am from Indiana and found your site on msnbc.com, Weekend with Lester and Campbell. We are planning a trip to see the beautiful fall foliage.
I am from Fremont, NH. You do a terrific job in keeping local history alive here in the seacoast region. Please keep up the great work.
October 05 MORE LITTLE PITCHERS I have a small pitcher hand painted by Celia Thaxter of wisteria , dated 1886. How would I find out about it? Robert in Chicago EDITOR’S REPLY: There is no way to find all about a single piece, but you can find out about the painter. To supplement her writing income, poet Celia Thaxter painted pre-cast ceramic “blanks” and sold them to tourists who visited her parent’s hotel at Appledore Island on the Isles of Shoals. They were taken back to the mainland to be fired. Two years ago a book on her work was published by Peter E. Randall Press or University Press of New England. You can get that book from the link below. Our Celia web site is also listed for more on the artist. A new book on her like is due in 2004. http://www.perpublisher.com/ http://seacoastnh.com/celia/ October 03 WHENCE COMES THE WENTWORTH BOOK? Hi Dennis, I recently visited Wentworth by the Sea. I hear that you're writing a book that is about to be published on the hotel. Would you please let me know when it will be published and where it will be available for sale? I live in California and I don't plan on being back in NH for a while. Thanks for your help. Glenn in Laguna Niguel EDITOR’S REPLY: I’m telling people to look for it in March 2004. The revised mockups are in my hands at the moment (over 250 pps with 200+ photos) and there are several steps to go before it heads to the printers. SeacaostNH.com newsletter readers will be notified and you can always check the WBS section online for updates. Lots of inquiries are coming in, thanks to the huge burst of PR generated by the opening the hotel in May. At last count, I think I did 30 interviews including USA Today, Boston Globe and Herald, Chronicle. We'll find a way to make it available through the web site when the time comes. Thanks for asking. http://seacoastnh.com/wentbysea/ October 03 JOHN PAUL JONES WHISKEY i am 28 years old, and live in the dundalk area. i grew up, just up the street from John paul jones distilling co, and yes, the former name of the JPL distilling company was baltimore pure rye, and I can remember when the last time they distilled in, yes, Baltimore pure was build on farm land in the dundalk area in the 1930's, and Baltimore pure rye closed up in the 1957, then Seagram renamed in John paul jones. Later that year, The same company that was owned by Baltimore pure right up the street from was in the 1930's owned by sold thier distilling company to Four Roses, before Four roses was on Willow Spring and Sollers Point and was down the street from JPJ. Next week, I will be going to the Old Cavert Distilling and I will be getting, old picture of JPJ. If you look on the Stack, when it was old by seagram, The years they bottled jon paul jones, they still to this day have the name, but in 1992, Four roses, and JPJ, in the later years they renamed the JPJ spring Gardens, where they bottled whiskies to go out of the U.S. Now it, just going to be turned in nothing. I do have pictures in side of the Warehouses. Baltimore EDITOR’S REPLY: My interest in the Paul Jones distillery is pretty obscure. I’m interested in the many way JONES name and image were used to sell products in American history. Jones himself did not drink, but it appears his name conjured up an image of virility and manliness at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. I’m especially looking for images of JPJ on products for a planned museum display on the cultural history of JPJ in America. Thanks for your input. http://seacoastnh.com/jpj/ October 02 ENGAGING BARN PARTY We emailed a couple of times last year. I have since moved from Portland to Portsmouth and since you seem to know the area well, I was wondering if you know of any barns or farms in the Portsmouth / Rye area for an engagement party? We're thinking of a fall theme. Pumpkins, apple pie, hay rides, etc..Thanks for your help, Elizabeth EDITOR’S REPLY: That was a tricky one, but we managed to send off a dozen ideas. One person recommended the giant barn at Laudholm Farm in Wells as the perfect place to have a barn wedding. We suggested Flagg Hill in Lee for the engagement party, a former cow barn turned into a winery. The others went via email to Elizabeth. http://www.seacoastsearch.com October 02 SO WHAT CAR DID YOU BUY? So, did i miss something in my skim of your car-buying piece? (Site of the Week, Cars on the Web). What car did you finally end up with? We got a Subaru Forester (new) in January. LOVE the thing. We keep cars forever. Sube replaced an '88 dodge caravan, with only 110K miles on it. Our second car, now, is a '91 Honda civic, with well under 100K ms. We had a Honda Odyssey on order, but meanwhile, tried out several small SUVs. Sube won, hands down. Jane W. EDITOR’S REPLY: Purposely didn’t mention the car we purchased in the article so as not to offend any dealers who might want to send us tons of advertising dollars. But you pretty much came to the same conclusion we did after a week of Web surfing. That article will go into the ARCHIVE for 2 years in case anyone else is listening. http://www.seacoastsearch.com/featuregallery4.htm September 25 SMUTTYNOSE GOES SOUTH I am writing with a request to quote from your sources (with full acknowledgement given) from the material regarding the murders on Smuttynose Island. The quotes would be posted in an "Interest Group" hosted by ICQ.COM, called BOOKWORMS GARDEN, a group discussion board for literature, poetry and letters of literary interest. I am a retired professional glassworker living in Costa Rica, with an interest in US History and would consider it a privelege to introduce your website to my friends in BOOKWORMS GARDEN. Thank you, Bill in Santiago de Puriscal, Costa Rica EDITOR’S REPLY: Linking is cool. Quoting with hotlinks and clear correct attribution is always fine. Making a few copies in print to hand out is OK with permission. Taking chunks of text or transferring images to another web site is not. That’s the real dividing line, so thanks for your note. http://seacoastnh.com/smuttynose/ September 24 TODAY’S NEW SUBSCRIBERS I am from Pittsburgh, PA and heard about us from a search engine. We are planning on traveling there next October for our honeymoon. Any information for this time of year would be helpful. Thank you! Erin I am from Houston TX. Moved from VT a year ago and miss New England. Am considering moving to Hampton area, which I had visited on a regular basis and and fell in love with. Am interested in ongoing publication about seacoast NH which may give me some new insights about living there. I am from Concord, NH and heard about you from your Isles of Shoals info. I am from Alaska and heard about you from a friend. I am from Fairhaven, MA and heard about you while looking for “Holmes” in Greenland NH on web. What a great site. We are descendents of Jeremiah Holmes of Greenland. My grandfather, Harrie Ashton Holmes, came to Boston in 1915 having been a state rep and having a photography business. He left the legistlature and photo bus. to marry my grandmother who was from Boson. I love history and this site is like being in a candy store, not knowing what to check out first. Thanks so much!! Sandy I am from Portsmouth originally, Westfield MA now. Heard about you while searching for Celia Laighton info. Very interested in family history ie: Laighton history. Also hoping to move back to the area someday (Portsmouth) I am from Rochester and heard about you in Accent Magazine. I am from Barrington, NH and heard about you in Accent Magazine.
