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| READ OUR MAIL October 2001 Mailbag SeacoastNH.com |
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October 29 NEEDS WEATHER IN 1941 AM SEARCHING FOR INFO ON THE REACTION AT PORTSMOUTH NAVAL BASE TO THE PEARL HARBOR ATTACK. AND ALSO WHAT THE WEATHER WAS LIKE THERE ON THAT DAY. WHERE SHOULD I LOOK? C.A. Peters in Pittsburgh, PA EDTIOR’S REPLY: You won’t find anything like that online. Real research will be necessary. Start with the reference desk at the Portsmouth Public Library. There is a scrapbook of events from WW2 clipped from the pages of the local newspaper. The newspaper itself has no public archives, but this is a good place to start. You’ll get a reaction very much like everywhere in the country with the twist that there was great fear for attack on the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. If you send an email to the Public Library section of www.CityofPortsmouth.com you might want to reference it to Richard Winslow who is often there on Tuesdays. He wrote the recent bicentennial history of the shipyard called “DO Your Job” and knows a lot about where to find resources. Finding the weather report is harder. It is likely in the daily newspaper, but of course, that would be a prediction, not the real weather. A paper copy of that momentous day might be on file, but generally there is not a paper archive of the daily newspaper from that era. http://www.seacoastnh.com/20th/uboat.html October 25 DOUBLE HALLOWEEN IN PORTSMOUTH Can you tell me which night Portsmouth celebrates trick-or-treat? And yes, send me your free monthly newsletter. Karen in Portsmouth EDITOR’S REPLY: According to the superb city web site (click below) : “Trick or Treat is held on Tuesday, October 30, 2001 between the hours of 5:30 PM and 8:00 PM. “ The site includes a host of tips for safe halloweening. And don’t forget that the real action happens the next night at the Portsmouth Halloween Parade, an event you don’t want to miss downtown. Parade people congregate at South Mill Pond at 6:30 am and the parade starts officially at 7pm, snaking its way around the city streets and ending at Vaughan Mall. There will be three bands and stilt walkers. http://www.cityofportsmouth.com/ October 25 NEW YORK CALLING FOR BLACK HISTORY I am with Governor George Pataki's Heritage New York Program. I am interested in obtaining any materials that are available regarding your Black Heritage Trail. We are establishing several heritage trails in New York and would like to use your materials as references. Molly M in Albany, NY EDITOR’S REPLY: The entire Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail is now online courtesy of SeacoastNH.com. You’ll find it at the link below. Just click on the green logo. The updated print version and the full resource book are available from the second link. We’re especially proud that Valerie Cunningham’s work is being seen and used as a model for programs all across the county. http://www.seacoastnh.com/blackhistory/index.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/blackhistory/pbht.html October 22 KIDNAPPED, BUT SHE CAME BACK If you have any info on Christine Otis Baker, famous in NH around 1714, Please send?? Thanks a lot. B Boucher of Bedford NH EDITOR’S REPLY: Sorry, we looked online and the only reference we could find about the woman who survived the Dover massacre was on our web site! We also had a section on the last surviving garrison house in Dover, now known as the Old Damm Garrison. You want to contact Cathy Beaudoin, librarian at Dover for more info. http://www.seacoastnh.com/history/colonial/massacre.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/woodman/garrison/index.