These fun images were photographed around the town of Plymouth last fall during the General Society of Mayflower Descendants Board of Assistants meeting.
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To Cite/Link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Just for Fun! Pilgrim Names Seen Around Plymouth, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted January 18, 2022, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/01/just-for-fun-pilgrim-names-seen-around.html
This weathervane was spotted whilst driving along Route 1, the coastal route, from Bath to Bar Harbor, Maine. Somewhere near Wiscasset or Damariscotta, but I neglected to write down the location!
This two dimensional weathervane is mounted above a cupola over a former barn that has been converted into an antique shop. There are three masts and a very distinctive flag at the stern or the ship, rather like the Betsy Ross 13 star flag.
Does anyone know the location of this weathervane? Or the story behind this interesting ship?
To see 450 other weathervanes featured at this blog, click on this link:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday
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To Cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Sailing Ship in Maine - Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted January 12, 2022, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/01/sailing-ship-in-maine-weathervane.html: accessed [access date]).
Every year I post the books that Genea-Santa brought to my Christmas tree. The photo above shows the genealogy and family history books I received this year. Last year my haul of gift books was heavily slanted towards the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Mayflower. This year the list is well rounded, and includes two books of historical fiction. Thank you, Santa!
I hope you find a few books on this list for yourself and your family history research, too!
Christmas Books 2018
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/01/christmas-books-from-santa-2018.html
Anyone driving through Newbury, New Hampshire on their way to Mount Sunapee has passed this unusual bit of graffiti, which has been on this boulder since the 1970s. And I'm sure most of the passers-by have wondered "Who was the chicken farmer?" or "What's the story behind this?"
Over the years the sign has been repainted, and the vegetation has been cleared, making it visible to everyone passing by on Route 103. In 2011 the New Hampshire Department of Transportation painted over the rock after a graffiti complaint, but this caused a local uproar and the Chicken Farmer sign reappeared and has been freshly repainted annually ever since. It is such a local favorite, this story even appeared on NH Public Radio's "Fresh Air" as a full episode.
Originally the rock read "Chicken Farmer I Love You", but after the town of Newbury (less than 2,000 souls in Newbury, and 192 signed the petition) complained to the state of New Hampshire to have their graffiti remain on the boulder, the message now reads "Chicken Farmer I Still Love You". No one knows the real story, but many people have theories. I've included some links to stories I found online that explore some of these theories.
The Chicken Farmer Rock has been the subject of a story in the February 1998 Yankee magazine, bumper stickers, a movie, in the book Chicken Soup for the Lover's Soul, and there is even a Chicken Farmer 5K race every year in Newbury. If you haven't seen it, take a detour off Interstate 89 and drive along Route 103 to see it for yourself!
The Chicken Farmer Rock is on the right side of Route 103 heading west, about 4 1/2 miles after the intersection of Route 114. It is difficult to see heading east, and is located just after Colburn Farm Road.
Atlas Obscura: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/chicken-farmer-rock
NH PR "What's up with that Chicken Farmer I still love You rock?": https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2017-11-03/you-asked-we-answered-whats-up-with-that-chicken-farmer-i-still-love-you-rock
Youtube film version of the Chicken Farmer story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK4nK7l9d38&t=1s
New Hampshire Magazine: https://www.nhmagazine.com/nh-love-stories-chicken-farmer-rock/
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To Cite/Link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Chicken Farmer, I Still Love You! - Who was the Chicken Farmer?", Nutfield Genealogy, posted January 4, 2022, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/01/chicken-farmer-i-still-love-you-who-was.html: accessed [access date]).
The Village Baptist Church was built in 1820, and renovated over time. The steeple was refurbished in 2013, and the bell tower removed. The original weathervane was replaced back on top of the steeple.
For the truly curious:
The Village Baptist Church, Kennebunkport, Maine: http://vbc-kennebunkport.org/
Ichthys (Early Christian Symbol) at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthys
Click here to see over 450 more Weathervane Wednesday blog posts:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday
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To Cite/Link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "An Old Christian Symbol over a Baptist Church - Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted December 29, 2021, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2021/10/an-old-christian-symbol-over-baptist.html: accessed [access date]).
These lobster pot trees are a New England tradition. In the past, lobster fishermen have piled their traps in their yards for the winter, and some were creative in making them into Christmas trees for the holidays. Then some appeared in harbors and on village greens. Now coastal towns are featuring more and more lobster trap trees. No two are alike, and all are welcome signs of the holidays!
