Mystery for Christmas…or Anytime

Mystery for Christmas…or Anytime

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

If you love a good mystery, you will surely love Kary Turnell. If you have an affinity for the White Mountains and the seacoast and the Lakes Region of NH, you will easily picture these places as Kary Turnell deals with murder in New Hampshire.

NH mystery writer Mark Okrant.

For those who follow the Commissioner Kary Turnell Mystery series by author Mark Okrant, each new book is eagerly anticipated for the great story lines and the manner in which Kary solves the crimes that take place in select areas of the state. While the books are pure fiction, the settings are real and places Mark knows well, which is spart of the uniqueness and appeal to the mystery stories.

Mark’s background has certainly been a help when he sits down to write a mystery novel, of which there is quite a list thus far, with more in the works. Born and raised in Connecticut, Mark majored in geography in college and later taught on the university level. When he and his wife, Marla, moved to New Hampshire, Mark developed the first academic tourism program for Plymouth State University and was on the faculty full-time for 37 years. (Although technically retired, he continues to teach online for the college on a part-time basis.) With his extensive background in tourism – he also worked in tourism for the state of NH for 26 years – Mark has gotten to know the state quite well.

That knowledge of tourism aided Mark when he began to write. “I wanted to write in a way that would promote New Hampshire tourism, and that led to the mystery process,” he says.

All Mark’s books are reflected in his work in tourism, and also his training in geography has been a big asset, although it might not seem to relate to mystery books.

“Geography is about the physical relation of things on the earth’s surface,” he explains. “And the study of tourism deals with places of origin and destination.”

How did Mark, who lives in central New Hampshire, decide on the mystery book genre when he began to write? “In the early 1990s I picked up my first murder mystery and I loved it. Some years ago, at Plymouth State University, I wrote a murder mystery to be used in a tourism class. I used it with my students and it was a tourism planning text book written as a murder mystery set in a place called Judson’s Island.”

It was a creative and unusual way to teach a class about tourism, but it certainly got his students engaged and looking at tourism in a new and fun way. And as a bonus, Mark discovered he enjoyed writing mysteries. The books he writes are generally set in places Mark has visited and liked a lot, such as his favorite location, The Balsams in Dixville Notch. He loves the grand hotels in the state and it was easy to set a mystery to be solved in such a spectacular location as the Balsams. He adds with a smile, “Sometimes I have to revisit these places for details when I am writing,” implying that going back to the wonderful places around the state is no hardship.

In choosing a location for a book, Mark does research and one of his methods of deciding where to set a new mystery is seeking out someone who knows the location well. The question he asks, although it might seem startling, is “where would you kill someone in this particular place?” It could be a catacomb or dense shrubbery in the public eye and even a crime in plain sight that no one would notice right away.

When it comes to the nitty-gritty of the weapon of choice used in the murder in each book, Mark says it varies. And 75% of the time, the fictional victims are men. He has a friendship with a former police chief who is Mark’s go-to guy for CSI type questions.

One might ask who Kary Turnell is, assuming at first that it is a female sleuth/heroine of Mark’s books. “Actually Kary Turnell is a man, and I have no idea where the name came from,” Mark laughs. “In the books, Kary is a former college professor in the criminology field, and he is now retired.”

As with many writers who fashion their characters from portions of their own personalities and life experiences, parts of Kary’s story reflects Mark’s. One can see similarities between Kary’s fictional background and the real-life work and experiences of Mark.

Before Mark found his niche writing mystery novels, he wrote two non-fiction books about the tourism industry: “Sleeping Alongside the Road” and “No Vacancy: The Rise, Demise and Reprise of America’s Motels”. The books have been popular and take a look at how lodging and tourism grew and altered over the years. “No Vacancy” also has some remembrances from those who stayed at various motels, offering an invaluable look at the era of roadside lodgings and cottages.

However, the mystery genre stuck with Mark and he turned to writing with a murder theme. His first murder novel, “A Last Resort,” was set at The Balsams and took a number of years to research and write. It introduced Kary Turnell, a middle-aged criminology professor at Plymouth State University.

That first book led to more, set at recognizable places in New Hampshire, such as the Mountain View Grand in Whitefield and the Mount Washington Hotel (both locations are in “Murders at the Grand”) and Wentworth by the Sea in New Castle on the seacoast, which is the setting for “Whacked”. Other titles include “One Track Mind”, “A Thief in the House” and “Long Walk, Short Deck” (set on the M/S Mount Washington) to be released in the near future. Mark says he is working on a crime novel set in the Manchester area as well.

Also, the 100-page Kary Turnell Mysteries, is a series geared for those who want a quick – but satisfying and entertaining – read.

(Along with researching and writing mystery books, Mark is a freelance writer for The Laker, utilizing his skills in the tourism industry, and authoring a variety of local travel and human-interest stories.)

If you love a good mystery, or know someone who does, a mystery novel by Mark Okrant is just the thing to satisfy. A gift of a Kary Turnell or other book by Mark is sure to be a unique and fun gift during the holiday season.

For information and to order Mark’s books, visit www.markokrant.com. There you will find a list of booksellers and contact information.

Day Tripping | The Days of County Farms

Life on the County Farm; an image in the current exhibit at the Laconia Public Library presented by the Laconia Historical and Museum Society.

Day Tripping | The Days of County Farms

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

When miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, in the classic story “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, is asked to make a contribution to the poor during the holiday season, he spats, “Are there no prisons? And the Union workhouses…are they still in operation? Those who are badly off must go there.”

Sadly, in times past, workhouses, alms houses or poor farms as some called them, seemed to be the answer to care for those who had fallen on hard times.

There was no pride in being forced, due to circumstances, to enter a poor farm or almshouse. Visions of deprivation and cold and terrible work conditions came to mind and one viewed it as a last resort.

During the holiday season, when charity organizations work diligently to provide for those less fortunate, we can look back and learn more about poor farms of the 1800s and early 1900s and ask if they were really so bad. What did one living in such a place actually experience and did the Lakes Region even have a poor farm?

For the answers to those questions and a peek into the lives of some of those who lived – and some who died – at poor farms in the area, a stop at the Laconia Public Library in downtown Laconia to see the exhibit “The Belknap County Farm and Alms House” is a must.

As a library card holder at the Laconia Library, I visit often and am always on the lookout for the latest exhibit in the upper level rotunda of the library. It is here that the Laconia Historical and Museum Society holds exhibits year round. The current exhibit, which is on display until December 21, is just one of the many throughout the year that spotlight fascinating aspects of local life long ago. (The library is located at 695 North Main Street in Laconia.)

If you like facts and figures to help you get a picture of something, you will find this exhibit to your liking. (There are listings on such things as the names of those who died at the Belknap County Farm.) If, like me, you are curious what the farm was like on a day-to-day basis, you’ll get answers at this exhibit.

As I started to browse the displays, I saw information and a death certificate for Belknap Farm resident Rebecca, a woman from Barnstead NH who was born in 1835. At the age of 33 she began living at the County Farm, and remained there for 52 years, passing away at age 85. I wondered what was her story? Why did she live there for so long?

I had to ask myself if perhaps the farm and those like it that served the poor were not always the frightening places of old-time fiction. If Rebecca lived there most of her adult life, could it be that the conditions were good enough for her to stay? Or was she ill of mind or body and had no choice but to reside at a place where she could receive care?

More information on the County Farm tells us that from 1873 to 1913, the place was run by a supervisor and his wife. They lived and worked on the farm, with the help of its residents. Further, we are told that it was “a thriving community that produced crops, sold lumber and raised livestock. Some inmates lived and worked on the farm productively for many, many years.”

It was a huge operation, and the residents of the farm, which was located in Laconia, were active in building the house and other structures, cutting 150,000 feet of lumber for the construction.

What caused a person or a family to enter such a farm? The reasons were varied and ranged from financial loss of home and no work to provide for oneself to ill health or aging without family to care for the person, to serving out a jail sentence to a mental illness making one unable to function in society. It must be remembered that in the 1800s and early 1900s, such circumstances were handled and looked upon much differently than today. The mentally ill were often hidden away by families and likely feared by many. The aged were usually cared for and lived with extended families in those days, but if that was not possible, where else could one turn for care and housing when elderly and poor and in failing health? Able-bodied men and probably women who had broken the law were excellent candidates to serve out their sentence on the farm, where they could provide labor for all sorts of chores. Families fallen on hard times may have had no other option but to live on the farm, where they would at least have room and board for their children.

None of these reasons for residing on the County Farm were ideal and it is likely there was stigma attached to living there, but in the time before welfare services, such places offered an alternative and sometimes a salvation for the poor.

 The exhibit offers some old medical equipment and tells us a Dr. Mace was concerned with sanitary conditions of County Farm inmates and pushed to see improvements, such as drainage and ventilation systems, bathtubs and water closets as well as replacing the water supply.

Jobs at the farm, once a person was settled in their new living space, were separated by gender. Generally, the women worked in the farmhouse and helped with baking, cleaning and sewing and laundry. The men worked outside at the many farm chores; should they come to the farm with special skills in such things as carpentry or blacksmithing, they worked on the property in those trades. During the winter, work continued with the men cutting trees and doing other non-field related jobs.

An old black and white photo shows us an elderly woman in a field at the County Farm. She stands beside a dairy cow, and she is grinning and appears to be patting the cow; two youngsters can be seen in the distant background. She does not seem to be downtrodden or unhappy, and it offers a rare glimpse into perhaps a typical day on the farm.

Places like the Belknap County Farm, and many, many others all over the state, came into being when Legislature in 1886 authorized counties to purchase farms and houses to care for “county paupers”. In the early 1800s and well into the following decades, there was a general feeling that being poor was a result of a character deficiency and such people could be reformed by working on a farm. Today we know differently, and that falling on hard times is usually due to economic reasons instead of because a person is of bad character. Further, housing the poor with those in need of mental health treatment or those serving a prison sentence would be unheard of today.

Eventually, the exhibit tells us, after the social changes as an outcome of the Civil War, entrance into a poor house/farm became voluntary.

In Laconia, the County Farm had originally been an insane asylum, built in 1835. By 1871, the original buildings were destroyed by fire, and the county built a two-story house for “the insane, the poor, the infirm, as well as people who had committed criminal acts.” Further reform happened around the start of the 1900s when the County Farm realized the need of separating the “passively insane” from “paupers”.

By the 1960s, a portion of the farm’s land was sold and the practice of housing people at the County Farm was phased out.

The exhibit offers a fascinating – if sometimes poignant – look at what life was like on the County Farm. I found the section with a long list of the names, ages and causes of death of the poor and infirm at the farm to be particularly poignant.

Among the facts and figures in the exhibit, one cannot help but read between the lines. Did people dislike living on the farm? What was it like for children? Were the caretakers compassionate? What did it take to get out of residing in the County Farm?

And in this holiday season, another question surfaces. How did they celebrate Christmas at the County Farm? Who knows if any information exists on what happened on December 25 at the farm? Hopefully, there was turkey and a mince pie and maybe even the singing of a carol or two to mark the day.

We do know that the County Farm in Laconia was one of many around the state. Another farm was located in Merrimack County in the Boscawen area, and others existed as well. Smaller poor farms were located around the state. One such poor farm was near present-day Ellacoya State Park in Gilford.

We have come a long way from the days of Ebenezer Scrooge and shunning the poor. In order to continue to move forward, exhibits such as the one, thoughtfully organized and on display at the Laconia Public Library, are well worth stopping to view.

(The Belknap County Farm and Alms House exhibit will be on view until December 21; for more information, call 527-1278 or go to www.laconiahistory.org.)

Ooo La La…Memories of the Shangri-La

Yesteryear

Ooo La La…Memories of the Shangri-La

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

Photos courtesy of Robert Ames, webmaster of WeirsBeach.com

Shangri-La Hotel

It was originally operated as the Winnecoette (hotel), located in the bustling Weirs Beach area. Each summer, guests arrived for a short or entire summer’s stay and enjoyed the delights of the beach, Lake Winnipesaukee…and the large and beautiful Winnecoette.

Imagine staying at the Winnecoette, where you could relax on the hotel’s spacious porch and enjoy breezes from the lake cooling you on a warm summer evening after a home cooked meal in the dining room.

The hotel was well known in Weirs Beach for many years; it opened in 1879, and overlooked the area from its vantage point high on a hill. In 1952, it was purchased by George and Mary Spanos and renamed the Shangri-La. Change came slowly and a visitor in the 1950’s might have assumed George and Mary were going to continue with the original hotel structure and layout. But things changed over time and the new resort was expanded…and modernized.

Shangri-La pool with a view

An early brochure from the era of ownership by Mr. and Mrs. Spanos tells us the motel and cottages were “Truly a Shangri-La; with an unparalleled view of lakes and mountains – set apart with a unique atmosphere all its own. Large hotel rooms with private bath; attractive cottages, and modern new Motel. Excellent Dining Room and Scenic Cocktail Lounge on premises. Sports including tennis and shuffleboards. Golf and Playhouse nearby. ½ mile north of Weirs Recreational Center.”

Indeed, the Shangri-La, which encompassed 220 acres, was unlike other vacation spots, and if you stayed there, you could enjoy just about every summertime activity you might wish for. Or you could simply sit by the pool and relax. The resort’s most luxurious attractions to guests were the two pools: one, a large outdoor swimming pool located on the lawn with a panoramic view of Lake Winnipesaukee and the mountains; the other, a large, L-shaped indoor pool, with large picture windows to the outside.

Shangri-La indoor pool

Brochures of the Shangri-La show the greatly enlarged hotel high on the hill. If you knew what the original Winnecoette House looked like, you could see that the new hotel retained some of the original design, but with more rooms and modernization transforming it into a full-fledged resort.

Guests also enjoyed the New Mermaid Lounge, Panorama Restaurant and Coffee Shop serving a variety of cocktails and “imaginative” cuisine. Numerous picture windows only added to the treat of eating in the restaurant, no matter the time of year.  

The resort was a wonderful place for families, with two large heated pools, tennis, badminton, croquet, ping pong, archery, horse shoes, shuffleboard, outdoor barbecues, dancing, movies, bingo and even vaudeville! The Shangri-La also was the headquarters for photography classes taught by “a world-famous authority” although brochures do not identify who that photographer might have been.

Referring to old pamphlets, we see photographs of the hotel/motel rooms, and while they look simple by today’s standards and styles, at the time they were the height of luxury. These rooms actually had televisions at a time when that was not always the case when staying at a motel; the views were incredible from the picture windows in the rooms, and the food and variety of activities were unsurpassed.

Another brochure exuded the delights that awaited those who stayed at the Shangri-La: “A recreational Motel Resort, a celestial retreat of 200 beautiful acres for your uncrowded enjoyment, 2 king-sized swimming pools with water warm as the South Seas, indoor and outdoor. An American Shangri-La for leisure, play and rest.” Who could resist all that?

Added to this list of recreational fun, in the winter the Shangri-La offered skiing. A rope tow was added along with a lighted slope by the late 1960’s. Although this was not a full-fledged ski resort, it added fun for guests who wanted a wintertime get-away in the Lakes Region.

With an extensive resort established, the Spanos family eventually sold the property in the spring of 1970. The new owners renamed the business the Brickyard Mountain Inn. One of the things added was extensive skiing on the property. The owners acquired snowmaking pumps and lights, and a new 1,357 ft. long Borvig double chairlift was installed, which greatly added to the size and capacity of skiing at the resort. According to www.newenglandskihistory.com, new trails were opened and night skiing was added. Those who wanted to try out skiing could sign up for lessons at the resort’s ski school, and rent equipment there as well. The ski area lasted about a decade before closing permanently in the early 1980’s.

The inn and property were sold in 1981 and in 2001. With 220 acres in Weirs Beach, the property was divided into several parcels and one became the Village at Winnipesaukee condominiums and another, Cedar Lodge. In 2004, the Meredith Bay housing development began construction on land in the area.

If you have memories and/or photos of a stay at the Shangri-La, The Laker welcomes them for a future story on this important Weirs Beach landmark. Please email to lkr@thelaker.com or pressreleases@thelaker.com.

(Thanks to Robert Ames, webmaster of weirsbeach.com, and The Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Museum for information for this article.)

Rustic Little Rumney

Day Tripping

Rustic Little Rumney

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

I had the best of intentions. I always do. It was clean-up-my-messy-house-day and I planned to get everything neat and tidy and spotless. It was time to put away the beach towels and coolers and sunscreen from my adult daughter’s recent four-day visit, among the chores to be completed around the house.

However, it didn’t happen, because I got thinking about Rumney. I remembered the old, rustic barn beside the road and the pretty landscape and the lure of maybe finding an antique shop as I had in the past.

You may well ask, “Why Rumney?” Why would I want to spend the day visiting a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it village?

First of all, I have very fond memories of the town from previous visits. Many years ago, on an autumn day, I discovered the rural treats that wait in Rumney. I can’t recall why I was driving through the area, but I took a turn off Rt. 25 into the village and found a shop that specialized in antique paper goods. They had some great old postcards and sheet msic. I had lunch at a nice restaurant and stopped by a pottery business. It was a beautiful fall day with bright sunshine and foliage, so wonderful that I always remembered it.

The lure of revisiting the town was strong, especially on a sunny summer’s day. The housework could wait, I told myself, because I wanted to also do some landscaping drawing and try out a new set of pastels I recently acquired. (I find drawing and painting outside in summer to be very relaxing and after all, everyone needs to relax now and then.) Rumney, with its rustic backroads and scenery would be a great place to get away from it all.

To reach Rumney from the Laconia area, I took Rt. 3/Daniel Webster Highway through Meredith to Bristol. I love the Bristol/Newfound Lake area, and on this day I was tempted to stop and relax lakeside, but I was on a bit of a mission to get to Rumney

Taking Rt. 3A from Bristol toward Bridgewater, I savored the road with its beautiful scenery and lake views. In Plymouth, I rounded the traffic circle toward Rumney, and soon passed Polar Caves on Rt. 25, an attraction that holds a special place for me, because it was where I took kids many m when they were little.