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/woodman/garrison/photo.html October 22 PAUL JONES' CABIN BOY AMONG THE MISSING Hello, my wife's ancestor, Isaac Royal, was John Paul Jones' cabin boy on the Ranger. Would you have any information or know a source of information regarding this as well as the Ranger's voyage? Thank you for your help. Jim Moore EDITOR'S REPLY: There's one primary book on the Ranger written by Joes Sawtelle and a few copies are still available from Peter Randall publishing (see our bookstore in SeacoastStore.com). The book has a complete list of the crew gathered from every know source. We regret we were unable to find your ancestor among the list, or anyone named Isaac in the crew. Often names have been added in semi-fictional biographies. Or he may have been with Jones on another ship, or with the Ranger during another voyage. Thanks to Jones' fame, hundreds of added crew members seems to have been created through time by hopeful family histories. We've recently gotten letters from people who own JPJ flags, swords, etc, but none has yet proven accurate. The list in the back of the book certainly could be in error, but the author spent many years gathering the data, and it is the most accurate listing known. Remember you can join both the John Paul Jones House and the Ranger Foundation in Portsmuth (see SeacoastSearch or our John Paul Jones site.) http://www.seacoastsearch.com/store/books.htm October 16 GETTING OUT OF TOWN IS HEALTHY It's nice to see that you are finally getting out of the seacoast area ("Rusticating in Tamworth"). When I wrote to you last time, I was searching for Dover's old covered bridge. Your answer was that you basically was only evolved (sic) with the seacoast and had no answers for me. Guess what, I think NH readers would like to hear of stories from the rest of the state as well as a few pictures now and then. The Isle's of Shoals and the Portsmouth and New Castle stories can only be told so many times, no matter how its explained. Our State is very rich with all kinds of History and I for one would enjoy reading about it. And yes, we do have our very own Ghost stories in the upper part of the state. Thank you for taking time to read this, and I still love the seacoast also. I grew up there. carole EDITOR'S REPLY: We couldn't agree more. Actually we have written about our visits to Canada, Arizona, Washington DC, Florida and all over New England and NH. And this is, after all, a regional web site. We checked sites in the Lakes, Mountains and Mondadnock regions and couldn't find a word about the Seacoast. But getting out more is part of our new 5-year plan, even though the editor is one of the few living Americans who does not drive a car. But leaving is good, since it means we have the pleasure of coming home even more often. http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please101501.html October 15 "DARK SHADOWS" NOT SHOT HERE I am going to be in the New Hampshire area next week. It is my understanding that the TV show Dark Shadows was filmed in your area. It is possible to tour the place? If not can we at least take a photo of the outside area? Please get back to me as soon as possible. This is something I am really looking forward to. Thank You Deborah A. Carrier EDITOR'S REPLY: Sorry, that one stumped us. Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) does not list any shooting location except the New York Studio for the popular 1960s vampire TV soap opera. If any of the 1,245 episodes were shot around here, you'd think someone would know - and no one we contact did. According to the book "Total Television" by Alex McNeil the soap was set in Collins House in a fictional Maine town called Collinsport. Some of the exteriors were apparently shot at a home in Newport, Rhode Island, but that's a far cry from this neck of the woods. There are a lot of Dark Shadows fan web sites as you probably know, too many to list here, and most in pretty bad shape. We skimmed them, and found a corroborating essay from a DS fan. She said to walk along the short at Newport to a place called The Bheaekrs. This reader says that Collinsport is actually Essex, CT, not New Hampshire. We attached that one web page below, with hopes that it works on your browser. It's got a pretty funky URL, but seems to have been online since 1998. If you want gory stories here, you'll have to look around in our
section called "The Grave Site" on SeacoastNH.com. And stay tuned
for our interview with the author of a new book on vampirism in New
