2018 National Women’s History Month: NH WOMEN & WORLD WAR I

Posted on 1 March, 2018 by Janice Brown

The month of March has been celebrated as National Women’s History Month since 1980 when it became the flagship of the National Women’s History Project. I’ve been writing here about New Hampshire women’s history since its creation in 2006 (12 years).

Despite our accomplishments, women are still often left out of the history books.  It is time for us to be included. If each of us writes and publishes at least one story about a woman, then we help to bring our history out of the darkness and into the light. Continue reading →

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New Hampshire WWI Military: Heroes of Atkinson

Posted on 26 February, 2018 by Janice Brown

Photograph of Atkinson NH’s
WWI monument. Courtesy of
Richard Marsh. Used with permission.

Atkinson New Hampshire is a typical small town. Before World War I, (in 1910) its entire population consisted of 440 people. By 1920, when the war had been over only a few years, that number had dropped to 413. It would drop even further to 407 in 1930 before it would start to grow again.

After the “World War” ended, the town of Atkinson NH looked for a way to honor military service.  They decided on a monument–a engraved plate on a post of marble.  This was placed on a strip of land beside the building that now houses Atkinson Academy on Academy Street, opposite Dow Common.

Continue reading →

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New Hampshire WWI Military: Railroad Regiment Daredevils

Posted on 19 February, 2018 by Janice Brown

Mess line of the 14th Engineers at Camp Rockingham, Salem NH in 1917. From “History of the Fourteenth Engineers, U.S. Army,” 1923.

The Light Railway Engineers of World War I are little known regiments composed of men initially recruited from among railroad workers.  Most of the men of the  Fourteenth Engineers (Rwy), my primary focus, came from the Boston MA area including New Hampshire. When war was declared in April of 1917, the United States War Department requested nine regiments to be formed to work specifically with railroads–three for operating, five for construction, and one for repair. These recruiting efforts resulted in the Eleventh Regiment from New York, NY; Twelfth Regiment from St. Louis, MO; Thirteenth Regiment from Chicago, IL; Fourteenth Regiment from Boston, MA; Fifteenth Regiment from Pittsburgh PA; Sixteenth Regiment from Detroit, Michigan; Seventeenth Regiment from Atlanta GA; Eighteenth Regiment from San Francisco, CA; and the Nineteenth Regiment from Philadelphia PA. Continue reading →

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100 Years Ago: A WWI Valentine’s Day

Posted on 12 February, 2018 by Janice Brown

Old postcard of Moonlight Bridge, Newmarket NH and a horse-drawn carriage

The newspapers of February 1918 were an interesting mix of both normal and war-time notices. The cold weather of January had continued for an entire month. “February so far has proved to be as cold as it was January weather. Saturday it was 10 below zero, Sunday and Monday were still colder, and Tuesday morning it was from 20 to 25 below zero, with a stiff wind blowing, which made it seem still colder. What a winter!” Continue reading →

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The New Hampshire WWI Service Medal

Posted on 5 February, 2018 by Janice Brown

New Hampshire’s WWI
war medal, minted by
William B. Durgin Co.

World War I (called simply ‘The World War’ at the time) officially ended on Armistice Day, 11 November 1918. In the ensuing months military that had been deployed in war time would return home to the United States. Draft boards were disbanded, and the focus shifted on how best to celebrate the returning veterans. In New Hampshire each city and town had their own welcome home plans, but at the state level it was decided to provide a certificate and a service medal to all those who had honorably served. Continue reading →

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