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The Life From The Roots blog topics have changed several times since I began this blog in 2009. I initially wrote only about the family history I had been working on for 20 years. Years later, I was into visiting gardens, historical homes, churches, libraries that had genealogical collections, historical societies, war memorials, and travel/tourism places. I also enjoy posting autographs and photos of famous people I've met or have seen.

Along with my New England roots, other areas include New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada.

Please check out the labels on the right side for topics (please note, they need work). Below the labels and pageviews is a listing of my top nine posts, according to Google. Four of them pertain to Lowell, MA. These posts change often because they are based on what people are reading.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Three Cemetery Databases for One Cemetery and Not One was Complete. What Would You Do?

South Church / South Parish Cemetery
Central Street, Andover, Massachusetts

Have you noticed that quite often there are different sets of cemetery records for one cemetery? I found three databases for an Andover, Massachusetts cemetery, so, you simply should not rely on FindAGrave all the time, although that is where I always go first when it comes to trying to find cemetery information with listings and photos. I was looking for the burial of Anne Poole Bartlett and began first with FindAGrave (and found my cousin's name listed), the second search provided a site with her tombstone photo and listed her birth and death dates, and the third site had quite a bit of information, complete with Lot and Grid numbers, but no photos or map. Which one helped me the most?

Step 1 
The first step was to check FindAGrave (FAG), and as you can see there is a listing for Anne Ward Poole Bartlett, who died in 1961. I was surprised there wasn't a photo, but because of her recent death date, I assumed she might have been cremated, but I needed to know for sure.

Step 2
A click on a website for http://www.southchurch.com/ given on the FAG site appeared to be just for the church. So decided to do a google search to see if there was any information on Anne Poole Bartlett. I found http://andover.essexcountyma.net/index.htm a site with a lot of Andover information, but I clicked on Cemeteries and Churches and then saw the  *** NEW *** South Parish Cemetery Photo Project (2006) which took me to an alphabet listing that is divided into 9 sections. If you do this, you'll need to go to the appropriate column for your surname. You'll find names of those buried, birth and death dates, and photos! However, there wasn't a way to find out where the cemetery they were buried.

Step 3
It wasn't until I went back to the church website and saw at the bottom of the page the word Cemetery which brought me to Search Cemetery Database. (Note: Cemetery is now on the bottom because the entire front page was changed for Easter. After Easter, it will probably be towards the top.) It's easy from here on out, just type in your surname, as I did below for Bartlett, Anne Poole. You'll get the Lot number and Detail. Click on Detail, and you'll get a detailed report ... see my yellow report below on Anne Bartlett. I've never seen anything like this in all the 150 or so different cemetery visits I've made.

I made a quick call to the church and learned that they have maps! The following morning, after printing out my names and writing their Lot numbers with the Grid number (very important), I showed up at 9:30. Once you have the Grid, it is easy to find who you are looking for.  Copy of map is below.

To recap, if you believe your individual is buried in this cemetery, you'll need to insert the surname, note the Lot number and Grid number (from the Detail information), then use the map.



Cemetery Map
The Church and Cemetery from Google Earth.
The following Cemetery Statistics was taken, with permission, from the South Parish Burial Grounds page on the Cemetery link. Some information is extremely useful, especially about the for 339 Abbot / Abbott surnames.

"The South Parish Burial Grounds were established with the Parish in 1709.

Three of the four captains of the Andover Militia who marched on Concord and Lexington and later Bunker Hill, are buried here with their families, along with 81 other veterans of the American Revolution. 


Total gravestones: 1930 stones, representing 2854 people. Total broken or missing stones replaced 2001-2006: 72 (over 150 repaired) Veteran stats: Total veterans, patriots, and Pre-Revolution officers: 274, 150 newly identified.

