Millie the Mill Girl of Manchester, New Hampshire - An Update

More than a year ago I reported that the city of Manchester, New Hampshire was rennovating "Millie", the statue that honors generations of mill girls who toiled in the textile mills along the Merrimack River.  You can read that blog story HERE.   I'm happy to report that the restoration project finished several months ago, but I never had a chance over the winter to take new photographs.  You can see the finished project now below!

THE MILL GIRL

She stands here for thousands

of 19th century working women

Industrial Revolutionaries who broke

with the past to earn their living,

making history and creating the future.

In 1880 one third of Manchester's population,

3385 women, worked in the textile mills of

the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, situated

below along the banks of the Merrimack River.

Sculptress:

Antoinette Schultze

Funding for this public art project

was made possible by gifts from

Norwin S. and Elizabeth N. Bean Foundation

and 

Samuel P. Hunt Foundation

Dedicated September 9, 1988

Presented by the City of Manchester Parks and Recreation Commission

and

Manchester Art Commission

For the truly curious:

My blog post from August 2022 about the rennovation of Millie:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/08/millie-in-millyard-manchester-new.html   

A blog post from 2012 about Millie the statue:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/02/millie-mill-girl-of-manchester-new.html     

The Amoskeag Manufacturing Company Wikipedia:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amoskeag_Manufacturing_Company  

"Mill Girl makeover: New accessible surroundings for historic city landmark", Manchester Ink Link, July 26, 2023   https://manchesterinklink.com/mill-girl-makeover-new-accessible-surroundings-for-historic-city-landmark/  

"Mill Girl Plaza in Manchester unveils accessibility additions", WMUR TV, July 26, 2023  https://www.wmur.com/article/mill-girl-plaza-manchester-accessibility-additions/44655616        

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Millie the Mill Girl of Manchester, New Hampshire - An Update", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 25, 2024, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/03/millie-mill-girl-of-manchester-new.html: accessed [access date]). 

Millie in the Millyard, Manchester, New Hampshire

I've blogged about this beloved state before (you can find the link below) and this artwork is even more beloved today.  The original name of the statue is "The Mill Girl", but she is affectionately known as "Millie" here in Manchester, New Hampshire.  Millie is located on North Commercial Street, next to the Stark Mill on a flight of stairs that has become quite hazardous and broken.  The city has not yet roped off the area, but as you can see in the photos below, the staircase is quite dangerous.  

I decided to photograph the area around Millie because the city of Manchester is going to soon revamp this and change the layout of the pedestrian way.  They want to include a ramp, signage, and a new location for Millie.  The city was seeking ideas and feedback from the public last year. 

When the construction begins, I will document this, and the final results, too! 

The restoration project has begun!

For the truly curious:

A previous blog post about Millie, the Mill Girl from 2012

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/02/millie-mill-girl-of-manchester-new.html   

From the Manchester Ink Link website: 

https://manchesterinklink.com/city-seeks-ideas-for-mill-girl-makeover/   

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Millie in the Millyard, Manchester, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 9, 2022, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/08/millie-in-millyard-manchester-new.html: accessed [access date]). 

General John Stark Day, 12 April 2021

 

Stark Day ceremonies at the Stark family gravesite
at Stark Park in Manchester, New Hampshire 2016

John Stark Day, honoring our beloved New Hampshire Revolutionary War hero, was celebrated formerly on the fourth Monday in April by state statute.  However, in 2017 the students at the Founders Academy Public Charter School in Manchester lobbied for changing John Stark Day to be held on the second Monday in April, a school day instead of in the middle of school vacation.  New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed bill HB91 into law on 13 April 2017.  According to the new statute “The governor shall annually proclaim the second Monday in April as General John Stark Day in Commemoration of General Stark’s gallant and illustrious service to New Hampshire and his country.  Schools are encouraged to commemorate the day with appropriate educational activities.”  [See statute 4:13-1 General John Stark Day  http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/i/4/4-13-l.htm ]  

Manchester traditionally honors General John Stark with a ceremony at the Stark Park, usually performed in Revolutionary era garb by DAR and SAR members, and then the group moves on to Dunbarton to gather at the Caleb Stark statue (son of General Stark) for a second ceremony.   I’ve tried to be at as many of these ceremonies as possible since moving to Manchester in 2014.  Last year, there was no ceremony, and this year there will be a “virtual ceremony” hosted by the Founders Academy (see the link below).