England, slated for release around Halloween - when else? October 15 WHISTLE AT EATON FALLS I'm trying to find a copy of Whistle at Eaton Falls, for a birthday present for my step-father. His brother was an extra in at as a child and he was mentioning that he'd love to see it now that he is grown. Can you tell me where I might get a copy? Lynda K. Knight & Betty A Will EDITOR'S REPLY: We get this question often and you'll find the answers in our mail archives at March 16 (scroll down) and June 29th (scroll down). For more info on the movie and a complete set of publicity photos, click the bottom two links. http://www.seacoastnh.com/mail/mail0399.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/mail/mail0699.html http://seacoastnh.com/louis/whistle.html http://seacoastnh.com/louis/whistle2.html October 13 SEEKS PEEKS AT SMUTTYNOSE DIARIES I'm trying to locate Parts I&II of a two-part series with this title by J. Dennis Robinson published in Foster's Sunday Citizen in July of this year particularly the the one featuring a reference to the "Haley House" on Smuttynose. Thank you for any assistance in this search. Christine Ortman EDITOR’S REPLY: The links are below, plus here are a couple of tips. (1) When you are looking for Isles of Shoals items, just go to the HISTORY or TOURING sections and click on “Isles of Shoals” or just got to www.SeacoastNH.com/shoals (2) You’ll find anything related to Smuttynose Island in a special section at www.SeacoastNH.com/smuttynose (3) and you can search all 2,750 web pages in SeacoastNH.com by just going to the homepage and clicking on the compass icon. A special search engine there allows you to search just our web site – and (4) of course you can also search using our separate database on SeacoastSearch.com. Finally, (5) Dennis Robinson’s columns, nearly 100 of them, are listed on the homepage under the section “As I Please.” Oh, (6) when in doubt, try WHAT’S NEW for the latest articles. Thanks. http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please071401.html http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please072001.html October 11 PLEASE BUY (NOT “BUT”) OUR STUFF We sent out the newsletter late Wednesday night and by morning 100 new contest entries were waiting for us! That’s a fast response. We expect about 600 entrants by the end of the month. Meanwhile a number of readers noted a typo at the end of the newsletter. It suggested that readers should “but” the items sold by our sponsors. Yes, we did meant “buy”. The more you buy, the more we can convince our advertisers to
purchase advertising. Many readers are unaware that we get zero
funding from any source expect advertising. That’s it. The more
readers who get the newsletter, the more evidence we have that you
are out there. The more readers who buy things, the more advertisers
will want to work with us. And don’t be afraid to just write to an
advertiser and thank him or her for supporting our site. One reader
noted that she forwards our newsletter to 300 people on her own
mailing list. That’s great, but we’d rather have them all on our
list – so we can show advertisers NUMBERS. This is America after
all. Numbers are the only thing that count. Amen. October 11 NYC PLANNING SEACOAST WEDDING Hello. I already recieve the Seacoast NH newsletter, and recently scrolled through your e-mail postings. I ran across an e-mail from a Geneve P.from CO, dated July 12 re: historic, yet understated locations to plan a wedding in the Portsmouth, NH/Maine area. Her e-mail described in detail all of the exact questions I would ask for the same reasons... I couldn't have written a better one myself! Your reply included having forwarded her name/e-mail to an organization or service that could her locate such a place, as it is truly difficult to do this kind of research online at the moment. I would be incredibly ever-grateful if you could extend that information to me as well. My fiancee has been coming to Kittery, ME his whole life and has
in the past 4 years brought me into this beautiful world of New
England. We got engaged on the beach in Kittery last year and
consider that and all of the surrounding areas incredibly special.