The road is considered a major route, but if you are looking to get away from it all and take in some pretty fields and mountain views, this is the place to be. My goal was to find that old barn (I never did, and I suspect it may have been razed), but as I drove into the village area off the main road, I immediately felt the peace and tranquility. The village green is pretty, with a little gazebo and benches and I thought what a nice spot it would be to relax during lunchtime…or anytime.

I decided, on a whim, to visit the Mary Baker Eddy House at 58 Stinson Road in Rumney. Again, it brought back fond memories of a previous visit some years ago when I toured the little Cape-style historic home with the property’s caretaker. This time, I noticed the open flag was flying in front of the little house and decided to stop. I was met at the front door by Cindy Love, the resident overseer of the property. Cindy invited me in and asked me to sign the guest book in the little entrance area where some books on Mary Baker Eddy and other items were for sale.

The last time I visited, I was given a brief bit of information on Mary and then taken on a tour. My visit lasted maybe a half-hour because the home is modest in size: A two-up and two-down sort of structure. This time, I spent about an hour and a half at the home, because Cindy gives an informative talk after inviting visitors into the parlor. Guests are told they may sit on any chair unless a ribbon is placed on the chair to indicate it is fragile. A family of four was also visiting and the two pre-teen daughters sat on the green silk fainting couch where Mary Baker would have once rested; I doubt if they had ever seen such a pretty but unusual sofa before!

Mary Baker Eddy's Rumney home

Cindy shared the story of Mary Baker Eddy and the many hardships and ill health Mrs. Eddy endured before, during and after the Civil War times. Although Rumney and the surrounding towns were busier back then, it was still a remote area and one can only imagine how lonely it may have been. Mary’s husband, a dentist, ran a practice from the room across the hall on the first floor. In such a small home, there was probably no other place for Mary to sit and sew and write and read than in the parlor. It was here that the dentist’s patients would wait for their appointment. Back then, a visit to the dentist likely meant pain and patients were understandably nervous. Mary was a comfort to many, offering a gentle, supportive presence that was a precursor to her later spiritual work.

After the talk, Cindy led me on a tour of the home, pointing out architectural features. We talked about what the original house would have been like, how Mary coped with life in the country and the ups and downs of living with her husband. (The dentist abandoned her and ran away with another woman; he returned and while she tried to make the marriage work, she eventually tired of his behavior.)

I was struck by the sense of quiet and the atmosphere of history in the home. Mary’s long struggles and ill health and eventual spiritual healing that led to the start of Christian Science were forming while in Rumney. Certainly, she went on to lead an exceptional life.

I asked Cindy, before I left, where the road in front of the house led, since I had never ventured further than Mary Baker Eddy’s home. She replied, “It leads to Stinson Lake and it’s just a few miles up the road.”

Stinson Lake

Intrigued, I decided to take a little adventure drive to see the lake. Although I have heard of Stinson Lake, I had no idea it was nearby and I was a bit surprised that there was a lake up there, as I drove up, up, up the hill. Eventually I came to the lake area, and it was a pretty little body of water with many cottages hugging its shores. I did not venture far, because a road crew was doing construction, and it would have made travel on that particular day a bit difficult. I plan to return in the fall to follow Stinson Lake Road to see where it leads in true day-tripping fashion.

I turned around and headed back down Stinson Lake Road and on a whim, decided to stop at the Rumney Village store for a snack. The store is just what you imagine a village country store to be: with a porch, and lots of locals shooting the breeze about all the local and national news.

Historically, the store was built in 1865, right about the time Mary Baker Eddy was finding her spiritual path. The store is a rarity: it is one of the few surviving examples of a late 19th-century village store. It was originally a residence with a blacksmith shop, and later became a store. Today, it still operates as a store where, if you live locally and realize you are out of milk or bread, you can stop at the Village Store. The store is located at 453 Main Street and also has art work and gifts.

I took my coffee and snack to the Rumney Common, which is nearby. It was hot in the mid-day sun, but the common was cool, surrounded by shade trees. I sat on a bench and soaked up the peace and quiet. Now and then, I could hear someone at a nearby house chatting with a neighbor over the back fence, and a car would rattle by on the road to Stinson Lake, but mostly it was just small-town quiet and serenity. It was just what I needed to relax and enjoy the beauty of the day.

The Byron Merrill LIbrary

Just around the corner, I spotted a large brick building and was a bit surprised that such a small town had an impressive structure for its library. I like to stop at small-town NH libraries now and then. I don’t have a library card at the many libraries I visit, but you can be assured most of them have some great architectural features and the Byron G. Merrill Public Library in Rumney did not disappoint. Located on Buffalo Road, the library also fronts Main Street and the common. Taking the entrance steps, I looked up at the very large stone columns on each side of doorway. Once inside, I saw the lobby area had lots of mellow woodwork and marble.

The 1904 library was designed in the Colonial Revival style, donated by Adelaide Merrill in honor of her father. Clearly, the Merrill family was one of wealth because the library cost $16,000 to build in its day, quite a large sum of money.

Byron G. Merrill was born in Rumney in 1834 and educated in local schools. When the Boston, Concord, Montreal rail line was surveyed, Merrill acted as rod man under the guidance of Josiah Quincy, another Rumney resident. In 1875, Merrill became superintendent of the mechanical department of the Gelena Oil Company in Franklin, Pennsylvania. He became one of the best qualified experts on lubricating oils and their proper use. He traveled and sold large quantities of oil. Merrill spent his last 30 years in Concord, NH, and was involved in municipal affairs.

A big book sale was taking place when I visited, and I came away with a few great books for bargain prices. While I was paying for my books, I asked the librarian to tell me a bit about the building and its history. She was eager to oblige and like any hard-working, dedicated librarian, she took me on a tour of the building. Every book shelf, every book and detail of the library was important to her and she also pointed out the handicap access area and then took me to see the lower level with another fascinating feature.

If you like to imagine what life was like in a remote, rural village many years ago, you will find the lower level area with a nice small stage area quite appealing. “What is a stage doing in a library?” I couldn’t help but ask. It seems it was once used by the local women’s club and other civic groups for poetry readings and meetings. I could just imagine a local ladies club in the early 1900s or even 1940, during the war years, gathering at the library to work on war-effort projects or getting together to discuss a book or poems, or even to put on a little play for the townspeople. The stage was modest in size, but had beautiful woodworking details. These days, the lower level is used for a teen room, probably appreciated by local kids as an after-school spot to study and gather. For information on the library, call 603-786-9520.

After leaving the library, I realized I had not gotten lost yet, which is a bit of a marvel for me. (I have a terrible sense of direction!). But that soon changed, when I thought I was taking the correct road back to Route 25. As I continued on Buffalo Road, I realized I was wrong. However, the road is the place where rock climbers and hikers convene to use the Rumney Rocks and Rattlesnake Mountain areas.

Rumney Rocks climbing area has two parking lots on the right-hand side of the road approximately one mile from the village intersection. The trailhead to Rattlesnake Mountain is about another 1.5 miles past these parking areas. It was too hot to go hiking on this day, and I was not dressed for such an activity (sandals vs. sneakers or hiking boots do not make for a good hike) but I plan to return with my adventure-loving son or daughter in the fall when the temps are cooler and foliage will create an added beauty to the landscape. For more information on the area, contact the White Mountain National Forest Headquarters at 603-536-6100.

View from Quincy Bog

As the afternoon wore on, I decided to head back from Rumney to explore the Quincy Bog Natural Area on Quincy Bog Road. I parked (there is a good parking area) and then took a nice walk towards the boardwalk over the bog. Trail stations are marked and give the history of the bog, the plant and animal life and other interesting information. There are many stations along the trail and this area is well worth visiting. Go to www.quincybog.org for more information.

Just when I thought my day trip jaunt was complete, I happened upon a gem of a farm stand/farm. Longview Farm at 175 Quincy Road in Plymouth was a must-visit stop, with its large farm stand area. The farmers were busy and I appreciated the wide range of vegetables with such unusual additions as lemon cucumbers (of course I had to purchase some of these), as well as fresh tomatoes and all sorts of veggies. I spied an extensive flower garden in the field and asked if they allowed customers to cut their own flowers. They were eager to let me do so, and I found myself in one of the largest, most beautiful floral gardens I have ever had the pleasure to find. After gathering my flowers and paying for them back at the stand, the owners of the farm gave me permission to park nearby and do some outdoor sketching of the gardens. It was a wonderful way to end my day before driving back through Plymouth and onto I-93 and eventually to the Laconia area.

Flower gardens at Longview Farm

While my housework was still there when I got home, the day trip escape to Rumney was just what I needed to relax and rejuvenate. Next winter, when the winds howl and the snow piles up around my door, I will pull out my photos of Rumney in all its summertime glory and remember Mary Baker Eddy and her little home and the beautiful town library, the rock cliffs, the bog and the farm stand. And those memories will make my rustic day trip to Rumney all worthwhile.

Estelle Parson and “Re-Entry: Actors Playing Jazz” in Wolfeboro

Estelle Parsons

Estelle Parson and “Re-Entry: Actors Playing Jazz” in Wolfeboro

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper 

A chat with Estelle Parsons is like a lesson in local history, conservation, childrearing, keeping healthy, race relations, the prison system, how to live a creative life, and a play called “Re-Entry: Actors Playing Jazz”.

Most people know Estelle as the feisty, blunt character she played on the wildly popular television show, “Roseanne”, and now, “The Connors”. There is also her Academy Award winning role as Blanche Barrow in the 1960s movie “Bonnie and Clyde”.

However, when you talk to Estelle, her movie-star status is not the first thing she wants to speak about. Rather, it is her lifetime of work in theatre and her love of live performance that is first and foremost in her thoughts.

A great deal of a conversation with Estelle is focused on a play in which she is deeply involved - “Re-Entry: Actors Playing Jazz”. The thought-provoking work will be presented on stage at the Village Players in Wolfeboro on August 23 and 24 (and also at the Bank of NH Stage in Concord on August 22). 

How did the play make its way to Wolfeboro, far from New York City, where it has been receiving great reviews? “I’ve been coming to Wolfeboro since I was four months old,” Estelle explains. “My grandfather had a farm here and my family has a long history in the area.” That history includes an association with the Village Players Theater in Wolfeboro. Thus, it seemed like the perfect place to perform “Re-Entry: Actors Playing Jazz”, which is directed by Estelle. 

It is a very different sort of play and you won’t see Estelle on the stage, but rather she will be speaking and answering questions with the cast at a Talk Back after the show. A synopsis of “Re-Entry: Actors Playing Jazz” is fairly straightforward: eight formerly incarcerated men come together after their release from long prison terms and start a theater group to help them stay on the “straight and narrow.” (Each developed a love of theater during their prison sentence.) Using free-form theatre, each man’s experiences outside the walls are explored, including how they feel about being free, and how they use their creative and theatrical work to transform their responses to society’s biases against them. The depth of each performance is anything but simple and straightforward. Estelle says the play covers race relations, prejudice, starting over, and trying to find a place in a world full of suspicion when it comes to those who have served prison time.

Estelle got involved in the play after visiting Sing-Sing Correctional Facility in New York State; she talked with prisoners and others there and heard many stories about what former-prisoners face when re-entering society. Although far removed from Estelle’s life as a well-known, Caucasian female actress, the very-human stories resonated.

She recalls having a meal with her extended family and explaining about the prison visit, the prisoner’s stories and the idea of a play. She says, with a wry smile, that she wasn’t too keen to do it at first. “I just wanted to get back to Shakespeare or other theatre that brought me joy and move away from how bleak and depressing the prisoner’s stories were.” Her niece, a public defender, challenged Estelle and told her she had to do the play even if it wasn’t the sort of thing she was used to tackling. Clearly, Estelle could not turn her back on the subject and soon, she had gathered a group of actors to perform “Re-Entry: Actors Playing Jazz.”

“The idea was that if we could take a play and perform it around the country, it might make people realize that former prisoners are human beings,” Estelle says. She says “Re-Entry: Actors Playing Jazz” is not really a play, but rather a piece utilizing a road map that allows the story to happen by itself. With five to eight male actors in the cast, the story is free form. Each actor plays a former prisoner telling his story of re-entry into society. 

“The premise of the play is that these guys form a theatre club to keep them out of trouble,” Estelle explains. “They aren’t memorizing a script but just getting up and performing. Some of the actors are telling the stories of their relatives in real life.”

Although Estelle is there to direct, she is modest about her role, saying the actors (or “the guys” as she fondly calls them), pretty much do the show without any needed direction. Estelle may downplay her part, but it is clear the work has become an impactful performance night after night, wherever it plays, because of her expertise and ability to bring the subject to theatregoers.

“We want to show that theatre is nourishment and also that the former prisoners are human beings. If everyone could see what I am witnessing with these actors; they have taken the work so much further and it is astonishing. Audiences love it and say it is riveting. For example, Alec Baldwin (the actor) keeps coming back to see the show because it is so good,” Estelle adds.

After the performance in Wolfeboro, there will be a Talk Back, with the cast and Estelle and Carroll County attorney Michaela Andruzzi answering audience questions. (The cast, all members of the Actors Studio, has numerous New York stage, TV and film credits. They are Leland Gantt, Ron Scott, Marcus Naylor, Javier Molina, Erick Betancourt, Ryan Johnson, Justin McManus and Victor Almanzar.)

“Re-Entry: Actors Playing Jazz” has become an important project for Estelle and she also mentions it coincides with the 400th anniversary of the start of slavery in Jamestown, Virginia. While this anniversary is certainly no “celebration”, it offers a moment of reflection for Estelle in how far we have come, and how far we still need to go concerning race relations and humanity. 

As the conversation continues, Estelle speaks of her love of the Lakes Region and her long history in Wolfeboro. And of course, that leads to talk of her family. Born and raised in Massachusetts, the family had the beloved farm in Wolfeboro. Estelle’s parents and other family members spent many summers in the Lakes Region. 

Estelle’s mother had hopes that her daughter would be a writer, and in some ways, that wish was realized. Early in her career, Estelle worked as a writer and producer for “The Today Show”. Also, Estelle was a talented singer and performer and that is the direction her career took her, with extensive work in theatre. One need only search online to find a long list of Estelle’s film and theatre credits, as well as her television work. 

Of all the performance work Estelle has done in her career, it is clear theatre is where her heart lies. Her talk is peppered with the names of plays and writers, and one realizes Estelle is deeply entrenched in theatre in all its forms. 

“When I was 4 years old,” she says, “I saw my first live theatre performance at the Barnstormers.” (The Barnstormers Theater is still in existence in Tamworth, NH today.) That early experience impressed the little girl. She saw how magical theatre could be and years later, she still believes theatre has the power to impact people’s lives. “As I have said, theater is a kind of nourishment,” she reflects. “You can’t get that nourishment any other way. It is important to me that it continue.”

In a conversation that spans her love of theatre to her belief we should conserve the Lakes Region for future generations to her role as a mother (“my kids are adults, but I find I still want to tell them what to do!” she laughs) and finally, to her excitement in bringing “Re-Entry: Actors Playing Jazz” to Wolfeboro, Estelle Parsons has no plans to slow down. And for that, we are all very lucky.

“Re-Entry: Actors Playing Jazz” will be at the Village Players Theater on Glendon Street in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire on Friday, August 23 and Saturday, August 24 at 7:30 pm. For tickets, visit www.village-players.com or call 603-569-9656.

Marvelous Meredith Historical Society

Day Tripping

Marvelous Meredith Historical Society

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

It’s a place I had always wanted to visit. The big display windows at the front of the building are chock full of interesting items. On view are intriguing things that made me want to see more, but I always seemed to be on my way elsewhere. 

Meredith Historical Society Museum

However, my luck changed on a hot July day when I was in Meredith and saw the open flag was out in front of the Meredith Historical Society Museum. 

I have been to many historical society museums all over the Lakes Region and beyond and I have to say they all are pretty good. My expectations are generally not too high when I visit these places, because I know they operate on minimal budgets, with mostly volunteer staff. However, each and every museum I have visited more than meets expectations and I am always surprised at the quality and depth of exhibits and the interesting items on display.

The Meredith Historical Society at 45 Main Street in Meredith is no exception. I was treated to a wonderful visit with each area, each wall space and display case full of interesting items. From an early mover and shaker in the development of the town to an exhibit of artwork by the town’s folk artist extraordinaire, the museum is a great place to visit.

Meredith Historical Society President, Karen Thorndike, greeted me and she was eager to show me what is on display this summer and to share the unusual and fun tidbits of information about the town over the years.

“This building was once the town’s post office and in the 1960s and 70s, it was an auto museum. Our current exhibits encompass two floors and we also offer an area where people can do genealogy research,” said Karen. 

She had a lot to say about Seneca Ladd, the founder of local Meredith Village Savings Bank. He did a tremendous amount of good for the town and there is a display with photos of Seneca, his wife and other items that help tell the story of life as it once was in Meredith. He lived from 1819 to 1892 and had a manufactory of pianofortes and melodeons in the building that is now the Historical Society’s museum. An old photograph on display shows the stately home where Ladd resided and it is a large, beautiful building. A charming painting depicts the SA Ladd building in winter, with horses and wagons parked outside. In the background is what I assume to be Ladd’s home and just up the hill, a whitewashed typical New England church. 

Seneca seems like someone we would all have enjoyed knowing. He had a deep interest in all sorts of things, and among them was our earth; he was known as an amateur geologist and archeologist. In an old photo, he appeared to be an imposing figure, with thick, unruly hair and piercing eyes. Skilled in all sorts of things, Ladd noticed his employees in the manufactory were not the best at managing their money. He decided to start a mutual savings bank to help people organize and save money; in 1869 Ladd and some associates opened Meredith Village Savings Bank. The bank’s safe remains in the building today and is a unique part of the museum. Among the collection at the museum is a melodeon made by the Seneca Ladd Manufacturing Company. It is on display at the museum. 

