The Annual Portsmouth Halloween Parade 2021 walks, stalks, dances, trumpets and drums its way through downtown Portsmouth on Oct. 31st at 7 p.m. Dress up, gather at Peirce Island and march. No sign-up required. Hundreds march, thousands watch, always a spectacle. The whole schedule can be found at https://www.portsmouthhalloweenparade.org/
The History of Maine Railroads
South Berwick, Maine- Old Berwick Historical Society will present an online lecture on Thursday, October 28 at 7:30pm about the history of railroads in Maine. One of the first states to build railroads and trolleys in the United States, Maine at one point had more than ninety communities with trolleys. From an international electric trolley to the attempted World War I dynamiting of a railroad bridge between the United States and Canada, historian Bill Kenny will talk about why the state is home to a rich rail heritage.
Participants can register for the online lecture through the Old Berwick Historical Society’s website. Admission is free to members, with a $5 suggested donation for non-members. The lecture is open to the public.
Bill Kenny is a retired United States Air Force officer, with a career of a logistics war planner and military intelligence officer. Kenny has twenty years of experience as an adjunct university professor of International Economics, Organizational Leadership, Project Management, and Foreign Affairs. He has written two books, A History of Maine Railroads, and his second book, co-authored with his wife, Kathy, Historic Taverns and Tea Rooms of Maine, which was released in May.
The Counting House Museum is open Saturdays form 1-4pm through the end of October and by appointment anytime. The Old Berwick Historical Society’s 2021 lectures are generously sponsored by Kennebunk Savings and supported by historical society members and donors. More information is available by calling 207-384-0000 or at www.oldberwick.org.
Cat Fanciers Federation and United Maine Coon Cat Association “Splashing into Halloween” Cat Show on October 30th and 31st from 9am to 4pm at the American Legion Post #47 in Rollinsford.
Seacoast Artisans 22nd Annual Holiday Fine Arts & Craft Show on November 20th from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at 35 Lafayette Road, North Hampton. Event Entrance Fee $5.00 Children 14 & Under Free. An amazing show with over 70 artists. Something for everyone on your Holiday Shopping list this season. Bring the whole family.
PLAINS SPEAKING: The Portsmouth Raid in Fact & Fiction
October 15 – 17 Live Presentation / October 24 Online Zoom Presentation
Pontine Theatre presents the premiere of Plains Speaking: The Portsmouth Raid in Fact and Fiction, a video production exploring the history and legacy of the raid that occurred on the Portsmouth Plains on June 26, 1696. The video was researched, written and presented by Consulting Curator, Nina Maurer.
Pontine’s present home at the 1845 Plains Schoolhouse is located on the site of the raid. Our community’s longstanding interest in place-based history and historic preservation gave rise to the development of this video which examines this important and overlooked part of Portsmouth’s history.
Presentations of the video with live commentary and discussion with Nina Maurer, will take place at Pontine’s 1845 Plains Schoolhouse theatre October 15 -17. Due to COVID19 precatutions seating is extremely limited. The following Sunday 24 October @2pm the presentation will be available online via the Zoom platform. Tickets for the online presentations are available at Pontine’s website: www.pontine.org To be placed on a waiting list to attend one of the live presentations, contact Pontine Theatre via email info@pontine.org. Live performances take place at the 1845 Plains Schoolhouse, #1 Plains Avenue, Portsmouth NH.
A New Hampshire State Marker (#75), located at the Portsmouth Plains, reads, “In the pre-dawn hours of June 26, 1696, Indians attacked the settlement here. Fourteen persons were killed and others taken captive. Five houses and nine barns were burned.” In fact, there are scant historical records documenting the facts of this event and the veracity of accounts given in local sources, such as Brewster’s Rambles About Portsmouth (1859), has been challenged by local historians. Little progress has been made in understanding or to finding a context for this dramatic event,
Forgotten Frontiers, an exhibit, curated by Ms. Maurer, and mounted at the Counting House Museum in South Berwick, Maine, has provided scholarship that sheds light on the raid at the Portsmouth Plains. That exhibit has articulated a meaningful connection among a series of attacks that took place here in the Piscataqua region in the late 17th century, including the Cocheco Massacre at Dover Point (1689); the Salmon Falls Raid at South Berwick (1690); and attacks at Sandy Beach (1691), York (1692), Oyster River (1694) and Portsmouth Plains (1696).
Tracing historical forces in operation at that time reveals motivations and circumstances that fueled an increase in aggression and conflict between the Wabanaki people and the area’s colonial settlers. Plains Speaking, elucidates the facts of the raid increasing public understanding of the cultural conflict underlying the raid. This program is designed to expand appreciation of the multiple viewpoints inherent in the conflict and to explore the legacy of colonial conflict for Seacoast residents today.
Pontine Theatre is supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. Research for Plains Speaking was partially supported by a grant from New Hampshire Humanities.
The Seacoast Rotary Turkey Trot 5k runs on November 25th starting at Strawberry Banke. Register at www.seacoastrotary.org. Like us on Facebook. This year’s race beneficiaries: Connors Climb Foundation and the seacoast Repertory Theater.
Fall Open House at Four Corners Antique Store on October 16th and 17th. Buy 1 item get the 2nd at 50% off. Homemade Goodies and Fresh Local Apple Cider served. Located at 204 Estes Rd, Rochester.
Old Berwick Historical Society presents Surveying Salmon Falls: Exploring the Village and Culture Through its Built Environment an online lecture on Thursday, September 23, at 7:30pm. Participants can register at www.oldberwick.org. Admission is free to members, with a $5 suggested donation for non-members. The lecture is open to the public.
13th Annual Apple Harvest Day on Saturday, October 2nd from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. all over Downtown Dover and Henry Law Park. Free admission. A day-long family event, featuring more than 200 crafters and vendors, great food, live entertainment, kids activities, a 5k road race, and more. The event was first held in 1985 and now draws more than 50,000 people to downtown Dover, making it one of the most popular regional fall festivals.
Surveying Salmon Falls: Exploring the Village and Culture Through its Built Environment
South Berwick, Maine- Old Berwick Historical Society will present an online lecture on Thursday, September 23, at 7:30pm about the history of Rollinsford, NH. In 2020, architectural historian Peter Michaud began a weekly survey of the buildings and structures in the village of Salmon Falls (now Rollinsford). Using examples from his survey, Michaud will explore how the built environment reflects the history and development of the village in the 19th and 20th centuries as well as larger historic contexts.
Participants can register for the online lecture through the Old Berwick Historical Society’s website. Admission is free to members, with a $5 suggested donation for non-members. The lecture is open to the public.
Peter Michaud holds a B.A. in history from the University of New Hampshire, and is known throughout the Seacoast for his work in, and passion for, regional history. Recent work experience includes being the National Register & Preservation Tax Incentives Coordinator for the NH Division of Historical Resources, preceded by being the Special Projects Director for the NH Division of Historical Resources. He currently serves on the Strawbery Banke National Council, the Vernacular Architectural Forum (New England Chapter), and is on the Board of the Piscataqua Decorative Arts Society, The Players Ring Theater, and Portsmouth Advocates.
The Counting House Museum is open Saturdays form 1-4pm through the end of October and by appointment. The Old Berwick Historical Society’s 2021 lectures are generously sponsored by Kennebunk Savings and supported by historical society members and donors. More information is available by calling 207-384-0000 or at www.oldberwick.org.
