In honor of the start of hunting season, we continue with (what else?) another action-packed story of ursine urgency! ... << BEFORE: Fishing for bear in Chesterfield. *"BY THIS TIME, BARNES BEGAN TO REALIZE..." ~ I just love that line. (source = Cogswell) Elisha Barnes was a leading figure in the early days of Henniker; for … Continue reading Mr. Barnes & the Bear (Henniker)
Fishing for Bear (Chesterfield)
An unusual hunting tale from the Keene area... << BEFORE: Mrs. Huse and the bear NEXT: Mr. Barnes and the bear >> SOURCE: "The Bear in the Boat" from HSCC ALSO SEE: Color splash page from this story...
Civic Ignorance (w/ Justice David Souter)
A comics discussion with former Supreme Court Justice David Souter...
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
“Walk to Camp” by Becky Rule (Guest Post)
NH storyteller Becky Rule adds some quick cartoons to her tale of a fashionable bear encounter: (Drawn & told at the Weeks Act Centennial festivals, 2011)
Mrs. Huse & the Bear (Henniker)
A resourceful wife prepares dinner for her hunting husband:
“I tell you what it is, George” (First Bull Run)
From a letter by Private Charles Putnam (2nd NH Volunteers) to his brother George in Claremont... Excerpted from My Brave Boys: To War with Colonel Cross & the Fighting Fifth by Mike Pride and Mark Travis.
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
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
Famous Professional Dare-Devil (Keene, 1923)
Tonight in downtown Keene: Stunts by a professional daredevil! Other Links: This story @ Historical Society of Cheshire County Keene's Gurnsey Block (c. 1900) Keene's Dreamland Theater (c. 1910) Originally published in Monadnock History Comics (Keene Sentinel, 2005)
James Willis Patterson
Drawn from a portrait in the reading room at Tucker Free Library (Henniker, NH): Patterson taught school in New Hampshire, and later served as a Republican member of Congress during the Civil War, where he supported the establishment of Freedmen's Schools in the South. [Also see James W. Patterson on Wikipedia]
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)
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)
The Weeks Act Story (1911)
Here's a comic to celebrate the Weeks Act of 1911 & the origins of our National Forest system! Download the printable PDF >> "John Weeks 1911" music video >> Support this work @ Patreon >> PRIMARY SOURCES: The starting point for my research was the text of the Weeks Act itself: SOURCE: The official descriptive … Continue reading The Weeks Act Story (1911)
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)
Ground Observer Corps (Marlow, 1941)
Citizens of Marlow volunteer to defend their town's night skies... Originally published in Monadnock History Comics (Keene Sentinel, 2005) Discussion questions: This episode takes place during World War Two. What is the "Nazi War Machine"? Why are the townspeople of Marlow worried about it? What is the situation in Europe in 1941? What important event happened one … Continue reading Ground Observer Corps (Marlow, 1941)
Paying the Doctor (Nelson, c. 1750)
Nelson's own Ezra Carter accepts a rather unusual means of payment... Originally published in Monadnock History Comics (Keene Sentinel, 2005) Discussion questions: In the 1700's, a physician like Doc Carter might ride many miles into the countryside to treat poor families on remote farms. How could these poor families pay for the treatment? What did they … Continue reading Paying the Doctor (Nelson, c. 1750)
5th NH: First Mission (1862)
The 5th NH's first mission into rebel territory!
5th NH: Deployment (1861)
The 5th NH suffers its first casualty on the train from Concord, long before the first battle...
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