October 2008 Reader Mail

ASK, RANT OR PRAISE, BUT NEVER IGNORE

This is the heart of our web site, the place where readers reign. So many of the best ideas come from you. But don't forget that we need you to subscribe to our email NEWSLETTER. And more, we need you to tell your friends to sign up. That's how we measure our success and draw in our advertisers who pay for this all to happen -- in our 12th year.

Much much more MAIL

RE: DARTMOUTH AS INDIAN SCHOOL
In Columbia, CT there is a bronze marker dedicated to the existence of the "Indian School" which was asked to leave Town after the students raided the local farmers' orchards and cider houses and created "a disturbance". The marker indicates that the school moved from Columbia to NH.
Skip

MEMORIES OF THE WOODMAN INSTITUTE
The pics of the Woodman Museum in Dover, NH brought back memories. I visited years ago, in the 1950's I believe and 60's It was a delightful and educational experience. I'd like to visit again, but at 81 years and living in Florida it is doubtful. The little Museum reminded me of the larger Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury, VT where I grew up. I think the Woodman exhibits were unique, especially the butterflies and artifacts. I have enjoyed the SeacoastNH newsletter for some time as we visited the area on vacations and still never saw everything.
Thanks
Charlie Welcome

LOOKING FOR MORE LEARS
I am trying to find information on my Great, Great Grandmother Cristina or Christa Lear. She was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in the year of 1848. Her Fathers name was John Lear and her mother’s maiden name was Nancy Downs. Christina married my Great Great Grandfather Frank Auren Otis aruond 1868.
Kevin Melvin, Forest City, NC

THANKS FOR BUSTING GHOSTS
Thanks for "Tales of a Ghostbuster " and the references to witchcraft and Thorvald's Rock. It is important to provide accurate information and I appreciate your well-presented article.
Betty Moore, Tuck Museum, Hampton, NH

RED SPOTTED SALAMANDER
As the Phil Browne who, along with his students, helped to champion the Newt to NH State Amphibian status back in the mid 1980's, I was just so excited to read that others saw the naming of the newt, a bioindicator of acid precipitation, a fitting tribute for a state that now values environmental preservation as a key component to a healthy lifestyle for all its organisms. Thanks for the wonderful article Deborah Lee McGrath - and if you folks can pass that thanks on to her I would appreciate it. And a big thank you as well to Rick and Jemi Broussard who through their affiliation with NH Magazine helped bring the story of the newt to thousands of folks when the Newt ran for both Governor of NH and President of the USA. Enjoy the fall!
Philip Browne

ROBINSON IN THE PORTSMOUTH HERALD
Dear Mr. Altschiller, I am writing to congratulate the Herald for a great column by J. Dennis Robinson that ran last Monday, September 8, about the South Berwick resident, George Washington Frosst, who escaped from Virginia with his family during the Civil War. Robinson did a wonderful job presenting the tale of Frosst's war experiences, which he had recounted in a handwritten memoir, within the context of national history. I am sure most readers never imagined that a local man had had that experience.

Those of us who enjoy local history and work to make it available to the public are glad that the Portsmouth Herald runs a history column. I was delighted that the story recounted in a manuscript in our archives became known to readers. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Wendy Pirsig, president
Old Berwick Historical Society
South Berwick, ME 03908

EDITOR’S NOTE: Robinson’s HISTORY MATTERS column, formerly in the NH Gazette and Foster’s Sunday Citizen now appears on alternate Mondays in the Portsmouth Herald. Those articles appear here in our new History Matters section.

MORE ON HANCOCK BOOKLETS
Regarding your website's page about the John Hancock Company's historical booklets-- My late mother worked at John Hancock before marrying my father (so the 1930's and early 40's), and we had several of these booklets in our home growing up. But ours were from a later period than the ones you have displayed. For instance, I distinctly recall our Abraham Lincoln booklet having a tan or rust-colored cover.

My mother remained friends with a few women who may have continued working for Hancock after my mother had stopped; also, one of these ladies' husbands definitely retired from a career with Hancock, so it's possible that was our source for these later booklets.

But you are correct that the booklets were of exceptional quality and not heavy handedly pushing any product, save for the Hancock name on them. So good were they that my sister & I both used them as references for school projects, reports, etc. in grade school. In fact, I specifically recall displaying one of the booklets in a pocket of one, such project/report.

Please let me know any more information you may have about these booklets, a good place to obtain later ones, etc. I thought we also had one such booklet with pictures of Harry Truman's and Thomas Dewey's running mates from the 1948 presidential election? Perhaps I am confusing the Hancock booklets with others that were also in our home growing up?Jim M

BEEBE FAMILY MEMO
I was just reading on my families history. Yes I am a Beebe. My dad was William John Beebe , My Grandfather is Henry Beebe, My Dad died at a young age of 49. Yes he was a drinker too. As so was my Gram pa. All I know is that my grampa Henry Beebe was from Cape Cod. He had 7 brothers and sisters. If you have any information that May help me I would be so happy to see it ! I also would like to know how to get to the Beebe cematery.
Debbie Beebe Renouf

EDITOR’S REPLY: All me know is the story of the Beebe Family Cemetery on Star Island. Wish we had more documents on the family.

MORE FB-111 FOOTNOTES
The lady from Greenland asking about the crewman of the downed FB-111A looking out of the "capsule" in the "read our mail" section is not really experiencing an optical illusion. She is seeing one of the Air Force personnel from the Pease AFB retrieval team looking into the escape module from the other side.

