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ISHRA Newsletter
Isles of Shoals Historical and Research Association
Our mission is to locate, collect, organize, preserve, expand and make available information
and knowledge relating to the natural and human history of the Isles of Shoals
Volume 19 Issue 2 Fall 2010 © 2010 ISHRA
Isles of Shoals The
Eternal Sound of the Sea will be presented by
Pontine Theatre for our
Fall Meeting Program
ISLES OF SHOALS: the Eternal Sound of the Sea is created and performed by Pontine Theatre‘s Co-artistic Directors, M. Marguerite Mathews and Greg Gathers. They draw their script from the writings of two prominent New England authors, Celia Thaxter and Nathaniel Hawthorne, who, in various works, explore the rich history and folklore of the islands, from the early settlement through the Victorian resort era. Through Tabletop Toy Theatre, projected video and shadow play Mr. Gathers and Ms. Mathews bring the legend and lore of the Shoals to life onstage.
Celia Thaxter was born in Portsmouth in 1835 and spent much of her childhood on White Island at the Isles of Shoals where her father was the lighthouse keeper and Appledore where her family ran a resort hotel. At age 16 she married her former tutor, Levi Thaxter, who introduced Celia to the literary world of Boston. Her first published poem, Land-locked, appeared in The Atlantic in 1860. Celia went on to became one of America‘s favorite authors. Aldrich, Emerson, Hawthorne, Jewett, Longfellow and Whittier were among her circle of friends and they, along with actors, artists and musicians, came to visit her and vacation in the Appledore Hotel.
In 1852, when Celia was only 17 years old, Nathaniel Hawthorne visited the Isles of Shoals. During his two-week visit, he stayed at the Appledore House, where he was hosted by Thomas Laighton and other members of the Laighton family, including Thomas‘s daughter, Celia. At the time of Hawthorne‘s visit Celia was a young newlywed who had just set up housekeeping in a little cottage. In Hawthorne‘s journal, he describes his visits to Celia and Levi‘s cottage, located near her family‘s hotel.
He found their company charming, ―It is certainly a romantic incident to find such a young man on this lonely island. His marriage with the pretty Miranda is a true romance.‖
Hawthorne also describes his visits to other islands that make up the Shoals, including Star Island‘s village of Gosport which was inhabited by a ―rough and tumble‖ assortment of fisher folk.
―I saw one old witch-looking woman creeping about with a cane, and stooping over, seemingly to gather herbs. On mentioning her to Mr. Thaxter, he said that it was probably the bearded woman. I did not observe her beard, though very likely she may have had one.‖
(cont. on page 3)
Marguerite Mathews & Greg Gathers Photo: Pontine Theatre
Thoughts from Ten Miles Out
Writing you from the Writers‘ Room, just off the Pink
Parlor in Star Island‘s Oceanic Hotel, I‘m struck by how
much has happened for ISHRA since I wrote you in
April.
Norman Michaud treated us to tales of Portsmouth and
Shoals history at our spring meeting, Ann Beattie,
Andrea Melville and Amy Cook led a wonderful June
conference on the Artistry of the Isles of Shoals, and Gary
Bashline and Rose Schlegel organized the relaxing and
restorative fall conference that has brought me back this
weekend.
Meanwhile, a new play and a series of tours for day
visitors have introduced the Shoals to ever-larger
numbers of people.
The play, ―Isles of Shoals: The Eternal Sound of the Sea,‖
was created and produced by Pontine Theatre, based on
the writings of Celia Thaxter and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Premiering in April, it delighted audiences in Portsmouth
and then had a special encore performance at the Shoals
during our June conference. With support from ISHRA‘s
grant program, it will tour additional venues this fall.
For day visitors coming to Star on the Thomas Laighton‘s
stopover cruises, ISHRA‘s History Docents have been
leading popular one-hour tours steeped in Shoals history.
Maryann Stacy expanded the docent program this year
to include Wednesday and Friday tours in addition to
the Sunday tours that began last summer.
As the days shorten
So it has been a busy summer, but soon all the islands
will be making preparations for their long winter‘s nap.