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| Kittery, Maine |
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| Marblehead, Massachusetts |
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| Plymouth, Massachusetts |
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| Provincetown, Massachusetts |
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| Rockland, Maine |
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| York, Maine |
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Winthrop, Massachusetts
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| Seabrook, New Hampshire |
Some variations on the theme:
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| Lobster Trap Menorah, Gloucester, Massachusetts |
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| Potato Barrels, Fort Fairfield, Maine |
This weathervane was photographed over the Hood's Milk office at 330 North State Street, Concord, New Hampshire.
The H. P. Hood Milk Company began as a delivery service in Charlestown, Massachusetts. The owner, Harvey Perley Hood, expanded his business by buying a dairy farm in Derry, New Hampshire in 1856 and delivering the milk to the Boston area by train. Hood's milk grew throughout New England and nation wide. For years the main plant in Charlestown, Massachusetts was seen by millions of people just off the overhead I-93 expressway just outside of Boston, but it is now closed.
This two dimensional dairy cow weathervane is very appropriate for this building, don't you think?
This little, hardcover book of just 45 pages was written by Harriet
Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (14 June 1811 – 1 July 1896). The First Christmas of New England is
a short story originally published in an 1876 volume containing three separate stories. Stowe was a prolific writer for her time,
authoring over 30 books, which often contained social commentary including
abolition of slavery, women’s rights, temperance, and American History. Her most famous
book Uncle Tom’s Cabin criticized the Fugitive Slave Act, inflamed the
South and energized abolitionists in the North prior to the Civil War.
Harriet was born into the religious family of Rev. Lyman
Beecher. Three of her brothers became ministers,
and her father was the famous Reverend Lyman Beecher. Her mother was Roxana
Ward Foote, a descendant of Nathaniel Foote (about 1593 – 1644), Nathaniel
Bliss (1622 – 1654) and Deacon Samuel Chapin (1598 – 1675) early Connecticut
settlers, and my ancestors, too. As far
as I can tell, Harriet Beecher Stowe was not a Mayflower descendant, but she did
write about the Pilgrims several times in her books.
All of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s books were well researched.
This little story about the 1620 Christmas and the Pilgrim’s first winter in
New England is written as fiction but quotes from Bradford’s journal and other
primary sources. She doesn’t tell any myths about the Plymouth Colony. I don’t
know why her book isn’t more well known. I stumbled across it for a few dollars
at a used bookstore. You can find it for sale at Amazon and sellers like Abe
Books online.
The small size of the book and the simple woodblock style
illustrations would make this an excellent gift for young people. Although it
was written in the middle of the 19th century, when many of our
myths about the Pilgrims and the Plymouth colony were first dreamed up, this
book doesn’t romanticize their story.
The first Christmas took place a few weeks after landing in the New
World, while many of the Mayflower passengers were still living on board the ship.
By Christmas Eve, some of them had already died. There was no celebrating of a pagan holiday,
on December 25, 1620, they worked hard at building shelter for the new settlement.
Within a few more weeks (after the ending of the book), half of the Mayflower company would be dead.
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| The Beecher Family |
For the truly curious:
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, or, The History of a Christian Slave,
first published in 1852
The Mayflower, or, Sketches of Scenes and Characters
among the Descendants of the Pilgrims, published 1843
Betty’s Bright Idea (and other Stories) published
1876 includes “The First Christmas of New England”.
The First Christmas of New England, published by
Applewood Books of Bedford, Massachusetts, 2002 also available online at the
following links:
A PDF version in full: https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/journeys.dartmouth.edu/dist/1/686/files/2015/12/Stowe-First_Christmas_of_New_England.pdf
This version is readable online, but scroll down to the First Christmas story (it's the second of three stories by Harriet Beecher Stowe on this website): https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_First_Christmas_of_New_England_Other/WrLoDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=the+first+christmas+of+new+england&printsec=frontcover
The ancestry of Harriet Beecher Stowe can be found at this
link: https://famouskin.com/family-tree.php?name=48996+harriet+beecher+stowe
The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, Hartford, Connecticut: https://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/
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To Cite/Link to this blog: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The First Christmas of New England by Harriet Beecher Stowe", Nutfield Genealogy, posted December 13, 2021, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2021/12/the-first-christmas-of-new-england-by.html