The other reader who recalls an earlier FB-111A crash at the base itself including an ejection is mistaken for the only crash on the runway itself of an FB-111A at Pease resulted in a belly flop landing (no ejection) and the plane was repaired.
Jack Goterch

GOSPORT REMEMBERED
I am a student at Bates College, and am writing my Honors Senior Thesis on the Star Island community of Gosport. I have purchased Peter Randall and Maryellen Burke’s book "Gosport Remembered," which has been incredibly helpful in my research.
Becky Wason

ANOTHER PORTSMOUTH PLANE CRASH?
I love reading your newsletter! I was reading the fascinating story about the FB11A crash in Portsmouth and I seem to recall another plane crash when I was a child; right in downtown Portsmouth off Congress Street. Do you know anythign about that- or perhaps my memory is playing tricks on me!
Paloma Sylvan

REPLY FROM TOM COCCHIARO: My recollection of plane crashes of note are these: In the early 1960s, not sure of the years, there was a major B-47 crash at night at Pease (big fireball) near the golf course--almost in my back yard--and there was a KC-97 prop-driven Stratotanker that went down during the day during a MITO exercise (Minimum Interval Take Off). I actually saw the KC-97 go down from my 5th grade window at Sherburne School. Just before the crash, the school windows started rattling as the pilot firewalled the throttles trying to keep the aircraft in the air. I saw it slowly sink behind the trees and then there was a big boom. The fireball was so bright and hot I felt the heat through the window from roughly 300 yards away. The whole room shook and you could hear pieces of shrapnel hitting the roof. They evacuated the school into the playground behind Sherburne as a precaution. In the sky was a big plume of black smoke with half a dozen of the other participating tankers circling overhead awaiting word on whether they could land or had to divert to some other base. My father was actually a flight engineer on the KC-97 right behind the one that crashed. They were pretty lucky as they flew right through the flames and smoke. Later he told me they pulled shrapnel from the fuel tank of the plane he was on and the plexiglass on the boom operator's window was nearly melted through. The F-111A crew ejection compartment supposedly came down near the Wentworth School. And I believe there was a B-52 crash on the Newington end of the runway. Wreckage was strewn almost to Great Bay. I remember newspaper pictures of parachutes in the trees where some of the crew members came down.

REMEMBERING DOROTHY VAUGHAN
A JOY TO READ YOUR ARTICLE ABOUT DOROTHY. I WORKED AFTERNOONS AT THE LIBRARY FOR HER PUTTING BOOKS ON THE SHELVES AND PACKING BOOKS FOR SERVICEMEN,1941-42 BEFORE I WENT TO THE NAVY YARD.HANNAH FERNALD WAS STILL HEAD LIBRARIAN,BUT ILL A LOT.SO DOROTHY WAS RUNNING THE LIBRARY.I ALWAYS WANTED TO VISIT HER AFTER I GOT OUT OF THE SERVICE BUT NEVER GOT THE OPPORTUNITY,I WISH I HAD.I ENJOYED BEING THERE FOR THE TWO YEARS.
BRAD HARRINGTON IN ROCHESTER

FB-111 CRASH QUESTION
I was living in Greenland at the time and remember that day vividly. Great article! My question is in the photo of the escape capsule (cockpit) is that one of the crew turning toward the camera in the capsule?
Brian Scherer

EDITOR’S REPLY: The crew doesn’t sit around inside the excape capsule for more than a few seconds, but scramble right out – so no. Must be an optical illusion.

PUDDLE DOCKER PURCHASE
Mr. Robinson- I just purchased your book for my mother. I was wondering if you could tell me where you got the picture of the little girl on page 189, because my mother believes that is a picture of her (her name is Muriel Barnaby). She grew up in the Puddledock area and said she recognized the photograph when she recently looked through the book that my aunt had bought. I just thought that it would be interesting to be able to tell her how you came about getting the photograph when I give her the book (she was obviously quite pleased to see it). I also plan on attending one of your next speaking events to see if you would kindly sign your book for my mom. I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your time.
atti Powers

EDITOR’S REPLY: That image was collected during one of the two Puddle Dock reunions held in the late 1970s and early 1980s. A copy was made and kept in private hands. There were over 200 images in the collection and I picked as many Puddledockers from that era as possible for the book.

MEMORIES OF THE FARRAGUT HOTEL
In the summer of 1974 I was driving along the coast on vacation with a friend. We drove from home, in Pennsylvania, to Canada and back. We came across a huge hotel, looking abandoned, and stopped in to look around. There was one lone employee (or owner, I'm not sure) who chatted with us and showed us around. I think at the time they were hoping to be saved, but he was not hopeful.

I remember the front desk and the old "plug-in" type of phone system for the rooms. I don't remember if I took any pictures of it. I wish I had. For many years I could not remember where we were that day .. we were probably lost at the time. A few weeks ago in the bottom of a box I found a brochure for the Farragut at Rye Beach, New Hampshire. Now I know what that amazing place was. I searched on the internet and found this site. I saw that there had been an exhibit on the Farragut. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to see it.

I am wondering if anyone connected to the exhibit or anyone local to the area would be interested in having the brochure. It might be a nice piece of memorabilia for someone. (it has the 1974 Rates stamped inside)
Ellen Greene

EDITOR’S REPLY: We’re always encouraging readers to send artifacts and items to their local historical society. We forwarded your note to the Rye Historical Society and they will be in touch. Many thanks.

News about Portsmouth from Fosters.com