A New Hampshire Fourth of July — 200 Years Ago

Posted on 4 July, 2008 by Janice Brown

Portsmouth, Tuesday, July 5, 1808–THE FOURTH OF JULY

This Glorious anniversary of American independence was celebrated by the Republicans in Portsmouth with all those joyful emotions which the love of liberty alone can inspire. The day was ushered in by the animating sound of bells, and the peal of cannon. A numerous band of brothers assembled at Jefferson-hall, and thence proceeded to Doctor Buckminster's meeting-house, where after a solemn religious exercise apposite to the occasion, by the reverend Pastor

–The Hon. Charles Cutts, Esq. read the declaration of American Independence, and made some pertinent and forcible reflections on the situation of the country. –George Washington Prescott, Esq. then, in an impressive manner, pronounced an oration replete with patriotic sentiments and good sense, and well calculated to awaken the energies, and to call forth the exertions of Republican in defence of those rights for which our fathers freely shed their blood. The Orator portrayed in glowing colours the excellency of those institutions which were intended to secure to us innumerable blessings; He reminded us of the danger of disunion, and of the solemn warning, given us by the father of this country–the great George Washington, equally to guard against the open and insidious designs of foreign foes and domestic incendiaries. He depicted most truly the conduct to those, who under the specious garb of federalism conceal a poison intended to destroy the political life of the nation; and be appealed to the honor of the people, to their magnanimity, to their love of country, and to all the tender feelings of Parents, and brothers, and friends, to preserve our national independence and the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and to perpetuate them to future generations.

Some excellent pieces of music were performed, and about 100 firm Republicans (among whom we noticed with pleasure that tried patriot and friend of his Country, His Excellency John Langdon, Esq.) proceeded to Davenport's large and elegant hall and surrounded the — board, the Hon. Jonathan Warner, Esq. presided as president, and Thomas Manning, Esq., as vice-president.

The scene was interesting!–amid the group were seen, here and there, the aged patriot, whose locks silvered with age, reminded the beholder that they had witnessed those days of peril, when in the cause of Liberty, privations, and extreme sufferings were endured without a murmur. These venerable men forgot for a moment that age was upon them. They remembered the days of youth, the noble struggle in which they engaged, and the glorious prize they obtained. Patriotism beamed on their countenance, and the virtuous enthusiasm pervaded every bosom.–the following TOASTS were given, accompanied by the cheering huzza and the roar of cannon:–

1. The 4th of July 1776.–The day which opened an asylum to persecuted liberty and pointed the way to our national Independence, may its remembrance unite us to a man against all foreign aggression, and animate us in the preservation of our dear bought rights.
2. The People of the United States,–Free, Sovereign, and Independent, may they never basely barter their freedom for paultry baubles, their sovereignty for filthy lucre, their independence for ignoble ease, nor their birth right for a mess of foreign pottage.
3. Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States.–When he quits his political labours, may the blessings of millions follow him in his retirement, and may his successor pursue with determined vigor the measures so happily commenced as the best and most sure means of our political salvation.
4. The Vice President of the United States.–He has been crowned with honors by a grateful country, may he never be covered with disgrace by a disorganizing Junto.
5. The Congress of the United States,–The measures they have adopted to provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity will meet the firm support of every friend to his Country.
6. The heads of Departments,–Their honesty, capacity and fidelity, will appal enemies without and traitors within.
7. The State of Newhampshire,–A bright Star in the Republican constellation, may she never be obscured by the dark clouds of faction.
8. Agriculture and Commerce–May the hardy son of Columbia plough the Ocean and land with equal freedom.
9. Manufactures and Mechanic Arts.–May they be encouraged for National Defence and National prosperity.
10. The Embargo–Peace, Commerce and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none–may we prefer a perpetual embargo to eternal disgrace.
11. The memory of Washington–Woe be unto those who call themselves his disciples, and do not the things which he has commanded them to do.
12. James Madison–the friend of Jefferson, and long tried Patriot–May a grateful people in due time delight to honor him and reward his faithful services with the greatest gift in their power.
13. The Servants of the People–May they inflexibly adhere to the welfare of their Country, untainted by foreign influence or private motives.
14. The Militia of the United States–May they be ever ready to defend the rights of their Country.
15. The Army and Navy of the United States,–May the flag of Union wave triumphant.
16. The Clergy,–May patriotism warm and illume their minds, may they faithfully adhere to theological functions, and not interfere with secular affairs.
17. The Daughters of Columbia–They need not aid of foreign ornaments, but are in native garments clad, adorned the most.