We would love nothing more than to find a place just as special to
get married next June or July with 85 of our closest friends ;)
Thanks for any help on this, October 09 LOVES SEACOASTNH I have been surfing this site out of general interest. It is a super site, thanks for putting it together. Put more history on it! I love it. Sincerely Lora W. Moore, North Hampton, NH lwmore@aol.com EDITOR'S REPLY: There's more local history added three or four days a week. The latest crisis is that, with about 2,000 web pages currently devoted to history, we are approaching the next expense level of our host. Soon our costs will rise to $300/month for this site alone, simply to keep this massive archive of Seacoast images and info online. You can do the math. Our total income source (we get zero outside funding) is from commercial banner ads. So tell your friends to click banners, get our newsletter. And tell local companies that this is the ultimate spot to reach readers with their products. That, ultimately, is what will keep the doors open and the lights on. And thanks for surfing our coast. http://www.seacoastnh.com/history October 08 MORE UNDERGROUND RR In reference to your article appearing in the 2 Sept addition of Foster's Daily Democrat (Beneath the Underground Railroad") subject you refer to a Jody Fernald. She is researching on the Cartland Family of Lee. I would like to get in touch with her as I am the great grandson of Moses Cartland, and I have a body of material ( letters etc...) most pertinent to her research, if you could reach her please have her call me. Thanks for your cooperation and keep up the fine work of "Seacoast Rambles". Carl L of Lee EDITOR'S REPLY: We've forwarded your info and thanks. One of the great advantages of writing both online and in the newspapers, is that we are help keep the circle of information flowing by putting people in touch - thus furthering local historical research. It's a two-way street. http://www.seacoastnh.com/arts/please083101.html October 08 THOUGHTS ON WAR FROM THE "LEFT COAST" Thanks for your thoughtful editorial at the end of this month's edition, about 'retaliation.' It mirrors what many people over here on the 'left coast' have been saying, notably including LA Times columnist Pat Morrison, both in the Times and on PBS station KCET. Yes, we should take appropriate steps against both direct participants (numbering not more than 50 people, according to the dept. of Justice) and any direct accomplices. But all evidence points to this evil conspiracy being more of a loose, voluntary alliance of a relatively small number of fanatics, than being the purposeful, organized strategy of even a small nation-state. I hope the United States government will move wisely and effectively to get at the roots of support for the fanatics, rather than thrashing about wildly, remotely bombing exotic but misidentified targets. Bob Edgerly, Palm Springs, CA October 08 CONDOLENCES Thank You very much for another excellent edition of SeacoastNH.com. My day was brightened to find it in my Inbox. The quality of the articles was as high as I have learned to expect from this publication. Please extend my condolences to families and friends of those in
Portsmouth and the surrounding communities whose lives were ended by
the tragic events of this past Tuesday. Each of them died as a hero
for the honor of his or her country. Their sacrifice will not soon
be forgotten. Sincerely, October 08 FROM THE CANADIAN TYPO POLICE Express Yourself Comment: From your last contest - "Jonatan Bailey, a former bike courier, designed this studry (sic) bag for professional couriers." Studry? Dan Webb, Kingston, Ontario, CANADA EDITOR'S REPLY: We meant "studly", as in the sentence, "He wore his courier bag in a studly way." Or was that sturdy? Check the Baileyworks homepage, and you decide. http://www.seacoastsearch.com/feature66.htm October 03 WILL DO ANYTHING FOR FRIDGE MAGNET My children asked me about "Old Ironsides" just last night. I related much of the history that I knew or could recall. My wife mentioned that there was a poem about "Old Ironsides" and asked if I recalled who was the author. I immediately responded with Whittier, ...no Longfellow,... who was the author? So I vowed to look it up on the internet. After much searching, and sidetracking, as one is likely to do when going to the encyclopedia or other reference work, I stumbled upon your site. It is wonderful! I scrolled down the pages and found the link to 'Poem "Old Ironsides" ' and eagerly punched the colorful link provided. I waited patiently with great anticipation to view the poem "Old Ironsides" that I vaguely recalled from my youth. Egad, "this page cannot be displayed" blazed across my screen dashing my hopes to visit an "old" friend. Wait, didn't I see a note back up the screen that said if one was the first to report a dropped link that person would get a refrigerator magnet? Excellent! I only have 247 refrigerator magnets, but if I were entitled to this magnet it would make up for the abysmal disappointment of not being able to read the poem for which I had come searching. Of course I would still love to read the poem again. Your site as provided me the answer to the original question of authorship and I can go to the library and get a volume containing this poem. But, I still want my magnet. So if I qualify, send the prize to