John Stark was born in Londonderry (now Derry) to his parents Archibald Stark and Eleanor Nichols.  Archibald was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1697, and grew up in Londonderry, Northern Ireland with his family.  He married Eleanor, whose father was also Scottish.  They came to Nutfield, New Hampshire (now Londonderry, Derry and Windham) and their children died on the voyage, which was plagued with small pox.  More children were born in New Hampshire, and they eventually settled in Derryfield, which is now the city of Manchester.  Three Stark brothers – William, John, and Archibald all served under the British during the French and Indian War.

John Stark was born on 28 August 1728, and married Elizabeth “Molly” Page on 20 August 1758 in Dunbarton, New Hampshire.  They had eleven children.  He lived 94 years and died on 8 May 1822 in Derryfield (Manchester). 

Major Caleb Stark (son of General Stark)
statue in Dunbarton, New Hampshire

For the truly curious:

John Stark Day information from the Founders Academy:  http://www.thefoundersacademy.org/giving/john_stark_day 

From the Cow Hampshire blog “The Many Faces of General John Stark of Manchester, New Hampshire” by Janice Webster Brown: https://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2017/04/01/the-many-faces-of-general-john-stark-of-manchester-new-hampshire/

Click here to see the 2018 Proclamation by Gov. Sununu for John Stark Day:  http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/i/4/4-13-l.htm  

The website for Stark Park in Manchester, New Hampshire:   http://www.starkpark.com/ 

Other Nutfield Genealogy blog posts about General John Stark: 

The General John Stark House in Manchester, NH:  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-general-john-stark-house-manchester.html  

The Stark Family Plot:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/04/tombstone-tuesday-stark-family-plot.html   

General John Stark (including more genealogy information):   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/06/general-john-stark-live-free-or-die.html   

The Stark Homestead Site:  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-stark-homestead-site-manchester-new.html  

Images of John Stark Day ceremonies 2016:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/04/john-stark-day-manchester-new-hampshire.html  

Autumn Visit to Dunbarton, New Hampshire (the Caleb Stark statue and the Molly Stark House):   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/10/an-autumn-visit-to-dunbarton-new.html   

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To Cite/Link to this post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "General John Stark Day, 12 April 2021", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 12, 2021 ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2021/04/general-john-stark-day-12-april-2021.html: accessed [access date]). 

The Common Man, Manchester, New Hampshire - Weathervane Wednesday

Today's weathervane was photographed at 1805 South Willow Street, Manchester, New Hampshire.  It is a brand new weathervane atop the Common Man Market and Deli.

A friend sent me a message that this brand new shop had an interesting weathervane, so we rushed over to take a photograph.  This weathervane is almost the 450th weathervane we have posted in this series!

The Common Man Roadside Market and Deli is the fourth little store built by the Ray family of New Hampshire (if you count both delis on the northbound and southbound side of Route 93 in Hooksett).  The symbol on this weathervane should be familiar to anyone who has visited a Common Man restaurant, or driven by one of their locations in the Granite State.  This weathervane features a two dimensional silhouette of the farmer behind his plow.  This weathervane is shiny, new, with a bright copper farmer and cardinal points.  You can't miss it, especially if you are caught at the traffic light on the corner of South Willow and Goffe's Falls Road.

I love that this new business has provided residents with another new weathervane to admire!

The Common Man Roadside website:  http://thecmanroadside.com/ 

The Common Man family of restaurants website:   https://www.thecman.com/ 

Click here to see over 425 other weathervanes from around the world (but mostly in New England):

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

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Cite/Link to this post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Common Man, Manchester, New Hampshire - Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 14, 2020, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-common-man-manchester-new-hampshire.html: accessed [access date]). 

The Merci Train Boxcar of Manchester, New Hampshire

The Merci Train Boxcar 136 Reed Street, in the West Side of Manchester, New Hampshire

What was the "Merci Train"? Why is there a Merci Train boxcar on display in Manchester, New Hampshire? And where are all the other Merci Train boxcars?

