New Hampshire Customs and Games for Halloween in 1916

Posted on 28 October, 2013 by Janice Brown

PLANS FOR HALLOWEEN
from Portsmouth Herald, (Portsmouth NH) October 30, 1916

Halloween, the celebration of which has been handed down to us by the Druids of ancient times, is the one night of all nights in the year when ghosts and witches are supposed to wander abroad.

Victorian pumpkin cardThis feast day was first celebrated by the lighting of bonfires but later combined with the Roman festival in honor of Pomona the goddess of orchards and fruits held about November 1, in which nuts and apples representing the Winter store of fruits played an important part. Thus our custom of roasting nuts and the sport known as “apple ducking.”

Today we still cling to the celebration of Halloween using the wtich and the ghost; symbols given to us by this ancient people. No celebration is complete without them.

The house should be decorated with jack o’lanterns, made from apples, squash, pasteboard boxes or pumpkins. To make these lanterns, cut holes for nose, eyes and mouth and cover with transparent paper. Continue reading →

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White Star Line Steamships: The Changing Face of Early 20th Century Immigration

Posted on 25 October, 2013 by Janice Brown

When someone speaks about immigration, like many others I picture the crowded steerage of the Titanic movie. Indeed many of the ships that carried 19th century third-class immigrants were crowded, dirty and disease-ridden–the horrors we think about were real. RMS Baltic postcard at Cow HampshireBut after the depression of the 1890’s, immigration was at a low point compared with previous years. Some of the decrease in immigration can also be contributed to stricter immigration laws including banning “mental defectives,” paupers, convicts and prostitutes (law in 1875), polygamists, and diseased or sick immigrants. Continue reading →

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New Hampshire’s Witches’ Night of 1879

Posted on 22 October, 2013 by Janice Brown

WITCHES NIGHT

From the earliest times men have been trying to look ahead. The ancient Egyptians had oracles where their gods were supposed to answer the questions of men by dreams and other ways; the ancient Greeks also had famous oracles, which people came from far off lands to consult; the Romans killed certain fowls or animals, and guessed at the future by Victorian Halloween Postcard 5the looks of their internal organs; the Hebrews and the Babylonians had their own peculiar ways of finding out what was to happen. The world has not yet outgrown the longing to look ahead. The Hindoo to-day sets a lamp afloat on the sacred river, and judges of the future by the length of time it burns; the Chinaman consults his “wise men,” who pretend to understand signs; the ignorant African takes notice of the cries of birds and animals; the English–not long ago–tried to learn by help of what they call “witches,” and Spiritualists even now, believe the predictions of a “medium.” Continue reading →

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Penacook New Hampshire’s First Female Legislator, Physician, Educator and Civic Leader: Mary Louise (Rolfe) Farnum (1870-1965)

Posted on 18 October, 2013 by Janice Brown

Nineteen hundred and twenty was a landmark year for the women of New Hampshire.  The 19th Amendment, which granted women’s suffrage (the right to vote) nationwide in 1920, was ratified. New Hampshire ratified the amendment on September 10, 1919, but national ratification was not Dr. Mary L. (Rolfe) Farnumcompleted until August 18, 1920.

By that time, it was too late for them to file for that year’s New Hampshire elections. That did not stop two women–Dr. Mary Louise (Rolfe) Farnum, and Jessie Doe. Within a few weeks of the passage of the 19th amendment, these two women had commenced write-in campaigns in the primary election, and went on to win New Hampshire House seats. Questions arose whether they had the right to hold office, and though their right was supported by the majority with a referendum, it did not receive a two-thirds requirement (but that point was apparently ignored). Continue reading →

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Old Haunted Houses Reported in New Hampshire Newspapers

Posted on 12 October, 2013 by Janice Brown
Old postcard, marked as Haunted House in Hollis, Wishing Well. From Cow Hampshire Blog

Old postcard, marked as Haunted House in Hollis, Wishing Well. From Cow Hampshire Blog

DANGER OF HAUNTED HOUSES (1792). —  A girl who was a servant in a house reputed to be haunted, was suspected, and at length fairly convicted, of pregnancy; she fell on her knees before her mistress, craving forgiveness, alleging indeed that she ought not to be blamed for it was entirely the Ghosteses fault. “The Ghosteses fault!” exclaimed the mistress, “how could that possibly happen?” “Why indeed madam!” replied the simple girl, “the Ghost one dark night made a huge noise, and almost terrified me out of my seven senses. I told John how it saved me, and he persuaded me how spirits never appeared, when two people slept together. So as I liked his company better than the Ghosteses, and was mortally afraid of Ghosteses, I went along with him, and so, indeed and indeed Madam I should never have lost my virtue, if it had not been for fear of the Ghosteses.” [from Thursday, May 31, 1792; New-Hampshire Gazette (Portsmouth NH) Vol XXXV, Issue 1846, page 1] Continue reading →

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