Ralph Waldo Emerson said “We fancy men are individuals; so are pumpkins; but every pumpkin in the field goes through every point of pumpkin history.”
His words are the truth. Starting from a pumpkin seed, every pumpkin plant grows into a pumpkin sprout. As the sprout matures, the yellow flowers turn into small green pumpkins. These miniature fruit grow and turn orange. This all happens 90-120 days after planting. Continue reading
The Moultonborough NH WWI monument sits in front of the Library.
Moultonborough New Hampshire’s WWI monument today sits in front of the Moultonborough Library at 4 Holland Street where it was dedicated on Memorial Day in 1931. Jane Rice of the Historical Society aptly describes the local history of Memorial Day and the exercises that day in Moultonborough NH. It was not entirely unusual for a New Hampshire town to wait so long to create a monument. It was a traumatizing time, and funds were lean in the smaller villages. Continue reading
Lithograph Poster, Do Your Part–Buy US Government Loans. Herbert Andrew Paus aratist. Niagara Lithography. Prints and Engravings Collection, Historic New England. c1917-1918
During WWI all the citizens of Amherst were involved in some way. By October of 1917 the National Liberty Loan Committee had placed Amherst in a “zone” along with Milford, Wilton, Lyndeborough, Temple, Mont Vernon and Hollis, to raise subscriptions (funds) as a group in the form of Liberty Bonds. Local newspaper advertising was already advocating the eating of more fish than meat in order to ship beef across the ocean for the troops and starving Europeans. The town’s people held regular Red Cross Membership drives led by women district leaders, raised money to support that organization and made clothing and bandages for the troops. ‘Patriotic’ acts were in abundance. Continue reading
I had a conversation recently with a man who had researched World War One for six months and put together an exhibition about local men involved. Briefly we discussed the term “supreme sacrifice,” as I mentioned that I thought his number of WWI deaths was rather low. His retort was that only those who made the “supreme sacrifice” were included in his count.
I was a bit aghast, but the researcher was a veteran, so I was not about to diss him. I let it go. Perhaps that is what they are teaching the “boys” these days–that they must die in battle, in a burning flash of glory, down with the ship, and all that, in order to count as having made the “supreme sacrifice.” Continue reading
Benton Town Hall with veteran monuments and U.S. flag.
When the United States entered WWI, the town of Benton New Hampshire had about 200 residents (219 in 1910, 177 by 1920). Of these at least four men went into military service. One would not return home alive. When the war ended, the Town of Benton wanted to commemorate those who participated in several wars, War of 1812, Mexican War and World War I. Continue reading