A close up of the Merci Train boxcar taken through the display glass
of the protective building in Manchester, New Hampshire

Crowds welcome the Merci Train Boxcar in 1949 Manchester, New Hampshire
Photo courtesy of the Manchester Historic Association

Back during World War II, after the citizens of France suffered terrible hardships under Nazi occupation, the United States sent the Friendship Food Train in 1947.   This was actually three trains with 270 box cars full of food worth over $40 million at the time.  This was a volunteer effort all done by donation, not costing the government a penny for the transportation by ship, rail and truck.  Every package had this label in French and Italian "All races and creeds make up the vast melting pot of America, and in a democratic and Christian spirit of good will toward men, we, the American people, have worked together to bring this food to your doorsteps, hoping that it will tide you over until your own fields are again rich and abundant with crops." 

In return for this kindness, and for liberating their country from Nazi occupation, the citizens of France sent 49 boxcars to the United States. These were known as the Merci Train boxcars.  One boxcar for each state and the District of Columbia.  Each car toured France, and the villagers placed gifts inside each car.  These items included handmade lace, dolls, wines, cheeses, paintings, crafts, photographs of the war, as well as American, German and French weapons taken from battlefields and other objects. 

Only 35 of these Merci Train boxcars still exist. This historic event is long forgotten in American history.  Do you know where the Merci Train boxcar in your state now resides?  Were your ancestors involved with the Friendship Food Train project, or the Merci Train boxcar projects? 

The New Hampshire boxcar arrived in New Hampshire on 10 February 1949. It stopped first in Nashua at 7am, and then at Manchester at 8am where it was moved to a large trailer truck and paraded up Elm Street to a reception at City Hall.  The next day it went to Concord, where it was officially presented to the state of New Hampshire on the State House plaza.  It was accepted by Governor Sherman Adams.  

The New Hampshire boxcar was held at Concord until 1953.  It now rests in a display building at 136 Reed Street in Manchester, on the West Side off of Bremer Street. The land is part of the tiny Monsignor Gilbert Park donated by a local church.  A ceremony is held at this site on the last Sunday of every September, which commemorates the ties between France and the United States. A parade leaves the Justras Post at 56 Boutwell Street and marches to the Merci Boxcar.  It is unknown if the parade and ceremony will take place this year (2020) because of the COVID pandemic. 

An organization called the Grand Voiture du New Hampshire of the 40 & 8 safeguards the box car and its history. This group is named for the 40 men or 8 horses which could be held inside a box car.  This organization cares for Manchester's boxcar, and many of the boxcars from other states. There are links to explore (see below) if you are interested in learning more.  

Most of the items inside the boxcar were distributed to societies across New Hampshire. Here in Manchester there are some items at St. Anselm's College, which were formerly part of the collection of the Library of the Americaine Canadienne Association. This link has some photos of some of the items that were inside the boxcar, donated by citizens of France:   http://mercitrain.org/NewHampshire/   

For the Truly Curious:

A video by WMUR TV's Fritz Weatherbee, from his history spot on "Chronicle" about the Merci Train in Manchester, New Hampshire:   https://www.wmur.com/article/fritz-wetherbee-the-merci-boxcar-in-pinardville/31020345 

The Merci Train New Hampshire:  http://mercitrain.org/NewHampshire/
This same website has pages for each state that received a boxcar, including Washington, DC, and a good overview of the whole history of the Merci Train boxcars:   http://mercitrain.org 

This website has a list of the gifts from inside the New Hampshire boxcar:   http://www.trains-and-trains.dk/Arrangements/USA/Merci/new-hampshire.shtml 

New Hampshire: War and Peace, by John Clayton, Peter Randall Publishers, 2001.  Out of print, but still available at the Manchester Millyard Museum, and also at AbeBooks.com: 

https://www.abebooks.com/9780965068444/New-Hampshire-peace-Clayton-John-0965068447/plp   

     John Clayton, director of the Manchester Historic Association, also wrote this article about the Merci Train Boxcar:

     https://manchesterinklink.com/box-car-recalls-250-tons-thanks/?fbclid=IwAR3LJ_8qf_l-xaLGZLHOXoF-G7rW5uArPCUceWPiArtllcs-ofdj_Y6WLBQ    

Forty and Eight (La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux) -
       Wikipedia:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty_and_Eight 
        Website:  https://www.fortyandeight.org/  

        Facebook group:

        https://www.facebook.com/Forty-and-Eight-Voiture-Nationale-483982595006573  

The Friendship Train 1947 website:  http://www.thefriendshiptrain1947.org/ 

The Journey of the Gratitude Train blog:  https://gratitudetrain.typepad.com/ 

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Cite/Link to this post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Merci Train Boxcar of Manchester, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 4, 2020, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-merci-train-boxcar-of-manchester.html: accessed [access date]).

