ASK, RANT OR PRAISE, BUT NEVER IGNORE 

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THANKS FOR SAVING OUR BRIDGE
Dear Dennis: Your sharing of the Pingree Bridge "for sale" story with your SeacoastNH.com readership seems to have been the catalyst for the bridge to find a new home. When it was first advertised, there was some interest, but no formal bids were submitted. After your story was published and the bridge was advertised again, there were two bidders for the second round (one from the Seacoast), and a third late submission from a trails group. The successful bidder has been chosen and the bridge is now in safe storage halfway between its original and future homes. The town, the engineering consultants, DOT and the DHR are all thrilled; and we are hoping that the two unsuccessful bidders will submit bids for the two other similar metal bridges that are now available for relocation. I am convinced that without the publicity you gave to the quest, the Pingree Bridge would have languished into extinction. You have given us all new hope for saving and reusing New Hampshire’s historic bridges. THANK YOU ! Ben Leubsdorf is working on a follow-up story for the Monitor, but I don’t know when it will be published.
Linda Ray Wilson, DSHPO
NH Division of Historical Resources
19 Pillsbury Street
Concord NH 03301-3570

KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL
I almost hit the ceiling when I saw the magnificent bronze plaque and saw they had ruined it with the same stupid mistake that tabloids and people have made over the years. The original term Conflict has been done away with as it should, and it has been for some time, Korean WAR, not CONFLICT. This is such an injustice to Korean War Vets and the plaque should be removed and a correct one made.
Arthur Small, Danvers,MA., Former Korean WAR veteran.

THAT GARDEN ON AN ISLAND
Years ago I took the Portsmouth ferry over to the Isle of Shoals to see a woman’s home and her flowers. Do you know the name of the place? Thank you.
Louisa Simboli

EDTOR’S REPLY: There is no home. It burned early in the 20^th century, but the garden survives. That was Celia Thaxter's Garden on Appledore Island managed in her memory by volunteers and accessible through the Shoals Marine Lab web site.

FAMILY STAYED AT WBS
I am looking for information on guests at the Wentworth during the summer of 1960 when my mother and family visited.　 Also any employees who might have worked there during the usmmer of 1960. Janine

EDITOR"S REPLY: The Portsmouth Athenaeum has the Smith Collection which includes materials from that era, though I'm not sure if there are registers. Check their Web site which does have an online finding aid.

RAW CLAMS TO CHOWDA  (See our perfect recipe)
Hi, I read article re family chowder. Fascinating. I would like to taste it. I agree w milk/ pork fat etc. We had a family house on Wellfleet and I have been making the chowder x 30 years....I am 52 now and make about 10 batches a year.

My fridge is full with a fresh batch from Billinsgate waiting for me. Quahogs mainly...though steamers have a slight sweeter juice and I some times add a few. 　

I do not steam open clams but open raw and add the ground meat at last minute to minimize cook time as I think they are more tender. I know it is not tradition but I scoop out some of the black material in belly. Salt and pepper/ dab of butter...and if my garden is producing a sprig of thyme.
Tom Bilodeau

A MAN CALLED WEARE
I have　documents from the first president of New Hampshire [Meshech Weare] when he was in the military promotion of my relative ( James Gilmore) to lieutenant colonel in the militia dated 1785. Also have some documents of ot he promotions of James Gilmore in the King’s army dated back to 1764 and 1770 and signed by Wentworth. I am looking to find out if these are authentic. My mother told me they are totally authentic and they are aged.
Bruce Minder

EDITOR’S REPLY: My approach as a writer of history is that anything in the hands of a private collector is out of the public domain. We researchers have no way of knowing what a private collector owns, so when digging, we can't find it. Items in an historical collection usually end up listed in a "finding aid" which is often posted online. So, for example, if a Person A wrote a letter to Person B in 1825, I would be able to find that during a Google search. Then I could go the archive or email them and usually get a copy, or visit the facility and see the actual document.

The good thing about a professional archive is that there are people who know how to care for the document and keep it in the right climatic conditions, which most collectors do not.　There's no reason not to keep the items yourself as long as you buy the right acid-free storage envelopes and keep them at the right temp and humidity year round. 　They may mean more to you than to anyone else if you have a family connection, or you can have it framed in special glass and, as long as it is not in a room with a lot of light, hang it on your wall. That is a form of preservation.

Some old documents are worth a lot of money and people opt to sell them on the auction market. I'm not into that scene, but I assume this document has limited value for collectors and higher importance for museums.

