Hidden History Of New Hampshire

A collection of colorful stories about some of New Hampshire’s most notable newsmakers and remarkable historic events. Includes photos. Hidden in the cracks and crevices of the Granite State are the stories of pioneers who pursued their passions, creating legacies along the way. Compiled by a Smithsonian researcher and former Boston Globe contributor, this treasury includes tales of: the mountain man who became an innkeeper the “Bird Man” who took his passion to the White House the gentleman who ascended the highest peak in the Northeast in a steam-powered locomobile the story of one skier’s dramatic win at the 1939 “American Inferno” Mount Washington race the Shaker Meetinghouse, built in just one day, in complete silence the gallant efforts to save the Old Man of the Mountain and much more

The New Hampshire Seacoast has a wealth of overlooked history. Some remnants are hidden in plain sight, and others are just plain hidden. Meet the minister and early religious founder who was involved in an armed confrontation in Dover with another preacher in 1640. Find out how a onetime high school assistant principal in Rochester became a world-famous business leader and ended up meeting President Grover Cleveland. Discover the story of "ghost" racetracks in Somersworth before they disappear, as well as the "pile of rocks" that stopped a multimillion-dollar building project in Windham. Author Terry Nelson reveals some of New England's most fascinating history, from Durham and Madbury to North Hampton and Portsmouth.

From the time of the earliest Native Americans, Lake Winnipesaukee has experienced a rich yet often forgotten history. Known by many as "America's Oldest Summer Resort," the area's first summer home was built in Wolfeboro by a royal governor. The Massachusetts border once extended all the way to Laconia, while Center Harbor served as the site of the country's first college sports rivalry. Governors Island may now be the summer playground of the elite, but it was once at the center of a religious movement that called for the end of the world. From the country's most unusual airport in Alton to the tragic story of the Laconia State School, the lake has been the setting for many notable events. Join local historian and author Glenn Knoblock as he reveals the overlooked history of this unique region.

Sitting on a hillside overlooking a spectacular lake and mountains, Burlington was destined to attract greatness, although much of its history has remained hidden. It was the territory of the Alnôbak, who lived in concert with nature for thousands of years, and later the swashbuckling Green Mountain Boy Ethan Allen and his kin. Self-made tycoon Lawrence Barnes helped make the city the third-largest lumber shipping port in the country. The resilient Fanny Penniman created the first herbarium, and her daughter inspired a nineteenth-century hospital. Bootlegger Cyrus Dean was convicted of murder and publicly executed in the hill section. Irish, French Canadian, Jewish and Italian neighborhoods all combined to give a unique character to the city. Join author and historian Glenn Fay as he reveals stories and images of Burlington's forgotten past.

John Wheelwright, a man too pure for the Puritans, founded Exeter in 1638. Resourceful, notorious and just plain unusual characters have populated the town ever since. Thinking inside the box, Albert and Lucy Tyler tried to ship themselves home to Exeter in a piano box after they ran out of funds on the West Coast. Albertus T. Dudley saved the town's founding document from the hands of William Randolph Hearst. Exeter has a paradoxical streak--it is an inland town with a working seaport, and it was both adamantly anti-abolition and home to the Free-Soil Party. Exeter Historical Society curator Barbara Rimkunas uncovers the lesser-known tidbits and gems hidden in the town's history.

New Hampshire was once a hotbed of abolitionist activity. But the state had its struggles with slavery, with Portsmouth serving as a slave-trade hub for New England. Abolitionists such as William Lloyd Garrison, Nathaniel Peabody Rogers and Stephen Symonds Foster helped create a statewide antislavery movement. Abolitionists and freed slaves assisted in transporting escapees to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Author Michelle Arnosky Sherburne uncovers the truth about slavery, the Underground Railroad and the abolitionist movement in New Hampshire.

Walkers, bikers, paddlers and snowshoers can encounter relics of the past and their incredible tales from Keene to the Seacoast. "Exploring Southern New Hampshire" takes history off the page, out of the car and into the welcoming pine-scented woods and pristine waters of the Granite State. Hike Mount Monadnock, paddle the Nashua River and retrace Lincoln's footsteps down Exeter's streets. Experience the legacy of a women's sawmill at Turkey Pond from the waters that powered it. Visit Cathedral of the Pines, a beautiful outdoor altar built with stones from historic sites around the world. Set sail on the Piscataqua River onboard a gundalow and learn about the region's rich maritime history. Local history explorer and nature lover Lucie Bryar leads readers through the Monadnock, Merrimack Valley and Seacoast regions. Granite State natives and transplants alike will explore trails and waterways to gain a new appreciation for the history hidden in natural New Hampshire.

Home to the location where George Washington took command of the troops and to America's oldest Ivy League university, Cambridge is a city that feels like a town. Hasty Pudding meetings were enlivened with mock trials spoofing happenings in Cambridge and among the faculty; by 1860 the trials had evolved into shows. In a corner of the Cambridge Common, across from Harvard Yard, a Gilded Age statue of a Puritan has been toppled several times. Letters home from Robert Kennedy were found stashed on a high shelf in a college room he occupied, over 30 years after he graduated. From protests to the "Beer Garden Summit", author Jane Merrill shares the stories behind notable landmarks and some significant but little-known facts in and around town.