Source:
Headline: Portsmouth. Tuesday, July 5, 1808. the Fourth of July
Newspaper: New-Hampshire Gazette, published as The New Hampshire Gazette
Date: 07-05-1808; Volume: 8; Issue: 31; Page: 3;
Location: Portsmouth, New Hampshire  

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You say Catsup, I say Ketchup

Posted on 2 July, 2008 by Janice Brown

Although today we think of a red tomato-based concoction, catsup in colonial days was quite different. Wild and dried meat and other dishes were flavored with a catsup made from fruit, mushrooms, and walnuts. Relish and mustard were additional home-made condiments.  Tomatoes didn’t appear in catsup until the 1830s.

I grew up saying and writing “ketchup” rather than “catsup.” Apparently this spelling of the term goes back to 1711, and the former has always been more prevalent in North America (as opposed to the U.K.)

A June 14, 1800 edition of the “United States Oracle,” published in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, noted among a number of foodstuffs, that Catsup” was available for sale.  Earlier editions of New Hampshire newspapers, i.e. March 1, 1796 edition of the New Hampshire Journal (Walpole, New Hampshire), and the March 8, 1796 issues of The Rising Sun (Keene, New Hampshire) deems the same product to be “ketchup.”

.WORKSHOP AT REMICK MUSEUM.

The Remick Museum in Tamworth, New Hampshire is offering a “Ketchup, Mustard, & Mayo Workshop” on July 5, 2008 from 10 Am to 12 Noon.  Learn how to prepare two types of ketchup that were commonplace in pre-19th century America–cranberry and cucumber.  Take a trip back in time and leave behind the tomato ketchup.  Learn to make mustard and mayonnaise as well.

The workshop fee is $20.00 and pre-pregistration is required. Materials are include din the fee. The workshop is designed for adults; young people age 16 and older are welcome with an accompanying adult.

The Museum can now take workshop registration over the phone using a credit card. To register, call (603) 323-7591 or (800) 686-6117.

The Remick Museum has many additional events planned, from Traditional Cooking Workshops for Children (August 23), to Hearthside Dinners where guests help to prepare meals using historic recipes and ingredients (July 19, August 16, October 4, November 22, December 13, and December 20). Visit their web site for more information.

Remick Museum is located at 58 Cleveland Road, Tamworth, NH.

Janice

“There shall thy favorite herbs and plants be found,
The cat-mint there shall shed its sweets around;
The savoury mushroom from the sod shall start,
And to the breeze its catsup sweets impart.”
–Portsmouth Journal of Literature and Politics, pub. 23 Apr 1825, Portsmouth NH

Catsup Recipe as published in The Farmer’s Cabinet of Amherst, New Hampshire, on 16 September 1852
“To a gallon skinned tomatoes and 4 tablespoons of salt, 4 do. black pepper, half a spoonful allspice, 8 red peppers, and three spoonfuls mustard.  All these ingredients must be found find, and simmered very slowly in sharp vinegar so as to leave half a gallon of liquor when the process is over.  Strain thro’ a wire sieve, and bottle, and seal from the air. This may be used in two weeks, but improves by age, and will keep several years.”

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Photograph: Tomatoes

Posted on 30 June, 2008 by Janice Brown

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New Hampshire Glossary: Food Preservation

Posted on 30 June, 2008 by Janice Brown

Today when we think of food preservation, we envision the act of enveloping a half-eaten burrito in plastic wrap and tossing it into the refrigerator.  There are fewer people every day who can remember life without an electrically powered food cooling device,  yet the refrigerator is still relatively new technology.