I am from san diego,ca and heard about you on the Internet.
i am doing genealogical research and my great great
grandfather miles richardson said on the 1867 voter registration that he came to texas from georgia in 1856.on the 1870 census on page 64 of davs[cass]county is miles and his family as well as his parents charles an sookie richardson and their other son julius and his family.seeking
books on pre-post civil war of cass county,texas? thank you -- muhammad
September 22 MAPLEWOOD FARM Hello, I have been reading alot of Portsmouth history, and wondering if anyone can tell me where or who can I get extensive info on the Maplewood farm estate by Frank Jones. Carlos E. Ubarri EDITOR’S REPLY: Besides searching the photo archives and vertical files at the Portsmouth Athenaeum and public library, your best bets are: Sources: (1) Richard Winslow, "Frank Jones of NH: A Capitalist and Politican in during the Gilded Age, UNH History Dept Master's Thesis, 1965; (2) Ray Brighton, "Frank Jones: King of the Alemakers" Peter E. Randall Publisher, 1976. Dick’s thesis is at the two places listed above and Ray’s book is there and often available on ebay. Jones farm will be mentioned, but only briefly in our upcoming history of the Wentworth Hotel.What's left of the farm, as you likely know, is cut into apartments at the interestion of Maplewood and Woodbury. http://www.seacoastnh.com/poems/jonessong.html September 21 SHAGGED Until now, shaggs were cormorants. Now I know. Holy mackerel! Where have I been? John Perrault http://www.seacoastsearch.com/feature74.htm September 21 ONE-PERSON SHOWS Can you tell me if there exists a list of one-man (or woman) dramatic or musical presentations dealing with New Hampshire themes such as Celia Thaxter? I would be grateful for any leads. Thank you. KC EDITOR’S REPLY: We suggest contacting the New Hampshire Humanities Council that sponsors the annual Chattaqua players who impersonate historical figures. We know Stephanie Nugent as Celia Thaxter, Greg Gathers of Pontine as Thomas Bailey Aldrich and Thomas Mosese and there are shows featuring Benning Wentworth (see NH Historical Society). Most are independent actors with their own road shows. None of the ones we know of are musicals. All are either monologues. http://seacoastnh.com/artists/voss/index.html September 19 OOPS You have a picture of the graves of Eliza, Thomas, Celia, Oscar and Cedric and it is titled "The Thaxter Family". Of course, they are not the Thaxter family but rather Laightons. My mother was a Laighton and I think she'd be surprised to see Uncle Oscar and co. being referred to as Thaxters. Unsigned EDITOR’S REPLY: True enough. We fixed that glitch in the very old SHOALS section and have since gone on to add much more on the actual Thaxter graves in Kittery. All are also listed in the GRAVE SITE sections on both SeacoastNH.com and GOseacoast.com. http://www.seacoastnh.com/dct/levithaxter.html September 19 ABRIDGED NOTES HELLO,I WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAD ANY INFORMATION ON THE PERSON THAT DESIGNED THE MEMORIAL BRIDGE.ANY WEB LINKS OR INFORMATION WOULD BE HELPFUL. Lorib We're going to guess that there isn't much online except out pix and story. The Portsmouth Athenaeum has a nice collection of photos of the building of the bridge. You should also check the Portsmouth Herald online archives since the bridge is in the news again and facing repair or demolition. That should be controversial around here. http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please081698.html September 19 MORE CILLEY STUFF Hello, I am working on my 2nd volume of The Cilley Family Roots In New England, a genealogical workbook. I began with the ancestor who originally came to the Isles of Shoals. I have been under the impression, mistakingly, that the Isles of Shoals were more or less a barren cluster of islands off NH. A friend recently sent me a copy of your ISHRA website and as all the Cilley descendants in my books originated with an immigrant who came through the Isles of Shoals I was hoping you would grant me permission to use a copy of your website in my book. I have over 850 pages thus far and am hoping to wrap it up in the not too distant future and the info and pictures on your website would be such an enhancement to the genealogy of this family. I will look forward to hearnig from you soon. Annie M. Cilley, Islesboro, Me. EDITOR’S REPLY: The Shoals were barren, but not of people. Historians suggest that as many as 600, some say 1,000, people worked at the Shoals in its heyday in the 1600s. Many of those were likely boarded on fishing boats, but a lot moved to Smuttynose (also Church Island) and Hogg (also Appledore). Originally women were banned from the Isles, but that rule fell out of favor pretty quickly and a number of families can now trace their genealogical roots in the New World to the Isles. There is no ISHRA web site yet, but we provide a few pages courtesy of Shoals historian Bob Tuttle who is the one you want to contact re: use of materials. Some of comes directly from other sources and they would need to be credited too. New info keeps us shifting our Shoals history and it looks like this one is due for a rewrite.Best bet is to join ISHRA and get to know their resources including a huge collection of Shoals info at the Portsmouth Athenaeum. http://seacoastnh.com/shoals/history.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/shoals/ishra.html September 16 MORE FRESH HADDOCK LORE Thank you for your article about the Haddock Lore (As I Please). I've been sitting at this computer for months checking out family history and never have I come across such wonderful information. However I'd like to put forth a new idea about the Haddocks coming to Maine and this one can be documented though not back to 1610.
