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TURKEYGATE ONE MORE TIME

EDITOR’S NOTE: Yes, that was me again on NH Public Radio this week, but it was Memorex, not live.
"The Exchange" with Laura Knoy re-ran the 2008 reading of my hopefully humorous essay on the way Massachusetts history tends to ignore New Hampshire. It started in 1623 and we don’t get no respect in the history books that virtually ignore northern New England, even though, in same cases, we were here first. So thanks to all those who called and wrote on this now "classic" essay that has been making the rounds since the early 1970s. You can hopefully still hear the streamed interview on the NHPR radio web site. And here are a few of the sample email responses. -- JDR

I am a "NPR Junkie" but not really a fan of the show the Exchange but this morning's show was fantastic thanks to J. Dennis Robinson ( our / your neighbor ). Dennis' truthful depictions and commentary about our local history was awesome! Thank you Dennis!
 -- Atlantic Heights Newsgroup

I just listened to the replay of "Turkeygate" on NHPR. It's great - - entertaining and informative! Good to know that it's archived, just in case we have any visitors from Massachusetts this weekend.
 -- Barbara Maurer

Dennis, Damn! The Exchange is pre-recorded today. I was hoping to call and ask some stupid question. I tuned in a few minutes late, but I knew it was your Thanksgiving piece being read. I know of no other use of "Deep Throat" and "Star Wars" to tell about Thanksgiving.
 -- Happy cod day, Ralph Morang

PROUD AS A PEACOCK
I can not tell you how excited I was to get a call from a friend saying my Son's picture was on the front page of the Portsmouth Herald tonight ("Privateer Lynx Heads East".

Alex left a week and a half ago for his adventure on Lynx so you can imagine how wonderful it was to get a blow by blow description of the days before he left San Diego for the Panama Canal and then on to the East Coast. We did speak to Alex prior to his departure from San Diego and did get some detail about the happenings on the waterfront but not like the description in your article of course. We just received a message today from Alex that Lynx has arrived in Cabo and all appears to be well aboard the boat. The blogs are great way for us, Alex's friends and family to get a sense of what life is like for him out at sea.

It is very ironic that we first saw an article about Lynx in the Herald last summer which Alex then had perused getting aboard for his winter sailing having just come off the Schooner Timberwind out of Rockport Maine where Lynx was built. Then to find out that the registered port for Lynx is Portsmouth where Alex was born. We thank you for such for the great coverage of the send off events in San Diego, we can not wait for Lynx to visit it's home port some time this coming year!
Don and Nancy Peacock

COPY OF BELKNAP BOOK
I have a book, "History of New Hampshire" by Jeremy Belknap. It is a first edition from 1772, and only volume 3 of 3. It is full of data, statistics, local geography, fauna and flora, births and deaths, all sorts of historical information. It is several hundred pages, and is considered the first historical publication in America. My Grandaughter, age 14 lives in Dover. I would like to send that book to her, for donation to some appropriate society.

Jeremy Belknap was an early preacher in Dover, was Chaplain of the NH group present at Cambridge, when Washington accepted command of the Ccontinental Army, and both Washington and John Adams were early subscribers to the book. Belknap County is named for him. Could you recommend any such institution. Our ancestors were very early residents of Dover (Richard Rich and Thomas Roberts). In am always looking for information on them. Roberts was a very early public official in the 1600's, Rich, his son in law, likely was of the Warwick (Earl of ) clan that was instrumental in the founding of Jamestown and also New England.
Rus Rich in California

EDITOR’S REPLY: Belknap’s history is well known here in NH, especially in the Seacoast since he was a Dover resident. Although there is no longer an historical society there, we’ll hook you up with people at the library and Woodman Institute to see if they are interested. From what I can glean, Belnap wrote the third volume in the 1790s, and the single volume has only archival value these days sicne the entire colleciton is available in many reprints and now for free on Google Books. The difficulty for libraries these days is that they must cover the high cost of storying and protecting books that will likely never be read, but hopefully one will be interested. If not, your granddaughter might enjoy reading an ancient book herself and keep it as a family heirloom.

TURKEYGATE LIVES ON
Is this a confirmed historical event? (Turkeygate 400 Year Old Scandal) I would love to have my 4th graders read about this as part of their NH History unit, but am hesitant to include it if it is factual. Very interesting and a fun fact for those of us who love NH (even though both my daughters were born in Plymouth, MA).
Janice Kane, Technology Teacher, Nottingham School

EDITOR’S REPLY: This story, which I wrote at least 25 years ago, simply won’t die. It is a satire, of course, on Thanksgiving from a NH perspective (We don’t get no respect). But yes, the story is based on historical fact and Thomson apparently did sell fish to the Pilgrims who then celebrated in thanksgiving. You may still find an interview I did on the topic with NH Public Radio that streams online and we continue to post info on the Thomsons, NH’s first and almost forgotten European family.