Manchester First In The Nation Primary Election Trolley Tour

The city of Manchester has formed a team to help the citizens celebrate being "the largest city in NH, a political hub, and the place to celebrate being First In The Nation for the National Primaries."  There was a Primary Trivia Night at the Rex Theater, and for four nights this week a Trolley Tour hosted by the Manchester Historic Association's John Clayton.  We joined the tour last night for the last tour of the season.  It was so interesting, and so much fun, I'm already looking forward to the next history tour in 2024! 

The New Hampshire Primary is famous for being the First In The Nation, as well as being a good forecast of who may be the next president.  All the presidents in the past 60 years have won the New Hampshire Primary; even George Bush and Bill Clinton, who both won the primary on their second election cycle.  Most importantly, the media coverage in New Hampshire, especially in Manchester, has helped candidates reach the national spotlight.  Visiting the media centers in the Manchester area can be fun for political junkies and the curious. In years past I've haunted the downtown hotels, and the Bedford Village Inn just to see who might show up! At Manchester's Saint Anselm College the New Hampshire Institute of Politics hosts debates, rallies, town hall meetings, and other events to introduce the candidates to the voters.  You have probably seen Saint Anselm College's venue on TV many times and not realized it. 

As you know, New Hampshire hosts the First In the Nation Presidential Primary Election every four years.  Being the biggest city in the Granite State means that most of the candidates end up here in the Queen City for rallies, speeches, media (WMUR TV is located here in Manchester), and interviews.  I remember bumping into lots of candidates (John Kerry, Elizabeth Dole, Rudy Guliani, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, and the more obscure Lamar Alexander, Lydon LaRouche, Paul Tsongas, Paul Simon or Michael Dukakis), in the Manchester area, and seeing lots of famous newscasters from the past like Barbara Walters at the Bedford Village Inn and Tom Brokaw at the Center of New Hampshire (now the Double Tree Hotel).   During the tour we saw and discussed other venues where candidates "show up" (announced or unannounced) like the Red Arrow Diner and the Puritan Backroom, as well as places long gone such as The Vault and the Merrimack restaurant on Elm Street, or Bedford's Sheraton Wayfarer hotel.  

We started our tour on Elm Street at Veteran's Park, where we examined several historic photos from the 1951 presidential primary.  Did you know that General Dwight D. Eisenhower didn't come to Manchester until after the primary?  He rode a limo down Elm Street and gave a speech in Victory Park.  It was Nacky S. Loeb of the Union Leader who convinced Eisenhower to run as a Republican for the primary election. 

Even though there had just been an icy snow storm yesterday, our trolley full of hardy New Hampshire residents continued the tour stopping at Amherst Street in front of the former Union Leader building (now the Manchester District Court). We stood on the same spot where in on February 24, 1972 Edmund Muskie gave his famous speech in a snowstorm where the Union Leader reported he broke down and cried, calling him a "gutless coward".  Other newspapers reported he was wiping wet snow off his face.  Leaders were supposed to be calm and level headed in the past, but today's politicians are famous for emotional outbursts.

The tour continued to Victory Park, where in 1960 John F. Kennedy had a huge rally.  The photos of this event show thousands of people.  On the roof of a nearby building, which used to be a catholic hospital, all the nuns cheered on JFK and he waved to them in response.  Later that day JFK gave a famous interview at WMUR about how as a catholic president he would be loyal to the United States and the constitution. Sixty years ago the press and some Americans believed that a catholic president would be loyal first to the Pope and Roman Catholic church.  

This special exhibit "Manchester and the Path to the Presidency" will run through February 29, 2020 at the Millyard Museum, and is included with museum admission.  This is a trip down memory lane, with exhibits of presidents who visited Manchester, especially those candidates who visited our city in the primary election years since 1947.  There are newspaper front pages, photographs, political buttons and ephemera, artifacts and more to peruse at your leisure.  Some of the names will sound very familiar, and others will sound strangely unfamiliar even though they made headlines decades ago.  Our tour ended here, but I will probably be back to see this exhibit again! 