Instead of the Haddocks landing in South Berwick I've found a Jane
Haddock (b.1760-d.1834) buried in St Andrews Cemetery, New Brunswick,
just a stone’s throw from ROBBINSTON, ME. I'd like to challange some one
to find documented evidence of a Haddock before that. Historians just
got the rivers wrong. You know, Piscataqua and Passamaquoddy sound
pretty much the same to us foreigners. This Jane Richardson Haddock,
was married to Joseph Haddock SR in Ireland or Scotland. He was from
Tyrone and she from Scotland so the story goes. They had several
chilren in Ireland then came to America or Canada and had more, some
say at least 7, including a son Richardson who was also buried in this
area (St Andrews Rural Cemetery as opposed to Jane who is buried in Old
Loyalist Cemetery). Another of their children Joseph JR is buried in Old Kingsey, Quebec, Canada. He married Margaret ROBINSON who is buried in Belknap, NH. There is much more, however......... Thanks again for putting all this in perspective.
September 15 MORE NEW NEWSLETTER READERS I am from Kelso, WA. I was receiving your newsletter and very much enjoyed it. For some reason, I no longer get the newsletter and would like to subscribe again. I am from Simpson, PA. Heard about you from friend by email. I am from Hudson, NH. Heard about you from: Network to Freedom published by National Park Service. I find all of this great information very good and wondered about having somone do a presentation here at Lesley University during Black History Month. I am from Westford MA. Heard about you online online I am from Hollis, NH. Accidentally came across your web site. very, very impressed with your web site. You deserve to be commended for the work you've done. I am from Angola Indiana. Heard about us from searching the web My family and I will be vacationing in your area in the spring. Could you please send information concerning camping and activities. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you I am from Wynantskill, NY . I recently visited New Hampshire
I am from: Houston, Texas. I plan on moving to Seabrook sometime this summer. I've always been active in my comm. and would like to become active there as well. I'm a 3rd grade teacher, painter, and writer. I'm working on my 1st novel. What are the possibilities in becoming involved with your organization?
September 11 AND NOW THE PEA PC BOOK ! Read with interest about Judith and her Exeter postcards (See previous letter). I am currently working on a Postcard History of Exeter, NH through Arcadia Publishing which features over 200 postcards of the town and Phillips Exeter Academy. There will be a 32-page color section featuring many of the Frank W. Swallow Postcard Co., images--In 1904 Frank W. Swallow left behind his short-lived car dealership and began printing his own hand-colored post cards. He was "The First to Introduce the Souvenir Post Card to One-Half of New England" according to the imprint of his trademark swallow. The house that the postcards were hand-colored at is the one I now live in--and I have found E-bay an irresistible source of Swallow cards. Most images, never before seen, are from the Exeter Historical Society's collection and proceeds from the sales of this book will support the Society in honor of its 75th anniversary. It would be terrific to receive additional donations of postcards of Exeter to the society -- their collection is a unique snapshot of the town from 1900 through the 1940s. The book will (hopefully) be ready for the holidays and will be available at all local bookstores. Carol Walker Aten September 11 PEA POSTCARDS I was interested in your collection of Phillips Exeter Academy as well as the Town of Exeter cards. I have quite a few of both which I have bought on Ebay or found in my attic in Exeter. I am not particularly organized about them and expect to turn them over to the Historical Society or the Academy when I get through enjoying them myself. My favorite one is one of Cilley Hall with a message on the back from my Great Aunt Emma who was Bradbury Cilley's little sister. I have another very dismal picture of Soule Hall when it was first built. Looks like a jail! Who would want to send a son to live there! Nice to find a fellow collector? Judith http://www.seacoastnh.com/postcards/pea/index.html September 09 EVEN MORE JOHN HANCOCK PAMPHLETS My father was a career agent for John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Co. During his years with the company, a constant flow of the little pamphlets profiling the Founding Fathers came into our house. This was the 1950s and '60s. The pamphlets survived well beyond the '30s, contrary to what you say on your site. We used them as source material for school history reports, and they were my introduction to the history of the United States. It's a shame that Hancock no longer publishes the pamphlets. They were a remarkable introduction to U.S. history, and today could include all those women and minorities that contributed to the building of this nation. Just thought you'd like to know. Steven Barrie EDITOR’S REPLY: We agree they were great little booklets and an early version of corporate funding of schools. They were, sadly, often very inaccurate, written by copywriters rather than historians in an era when even historians didn't dig too deeply for the facts in favor of patriotic legends. But the sheer number and collectibility of them clearly inspired many kids to enjoy history outside their textbooks. We get a lot of mail about them. http://seacoastnh.com/jpj/johnhancock.html September 07 WHO READS OUR NEWSLETTER? It finally occurred to us are 7 years to ask readers who sign up for the FREE SeacoastNH.com newsletter to tell us a little about themselves. Here are comments from a recent group of subscribers, the latest in a list of over 11,000 loyal readers of this web site portal: I am originally from Kentucky, now in St. Augustine, FL Heard about you while browsing the net I'm looking for an inexpensive place to take my Mother this fall for a brief vacation along the coast of New England, near the coast, and in the heart of history. I am from Maryland. Heard about you from a web search. I am from Atlanta, GA. Heard about us from: portsmouthnh.com. Great Web page !! I enjoy keeping informed about my favorite area. I am from Portsmouth. Heard about us from: Foster's Sunday Citizen. I wanted to thank J. Dennis Robinson for the story regarding the trees in Portsmouth. I also wanted to thank Dennis for the wonderful poems in the NH Gazette. I read them this morning and thought they were excellent. I am from the Boston Area. Heard about you online.