THE 21^st CENTURY BREWSTER
Hello Dennis, I received my copy of Strawbery Banke today and it arrived in perfect condition. Thank you for autographing it for me. This will be one of my most prized possessions among my collection of history books. I skipped reading any text for now, but delighted in looking at all the wonderful, unique photos from years past which I never knew existed. I will go back later and read carefully every page and spread the enjoyment of this book out for as long as I can. You have done a superb job on this and I know it will serve as a benchmark for future historians.  

I consider you to be the Charles W. Brewster of your age. He was not perfect and his articles may not have been exactly historically correct, but it was he who made history come alive for me and made me realize how important it is to preserve it. You will never know how many lives your works will affect, now, and in the future.
Gregory S. Coad

LOST MEANING OF THANKSGIVING
Many years ago i was moving some old furniture with my cousin. The furniture belonged to our great grand parents. I noticed some papers that were mostly hidden in the back of a dresser. After I removed the papers I was amazed to find two identical newspapers, both with the same date, july 17 1863/ This newspaper has a letter from Abraham Lincoln proclaiming Thanksgiving a national holiday. I used to read it every Thanksgiving, prior to eating, but have since stopped. It seemed to me that Thanksgiving Day has morphed its meaning into a more profitable definition rather than its heartfelt predecessor. Anonymous John 　

ARCHEOLOGY ON MILL POND
I live near the South Mill Pond bridge/dam and have noticed a lot of glass and pottery shards in that area at low tide. They are easy to pick up, but it occurred to me that they might merit more systematic collection, examination, and cataloging. Maybe a volunteer project for the neighborhood? For schools? My principal concern is that removing the exposed items would compromise their historical value. My thought was that the Mill Pond has been a garbage dump for centuries and has been undisturbed because it was under water behind the dam and avoided because it was known as a sewage channel. Now that it has been exposed to the tides once again, items are surfacing and people are finding them. 
David Ewing

EDITOR’S REPLY: I forwarded your not toe the arhcheologist at Strawbery Banke and to Ellen Marlett who does contract archeology in town. The problem, as you noted, is that there are no funds to save these artifacts that are disappearing due to exposure. Sadly, Portsmouth has little response to history "under the ground" with the possible exception of the African American Burial on Chestnut Street. The state agency is overtaxed and undestaffed. You might also contact the NH Historical Society, and I’ll send along a couple more acadmic contacts so you can fill them in on the location.

SEEKING RELATIVES ON PORTSMOUTH SHIPS
I live in Newington NH and am doing some work on my family history. I am related to a East Boston Ship builder named Silvanus Smith. Family history indicates he supervised 2 ships or barks being built in Portsmouth, NH between 1858 and 1862. This ships names were The Eagle Speed and The Kate Prince. Wondering if you knew where to look to get more information.

My great, great grandfather Silvanus was born in Duxbury, Ma in 1817 and died in East Boston in 1901. He built ships in East Boston under the names of Silvanus Smith & Atlantic Works 1858 - 1863; Curtis Smith & Co. 1866 - 1873; and Smith & Townsend from 1873 - 1884. He is also credited to have built over 100 ships and the first Mt. Washington steamer in 1872. I have been able to get quite a bit of information through the Boston Globe Archives and the Boston Marine Society. I also have a wonderful home made book about his life written by one of his children in 1925. However, would love to learn more about the ship building in Portsmouth and where he might have built the two mentioned ships. Please advise me as to where I might get further information.
Jennifer Mulstay, Newington, NH

EDITOR’S REPLY: The Portsmouth Marine Society published 30 books during its career, many on shipping in the Portsmouth region. I checked their books and was pleased to discover that there a number of references to your two boats in TALL SHIPS OF THE PISCATAQUA (1830-1877) by Ray Brighton, published by Peter E Randall in 1989. Looks to me like there are still copies available on their web site.

LOOKING FOR PORTSMOUTH HARBOUR TRAIL GUIDE
I have been looking for the Portsmouth Harbour Trail Guide and Map. The Chamber of Commerce is out of them. Can you help me?
Donna Cusick

EDITOR’S REPLY: We asked around an it looks like there are some still available from the Portsmouth Historical Society. You can contact them via their web site PortsmouthHistory.org.

