Tag Archives: history
Date Visited: February 27, 2016
Location: North River Rd, Manchester, NH
Cost: Free
Hours: Open daily sunrise to sunset
Parking: There was not a designated parking area per se but there are many places to park on the side of the paved road leading from the entrance.
Stark Park
New Hampshire isn’t known as the “Live Free Or Die” state for no reason. The quote, which is said to have French origins and adorns license plates and other kitschy souvenirs, is directly attributed to General, and former New Hampshire resident, John Stark. It was at John Stark Park in Manchester, NH, that I found this historical tribute to the revolutionary warrior.
The remaining of the “live free or die…”quote is lesser known, yet just as poignant.
For someone who is so heroic and brave, General Stark is not someone who many of us are familiar with. But, heroic he is. As the plaque in front of his statue explains, after being kidnapped by a Native American tribe and eventually ransomed, Stark joined the American Revolution and became a general. His most notable achievement was in 1777 when he commanded his troops to prevent British troops and supplies from connecting with the main army in Saratoga, New York, which was considered a key point which led to the American victory in the war.
Crisp blue skies awaited me at the park. It almost felt fall-like. What struck me most about the park was how peaceful it was. The gazebo is a nice touch also. The statue of General Stark was sculpted by Richard Recchia in 1948. The park is one of the older parks in New Hampshire, dating back to 1893 (it is the second oldest park in Manchester).
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General Stark his, wife and a few of their children are buried at the bottom of the hill from the entrance.
One of the interesting things about Stark Park is the loop behind the park. It’s only about a quarter of mile and it is a great place to take your dog for a walk. But, there is a trail that branches off to a bridge and some other trails which eventually lead to the Heritage Trail. But, apart from some interesting trees and some wildlife, there isn’t much on the trails. Most of them lead to residential areas. I walked most of the narrow trails as far as I could go before they ended, rather disappointingly, at roadways and residential areas.
The big payoff to walking the loop behind the park was meeting Bennie. Bennie is a Chinook which is the state dog of New Hampshire.
21 Comments | tags: dog, Historical, history, Live Free Or Die, Manchester, memorial, Nature, new hampshire, Park, photographs, Photography, photos, statue, trail, trees | posted in bridge, dogs, historical, history, Manchester, nature, new hampshire, park, photographs, photography, photos, sculpture, trails, Uncategorized
In the annals of presidential history, Quincy, Massachusetts, holds a special place. The birthplace of two U.S. Presidents; John Adams and John Quincy Adams, Quincy, MA, has earned earned the nickname “City of Presidents.” (originally, both Adams’ were born in Braintree MA but their birthplace became Quincy after Quincy split from the town of Braintree in 1792, John Hancock was also from Braintree before the area was renamed Quincy). In fact, the high school sports teams have adopted the menacing moniker, “Presidents.”
On this frigid Presidents Day, I decided to take a visit to the Old House At Peace Field, the retirement home of John and Abigail Adams as well as John Quincy Adams, when Presidents were really Presidents. The Adams’ and their future generations would call this home until 1927.
The Stone Library located adjacent to the Adams House.
The house is much prettier during the spring and summer. Flowers of a wide spectrum of colors adorn the walkway and throughout the estate. It is closed to the public until spring time. But the front gate was open, as though they were expecting me.
Further down the road on Hancock Street, in front of City Hall, stands John Adams.
I was wondering why he was looking off into the distance (wary of the British perhaps?). Then, I noticed a statue of Abigail and little John Quincy Adams was situated across the street.
Both of the Adams’ are buried in the United First Parish Church, located directly across from City Hall and, inconveniently for the drivers of Quincy, in the middle of the busy roadway. It is also the church I almost got into a fight at as a child until the other kid said he, “didn’t fight in churches” pffft. Oh, the memories.
There are other Adams’ residences and historical places, such as his original birthplace, also in Quincy, MA, that I will cover in later posts.
Happy President’s Day!
