The friends of the Windham NH Historic Commission will be hosting a cemetery walk to benefit Searles School and Chapel on October 11th from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Local residents will play the roles of those buried beneath the ground. Among those portrayed will be David Greg who was killed by Indians near Golden Brook in 1740 when he was just nine years old. Tickets are $10 for adults and $3 for children under 18. Why not come and find out who lays slumbering in the dust in the Cemetery on the Plain in Windham NH.

Gravestone EPITAPHS

For those of you who plan upon your death to have your body placed in the cold, still, earth rather than the more free spirited spreading of ashes, the question becomes how will you mark your grave? Today people have their faces and their Harley’s etched on their head stones.  In the past, the historic stones have reflected the inevitability of death and how best to approach it.

    Many years ago, before I was married, my wife and her cousin Sue Alosky stopped by my house after they had just walked through the “old” Cemetery on the Plain. They recited the following epitaph to me.  

“As you pass by remember me, As you are now so once was I, As I am now so you must be, Prepare for death and follow me.”

 A few weeks ago, my wife and I walked through the “old” cemetery again and found the stone and the epitaph. This particular verse is very popular and is found on several grave stones in town.  We also noticed that many of the stones are becoming very difficult to read which is sad because they have stories to tell. Take the stone of Hannah Campbell who died in March of 1789. On the stone with her are the names of four of her children who died before the age of four and of another infant who was still born. Her epitaph reads:

 “Tis God that lifts our comforts high, Or sinks them in the grave, He gives and blessed be his name, He takes but what he gave.”

The epitaph on the stone of Lieutenant Jeremiah Hills sums up the eternal question;  Why am I here, what is the meaning of life, is there a God and if there is a God am I a part of an eternal future beyond death. People who live to find out often leave with more questions than answers. Lieutenant Hills epitaph: 

Tis a point I long to know, Oft it causes anxious thought, Do I love the Lord or no, Am I his or not?”

Many of the stones reflect the belief in the resurrection of the body. Jennet Park who died at 81 in 1830’s has on her grave,:

 “These ashes poor, this little dust, Our father care shall keep, Till the last angel rise and break the long and dreary sleep.”

 Mary Meeker who died in March of 1836 at the age of 19 indicated that her spirit will be in heaven to be rejoined later by her body:

“Let all who now behold me here, be faithful till the Lord appears, Farewell dear friends, a short farewell, Till we shall meet again above, I go from you to heaven to dwell, To realize a Saviors love. Though friends and kindred weep around, my body slumbers in the ground, Till the last trumpet shall bid it rise, To meet the Savior in the sky.”

 Nancy, the wife of Isaac Cochran, who died in 1826 has a stone that states:

“From husband torn for friends and family dear, At life’s bright moon of death laid her body here, So let it rest from joys and sorrows driven, Till Christ shall call her sleeping dust to heaven.”

Deacon Samuel Morrison who died in 1816 at 69 has an epitaph that reads:

“Forgive, blest shade, the tributary tear that mourns thy exit from a world like this, Forgive the wish that  would have kept  thee here, And stayed thy progress to the seats of bliss”

NEW DATE!!!!! So see you on October 11th…there is no telling what you might find among the stones.

Big Island Pond is a 532 acre lake located in the towns of Derry, Hampstead and Atkinson New Hampshire.The lake has a long and varied history going back to the aboriginal peoples and the possible settlement nearby of Irish Culdee monks over 1,000 years ago. Chief Escumbuit’s life from 1665-1727 intertwines with the history of the Big Island Pond. Into the twentieth century there was even a brothel located near the pond called “Laverne’s Place.” All of the interesting history is available in the book “Legends of the Pond, Stories of Big Island Pond, Atkinson, Derry and Hampstead”  by Alfred E. Kayworth. Mr. Kayworth’s book gives a fascinating look at the pond and the people who have lived nearby.