  • Oldest vet: Pomp Lovejoy 102 – fought in the Rev. War at age 51 as a slave.
  • Youngest vets: 2 boys, both 16, died of disease during the Civil War at Ft. Albany, VA, 1862 British POWs from the Rev. War who stayed are probably buried here, still in research
  • 7 French and; Indian War officers – including Rev. French, a Sergeant in the King’s army
  • 81 American Revolution vets, 2 killed in action, 5 died of disease, 1 died of wounds, 3 accidental
    • 4 Patriots who carted Harvard’s library books to Andover for safe keeping during the Battle of Bunker Hill (stored at John Abbot’s and Samuel Osgood’s homes)
  • 3 Patriots killed in Powder House explosion
  • 2 slaves (Pomp Lovejoy, Titus Coburn) who fought at Lexington and Concord, April 19th, 1775
  • 1 Lt. Governor of Mass., Samuel Phillips, III (1802)
  • 127 Civil War soldiers, 4 Killed in Action, 6 Died of Wounds, 16 Died of Disease (1 chaplain)
    • 1 Black Civil War soldier of the Mass. 54th Regiment, Robert Rollins (1879)
    • 2 White officers of ‘Colored’ regiments
    • 7 Civil War POWs (4 died in captivity in Anderson, GA prison)
  • Most people on one monument: 21, of which 9 are John Abbot.
  • Most popular surname: Abbot(163)/Abbott(176), 339 total (oddly, Abbot is rare in Andover, England)
  • Most popular given name: Mary: 203, Sarah: 146, John: 99, Elizabeth: 93, George: 76, Hannah: 76
  • Most popular name female: Mary Abbot/Abbott, 26, Sarah Abbot/Abbott, 16
  • Most popular name male: John Abbot/Abbott, 16
  • Only 111 stones remain before 1800
  • 32 Abbots before 1800 out of 111 stones
  • No Abbotts with 2 t’s before 1823
  • At least 50 Abbot/Abbott stones misspelled or do not match Town Vital Record spellings (T or TT) 18 ministers
  • Most wives with the same husband: 4 (and 2 sets!)
  • Longest name: Rachael Eunice Timandra Bartlett Holt (and not even married!)"



Monday, March 28, 2016

A yacht, a home owner, a visitor to the Lowell house, and a housekeeper

One of the benefits of blogging is you often hear from people who read your post and wanted to either leave a comment or write you personally to share some information. As shown below, I received emails from several people who offered bits of information about Mr. Fay, a person none of them is related to, because he didn't have children or family, nor did any know him because he died in 1944. There always seemed to be a lot of unknowns and mystery regarding the extremely wealthy Mr. Fay, and later members of the Donehue family, because for over 53 years, I'm still hearing stories, like the ones below. The messages to me are interesting and will give you an example of what you might receive from a reader of your own blog.

Within a four-month period in 2014, I heard from four different individuals all sharing information about a Mr. Auburt J. Fay. He was important to me, because he founded the company where I worked at for over 10 years. Everybody knew of the Father John's Medicine Co., Inc. and it continued manufacturing the medicine until about 1976. The old massive downtown brick building is now used for elderly housing.

One person told me she saw and is familiar with Mr. Fay's yacht (wait until you read who later owned it), one is a relative of the person living in Mr. Fay's old house, another person purchased a summer home belonging to Mr. Fay in Connecticut, and the last person told me her aunt was a housekeeper in Mr. Fay's home! After Mr. Fay's death, George H. Donehue Sr. become president and lived in the house with Mrs. Fay until she died in 1965. He died in 1967, then oldest son, Gerald Donehue, became president and moved into the large Fay house (or maybe he was living there all along because he didn't have children). At one time, all three Donehue men worked in the office at Father John's Medicine while I was employed as their secretary.
The Aubert J. Fay home, later home to two Donehue presidents.

#1  From Barbara in late May 2014


My name is Barbara ____ and my brother came across your blog and forwarded it to me as I am the family genealogist.
I enjoyed reading your blog and finding out that we have some things in common besides our name!
I also enjoy genealogy, gardening, and photography!
But besides that, it was very interesting to learn of your working for Father John's Medicine Company and knowing the Donehue Family and being in that beautiful White House (I believe was on Mansur St).

I was also in that house as a young teen in 1967 while my parents, sister and I visited George Sr., George Jr, and Gerald.  My sister and I stayed with George and Marion and my parents stayed overnight in the house with Gerald and his father.  My grandfather is Herbert Donehue and is George Sr.'s brother.  Herbert moved to Detroit in 1919 where he and his wife Rose Hannon (also of Lowell) had 2 sons Raymond and Francis. My father was Raymond and he stayed in touch with Gerald until his death.

Thank you for posting your experience with the Donehue family and memorializing them. It is heartwarming to hear about the way they treated you while working for them. Since we lived in Michigan we didn't get to know any of them very well.

I traveled to Lowell in 2005 to gather records on both sides of the family and went to St. Patricks Cemetery and visited gravesites. I have obtained quite a few records in my years of research and hope to put it all together for my family and future generations.