18 Comments | tags: Abigail Adams, Historical, history, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, Photography, photos, President's Day, prresidents, statues | posted in Abigail Adams, history, histrorical, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, President's Day, Presidents, quincy, statues, Uncategorized
4 Comments | tags: Christmas, Historical, history, mansions, New England, Newport, photographs, Photography, photos, Rhode Island | posted in architecture, buildings, Christmas, fun, historical, history, mansions, New England, Newport, photographs, photography, photos, Rhode Island, road trip, scenic, site seeing, Uncategorized
18 Comments | tags: Attraction, boat, dog, harbor, Historical, history, Massachusetts, MayflowerII, New England, Plymouth, ship, view, water | posted in attraction, boat, dog, harbor, historical, history, massachusetts, Mayflower, Mayflower II, New England, Plymouth, ship, view, water
36 Comments | tags: Historical, history, Massachusetts, New England, Photography, photos, Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth | posted in historical, history, massachusetts, New England, photography, photos, Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth
Salem, MA and the people of Salem are known for more than just the well publicized witch hysteria. While the city remembers this somber time with memorials, they also have other monuments, statues and other decorations, particularly during the Halloween season.
This is probably the most recognized statue in Salem. It is the statue of Roger Conant, the founder of Salem. Because of the dark, foreboding image of the statue and the fact that it is located directly in front of the Salem Witch Museum, it is often at first glance considered a monument in tribute to the victims of the witch hysteria. That was my thoughts when I first saw it as a younger person. As an fyi, it is very hard to take a photo of the statue without throngs of crowds nearby doing the same thing, often times ruining your photo. I had to arrive very early Halloween day to get this photo without a lot of people or car traffic. It is a very popular stop for tourists.
While we’re all familiar with people like Nathaniel Hawthorne, there are other people who were pivotal members of Salem that are less noted than Hawthorne like the reverend Theobald Mathew, an apostle of temperance, according to the script on the statue. Even if you’re not familiar with people like Mathew, the artwork and of the statues is enough to impress anyone.
Speaking of Hawthorne, just farther down the road on, you guessed it, Hawthorne Boulevard is the Nathaniel Hawthorne statue.
One of the things you have to love about Salem is they don’t try to sweep the past under the rug and they try to educate others about tolerance. This sign for the Witches Education League is an example of this.
There is also a memorial to the The Blue Star Memorial Program which is dedicated to all of the men and women who serve in the United States armed services.
Salem has another memorial dedicated to a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, John Phillip Riley. Riley is one of 5 Medal of Honor recipients from Salem, dating back to the Civil War.
This memorial is dedicated to the Boys of the Immaculate Conception who served during World War I.
This monument, located in Salem Common, is a tribute to those who died during World War II
The Salem Fire Department has two memorials at their Ladder 2 station.
One memorial is a memorial to the victims of September 11.The metal in the middle of the monument is from the rubble at Ground Zero. The two concrete beams in the background represent the North and South towers at the World Trade Center.
There are two ceramic angels in a cup placed on the memorial. People leave pennies in honor of the victims.
The other memorial at the fire station is in honor of the firefighters from their station who have paid the ultimate price
Closer to the heart of the city, there is also a monument with a quote from Eli Wiesel.
During the Halloween festivities, the original water pump was displayed in the main drag of the walk way on Essex Street. This is the original pump the people of salem had to use before they had indoor plumbing and other amenities we take for granted.
Some of the monuments, statues and signs are more lighthearted like the Bewitched statue in Lappin Park. Little known fact: some of the Bewitched shows were filmed in Salem, MA.
This placard reminds us that even ghosts like bacon.
I also met some very cute dogs during my travels.
There was Massie
Creed
And Harley. Harley didn’t like my camera. But, he felt safe when he was with his dad.
and this cute fella whose name I didn’t get.
As these monuments, statues, memorials, signs and dogs have shown, there is more to Salem than just the Halloween festivities. My next blog will deal with the impressive architecture of the homes, museums and other buildings of the Salem area from my recent visits.
4 Comments | tags: dogs, Historical, history, Massachusetts, memorials, monuments, New England, Photography, photos, Salem, statues | posted in history, histrorical, massachusetts, memorials, monuments, New England, photography, photos, Salem, statues
Nestled behind the Salem Witch Trials Memorial, is the final resting place for some of Salem’s earlier residents; the Burying Point. Located among the bustling downtown Salem area, the Burying Point is the oldest cemetery in Salem, MA,
Tour groups and visitors from all over the country walk over sacred graves. In fact, the Burying Point is one of the most popular attractions in Salem.