Drawing of townsman Caleb Towle

One of the things I love about the museum is the homage paid to the town’s unusual citizens. One such citizen, who is highlighted in a display space on the second floor, is Caleb Towle. Hardworking Caleb was born in 1767 and owned a property called Caleb’s Clearing in Meredith. He built a log cabin on the land and later, a frame house. Caleb and his brother were among those who signed an early petition to have “Centre-Harbour” broken off from New Hampton. This was done in 1797 and Caleb was later among the 11 original members of the Centre Harbor Congregational Church. But it was Caleb’s unusual size - it is said he weighed about 515 pounds - that created his local fame. He stood 5 feet, 10 inches and a special chair was made to accommodate his size. Caleb was beloved in the town and was known as a hardworking, active citizen with a “jovial spirit.” In a display at the museum, there is a drawing of Caleb, decked out in his finery and nearby, a pair of very large trousers it is said he once wore.

Perhaps my favorite display was the paintings on the stairwell going to the second floor. My eye was immediately drawn to the folk-art style of the paintings, some landscapes and some portraits. Karen, when asked, told me about the artist, Freda Weeks. It seems Freda used her considerable art talent to capture in her paintings, a variety of local people. My absolute favorite was a painting of a little elderly lady wearing a fine hat with a large feather. It is an absolute gem of a picture, as is the portrait of a local man smoking a pipe. “Freda was a Meredith artist and she passed away over 20 years ago. She painted local scenes, such as a church, the village and even the dump!” said Karen. 

Admittedly, I was fascinated with Freda and later searched the internet for information on the local woman. I found some information about her, and the most interesting was an article in the Boston Globedated 1949. There was a photo of an attractive Freda sitting in front of her painting called “Christ Blessing Little Children.” The painting, the article related, was to be unveiled at a Palm Sunday Boston church service. 

Elsewhere in the museum, a display of Dudley Leavitt was also interesting. Dudley, who lived from 1772 to 1851, was born in New Hampshire. By the time he moved to Meredith, he was a teacher and farmer. As if that wasn’t enough, Dudley began publishing Leavitt’s Farmers Almanack, among the nation’s earliest farmer’s almanacs. As can be imagined, the almanac was very popular with farmers all over the area.

Dudley Leavitt

Dudley was quite an asset to Meredith and he is given a good spot in the museum where his story continues to be told for everyone. He was as much a mover and shaker in the town as Seneca Ladd; Dudley also opened and ran a school and taught until he was elderly. It was a matter of pride for former students to say they had been educated at Leavitt’s school.

The list of items in this special museum is way too numerous to include in one story. If you like unusual items that speak of the origins of a town, you can’t go wrong with a visit to the Meredith Historical Society Museum. And if you like the “real” stories of locals, such as Caleb, Dudley, Seneca and Freda and how they lived, this is the place to learn more.

The Society also has a charming barn museum called the Farm Museum/Pottle Meeting House located at 61 Winona Road and open Saturdays until Columbus Day from noon to 4 pm.

The Main Street Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday until Columbus Day weekend from 11 am to 4 pm.

For more information, call 603-279-1190 or visit www.mhsweb.org.

Outdoor Bandstand Concerts ... Free and Oh So Fun

Outdoor Bandstand Concerts ... Free and Oh So Fun

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

Free, fun, family-friendly and musical. You just can’t go wrong with a summer bandstand concert. If you like that idea, you have many from which to choose. Free outdoor bandstand concerts are taking place all over the Lakes Region this summer. Grab a lawn chair or blanket for seating/relaxing and sit back for some great music; many concert series also offer concessions so you can get a snack and drink while enjoying the music.

Moulton’s Band summer concert.

If you want to experience a true town band, attend summer concerts by Moulton’s Band, the oldest continuous band in New Hampshire. Now celebrating its 130th year, the band offers free outdoor bandstand concerts the second, third and fourth Wednesdays in July and August, rotating at three locations. Those bandstand locations are The Baptist Church on Rt. 132; Mountain View bandstand on Steele Hill Rd., and the Town Square Bandstand on Tower Hill Rd. The concerts are at 7 pm and refreshments are sold during the shows. Visit Moulton’s Band Facebook page for updates and a schedule. New band members of all ages and abilities are welcome.

The Weirs Community Park offers free outdoor concerts in July and August. On July 20, The Bel Airs will be the entertainment and on August 2, Saxx Rox takes to the stage. Performances are at 6 pm and are free; bring a lawn chair or blanket for outdoor seating. Call 603-524-5046 for further information.

In the Laconia area, the bandstand in Rotary Park on Beacon Street East is the place to be for a series of great free outdoor concerts. The Belknap Mill has coordinated the concert series, and the Mill is located right next to the park. In the event of rain, concerts will be held inside the Mill on the third floor. Bring a lawn chair or blanket for seating. On July 19, the Michael Vincent Band takes to the bandstand, followed by Crescendo’s Gate on July 27; Club Soda on August 2; Great Bay Sailor on August 30, and the Rockin’ Daddios on Sept. 6. Concerts are from 6 to 8 pm. Call 603-524-8813 for details.

Stop by Gilford Village field for some good, old-fashioned band music performed by the Gilford Community Band on Wednesdays, July 17, July 31, and August 14. Concerts take place in the Weeks Bandstand and all are welcome to attend. Please bring a lawn chair or blanket for seating, then relax and enjoy the music. The band will present an eclectic mix of patriotic marching tunes, popular music, and classical selections. In case of rain, the concert will be at the Gilford Performing Arts Center in the high school. For more information, contact Lyvie Beyrent at lbeyrent@sau73.org.

The little town of Hebron near Newfound Lake offers a popular gazebo concert series each summer. The concerts are a bit unique, because a different business or organization does a barbecue/food during a concert. On July 13, Club Soda performs with a barbecue by Hebron Store; July 20 will see Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki performing Celtic music with an ice cream social by Friends of the Hebron Library, and Lunch at the Dump band with barbecue by Hebron Village Store takes place on August 3. A Family Fun Day on Aug. 17 will feature events all day with John Irish Duo and Don Campbell Band in the evening, followed by a fireworks display. For information, call 603-744-3335.

Also in the Newfound Lake area, Bristol is celebrating its bicentennial this summer and offers a lot of happenings. Among those events are the free concerts at the Kelley Park Concert Pavilion each Thursday from 6:30 to 8 pm. On July 11, Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki performs; on July 18 the Country Mile Band is scheduled, followed by Studio Two Beatles Tribute Band on July 25; Uncle Steve Band on August 1; the fun Back Shed String Band on August 15 and Honest Millie on August 22. On August 8 plan to attend the 67th annual Penny Sale at Newfound Regional High School at 6:30 pm.

The Alan and Savina Hartwell Memorial Free Summer Concerts at Tilton Island Park’s bandstand on Main Street in Tilton are beloved in the area. This is the 27th year of the concert series; shows are free and in memory of Alan and Savina Hartwell. Savina was a talented professional singer and her husband, Alan, worked tirelessly to present the concerts in her memory each year until his passing. His family carries on the organization of the concerts. Show run from 6 to 8:30 pm. On July 14, Doo Wop All Stars take to the bandstand; July 21 brings Club Soda; July 28 will feature 60s Invasion, with East Bay Big Band on August 4; Soultown Band on August 11; August 18 sees the Bel Aires and A Salute to our Veterans with Annie & the Orphans rounds out the season on August 25. Please bring your own blanket or lawn chair for seating. No alcohol is allowed. Concerts are free but donations are appreciated. Performances are weather permitting and subject to cancellation in the event of bad weather. Call 603-286-3000 for updates and more information.

In Tuftonboro, an outdoor concert series is a popular mid-week happening in the Lakes Region. Spearheaded by the Tuftonboro Parks and Recreation committee, the free Summer Concerts at the Pavilion take place in a beautiful lakeside setting at 19 Mile Bay Beach Pavilion on Bay Road in Tuftonboro. Granite Planet will perform on July 11, followed by Big Picture Band on July 18; The Wooden Nickels Band will perform on July 25; on August 30 it will be Not30, and on August 8 the popular Carolyn Ramsay Band will entertain. Shows begin at 6:30 pm; bring a lawn chair or blanket for seating. Visit www.tuftonboro.org. for information.

Alton Bay is a fun place in the summer months. The bandstand at water’s edge is the location for a group of outdoor summer concerts that are free and just steps from all kinds of dining. There is docking nearby and the concerts take place each Saturday starting at 7 pm. The lineup includes July 13: Chippy and the Ya Ya’s; July 20: Shana Stack Band; July 27: Bittersweet; August 3: East Bay Jazz Ensemble; August 10: Blacklite Band; August 17: Chris Bonoli; August 24: Saxx Roxx. You can bring a lawn chair or blanket for seating. Also, the beloved Barbershop weekend will take place on August. 17 at 2 pm with a Harmony Jamboree at the Alton Bay Bandstand. On August 17 at 7:30 pm, the Barbershop Harmony Jamboree begins at 7:30 pm at Prospect Mountain High School in Alton (242 Suncook Valley Rd.).

In the summer, the Center Harbor Parks and Recreation Band Concert Series performs in the town bandstand near the Fire Station. There is plenty of lawn space for concertgoers to spread out a blanket or bring a lawn chair for seating. Concerts take place Fridays on July 12, 19, 26, August 2 and August 9 at 7 pm. Rain dates are the day following the scheduled concerts. Practice for each concert takes place at 6 pm, an hour before each scheduled show. Guest concerts include: August 16 with Michelle Canning Band, banjo and bluegrass from 6:30-8:30 pm; August 23: Moose Mountain Jazz Band and August 30: Annie and the Orphans. All guest concerts will be held in the fire station in case of rain. Visit the Center Harbor Parks and Recreation at www.centerharbornh.org for information.

The Friends of the Wolfeboro Community Bandstand will present a season of concerts in the park each Saturday in July and August in the bandstand in Cate Park in Wolfeboro from 7 to 9 pm. The concerts are free to the public, though a pass-the-bucket offering is taken at intermission for those wishing to support the Friends of the Wolfeboro Community Bandstand, who continue to bring free, quality entertainment to Wolfeboro each summer. The concerts, featuring a variety of musical talent, take place in the pretty gazebo in the park. Boat docking is nearby. Concerts start at 7 pm and the schedule will feature (weather permitting): July 13 – Freese Brothers Big Band; July 20 – Strafford Wind Symphony; July 27 – Studio Two: Beatles Legacy; August 3: New Legacy Swing Band; August 10: Michael Vincent Band; August 17: Seldom Playrights; August 24: Acoustic Radio and August 31 – Yardbird Temple. For information, visit the Friends of the Community Bandstand Facebook page. In the event of bad weather, the concert will be cancelled. A sign will be posted at the park entrance near town docks and updates will be posted at wolfeborobandstand.org.

A free outdoor concert series will be held in Franklin’s Marceau Park on Central Street in July and August. The concerts will entertain area residents and visitors with a great variety of musical styles. This year's lineup includes: July 16, Don Bartenstein; Li’l Penny Band on July 23; Bryan Conway on July 30; Bow Junction on August 6; The Tim & Dave Show on August 13 and Bend the Ride on August 20. All concerts begin at 5 pm. Please bring a blanket or lawn chair for seating. In case of rain, the concerts will move to the Franklin Opera House (City Hall). For more information, contact the Franklin Opera House at 603-934-1901.

(For questions and updates and possible cancellations of concerts, please check with each presenting organization listed in this story.)

Woodsy and Wonderful: Field Fine Art Studio

Woodsy and Wonderful: Field Fine Art Studio

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

The days of summer are fleeting, and when the forecast calls for sun and warm temperatures, one must take advantage and explore unknown areas. 

Thus it was that I decided to drive to the Sandwich, New Hampshire area for a hike on a trail that looked like fun. I never explored the trail - I got wonderfully distracted when I instead discovered Kathryn Field Fine Art Studio on a quiet country road in Sandwich. (A sign on the rural road announcing a yard sale or farm stand or shop are like magnets to me. If someone who lives way out in the country has taken the time to create a shop, I am always appreciative enough to stop out of curiosity. But as a lover of art, I certainly could not resist a sign pointing to a side road for an art studio.)

As I traveled through the pretty little village of Sandwich, I drove by the Tappan Chair shop (another great place), and continued on to Taylor Road. This is a beautiful area with rolling fields, old farmhouses and that rural tranquility I so appreciate. 

I was looking for a particular hiking trail and didn’t much care if I got a bit lost because the nice, sunny afternoon stretched before me. That is when I spotted a colorful sign in the shape of an artist’s palette with the words “Field Fine Art”. On impulse I made a turn and headed down a side road even deeper into the woods, which led to a wonderful art studio and the multi-talented Kathryn Field, who is the epitome of a busy, working artist.

Artist Kathryn Field

Kathryn maintains a studio in a building adjacent to the home she shares with her husband in the private setting. If one wanted to get away from it all way out in the woods, this would be how to do it. And yet, Kathryn is anything but a hermit. Her studio is often filled with students taking the variety of workshops she offers to the public.

On the day I visited, Kathryn was busy in her studio preparing for an upcoming exhibit. She met me in the yard with a welcoming smile and an invitation to come to the studio. Admittedly, my visit was a bit unusual in that I just happened upon the place, but it is advisable to call ahead (contact information at the end of this story). Luckily Kathryn had the time on this particular day to show me her artwork and explain about the summer workshops she is gearing up to present.

Kathryn’s studio is a huge, bright space with a tall ceiling where she works on a variety of projects. It is also where students can spread out with supplies to do watercolors, prints and drawings when taking a class.

When I visited, Kathryn was working on a large oil painting of sun filtering through trees. It was a beautiful painting and she said it is for her upcoming exhibit at the Museum of the White Mountains in Plymouth, New Hampshire. 

The walls are filled with Kathryn’s paintings and here and there a sculpture is placed, showing the range of her art skills. “I was educated at Temple University's Tyler School of Art, and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison,” she explained. “I started as a jeweler but switched to sculpture.” 

Sculpture was clearly her first love and she taught sculpture and design at Ohio State University, Washington University in St. Louis, the School of the Chicago Art Institute, Western Michigan University and Lake Forest College. After moving to New Hampshire, Kathryn was a lecturer in art at Plymouth State College and taught for many years at the Holderness School.

“I have been painting for 20 years,” she explained. “First I did watercolors and then oils.” For two years, Kathryn lived in Australia, where she was fortunate to study with talented painters. During that time, she also taught and she speaks of her time in Australia with great fondness.

After returning to the United States, Kathryn lived and worked in Sandwich. Teaching has always been part of her life, with a desire to share and pass on the skills she has to others who want to create. “We moved to Sandwich full time in 1999,” she said. “The land is a family property and we built our house and the studio here. I was working on commissions and thought that my studio seemed really big for just me, so I decided to open it up for workshops.”

The studio is indeed perfect for classes, but Kathryn includes use of the beautiful property surrounding her home and studio as well. She invited me to take a walk and I soon saw why this would be a more-than-perfect place for plein air painting. The large flower garden, and the soft green lawns around the home, offer a variety of scenic spots any artist would love. An old stone wall runs along the back of the property, and in the distance more fields seem to roll on to meet the mountains.

“When it’s nice weather my students can set up outside or if it’s rainy, they can paint on the screened porch of my house,” Kathryn told me. I spotted a large sculpture at the edge of the field and asked her about it. “Let’s go take a look,” she invited. Near the stone wall is placed a large sculpture that Kathryn created, titled “Balance”. It is modern and graceful and yet fits well in the wooded setting.

Kathryn works full time as an artist and has crafted a life anyone would envy, but she has achieved it by dedication to her art practice and a willingness to focus solely on art and teaching. “A typical day for me is exercising in early morning and then getting right into the studio for six or seven hours.” It might sound like fun and games, but in reality it is hard work to maintain that focus and skill to complete not just any painting, but rather to create successful, top-notch works of art. Along with painting, Kathryn puts time into marketing her work and creating and publicizing the workshops she offers throughout the year.

The workshops are well-thought-out and geared for areas of art her students wish to explore. “Usually the classes are made up of six to eight people. This gives everyone room to spread out and get lots of individual attention. I have a number of returning students and some are summer people from as far away as New York and North Carolina,” said Kathryn.

This summer, she is offering a variety of classes, including a Watercolor Portraits Workshop on July 2 and 3 and also on July 26 and 27; Landscapes in Watercolor on July 18 or July 6 and 7; an August class will be offered on August 13 and 14. Handmade and Altered Books will take place on July 23; Introduction to Printmaking is scheduled for July 11 or July 21. The nice thing about these classes is that all materials are provided. Students only need to bring their lunch, which is a relaxed meal on Kathryn’s porch or outside if the weather is fine.

With the skills of a true, dedicated teacher, Kathryn has taught students as young as age three and as elderly as age 94. “I like to say I can teach anyone to draw,” she added with a smile.

Off site, she spends a lot of time teaching as well. This summer, she will be at the Sandwich Children’s Center to teach clay and collage classes. At the Center Sandwich Fine Craft Gallery at Sandwich Home Industries she will be offering a Drawing Animals and Nature class on July 28.

Surrounded by the beauty of fall foliage on Kathryn’s property, autumn workshops will offer a wonderful time of year to take a watercolor or other class; Kathryn also offers private classes for those who cannot attend the scheduled workshops.

Along with her busy teaching life, Kathryn works daily on her own art and is represented by Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery in Center Sandwich, and Brothers Gallery in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. She is currently busy with work to be shown in a November 5 to December 13 exhibit at the Museum of the White Mountains, titled “Walking in the Whites: A Poet/Painter Dialogue”. Kathryn’s visual art will be shown with the poetry of Tim Muskat. Visitors will experience a sense of place, through poetry and paintings focused on the experience of the White Mountains. An opening reception will take place on November 5 from 4 to 6 pm.