Thank you so much for taking the picture of George and Marion's house. I do vaguely remember it, but my Mother certainly did! She remembers sitting on the side porch and visiting with them. It was so nice of you to do that as I will certainly use it in my genealogy book I am putting together.


Your mention of George and Gerald doing a lot of golfing seems to directly relate to my own family who all golf.  My Father, Mother, my 9 siblings, and myself golf, (or did golf in the case of my Father.) My brothers have a golf tournament every year called "The Ireland Cup" and it is a tribute to the Donehue Family and includes all my Donehue cousins.  Thanks to you, now we know where the golf gene came from!

I took the photo of the youngest Donehue house the above writer was a guest in 1967.
#2  Good Morning-June 2014

I stumbled across your blog recently re The Fay's of Lowell...Father John's Medicine family. I live in what was a summer house for them in the Eastern Point section of Groton, CT. I would love to know more about them!

My husband purchased the house in 1964 from the Executor of Aubert's estate, Gerald Donehue. Evidently, Mr. Donehue then took over the company as well. I have a few black and white pictures of the house after the 1938 hurricane showing a fellow I would think is Mr. Fay inspecting the damage.


The Groton house is located in a section of town where many people came for Summer in the later 1800s and early 1900s....a number of the houses are still in good repair while a few have disappeared. There is a summer chapel very close by that served as the residents' place of worship, too.


I would love to connect with anyone who might know about the Fay's. Please keep me in mind. (Note: I was working at the company in 1964 and never knew about the Groton house. Apparently, it was either rented or used as a summer home from 1944-1964.)


#3  July 2014, from Mary (Facebook)
My aunt Kitty was the housekeeper in the Fay house for Mr. Donehue in the big white mansion at the top of Belmont and Mansur Streets.


#4  July 2014, from Diana R.

Hello Barbara,
I came upon your blog while doing some research regarding a rather famous yacht “Freedom”, a 1926 104 foot Mathis-Trumpy that was restored after nearly sinking in the St. Johns River.  The reason for looking into this yacht was because my husband and I live aboard a sailboat and cruise throughout the Caribbean, and while living in the Florida Keys, this beautiful ship was tied at the end of our dock.  We later came upon her on several occasions while cruising through the Bahamas.  I knew she was a special boat but never took the time to really look into her history until I began writing my own articles about our cruise.
It turns out that “Freedom” was first purchased by your Mr. Aubert J. Fay – who, according to your blog was the owner of the Father John’s Medicine company.  Here’s where it gets interesting.  The second owner of this beautiful ship was Jessie May Woolworth Donahue, heiress of the Woolworths retail empire and the richest woman in 1930s America.

This Spring 2005 issue of Restoration Quarterly confirms that the boat "Freedom" was built for Mr. Fay of Lowell, Mass. http://www.woodenyachts.com/media/presslibrary/restorationquarterly_2005.pdf


My blog doesn’t reference Mr. Fay, but if you are interested, here is a link: http://www.remetau.com/bluebloodbansheesbritsbuccaneers.html or you can meet the couple and read about their life living at sea at: http://www.remetau.com/index.html
Thanks – it was a pleasure sharing information with you!


(I remember seeing a postcard of the "Freedom" while working at the company. It's nice knowing the rest of the story.)



Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Another Photo Always Helps When Looking For This John Pratt

With a touch of spring in the air on March 13, 2016, my husband and I went to Bell Rock Cemetery in Malden, Massachusetts to hunt for a cemetery stone. This was my 3rd visit and in the past, I had found the stones for Thomas Pratt and his wife, Mary, and Thomas Newhall and his wife Rebeckah Greene. This time I was looking for John Pratt, the father of the above-mentioned Thomas.

We were there at noon, and spent over an hour trying to find it, even with the FindAGrave (FAG) photo, shown below my photo. Once home, I realized I had taken it, but I just didn't know it because the sun was right in my eyes. That is the reason, you don't see the left side.

So my moral, "Another Photo Always Helps When Looking For This Pratt" isn't always true, a photo doesn't always help, except if you are lucky, like me, once in a while.


John Pratt
Born: February 1655, Massachusetts
Died: June 3, 1708
Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts
(Enlarged below.)

The Find-A-Grave photo was my guide.

Mary ___ w/o John Pratt (above)
Born about 1655
Died 17 July 1710
Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts

John Pratt (I believe he is the son of Thomas and Sarah Pratt)
Married to Martha Pratt (below)
Born: 29 May 1664
Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts
Died 15 November 1742
Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts

Martha Pratt (daughter of Richard Pratt)
Married to John Pratt (above)
Born 1663, Charlestown, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts
Died: 30 Sept. 1742
Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts



I couldn't read a thing, but I thought this was my John Pratt's stone.