In keeping with New Hampshire's tradition of politicking via hitting the sidewalks and mingling with the crowds, our trolley was full of average citizens, as well as a candidate for the primary, Republican Matthew J. Matern from California,  and Manchester's own Mayor Joyce Craig with her family.  Syracuse Public TV was also at every stop (including the Millyard Museum) to film the tour and interview participants.  I hope to see this documentary on the NH primary activities when it airs.  

P.S. There is another similar exhibit at the Manchester Airport, curated by the Manchester Historic Association.  I hope to get up there this weekend to see it, too!  It is open to the public, before security, on the first floor open concourse by the ticket counters. 

Vincent at the Millyard Museum NH Primary exhibit

For the truly curious:

Manchester First In The Nation website   https://mhtfitn.com/

The Manchester Historic Association  https://www.manchesterhistoric.org/ 

The Millyard Museum  https://www.manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Manchester First In The Nation Primary Election Trolley Tour", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 7, 2020, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/02/manchester-first-in-nation-primary.html: accessed [access date]).

A Google Book Search for Nutfield Books

Names of people (ancestors, relatives, their neighbors and friends mentioned in letters and documents) can show up in all sorts of places online. Google Book search is nice place to start from the comfort of your own home http://books.google.com/  When starting out with a family or new branch of the family tree, it is a good idea to just explore the local history where you know your ancestor lived. Once you click on a book found at Google Books, you are able to search for keywords in every volume, one at a time or through all the books in the database. If Google Books doesn’t satisfy, try Internet Archive or the Hathi Trust websites.   For the book best selection, check your local library and see what is available through the inter-library loan system.

Here are a few of the books found about Nutfield (Londonderry, Derry, Windham, Derryfield (Manchester)), New Hampshire at Google Book Search:

Bibliography of Manchester, NH, by Sylvester Clark Gould and John Weeks Moore, 1885, originally published by Harvard University.

Manchester Historic Association Collections, Volume 4, by the Manchester Historic Association, 1908. [also volumes 1; 3, 1903; 1897; 7, 1914;  11, 1909; and more]

Contributions to the History of Derryfield, New Hampshire, William Ellery Moore, 1896, originally published by Harvard University.

Derry Revisited, by Richard Holmes and William Dugan, 2005, Acadia Publishing

  

The Descendants of James and William Adams of Londonderry, Now Derry, NH: Also a Brief Account of the Families of Robert Cochran and Joseph Morrison of Londonderry, and of Dea. Thomas Cochran of New Boston, NH, by Andrew N. Adams, 1894, Rutland, VT, Tuttle Company. (Also available is the Higginson Genealogical Books reprint)

Early Records of Londonderry, Windham and Derry, NH 1719-1745, by George Waldo Browne, 1911, Manchester Historic Association.

Early Records of the Town of Derryfield, 1751 – 1782, George Waldo Browne, 1905.

Early Records of the Town of Derryfield, 1782 – 1800, George Waldo Browne, 1907, Manchester, NH.

Historic Tales of Windham, by Derek Saffie, 2016, Arcadia Publishing.

The History of Londonderry, Comprising the Towns of Derry and Londonderry, NH , by Edward Lutwych Parker, 1851, Boston: Perkins and Whipple.

  

James Rodgers of Londonderry and James Rogers of Dunbarton, by Josiah H. Drummond. 1897, Manchester, NH, Gould Publishers

Londonderry, by the Londonderry Historical Society, 2004, Arcadia Publishing. (some pages not viewable)

The Londonderry Celebration: Exercises on the 150th Anniversary of the Settlement of Old Nutfield , by Robert C Mack, 1870, Manchester: Published by John B. Clarke.

Manchester: A Brief Record of Its Past and Picture of Its Present, Including an Account of Its Settlement and of Its Growth as a Town and City; A History of Its Schools, Churches, Societies, Banks,  compiled by Maurice D. Clarke, 1875, published by J. B. Clarke.

Manchester Men: Soldiers and Sailors in the Civil War, 1861 – 66, by George Clinton Gilmore, 1898, originally published by Harvard University.

The Manchester, New Hampshire Directory, 1901, Sampson & Murdock Company.