One interesting character on the pond was George Eli Whitney.  “Derry from Turnpike to Interstate,’ says that  ”For nearly fifty years a steamboat provided enjoyable trips on its waters. It was unique in that the man who built the boat in 1900 operated It for forty eight summers. He was George Eli Whitney, a descendant of Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin. No Sunday school picnic or family reunion at the pond was complete without a ride on Whitney’s steamboat. At a certain point along the way, in a shaded cove, Whitney always stopped the craft for a few minutes while he related a fanciful tale about pirates. Adults might smile, but the children listened eagerly.”  According to Hayworth the boats name was the “Ida F.” Whitney built steam yachts and launches in Boston. He designed and built a small steam engine for automobiles for the Mason Regulator Company. It was one of the first production engines for automobiles. Soon after Whitney was building steam automobiles of his own design. Whitney was an early resident of Big Island Pond and lived at what is stilled remembered as Whitney’s Grove.

Today, I wanted to share with you to beautiful old photographs of Conley’s Grove on Big Island Pond. These photographs were identified by the original photographer as “Westville, N.H. which was the mailing address for Atkinson at the time.   Conley’s Grove and pavillion were both located in Atkinson,  New Hampshire. Hayworth says that, “By the end of the Roaring Twenties people began to explore the world beyond the ethnice neighborhoods of the city. As more and more people bought automobiles, the unerringly headed for the seashore and the country in their time off. The “Big Band” era was in full swing and the dance halls located at lakes and ponds were a strong draw for city-bound people. Big Island Pond features two dance halls; one was built on the shore at Conley’s Grove and the one at Chases Grove is still active. Working class people were able to afford the cost of a mass produced automobile and people were no longer limited to electric trolleys. Big Island Pond with its scenic beauty and its dance halls became a big draw.”  The cottages pictured at left were owned by Elsie Lippold. The descendants of the Lippold family still live in Conley’s Grove today.

Big Island Pond is a beautiful lake with a beautiful shoreline and water depths that reach up to 70 feet. Governor’s Island is “the big island” in the middle of the lake for which the name is derived. If you want more information about real estate for sale on Big Island Pond please follow this link.

On one of the signs at the front of the pavilion is the name “Jack Mills ___ Orch.”  Jack Mills Company represented many orchestras in the twenties including Duke Ellington. Another sign on a tree advertises “Bathing suits and boats to let.”

O.K. , I know you’re not looking forward to that early morning run from southern New Hampshire to bring a friend or relative to Logan Airport, right? Well I have a way to turn the drudgery of being a taxi into a ride in a time machine and an incredible gastronomical experience all wrapped into one. When you’re returning from Logan take a short 1/4 mile detour into East Boston and the Betty Ann Food Shop “Donut” experience.

Don’t be put off by the rather modest appearence of the exterior. This place has been a bakery since the late 1890’s. In fact,  the oven is still fired by coal.   The whole interior looks as if it was frozen in time seventy or eighty years ago. The baker is William Scantlebury who began working at Mary Ann’s after high school. His grandfather opened the bakery in 1931.

Both the cake and yeast dough recipes have been handed down from, Scantlebury’s grandfather. All of the dough is prepared by hand. There is a limited variety but that adds to the appeal. The cake donuts are dusted with granulated sugar. The yeast donuts include jelly, lemon, and sugar raised. Hot out of the oven you will swear you never had a donut until this moment. Nostalgia never tasted this good.

Betty Ann Food Shop also offers cookies, brownies, danish, pies and cake. Stop by on Saturday morning for baked beans. The shop is only open mornings from 7:00 A.M. to 10:30 A.M. Tueday through Friday and 7:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. on Saturday. They are closed Monday. Take my advice, take a detour in time and enjoy! From the Logan Airport exit bear right onto 1A north. Take your first exit and stay straight onto the ramp onto Bennington Street for a couple of blocks. Watch for 565 Bennington on your right. Reverse to return to the Callahan Tunnel. 617-567-1479