Since 1976 every U.S. President has declared February to be Black History Month. Also called National African American History Month, it is considered an annual celebration of achievements by black Americans. This month is also the time for recognizing the central role of African Americans in U.S. history.
Earl Montgomery from 1920 The Granite (UNH yearbook)
Earl Roger aka E. Roger Montgomery was born 21 April 1894 in Hopkinton NH, son of Jerome & Eliza J. “Liza” (Dunbar) Montgomery. He had one sibling, William L. Montgomery. Earl Roger Montgomery grew up in the Contoocook section of Hopkinton and graduated from Hopkinton High School in 1910.
He was known as “Monty” when he attended New Hampshire College (now the University of New Hampshire). Earl was in the Class of 1914 receiving a degree in Arts & Science. According to his obituary, later he later took a special course in banking and commerce at the University of Pennsylvania. Continue reading
Francois Joseph Alfred “Fred” Frechette was born in May 1883 and also baptized at Saint-Nicolas, a borough of the city of Levis in Quebec Province, Canada. Even today this district is small, with only 18,437 people.
His parents were Olivier Jean-Baptiste Frechette & Marie Caroline Filteau. Siblings included Olivier E., Marie, William, Georgiana, Joseph, Odina, Celanire [who m. Jacob Couture], Fabiola B., Emma [who m1) Goupill; m2) William Baker], and Theodore. Fred was the next to the youngest child. Continue reading
Emile St. Hilaire was born 1 June 1889 at Saint-Romuald, Levis, PQ Canada, the son of Procul & Arthemise (Nolin) St. Hilaire. His siblings included: Lea, Yvonne, and Marie Anna (who later married Ernest J. Perron).
Emile would have grown up and attended school in a village school in Levis Canada. His family moved to Berlin, New Hampshire after 1901 when they are shown in the Canadian Census in Levi, Quebec Canada, and before 1910 when the the family is established in Berlin, Coos County, New Hampshire. Continue reading
Sketch: Elephant Rock, from History of Newport, by Edmund Wheeler, 1879, page 10
Elephant Rock in Newport, Sullivan County, New Hampshire is described as a large boulder 35 feet high which is almost a perfect image of a kneeling elephant. It is located on Pike Hill. It is still a popular curiosity of the town, and highlighted on the Parks & Recreation Department section of the town web site. (Editor’s note: This rock should not be confused with Elephant Head in the White Mountains, for that is another story).
The native people’s of New Hampshire may have been aware of this boulder, but would not have given it such as name. They would have never seen an elephant. The early settlers of the town may have, or even more likely may have seen a drawing in a book. In 1820 an elephant was killed falling from a bridge in Westmoreland New Hampshire, not too far away from Newport, in case you are thinking elephants never were in the area. It was not a native of the state!
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