I am from Hanover, NH. Found you while on the Web. Fantastic, but did you ever think about adding the fishing conditions?
September 03 RETURN OF THE DAUGHTERS hi, i thinking of moving back home- i haven't lived in nh for 37 years. i'd be interested in the magazine i saw on one of the portsmouth web sites. how do i subscribe? suzanne price EDITOR’S REPLY: If you are looking for the new ACCENT magazine we have been talking about, try SeacoastStore.com. There is also Portsmouth Magazine, could that be it? Or NH Magazine, or NH To-Do magazine. All have their own web sites clickable on Google.com. And welcome back! September 02 KUDOS ON TREE HISTORY That was an absolutely wonderful article on the trees of Portsmouth. They are treasured gifts from nature and we should all work together to nuture them, perpetuate them and celebrate them. Thank you! Kathy Mullins http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please082203.html September 02 MORE ON THE WHIPPLE CHESTNUT TREE The Moffatt-Ladd House was William Whipple's home from 1771, when he married Katharine Moffatt, until his death in 1785. The family tradition is that he planted the tree in the fall of 1776, after signing the Declaration of Independence. The story makes sense, because the horse chestnut, a tree native to Europe, was first introduced to America by John Bartram who planted a specimen in his botanical garden just outside Philadelphia. The species flourished and the horse chestnut trees that Whipple saw in Phildelphia would have been distinctive and unusual to him, and so it is easy to see why he chose one as a fitting memento of the momentous events that took place in Phildephia that year. Horticulturalists and arborists enthusiastically support the authenticity of the story, and feel strongly that the the tree IS 227 years old. The Whipple Horse Chestnut was designated as the Millennium Landmark Tree for the State of New Hampshire by the White House Millennium Council in 2000, and has been dubbed The Tree of Independence by the National Register of Historic Trees. School children who have come to visit the Moffatt-Ladd House Children every Spring since 1911 (when the house first opened to the public), often join hands around its massive trunk as part of their visit, counting how many of them it takes to "hug" its girth. The tree is lovingly cared for by the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of New Hampshire, who own and maintain the house and grounds as an historic house museum and garden. Each year professionals from Northeast Shade Tree in Portsmouth prune and fertilize the tree and maintain the cables that help to secure its enormous branches. You may have noticed recently that one of the Whipple Tree "children" planted on the grounds of the Governor Langdon House, recently succumbed to age, and was taken down. Another one still stands next to the Warner House in Portsmouth. Barbara Ward, Curator, Moffatt-Ladd House http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please082203.html September 02 I APPRECIATE YOUR WEB SITE I worked with Rene Gagnon's wife years ago and knew the story of their life before he died. What that famiy went through made me sick----whenever i see the photo --or stamp ETC---it makes me disappointed in the way such a HERO and his family were mishandled by our country. I do hope she and her family are ok. we have lost track over the years. Thank You, Bert in Hallandale BCH, Fl EDITOR'S REPLY: Our Gagnon page is in LINK FREE OR DIE. We can also recommend the small tribute display at the WRIGHT Museum in laconia, which we just added to GOseacaost.com. http://www.seacoastsearch.com/nhlinks/people/index.html September 02 MORE CELIA CERAMICS My 87 year old mother in Staffordshire, UK, has two matching dishes with the signature Celia Thaxter 1877 on the base. They belonged to her mother, who worked as a maid in the London house of Lady Halford, and was given them by the housekeeper. Perhaps they were brought to UK when Celia visited in 1880/81. How can I find out what their value is, and whether there is a market for them, please? Deb EDITOR’S REPLY: We pretty much steer clear of the cost of historical items, preferring to see them find homes in museums and public collections. But that said, we’re always happy to forward such letters to anyone we know who collects such items. In the Celia field, there are only a few, but the recent book we helped produce has certainly turned on a lot of new Celia fans to her painting ability. http://seacoastnh.com/celia/ August 24 LOCAL CRAFTSMEN SHOULD USE OLD TREES I just read this wonderful article. (Recycling Old Tree Tales) The special meaning that certain individual old trees, or stands of trees, lend to a community is often not recognized until the inevitable happens. Often they are not fully appreciated until the "gaping hole" their removal leaves is first observed. The very character of a community may change.. witness the vast changes in the landscape throughout downtown New England with the devastation wrought by Dutch Elm disease.
Though we can not change the course of nature, there are ways to "extend the life" of some of these special trees. I would suggest that when a
particularly meaningful tree needs to be removed, or when nature takes its toll, that every effort be made to bring local craftsmen to the site... even before carving it up. A furniture maker, a wood turner... Most would love to "get their hands on" this wood, and can best direct the carving-up of the tree so that it is in usable pieces for their craft. Perhaps a deal can be made between the Town and the craftsmen, whereby a "finished piece" is returned to the town in exchange for the free raw materials. Trust me, the value of some of these older large timbers can more than offset the value of a finished piece and most craftsmen would be thrilled to have the wood in exchange for the pleasure of contributing back to their community.
There are craftsmen in most every town, turning out wonderful pieces of work which would make fine additions to any Town Hall, allowing a natural piece of town history to continue contributing in a new form. A signature work from a revered town craftsman on display at Town Hall vs. a pile of mulch at the Town dump.... just a thought. I wish I could have "scored" a substantial portion of that Box Elder... It turns so nicely on my lathe!