LETTERS LOST, EMAILS GAINED
AWHILE BACK YOU WERE TELLING OF SEARCHING FOR HISTORY INFO AND I GOT TO WONDERING WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP FUTURE HISTORIANS. NOW WE HAVE LETTERS, DIARIES , GOVT. DOCUMENTS, ETC. BUT DOWN THE ROAD THERE WILL NONE OF THESE. DURING KEN BURNS CIVIL WAR SERIES HE WAS ABLE TO USE LETTERS AND DAIRIES. WHEN THEY WRITE ABOUT IRAQ AND AFGANISTAN WILL THEY US E-MAIL AND BLOGS. ANY SHORT THOUGHTS ON THIS?
MICHAEL MCANDREW, NEW CASTLE, NH

EDITOR’S RANTING REPLY: I’m afraid we are already deep into the email era and out of the letter writing phase of civilization. I guess the difference is that,

rather than one surviving handwritten document, we may have limitless copies of emails passed around. The problem is that anyone can alter an email and it is difficult to authenticate the author. We know that the White House is required to keep a record of all correspondence via email, but unlike paper, disk technology changes every eight years, so the real issue is, not the shift from paper to technology, but the fact that no machine 100 years from know will be able to decipher the software or hardware on which the document have been written. I can't even read the floppy disks I used to write newspaper articles and short stories in the early 1980s. Not only will we not have correspondence, but we will not have newspaper either. The local daily has thrown out its paper copies leaving us only with the microfilm copies that are hard to read and duplicate. If the Web ever comes crashing down, we'll find ourselves back in the Dark Ages. On the positive side, Google has recently scanned 10 million books that I can now find online, many in full and for free. That gives me instant access to more resources in the last couple of years than a historian with free access to the Harvard Library has ever had. Technology giveth and technology taketh away. From my standpoint, I think we historians are winning by a landslide with access to digital documents and books (try WorldCat.org) that we would never have seen or find scarcely a decade ago. In my case, I file a paper copy of all important emails in a traditional metal filing cabinet, as well as keeping a digital backup. – JDR

UNDERGROUND RR CONNECTION?
The gentleman depicted in your article ("Beneath the Underground Railroad, April 1, 2001) is my great-great grandfather. My name is Stephanie Helen Gilbert. Oliver Cromwell Gilbert is the grandfather of my father, Frank E. Gilbert, Esq and the father of Stanley Cromwell Gilbert, musician. We are in Philadelphia, PA. A friend of mine understood my trouble with researching Great-great-grandpop's history due to his enslavement and possible change of name after his escpape. His son married the first cousin of Amelia Earhart and all are buried in Philadelphia. 

I would be ever so, so grateful for any information on our family. I cannot possibly explain everything here, but would be happy to sit down and review what we know and have documented, which is quite a bit. We are aware, from letters, that Oliver worked with the abolitionsists. Also, the Gilberts were jubilee singers who carried abolitionsits messages up through the mid-atlantic states. Coincidentally, I spent this afternoon walking Merion cemetery looking for Oliver's grave. His death cert states that he is buried there, but the cemetery claims that the records were burned in the 1940s. (sigh). I have a hunch about where he may be buried.  

Please help us find the missing pieces of this puzzle. We are so proud of our family history; but, no piece seems as profound as g/g grandpop Gilbert's....not even Amelia's. I hope to hear back from you.
Stephanie Gilbert

EDITOR’S REPLY: I’m afraid all I know about that person is posted in the article, but I’ve forwarded your note to those who may know more and hope you will get a response.

WHAT IS A PORTSMOUTH CLOCK?
My Mother lives in West Palm Beach and recently attended an Antiques auction. She indicated that they were auctioning off a Portsmouth Clock. When questioned, the auctioneer stated it was made in Portsmouth NH and referred to as the "Portsmouth Clock". Have you heard of this? If so what information can I obtain. I may be interested in buying it if it is legit.
Steve Arnold

AN EXPERT REPLIES: I don't think this is a reference to Portsmouth, NH. There were only three clockmakers who worked in our Portsmouth and none of them were good enough to develop a type that would be identifiable by name. This may also be a reference to a town clock, which is also something our Portsmouth never had. –TH

TROPHY FROM THE ISLES OF SHOALS?
I am a fan of your books and thought you might help me with your thoughts on the connection of this coin silver vase to Appledore. Was it a trophy from a yachting race? Or owned by a CKK?
Anne Ragonese Sloan, Stratham

EDITOR’S REPLY: Interesting item, although I don't see any indication at first glance that connects this with our Appledore. And I'm not aware of award giving at the hotel at the Shoals, though have seen a plated silver tea set given in 1874 to the owners of the Wentworth Hotel. Ann Beattie at ISHRA would know better.

If I had money to bid, I'd do some heavy research on this item by first checking the letters of Celia, etc. to see what shows up in 1861 re: ship races in that region. Find it hard to imagine a yacht race the same year as the beginning of the

Civil War. Next step is to scan the newspapers from the region from the summer of 1861, which is be possible since you can assume, if the item is from our Appledore, the event would be during the summer months, most likely. Initials don't ring a bell either. There is also the schooner Appledore owned by a aportsmouth couple that we were aboard in Camden, Maine recently. Of course that is a 20^th century boat, but must have been many by that name. The updshot is, I don’t have a clue, but hope you learn more. (PS, we see that the item sold for $271 on eBay in November 2009.)