Poems of Robert Dinsmoor, “The Rustic Bard”, by Robert Dinsmoor and James Dinsmoor, 1898, Damrell & Upham.

Scotch Irish in New England, by Arthur Latham Perry, 1891, J.S. Cushing & Company (originally the University of California).

Scotch Irish Pioneers in Ulster and America, by Charles Knowles Bolton, 1910, published by Bacon and Brown (originally the University of California).

Semi-centennial of the City of Manchester, New Hampshire September 5, 7, 8, 9, 1896, by Herbert Walter Eastman, 1897.

A Sermon, Delivered at Londonderry East Parish, May 5, 1816, Occasioned by the Death of John Pinkerton, Esq., by Edward Lutwyche Parker, 1816.

The Siege and History of Londonderry, 1861 [about Londonderry in Northern Ireland before the 1718 migration]

Supplement to the History of Windham in New Hampshire: A Scotch Settlement, by Leonard Allison Morrison, 1892, Boston, Mass: Damrell & Upham

The Road to Derry:  A Brief History, by Richard Holmes, 2009, Arcadia Publishing.

Township, Nutfield, Harrytown, Derryfield, and Manchester, From the Earliest Settlements to the Present Time, by George Franklyn Willey, 1896, Manchester, NH: Willey Publishers

  

Willey’s Book of Nutfield: A History of that Part of New Hampshire Comprised Within the Limits of the Old Township of Londonderry, from Its Settlement in 1719 to the Present Time, by George Franklyn Willey, 1895.

Willey’s Semi-Centennial Book of Manchester, 1846-1896: Historic Sketches of that Part of New Hampshire Comprised Within the Limits of the Old Tyng Township, Nutfield, Harrytown, Derryfield, and Manchester, From the Earliest Settlements to the Present Time, by George Franklyn Willey, 1896, Manchester, NH: Willey Publishers

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "A Google Book Search for Nutfield Books", Nutfield Genealogy, posted January 16, 2020, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/01/a-google-book-search-for-nutfield-books.html: accessed [access date]).

Ralph Baer Statue in Manchester, New Hampshire - 20th Century Americana

Earlier in May a new statue was unveiled in Manchester's Arms Park, on the banks of the Merrimack River.  It honors the inventor, Ralph Baer, who is considered the Father of all computer gaming. This statue is a friendly nod to Mr. Baer, and seems to invite you to sit down next to him to see what he is holding in his lap.  Which is just the kind of thing that Mr. Baer would have loved in life, since he enjoyed sharing his invention with everyone, especially children.

Ralph Baer was a former Sanders Associate employee (now BAE Systems) from 1956 to 1987 with a rags to riches story.  He was an immigrant who escaped the horrors of fascism and terror in Europe as a child, and became an engineer and hero to millions of computer gamers and technology users across the globe.  He held over 150 patents and created the first version of "Pong" and the game "Simon", as well as the first home video game console. While working at Sanders (BAE) he developed "The Brown Box", which was sold by Magnavox in the 1970s.

Born in Germany as Rudolf Heinrich Baer (1922 - 2014) his Jewish family fled in 1938 just two months before Kristallnacht.  He became a naturalized United States citizen and worked in a factory.  He later graduated from the National Radio Institute, and fought in World War II where he was assigned to military intelligence in London.  Through the G.I. Bill he earned a Bachelor of Science in Television Engineering.  After several other jobs he joined Sanders Associates (BAE Systems) in 1956. His projects included military applications, but through this technology he developed the concept of home video game consoles.  The rest is history!  His Brown Box was patented in 1973, jointly held by Baer and Sanders Associates.

Ralph Baer married Dena Whinston and they had three children.  He died in Manchester at his home in the North End on 6 December 2014.  He was awarded the National Medal of Technology in 2006 by President George W. Bush. He was inducted to the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2010. Posthumously he was awarded the Pioneer Award by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences at the 2015 Game Developers Conference. Ralph Baer's lab was recreated at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, where he donated his papers and other artifacts. Baer was an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Life Fellow.