August 24 NOVELIST SPEAKS UP ON COPYRIGHT Just read your piece on copyright. (SITE OF THE WEEK ARCHIVE) Very cogent. When I hear folks getting all excited about how unfair it is for the artist to control his or her works after death - the 70 years - I wonder how they would feel if they opened a successful restaurant and then discovered they had no right to leave it to their children or grandchildren. Your restaurant, the product of all your hard work, just went into the 'public domain' because, what the heck, we all love to eat and why should we have to pay for it?
Put me down in the extreme camp who thinks authors should be able to control - and profit from - the things they create not only for their own lives plus seventy, but in perpetuity. Wild idea. I mean, is the Ford Motor company now reverting to the public because the seventy years have run out since old Henry invented mass production? I say the heirs of Shakespeare (should they be located - and that ought to be fun) should be entitled to their small royalty forever. Why should dynasties be restricted to racist pigs like Henry Ford and his progeny?
August 20 YUP, WE WERE DOWN For literally the first time in seven long years online our servers crashed on Tuesday August 18. Logs show we were down for a few hours and the boys at Verio had to pull the data from a mirror site so a couple of days of data (including a few reader letters here) went into the ozone. Seems like we have recovered and are back to normal. Our apologies to anyone who was searching for us during that Interim. Your humble editor August 20 SEEKING JONESIANA I am looking for a replica copy of the John Hancock Insurance Co. 1900 calendar depicting John Paul Jones. Also would like poster of the Bonne Homme Richard and Serapis sea battle , and other tall ships germane to the revolutionary era. EDITOR’S REPLY: Having purchased over 100 Jones items on eBay we can guarantee the materials you are looking for will pop up there eventually. Be sure to go to the SEARCH page and tick the “Search title and description” box, be very specific with your search, and select “Exact Phrase” option. That will cut the “Paul Jones” search down to under 400 selections. To reduce that number further, learn what words to exclude in the box below. Typing in “led zeppelin” and “wrestling” (without commas) into the EXCLUDE box to get rid of some of the modern references. You can have eBay notify you when certain items appear (john paul jones, hancock) or check it every 2-3 days and your items will appear. Then you just have to bid and win. http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please031100.html http://seacoastnh.com/jpj/ http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please031100.html August 11 SELLING YOUR JOHN HANCOCK I have many of the pamplets from the John Hancock Insurance Co., Lewis and Clark, Daniel Boone, Clara Barton, and Lafayette, to name a few. I am interested to know their worth as they were handed down to me from my mother. Palmetto EDITOR’S REPLY: Nostalgiacally they are priceless, but on the open market, the booklet are worth maybe a quarter or a half dollar. We’ve seen them go for that regularly on eBay in quantity, sometimes for a few dollars to people collecting a specific title. They were printed in huge quantities and given away by the insurance company, before the company decided that history didn’t make for good PR. http://seacoastnh.com/jpj/johnhancock.html August 05 WINNER IN VEGAS Tell your new fell-in-the-crack assistant he/she is doing a bang-up job. I just now received the T-shirt. The "GOseacoast.com" logo is very nice. I understand you lost a very famous landmark recently. I never got to see the "Old Man of the Mountains"; but I did read Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Great Stone Face" and Longfellow's "Hiawatha." I only hope your governor gets his way and can get the Old Man put back into place. Lanny in Las Vegas, NV August 04 JPJ THE TERRORIST? Have not been on your site for some months. Happy to be back. Hope to visit your coast this Fall. The note on John Paul Jones. I believe I watched a CSPAN book review talking about his exploits in Britain attacking civilian targets. Thus, he may quality as a terrorist. I think the research on his Black Sea period is interesting as we try to expand our knowledge of Middle Eastern history, the Turkish Empire, and United States citizens involvement. Richard in Morgantown, WV August 04 LOGO A GO-GO I live in the Phoenix, AZ. area, and was in Maine and N.H. the past two week. I took beautiful photos of the area for my own personal use, and I saw your logo which I would like to use on my stationary when sending the pictures to family and friends back east. Thanks for sharing it. Pat Jackson EDITOR’S REPLY: We hadn’t thought of print use, but as long as your relatives all get a chance to discover our web site and newsletter – sound’s ok. Any did you read the two-part story of our visit to your next of the woods – A Yankee in the Desert. http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please022401.html August 04 THE OLD HERMIT STORY AGAIN What a great resource! I just returned from a fantastic week at Boothbay Harbor (Linekin Bay Resort). We spent one day strolling around Monhegan Island. As a part of the tour we circled Manana Island and heard about "The Hermit of Manana Island"...who was he? What's his story? Why there? The island was so small that I can't imagine anyone staying there for roughly 50 years! I'd love to know more about this interesting person and his life. Thanks! Ed of North Windham, CT EDITOR’S REPLY: You’ll find the true story of the Mannana Hermit in an August 01, 1999 letter from a reader who set the record straight. Scroll down on the archived letters page for the story. http://www.seacoastnh.com/mail/mail0899.