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, chicken, ghosts, SOURCE=Little, Weare

Terribly Troubled with Ghosts (Weare)

In which strange noises emanate from the unfinished room above ... One of Mary Peaslee's progeny later became well-known for nearly drowning in the Piscataquog.

Marek 1800-1899, Concord, Dover, NH State House, politics, Rochester, statues

John Hale Statue (Concord)

John P. Hale was a radical anti-slavery Republican during the Civil War. As his epitaph indicates, he did indeed dedicate his political career to the abolition of slavery, running for President in 1852 with the Free Soil Party and serving in congress during Lincoln's administration.

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 1770s, 1800-1899, entertainment, revolutionary era, SOURCE=Little, Weare

The Hessian (Weare)

What a wild place was Weare; here we meet a fellow who (A) fought on BOTH sides of the Revolution, and (B) really knew how to party! ... "Hessians" were mercenary soldiers from Germany who fought for the British (mostly) during the American Revolution.

Marek 1800-1899, hunting, snakes, SOURCE=Little, Weare

Snakes (Weare)

Let's see what the old timers were up to in Weare, as related in William Little's exhaustive History... (1888):

Marek 1800s, apples, harvest, Henniker, potatoes, SOURCE=Cogswell, weather

Snow Storm (Henniker, 1804)

A freak Autumn snow storm disrupts the apple and potato harvests... Source: Cogswell's History of the Town of Henniker 7 October 1804

Marek 1800-1899, Daniel Webster, Old Man of the Mountain, White Mountains

“God almighty has hung out a sign…”

Daniel Webster's orating again... or IS he?!?! Drawn after attending Maggie Stier's talk "The Old Man of the Mountain: "Substance and Symbol" (NHHC-HTG catalog) hosted by the Antrim Historical Society. For more on the Old Man of the Mountain, visit NHStateParks.org or wikipedia...

Marek "Live Free or Die", 1800s, Derryfield, John Stark, Molly Stark, revolutionary era, SOURCE=NH.gov

John Stark’s Last Orders

By 1809, the general is far too old and sick to travel... << BEFORE: "Your state motto is SO COOL!" NEXT: How it became the NH state motto >> This is how I imagine General John & Molly Stark may have composed his response to the 1809 invitation to a veterans' reunion for the Battle … Continue reading John Stark’s Last Orders

Marek 1810s, elephant, entertainment, Henniker, SOURCE=Cogswell

First Elephant (Henniker)

An exotic event provides performance opportunities for a local character... One of my favorite parts of Cogswell's Victorian-era narrative style is the telling little details he supplies, and the many ways we can interpret them.  For example, note in the final panel how only "some" of the town's older residents recall Bowman's antics with pleasure.  (We … Continue reading First Elephant (Henniker)

Marek 1850s, Civil War, constitution, Daniel Webster, politics

Daniel Webster on Slavery, the Constitution, and Secession

A career-defining speech on slavery and the constitution, given by NH native Daniel Webster to the US Senate on 7 March, 1850 ... << BEFORE: The ages of Daniel Webster ... SOURCE: Adapted from full text of speech @ DANIEL WEBSTER: Dartmouth's  Favorite Son (There is really a WHOLE LOT MORE to the speech... you can read it for yourself!) … Continue reading Daniel Webster on Slavery, the Constitution, and Secession

Marek 1830s, 1850s, Daniel Webster, politics

Daniel Webster, Young & Old

After drawing his statue at the State House, I started reading up on Daniel Webster and became captivated by these two images:    Both these cartoon images come from original images made of Daniel Webster during his lifetime.  Young Daniel is drawn from a painting by Francis Alexander (1834 or 1835), which appears to be a rather touched-up romanticized version … Continue reading Daniel Webster, Young & Old

Marek 1810s, elections, Henniker, NH history, politics, SOURCE=Cogswell, sources, stick figures

The First Voter Check-List (Henniker, 1813)

In 1813, NH tests out a strange new voting procedure: keeping track of voters with an official checklist!  { SOURCE = Cogswell's History of the Town of Henniker... } SEE ALSO:   John T. Gilman

Marek 1800s, Henniker, NH people, politics

John T. Gilman

Gilman served as governor of NH from 1794-1805, and again from 1813-1816.  The town of Gilmanton is named after his family.  He was governor when the state legislature passed NH's first mandatory voter check-list law. During the American Revolution he served in the "Minutemen" militia. Drawn from an engraving by Max Rosenthal. [Also see John Taylor Gilman … Continue reading John T. Gilman

Marek 1820s, environment, forestry, Marlow, SOURCE=HSCC

Trunks Like Black Bones (Marlow, 1825)

Grandpa remembers "what happened to all the forests" in the Keene area... Discussion Questions:  This story came from Elgin Jones' History of Marlow, NH. His grandfather told him about seeing this forestry done in Marlow in 1825, while the grandfather was still a boy. How is this kind of forestry different from our current systems … Continue reading Trunks Like Black Bones (Marlow, 1825)

Marek 1840s, food, Keene, mills, NH resources & industry, SOURCE=HSCC

To Work in the Mills? (Keene, 1845)

A farm family debates sending their youngest daughter to work in the mills... Originally published in Monadnock History Comics (Keene Sentinel, 2005) Discussion questions:  Why do Lucy and her mother think that working in the mills would be a good idea? Why does her father oppose the job? What clues tell us that life is hard on … Continue reading To Work in the Mills? (Keene, 1845)

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)