Upcoming this summer, Kathryn will also be a featured stop on a unique Summer Garden Tour. The July 20 event is presented by Cackleberries Garden & Gift Shop and will run from 9 am to 3 pm. Nine beautiful gardens in Sandwich and Holderness will be on the tour, with proceeds from the admission price going to two local charities. This will be a great chance to see Kathryn’s garden and also to visit her studio. (For tickets, visit www.cackleberriesgardencenter.com.) 

The days of summer are indeed fleeting. When a nice summer or fall day is upon us, put aside your chores and just get in the car and drive. You might find yourself on a rural road with someone interesting waiting to share their shop with you. And if you are exceptionally fortunate, you might find yourself in a wooded, wonderful place where creativity is encouraged and the world of art awaits.

For information on classes and Kathryn’s art, visit https://fieldfineart.weebly.com/, email KathrynFieldFineArt@gmail.com or call 603-273-1326.

Remembering the Civil War at the Tamworth History Center

Remembering the Civil War at the Tamworth History Center

Story & photos Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

If you want to learn about the Civil War, there are thousands of books on the subjects. They give facts and figures, such as how many men perished in which battles, and the dates and names of camps and officers.

But if you want to know the human side of the war, and how it crept into the lives of local people, you won’t want to miss a visit to the Tamworth History Center on 25 Great Hill Road in Tamworth. (The road is in the downtown area, quite near the Barnstormer’s Theatre.)

The Laker often gets press information from the History Center and I have been curious about what the place might offer. On a blustery Friday in June, I decided to venture off Route 25 (I was on my way to North Conway) and visit the Tamworth History Center. I was aware they were presenting an exhibit this summer on the Civil War and also gathering information from anyone who had a relative from Tamworth who fought in that war. 

A call to the Center put me in touch with Bob McLean, curator. Although the Center was not open on that particular Friday, Bob was available and happily met me to talk about the Civil War project and to show me around the exhibit.

Before we toured the exhibit, Bob filled me in on some history of the building and the Tamworth History Center’s origins. “The Tamworth Historical Society formed in 1952,” he explained. “From the start, it was an active group. In around 2012, I joined. A few years ago, it was suggested we change the name from the Tamworth Historical Society to the Tamworth History Center, because we are more than a historical society. We also focus on education and involvement with the village.”

The group purchased a house in the center of the village that dates from 1830. It had a number of owners over the years, and was used as a residence, offices and apartments through the decades. When the History Center acquired the building, it needed repairs as many old structures do. The group targeted a part of the building - the first-floor entrance and exhibit rooms - to renovate with plans to renovate other parts of the building in the future. The result is a wonderful, bright and welcoming space with polished wood floors and great exhibit areas. 

“We finished the repairs and opened in 2016,” Bob explained. “Our first summer, we had an eclectic mix/theme on exhibit. Last year, we presented an exhibit of White Mountain artists, which was very popular. This year, we will be offering the exhibit on Tamworth in the Civil War.”

It is a far-reaching subject, but the exhibit manages to educate about the overall effects of the war, and the battles. It also goes well beyond those facts and offers us a look at how the terrible conflict impacted local families. In large part, we now know the local, human-interest side of the Civil War due to Bob and the work he has done on the subject.

It turns out Bob is a treasure trove of Civil War information, and he is just the kind of person I relish speaking with; he makes local history come alive not by statistics, but rather by relating stories of real people. When Bob and his wife moved to Tamworth in 1996, he found himself in an area steeped in history. 

“I was in a ‘Civil War mood’ and I studied the names of local soldiers on the town’s Civil War monument,” Bob said. (These are men who perished in the war.) 

That was the beginning of a project that brought all sorts of information to light as Bob researched names and families and when men left Tamworth to fight far away. “I studied the names on the monument and it grew from there,” he says. 

In sharing information on the Civil War and Tamworth, Bob began by saying that each town had a draft requirement goal to meet. Recruiting offices sprang up in each town, and local men knew they would each be given a $300 payment when signing up. (The payment was split into two installments of $150 each, and was something much needed by many struggling families.) Most men who joined up were in their 20s and 30s, with the oldest being in their 40s. 

After signing up, the men received orders of where to go and were given free passage on a railroad to get to the training camps. “Each state had training camps,” Bob said. “And by the way, we cannot discount the impact the railroads had on the war. The north had a lot of railroads, making it easier to move troops. The south had fewer railroads.”

Civil War uniforms in the exhibit.

In doing his research, Bob gathered a lot of information and decided to write up what he discovered. He did research at the local library and traveled all over Tamworth to locate cemeteries and the final resting places of those who fought in the Civil War. His work was extensive and he started to divide up the information, such as local Tamworth doctors in the war, the recruiting system, the battles fought, etc. This included the names, and it is the names of real, local people that bring home to us the impact of the war.

“I found a lot of interesting information,” Bob agreed. “Some of it was unexpected, such as the story of David M. Gilman from Tamworth. Actually, that is new information, and I just learned about it three months ago.”

David Gilman started his service in the Civil War as a private. He was wounded and sent home to Tamworth to recover. In 1864, he was healthy enough to return to duty and made a captain. It was then that he oversaw men from the “U.S. Colored Troops”. (The name “Colored” is considered offensive today, but was typical wording of the Civil War time period.) The troops was comprised of about 200,000 former slaves and free men, all of whom were non-white. All of the officers were white, and Bob shook his head when he says, “In tough battles, the ‘Colored Troops’ were sent in first.” Gilman survived and returned to Tamworth. 

It makes one wonder how a man from a non-integrated place such as tiny Tamworth would have handled the command. Had he ever seen a non-white person before the war? Did he make friends among the soldiers under his command? How did those troops feel about Gilman? There is no way to know, but Bob’s research brings the human side of the war front and center.

I asked Bob why Tamworth men signed up for a conflict so very far away. Most had no experience with slavery, so was it the reason they fought? Bob said, “I think they really believed slavery was wrong. And also, President Lincoln was a master of persuasion.”

As we began to tour the Civil War exhibit, Bob stopped at a glass case holding old photo portraits of a young husband and wife. He said this is a poignant story of the war, and relates that the couple were from Tamworth. “The man was Ira Blake and the young woman was Lucy Blake,” he told me. Lucy had a great skill as a writer and when Ira was fighting far away in the war, she wrote to him constantly. 

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Lucy Blake, wife of Tamworth Civil War soldier.

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Tamworth resident, Ira Blake, a Civil War soldier.

Ira was a sharp shooter and was wounded in 1864. The couple had a 1 ½ year old child, and Lucy left the baby in the care of relatives so she could travel to the hospital in Alexandria, Virginia to nurse her husband. She was a kindly person and while caring for Ira, she stepped in and also helped care for other wounded soldiers. What she must have seen after her quiet life in rural Tamworth one can only guess. She did write of her experiences while there; sadly, Ira died from his wounds in the fall of 1864. She returned to Tamworth and waited for her husband’s body to be transported home for burial. Lucy never remarried, but her journals are part of the exhibit and bring home just one story of the hardships of war. 

“The librarians at the Cook Library here in Tamworth were very moved by the story of Ira and Lucy and they put on a reading using the couple’s letters. I must tell you that by the end of the presentation, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” said Bob.

Many of the wonderful items in the exhibit are from the collection of Jim Sutherland, who grew up in Tamworth. A partial list of items on display are two military uniforms of Union soldiers, old photographs, gear for a typical soldier, including a tin cup and plate and crude utensils, and guns and swords. 

Whether you are from Tamworth or just visiting the area on vacation, the exhibit is a must-see. And if you had a relative from Tamworth who served in the Civil War, the Tamworth History Center members would love to hear from you. Information from the Center asks, “Do you and your family have photos, belongings, or stories passed down, relating to a Tamworth ancestor who served in the Civil War, or to life in town in the 1860s? We want to tell the stories of Tamworth veterans’ families who still live here. Did your ancestor return home after the war? Did he move west, with or without family members? How else did his experience affect the family? Did your family farm here languish, or grow? Did your forbears start new ventures further west? If you answered yes to any of these questions, Bob McLean, and Becca Boyden, Chris Clyne and Michelle Longley want to hear from you. (Becca specializes in curating family genealogies and stories. Michelle is a researcher and exhibit designer.)

Contact via email: tamworthhistorical@gmail.com.

Exterior of the Tamworth History Center.

From a young man who traveled far away and commanded a group of former slaves to the story of a young couple forever separated by war, the stories of the Civil War live on. The exhibit at the Tamworth History Center ensures that we remember those who served and their very human stories.

The Tamworth History Center is open Memorial Day to Columbus Day on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 4 pm. During July and August, the Center also is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Call 603-323-2911 for information.

Back on the Trail at the Science Center

Back on the Trail at the Science Center

Story and photos by Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

We’ve all heard the saying that you’re never too old to learn something new. I never thought much about that philosophy until a recent visit to the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness.

For years, the Science Center was the place I took my son and daughter in the summer and fall. Especially in the summer, the Science Center held great appeal because we could be outside and walk a nice trail and see lots of animals we could never hope to observe otherwise. 

Now that my kids are grown and living and working elsewhere I have not had as many opportunities to spend an afternoon at the Science Center. But when my daughter Megan called and said she was coming home for a visit a few weeks ago, she mentioned she really wanted to go to the Science Center. I think it holds a lot of great memories for her, as well offering a place for a nice, long walk on the trail. 

She chose well because the weather on the Thursday we made our way to Holderness was sunny and breezy. The June sky was bright blue and full of fluffy clouds, making it a perfect Lakes Region day for any outdoor activity.

We found ample parking in the large lot and made our way to the gift shop for tickets. The first thing I always noticed and something that impressed me is how clean and beautiful everything is at the Center. The buildings remind me of visiting an Adirondack style home, and they fit well in the wooded setting. There is no trash as on trails I have taken in other places, and I believe those who visit are respectful of the fact that this is a place animals reside. The animals deserve to live in a good, safe environment and the Science Center is truly a place where they come first, which is as it should be.

Charming sculpture at Kirkwood Garden

We started our walk on the Live Animal Exhibit Trail at the Wood Energy building/area where we learned some information about wood burning and energy. Next was the Life Underground building, where we saw displays on microscopic creatures that live under the soil. It seems these creatures grind, tear, and shred dead plants, which is very helpful. Their work decomposes plant and animal material and recycles nutrients, which all helps with air and moisture. (This was something of which I was completely unaware.)

There was also information on the burrows that chipmunks need to thrive. Although humans are unaware, chipmunks live under ground and create tunnels and passageways that are three or more feet deep. It is here they have shelter, and it is where they raise their young and are protected from predators.

We also got information in this area of the trail on bats and the dreaded White Nose Syndrome that can devastate the bat population. (There is information on what you can do to help the bats, such as building a bat house in your yard and planting a pollinator garden to attract food for bats.)

The Water Matters Pavilion is a beautiful space that fits into the wooded setting. Inside the building there are huge aquariums with all sorts of fish, and displays about the water cycle and ice on the lakes and ponds. Also included is information about loons and the industrious beaver population. 

Before we entered the next portion of the trail, with live animals in natural enclosures, there was a large sign with a headline asking, “Why Do We Exhibit Native Wildlife?” It is worth sharing some of that information, so the reader understands the Science Center philosophy. “We view these animals as ambassadors for their species and exhibit them in natural settings so visitors can appreciate their beauty, observe their behavior, and better understand their lives.”

If you have wondered where the animals come from, the sign also explains, “Most of the animals exhibited at the Science Center are here because they are unable to survive in the wild. Some are orphans and cannot take care of themselves. Others were injured and are unable to catch their food or escape from predators.”

The coyote display gives all sorts of fascinating facts about the animal. We are shown coyote tracks and given a device to listen to the call of the coyote. The natural enclosure offers the coyote a huge space with a large glass observation window. It gives us a chance to see the animals at a distance, but close enough to really observe these animals in a natural setting.

Next was information on moose (and a giant moose carving in the greenery that was pretty realistic!), and fox and fisher cats. 

Out of everything we saw on the trail, our favorite hands-down was the bobcat and mountain lion areas. I was interested to see how similar the bobcat is in its mannerisms to a house cat, although I am quite sure it would be a different story to confront one of the majestic creatures! 

The majestic Mountain Lion

The most fascinating animal we saw and the place we spent the most time was at the mountain lion area. We were visiting in the afternoon, and many of the animals were taking a post-lunchtime rest, as was the mountain lion. But the huge animal opted to take its rest at the front of its natural enclosure, leaning up against the window. We got to see the animal up close, although separated by the thick glass. Words can hardly describe what it was like to watch this animal as it dozed in the sun so close to us. We were amazed at how huge its paws are and how easy it would be for such an animal to fight off a predator with a swipe of a paw. When you get close enough to such an animal that you can see its eyelashes, you see nature without a filter. It was mesmerizing and we quietly watched the mountain lion. The animal was so relaxed that it sprawled on a rock and now and then opened its eyes to gaze at us.

We have always loved the deer enclosure and the chance to observe these gentle creatures and this day was no exception. Two deer were snoozing in one spot while another grazed on some grass. In the nearby building we learned a lot about deer and their life cycle. 

Not far away, we opted to get off the trail and headed to Kirkwood Gardens, also part of the Science Center. The gardens are open to the public and were looking beautiful on the sunny June day we stopped by. 

Turkey vulture

Back on the trail, visiting the otter area brought back many fond memories; my kids, when young, loved this area. Because of the clever way the otter area was built, visitors can watch the otters as they swim and then surface to rest on the rocks. The water tank can be viewed through the glass and visitors get to see the otters as they swim under water as well as on the water’s surface. There is a fun kiddie slide in this area as well, and it is always a favorite with youngsters.

We were very impressed with the fairly new Interactive Playscape and Megan commented that if she were still a kid, she would love to spend all day in the natural playground area. There was a slide, rope course, things to balance and climb on, and much more. (Any kid who visits the Science Center will get quite a workout here!)

The Gordon Children’s Center was in place when my kids were young and I was glad to see it still is on the trail. It also brought back fond memories with exhibits on two floors and lots to see and do.

Then it was on to the fascinating Black Bear area. We observed from the vantage point of the top floor of a building, two black bears in their huge natural enclosure below. One was dozing and across the huge enclosed outdoor area, the other was walking around and seemed to be more interested in exploring than taking a nap. Again, seeing these animals up close is quite a fascinating experience.

Last on the tour was the raptor area with lots of information about owls and other raptors. Viewing was through large glass enclosures and it was quite something to see the creatures, ranging from Turkey Vultures to an owl and others.

We walked over the pretty marsh boardwalk area and by a field and were soon back at the entrance. No visit is complete without a stop in the Howling Coyote Gift Shop, where we shopped for everything from books, stuffed animals, and so much more.

If you are visiting the Lakes Region for a vacation, no matter what your age, or if you are a year round resident like me who “just hasn’t been to the Science Center” in a while, I urge you to visit this summer or fall. Every time I return, I learn something new and see it all as if for the first time.

Megan commented that she has decided to make a trip to the Science Center an annual event. I suspect it is because it brings back so many fond childhood memories, as well a realization that although her little-kid days are past, she is never, ever too old to learn something new.

Another reason to visit this summer is a new exhibit called Dinosaurs Alive! It will feature five spectacular, gigantic, animatronic dinosaurs that look, move, and sound like the real thing – and one even spits! Visitors will be able to see the Dinosaurs Alive! exhibit for a limited time, from July 1 through September 30, in natural settings along the live animal exhibit trail. Dinosaurs Alive! is included in regular trail admission and free for members. 

The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center is located on 23 Science Center Road in Holderness. It is open daily from May 1 through November 1, 9:30 am to 5 pm (last admission is at 3:30 pm). For information, call 603-968-7194 or visit www.nhnature.org.

Motorcycles as Fine Art - the Paintings of Stephen Hall

Motorcycles as Fine Art - the Paintings of Stephen Hall

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

An iconic scene known to many who attend Motorcycle Week as interpreted by Stephen. (courtesy photo)

“I’ve always loved to draw,” says Stephen Hall. Like most artists, he is aware that if you love to draw, you will find a way to bring it into your life in some form or another.

Cautioned by his high school art teacher to not pursue a career in illustration art, because competition at the time was fierce, Stephen opted instead to focus on engineering. It was a fine career choice and it kept him busy, but Stephen says he still found a way to draw in his spare time.

Perhaps his training as an engineer gave him the skill to draw with precision and that is just what he did some years later when he began to do highly detailed drawings of motorcycles.

He laughs when recalling, “In 1969 I had a Honda 305 motorcycle. I associated it with the feeling of freedom. And even then, I was always drawing.”

Although he did not have that motorcycle for very long, Stephen always remembered the bike. Years later, after living in Vermont, where he raised a family, he resided in the village of Bath, New Hampshire. Even later, Stephen moved to the Concord area to be closer to his sons. One day, perhaps recalling his own motorcycle from years ago, Stephen decided to draw his son’s bike.

“It was a precision portrait,” he recalls. “I was always interested in computers and when I got digital painting software, it gave me the tools to do the precise drawings.”

In that program, with drafting tools built in for measurements, Stephen was able to get the details he needed. He drew freehand using the program and measured using a ruler. Airbrushing is also involved and the finished product is a piece of artwork that would please any motorcycle enthusiast or art lover.

A view of the historic Colonial Theater in downtown Laconia, painted by artist Stephen Hall. (courtesy photo)

Stephen’s incredible motorcycle art, both digital and acrylic, will be on display in an exhibit titled “Live Free and Ride” during the month of June at VynnArt Gallery in Meredith. Anyone and everyone who loves art and motorcycles should plan to see the show; artwork will be for sale.

Says VynnArt Gallery owner Vinnie Hale, “During the winter months I am closed for business on Tuesdays. But behind the scenes there are five of us who meet and have a closed paint session, Stephen being one of us. During one of our conversations I mentioned that the third year I was open, a gentleman came in and bought $7,000 worth of art work during Motorcycle Week. And years since, I have continued to do well. To make a long story short, Stephen shared with me that he is a motorcycle enthusiast. I thought it would be a cool idea for a show during bike week and asked if he could do a motorcycle themed show. He immediately accepted the challenge. I put him on my calendar of events and wished him good luck. A week before deadline he came in with unbelievable art work. It is a mixture of acrylic paintings and digital art. You have to see it to believe it.”