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please072697.html July 28 EXPLORATORIUM EUREKA I always look forward to J. Dennis Robinson's stories whenever I get FOSTER'S SUNDAY CITIZEN. But your idea of turning Strawbery Banke into an exploratorium really hit me with "Eureka." I will soon be doing an essay on Interfaith Dialogue as part of the Intermediate Level of a distance learning course from Wilmette Institute. I definitely want to adapt your "exploratorium" idea to how I construct this essay. Your article also nudges me closer to organizing the essay by types of people/religious groups instead of following the pattern set by the Baha'is' Universal House of Justice Message to the World's Religious Leaders. Carolyn L. Stoddard in Franklin, NH http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please072703.html July 25 SHUT OUT OF THE SHIPYARD We tried to visit the Naval base in Kittery , Maine to see the exhibit of the submarine Squalus but were turned away. We were told the tour visits were only on Thursday's and we would need a Veterans Blue retired pass to enter. Please tell me how I may obtain a blue pass, and is the Navy tour opened or the museum to the public? Thank you Patrick EDITOR’S REPLY: The base and museum have been closed to the general public (GP) since 9-11. Selected people can get into the grounds and museums. We called PNSY to clarify the policy. Here it is: Retired shipyard workers were issued a blue pass that lets them in to selected spots on base, including the museum, commissary, bowling alley, library, PX. Those who did not get a pass, have to take that up with the pass office. Members of the Department of Defense (DOD) can also get on base with ID. Professors, teachers, student tours, certain journalists can also get on base to see the Squalus memorial, the museum, the Treaty room and a few select historical spots, but they all have to make arrangements in advance. They have to arrive when scheduled and be escorted in “the van” by a public affairs person. The museum is open during the week on selected days (call ahead) for those who have passes or clearance, and on Thursdays for those who have advance clearance. It is no longer open on the weekends for anyone. For more info call Walter at (207) 438-2325. The GP should remember that there is also a Kittery Naval Museum outside the base on the traffic circle. You can reach them at : (207) 439-3080. The Peace Building, Squalus Memorial, Navy and Kittery museum are all listed in the GOseacoast.com database. http://www.goseacoast.com/ July 25 EXPLORATORIUM BY THE SEA Strawbery Banke as an "exploratorium". What an interesting and provocative thought. Turn the experience into a relevant one for visitors, one which touches our hearts and souls, something which "lights our fires". That just may be it. Hurrah for visionary ideas. Lee in Portsmouth http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please072703.html July 21 ROWE AFTER ROWE I am looking for george rowe and the whole rowe family from exeter and cheltenham. The rowe family where lithographic- artist landscape- artist portrait. Some of the rowe family went to australia and came back to england. My rowe family starts from Australia. I live in the north of england for the past seven years. The name in my family are. GEORGE - PHILLIPPA AND CHILDREN, GEORGE SON CALL THOMAS, THOMAS SON IS CALL THOMAS. THOMAS SON IS CALL ROBERT (WHICH IS MY POP ). We would love to hear form any Rowe family. other names in our family are rowe - curtis- . creed royal is one name. all from exeter. Mrs Cheryl Ann Guest (nee Rowe) July 17 TWO ISLANDS NAMED SEAVEY Could you give me a web site or where to find information on Seaveys Island, N.H. I would appreciate any information that you could provide. Thanks Elaine Seavey Littlefield of Levant, ME EDITOR’S REPLY: There are two Seavey (or Seavey’s or Seaveys) islands nearby. One is in New Hampshire, connected to White Island which is the island with the lighthouse. Seavey Island has been uninhabited for most or all of its history. Celia Thaxter mentions keeping her cow there while her father was lighthouse keeper in the 1840s. The other Seavey (formerly Dennett’s) has long been the site of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and is in Kittery, ME. It is currently off limits except to visitors who call ahead. The best resource is Richard Winslow’s 200 year history of the yard “Do Your Job” available from Peter E Randall, publishers. There is a ton of info about Seavey family members sprinkled about SeacoastNH.com. Just click on the SEARCH icon and type the name into our search engine on Search SeacoastNH. http://seacoastnh.com/shoals/map.html July 16 POSSIBLY FROM OUT OF TOWN Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, hiermit bitten wir Sie um Informationen ueber Uebernachtungsmoeglichkeiten im Hotel bzw. Appartement, Ferienwohnungen, Pensionen, sowie Attraktionen und Events bei Ihnen und in Ihrer Umgebung im Oktober 2003. Prof. Dr. A Prokoph, Rosslau, Deutschland July 15 THRILLED TO BE A LEAR I am a new "family" member of the lear line..i have just found out about my very colorful heritage in the last week. in shorthand it's as follows: I am the grandaughter of Geraldine Lear (Collier) who was the daughter of Robert Herman Lear who was the son of Alverse Darwin Lear who was the son of Nehemiah Lear who was the son of Robert who was the son of Joseph of who was the son of Walker who was the son of Tobias (1667-1681) who was the son of Tobias (1628 of Staverton,Devon,England). hope that makes sense!
I found this web site and am so thrilled with the knowledge that although I know reside in Mississippi and thought I had such a very very small family, I have many distant relatives on the east coast. Thank you for your time in developing the web site. I'm sure there are many more of us out there just waiting to be found.
Would love to correspond with anyone interested in delving into this further. Thank you again so much!
July 14 THE ULTIMATE SEACOAST BOAT LIST I am looking for contact information for day sails out of Portsmouth (and/or the surrounding towns) that could accommodate between 10-15 people. We are not looking for a fishing trip. Any information would be helpful. Sarah of Boston, MA EDITOR’S REPLY: You can to the right place. The #1 listing of cruise and fishing boats in this area is in our travel section. You can find it on Goseacaost.com, on SeacoastSearch.com, or SeacoastNH.com. It is also listed as SeacoastBoat.com and, for safe-keeping is also linked below. Our independent listing comes from a week of phone calling last season and is updated every two years. http://www.seacoastnh.com/touring/cruises.html July 10 FRIENDS OF BILL & NACKY Just seeing this page brings back happy, exciting, and memorable times with Bill and Nacky. We met in 1961 during the Kennedy years. My husband, Edmund Rhodes, who is now deceased, was at the time working effortlessly to save the Congo. We were the leasion in the States trying to bring the truth about what was really happening in Katanga and the Congo, at that time, to the American people. Bill and Nacky were unbelievably supportive. Our friendship developed over the years and my husband and I asked them if they would honor us by being Godparents to our third child, Victoria. I shall never forget Bill holding Victoria in his arms as Reverend Norman Vincent Peale christened her at the Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan. We later had a small reception at the Plaza Hotel.