A local grassroots effort held an online Kickstarter campaign with support from BAE Systems and the Orbit Group to collect about $65,000 for the statue of Ralph Baer holding his "Brown Box", and for the statue's upkeep.  Names of donors are on the bricks below the statue.  Also, the Baer family has established a scholarship "The Ralph H. and Dena W. Baer Scholarship Fund" at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation for Manchester Central High School students planning to study a technology related field.  Gifts may be made to the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

This is another post in my series of stories about 20th Century Americana, local history which I use as story starters and for helping with oral histories.  Most of these subjects bring back great memories to the people who lived through the 20th century, maybe even YOU!

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Ralph Baer Statue in Manchester, New Hampshire - 20th Century Americana", Nutfield Genealogy, posted June 15, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/06/ralph-baer-statue-in-manchester-new.html: accessed [access date]).

The Stark Homestead Site, Manchester, New Hampshire

In the past I have written blog posts about Stark Park, and the Molly Stark House, both in Manchester.  Thanks to a reminder by Dave Wilson at the "All About Manchester, NH Old and New" Facebook page, Vincent and I went over to photograph the original site of the Stark Homestead on River Road, too.

General John Stark was born in Londonderry, New Hampshire (now downtown Derry) on 28 August 1728.  He was the "Hero of Bennington" and a Major General during the Revolutionary War.  As a child his family removed from Londonderry to Derryfield (now Manchester, New Hampshire).  He married "Molly" Elizabeth Page from Dunbarton and had eleven children.  A group of veterans from the Battle of Bennington held a reunion in 1809 and invited Stark.  He was elderly and could not attend, but he sent his famous letter to be read at the reunion. This letter included the famous phrase "Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils".  This phrase from Stark's letter is now the New Hampshire state motto.

There is a historic marker on the site of Stark's birthplace as well as a NH state historic marker up the road on Route 28 (Rockingham Road).   His childhood home was removed from the actual site and is now located at 2000 Elm Street, and is known locally as "The General Stark House".  His own land once included all that is now Stark Park on River Road as well as this site further down by the entrance to the Youth Detention Center.

John Stark died at home at his farm on 8 May 1822, at age 93.

THIS STONE

MARKS THE HOMESTEAD OF

MAJOR GENERAL JOHN STARK

HERO OF BENNINGTON.

HE DIED HERE MAY 8, 1822

ERECTED BY

MOLLY STARK CHAPTER

DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1906

THIS IS THE ORIGINAL DOOR STONE

OF THE

STARK HOMESTEAD

STARK WELL

1765

Out of curiosity, Vincent peeked inside the well and saw this older monument

SITE OF THE

GEN. JOHN STARK

HOMESTEAD

For the truly curious:

John Stark:  Maverick General, by Ben Z. Rose, TreeLine Press, 2007.

Gen. John Stark's home farm: a paper read before the Manchester Historic Association October 7, 1903, by Roland Rowell. A copy is in the Boston Public Library.

Stark; The Life and Wars of John Stark, French and Indian War Ranger, Revolutionary War General, by Richard Polhemus and John Polhemus, Black Dome Press, 2014.

John Stark's papers are located at the New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park Street, in Concord, New Hampshire.

My blog post about the Stark Park:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/04/today-is-general-john-stark-day-in-new.html 

My blog post about the General John Stark House (Stark's childhood home):
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-general-john-stark-house-manchester.html

A blog post about nearby Dunbarton, New Hampshire, with photos of the Molly Stark House and the statue depicting Caleb Stark (the General's eldest son):
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/10/an-autumn-visit-to-dunbarton-new.html 

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Stark Homestead Site, Manchester, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted June 5, 2019, (

Researching Your Ancestors in Manchester, New Hampshire

This blog post is part of the lecture I presented at the Founders Day event held in East Derry, New Hampshire on April 12 - 14.  I'll be covering the resources available for genealogical research in Derry, Londonderry, Manchester, Concord and Windham, New Hampshire.  All the links will be posted above under "Nutfield FAQ's".

American Canadian Genealogical Society

Don't be put off by the name, but the American Canadian Genealogical Society is a great small genealogy library on Elm Street in downtown Manchester for anyone to do their family history research. There is free parking and a great staff of volunteers waiting to assist you with your family tree, even if your ancestors are not French Canadian.  I did much of my Mayflower lineage research here when I first applied to the Mayflower Society, and I don't have a single French Canadian ancestor.  The collection is heavily weighted towards the French speaking records in the French speaking provinces, especially the Roman Catholic records. However, it is also a genealogy society, with general genealogy information, local and state histories, and a store with genealogy charts and gifts.  It is also an affiliate Family History Center with computer access to the LDS collections in Salt Lake City.