A press release from the gallery explains, “Several of Steve's motorcycles are drawn using a 13-inch tablet. The workflow is detailed and very time consuming. To start a drawing, he calculates precise measurements to establish key points and angles in the drawing. Then he freehand draws the motorcycle parts in correct proportions and placement. The next step is to add layers of airbrushed color, shading, text and backgrounds. These steps are also done freehand. The rest of his works are acrylic paintings on artist board or canvas. The bikers are posing on their machines in front of familiar Lakes Region scenes such as the iconic Weirs Beach sign.”

However, motorcycle art isn’t the only thing Stephen creates. His eyes light up when he begins to talk about acrylic painting of landscapes. Many of his paintings are of historical places and old buildings. Fans will recognize his series of paintings of the former mill brick buildings in downtown Laconia. “I paint a lot of typical old mill buildings in the area,” he says.

When he resided in Bath, New Hampshire, Stephen was a member of the Ammonoosuc Region Art Council and networked with other artists. This was invaluable to give him access to a supportive artistic group. At that point, he was largely self-taught, but that changed when he became a member of the Lakes Region Art Association after moving to the Concord area. He met and took lessons with well-known local artist Gerri Harvey who is a skilled acrylic painter. 

Gerri taught Stephen how to mix paint on the palette and how to keep acrylic paint wet and useable when he is painting. 

On his website www.stevehallart.com, Stephen explains, “When I began painting in acrylics two years ago, there was no looking back. Having previously worked in pen and ink and in digital drawing programs, I was curious and wanting to try this new medium. My first acrylic piece was of Mount Monadnock, painted as a lesson with artist, Gerri Harvey. After moving to the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, surrounded by beautiful lakes and majestic mountains, what drew me the most were the historical and iconic scenes and buildings. Like many New England mill towns, Laconia, my new home city, has a river running through it. While inspired by my surroundings, what I found myself most wanting to paint were the mills, farms, neighborhoods and city streets so rich in color and story, left by those who were here before us. My hope is that by looking at my art, you will pause and take notice of the rich warm red of the bricks, of the architectural details of a bygone era, of the slant of the late winter sun touching the tops of the buildings. And in that moment, you will see what I see, care about preserving the history of each place, feeling your connection to those who were here before us and those who will cherish these places long after we are gone. I hope you will become a part of the story.”

Some of those wonderful street scenes include paintings of Laconia during all sorts of weather, a view of the old Colonial Theater, and another of an intersection in the downtown area, to name but a few scenes. 

For those who are intrigued with Stephen’s motorcycle artwork, the VynnArt Gallery show is a wonderful opportunity to view the work up close. “There will be eight digital drawings of motorcycles in different forms and four paintings of bikes as well,” Stephen explains. 

These days Stephen is not focusing so much on the digital motorcycle artwork, for a variety of reasons. While fun to do, each digital piece takes many hours and like many artists, Stephen has evolved and now spends a lot of time painting and taking workshops to learn new things. 

He and his partner, Gerri Harvey, share a studio space in Laconia and seem to always be busy between painting or getting ready for an exhibit. Gerri also teaches and both are past members of the Lakes Region Art Association.

What are Stephen’s future goals as an artist? “I hope to get better and find more places to exhibit my artwork,” he says.

Stephen paints because of the positive feeling he gets from it versus feeling driven to create to sell a lot of paintings. Like any artist who just loves what he is doing, Stephen Hall still finds time to draw and to make art an everyday part of his life.

To see Stephen’s work, plan to stop by VynnArt Gallery at 30 Main Street in Meredith or call the gallery at 603-279-0557.

Stephen also has an exhibit titled “Stephen Hall’s New Hampshire” at Brothers Gallery at 107 B Lehner Street in Wolfeboro with a June 27 reception from 4 to 7 pm. (Call Brothers Gallery at 603-393-4791.)

Alternately, you may view more of Stephen’s artwork, including some of the detailed motorcycle art, on his website, www.stevehallart.com.

Grand Vacations at Grand Hotels

Grand Vacations at Grand Hotels

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

Dining room display with china and menu card from the days of the Grand Hotels.

Everything about the hotels was grand and beautiful. You could escape for a week or a summer in the glorious White Mountains of northern New Hampshire when heat hit the city. You would wake each morning as the cool mountain air filled your hotel room, and your assigned maid would bring you a cup of tea or coffee and maybe buttered toast with homemade jam. Your day would begin with servants meeting your every need and it would be the same way throughout your day. From breakfast to dinner in the ornate dining room with wealthy friends and business associates, a vacation in the grand hotels of the White Mountains afforded a luxurious experience like no other in the 1800s and early 1900s.

I have always been fascinated by New Hampshire’s grand hotels and even got to experience a bit of what those Victorian-era families of wealth once enjoyed on their lengthy summer vacations. Some years ago, a magazine story assignment meant a trip to The Balsams for the day to tour the facility and have lunch. I will never forget the day and the long drive from the Lakes Region that ended when I rounded the last curve in the mountain road and suddenly the sprawling and beautiful, red tiled roof hotel was before me. I rolled down my car window and was amazed that the smell of balsam from towering trees filled the air. It was like stepping into a fairy tale world and it just got better when I sat down to “lunch” in the dining room where the attentive staff was ready to meet the diner’s every need. It was a buffet but there was enough gourmet food to feed a crowd and all of it was scrumptious. My visit offered just a glimpse at what wealthy vacationers who stayed at the grand hotels experienced each and every moment of their summer stay long ago.

When I recently learned one of my favorite places, the Museum of the White Mountains, is featuring an exhibit this summer called The Grand Hotels of the White Mountains, I had to make the drive to Plymouth to see what it was about.

The museum is located at 34 Highland Street in Plymouth and is part of Plymouth State University. Admission is free and the museum is open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 5 pm and Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm; it is closed on Sunday. It is well worth the drive a bit “up north” from the Lakes Region to visit this museum and specifically, to see such a great exhibit.

The day I visited was a weekday morning in late May, and the gallery already saw a number of people browsing the exhibit. There is something decidedly magical about the notion of wealthy people on vacation in the Grand Hotel era. It might be why so many people are drawn to stories of the Titanic’s elite passengers. It is truly a “how the other half lives” story and sparks the imagination. The Titanic was a passenger ship and the grandest of its time, but the Grand Hotels of the White Mountains could certainly hold their own in the opulent category.

Excursions were a must for White Mountain guests.

The exhibit starts with a display by the front desk area with old photos of the huge Pemigewasset House, once the towering statement piece of the town. Opened in 1841, the hotel burned in 1862 and was rebuilt in 1863 and ran until it again burned, this time in 1910. From 1912 to 1957 it served the public after being rebuilt, but closed when times changed. The photos show just how grand and sprawling the hotel once was as a place passengers stopped when the busy train service passed through Plymouth.

Large posters throughout the exhibit tell the viewer the history of the hotels, such as the Crawford House, which opened in 1850 and burned in 1859. It was rebuilt and reopened and in business for many years until it closed in 1975 and was destroyed by another fire in 1977. When it reopened for a second time (in about 1859), it was the largest hotel in the White Mountains at that time. At its busiest, it could accommodate 400 guests and covered over an acre of land. These days, the site of the former hotel is now home to the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Highland Center. 

To get a further glimpse at the luxury vacations that guests experienced, an old photo of the music room at the Kearsarge House in North Conway shows us a high ceilinged room with a polished wooden floor and comfortable chairs scattered around the space. The height of luxury at the time (1860s), the hotel was illuminated by gas lights.

The Balsams opened in 1874 in Dixville Notch and it is this hotel that particularly fascinates me. Because it was so far north and travel was slow, guests were assuredly committed to stay more than a few days. In its heyday it was run by Henry S. Hale, who transformed the former rather modest hotel into something grand that could accommodate 400 guests. Visitors were treated to daily meals made from the freshest produce and meats at leisurely sit-down affairs. (Surely a vacation in the White Mountains in those days couldn’t be undertaken without expecting to gain a few pounds!) The Balsams, like most of the Grand Hotels in the area, experienced its ups and downs, such as financial hardships during World War II.

Transportation for guests at Dixville Notch.

But running a huge hotel was very expensive and when times changed and wealthy vacationers could easily travel to Europe and other places, a Grand Hotel vacation wasn’t the only choice. In 1954, the hotel faced bankruptcy and was auctioned. Purchased by Neil Tillotson, the property was transformed into a four-season resort. It operated for many years very successfully. In 2011 it was sold. 

There is a lot of information on other hotels of the White Mountains as well, and it is all quite fascinating. But equally fascinating to me are the displays that tell the human nature side of day-to-day life in the hotels. 

Bell hop uniform from Maplewood Hotel, courtesy Bethlehem Heritage Society.

A “leisure in the library” display tells us that when you were a guest at a mountain hotel, you expected comforts and entertainment. Boredom was not allowed! Rich furnishings in lobbies, lounges, reading and writing rooms and music salons where guests met and mingled was a necessity. Such leisure-time displays as a mini library with books of the time period and an old bingo card from the Mountain View House show a few ways gentrified guests passed the summer hours when bad weather might keep them indoors: writing letters to those far away and playing cards and games with other guests.

There are also bits of information on some of the Grand Hotel managers and owners. One early hotel couple, William and Mary Jane Dodge, opened their home to weary stagecoach passengers on a rainy summer night in 1865. Those lucky guests enjoyed the hospitality and surroundings so much that they prevailed upon the couple to open their home the following summer. This inspired the Dodges to put an addition on their farmhouse and open it as an inn. The house/inn got larger over the years, and it must have been a great place to stay due to the welcome of William and Mary Jane. The inn grew and grew and today, it is The Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa, a popular place for guests to stay at any time of the year. 

William and Mary Jane’s black-and-white photos are on display in the exhibit and their story is a testament to the hardworking farmers and others who were clever enough to turn modest homes into inns. This in turn, opened the White Mountains to travelers and eventually, the Grand Hotels.

Beautiful paintings by talented artists show the grandeur of White Mountain landscapes. Such artists at Benjamin Champney, whose “Mt. Kearsarge from Diana’s Bath” painting done in 1877, adorn the walls of the museum. For decades, popular artists spent summers painting and staying at hotels among the mountains and selling their artwork to wealthy hotel guests. 

The less talked about side of White Mountain Grand Hotels is the story of the waiters and waitresses, bell hops, cooks, maids and others who worked at lodging establishments all over the area. While the wealthy vacationed in style, it was these workers who made all that possible. 

I was fascinated by a lengthy typed list of do’s and don’ts for staff at the Maplewood Club dining room. From rules on attire for waitstaff, such as the expectation that uniforms and aprons be spotless and well-pressed to the requirement that shoes have rubber heels, the dress code was strict. No painted fingernails and little makeup were allowed. No socializing was allowed and waitstaff could not talk among themselves while on duty. No leaning against walls, touching your own hair, no gossiping, and eating for staff was only allowed in the Help’s Dining Room. The list went on and on for a number of pages and is a glimpse into just what staff did in those days to keep a job…and to always ensure the guests were happy.

A table set with china of the time period and a menu card on display bring the past with all its luxuries to life. The menu card lists such foods at Broiled Sardines on Toast, Potatoes Normande, Fillet Mignon, Corn Starch Pudding with Cream, Mocha Cake and Wine Jelly. Some of these foods would not find their way onto the table of any eatery today, but at the time they were accepted fare for wealthy people.

Another display tells of a less than pleasant part of life among the Grand Hotels long ago. We are told that Jewish guests were not welcome to stay at the Wentworth Hotel and Cottages. The owner had the tables turned on him when a wealthy Jewish man from New York - Nathan Amster - purchased the hotel. It seemed that Mr. Amster was turned away when he tried to check in to the hotel due to his Jewish heritage. He got the last laugh when he bought the hotel and changed the rule so that only Jewish people were welcome at the resort!

One of the more poignant displays at the museum is a large photo of a group of female employees taken around 1915. It is from an old employee photo album of The Balsams in Dixville Notch. We see six women dressed in dark uniforms with white aprons and collars. They lean against a stair rail, and one woman stares off to her right, while the others gaze directly at the camera. Perhaps they were catching a much-needed break in an employee’s-only designated area and someone with a camera captured the moment.

Portrait of waitstaff at The Balsams, circa 1915, Stephen Barba collection.

The exhibit is a must-see for anyone fascinated with the White Mountain Grand Hotel era. You will learn a lot about the many hotels that once dotted the northern New Hampshire landscape and all aspects of vacationing in the area.

Everything about the Grand Hotels was indeed grand and ornate. Times have changed and we don’t normally experience vacations in this manner any longer, but a visit to the Museum of the White Mountains will take you back, if only for an hour or so, to a time when luxury ruled.

An extensive list of lectures is scheduled for the summer focusing on the exhibit, such as the June 19 program titled “Grand Hotels as Summer Rituals” from 5:30 to 7 pm. For information on the programs, and the Museum of the White Mountains, visit https://www.plymouth.edu/mwm/ or call 603-535-3210. 

Day Tripping Motorcycle Trek Adventures

Day Tripping Motorcycle Trek Adventures

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

Although I am not a motorcyclist, like many bikers, I like to take to the roads in search of fun, unusual places to explore. Each year, come June and Laconia Motorcycle Week, I like to share some of the places I discovered.

You don’t need to own/ride a motorcycle to find these places, which are a lot of fun to visit; rest assured the places I am writing about can be reached by either car or motorcycle. They make for interesting out-of-the-way treks when bikers are looking to spend a day away from the race action and explore the hidden parts of the Lakes Region that might otherwise be overlooked.

The places mentioned here are some of my favorites listed in no particular order. I happened to discover them on various treks; consult a map or GPS if you are unsure of routes.

Who says motorcyclists can’t enjoy artwork? You might even want to take a new work of art home with you after a stay in the Lakes Region. If so, drive on Rt. 3 from Laconia to the Tanger Outlet at 120 Laconia Road Suite 132 in Tilton and stop at the Laconia Art Association’s gallery. It is chock-full of wonderful work by Lakes Region artists. Many of the paintings and other artwork depict Lakes Region scenes, and would make great additions to an art collection. The gallery is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm; call 603-998-0029 or visit www.lraanh.org.

Heading back to Laconia, a stop at the historic Belknap Mill in the downtown area is a treat. The Mill, built in 1823, is the oldest unaltered brick textile mill building in the country. It long ago ceased operation as a mill, but a Wheel House area retains the huge old wheels that once powered the Mill. The Wheel House is full of information and displays of how the Mill once operated. Knitting machines stand as a testament to the days when mill workers populated the old mill building. The Mill’s Riverside Art Gallery has changing exhibits, which are free to attend and the public is welcome. The Belknap Mill is open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and on Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm. Located at 25 Beacon Street East, there is plenty of free parking just steps from the Mill. Call 603-524-8813 or visit www.belknapmill.org.

Exterior of the Belknap Mill.

A lot of people love to fish, but how many of us know where the trout and other fish we catch might come from? If you want to visit a pretty area on a rural road, head to New Durham from Alton. The Powder Mill Fish Hatchery is a fascinating place with lots of long, narrow water-filled breeding tanks where teeny fish become full-grown specimens, eventually released into the many rivers of the state.

At the Alton Traffic Circle, take a left onto New Durham Road (there’s a McDonald’s at the start of the road and you can’t miss the turn). This scenic road with its many pastures, cows, farms and step-back-in-time feeling is among my favorites. Before heading to the Fish Hatchery, I suggest a quick ride by the New Durham Meeting House on Old Bay Road. It isn’t all that far from the village area, and it is quite a pretty drive in the summertime.

The Meeting House has a simple, clean architectural style and you can imagine many men, women and children who attended meetings, socials and church services at this place long ago. The building is pure New England architecture at its finest – no gingerbread trim or fancy windows or pathways to clutter up the simplicity of the place.

When I visited, I noticed a little sign on the corner of the building that stated: “The New Durham Meeting House & Stone Pound were entered on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 by the United States Department of the Interior. Built by early settlers in 1772 the Meeting House combined town offices and a house of worship. It is located on a six-acre lot set aside for public use that includes an animal pound (1809), the oldest town cemetery and the militia training grounds.” History hangs heavy in the air, but not in a spooky way. Rather, it is a peaceful, welcoming place. (Be aware it is likely to be closed but you can see the exterior of a true old-time New England meetinghouse.)

Powder Mill Fish Hatchery.

Back on Old Bay Road, drive to the center of New Durham and you will soon take a right-hand turn to Merrymeeting Road and the Powder Mill Fish Hatchery. The road is scenic, and after a few miles you will see a wooden sign, stained a dark brown, with letters carved into the surface. The sign reads “Powder Mill Hatchery” and the area is the property of the New Hampshire Fish & Game Department, with visitors welcome from 8 am to 3:45 pm.

You can park and take a stroll to see the long outdoor pools stretching on and on, with raised areas where spectators can stand to get a better look. The 1940’s were a time of huge expansion for fish hatcheries and it was in 1946 that construction of the Powder Mill Hatchery commenced. You will learn a lot about the life cycle of a number of fish, which start their lives in tray incubators, stacked like drawers of a dresser. Once warmer weather arrives, the fish are moved outside where they live until they grow to stocking size.

Be sure and bring quarters so you can use the fish-feeding machine – insert a quarter and turn the knob for a handful of fish food. Or sit at the picnic table and enjoy an outdoor lunch surrounded by nature’s beauty. The Powder Mill Fish Hatchery is located at 288 Merrymeeting Road in New Durham. Admission is free, and the public is welcome. Call 603-859-2041 for further information or visit www.wildlife.state.nh.us.

Newfound Lake as seen from Wellington State Park beach area.