The marine lab on Appledore will fall silent but for the
quiet whoosh of the wind turbine that powers air-
quality monitoring instruments year-round. The
Smuttynose Stewards will wrap up their season, the
Pelicans will fly home to the mainland and the Isles of
Shoals will slumber until we all come back in the spring.
We can keep our memories alive through the winter by
picking up a favorite book about the Shoals and
picturing ourselves here again, perhaps imagining a visit
in the present day or perhaps in 1852, when the
vacationing Nathaniel Hawthorne met 17-year-old Celia
Thaxter, then a young bride and already a charming
hostess who would surely look forward to greeting us as
we arrive.
You can give the gift of history
As the holidays approach, please consider giving the gift
of membership in ISHRA to friends and family who
might appreciate the history, legend and beauty of the
Isles of Shoals just as you do. Simply fill out the
membership form in this issue to let us know the names
and addresses of those you‘d like to introduce to the
ISHRA family. (Just enclose an extra page if you don‘t
have enough room on the form.) If your form reaches us
by Thanksgiving, we‘ll welcome the new members with a
holiday card acknowledging your gift.
Thank you for your support of ISHRA, and I hope to see
you at our meeting November 9.
Joel Plagenz, ISHRA President
Page 2 ISHRA Newsletter Vol. 19, Issue 2
A Note From
Your President
Richard Stanley ISHRA Newsletter Editor
Cassie Durette ISHRA Webmaster [email protected]
ISHRA Media Contacts
Joel in the Writers’ Room of the Oceanic Hotel
Vol. 19, Issue 2 ISHRA Newsletter Page 3
.
Delving into past artistic endeavors on the Shoals inspired the creation of our own masterpieces this summer at the ISHRA June Conference on Star Island. Conferees used watercolors to illustrate Celia Thaxter‘s poetry in Gretchen Gudefin‘s workshop and followed in both Thaxter‘s and John Greenleaf Whittier‘s footsteps by pressing seaweed with Amy Cook.
The historic buildings on Star were brought to life with Bob Cook‘s architectural tour and Sarah O‘Connor‘s anecdotes about the people who have lived in those buildings. Sarah also treated conferees to two different salt cod dishes from Miss Parloa‘s 1872 Appledore Cookbook while Amy served up Miss Parloa‘s molasses cookies.
The 19th century Elliott Hall stage was graced by a performance of Pontine Theatre‘s ―Isles of Shoals: The Eternal Sound of the Sea‖ starring Greg Gathers and Marguerite Mathews. At our candlelit Chapel Service. the incredibly moving music of Sylvia Jurkowski, Bob Andrews and Joe Pescatello paid tribute to the sea surrounding us at the Shoals.
Conferees learned about the writers, musicians and artists who visited the Isles during the Resort Era from Ann Beattie and discovered Celia Thaxter‘s influence in American impressionism from Jamie LaFleur, a modern day painter at the Shoals. Arnie Silverstone left us with improved images of the Isles of Shoals after his digital photography session.
Greeting old friends and making new friends, who on the Isles we love, this past June was made possible by the work of Co-Chairs Andrea Melville and Ann Beattie, along with the Registration efforts of Amy Cook. Our wonderful memories and our amazing artwork will help keep the Shoals alive for us over the winter until we meet again at the next ISHRA June conference.
Ann Beattie
Isles of Shoals Impressions
ISHRA June Conference 2010
The Eternal Sound of the Sea (cont. from page 1)
In her memoir, Among the Isles of Shoals, Celia Thaxter also revels in describing some of the inhabitants of Gosport.
―One old Shoaler had the largest, most misshapen cheek-bones ever constructed, teeth that should not be mentioned, and small, watery eyes. He had an ancient violin, which he used to hug under his wizened chin, and from which he drew such dismal tones as never before were heard on sea or land. He had no more idea of playing than one of the codfish he daily split and salted, yet he christened with pride all the shrieks and wails he drew out of the wretched instrument with various high-sounding titles. He was wont to say ‗Wall, now I‘ll give yer Prince Esterhay‘s March,‘ and forthwith began again precisely the same intolerable squeak.‖
Hawthorne‘s observations are extracted from his published journal An American Notebook. In it he describes the Shoals through the eyes of a typical summer visitor, marveling at the rugged beauty of the scenery, extolling the amenities of the hotel, and wondering at the rustic lifestyle of the native fishermen. He is toured and feted by the Laightons and Thaxters, charmed by his hosts, and alarmed by the manners of both the Shoalers and the less educated fellow tourists.