Although authenticating documents is not our thing, from the photos you sent, they look very real. My suggestion is always the same. I believe in getting documents to the historical society or library that most values them and has the best facility to catalog and preserve them. In this case, the NH Historical Society or perhaps the Hampton Historical Society or the American Independence Museum in Exeter would be an ideal place. I’ll be happy to contact them if you wish. -- JDR

STROLLERS ON THE WAY
I have a question for you. I would like to take my family for a walk on the Marginal Way. They have an infant, who rides in a BOB stroller. Are stroller's allowed on the walkway?
Laurel Greenlaw

EDITOR’S REPLY: That's a good one and I assume the answer is "yes" since the path is open to families. Best to ask the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce at Ogunquit-fot-org since they are right nearby.

RAMPARTS WE WATCH
Hi - do you know where I might be able to purchase a copy of the movie The Ramparts We Watch (1940)? My dad had a cameo role and I would love to get him a copy!
Jim Bernie

EDITOR’S REPLY: Thanks for your note. As I listed on the Web page, I've seen the produced on VHS as part of a long-defunct reprint of the March of Time series that ran to about 36 videotapes and can sometimes be found on eBay. This was manufactured by Embassy of Canada. That’s all I know of available copies. HBO has been digitizing the March of Time series and may have done so with Ramparts too. I haven't had the chance to track it down, but if you find anything, let us know. This is the HBO link

LOST AT LOUISBOURG
Do you know a source that lists the men who died the winter of 1744/45 of disease and starvation? Sadly, our students in the United States don't know this was one of the causes of the American Revolution!!! I'm helping a friend do his genealogy and we would like evidence that John Hamor died at Louisbourg. Also, is there an organization of the descendants of those men that you know of?
Alice MacDonald Long

EDITOR’S REPLY: I put out a call to a couple of people who know better than I. It has been ages since I ws there, but the did buy a book in the gift shop called YANKEES AT LOUISBOURG by George A Rawlyk (Nreton Books pb reprint 1999) and there was a tiny paperback for kids called "New Englanders Take Louisbourg, 1745" by Cape Bretton's Magazine (1988). I wonder if the souvenir shop at the fort has materials for students of New England all prepared? -- JDR

MORE INFO FROM SANDRA RUX: Best group of these records appears to be the Pepperrell Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society--they are on microfilm. The record kept by Samuel Hale for his Dover company includes how much each got paid, how much they owed for food etc and also notes those who died (this is part of collection at Wentworth-Gardner House). There may not be a compilation of those who died--it may be necessary to look through records for individual companies.

ARMY AT MORLEY BUTTON IN WWII
I had never heard of this before, but according to "The 26th Yankee Division on Coast Patrol Duty, 1942-1943", by Dennis A. Connole, 2008, McFarland, which I just purchased a month ago, the old Morley Button Factory building on Islington Street in Portsmouth, NH was used as Army barracks and a local command post for the 101st Infantry Regiment (L Company) from March to May 1942, and later by the 181st Infantry Regiment (E Company) from May 1942 to November 1943, who patrolled the coast from York Harbor to Seabrook. My parents had also never heard of this before, either (the use of the Morley Button building). According to Connole, the 104th Infantry Regiment guarded the New Hampshire - Maine coast from January to March 1942, but does not specify where their command post was at that time. This was completely separate from the duties of the 22nd Coast Artillery Regiment which guarded the harbor from the four forts.
Pete Payette

SLAIN ON A PLANTATION
What is a New England "plantation"? Is it like a cotton plantation? Through my researches I have found that I am a descendant of Mercy Adam, whose family was slain in July 1694 in their garrison. Chantal

EDITOR’S REPLY: I think any very early 17th century land grant intended for cultivation was called a plantation then. It is basically what we would call a farm. The original settlers had no idea what crops would survive in this region and, remember, they originally called the whole area here "Virginia." Later Northern Virginia became New England after 1616 when John Smith published his map. Don't know what they were attempting to grow at Oyster River, but Portsmouth settlers started out in 1630 trying to grow grapes for wine on their plantation (now Strawbery Banke and Prescott Park).

LOVED BOOK ON WENTWORTH
Hi, just wanted to drop a quick note and say I really enjoyed Mr. Robinson's latest Wentworth book. As somebody that never knew it before it closed, it was very interesting reading. Do you happen to know of a book or chapter in a book on the old Naval Prison? This structure piques my curiosity as well! keep up the great work,
Shelby Smith of Sanford, ME

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