Postcards From Portsmouth

Join me on a journey of discovery as I attempt to re-connect with my hometown, Portsmouth, NH

The Cod Gold Rush that made Portsmouth one of the most prosperous colonies in the New World

The first Europoean settlement in New Hampshire and one of the oldest in all of North America

Follow the exploits of the Father of the American Navy as he outfits his ship Ranger and takes the war to the British shores

Portsmouth's storied shipbuilding legacy

America's first and oldest naval shipyard

The treaty that ended the Russo-Japanese War and how President Theodore Roosevelt became the first American to win the Nobel Peace Prize

How this strategic point has dominated the Portsmouth waterfront since time immemorial, including how one of the largest controlled explosions of its era literally reshaped the geography of the Piscataqua River

Solidifying Portsmouth's shipbuilding heritage as second to none

Trace 400 years of how coastal defense evolved in America

The precursor to the United States Coast Guard, "You have to go out, but you don't have to come back"

Revisit the deadliest submarine disaster in United States history

Representing the promise and tragedy of early American diplomacy

When Portsmouth was the capital of New Hampshire

Learn the story of Tobias Lear, Washington's most trusted personal secretary

A darker side of George Washington

Explore the history of Portsmouth's intimate involvement in the infamous Trans-Atlantic slave trade

Explore the harsh and often hidden side of colonial life, where social control, gender expectations and unforgiving justice intersected in the most tragic way possible

Walk through one of the oldest existing wooden houses in New England, to some of the country's most elegant Georgian mansions and an entire preserved neighborhood spanning over 350 years

Did you know that Portsmouth was home to one of the most notorious red light districts in New England for well over 50 years?

Discover how two dedicated schoolteachers transformed Portsmouth's infamous red light district into one of its most pristine waterfront parks

Learn how Portsmouth's early preservationists turned Puddle Dock, a decaying waterfront neighborhood, into a living museum showcasing over 350 years of history

Listen to the tragic story of how urban renewal almost completely bulldozed Portsmouth's own Little Italy and displaced hundreds of families in the name of progress

The Gilded Age created some memorable resort hotels and summer mansions along our beautiful coast, rivaling anything in Newport

Learn about the man who went from farm boy to beer baron and one of Portsmouth's most notable and controversial figures

How one bad decision cost one of colonial America's wealthiest families everything

Portsmouth became a literal Who's Who of nineteenth century America's literary giants

The workhorse that conquered the raging Piscatacua River currents for over two hundred years

Over 100 years of groundbreaking innovation, from the triumphant to the tragic

Guiding mariners through Portsmouth's treacherous waters since 1771

Connecting New Hampshire and Maine for over two hundred years before the first bridge was built

Come on board those iconic symbols of Portsmouth's ongoing relationship with the sea

Travel across one of the most ambitious engineering projects ever undertaken in the Piscataqua region, and New Hampshire's official World War I memorial

Discover my very personal connection to this revolutionary infrastructure project

Examine one of Portsmouth's least understood landmarks, those enormous salt piles that tower along the Piscataqua River

Take a walk with me through history as we see how each of Portsmouth's neighborhoods tells a unique story about Portsmouth's evolution over four centuries

The massive military installation that fundamentally changed the character of our region and continues to influence the economy today

This story reveals Portsmouth's crucial role during America's greatest internal conflict

Known as "The Castle" and "The Alcatraz of the East", this imposing structure on Seavey Island earned its reputation as infamous

When a global conflict came to Portsmouth

Take a stroll with me through the changing heart of Portsmouth

Trace the history of this remarkable institution from the Portsmouth Academy to today's modern community hub

Over 200 Years of Scholarly Tradition in Market Square

Learn how the citizens of Portsmouth have consistently invested in the education of their children, from one-room schoolhouses to the modern facilities of today

Explore how Portsmouth residents have worshipped through the centuries, from Puritan meeting houses to today's diverse faith communities

Portsmouth's cemeteries are like open-air museums where every grave marker tells a story about individual lives and a community's evolving attitudes toward death, religious beliefs and social hierarchies over four centuries

These famous meeting places were the beating heart of colonial and revolutionary Portsmouth

Follow the evolution of medicine and healthcare from colonial apothecaries to the modern drug stores and pharmacies of today

Trace how Portsmouth fought its devastating fires from bucket brigades to modern fire protection, and another personal connection

How a little research brought to light a remarkable story of courage, conflict and new beginnings