―They consist of country traders, a country doctor, and such sorts of people, rude, shrewd, and simple, and well behaved enough; wondering at sharks and equally at lobsters; sitting down to table with their coats off; helping themselves out of the dish with their own forks; taking pudding on the plates off which they have eaten meat. People at just this stage of manners are more disagreeable than at any other stage.‖
Pontine Theatre‘s production integrates excerpts from An American Notebook with stories, reminiscences, and local lore written by the islands‘ most famous resident, Celia Thaxter. From her autobiographical, Among the Isles of Shoals come a history of the early days on the islands, the wreck of the Sagunto on Haleys‘ Island (now Smuttynose), and the tale of the ghostly maiden said to guard Blackbeard‘s pirate treasure.
―She turned instantly, and fixing on me the largest and most melancholy blue eyes I ever beheld, said quietly, ‗He will come again.‘ Then she disappeared round a jutting rock and left me marveling.‖
(cont. on page 6)
We all extend to Jane Lentz our sincere gratitude for
scanning the back issues of the newsletter. Check out
the Members Corner, accessible through ishra.org, where you
can find past speaker information, newsletters to download,
and member pictures. For questions or a log-in reminder,
please e-mail Cassie at [email protected].
Page 4 ISHRA Newsletter Vol. 19, Issue 2
The Gosport Regattas of 1874 & 1875 By
Lois Williams and Sarah O’Connor
The Appledore House, operated by the Laighton family, was thriving when John Poor of Boston‘s Stickney & Poor spice and mustard company came to the Shoals and secretly bought the Star Island properties of all but two Gosport Villagers. On the twentieth of June 1873, the previously established Appledore House and the newly built Oceanic both opened with flying colors.
Poor‘s first regatta on July 20th, 1874 was also the first race by the yacht America under the ownership of General Benjamin Franklin Butler. Seventy five entrants in three different classes competed on a lovely day of fine breeze with steamers and tugs coming from all parts of the coast.
The larger yachts raced a 26-mile triangular course starting in full view from the veranda of the Star Island Hotel. They rounded Boon Island and, while others skirted Duck Island, Butler directed his captain to cut through the Duck Island ledges. To the sound of booming guns, shrieking whistles and the cheering crowd America was first across the finish line but another boat actually won the race on time allowance. Despite this, Butler always claimed to have finished in first place.
In 1875 Poor proposed another regatta offering a winner‘s trophy of a large solid silver punch bowl. Visitors thronged to the Isles and both hotels were stuffed to capacity as, ―special trains‖ (few there are that remember this unique railway connection to the Shoals), and ―excursion steamers brought thousands more.‖
The race was to be held on July 24th and yacht America, famed winner of the first America‘s Cup race in 1851, dropped her anchor in Gosport Harbor at sundown. General Butler went ashore dressed in a blue jacket, blue trousers and rubber boots. Removing his sea boots and donning slippers, he entered the parlor of The Oceanic, where he was the center of an amused, if however not entirely admiring throng. (He had a reputation as a sharp and ruthless businessman and many Shoalers resented his takeover of Star Island.) A good story teller, he regaled the guests with colorful stories of yachting and the sea.
Weather for the 1875 race was again superb, attracting sightseers by the thousands who came out from ports up and down the New England shore in all sorts of boats including the large steamer Plymouth Rock carrying viewers from Boston. The triangular course, 12 miles on each leg, was to be run down toward the mouth of the Merrimac River, then offshore easterly and back to the starting point at the Shoals. Unfortunately a whaleboat with two flags marking the second turn drifted 3½ miles off station in a squall during the night and only one yacht found and rounded the mark for the second turn offshore.
There was a protracted investigation and lengthy rancorous discussion lasting over 24 hours the upshot of which was that the judges disqualified all of the yachts except the one that actually rounded the second mark and decided not to award any prizes. Among those disqualified was yacht America, finishing as fourth fastest although a later New York Times article claimed that America had won the race. (Perhaps the ever publicity conscious General Butler had something to do with this misinformation.)