I cannot think of a better place for motorcyclists to visit than the Newfound Lake area. There are waterfalls and short hiking trails and an abundance of scenic beauty. To reach the area, travel Route 104 from Meredith for about 15 miles to the downtown Bristol area. You will see signs for Newfound Lake. Take a left onto West Shore Road and get ready for a fun lakeside ride, but please drive slowly and watch for pedestrians. Follow the road as it skirts the lake and then turn right and continue on West Shore Road with signs for Wellington State Park. You can choose to pay an admission to visit Wellington, a NH state park where you will find hiking trails, a great beach with swimming and picnic tables. Or you can opt to continue on West Shore Road and again skirt Newfound Lake. You will soon come to the “ledges” area, and you will find yourself riding with a towering rock hill on one side…and Newfound Lake quite close to you on the other side!

This is a pretty ride taking you by older cottages and lots of lake views. Eventually the road comes to Hebron Village and you can stop and grab coffee or beverages and snacks at the Hebron Village Store or take in the scenic and tranquil beauty of the village green. If the tiny Hebron Library, near the village green, happens to be open, stop in to see a true New England village library. (I visited last summer and took advantage of their book sale, which was held in the entrance area. I scored some great book bargains and had a nice time browsing through the tiny library with its comfy chairs and shelves of books.) Call 603-744-7998.

One of my favorite off-the-main-road spots is Sculptured Rocks Natural Area near Hebron. Just follow the signs in the village area; Sculptured Rocks (part of the NH State Parks system) is a short trek down Sculptured Rocks Road. There is plenty of parking across the street from the rocks area.

I always bring my camera when visiting Sculptured Rocks. It’s a very unusual and pretty spot. Rock formations were created thousands of years ago by glaciers thrusting through the area. It is a wonderful place to visit and you will be amazed at the rock formations.

Head back to Bristol if you want to take a great little hike to find gorgeous views of the area. Take High Street (off Rt. 3A) by the Federated Church. Stay on this road until you come to a right for New Chester Mountain Road; take this road to the entrance and parking area for the Slim Baker Conservation Area. This place is a favorite of many people and hikers love to take the various paths and trails. Please park your bike in the parking area and do not take it beyond this spot.

The Slim Baker Area is a 135-acre tract of conserved land on Little Round Top Mountain in Bristol, set up in 1953 as a memorial to Everett “Slim” Baker, a dedicated and much-loved local conservation officer with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Slim dreamed of setting up a “school for outdoor living” in the Newfound Lake area, and the Slim Baker Area is the fulfillment of that dream. The Slim Baker Area is maintained by the Slim Baker Foundation, and open year-round for hiking, snowshoeing, and camping. The gem of the property is undoubtedly Inspiration Point with its huge wooden cross, outdoor cathedral and rustic wooden benches.

Another Newfound-area memorable location is Profile Falls. To reach the area take Rt. 3A south toward Franklin. Profile Falls is just off Rt. 3A a few miles out of Bristol (take a left onto Profile Falls Road) and is a public area with a lot of free parking. You can take a path for a quick walk to see the beautiful Profile Falls (please be careful on the steep section of the trail as you near the Falls) or bring your lunch and spread out on a picnic table in the shady park area.

For those who want a real rural adventure…with a giant boulder at the end of the trek, a day trip motorcycle ride to Madison Boulder can’t be rivaled. To reach the amazing boulder, head from the Lakes Region to the village of Madison (I must warn you, it is a long – but fun – drive).

Once in Madison, take a left onto Route 113. You will be treated to beautiful views of the not-so-distant White Mountains. After driving a few miles, take a left onto Boulder Road. About a mile on this road, take a right-hand turn at a big sign that will let you know you have reached the Madison Boulder area. Take the road about 1/4 of a mile to a large parking area. You will soon see the mammoth rock up on a rise among tall pine trees.

“Amazing!” was my reaction the first time I saw this hulking rock. This is no ordinary boulder. I am used to seeing big rocks (who isn’t in the Granite State?), but I have never seen anything like the Madison Boulder. A wooden sign gives information about the boulder, which says it was a gift to the State of NH in 1946 in memory of James O. Gerry and A. Crosby Kennett.

The story of this giant rock goes like this: the Madison Boulder is thought to be the largest known erratic in New England, and among the largest in the world. The huge granite rock measures 83 feet in length, 23 feet in height above the ground, and 37 feet in width. It weighs upwards of 5,000 tons and part of the roughly rectangular block is buried, probably to a depth of 10 to 12 feet.

Historically, the 17-acre Madison Boulder site was acquired by the state of NH in 1946. In 1970, the Madison Boulder was designated a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior because the enormous erratic, "is an outstanding illustration of the power of an ice sheet to pluck out very large blocks of fractured bedrock and move them substantial distances."

Be sure to take some photos when you visit Madison Boulder because when you tell your friends back home about it, they may want proof of just how towering this old rock really is!

Speaking of towering, hulking stone objects, I would highly recommend a biker on a day trip adventure put the Tilton Arch on the list of places to visit. You can glimpse the Arch because it stands above the town of Tilton and resembles the Arc de Triomphe.

In downtown Tilton, take a left onto Summer Street. By following this road less than a 1/2 mile, you will see a modest sign directing travelers to take a right up a road to the Tilton Arch.

I’m always excited to see the Arch up close. There is a parking lot available to cars and other vehicles. Everything about the Tilton Arch is big and breathtaking. The Arch, which stands like a silent and proud giant, was made with artistic skill to last through the ages. Under the curve of the Arch a huge stone vault sits, and is a puzzle to many. Is someone entombed in the vault, or is it a symbol, like the many statues that adorn various public areas in Tilton?

History tells us that although reminiscent of the famous Arc in France, this local monument is in reality the work of the town's immensely wealthy resident, Charles Tilton. The Tilton Arch, looming 55 feet in height, is deceptive. It might be assumed that Mr. Tilton commissioned the Tilton Arch to be built as a copy of the Parisian monument. In truth the arch is a replica of the Arch of Titus, which was raised between Rome's Palantine Hill and the Coliseum in 79 A.D.

The tale goes that Charles Tilton could see the hill on which he would build his arch from the front porch of his mansion atop School Street Hill in Tilton. Because Charles hoped that Tilton and Northfield would merge, he built the Arch on Northfield soil in 1883 as his final resting-place. He hoped to be buried in a huge stone vault under the Arch, but this plan was never to be realized when residents of Northfield rejected the merger. (Charles felt strongly about his burial place being in the town of Tilton.)

Although the plans for his monument never materialized, there was no going back once the hulking Arch had been erected on the hilltop overlooking Tilton. Composed of hewn Concord granite, with a 40-foot width, the Arch has a block of Spanish marble between its two columns. A Numidian lion guards the block, and the pedestal and figure weigh an amazing 50 tons.

There are many unusual and fun places to visit in the area while you are here for Bike Week. Along with the planned motorcycle events, try to fit in some time to head out and meander around for a fish hatchery visit, a stop at the amazing Tilton Arch or the hulking Madison Boulder, to name but a few places. There is no doubt that you will have wonderful memories (and photos) to share when you get home.

Test Your New Hampshire Trivia Knowledge

Test Your New Hampshire Trivia Knowledge

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

The cover of Joyce Endee’s book, “501 New Hampshire Trivia Questions & Photos”

You might have seen her at any one of the Joyce’s Craft Shows taking place in the Lakes Region and beyond in the summer and fall. Joyce Endee has been producing craft shows for years, some indoors and others under big tents in outdoor areas. 

Organizing the well-attended fairs is a lot of work and Joyce explains that she begins planning and public relations efforts for the shows in the early winter. “I have 14 fairs on the schedule and it keeps me busy year round. Most are two-day shows,” she says.

Although this story is not about her craft fairs, they are nevertheless part of the path that led Joyce to her latest venture – a trivia book about New Hampshire. 

With a teaching background, Joyce was a professor at a community college in Nashua, New Hampshire with an emphasis on English and business. After her three children were born, Joyce found it more difficult to get the teaching job she desired. After Joyce and her husband Charlie and their children moved to Gilford, New Hampshire in the early 1990s, she “ended up in the craft fair business.” Many of her vendors sell their creations in all of her fairs, from Wolfeboro to North Conway to the Laconia area and Tilton, as well as southern New Hampshire, which attests to the popularity and success of the shows.

Over the years Charlie handled the computer work that was necessary to produce the shows, but in recent years that has changed. After Charlie was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, he was unable to carry out his previous duties and eventually had to enter a local nursing home for skilled care. Joyce visits him every day for lunch, but not having her lifetime partner at home certainly left a huge hole in her life. Although busy, she wanted to find a way to fill in some of her down time and maybe create additional income so her husband could receive at-home care in the future.

The answer - writing a book - made a lot of sense because Joyce has a background in English and she is very organized. If one attends a Joyce’s Craft Show, it is obvious the woman at the helm is a go-getter and isn’t afraid of hard work. And she is willing to try something new if it interests her. Joyce smiles as she says, “I doubt if I will ever retire. I like to keep busy.”

And “keep busy” she has, by writing a book called “501 New Hampshire Trivia Questions & Photos.” The book is currently available on Kindle. (Joyce hopes to have a printed book version out in the near future.) 

“I started researching the book in 2014,” Joyce explains. “I still love to teach, although my job is an event presenter of craft shows. The book is a fun way to educate people. And because it is history-oriented, I learned while doing the research.”

Joyce also wrote the book to supplement her income because the craft business tends to be seasonal, although it keeps her busy nearly year round with pre-planning for the following year. 

“I researched a lot and it took me about four years to complete,” Joyce adds. Part of that research was talking to New Hampshire people about specific areas of interest that could become a trivia question/answer. For example, Joyce talked with the folks at the Mount Washington Weather Observatory to learn how they keep track of weather with instrumentation. It was a great learning experience and definitely got Joyce thinking about something new and interesting.

The trivia questions in the book “start out easy and then become more challenging as the book progresses,” she explains. Accuracy was very important to Joyce when writing the book and she worked hard to vary the trivia questions so that it was family oriented and every age could play. (An easy question, for example, was ‘What is the state flower?’ The answers to the questions follow on the next page; questions get more difficult as the book progresses.)

Information from Joyce at the beginning of the book explains, “This book contains 501 questions and photos based on New Hampshire’s history of people, events, and places. You will have fun individually or on teams as you answer the numerous, educational multiple choice questions. You will learn about New Hampshire and delight in its history and heritage as you read and answer the various questions on history, art, literature, science, sports, geography, animals, government and New Hampshire's famous people and events. You will enjoy the fun of playing a trivia game and will learn a great deal about the awesome State of New Hampshire. The questions are meant to be educational and interesting. Play by yourself or with others.”

All that work delving into New Hampshire’s many aspects meant the book was not just a few pages; indeed it turned out to be quite lengthy. “I researched over 1,000 questions and the book ended up being 253 pages in length,” Joyce says. “I worked on it year round.”

Perhaps immersing herself in the book and doing all that research was a very good thing for Joyce because it filled in the times when she wasn’t working. She also learned a great deal about New Hampshire, from history to the state’s geography to its people and much, much more. “I have always loved New Hampshire and the Lakes Region in particular. And I have always loved the history of the lakes and mountains, so this project was a natural for me.”

Charlie also loves the book and is very proud of Joyce’s efforts. She included her whole family in the project and credits, in the book, her daughter Victoria in particular who helped with the graphics. In the book she writes, “I especially want to thank my wonderful daughter, Victoria, who was extremely instrumental with the necessary computer expertise for the book’s layout and publication. Without exaggeration, I could not have finished it without her.” 

Along with the many trivia questions, Joyce has added some colorful photos to give a complete picture of the state, such as a shot of the Old Country Store in Moultonboro and a photo of the M/S Mount Washington on the waters of Lake Winnipesaukee. The grandeur and splendor of the state’s many regions draw the reader in. If you have not visited each area of the state, the book will make you want to get in your car and head to the White Mountains, the seacoast and other areas of the state.

“I still love to teach,” she reflects. “The book is fun, and it teaches a lot to readers, which fulfills my desire to continue to be an educator.”

It is hoped that Joyce will eventually create enough additional income from the book to provide at-home care for Charlie, something that is very important to her. With a summer and autumn season full of fairs, plus getting the book printed, the future will be busy for Joyce. 

Because she “likes to keep busy” and has no plans to retire, her schedule, it seems, is just the way she likes it.

To learn more about “501 New Hampshire Trivia Questions and Photos” and for a complete list of Joyce’s upcoming craft shows, please visit www.joycescraftshows.com or email joyceendee@gmail.com.

*Buy the book on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/501-Hampshire-Trivia-Questions-Photos-ebook/dp/B07DNNHVGY

Lakes Region Memorial Day Observances

Lakes Region Memorial Day Observances

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

Memorial Day means different things to different people: at this time of year snowbirds return and open up their summer homes, children appreciate a long weekend when the weather is warm, gardeners begin to plan for the summer season, and many yearning to be near the water travel to the Lakes Region. But most of all, it is a time when observances honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and made possible the many pastimes and freedoms we enjoy today.

Historically, Memorial Day was once known as Decoration Day.

Memorial Day May 27th

It has always been a time to honor and remember the fallen who served our country, whether 100 or more years ago or today, or at any time in the history of the United States.

A number of Memorial Day observances are taking place around the area, including the events listed here.

Memorial Day observances in Laconia will take place on Monday, May 27. Parade participants will gather at Garfield Street at 9:30 am. Marchers will stop at the bridge on Main Street (near the Landmark Inn) for a brief memorial service for those veterans who served on the water during World War II (veterans of the Navy and Merchant Marines). Following this, the parade will commence down Main Street to Veteran’s Park, across the street from the Gale Memorial Library. At the Square, the American Legion will conduct a ceremony; guns will be fired in salute.

Marching in the parade will be members of the Laconia American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Laconia Police and Fire Departments, Scouts, and the Laconia High School Band. (Anyone wishing to march in the parade may do so by meeting at Garfield Street at 9:30 am.) After the parade, the VFW Post #1670, located at 143 Court Street, will serve a complimentary luncheon. Those wishing further information should call 603-832-6345.

The village of Meredith Center will observe Memorial Day on May 27, with a service at Oakland Cemetery at 8 am, followed by a 9 am service at Meredith Village Cemetery.

In Meredith, a parade in the downtown will gather at the American Legion Post #33 on Plymouth Street at 9:30 am. The parade proceeds to the Meredith Library on Main Street, where a service will be conducted at the War Memorial. The parade then proceeds to Swazey Cemetery on Lang Street, a short distance from the library. After this, the parade proceeds to the Hesky Park Bandstand’s POW/MIA Flagpole, where Bob Jones and Jeanie Forrester will speak. After the parade, there will be snacks at the American Legion Post #33 on Plymouth Street.

Gilford observances will be held on Monday, May 27 with parade participants gathering in the parking lot of the Gilford Community Church on Potter Hill Road at 9:45 am. The parade will proceed to the WWI/WWII Memorial and Pine Grove Cemetery, where Rev. Michael Graham will lead a prayer; there will be a Pledge of Allegiance and wreath laying. All veterans are invited to participate in the parade; an antique firetruck will be available so that disabled veterans requiring rides can be in the parade. Please call the Gilford Town Hall at 603-527-4700 to make needs known.

Wolfeboro’s observance will be on Monday, May 27. According to American Legion Post #18 Parade Marshal Harold A. Chamberlin, all veteran’s graves in Wolfeboro and Tuftonboro will be decorated. The annual Wolfeboro parade forms at 9:30 am in Brewster Field (next to the Congregational Church). The parade begins at 10 am, proceeding to several locations for flag ceremonies: first to Pickering’s Corner at Brewster Field, then to Carpenter School on Main Street, and then to the Wolfeboro Post Office. The flags will be lowered to half-staff, and a ceremony will take place. The parade will then head to the downtown dockside location for a service with speaker state Rep. John MacDonald. For information on the parade, call Harold Chamberlin at 603-569-4296. In the event of rain, the program will be held in the Wright Museum.

In Alton, a May 27 Memorial Day observance with parade participants gathering at 9:30 am at Monument Square to line up in the order of marching. There will be an invocation and then the parade will start at 10 am and proceed to Riverside Cemetery for brief remarks and a playing of Taps. The parade then returns to Monument Square to conclude with a placing of wreaths on the war memorials, as well as a reading and music. There also will be rifle volleys and taps.

Center Harbor’s observance will be held on May 27, with parade participants gathering at 11:45 at Chase Circle. The parade steps off at noon, proceeding to Nichols Memorial Library where the Star Spangled Banner will be played by the Inter-Lakes Marching Band and with Eliza Beaudoin singing the National Anthem and Boy Scout Sage Kim reading “In Flanders Field”; there will also be a prayer and gun salute and laying of wreath at the War Memorial monument. Following this, at the town docks, there will be music by the Inter-Lakes Marching Band, a gun salute, Echo Taps played and a wreath toss to the water. The final stop will be at the Lakeview Cemetery across from the Congregational Church for services with playing of “Washington Post March”, Eco Taps, a 21-gun salute and laying of a wreath. Rev. Fred Doscher will deliver the message. Marching will be Meredith Legionnaires, I-L Marching Band, Boy Scouts, Center Harbor Fire Department honor guard and guests. The Town of Center Harbor invites interested veterans, Scouts and civic organizations to participate. Please call the Parks & Recreation Department at 455-1632 with any questions.

Moultonborough’s Memorial Day event starts at 10 am on May 27. Parade participants will gather at Blake Road near the Central School, and then process along Route 25 to the town hall. Presentation of wreaths will take place at Blake Road, The Historical Society, and the Public Library. Castle in the Clouds provides a trolley to carry veterans along the parade route. There will be a ceremony at the town hall to honor veterans. In the event of rain, the parade will start at the town hall and work in reverse, with the ceremony being held indoors at the Moultonborough Academy auditorium.