It is helpful to make an appointment ahead of time with the staff, and they will arrange to have a research assistant available to help.  They will also pull all relevant material and have it waiting for you when you visit.  There is a lunch room with snacks and drinks available, and a waiting area for friends and family members who accompany you to the ACGS.  Very thoughtful!  See the link below for more information.

The Manchester Historic Association Research Facility

The Manchester Historic Association Research Center is located diagonally across the street from the Manchester Public Library.  You can park once, and spend hours doing your family research in both facilities.  The Manchester Historic Association is a private organization, so it's members are welcome free, but there is an admission fee for non-members.  If you are unable to visit in person, there is a research service for fee, too (see the website for details).  The card catalog is online, as well as a photo database of over 900 images of Manchester.

The collections include the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company Records including employee cards from 1911 to the 1930s, Manchester school registers, a large library of books, business and family papers, photographs, oral histories, the Dignam Music Collection, biographies of notable residents, and more. See the finding aids online at the website.  The Manchester Historic Association also operates the Millyard Museum at 200 Bedford Street.

The Manchester Public Library

The Manchester Public Library has a main building on Pine Street, facing Victory Park, and diagonally across from the Manchester Historic Association.   There is an online card catalog and research services available (see the website for details and fees).  You will want to visit the New Hampshire Room for the local history resources (Limited hours and by appointment – collections include town histories, biographies of NH residents, Manchester history and government, genealogies of NH families.  There are also computers with access to Ancestry.com )

Manchester City Hall

The Manchester City Archives are located in the basement of the City Hall on Elm Street. This is where the city stores the historic records dating back to the days of Derryfield and the former Derryfield meetinghouse in the 1700s.  There are vital records for Manchester, city directories, oral histories, photograph collections,  tax records (real estate, poll, and other)  welfare records, including the “overseers of the poor”, and non-city recors such as photographs, postcards, personal papers and business records. The archives are available only with an appointment made at least 24 hours in advance, and are open only during city hall's regular hours. See the website below.  All requests must be made in writing (not by phone or email). 


Places to visit:

American Canadian Genealogical Society, recently moved to 1 Sundial Avenue, Suite 317N, Manchester, New Hampshire 

(603) 622-1554   https://acgs.org/    Members free, $10 day fee for non-members

Open Wednesdays 9am - 4pm, Fridays and Saturdays 9am - 4pm, Sundays 1pm - 4pm

Manchester Historic Association Research Center, 29 Amherst Street, Manchester, New Hampshire

(603) 622-7531  https://www.manchesterhistoric.org/ 

Open Saturdays 10am – 4pm, Wednesday 10am – 3pm, and by appointment (send a detailed email to library@manchesterhistoric.org )   Free to members, $8 adults, $6 seniors and college students, $4 children 12 - 18, and free to children under 12. 

The Manchester Municipal Archives and Records Center, in City Hall basement, One City Hall Plaza, Manchester, New Hampshire

(603) 624-6455    Open Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm by appointment only

https://www.manchesternh.gov/Departments/City-Clerk/Municipal-Archives-and-Records

                

Manchester Public Library, at 405 Pine Street, Manchester, New Hampshire

(603) 624-6550  http://www.manchester.lib.nh.us/ 

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday,  9:30am - 8:30pm. Wednesday and Friday 9:30am - 5:30pm, Saturdays 9:30am - 2:30pm

        

For the truly curious:

The History of Manchester, Formerly Derryfield, in New Hampshire, by Chandler Eastman Potter, 1856  (online at Archive.org )

Manchester on the Merrimack, by Grace Holbrook Blood, 1975

Willey's Semi-centennial Book of Manchester, by George Franklyn Willey, 1896

Manchester Historic Association Collections (published 1899 – 1914 in 12 volumes)


Blogs:

Nutfield Genealogy  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/ 

Cow Hampshire by Janice Webster Brown  http://www.cowhampshireblog.com/ 

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To Cite/Link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Researching Your Ancestors in Manchester, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted May 9, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/05/researching-your-ancestors-in.html: accessed [access date]).