Marek 1940s, graves & memorials, guest artist, Manchester, WWII

“Rene Gagnon” by Nikki (GUEST POST)

Dover guest artist Nikki introduces us to a famous marine, Manchester native Rene Gagnon:

Marek 1860s, 39th MA, Civil War, Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby, graves & memorials, NH history, Reference Links, SOURCE=HHS

Colby 45: The Bones They Found

1862: Recognizing the anniversary of the Battle of Ball's Bluff (1861) ...

Marek 1860s, 2nd NH, Civil War Letters & Diaries, graves & memorials, horses, Jones Brothers' Civil War Letters, NH history, SOURCE=HopkintonHistoricalSociety

Company B Fall in for Dinner (Jones, June 13th 1862, #2)

1862: Burleigh K. Jones takes a break from letter writing to observe dinnertime; then he continues with some ghastly details from the Fair Oaks battlefield:

Marek 1860s, Civil War, Civil War Diary of Esther Hill Hawks, Esther Hill Hawks, graves & memorials, Reference Links, vermin

Hawks 8: Miserable Night

1862: Dr. Esther's party passes a difficult first night in their new quarters ...

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 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 1840s, graves & memorials, Pittsfield, SOURCE=roadside markers

Frederick Douglass Visits Pittsfield (1842)

The famous abolitionist finds both prejudice and humanity in a NH graveyard: Douglass visited Pittsfield as part of a speaking tour through New England.  At the time, Moses Norris Jr. would have been serving on the Executive Council of NH.  (He served as a Democratic US Senator from 1843-1847.) This roadside marker is now a … Continue reading Frederick Douglass Visits Pittsfield (1842)

Marek 1770s, 1840s, education, forestry, graves & memorials, Hopkinton, John Stark, Massachusetts, New London, Plaistow, revolutionary era, SOURCE=roadside markers

Moses Trussell (New London)

Wounded at Bunker Hill, and everything after...

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 "Live Free or Die", 2000-2099, graves & memorials, John Stark, Manchester

Stark Park (Manchester)

A visit to John Stark's grave as the light fades on 24 Hour Comics Day 2012 ... LINKS:  Manchester's Stark Park (The Friends of Stark Park are currently raising funds for a restoration of the Stark family gravesite; see the Park's ABOUT page for more information about this and other projects.) 24 Hour Comics Day  … Continue reading Stark Park (Manchester)

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)