Native fashions of the 17th century, for men and women …
Martin Pring brings out his pets.
The English visitors inspect their hosts...
Mr. Peabody just wants to drive his oxen from Maine to his new home in Henniker, NH...
Quite possibly the first world-fusion dance party in New England history...
A cautionary harvest parable courtesy of Dublin's infamous Wranglin' Russell Brothers: This story comes from Leonard & Seward's "History of Dublin, New Hampshire" (1920).
How did they know the "Great Witch of Weare" was really a witch? << BEFORE: Mrs. Dustin rides to Whitefield ... I'm dating this story in the 1790s, since Amos W. Bailey was born in 1789 and was a "boy" when Mrs. Dustin was active in town. Bailey would have related his memories to town … Continue reading Mrs. Dustin’s Witchcraft
Mrs. Dustin is up to her infernal sorceries again... this time on a cross-country jaunt! << BEFORE: Meet Mrs. Dustin, the Great Witch of Weare! NEXT: More unspeakable bedevilment from Mrs. Dustin >> Once again, modern readers may be surprised at the Old Timers' concepts of what was and was not an outrage against all … Continue reading The Witch’s Ride (Weare)
Dorothy's account continues, with some rather surprising twists...
Let's peek into another Weare haunting...
Here's an overview of witches and their supernatural powers, from the early days of Weare: What a fascinating list of malevolent powers! Little's litany of satanic skills speaks volumes about what was important to the families of colonial-era 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.
The native people of NH's seacoast take some interest in Martin Pring's sassafras harvesting expedition ...
How folks died in the early days of Weare... 17 October 1816 11 September 1824 NEXT: You know there will be more... >>
Martin Pring details his visit to the New Hampshire seacoast in 1603.
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
You can't snag rats and pinch pennies at the same time...
Because sometimes being FIRST doesn't really count...
Let's see what the old timers were up to in Weare, as related in William Little's exhaustive History... (1888):
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)
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)
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...
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)
A resourceful wife prepares dinner for her hunting husband:
Live Free and Draw 📖 