Prior to the use of mechanical coolers, the methods of food preservation included salting, smoking, curing, pickling, corning, preserving/sugaring (fruit), drying, bulk storage in a root cellar, sulfuring, and cold storage.

Salting: The earliest European settlers used salt to cure fish as a preserving agent. Corning is a technique of dry-curing meat with coarse “corns” of salt that were rubbed into the beef. Modern day corning is achieved by brining, or using salt water along with peppercorns and bay leaf as spices.

Smoking: in colonial days the smoking of meat was usually performed during cold months, with December being particularly popular for pig butchering and smoking. A small enclosed shelter where a fire could smolder for weeks was built as an out-building. The meat was hung high enough to be safe from rodents. Usually the meat was packed in a tub of coarse salt for six weeks before being smoked. This building was sometimes called a “meat house.” Smoking was a technique known and used by the Native Peoples.

Pickling: salt, water, spices and homemade vinegar were combined with vegetables (and other items such as flowers) and placed in crocks to preserve the summer crops. A colonial housewife knew that her mixture was strong enough when a fresh egg floated in it. Sometimes the vegetables were cooked prior to preservation. A seal was placed over the top of the jar or crock (a wet piece of leather, and sometimes a wet pig's bladder was used, when the item dried out, it shrunk making a tight seal).

Sugaring: this was the frequent method for preserving fresh fruit, if you had the sugar. Fruit boiled in a sugar syrup then dried were called confections. Sweetmeats were fruit preserved by cooking in a sugar syrup then stored covered in a transparent sugar syrup. The pulp was made into marmalades, while the juice of the fruit was made into jellies.

Drying: Both the Native peoples and the early European colonists used drying as a method to preserve food, however the colonists preferred salting. Peas, pumpkins, apples, beans and blueberries were often dried. The Native Peoples pounded meat to small pieces and mixed it with melted fat, bone marrow and wild berries to make “pemmican.”

root cellar: thick-walled rooms were built beneath the ground. Root vegetables, tubers and hardy vegetables could be kept cool here. The preservation here was temporary as it was subject to rot, rats and other animals.

sulfuring: slices of fruit, such as apples, apricots, peaches and pears are exposed to sulfur smoke to kill bacteria.

cold storage: besides using a root cellar, another early form of keeping food cold was to place it in a spring-house.  This was a shed or outbuilding built over a flowing spring. Butter, cream and milk was placed in the running water to stay cool. Eventually the wealthy settlers built ice-houses that were stocked with winter ice and surrounded by hay and sawdust to slow the melting process.

Janice

**Also See**

–IN A PICKLE! TYPES OF FOOD PRESERVATION IN THE 19 CENTURY Virginia (PDF)–

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New Hampshire Architecture: Italianate Style

Posted on 28 June, 2008 by Janice Brown

The Italianate style house was built from the mid to late 1800s, and was inspired by the villas of Italy.


These two and sometimes three storied houses made use of single or paired decorative brackets under wide comices. The roof was typically flat or hip. New Hampshire has several fine examples of this style including:

–Historical Society of Chester County–

–Benjamin F. Webster House, Broad Street, Portsmouth NH (1880 Italianate)-
Benjamin Webster began as a carpenter’s apprentice and became rich through real estate and construction. Note the steeply pitched roof that is not typical of Italianate architecture. No doubt the roof was pitched to avoid collapse during years of heavy snowfall.

–Post Office Block, Manchester NH–

–Plumercrest Bed and Breakfast, Epping NH–

–Lewis Downing Jr. Home at 13 Pleasant Street, Concord NH-

Janice

P.S. The photograph pictured above is of the Benjamin F. Webster House in Portsmouth New Hampshire– its copyright belongs to David Taylor. He gives permission to use it for one-time private or educational use. Consider yourself educated 🙂

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