Author Archives: Janice Brown

“Christmas Picture,” by New Hampshire Poet: Lydia (Swasey) Obear

Posted on 25 December, 2014 by Janice Brown

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:Christmas Picture・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆ When the light through the eastern sky shall break, On Christmas morning, the children will wake, And with whispered giggle each curly head, And pink, chubby foot, will steal out of bed On barefooted tiptoes to creep round … Continue reading →

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New Hampshire’s Old Time Christmas Traditions and Decorations

Posted on 21 December, 2014 by Janice Brown

In New Hampshire’s early days, Christmas was celebrated in a much quieter and sedate manner.  The early New England immigrants were stern opponents of what we consider today to be our usual Christmas pastimes. Even up until the 1870s Christmas … Continue reading →

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Popular Superstitions of the Winter Season: 1840

Posted on 17 December, 2014 by Janice Brown

POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS OF THE WINTER SEASON From: Saturday, December 26, 1840; Portsmouth Journal of Literature and Politics (Portsmouth NH) page 2 Associated with Christmas and the New Year are many of the popular superstitious rites and ceremonies of former times, … Continue reading →

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Ho, The Klondike: Portsmouth New Hampshire’s Failed Quest for Gold in 1898

Posted on 13 December, 2014 by Janice Brown

Between the years 1896 and 1899 an estimated 100,000 prospectors headed to Alaska following a gold discovery there. Some Portsmouth New Hampshire men were part of that stampede of prospectors hoping to return home wealthy. Only an estimated 4,000 of … Continue reading →

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Manchester New Hampshire’s Rock Rimmon–The Landmark, Park and Dupont Pool

Posted on 9 December, 2014 by Janice Brown

..How “The Rock” was named.. Lets go back in time about 165 years. It is obvious from the existence of the following two items, that at least as early as 1847 the great stone ledge of West Manchester was called … Continue reading →

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