John Poor announced another race for the punch bowl, but the squabble over the race on the 24th caused many disaffected captains to pull their boats and leave the Shoals forthwith, muttering in their beards as they sailed away. Only two boats were left, America and Resolute—not to be confused with the famous Nat Herreshoff-designed America‘s Cup contender launched in 1914. The owners had already arranged a friendly match and on August 1st raced a 39 mile course from Star Island around White Island, to Boon Island and back. The Resolute was first to cross the finish line, but America was declared the winner on time allowance.
The next day Poor promoted a ―Sweepstakes Race for the Oceanic Cup‖ in which both boats, stripped of all unnecessary gear including anchors and cannon, raced again up around Boon Island Ledges and Light and back to the Shoals with no time allowance. America was declared the hands down winner and General Butler sailed away with the silver punch bowl on the America‘s cabin table. (cont. on page 6)
Volume 19 Issue 2 ISHRA Newsletter Page 5
The Gosport Regatta of 2010 By
Richard Stanley
On the morning of September 19th nearly forty sailboats assembled off the mouth of the Piscataqua River for the first Gosport Regatta to be held in 135 years. The weather was fine with a light southeasterly breeze as the boats jockeyed back and forth for position at the starting line in the vicinity of 2KR, the red whistle buoy one-half mile off the river entrance.
This race substantially differed from those of the 19th century in both the types of boats involved and the courses run. The old races featured more and bigger boats, mostly gaff-rigged schooners like those in the old photo on page four, while the current one featured mostly smaller, jib headed sloops like those in the photos on this page. While the old races were run on a closed course, from the Shoals and back to the starting point, this was to be a ―destination‖ or ―pursuit‖ race, from the inshore starting line, out across Bigelow Bight to the Shoals. In this type of race the committee always tries to plan a course that will provide some variation in points of sail—upwind, downwind, etc.—and added interest, rather than just go from start to finish in one straight leg. On Sunday the direction of the breeze helped to decide this. The Shoals lay south southeast of the river mouth, putting them directly upwind, ―in the eye of the wind‖, as sailors say, from the starting point. Sailboats cannot operate closer than 110 degrees off the wind at best and must zig-zag or ―tack‖ back and forth to go upwind, approximately doubling or tripling the straight line distance they have to cover.
It is barely more than five nautical miles from the river mouth to the Shoals, but the actual course run was about twelve nautical miles. (A nautical mile=1.15 statute or land miles, one knot of speed= one nautical mile per hour).
Photos: The First Leg & Four Boats Finish by Richard Stanley
Yacht America by John Bard-Wikimedia File
The Celia quote on page six and the little decorative features
in this issue are from her book Among the Isles of Shoals
On the 19th, starting between 11:30 and 12;00, two courses were run, a shorter one, down to the first turn at the Gunboat Shoal bell for the cruising class boats which are typically slower, and a longer one for the faster racing class boats which went down to a point off Hampton Beach before turning. Both went south along shore on the first leg ―close reaching‖—sailing as close upwind as possible—with the breeze on their port or left side, and then tacked (turned) to take the breeze on the right or starboard side, as near upwind as possible—―close-hauled on the starboard tack‖, in sailor lingo—putting the racers on a course for the Shoals while the cruisers had to make a series of tacks in order to reach the finish in Gosport Harbor.
In the middle afternoon, as the land heated up a bit and the onshore breeze helped to boost the light south-easterly, conditions became more interesting, the boats heeled over to the freshening breeze and picked up speed.
While this was not a race to get your blood up, all boats made much better time during the second half of the race as the breeze sometimes nudged up to over ten or twelve knots. Boats crossed the finish line singly and in groups of three or four, announced by a blast from the horn on the committee boat, the last arriving about 4:15. George Spiecker of Rye NH piloted his boat, Airtha to first place in the cruising class and Pike Severance
of Manchester NH in Crazy Horse took the racing class.
The wonderfully warm and fine weather more than compensated for the lack of excitement consequent to the mild breezes, and much exuberant cheering was heard from the crews and the spectators ashore as each boat crossed the finish line.