What a great loss to this Nation the day we lost William Loeb, one of our greatest patriots and Americans. I had remained in touch with Nacky until her death. They will both be remembered in my heart as one of our very few, dearest, and most beloved friends. I am proud to have been apart of there lives, even in such a small way. God bless you for carrying on the wonderful work at the Paper.
July 09 OLD PLEASANT STREET CHURCH I am currently in the process of purchasing a property at on Pleasant Street. There is a designation from Portsmouth Advocates that indicates this was at one time a church. How can I find more details on this property? When did it cease being a church? Any information you can provide would be of interest. Adam EDITOR’S REPLY: Here’s what the Gurney guide book said in 1902: “On the corner of Pleasant and Livermore Streets. This building was erected for a Congregational Church in 1829 by a branch of the North Church, forty membenrs having been dismissed for this purpose. It was sold to the Christian Baptists in 1839 and altered into a triple dwelling-house in 1858.” This info appears to be lifted directly from Sarah Haven Fosters “Portsmouth Guide Book” published in 1869. A former owner of the building we know says he was told that the building was turned sideways having formerly faced Livermore and now facing Pleasant. We checked the 1854 and 1899 maps of Portsmouth and, sure enough, the building appears to have been turned 90 degrees.
For more info, check the maps in the Portsmouth Athenaeum and their folders on street-by-street history in the vertical files. Strawberry Bank also has a street-by-street file. Perhaps the North Church has info too. We checked the info on a pair of Portsmouth map CDs available at this writing from a web site -- thewayitwas.net. For general info on Portsmouth house history check the book “Building Portsmouth” and don’t forget to join your local Portsmouth Historical Society and support future research.
July 08 CAN'T FIND ANCHORAGE Would you PLEASE tell me if there is an Anchorage Inn located in OGUNQUIT ME? Buzzy EDITOR’S REPLY: There is also an Anchorage in Portsmouth and in Rochester, NH. We always just check the Lodging section of SeacoastNH.com, which is also available on SeacoastSearch.com and as SeacoastLodging.com. They all hook to our central database of free lodging listings. If we’re missing anyone, let us know. http://seacoastsearch.com July 05 JOHN PAUL JONES IN RUSSIA My name is Bret Woellner. I am an American Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Ukraine. Recently I came across some local Ukrainian navy historians that were interested in contacting organizations relating to John Paul Jones. They told me something about JPJ serving in the Black Sea for a time near Ukraine (though I can't say I am familiar with this particular bit of history). Anyway, they were interested in contacting an American organization dealing with JPJ. If you know of any organizations, please email me back and I will pass it along. Thank you. Bret Woellner EDITOR’S REPLY: There are unfortunately few active JPJ places to contact, despite Jones’ endless fame. His exploits in Russia are documented in the new bestselling biography by Evan Thonase, in Morrison’s popular biography and especially in an out of print book titled “John Paul Jones in Russia”. The Ukraine group can contact us here at SeacoastNH.com, and also the John Paul Jones House Museum in Portsmouth, the museum chapel at Annapolis, Maryland, and the birthplace cottage in Arbigland, Scotland. There is much still be learned about that unhappy final era of Jones’ active military life. http://www.seacoastnh.com/jpj http://www.portsmouthhistory.org/ July 05 TRACKING THE TREATY DELEGATES I am writing from Australia. I am researching the biography of the son of one of delegates to the Peace negotiations - the Russian Naval Attache to the US, Alexandre Boutakoff. Does the Wentworth have the Guest Registers from those times and can confirm he was a guest - and perhaps confirm whether or not his family stayed at the same time. I am also looking for photographs of those events, particularly that tie-in with the Washington Post's coverage - which includes a very interesting account of guests and of the "negro boys" busking out side the hotel, for instance. Any assistance, gratefully appreciated. Jan Embury in Healesville, Melbourne EDITOR’S REPLY: Sorry, there are no guest registers from that era. Three are photos archived at the Portsmouth Athenaeum available for reprinting, but they all appear in Peter Randall’s book “There are No Victors Here” available from PERpublisher.com. The book was recently re-issued in paperback. (Boutakoff does not appear in the index to the book.) I’m familiar with the local news story about the boys busking at the hotel. They were singing “My Louisiana Lou”. A short article on the event appeared in a local newspaper at the time, but there are few details in the story. There are no photos of that either, since it wouldn’t have occurred to a newspaper at that time to focus on anyone but the VIP delegates. http://www.perpublisher.com/ July 03 TREATY TOUR STILL NOT ORGANIZED I am planning to visit Portsmouth soon. I am interested in Russo-Japanese peace treaty in 1905 and would like to see the Anthenaeum museum. Would you kindly send me information of the schedule of the museum open to the public during July and August? I would like to thank you in advance. Hiromi Middleton EDITOR’S REPLY: The Athenaeum currently has no public display of the Portsmouth Treaty. The private library does have a number of books related to the 1905 conflict and photos on its shelves, but not in a public area. There are also vertical files of newspaper clippings from the event. The Athenaeum is open to the public on Tues, Thurs and Saturday afternoons. The only permanent display related to the Treaty is at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in the “Peace” building there. Visitors who call ahead may be allowed on the shipyard grounds If you contact the public information officer there in advance of your visit. The newly opened Wentworth by the Sea hotel plans a future exhibit for the centennial. Your best resource is to purchase the book “There are no Victors Here” from Peter Randall publishers at PerPublisher.com. http://www.seacoastnh.com/navyyard/1905treaty.html http://www.goseacoast.com/detail.ihtml?lid=111&catID=12 July 02 CLOAK & DAGUERREOTYPE I am so happy you put this very unique story on line. What a beautiful woman. I don't care if she is not smiling - I think she has an inner beauty exuding from her. The mystery of the cloak? I personally believe that she probably made it herself and was exhibiting it as a marvel of sewing -- and perhaps affluence as