(address attached). If not I understand, but fix that link so that I
may come back to the site, read the poem and continue exploring your
website. I am from Boston originally and I grew up with "Old
Ironsides", and Bunker Hill, and Carl Yazstremski and so on and so
forth. My e-mail is lesorcan@aol.com. I am writing from work at the
Georgia Insurance Department where I am an insurance fraud
investigator. Take care. Richard Whelan of Powder Springs, GA
October 03 THAT OLD WEEKS’ HOUSE Hello Mr. Robinson, I just wanted to let you know I enjoy your work. I live in a historic home in Stratham, the former "Keniston Tavern" which I enjoy a lot. I've always wanted to know more about the Weeks brick house on Route 33 in Greenland, but I don't think it is open to visitors. If you could point me in the direction of more information about that one I would be grateful. Carry on,. Faith Bartlett of Stratham, NH EDITOR’S REPLY: That house is privately owned and protected but not generally open to the public, though we had heard the tenants are informed on the history and may provide tours. We’ll look into the “earthquake” house that shows a fault line from a 1700s local earthquake. For now, all we can offer is this 130 year old article by our largely-deceased corresponded Charles Brewster on the Weeks House of Greenland. http://www.seacoastnh.com/brewster/147.html October 01 CAROL SAYS WE WERE RIGHT AGAIN! Thanks for knowing your "stuff" (see October 01 letter below: "Coming Back in 2002". Yes, it was Ogonquit Art Museum and a wonderful treaure. As to Kennybunkport, I liked the entire town -- and winding road of prep schools and homes! My biggest disappointment was the touristy-ness of Rockport, MA -- a place we as art afficionados had listed as a "not to be missed" stop.Thanks again for your personal responses to your readers. Carole in CA October 01 IN THE CLEARING STANDS A BOXER Can you tell me where I might find some history on the Boxer built at the Franklin Shiphouse? Roger Belanger EDITOR’S REPLY: This one stumped us. We knew the USS Boxer was the last wooden ship built at the Portsmouth Yard and launched from the shiphouse in 1904. It was used as a training brig and the shiphouse was then turned over to the production of submarines – a major leap in technology from wood. We put a picture online in our story about the burning of the shiphouse, but couldn’t find anything in our little library of maritime heritage books. We got our photo from Jim Garvin’s book with pictures from the Strawbery Banke collection and have been able, so far to find nothing else. But it sure is a cool topic – the last wooden boat. Anyone out there know more? http://www.seacoastnh.com/navyyard/yardyarn.html October 01 DIVING INTO THE SHOALS I was wondering if you could possibly send me some information about the marine life at the Isle of Shoals, either by USPS mail or via email and send me a link to a site? I may be going scuba diving there and I just want to know what to expect to see. I'dappreciate it very much. Katherine of Chicopee, MA EDITOR’S REPLY: We don’t know of a pamphlet or booklet on that topic. The Shoals are privately owned, but there is a diving group that uses White Island. Your best bet is to talk to John at Buccaneer Charters or to Sue at the Uncle Oscar. Both charter boats are listed in SeacoastSearch.com, and both lake divers out to White. The most likely print materials will come from the Appledore Marine Lab run by Cornell and UNH. They may have a brochure for their summer marine biology courses on the Isles that will help. They are also on our search engine. You’ll also find a number of letters online from divers who have been to the Isles if you search on GOOGLE on our SeacoastNH.com search engine page. They are all available from this one link: http://www.seacoastnh.com/search.html October 01 COMING BACK IN 2002 I had such a great trip driving around New England last year for a month and had thought about repeating the experience again this year. But unfortunately, we couldn't. Now I am expecting to see your "neck of the woods" in 2002. I'll continue reading your site to discover other "off-the-beaten track" places for me to visit then. Two of my favorite spots were Kennebunkport ME and a small art
museum just north (maybe 45 minutes?) off the state border (in ME or
NH) along the coast road. We spent the night in a motel nearby so as
to see it and were well-rewarded. It was down a small road with a
large free form (red?) sculpture in front on a large grassy area.
The museum had some great impressionist art. The main room of the
white building had lots of windows and backed up to the water/ocean.
(With a little digging in my photos, I could find the name.) Anyway,
I was wondering if you remember doing human interest aricles on
either? |
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