Following the race, over 300 crew members and spectators were treated to a super abundance of food and drink, as befits an event of this nature, provided by Star Island staff and other volunteers. The celebration carried on through the evening with appropriately robust music and huzzahs emanating from boats all around the harbor well into the night.
Page 6 ISHRA Newsletter Vol. 19, Issue 2
Also featured in the play is the tale of the famous murders on Smuttynose island as told in Thaxter‘s article ―A Memorable Murder,‖ which was published in The Atlantic. Pontine brings this true story to life with a tabletop theatre populated with beautifully crafted figures who act out the tragic events which occurred that fateful night on Smuttynose. Celia‘s article begins:
―At the Isles of Shoals, on the 5th of March 1873, occurred one of the most monstrous tragedies ever enacted on this planet. The sickening details of the double murder are well known; the newspapers teemed with them for months: but the pathos of the story is not realized; the world does not know how gentle a life these poor people led, how innocently happy were their quiet days. Let me tell the story of their sorrow as simply as may be.‖
Celia Thaxter, Among the Isles of Shoals
ISLES OF SHOALS: the Eternal Sound of the Sea will be enjoyed by those who have already cultivated a love of the Shoals as well as those who have yet to be introduced to their unique magic.
There is a strange charm about the Isles of Shoals, hardly to be explained, but universally acknowledged. People forget the hurry and worry and fret of life after being there awhile, and, to an imaginative mind, all things become dreamy. The eternal sound of the sea on every side wears away the edge of human thought and perception; sharp outlines become blurred and softened like a sketch in charcoal.
Pontine Theatre began working on this original production in the Fall of 2009 and since then have developed the script, choreographed the stage movement, and designed and hand crafted puppets and toy theatre figures which the pair will employ to bring history, legend and lore to life onstage.
Pontine Theatre, a two-person ensemble, is well known for a large body of innovative original productions that celebrate the history and culture of New England. These include a staging of Thomas Bailey Aldrich‘s 1869 novel, The Story of a Bad Boy; an original adaptation of Brewster‘s Rambles About Portsmouth; Wallace Nutting‘s Old America; a two person staging of Thornton Wilder‘s classic portrait of rural New Hampshire, Our Town; an original adaptation of Sarah Orne Jewett‘s 1896 novel, The Country of the Pointed Firs; Cornish Castles, based on the life and work of New Hampshire painter, Maxfield Parrish; Journey To Heaven, based on the lives and beliefs of the Shakers; and Dearly Earned, about 19th century New England textile mill workers. Pontine Theatre has performed in hundreds of sites throughout the region including Bates College, Dartmouth College, M.I.T., the Currier, DeCordova, Farnsworth, and Fruitlands, Museums and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, Boston Museum of Fine Art, Canterbury Shaker Village, and the Enfield Shaker Village.
The Eternal Sound of the Sea (cont. from page 3)
A few months later the Oceanic burned to the ground, but John Poor immediately rebuilt it—the Oceanic that we know today—and opened for the 1876 season, however, he did not attempt another regatta. Poor was not a hotel manager or Boniface in any degree and made poor choices in the managers he chose. After a rather slack season he sold the hotel and all his holdings on Star Island to the Laightons for just what he had paid for the Star Island properties alone.
Writing fifty years later, Oscar Laighton, conflating the opening of Poor‘s Oceanic in 1873 and the races of 1874 and 1875, said that in 1874 Poor had sent invitations to every yacht club in the country resulting in 500 boats crowding Gosport Harbor —they would have had to be rather small to have all fit! Oscar‘s account of the regattas would appear to be at least one source of the confusion over the dates and number of the actual races that persists to this day.
The Gosport Regattas of 1874 & 1875 (cont. from page 4)
The Gosport Regattas of 1874 & 1875 was edited and revised from The Isles of Shoals Regattas by Lois Williams and Sarah O‘Connor. Some of the content is from Oscar Laighton‘s Ninety Years at the Isles of Shoals, The Yacht America by Thompson, Stephens and Swan and issues of the New York Times from 1874, 1875 and 1880.
