Circa 1918 photograph postcard of Village Augustina in Goffstown NH.
In 1907 or 1908 the Religious of Jesus and Mary purchased part of the farm formerly owned by David Little, and a few years later purchased the Charles A. Upham place, and even later two hundred acres of land adjoining. The History of Goffstown shows these properties as being in the Southside Village Portion of School District [Map shown here]. Continue reading
Sarah Chase “Sallie” (Tibbetts) Salter, sea captains wife of Portsmouth NH
Her lovely, wrinkled face looks out at you from an ancient photograph, taken about the time of the Civil War. Sallie Tibbetts was born the daughter of a sea captain, and she married a sea captain. In addition to the usual habits of every day life, her interests probably revolved around the weather, waiting for her father or husband to return, and perhaps even preparing to sail with them on their ocean voyages. Her husband, John Salter, was the son of Captain John Salter – Mariner, a privateer during the American Revolution. She lived and died in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a bustling port in New Hampshire’s early history. Continue reading
The wind whistled mournfully around the hotel as the story was being told, and the
Monument to Lizzie Bourne on Mt. Washington, pre-1900
hearers involuntarily clustered nearer one another and waited the next gloomy reminiscence. It came from an elderly gentleman who wouldn’t vouch for its truthfulness, but who was ready to swear that the friend who told it to him was an eye-witness and could be relied upon always. Continue reading
Illustration of an American Coot, from “Food Habits of the American Coot…” by John C. Jones, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1940
The Daily Herald newspaper of Provo Utah printed an interesting blurb on 19 February 1954:
NO GOOT!
BOSCAWEN, N.H. (UP) — James Lee, chief state research biologist, asked to identify a bird shot by a hunter, replied: “It’s a coot, a distinct species It’s tame and, when cooked, tasted like an old rubber boot.”
Not being a bird-watcher, I became curious about exactly what a coot was. I’d heard my grandfather use the term in a different way, i.e.,”Oh, he is just an old coot, don’t pay attention to him!” Continue reading
1940-1950 photograph of the Manchester City Library, photo by Pete Caikauskas Sr.
Celebrations are in order for Manchester New Hampshire’s Public Library. The current building, originally called the Carpenter Memorial Library, is 100 years old on November 18, 2014 (using the dedication day of November 18, 1914 when 5,000 people assembled for its opening). However, the library history of Manchester goes much further back, when the area was part of the small village of Derryfield. Although the current library edifice is wonderful even today, an important part of its history would have to include people and events that appear earlier on Manchester’s timeline.
If we count back to the earliest library in old Manchester in 1795, we should now be celebrating 219 years; and if to the opening of the Manchester Athenaeum in 1844, then 170 years. Both of these early libraries were private, owned by groups of Manchester area people who pooled money and resources with subscription rights to use them. In addition to the libraries highlighted in this article, there were several other ‘reading rooms,’ in the city, hosted by a variety of groups and mostly closed except to members.
If we count back to the year that Manchester’s library first became public, then September 6, 1854 should be celebrated with an anniversary of 160 years. The Library is now already mid-way through its year of celebration, with a Library Foundation Gala on September 23rd, and an Open House on October 18th from 5-7 PM. The Manchester Historic Association has a holiday ornament depicting the library planned for sale.
