Monadnock Moments

Era 5: 1861-1877

Monadnock Moments No. 86: On the Wings of an Angel

Larkin G. Mead was born in Chesterfield, New Hampshire in January of 1835.  The Mead family moved across the river to Brattleboro when young Larkin was four years of age.  As a boy he displayed a taste for art and was constantly drawing and sculpting. After studying...

Monadnock Moments No. 84: Kimball’s Medicines

Edward P. Kimball was born in Hillsborough, New Hampshire in 1820.  At age eleven he was left dependent upon himself to earn his living after his father passed away.  Young Kimball took jobs doing farm chores and working as a clerk in a general store. In 1836, at the...

Monadnock Moments No. 73: Little Women of Walpole

A young woman named Louisa moved to Walpole, New Hampshire with her parents and three sisters in about 1850.  It seems that Louisa’s father, a philosopher and teacher, was somewhat down on his luck financially and the family came to Walpole to stay with relatives. ...

Monadnock Moments No. 70: Nelson Moving Bee

One hundred years ago and more, the moving of large buildings was a common practice.  Our ancestors would put skids under a building and pull it along with oxen, not having to worry about telephone or electric lines.  In those days, when they moved a building, they...

Monadnock Moments No. 66: The First Soldier’s Monument

As we travel throughout New Hampshire, it seems that each town common is the site of a soldiers’ monument commemorating the service of that town’s native sons and daughters in the wars of United States history.  It is interesting to us here in the Monadnock Region...

Monadnock Moments No. 45: Hinsdale’s “Genius of Journalism”

Charles Anderson Dana, the eleventh and youngest child of Anderson and Sarah Dana, was born in Hinsdale, New Hampshire in August of 1819.  Young Dana attended local schools until he was old enough to take a job as a store clerk in Buffalo, New York.  He entered...

Monadnock Moments No. 29: Stoddard’s Unknown Soldier

Although the Robb Cemetery in South Stoddard, New Hampshire is far from any Civil War battlefield, a young unknown victim of that war was buried there late in 1864.  He is buried beside Henry Stevens, another young soldier.  It is with Henry Stevens that the story of...

Monadnock Moments No. 4: The West Keene Mineral Spring

When we think of mineral springs, Saratoga Springs in New York and similar famous spas come to mind.  These springs enjoyed considerable popularity and became well known tourist attractions during the 19th century because of the supposed medicinal qualities of their...

Monadnock Moments No. 2: The Mysterious Death of Martin Ahern

On the morning of March 25, 1869, the readers of local newspapers were greeted by the following advertisement: “Information wanted: of Martin Ahern, an Irishman, about 40 years old, well-built, straight, full, red face, and weighing about 1751bs.  Any information...