it obviously is made of something plush like velvet. Also, the pregnancy issue could very well be the reason she was so covered up. Again, thanks so much for showing the pictures Seamond Roberts of New Orleans http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please062003.html July 02 CELIA SCHOLAR SEES PHOTO This last issue of "Seacoast" was super! So much news with the Celia thaxterpictures (I think the it's Cedric, not Oscar--reasons later). the Wentworth and all of the new Books. Hope you have a great week on Smuttynose. We didn't make it out to Portsmouth this summer because of a family wedding, but we will come Back! All of our best, Jane (with Fred) Vallier, author of Celia Thaxter, Poet on Demand http://seacoastnh.com/celia/ July 02 PETS IN THE LAKE DISTRICT I wanted to say thank you to him for writing an article (Site of the Week Archive # 158) in an objective manner. Also, I am taking his idea regarding making the link for our lodging members directly from our Lodging Availability lists. I was thinking of doing this for a while, but wasn't sure if it would be useful as we do have links to the facilities on a different part of the page, but with his feedback I will definitely be working on this and getting it done soon. Thank you for calling the Chamber, reviewing our website, and for the feedback! Michelle Garfield, Greater Laconia/Weirs Beach Chamber of Commerce http://www.seacoastsearch.com July 01 BLACKBEARD’S TREASURE -- NOT I took my kids to Ocracoke, NC last week and they became very interested in Blackbeard the Pirate. When decided to learn more and found your website and an article there titled "As I Please - In search of Blackbeard's Treasure" written October 7, 2000. The article says the History Channel sponsored a dig there looking for hidden Blackbeard treasure. They took sonic imaging equipment there to look for things underground. The article says "You'll have to watch the History Channel" to find out what happened with the expedition. I went to the History Channel website and could not find out what happened. Can you tell me what was found? Was there a cave at least? Chris Hubbard EDITOR’S REPLY: As expected, they found nothing. There wasn’t much hope they would, especially since the group was drilling into solid rock looking for a supposed cave. Why a clever pirate would hide his treasure below the high water mark on an inhabited island is beyond us. While it is pretty likely the famous pirates were marauding in the region of the Isles of Shoals, we believe the legends of treasure are wholly unlikely. The concept of a Disney-esque chest heaping with gold coins is, as far as we know, a fantasy romanticized by the likes of Robert Louis Stevenson. Booty found in sunken ships – possibly. Treasure hidden on an island – doubtful. The TV segment on the History Channel, shot over two days on Lunging Island, ran only six minutes out of a one-hour show. http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please100700.html July 01 STILL AGAINST THE FORMER WAR This is a bit of a fan letter for J Dennis Robinson. I regularly read the "Nuts and Bolts" column in Fosters and was pleased when the PAW (Poets Against War) site was covered. More than that though, I found "Gulf War Syndrome 2.0" and "Ain't Gonna Study War No More" fantastic observations of the state of the state of the american mind. Our family has gone nuts putting up American flags, because we decided that this time we would not let the war mongers usurp the flag. We are pacifists. We are patriots. It is a false dichotomy that says you cannot be both. I am a writer, mostly a poet, and wrote a long rant, working title America - Bully or Beacon, mostly to record my rage, my anxiety and my blooming despair at what is happening. It is burried on my desk somewhere. I use excerpts from it to keep up my stream of letters to my congressional delegation, the White House, newspapers, etc. I live at the commondreams website and cohabit with moveon.org, and have yet to vote tho the clock is ticking down. Kerry supporters emphasize his antiwar work post Viet Nam, his strong showing in the polls, Dean's people say he would have voted against the fall quest for war powers, but Kuchinik did vote against giving Bush war powers ... Aargh! We are getting what they deserve. The Democrats seem to be waking up to the idea that they can show that the Bush camp chatter about supporting the troops is just that - base housing funding just got cut so that the millionaires can get an even bigger tax cut, the head of the VA has been trying to let people know that support services are just plain underfunded, long wiats for medical care, and housing for Vets who need it, tho a secretary I know was able to get in for breast reduction surgery because her 2nd husband is a vet. Are we confused yet. And Moveon just took out a big ad sort of highlighting the Bush fibs on WMD. Anyone with a half a brain knew on September 12th, 2001 there were no WMD. Sorry. I get carried away. I have spoken with several friends and we keep asking, do we move or do we stay and fight. Right now we have all fallen into the latter camp, but its touch and go some days. And where to go - where is the place where the tentacles of the non-negotiable American way of life cannot, do not already reach. All the best pat http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please110401.html July 01 SEEKING BETTY MOVIE we are looking for a copy of the movie of the UFO incident 1975 produced by universal studios and are willing to pay big for it. Can someone help us find it! jesusita in Anaheim , CA EDITOR’S REPLY: We’ve never seen that one for sale. The made for TV movie starring James Earl Jones as Barney Hill has not made it to video or DVD. Berry has a number of copies that friends have taped off late night TV, but says otherwise -–you have to check late night TV Guide. http://www.seacoastnh.com/ufo/bettyhill1.html July 01 HILLARY, HILARY What a mighty little newsletter, as always! One good read after another. I especially enjoyed the lengthy article about the re-opening of the Wentworth. And one tiny correction - Hillary has two l's. I even had a conversation with her about it in the 1992 stumping in Bedford. I know - and remember - because it is spelled the same as my daughter's, who is named after Sir Edmund Hillary. Thanks, from your happy reader in Amherst, NH, Christy Day July 01 DOG-FRIENDLY KUDOS Many thanks to SeacoastNH.com for writing the article on dog-friendly lodging, parks, etc. (Site of the Week) I've been looking for places to stay in New England this summer where my golden retriever will be welcome. The article could not have arrived at a better time. Patty McClellan, West Lebanon, NH |
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