Many thanks to those who contributed information and helped to make the regatta articles possible: SIC personnel including Angela Matthews, Victoria Hardy and Justina Maji and Piscataqua Sailing Association personnel; Vice Commodore Paul McAskill, Gosport Regatta Race Chair Bud Myles and others too numerous to mention.
For these things make our world
There are no lectures operas concerts
theatres no music of any kind
except what the waves may whisper
Never was life so exempt from interruption
Celia
Vol. 19, Issue 2 ISHRA Newsletter Page 7
Membership
ISHRA Membership Includes:
A subscription to our newsletter, published twice a year. Access to the Members Corner of our website at ISHRA.org which includes past newsletters, speaker details and other Shoals resources.
An opportunity to attend our meeting programs on the 2nd Tuesday of April and November, conferences on Star Island and day-trips.
Fellowship with people who share your interest and enthusiasm for the history of the Isles of Shoals.
An invitation to work on Isles of Shoals historical research projects as well as our newsletter, website content, and list of archived Shoals materials.
To become a member (or to renew your membership–please check the mailing label for expiration date), please mail the form below (or make changes to the address label on the reverse side) with your dues to:
ISHRA Membership
PO BOX 705 | Portsmouth NH 03802
I have enclosed my dues for membership:
Yearly Dues (June 1-May 31):
[ ] $10 for Individual
[ ] $5 for Junior (18 and younger) [ ] $25 for Family, Group, or Institution [ ] $100 for Lifetime
Name:____________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________
City, State and Zip______________________________________
Telephone: ______________________________________________
Email:____________________________________________________
[ ] I would like to give the gift of membership and
have included the proper dues and name and address
on a separate sheet of paper.
For more information, please contact
Cassie Durette, Membership Chair: [email protected] 603-667-3306
Attendees of the ISHRA Fall Weekend
This year‘s ISHRA September Weekend convened on Star Island, Friday 9/10-09/12. Twenty-one participants experienced the uniqueness of the island environment bringing the Pink Parlor to life Friday evening by sharing Shoals history, personal experiences, interests and lingering questions.
Some of the weekend‘s activities were: Joel Plagenz‘s walking /history tour which assisted our quest of Shoals knowledge, an afternoon movie, and an early morning bird watching trek. A mystery murder and a story of mayhem on Star Island were brought to life by Ann Beattie and a trip around and through the Vaughn Cottage illuminated its wonderful history.
The Writers Conference once again shared the chapel
service with us this year as we all walked by
candlelight to the Chapel. The evening was topped off
with our ice cream social and Sunday featured a great
Art show on the porch of the Oceanic.
Gary Bashline
Jean Stefanik’s discovery of
this plant at the Shoals has
sparked her interest enough
to write an article which we
look forward to seeing in the
Spring 2011 issue.
USDA IMAGE
ISHRA Fall Weekend
Seaside Dock Rumex Pallidus
Joel Plagenz, President
Sarah O’Connor, Vice-President
Alice Gordan, Secretary
John Diamond, Treasurer
Inside this Issue:
For the Shoals
from A Summer Cruise of 1858
A Note From Your President
ISHRA June Conference
My Glimpses of Prudy Randall
Winter on Star Island
Getting to The Shoals
ISHRA Membership
Summer Activities on the Shoals
ISHRA Newsletter
Volume 19, Issue 2
Fall 2010
p. 2
p. 5
p. 6
p. 7
p. 7
Isles of Shoals Historical & Research Association
P.O. Box 705
Portsmouth, NH 03802
Laury Bussey
Amy Cook
Cassie Durette
Sandra Smith
Richard Stanley
Jean Stefanik
Ann Beattie, ex-officio
Officers and Directors
ISHRA Membership Meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010
Refreshments at 6:30pm, Meeting at 7:00pm
Seacoast Science Center, Rye, NH
Please Bring Refreshments!
Inside this Issue:
Isles of Shoals
The Eternal Sound of the Sea
A Note From Your President
ISHRA June Conference
The Gosport Regattas of 1874/1875
The Gosport Regatta of 2010
ISHRA Membership
Fall Weekend
p. 1
p. 2
p. 3
p. 4
p. 5
p. 7
p. 7
White Island Light - Harper’s Weekly - August 1887
