New Hampshire Civic Leader, Woman’s Club Promoter, Suffragist: Nellie Fostina (Tupper) Woodward of Nashua

Posted on 25 February, 2020 by Janice Brown

Photograph of Mrs. Nellie F. Woodward from Granite State Monthly, Vol 43-44, 1911. Colorized by the blog editor.

Nellie Fostina Tupper was born on 20 October 1854 in Nashua NH, daughter of Freeman Eastman & Susan E. (Howe) Tupper.  She was educated in the local Nashua schools.  During the 1870s-80s there were several private high schools in addition to lower level grammar schools in that city.  Her father, Freeman was a trader and goods seller.

On her paternal side, she is descended from Thomas Tupper of Sandwich England who was an early settler of Sandwich MA and of the Ladds of Haverhill.  On her maternal side, she was a descendant of John Spofford and Elizabeth Scott, first settlers of Georgetown MA, and of the Howes of Peterborough NH.  Nellie was also a close cousin to  Earl Silas Tupper (who I wrote about previously), the inventor of “tupperware.” Continue reading →

Posted in Genealogy, History, New Hampshire Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

New Hampshire Glossary: Drug Mill

Posted on 19 February, 2020 by Janice Brown

Sketch of Coffee-Spice-Drug Mills, hand cranking from Enterprise Manufacturing Co. catalog 1901. Internet Archive.

The term ‘drug mill’ had a very different meaning in the early years of America’s existence than it does now. A drug mill was a term used to describe both/either the actual “mill” used to process medicine OR the building in which it was processed.

It was a perfectly legal shop or manufactory where large quantities of medicinal herbs (roots, leaves, seeds, flowers, etc) were collected, and dried.  Then it was ground, macerated or crushed, and processed into its final liquid or solid form. The final product was then packaged and labeled for sale to apothecary resellers and physicians. The drug mill would also create preparations for a multitude of problems. Prepared compounds were the forerunners of the soon to be called ‘patent medicines.’  Continue reading →

Posted in History, New Hampshire Glossary | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

New Hampshire Tidbits: A Valentine Party, A Poem, and Family History

Posted on 12 February, 2020 by Janice Brown

My research projects often take me on a journey down one or more rabbit holes. What I mean by this (and any seasoned family historian would agree) that we may start off focusing on one person or event, when suddenly due to some interesting news or discovery, we find ourselves investigating something or someone entirely different.

This story began with my looking at Valentine Day events in New Hampshire which led me to a pre-suffrage (1915) women’s party which in turn led me to some fascinating women–one of which was a noted poet, and another a well-known author. Continue reading →

Posted in Genealogy, History, New Hampshire Women, NH Tidbits | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Jacob Foster 2d and The Foster Beef Co. of Manchester

Posted on 7 February, 2020 by Janice Brown

Early photo of Foster Beef Co. of Manchester NH. From Manchester Yesterday and today by New England Advertising Associates 1946

My father, Berwin “Webby” Webster worked as the night maintenance man for Foster Beef Co. of Manchester New Hampshire from 1953 to its closure in 1976. He was a mechanic and with an expertise in motor maintenance he repaired elevators, chillers and the company vehicles when they broke down. My uncle, Frank Manning, worked there too as a meat cutter.

It might not have seemed a glorious occupation to some, but it did insure that our growing family had plenty of meat, which my father bought at a great discount as an employee. We were never wanting for hamburgers, hotdogs and pot roasts. Continue reading →

Posted in Genealogy, History, Military of New Hampshire | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

New Hampshire Missing Places: Temple’s Ferry in Merrimack

Posted on 25 January, 2020 by Janice Brown

Aerial view of the Merrimack River in Merrimack New Hampshire in the 1930s. Taken by B.H. Webster. Copyright J.W. Brown.

Merrimack, Hillsborough County,  New Hampshire’s early history is complicated.  The area was first the residence of the Abenaki Native Peoples.  Later when Europeans arrived, it was part of the Massachusetts Bay colony, and for several years the town spanned an area on both sides of the Merrimack River. Later the area became part of New Hampshire, and the state and town boundaries changed yet again.

Brenton’s Farm (1655), Dunstable (1673), Naticook (1734-1746), Merrymack (1746), and Merrimack are all names connected with this town. As there has never been a bridge spanning the Merrimack River within the current town boundaries (and there still is not) during the area’s early  history travel necessitated the use of ferry boats to transport people, animals and supplies in all seasons. Continue reading →

Posted in History, N.H. Missing Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment