Marek 1800-1899, 1820s, death, poetry, White Mountains

Willey Family Disaster

A COMICS POEM; Extrapolated from Frank Leavitt's original 3-verse poem (1885): SOURCE LINKS: I drew this comic using Frank Leavitt's poem as my starting point. I added some details from other sources (see below) & then made up a couple of my own lines to fill out the story. I have found that the poem actually fits … Continue reading Willey Family Disaster

Marek 1700-1799, death, guest artist, music & dance, Peterborough, religion

An Interview with the Devil (Peterborough) (GUEST POST)

Guest artist Malcolm (of Dublin, NH) dramatizes of an old supernatural fiddler legend from Peterborough...

Marek 1830s, death, guest artist, New Hampton, NH history, Sandwich, SOURCE=Sandwich Historical, Weed Family Letters

A Scene Such as I Never Before Witnessed (New Hampton, NH) (GUEST POST)

1835: GUEST ARTIST "E.J.P." (of Sandwich, NH) details Larkin's adventure in a House of Death ...

Marek 1830s, death, guest artist, New Hampton, NH history, Sandwich, SOURCE=Sandwich Historical, Weed Family Letters

The Most Excruciating Torture (New Hampton, NH)

1835: GUEST ARTIST draws the next episode in the education of Larkin Weed:

Marek 1860s, Civil War, Civil War Diary of Esther Hill Hawks, death, Esther Hill Hawks, Freedmen, Massachusetts, NH history, Reference Links

Hawks 13: From a Military Point of View

1862: Dr. Hawks lays out some of the military realities of her surroundings ...

Marek "Live Free or Die", 2000-2099, death, Plymouth, White Mountains

I Saw You on I-93

Here's my apocalyptic morning meditation on mortality & traffic in the "Live Free or Die" state...

Marek 1860s, Adventures of a Deaf-Mute in the White Mountains, death, Henniker, Reference Links, SOURCE=HHS, White Mountains, William B. Swett

Swett 1: Adventures of a Deaf-Mute in the White Mountains

1865: Deaf-mute Henniker native William B. Swett begins his journey to the White Mountains...

Marek 1600-1699, colonial, cows, death, guest artist, Hampton, seacoast, witches

Goody Cole, Witch of Hampton (Guest Post)

Here's one from the COMICS WORKSHOP archives -- an old mini-comic by Emma (grade 4) starring the only NH woman ever to be convicted of witchcraft: Notice how Emma works in her own brand of humor to dramatize the basic facts of Cole's life. Read an outline of this NH history unit HERE. MORE: Witches! … Continue reading Goody Cole, Witch of Hampton (Guest Post)

Marek 1750s, cows, death, dogs, French + Indian Wars, Keene, milk, SOURCE=Griffin

Milk of War (Keene)

The fort's surrounded, but the babies need milk... What's to be done?! << BEFORE: John Colony (Biographical Sketch) ... Although Griffin's account specifies neither location nor date for this story, we categorize it under Keene (Colony's ultimate home) and 1750s (Colony served in the French & Indian War 1755-1760).

Marek 1850s, death, Goshen, graves & memorials, SOURCE=roadside markers

In Goshen, It WAS a War…

Now here's something interesting we couldn't help but notice about the John W. Gunnison roadside historical marker in Goshen...

Marek 1800s, 1810s, 1820s, Connecticut, Cornish, death, education, glass, hiking, judicial branch, Keene, Roxbury, Salmon P. Chase, SOURCE=Griffin, SOURCE=roadside markers, sources, Vermont

Young Chase at Keene

Tragedies, travels, & teenage failures of one of New Hampshire’s most powerful exports…

Marek 1810s, 1830s, 1850s, death, education, Goshen, graves & memorials, SOURCE=roadside markers

Capt. John W. Gunnison (Goshen)

A roadside marker in Goshen hints at stories & mysteries from the Wild West... Upon first read this roadside marker's story seems almost straightforward.  But dig a little deeper... and I suspect there are potentially a couple of action-packed graphic novels hidden in here: Like probably most "rugged individualist" log-cabin school teachers who go on … Continue reading Capt. John W. Gunnison (Goshen)

Marek 1770s, death, forestry, Henniker, Massachusetts, revolutionary era, SOURCE=Cogswell

A Very Singular Circumstance (Henniker, 1775)

Out of the firing line, into the forest. 19 April 1775 SOURCE: Cogswell's History of Henniker (p.262)

Marek 1820s, death, Piscataquog, SOURCE=Little, Weare

Drowning (Weare, 1824)

Oh no, another disaster down by the Piscataquog... Or IS it?!?! Robert Peaslee was born in Weare 11 April, 1818, so this must have happened in in 1824.  He was the great grandson of Moses & Mary Peaslee.  Mary Peaslee once helped to "lay" a ghost at Rockland Mills.

Marek 1760s, 1770s, Amherst, colonial, construction, death, food, forestry, graves & memorials, Henniker, milk, Nashua, SOURCE=Cogswell

Ward’s Arrival (Henniker, 1763)

Some of Henniker's earliest settler families arrive in town...

Marek 1810s, Antrim, death, graves & memorials, Lyndeborough

Woman from Lyndeborough (Antrim, 1812)

If you read the town histories, these sorts of things happened all the time back in the day: << BACK: Violent deaths in Antrim ... This story presents a disappearance and death as a casual, common, corner-of-the-next-field sort of experience.  It perhaps explains a bit of the early settlers' readiness to see ghosts & shades … Continue reading Woman from Lyndeborough (Antrim, 1812)

Marek 1780s, 1810s, Antrim, death, mills

Violent Deaths (Antrim)

Here's a look at fatalities during the early days of Antrim, NH: << BEFORE: More deaths in Weare.   MORE: Death in general... >>

Marek 1800-1899, death, forestry, SOURCE=Little, Weare, weather

More Deaths (Weare)

More tragic ends for some of Weare's early citizens: << BEFORE: Deaths ... NEXT: Fatalities a couple towns over, in Antrim >>

Marek 1810s, 1820s, 1830s, death, dogs, hunting, milk, SOURCE=Little, squirrel, Weare

Deaths (Weare)

How folks died in the early days of Weare... 17 October 1816 11 September 1824 NEXT: You know there will be more... >>

Marek 1810s, death, horses, SOURCE=Little, Weare

Kick of a Horse (Weare)

Town histories often include detailed (and fascinating) lists of the various ways early settlers met their ends.  Let's take a look at some interesting cases ... 20 June 1816

Marek 1860s, Civil War, death, graves & memorials, NH history, SOURCE=HSCC, Stoddard

Unknown Soldier (Stoddard, 1864)

Henry Stevens finally joins the 18th NH volunteers, but he never makes it into battle... SOURCE: HSCC Monadnock Moment No. 029: Stoddard's Unknown Soldier Originally published in Monadnock History Comics (Keene Sentinel, 2005) Discussion questions:  This episode mentions the names of several historical figures. Which names do you recognize? Why are they famous? Abraham Lincoln William Tecumseh Sherman … Continue reading Unknown Soldier (Stoddard, 1864)