Mark Twain Loved Thomas Bailey Aldrich but Hated His Wife and Portsmouth
Nobody, Twain mused in 1908, would visit a George Washington memorial if it were located in the decrepit town of Portsmouth
The Perils of Privateer Andrew Sherburne
He went from supporting to whole family to rotting in an English prison camp
The Agony and the Ecstasy of James Kennard Jr
"Yet we have never known a happier person," Rev. Peabody wrote
Writing Ruth Blay’s Tragic Tale
"I was so filled with anger and sorrow about what had happened to this woman."
Inside the Comic “Carpet-Bag” of BP Shillaber
Rise and fall of the nation's first humor magazine
Rambling on About Charles Brewster
The Portsmouth Journal editor was passionate about the past
Anne Molloy’s Memo to the Dawnland
Molloy was a rare voice attempting to tell Indigenous history to children.
Chatting with the Dead
Spiritualism and séances attracted millions in the 1800s
George Orwell was My Writing Coach
Orwell was afraid the world was running out of truth. So am I.
Shakespeare and Me
Sometimes you have to go all the way to England to find your way back to New Hampshire
Celia Thaxter’s “A Memorable Murder” (1875)
The full, uninterrupted text, considered an early true crime masterpiece
Richard Henry Dana Visits the Isles of Shoals in 1843
A rare early encounter with a grumpy Thomas Laighton and young Celia Thaxter