Elizabeth Pratt wife of Thomas Pratt
(No other information)
Born: Unknown
Died: 19 Jan. 1740


Google Earth map of the cemetery. With all those trees, it's best to go when there are no leaves to cast shadows, and don't go at noon like I did.

I contacted the Bell Rock Cemetery (781-397-7191) and asked if they had a detailed map, "unfortunately no." I then inquired about a listing of names. The clerk said she has it on her computer and they are in the process of getting it online in the near future. She thought if I called back in a month, maybe she would know more. Note: I called on Jan. 5, 2018, and no action has been taken, because funding is the problem.





Thursday, March 17, 2016

What I Learned About the House Led Me to Discover A President John Adams Connection

The Captain William Smith house, built in 1692 is in the Minute Man National Historical Park in Lincoln, Massachusetts, and is one of several 1775 Revolutionary War-era houses you can see (and some are open) along the 5 1/4 mile trail. This one is now special to me because it connects to my family. See the genealogy below...the very last line!

Genealogy and history play a big part in my life. Whenever I go sightseeing, I always want to know about the person, special events, something about the house, and where they were buried. (Some examples are Daniel Chester Smith, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and others.) Once the park opens for the season and the NPS (National Park Service) guides are working, I will ask questions, like was the family living there when the Redcoats passed by twice, and where is William Smith buried.

Captain Smith's house may be seen from the road, but I had never seen it up close until last year. That is because you have to walk a good distance to it. Once I found out who he was related to, I had to share more than just a few photos. Below is a genealogy of his ancestors, a Google map shot from the air, and several more pictures.

From the Battle Road Trail, you can see the house and information board. The house is opposite a local unmarked road that takes you right to Lincoln Center.
Captain William Smith House

"This was the home of Catherine and Captain William Smith, commander of the Lincoln Minute Men and brother of Abigail Adams. His was the second-largest farm in Lincoln. When he received word from his neighbor Mary Hartwell that the British regulars were marching to Concord, he rode into the Lincoln town center and rallied his minute company. They were the first to arrive in Concord later that morning.

At the British column passed here in the afternoon, a mortally wounded soldier was left behind. The Smith family dressed his wounds and cared for him for three or four days before he died. Thinking he had caused the good family hardship, the soldier told them they would find a gold sovereign in the lining of his coat pocket. He is buried along the Battle Road, east of here near Folly Pond." *

The house was closed, so the photo below was taken through the dirty window (below).
I am anxious to read A Rich Harvest: The History, buildings, and People of Lincoln, Massachusetts by John C. MacLean. John was the researcher who solved one of my brick walls, that article may be seen HERE.
Marker in front of the Smith House
Boston Harbor
 13 3/4 Miles

A walk along the Battle Road trail is a taste of heaven.

Google map of the house in Lincoln  (the red arrow) and Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, MA (Lexington and Concord are a stone's throw away).



Descendant Register, Generation No. 1

1. William SMITH was born 1667, and died 1730. He married Abigail FOWLE. She was born 1679, and died 1760.
   
Children of William SMITH and Abigail FOWLE are:
  2  i. Abigail SMITH was born 1700, and died 1788. She married Simon TUFTS.
  3  ii. Sarah SMITH was born 1703, and died 1775. She married Samuel EDWARDS.
+ 4  iii. William SMITH was born 1706, and died 1783.
  5  iv. Anna SMITH was born 1708, and died 1781. She married Ebenezer KENT.
  6  v. Mary SMITH was born 1710, and died 1800. She married Ebenezer AUSTIN.
  7  vi. Isaac SMITH was born 1719, and died 1787. He married Elizabeth STORER. She was born 1726, and died 1786.

Descendant Register, Generation No. 2

4. William SMITH (William SMITH1) was born 1706, and died 1783. He married Elizabeth QUINCY. She was born 1721, and died 1775.
   
Children of William SMITH and Elizabeth QUINCY are:
  8  i. Mary SMITH was born 1741, and died 1811. She married Richard CRANCH. He was born 1726, and died 1811.
+ 9  ii. Abigail SMITH was born 11 NOV 1744 in Weymouth, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 28 OCT 1818 in Quincy, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts.
  10  iii. William SMITH was born 1746, and died 1787. He married Catherine Louisa SALMON.
  11  iv. Elizabeth SMITH was born 1750, and died 1815. She married John Shaw. She married Stephen PEABODY. He was born 1741, and died 1819.

