New Hampshire WWI Military: Heroes of Portsmouth

Posted on 29 December, 2017 by Janice Brown

Christening of Submarine 01 at Portsmouth NH
Navy Yard. She was launched 9 July 1918.
Photograph from Life Buoy magazine.

The Portsmouth Navy Yard was an important center of ship building during World War I, with the principal focus being the construction of submarines and small boats and repairing of warships.  The book, New Hampshire : a guide to the Granite state written by Workers … Federal Writers’ Project, states: ” When the World War broke out, the Navy Department became interested in submarine construction, formerly monopolized by two private companies, and elected to construct the first one in Portsmouth.” Continue reading →

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A Genealogist’s Christmas Tale

Posted on 25 December, 2017 by Janice Brown

The blog editor’s son
aged 4 years with “Santa.”

I recently binge-watched the entire television  series “Lie to Me.” It is a crime-drama series about a brilliant though blunt man who is a deception expert. He looks into peoples faces and notices the almost invisible twitches, tics and involuntary body language that shows him when or if people lie.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a similar “truth test” for genealogy? But first a question–is there a need for one? Genealogists always tell the truth. At least I do. Well, I mostly do. I confess that I may, from time to time, not reveal certain things I discover. Is that the same as lying? Continue reading →

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Blog Caroling: WWI–The Song That Stopped The Fighting

Posted on 20 December, 2017 by Janice Brown

This blog article was written to celebrate fM’s Annual Tradition of Blog Caroling. I’ve been participating for several years now, and appreciate that she continues it, as she says with  toddy in hand, clad in flannel jammies and  with furry slippers on.

Thankfully she has spritely fingers too that would be the envy of any elf.  If you would like to join in, there still is time to. Continue reading →

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New Hampshire WWI Military: Heroes of Alton

Posted on 15 December, 2017 by Janice Brown

Photograph circa 1906-1930.
Alton New Hampshire train station; Eastern
Illustrating & Publishing Co., W.P. Emerson,
W.C. Hunton. Property of NH Historical
Society.  Used with permission.
Soldiers during WWI would have departed
for training camps from this location.

The picturesque town of Alton, New Hampshire has always had a small population. Even today it contains around 5,320 residents, though that number expands a bit in the summer tourist season. In 1910 the census was a mere 1,348.  By 1920 when the war had ended, this number had dropped by 9.4% to 1,221 people.

Alton sent its full complement to war. Thanks to historian Herbert E. Morrell, the town’s WWI records were carefully recorded in the annual town report.  His careful declaration includes totals from various branches of the service. Of the 45 men listed as entering service from Alton NH: 1 was killed in action, 1 died in camp in France (of disease), 1 died in camp in the United States (also of disease), and 2 were wounded in action. The majority entered service in the U.S. Army, followed by 13 in the Navy, 2 in naval aviation, 2 in Aviation, 3 in S.A.T.C., 1 in the Medical Corps and 1 in the Canadian army. Seven were sent overseas to fight in France, and one was sent to Scotland. Continue reading →

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New Hampshire Cow Stories: A Backward Cow Ride

Posted on 11 December, 2017 by Janice Brown

Consider this story a little “cow blip” on your screen. From time to time I include a brief cow-related story, so that I don’t disappoint those who visit this blog thinking it is about bovine creatures.  This is the last one for this year.

The Tuesday, August 21, 1866 edition of the Weekly Union (Manchester, New Hampshire) newspaper on page 2 offered this cow story, entitled, “A Backward Cow Ride.”  The story begins: “During the revolutionary war, when a corps of the American army was encamped near the borough of Elizabethtown, N.J., an officer, who, by the way, was more of a devotee of Venus than of Mars, paid his addresses to a lady of distinction, whom he was in the habit of visiting nightly, in the cultivation of the kindly feelings which love so cordially inspires. On a discovery of the repeated absence of the officer, and of the place where interviews with his dulcinea were had, some waggish friends resolved to play off a handsome trick at his expense which should deter him from a repetition of his amorous visits.” Continue reading →

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