The village of Sandwich will feature a Memorial Day Remembrance Program on Monday, May 27. At 10 am, the program will begin at the Honor Roll next to the Post Office. For information, call Chief Doug Wyman at 603-284-7139 or Jennifer Wright at 603-284-7701.

Bristol’s observances will be held on May 27 and will step off at 9:30 am at the Freudenberg-NOK parking lot on Route 104 and proceed to Homeland Cemetery for prayers, wreath laying, rifle salute and Taps. Participants then go to the Musgrove Bridge on Pleasant Street to place a wreath in the water for servicemen who lost their lives at sea. The parade will proceed up Lake Street to the Newfound Middle School and end with a ceremony there. There will be speeches, wreath laying, National Anthem and selections played by the school band. A bus will take participants back to the Freudenberg-Nok parking lot at the conclusion of the ceremonies. If the weather does not cooperate, a ceremony will be held in the Middle School gymnasium.

On Monday, May 27, the V.F.W. Memorial Day Service will take place in Ossipee on the lawn in front of the town hall at 10 am. In the event of bad weather, the ceremony will be held inside the town hall.

Summer Cottages…Large and Small

Summer Cottages…Large and Small

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

When we think of a summer cottage, a tiny, one or two room wooden structure comes to mind. The cottage might fit more than one vacationing family, with everyone spending long, lazy days on a nearby beach or boating on the lake.

Another type of summer “cottage” brought wealthy people to the Lakes Region, where their version of a summer place was quite different. If you were a wealthy Bostonian or upper-class member of New York society in the late 1800s to mid 1900s, your summer cottage might have up to 10 rooms, a luxurious screened porch and every amenity possible.

When upper-crust members of society built summer homes in the Lake Winnipesaukee and White Mountain areas of NH, they brought with them what their idea of “cottages” and vacationing should be.

Castle in the Clouds

Undoubtedly the most famous estate in the Lakes Region is the property known as Lucknow or Castle in the Clouds. The castle’s original owner, Thomas Plant, was a wealthy inventor and businessman who bought the mountain property in about 1911. The Moultonboro site was perfect for Plant’s ultimate home, which he envisioned as sitting high on a mountainside with incredible views of the lake and mountains. The mansion was made of cut stone and had every modern-day amenity such as state-of-the-art showers, central vacuuming, a cooled wine cellar, forced hot water heating and more.

The Castle welcomes the public daily for tours in the spring, summer and fall, as well as offering the estate for many activities.

Elsewhere in the area, the Schrafft family, owners of a famed candy company, came to the Squam Lake region and put down summer home roots in the early 1900s. According to Squam by Rachel Carley, Robert Herman Otto Schulz (of Boston) and his wife, Louise Schrafft, built a home on a cove in the area. They named their summer home Indian Carry after a supposed Indian trail on the land. Not one to do things sparingly, the couple’s estate had seven buildings, including the large home as well as a boathouse and bunkhouse.

Most likely Louise’s family visited her summer home and fell in love with the area as well. Her brother, William Schrafft and his wife built nearby on a rise with breathtaking views of the area. The home was called Chimney Pots and was designed in a chalet style, probably large and well furnished.

Other Schrafft family cottages were Lochland, later to be purchased by television broadcaster William S. Paley (Frank Sinatra and other Rat Packers were said to be among the guests to the home) and the former Sunset House (inn). Benjamin Moore paint chairman Livingston Moore once owned the property.

In nearby Tamworth, an old Boston family built a summer cottage in the 1890s. Elliott Channing Clarke liked the area and began to buy and consolidate small farms, which he built into one large country estate called Great Hill Farm.

A successful engineer, Clarke added on to a one-and-a-half story, circa 1790s home. He filled the estate with gaming tables, beautiful furniture and big game trophies from his hunting expeditions.

According to Summer Cottages in the White Mountains – The Architecture of Leisure and Recreation 1870 to 1930 by Bryant F. Tolles, Jr., among the first houses built with the express purpose of becoming a summer “cottage” in the Squam Lake Region was that of engineer William Norton. The Nortons were so impressed with the beauty of the Squam area that they bought land in Holderness. On the site they built The Pines, a wonderful summer home. According to Squam by Rachel Carley, it was the custom to build summer homes away from the lakes and ponds in the late 1800s. It was thought that insects around water bodies carried illness; the Nortons built their cottage near the top of Shepard Hill, which gave them great views of the lake and mountains.

Friends and associates of Mr. Norton soon followed to the Shepard Hill Area. One of the enterprising groups built the Asquam House hotel. The hotel would become a busy spot with summer tourists over the years.

One visitor, John Nicolay, was private secretary to Abraham Lincoln and later a marshal of the U.S. Supreme Court. The cottage that Nicolay built for his family’s summer use was called Tannenruch. The property remained in the Nicolay family until the death of John’s daughter, Helen Nicolay, a respected artist and writer.

Occasionally a famous person or family built or bought a summer home in the Lakes Region. Actor Claude Rains was one such personage that settled in the area. Rains was well known in the 1930s and 1940s as a character actor. He was quite a famous movie star in his time, perhaps best known for his role as Inspector Renault in the 1942 film classic, “Casablanca”. Towards the end of his life, he resided at the former Weed house at the junction of Route 109 and Little Pond Road in Sandwich.

Rains had an impressive resume as an actor; he was known for his roles in “The Invisible Man” and as Sir John Talbot in “The Wolf Man”. He also had a role as a Nazi spy in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Notorious”, and he earned four Academy Award nominations during his career.

When Rains and his wife sent their daughter to camp in New Hampshire, they were introduced to the area, according to written accounts. A family friend who resided in Sandwich each summer invited the Rains family to visit.

The couple must have decided to relocate to New Hampshire and it is said Rains missed the country life when he resided elsewhere. Eventually, Rains approached Denley Emerson, a Sandwich real estate agent, about finding a manor-style in the Sandwich area, and Emerson successfully brokered the sale of the Weed house. Rains bought the property from Dorothy Weed, age 84 in 1963.

The Rains family modernized the home somewhat, but every effort was made to maintain the original. Rains believed in keeping the integrity of historic houses and barns. The kitchen was updated, and he had a small porch enclosed, and an icehouse turned into an art studio for Mrs. Rains. Other alterations were cosmetic, such as painting the walls. Rains also took pride in the yard, planting lilacs, magnolias, hydrangeas, and crabapple trees. Claude Rains enjoyed his time in the area, and passed away in the late 1960s.

In the Newfound Lake area, a farm in the Whittemore Point (Bridgewater) locale was purchased by E. P. Lindsey of Boston. Refurbished from top to bottom, the farm had a cottage for hired help and a modernized barn. Many renovations were made to the brick farmhouse. Lindsey may have been originally from the Newfound area, and it is known that as a young man he worked as a common laborer in Bristol. Eventually, he amassed a fortune, and when his wife died in the 1930s the estate was valued at over $1 million.

While the wealthy upper class were settling in the Squam and other lake areas, farmers and innkeepers were starting to take in summer vacationers on a more modest scale.

In 1880, the first summer boarding house was built in Bridgewater on the eastern side of Newfound Lake. Originally called Lake View House, the structure was three stories high, with a dining room, dance hall and 75 bedrooms.

Soon other hotels sprang up in the area, according to Newfound Lake, by Charles Greenwood: Elm Lawn; Bayview House, and later, Pasquaney. Large farms continued to help meet the demand for lodgings, and just a few were Ackerman House, the Silas Brown property known as Newfound Lake Farm, and the Norman Smith farm. The largest town in the area was Bristol, and it boasted the Hotel Bristol and the G. G. Brown Hotel in the mid-1800s.

Cottages were also springing up around the lake in the late 1800s. One area on the eastern side of Newfound Lake near Bridgewater became known as "Cottage City." Owned mostly by professional and local businessmen, the summer homes were at the time the largest grouping of private cottages.

By the early part of the 1900s, housekeeping cottages sprang up in the area to meet the demand for inexpensive tourist housing. The cottages were rented to visitors for a week, or sometimes for an entire summer.

W. F. Darling of Bristol built a large group of cottages in the 1920s. The colony was first known as Hiland Park with about 100 cottages. Guests could rent a cottage, cook their own meals, and best of all, relax on their porch and take in the wonderful views. Eventually this cottage colony would become known as Bungalow Village.

Vintage Lake Winnipesaukee Postcard

About this time, at the foot of Newfound Lake, Walter Prince bought over 1,000 feet of shore property, on which he built a cottage colony. Prince saw further opportunities for income by building a store, restaurant and gas station. Everything the vacationer could want—from a dip in the lake, to dinner in a restaurant and gas for the family car—was at Prince's.

On Lake Winnipesaukee, cottage colonies, as well as private summer homes/cottages have come and gone over the years. There was the Terrace Hotel in Laconia, a stately inn overlooking the water; the Sweetwood Cottages, Little Cape Codder Cabins, Look Off Rock Cabins, to name but a few of the summer lodging establishments that offered overnight or longer accommodations to the vacationing public.

Whether a modest wooden structure or a cottage colony or inn establishment, or a grand private summer home for a wealthy person, the Lakes Region attracted all sorts of people. Their homes may have been different, but the thing that brought them here: the beauty and tranquility of a summer spent by the water, is something they had in common. 

Bargains, bargains, bargains at Lakes Region’s Town Wide Yard Sales!

Bargains, bargains, bargains at Lakes Region’s Town Wide Yard Sales!

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

Who can resist the lure of a good yard sale? During the summer and right into fall, there are town wide yard sales taking place throughout the Lakes Region. The convenience of a town wide sale means you can find a lot of sales in one community versus driving from area to area in search of bargains.

Getting ready for yard sale season.

If you like a good sale, Meredith is the place to be on Saturday, May 18 as the Meredith Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors the 25th Annual Community Yard Sale. At the Chamber of Commerce Information Visitor Center at 272 DW Highway, maps identifying the locations of the various sales will be available beginning at 8 am on the day of the sale. 

According to Chamber Executive Director, Susan Cerutti, the town wide sale will be held from 9 am to 3 pm, with over 30 locations in the Meredith, Center Harbor and Moultonborough areas.  

In addition to the sales taking place at individual homes, several businesses and organizations will also participate. In Meredith, The Trinity Episcopal Church, located on Route 25, will hold a sale. The Friends of the Library will have their annual book sale at the Meredith Public Library at 91 Main Street. 

The Meredith Historical Society’s yard sale will be held at the Society’s Farm Museum on Winona Road. The sale is a fundraiser for the Historical Society, and especially important as the organization is raising funds to make critical repairs to the Farm Museum building. For more information, call 603-279-2275. 

Businesses participating are the Meredith News on Water Street and Waukewan Village Association on Waukewan Street, Calvary Bible Church at Main Street and the Center Harbor Congregational Church in downtown Center Harbor.

There will be Upper Mill Point sales and also yard sales at Skyview Circle, Meredith Neck and in Center Harbor, Preston Road off Waukewan Road.

The Meredith Community Yard Sale will be held rain or shine. Signs will be posted at the individual locations so those attending can easily identify participants.  

The community spirited event is sponsored by the Meredith Area Chamber of Commerce as a service to both residents and businesses and at the same time provides those attending with the opportunity to shop for treasures at the various sales and frequent local stores and restaurants.  

For more information about the event, call the Meredith Area Chamber of Commerce at 603-279-6121.

Elsewhere, town wide yard sales will be held in many area towns. Tuftonboro will hold its annual Town Wide Yard Sale on Saturday, June 1 from 9 am to 1 pm. Plan on attending the sale that features everything from antiques and used goods to household items, etc. For information, visit www.tuftonboro.org. Email Tuftonboro Parks and Recreation at parksandrec@tuftonboro.org.

Wakefield (and Brookfield) will be holding a town wide yard sale on Saturday, May 25 from 8 am to 2 pm. This charming town will be busy with many yard sale locations offering everything from household items to antiques. Call 603-522-9977 for details. Yard sale location maps will be available around town. 

Alton will be hosting an Annual Town Wide Yard Sale on Saturday, June 1. The sale starts at 9 am, and there will be many, many yard sale sites around the town, including many in-town locations as well as sales at homes in more rural areas of Alton. Thus, it is important to pick up a map featuring all yard sale locations to make sure you “hit” all the sales. The maps are free and available at the Parks and Rec. office at Alton Town Hall on Main Street, the Gilman Library and local banks. There are over 45 yard sale locations. Call 603-875-0109 for details.

A mammoth Multi-Town Yard Sale will be held May 31, and June 1 and 2 in the towns of Gilmanton, Barnstead, Chichester, Epsom, Loudon, Northwood and Pittsfield. Imagine how many bargains and treasures you will find as you wander from town to town in the area, where many sales take place! With many individuals and organizations registered to participate, the Pittsfield Chamber of Commerce has information on the event. Maps will be available on May 30 at www.pittsfieldchamber.org. 

Bristol near Newfound Lake will hold its annual Town Wide Yard Sale on Saturday, July 27 from 8 am to 1 pm with yard sale locations all around the community. For details, call Kenny Rogers at 744-3321.

The Plymouth Town Wide Yard Sale has become a major event for the college town at the entrance to the north country of NH. The date for this year’s sale is Saturday, September 7 from 9 am to 3 pm. The town wide yard sale features many sale sites, as it has done for a number of years. Individual families, as well as service organizations will take part, making this end-of-summer sale one not to be missed. Go to Plymouth NH Town Wide Yard Sale’s Facebook for updates.

Go Sailing With the Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association

Go Sailing With the Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

Kids sailing

“Our goal is to introduce people to the sport of sailing regardless of financial means, age or ability,” says Al Posnack, a member of the Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association (LWSA) in Gilford, NH. Al serves as Youth Sailing Chair for the LWSA Sailing School, and if you happen to talk to him for just a few minutes, it becomes clear that he is very dedicated to introducing kids to the sport of sailing and making sure they enjoy it in a safe manner.

The goal of getting people of all ages interested in sailing might seem a simple one. After all, who wouldn’t want to get out on Lake Winnipesaukee in the summer? Who wouldn’t want the freedom of being in charge of a graceful, beautiful sailboat? Who wouldn’t want to compete in a race as a heat wave summer’s day gives way to a balmy evening in July or August?

Indeed, many people love to sail. If you are interested in sailing, no matter if you are a young person or an adult, the LWSA can help you “get out on the water.” 

However, the Association has a special interest in getting kids involved in sailing and to that end, they run a well-respected sailing school that teaches the basics of sailing – and a lot more. The goal is to teach kids how to sail safely and to have fun but it doesn’t end at that. The Association has crafted all sorts of programs (and generates a lot of encouragement) to keep kids interested and involved in sailing as they mature. Once students reach the teen years, there are opportunities to become teaching assistants for the summertime youth sailing program and eventually nationally certified senior instructors.

The Association was founded in 1988 as the Lake Winnipesaukee Yacht Racing Association. From the start, the main focus has been on youth sailing education, as well as promoting sailboat racing on the lake. 

Al smiles as he recalls the start of the sailing school. “At first there were just four sailiboats, a motorboat and one instructor for the school. Now we have 35 sailboats, six motorboats and eight nationally certifided instructors and five junior instructors.”

For many years, the sailing school was generously hosted at Fay’s Boatyard by Merrill Fay. they also used space next door at property owned by the Winnipesaukee Yacht Club, but as they grew, LWSA leaders and members dreamed of having their own location. 

Eventually, the LWSA realized a long-term goal of expanding capacity and reaching more young sailors when it moved into a permanent space on Smith Cove in Gilford near Fay's Boatyard. Generous donations from large benefactors and small donations from many, many donors enabled the Association to turn a lakeside cottage with dock and beach into the Dave Adams Memorial Sailing Center. (The center is named after a local person who started out sailing at LWSA, but sadly, passed away as a young adult.)

Al’s eyes light up as he speaks of the Center, which was formerly a modest-sized cottage. “It has space to launch several boats side by side. And it gives us the room we need for our programs.”

The cottage has been transformed into classroom and gathering areas for students and sailing school staff. Smith Cove is very protected and provides a great place for beginning sailboat students to get a feel for being in a small sailboat.

Overseeing the entire youth sailing program is Amy Tripp, who serves as executive director. A non-profit board of directors works with Amy to coordinate all that the Association accomplishes. 

“We have the sailing school, adaptive sailing programs and we run the J80 Fleet races on Thursday evenings in the summer and mixed fleet racing on weekends,” says Amy. And the Association hosts Camp Resilience in the summer as well. (Camp Resilience offers sports and life skills to wounded warriors.)

The Youth Sailing program saw 175 children participating last summer, with 225 overall enrollments. Programs are geared for 8 to 10 year olds and 11 to 16 years olds. “People tell us it is a great program, and we have certainly grown over the years,” reflects Al.

Lest one assume sailing is an expensive hobby/sport, Al says, “We want to change people’s idea that it is a rich man’s sport. We have scholarships, so any student wishing to learn to sail can do so without worry about affording the lessons.”

Al recalls students who have learned to sail with LWSA; some have made careers of sailing, such as a boy from a family of five kids. He had not sailed previously, but he took youth sailing lessons in Gilford and now, has been accepted at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. 

“The sailing lessons are life changing for kids,” Al says. “Another of our students came up through our sailing program and eventually became a head instructor. Now he is part of an America’s Cup team on the engineering side. For so many people, sailing becomes part of their lives. We have seen a family where a child saved up and got a sailboat and now the whole family enjoys sailing.”

The sailing school now offers a springtime after-school sailing program for ages 8 to 16. All students are welcome and are divided by age and ability in the after-school program. Says Amy, “We are hoping this offering allows a lot of kids with no boating exposure try out the sport of sailing!”  Nationally certified instructors teach the classes using Optimist dinghies, 420 collegiate boats and O’Pen Bic sailing dinghies.

For all sailing programs, safety is first and foremost in importance, Amy stresses. There is a swim test the first day. “All students must wear life jackets at all times. If any student does not have a life jacket or the means to purchase one, a jacket will be provided. 

