The Origin of the New Hampshire Historical Society

Posted on 20 November, 2014 by Janice Brown

Engraving. Portrait of John Farmer (1789-1838). Engraved by T. Moore. script “Cor. Sec’ry N. H. Historical Society”. Below that “From a miniature. painted in 1824.” New Hampshire Historical Society Collection.

Today the New Hampshire Historical Society has a strong presence in the state, and maintains several buildings to house the collections and the library of the society in Concord, New Hampshire.  Even the collectors of history have a history of their own–and that is what I hope to address in this story.

Previous to the formation of the New Hampshire Historical Society in 1823, historical societies had already been instituted in Massachusetts, New York, Maine and Rhode Island.  As early as 1813, John Farmer, Esq., then of Amherst NH, was probably the earliest promoter of a similar society in this state [NH].  At that time he was a contributor to the publications of the Massachusetts Historical Society and in 1820 published in pamphlet form, “An Historical Sketch of Amherst, N.H.” Continue reading →

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Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Red Sox Baseball Player: Manchester NH’s Bernard “Bernie” Friberg (1899-1958)

Posted on 16 November, 2014 by Janice Brown
Baseball player Friberg, playing for the Cubs in 1924, shown standing on the field at Weeghman Field. SDN-064871, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago History Museum via American Memory.

Baseball player Friberg, playing for the Cubs in 1924, shown standing on the field at Weeghman Park. SDN-064871, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago History Museum via American Memory.

Most knew him as “Bernie” Friberg–his birth name was Gustaf Bernhard Friberg.  He was born in 1899 in Manchester, New Hampshire the son of Gustaf Albert & Jenny (Roslin) Friberg, Swedish immigrants.

He was both an infielder and outfielder, signed by the Chicago Cubs in 1918 and later played with the Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies (1924-1932) and Red Sox (1933). This was followed by the Pacific Coast League in Hollywood, California. Continue reading →

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New Hamphire Tidbits: Miscellany of the Apple

Posted on 14 November, 2014 by Janice Brown
Union Club, Park Street, Boston MA. Photograph by James Wallace Black, 17 June 1875; Boston Public Library, Print Department; Flickr

Union Club, Park Street, Boston MA. Photograph by James Wallace Black, 17 June 1875; Boston Public Library, Print Department; Flickr

NEW ENGLAND PIE
Pie is the masterpiece of New England home cookery. In Maine they still make those deep apple pies–clove flavored, generous, ample pies that one can make a flavorous meal of. But pie reaches its apotheosis at the Union club in this city. There an exquisite compound of pastry and the noblest of fruits is brought to tempt the sated appetites of the golden bucks and epicurean judges. The Union club apple pie is the pie idealized, the justifications of Mme. Eve’s plucking of the immortal fruit. If she tempted Adam with this prince of pies, no wonder he was willing to give up Eden for life on an Asiatic ranche. All Boston eateth of the pie. The broker and banker climb the cafe stool and bolt their pie and coffee. The shop girl carries in her lunch box from her frowsy boarding house a triangle of pie. The newsboy hath his pie in his mind as he trudges through the storm. Our supreme court judges eat pie with a gusto. I sat beside a supreme judge a few weeks ago at the Massasoit House in Springfield. If my memory does not fail, the learned lawyer and ex-attorney general of the United States ate both mince and peach pie. The Indian in our Massachusetts coat of arms holds a pie knife in his hands and our State motto, properly translated reads: “We will have a piece of pie if we have to fight for it.” [Chicago Tribune, as published in New Hampshire Sentinel (Keene NH), March 11, 1885, Vol LXXXVII Issue 10 Page 4
 Continue reading →

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New Hampshire Veterans Day and Its Heroes

Posted on 11 November, 2014 by Janice Brown
Portsmouth Herald front page November 11, 1918

Portsmouth Herald front page November 11, 1918

On November 11 of each year the citizens of New Hampshire, and all of the United States celebrate “Veterans Day.” Originally this day was called Armistice Day, as November 11, 1918 was generally regarded as the end of World War I, “the war to end all wars.” A year later in 1919, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation making November 11th as the first commemoration of Armistic Day saying “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the herosim of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and becames of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the council of nations…” Continue reading →

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Manchester New Hampshire Actress: Mary E. Fogarty (1921-2011)

Posted on 8 November, 2014 by Janice Brown
Actress Mary Fogarty.

Actress Mary Fogarty.

Mary E. Fogarty was the daughter of Daniel E. & Eileen (Coughlin) Fogarty. She was born 20 Aug 1921 in Manchester NH, and died 27 Feb 2011 age 90, at her home in New York City. She probably grew up in the house at 282 Prospect Street, where her family was living in 1930. She attended Manchester schools, and graduated with a B.S. degree from Mt. St. Mary College in Hooksett NH.

By 1952 she was already living in New York City pursuing her acting career, and she lived there for more than 60 years. She performed on Broadway, Off Broadway, and on television and in films. Continue reading →

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