The cemetery is well kept and the vast majority of the visitors are respectful of the tenants there. The one thing I find to be a little weird, besides the obvious weirdness of walking around a cemetery as though it was an “attraction”, was the “haunted house” located feet away from the cemetery. I’m generally not one to care either way, but it still felt odd hearing ghastly screams and people ordering hot apple cider while we stroll along the cemetery.
Although many headstones are difficult to read, it is worth observing that many of them show the female deceased as the “wife of…” Just another sign of the times.
While many of his relatives reside in the cemetery of the overly commercialized town of Salem, Nathaniel Hawthorne is not buried in Burying Point. Instead he rests in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts.
The storied feud of Nathaniel Hawthorne and his ancestors is of legend. Just to recap, John Hathorne, a Salem magistrate, was appointed by the then Governor Sir William Phips to be a judge in the Salem Witch Trials. However, during the trials, he acted more like a prosecutor than a judge. He would often presume the guilt of an accused witch and demand they confess to witchcraft as well as pressuring accused witches to name other witches after they were inevitably found guilty or they confessed under pressure of Hathorne and his court. He became known as a “hanging judge”.
In light of his ancestors misdeeds, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Judge Hathorne’s great grandson, would change his name by adding a “w” after the “Ha” in his last name and he would distance himself farther from Judge Hathorne by penning The Scarlet Letterand speaking out against the deeds of his ancestor.
Judge William Hathorne’s grave is on the left in this photo, next to his son’s much larger gravestone. No one left anything on his gravestone.
I wanted to thank everyone who reads, likes and leaves comments on my blogs. It is appreciated. I also wanted to mention that I have begun (resumed) blogging as Mr.Wayne after a fairly long hiatus. I have always been a writer at heart and, after being inspired by so many wonderful blogs on wordpress, I have decided to resume my written blogs again, in addition to my photoblogs. Please view my most recent post What Could Have Been. Thank you.
37 Comments | tags: Burying Point, cemetery, graves, gravestones, headstones, Historical, history, John Hathorne, Massachusetts, Nathaniel Hawthorne, New England, Photography, photos, Salem | posted in Burying Point, cemetery, graves, gravestones, headdstones, historical, history, John Hathorne, massachusetts, Nathaniel Hawthorne, New England, photography, photos, Salem
In the midst of half drunk college pranksters, families on day trips, tourists dressed in their Halloween costume of choice and an assortment of other revelers stands a somber memorial to the victims of the Salem witch trials.
Directly across from shops that hawk kitschy tourists souvenirs and “haunted houses” designed to spook people of all ages, is a memorial that commemorates a dark part of American history. Without this dark time, there would be no kitschy souvenirs or haunted houses.
Dedicated in 1992, the Salem Witch Trials TerCentenary, the Salem Witch Trials Memorial, pays tribute to the 20 victims of the hysteria.
Twenty benches, representing each of the 20 victims, stretch out from the stone wall. Each bench or slab has each victim etched into it with the date of their death. Often times, people will leave stones, coins, flowers, notes and other little gifts or mementos behind.
At the entrance on the ground are snippets of the quotes from some of the victims just before their deaths.
Of course, trials has a double meaning and it is a fitting use of the term.
33 Comments | tags: Historical, history, Massachusetts, memorial, New England, Salem, Salem Witch Trials Memorial | posted in historical, history, massachusetts, memorial, monument, New England, Salem, salem Witch Trials
At first glance, it would seem to be any quaint, rustic bed and breakfast (or as we are prone to say in New England, “b&b”). But, the Lizzie Borden Bed And Breakfast/Museum is no ordinary bed and breakfast.
If only this seemingly ordinary inn could tell stories. The bed and breakfast has been converted to an inn (stay at your own risk) and tours are offered for a paltry $18. The hour long tour includes a history of the house, the denizens (which of course Lizzie Borden was one) and other trivia about the building and people associated with the house.
Of course, Lizzie is the main person of interest.