“Students will use Optimist dinghies when they start out,” says Amy. “Session one for the after-school program is May 28 and 29 and June 3 and 5 from 4 to 7 pm at the Dave Adams Memorial Sailing Center at 25 Davis Road in Gilford. The second session takes place June 10, 12, 17 and 19 from 4 to 7 pm at the Sailing Center.”

Students in any of the sailing programs learn a lot, including, on the first morning of lessons, how to recover from a capsize (they must also take a swim test). Two kids are launched in each sailboat right in Smith Cove, and instructors are close by on the water. “We keep the beginners in Smith Cove, because it is an enclosed area. Under the right conditions, we will go out on the open lake,” says Al. Instructors are nearby at all times, often in kayaks to coach their students one-on-one. 

There also is a lot of teaching done right on the lawn of the Sailing Center; kids learn how to rig their own boats, which is part of responsible sailing. Al says they are purposely overstaffed in order to be prepared for all contingencies. 

At the end of each week of summer youth sailing classes, there is a Friday school outing to Ragged Island or other destinations on the lake. “We also have a Friday ice cream bar and treats!” Amy adds.

Other sailing programs at LWSA include private and adult sailing lessons. For ages 16 to adult, LWSA offers hands-on group classes for beginners and intermediates. 

This is a great way to try out sailing and master essential skills. Whether you want to try sailing for the first time, giving the gift of sailing lessons to a family member, or you want to get back into sailing after many years away from the helm, LWSA can help you meet your goals. Many adult group participants are new boat owners of small sailboats and find this the perfect way to safely gain confidence. Others want to brush up on skills before getting involved in the yacht-racing scene on Lake Winnipesaukee.

Classes include Adult Learn-to-Sail Level One for ages 16 and up. Four three-hour classes are geared for those with little or no sailing experience. They will be taught in small groups in stable and comfortable 23-foot Sonar keelboats and a 26-foot J/80. The Adult Learn-to-Sail Level Two for ages 16 and up offers four three-hour classes for adults with some sailing experience. It will be taught in small groups in stable and comfortable 23-foot Sonar keelboats and a 26-foot J/80. Students will gain the skills needed to explore local waters with confidence. 

The LWSA is quite excited about their growing Adaptive Sailing program, which removes barriers to enjoyment of the sport of sailing. Says head instructor Ben Crosby, “We believe that sailing can foster water safety, self-confidence, teamwork, honesty, positive sporting values, and an appreciation for our environment. Therefore, LWSA has reached out to various community organizations over the years to provide opportunities for people who are physically or mentally disabled or recovering from trauma to experience and enjoy sailing.”

The Association’s website explains, “LWSA also has the goal of developing greater capacity and permanent programs that it can offer to people of all abilities, regardless of limitation or adaptation. Adaptive sailing is something that we aspire to and we believe can play an important role in the life of our community.”

The LWSA’s various programs come with expenses and people are stepping forward to donate boats that LWSA sells to offset the costs of the program. 

It seems, at Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association, everyone, no matter age, ability or physical limitations is encouraged to experience the joys of sailing. 

If you have spotted the colorful sailboats on Winnipesaukee on a summer’s evening, and marveled at the beauty and grace of the boats, you likely saw the Association’s Thursday evening races. LWSA provides three pathways for kids, adults or families to participate in racing and group sailing:

A fleet of J/80 type boats sail against and with each other in single class events. Whether you are an owner of a J/80 or wish to volunteer as a crewmember on someone's J/80, there is always lots of action from spring through autumn.

The Mixed Fleet brings together different types of sailboats to sail together and race against each other utilizing a handicap system known as PHRF. Whatever type of boat you have, there is a way to join the fun.

The Youth Racing Club offers Lake Winnipesaukee racing as part of courses at the sailing school. There are also youth regattas that LWSA young sailors participate in every summer in New England, a few of which are in New Hampshire, including the Winnipesaukee Annual Regatta.

No matter your age, ability or whether you own a sailboat or not, the members and staff of LWSA urge you to learn more about the sport. There is nothing like being out on Lake Winnipesaukee on a summer’s day or a foliage-bright and sunny autumn afternoon in a sailboat.

Once you try sailing, you will surely see why, for the LWSA members and staff, the goal is to get everyone out on the water.

For information about the many programs of the Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association, visit www.lwsa.org or contact sailing-school@lwsa.org.

Crafting a Forever Home

Crafting a Forever Home 

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

Photos courtesy Dakota Kate Photography

What do you do when the kids are grown, and you have the house to yourselves? Might you look forward to a quieter, more sedate life?

 If you are Jerome and Jennifer Libby, you build a barn. Not just any barn where tools or vehicles could be stored. Not a place for livestock or hay. Rather, you build a big barn where you will live and enjoy your hobbies and where you can work from home.

 The barn the Libby’s have created was designed and built for their lifestyles: hard working, independent people, Jennifer a real estate agent with an on-the-go schedule and Jerome, a builder and these days, with additional responsibilities as the head of maintenance at Camp Birchmont in Wolfeboro, NH. The couple has lots of friends and family and active grandchildren who love to visit their grandparents. Jerome and Jennifer have hobbies that include hunting and doing all sorts of outdoor activities. Their lifestyle couldn’t be farther from sedate. When the Libby’s made the decision to build a new home on the rural acreage in East Wakefield NH, they wanted something that would fit their lifestyle, something personal and not a pre-packaged design. 

“Jennifer and I designed the house and barn,” Jerome says as he gazes at the rolling fields and distant mountains from the large windows in the space that will soon be their completed dining room and kitchen. Even in late winter (when this interview was conducted), with snow covering the ground, the 11 1/2-acre property is beautiful and quiet, reminding one of the history of the area. Indeed, Jerome explains that the property was once a working farm, they purchased from the Blackwood family.

Reclaimed wood in Jerome Libby's workshop

History abounds inside the home as well, in the large amount of old reclaimed wood Jerome is using for floors and walls throughout the home. The wood floors are made of King’s Pine, and average 250 years or older.

 While other people might collect antiques or coins, Jerome has been a collector of old barnboards and wood from historic homes and barns. When a friend or acquaintance calls to say they are tearing down an old building, Jerome looks over the wood and often, salvages old lumber. He always knew he would make use of the reclaimed wood someday, he just did not know how or when until he began to design the barn property that would become the home he shares with his wife and often, with their children and grandchildren, who love to visit. 

All floors in the main area of the home have reclaimed wood and it makes for a beautiful, unique style. Mellow old pinewood emits softness and fits together like a unique puzzle. One of the great things about reclaimed wood is that no two pieces are just alike. It is fun to gaze at the wood and imagine the decades of service these boards have had in barns and old farmhouses before being salvaged by Jerome.

 Within the barn home, which is a long, red board-and-batten sided structure, part of the space is for living and part for a workshop and a big garage to store Jerome’s work vehicles. In that workshop area, Jerome has at hand the stacks of reclaimed lumber. 

To the untrained eye, the wood may just seem like piles of boards. However, as Jerome singles out a beautiful pattern in a piece of lumber, or points to a board that is many years old, it is clear this wood is more than a stack of boards. It holds history and it was made, over 200 years ago, to last. Jerome marvels at the fact the wood was planed by hand at a time long before electricity and timesaving modern tools. Some beams and lumber came from a cigar factory in Massachusetts and some from homes in Alton, Effingham and in Maine. 

Because of his years as a skilled carpenter, Jerome can tell rotten wood from usable timber. He pulls a long board from a pile and show where there is potential rot that will have to be cut away. In honesty, the unskilled eye would have a hard time spotting the slightly darkened area as rot, but Jerome has worked with enough reclaimed lumber to discern any issues. 

A portion of the floor crafted from reclaimed wood

Given the square footage of the home – over, 4,300 feet in total with a footprint of 50’ x 100’ - it is amazing that skilled carpenters Bill Lessard and Bob Todd (friends) have taken the wood, and with Jerome’s help, created beautiful floors. Select walls in the living area also are of reclaimed wood and the kitchen cabinets will be faced with reclaimed pine. 

How difficult is it to find reclaimed lumber these days and what might be the challenges of using it in a home? “The biggest challenge is finding the lumber these days because more people are using it in their homes. It is a supply and demand issue,” explains Jerome. “People want authenticity and they like the wood that is reclaimed from old homes.

” Jerome and Jennifer’s home is certainly unique and one can see why the grandchildren love to visit. The design includes such unusual features as a 100-foot-long archery range on the top floor and also a cupola off the range area. The cupola has windows on all four sides and with amazing views in every direction, it is certainly a great place to be as the sun sets and the sun rises, or fall foliage brightens the landscape. 

There are four bedrooms in the home so there will be plenty of room for visiting relatives and friends and of course, those active grandchildren.

 As of press time, Jerome and his crew were finishing work on the kitchen and bathroom and some deck work is also on the list to be completed. It has been a 1 ½ year-long construction project, but Jerome and Jennifer took their time to sell their former home, move to the barn property in the winter of 2018 and craft a forever home featuring all the beautiful reclaimed wood. 

The first order of business when Jennifer and Jerome were designing their home and barn/garage was to make sure the noisier portions of the structure (the garage and workshop) would be well away from the living area. After all, who needs the noise of a truck or even a table saw when you are entertaining friends or trying to sleep? The plan works well, and the garage areas are thoughtfully separated from the main living space.

 While construction was in progress in the main living area, the couple has resided in a cozy and convenient basement-level space. It would make, in the future, a beautiful in-law living apartment and it is as far from “living in the basement” as one could imagine. A large open living area has a dining room with views of the fields. There is an open living room area and a full kitchen with leathered granite countertops. Heat in the space, as well as throughout the entire house, is a central system that will also emit air conditioning in the summer. It is a moist heat, due to the system the couple chose, and it will keep the air at a good humidity level year round.

The barn in winter

 When completed by the summer, the couple will move to the main floor and enjoy their new space. The basement level will still offer a guest room and the kitchen with modern appliances. It will be a nice getaway space for guests or family. Jennifer, a busy realtor, will also have office space in the basement level.

 Looking at the rolling fields and distant mountains, Jerome says, “This is something we always wanted to build. We want our kids and grandchildren to enjoy it too. This is our forever home. Our family means everything to us, and includes our daughters Amber, Dakota and Allison and their husbands Rob, Adam and Holden. Our five grandchildren are RJ, Gretchen, Weston, Carter and Reed (with one on the way to soon make six), love it here.” 

100 Years and Going Strong at Irwin Marine

Video Produced by: Laker.TV | Videographer: Aaron Marinel

100 Years and Going Strong at Irwin Marine

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

Way back in 1919, did Jim Irwin Sr. have any idea what he was starting? When Jim arrived by train to the Weirs Beach area in around 1914, his focus and passion was music. Trumpet playing to be exact. 

Jim Irwin Sr.

Why did a musician who grew up in South Boston end up in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire? In those days, travel was slower and the Lakes Region wasn’t the tourist Mecca it is today. While vacationers rented rooms and stayed at hotels and inns in the area, fewer people had boats or would have known what to do with one if they had a sailboat or other boat. 

Jim Irwin came to the area to play music, it was as simple as that. He knew the meaning of hard work and had an eyes-on-the-prize focus. He had been working since he was a kid in the State Street financial district of Boston as an errand boy, running orders and taking messages from office to office. He saved enough for trumpet lessons and persevered. Eventually, he had the musical skills to form a band and began to play for parties and weddings. The band’s popularity grew in Boston and soon they were traveling outside the area, and found themselves north bound to Lake Winnipesaukee. Jim Irwin played on hot summer nights on the shores of the lake and people loved the sounds he created with his trumpet.

Jim Irwin and his band.

Just because Jim had gained popularity as a musician, it didn’t mean things were easy street. He was around age 25 and World War I was looming. He enlisted in the Navy, and of course, he brought his famed horn with him and low and behold, he formed a band while serving his country. His popularity grew after the war and the band played all over the East coast. But still Jim was drawn to the Lake Winnipesaukee/Weirs area each summer. It was an omen of what was to come: he did not forget the lake and the fun he had playing music there.

Jim was what we would today call an entrepreneur. Back then he might not have put such a fancy name to his strong-work-ethic personality and big ideas. It takes someone like that to succeed, and Jim was certainly a visionary. 

He saw the chance to expand in 1921 and he bought an old music hall at the Weirs. It took courage to take such a financial risk, but Jim never let a little fear stop him. 

Jim’s ability to try new things led him to promote the Weirs area, and he brought musical and other types of acts to perform during the summer. (One such act, the Wizard of the North, was handcuffed to a bicycle on steep Tower Hill and rode a steel wire into the lake, according to information on the www.irwinmarine.com website.)

Jim saw the many opportunities the Lakes Region could offer to vacationers and he wanted to bring it all to the Weirs and surrounding area. He saw the new sport of skiing as a great thing, and then he brought power boats races to the lake for weekly regattas at the Weirs. And he brought a Boston pilot to the Weirs to give airplane rides and eventually started the country’s first air mail service.

There is no doubt Jim sensed opportunities galore on Winnipesaukee. He was interested in boating and bought a boat business and a wharf. When his dance hall burned in around 1925, he had to move his dances elsewhere and the waterfront mammoth boat shed fit his needs to become a music hall. Like so much else Jim Irwin did, the choice of building the dance hall over the huge wharf was visionary. He took the property he had, instead of looking to build or buy elsewhere. He literally put the music over the water and it was an instant success. 

It isn’t difficult to conjure up images of what Jim Irwin Sr. brought to the Weirs and what he did to build the area up in those days. There were dances and top-name bands playing on balmy summer nights. There were moonlight boat rides. To this day, older people speak fondly of meeting their future spouse at an Irwin’s Winnipesaukee Gardens dance or taking a ride in one of Jim’s Miss Winnipesaukee boats. It was pure magic for residents of the Lakes Region and for vacationers.

Back in 1919, Jim started a motor boat business and he had 55 inboard motorboats of around 20 ft. each. The motorboats were one cylinder with 5 hp motors. The boats were rented for $8.00 per week in those days. Irwin’s had a fleet of row boats and a showroom offering marine fittings and motors. Irwins also started building and selling a standardized Winnipesaukee Runabout that was 24 ft. long. 

In around 1945, after World War II, Irwin Marine was built on Union Avenue in Laconia. It was a large operation from the beginning, with a boat plant covering two acres under one roof and about 40 boat wells, according to an article titled “New Hampshire Boat Company Celebrates 45th Anniversary”. 

A capacity crowd at the weirs in the early 1960s

Jim Irwin Jr. had been around boats all his life and it was natural that he work alongside his father in the boat business. When Jack Irwin got out of high school, he attended Boston College but soon the Korean War loomed. Jack and some college buddies enlisted in the Marine Corps. When he got out in the 1960s, Jack returned to the Lakes Region where his father was, of course, running the thriving boat business. It was natural for the Irwin kids, now grown up, to work with their Dad as they had always done. When most people were winding down and contemplating retirement, Jim Irwin Sr. was working in the thriving boat business. 

He told his sons that he knew there was a fortune to be made in boating. He wanted to go into boating with his sons but he warned that they would have to be willing to take on a lot of the work. Of course, they were willing and today, the Irwin name in boating, storage and cars is among the most recognizable in the area. 

It would be interesting, from the perspective of our modern-day world, to sit down and chat with Jim Irwin Sr. Unfortunately, Jim passed away some years ago, but he left a family and a legacy; his story and his work and impact on the Lakes Region lives on.

The closest we can come to speaking with Jim Irwin Sr. is to chat with his son, Jack, who has been working in the family businesses since he was a kid. Jack and his family built Irwin Marine into a multi-store operation with locations in Lakeport, Alton, Alton Bay and Hudson, NH, with lots of winter boat storage.

Jack speaks fondly of his father when recounting the Irwin story. Jack learned his strong work ethic from his father, helping out in the business from a young age. If you are an Irwin, it seems, you cannot be afraid to get your hands dirty with axle grease, your feet wet when towing boats and your outlook expanded to do whatever is necessary to get the job done.

“We lived in Laconia when I was a kid,” Jack recalls from his office at Irwin Marine on Union Avenue in Lakeport. “My Dad told me he was going to be fixing up a boat, so he needed me to drive the boat and fill it up with gas and take it back to the boat slip. It was one of the old Laker boats. I was 7 or 8 years old,” he laughs at the memory.

Certainly things were different back then in the 1930s and 40s. Boat traffic was not heavy and there were fewer restrictions on who could drive a boat. And the Irwin kids were comfortable around boats and the water, because they grew up that way. Indeed, Jack recalls that he used to swim off the Pier at his father’s Winnipesaukee Gardens.

He remembers the music at the Gardens. “We had some really great musicians like Duke Ellington and Harry James. I used to run a spotlight at the Gardens when I was a kid. The dances in the summer were Tuesday through Friday nights and they ended at midnight.”

He paints an image with words of the hard work that seemed more like play because it was so interesting and fun. (What kid wouldn’t have wanted to grow up around a dance hall and famous musicians, as well as power boats and daring acts?) 

“In 1929, we had the Miss Winnipesaukee speedboats because my Dad had the Chris Craft franchise. But then the stock market crashed and people couldn’t afford boats any longer. My Dad took back the boats that people could not afford to keep.”

Suddenly, Jim Irwin had six or seven boats and, never short of new ideas, decided he could recoup any losses by offering Miss Winnipesaukee speed boat rides at the Weirs. “They were 26 to 28 foot boats, and they were numbered; people said boat number 5 was the fastest so everyone wanted to ride that boat. People would wait in line for a ride and we ran the boats seven days a week,” Jack recalls.

Jim Irwin Sr. had been around boats since the day he stepped off the train, ready to carve out a career as a musician. He may not have known, way back then, what he was starting and how his talents would shape the area he came to call home. But he saw the boats here and there on Winnipesaukee and he heard the excitement as vacationers talked about being out on the lake in a boat.

And he likely knew that, no matter what happened, from stock market crashes to war to good times, boating was here to stay.