For those who either lived under a rock for the past 120 years or aren’t a maladjusted historian who is fascinated with the morbid, Lizzie was the main suspect in the murders of her mother and father. She was acquitted after the jury deliberated for an hour. To this day, people are divided over whether she did commit these murders (she did). The real life story plays out like an Agatha Christie mystery.
The house is three floors with 8 rooms. The furniture is not the exact furniture from the house because the Borden sisters had to store their furniture and while the furniture was in storage the furniture was destroyed by water and fire damage. Replicas of the furniture of that era are furnished throughout the house. They also seem to want to keep the house as close to the original style as possible. We also had a large tour group which made the rooms seem even more cramped and the lighting was dim. That is not a ghost but rather the photographer’s reflection in the mirror.
The staircases are narrow but fun to photograph.
The bedrooms are basic with the bare necessities (you won’t find any flat screen tv’s or hot tubs there). But, they are refreshing for the weary traveler who just wants to unplug and relax.
This is the room where Abby Borden was murdered. Walking in the room can’t help but give you the willies.
This is where Andrew Borden’s (Lizzie’s father) body was found. I swear I had my camera trained on the entire sitting couch (I’d sooner blame in on Nikon than the photographer or any spirits, though)
If you are considering a stay at the Lizzie Borden bed and breakfast, just remember that while it is cute and rustic, well keep in mind that it is rustic.
Is that Lizzie in the window?
The inn also has a number of photos of the key players of the Borden case and the family hanging on the wall. There is also the dress Elizabeth Montgomery wore when she depicted Lizzie Borden in the made for tv version of the murder and trial. There are also artifacts hung on the walls that were found on the property that were discovered during recent renovations.
I had some time to waste before the tour, so I stopped by Lizzie’s (or Lizbeth’s) final resting place. Lizzie is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery in Fall River, Mass. She is buried next to her sister, Emma. People regularly leave little mementos from flowers to rocks and even coins and other keepsakes on her gravestone, especially this time of year (even though the murders occurred in August and not around Halloween) .
21 Comments | tags: Fall River, Historical, history, landmark, Lizzie Borden, Massachusetts, museum, New England, Photography, photos | posted in Fall River, historical, landmark, Lizzie Borden, massachusetts, museum, New England, photography, photos
When most people think of the witch hysteria that gripped the New England colonies in 1692 and 1693, they are likely to think it began and took place exclusively in Salem. However, although they are known as the Salem Witch Trials and Salem largely takes the infamy of the witch hunt, Salem does not hold that infamous title.
Salem Village, now known as Danvers, has the infamous distinction of being the beginning of the Salem witch hysteria. It is here in Danvers, Massachusetts, where a somber memorial stands as a constant reminder to remember this past and to never let something like this happen again.
Erected in May, 1992, the monuments lists the 20 people who were executed during the witch trials.
Each slab lists a quote of innocence from each victim.
The rays spilling in from the top of the memorial was a nice touch.
Some of the more poignant quotes listed on the wall are:
“Well! burn me or hang me. I will stand in the truth of Christ…” – George Jacobs, Sr
“Amen. Amen. A false tongue will never make a guilty person.” – Susannah Martin
The memorial also has a sculpture of “The Book Of Life” on top of a table that has a tribute etched in the base.
Attached to each side of the book are chains. Stark reminders of the pain they endured.
Someone left a flower at the memorial, a common occurrence at this memorial, particularly during this time of the year.
The memorial site has many pretty views to photograph from a variety of angles and the foliage added a nice touch. The foliage gave a serene feeling in contrast to the moving memorial.
In front of the memorial, there is monument that lists the generous donors who made the memorial possible. You may notice the red door on the house in the background. This is not unusual for the area. The houses in Danvers and the surrounding area were beautiful in their understated uniqueness and pretty yet rustic nature.
A sign, inconspicuously posted by the side of the road explains the origins and history of the site and surrounding area as well as the meaning behind the memorial.
3 Comments | tags: Attraction, Danvers, Fall, foliage, Historical, history, Massachusetts, memorial, monument, New England, road trip, Site, Witch, Witch Trials | posted in attraction, Danvers, Fall, foliage, historical, history, massachusetts, memorial, monument, New England, photography, photos, site, witch, witches
New England Nomad 