Descendant Register, Generation No. 3

9. Abigail SMITH (William SMITH2, William SMITH1) was born 11 NOV 1744 in Weymouth, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 28 OCT 1818 in Quincy, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts. She married John ADAMS 25 OCT 1764 in Weymouth, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, son of John ADAMS and Susannah BOYLSTON. He was born 19 OCT 1735 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 4 JUL 1826 in Quincy, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts.
   
Children of Abigail SMITH and President John ADAMS are:
  12  i. Abigail ADAMS was born 14 JUL 1765 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 1813. She married Henry William SMITH.
  13  ii. John Quincy ADAMS was born 11 JUL 1767 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 23 FEB 1848 in Washington, District of Columbia. He married Louisa Catherine JOHNSON 26 JUL 1797 in London, England.
  14  iii. Susanna ADAMS was born 28 DEC 1768 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 4 FEB 1770.
  15  iv. Charles ADAMS was born 29 MAY 1770 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 1800. He married Sarah SMITH.
  16  v. Thomas Boylston ADAMS was born 15 SEP 1772 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, and died 1832. He married Ann HAROD.
  17  vi. Elizabeth ADAMS was born 1777, and died 1777.

The first two generations were done by the Massachusetts Historical Society, that I found through a Google search. I wanted accurate information, and couldn't count on some of the online sites providing that information. The information is located in the Smith-Carter Family Papers. The third generation was already done by me, because I already knew President John Adams is my 2nd cousin, 7 times removed. I was pretty excited to learn that the house belonged to the President's wife's brother!

* Update: On April 5, 2016, I called the Lincoln Library to see if they have information regarding William Smith's burial spot near Folly Pond. Since I had knowledge of their cemetery books, I felt that was the best place to begin my search for an answer. Apparently, there isn't a marker, and I was told that he left his wife and she, in fact, is buried in Quincy, Massachusetts at the Adams homestead!


The above paragraph was taken from: Descent from Glory: Four Generations of the John Adams Family By Paul C. Nagel, page 28.



Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Miscellaneous Queries

A Bridge to the Past
If you have a blog, especially one that covers family history, chances are somebody is going to find your blog by doing a google search. There are times, I don't have any idea how they found me and what  prompted them to even write. Always, the queries are interesting, and below is a collection of some rather recent ones. I've replied to all, except the last and the reason is pretty sad. Her query got forgotten in my inbox of over 1,500 emails. It has been in that box since March 2014! I will respond to her tomorrow. Fortunately, I've been cleaning out that box and now have only 110 emails (most are to read and only one to respond). This is very embarrassing to admit, so I'm facing one of my faults in public.

I'm not asking for help with any of these queries. It is my hope that the names will show up in google searches and I can put the individuals in contact with each other. Some I've helped others I couldn't.


I found your tree on line.  I have family trees for Elsie father, Charles Cowlam, going back a few more generations in England.  Cushman is a descendant of John Alden of the Mayflower.  If you are interested, I can send GEDCOMS.
---------- 

Hello Barbara. My name is Kris ____. My grandfather (he died in 2005) said that John ____ (died 2011 years, WTC) is my family. I am looking for their roots. Can you help me? What do you know about the family of John? They came from?
I know that my grandfather had two brothers. In 1944 - 1945 the year escaped from Lvov (former Poland) by Rumunię.Dwóch brothers returned to Polish. One of the brothers escaped to Canada. His children lived in the United States, reportedly including John ____. I will be very grateful for the information. Kris ____.

I am sorry for my poor English.
----------

I am researching my Chapman line and noticed your web site.     Since I believe I connect up thru David Chapman b 1675,   I clicked on that and it took to me to weird web site,  just thought you should know.   Or maybe I am reading it wrong?

Anyways,  have you done much research down the David Chapman line (b 1675).   I am stuck at Ebenezer Chapman b 1764.
----------

HI Barbara, no i do not think we have communicated before, but maybe my memory is short.    I am the registrar of ____ and I have a prospective member who has desperately. Trying for years to find connection to a Amos Parmele in Killingworth who had a son Richard who married a Thankful X.   Richard moved around a lot in CT and finally in Oneida County NY.    Amos did have a daughter Polly who married an Amos Warner in Bethlehem CT and then settled in Oneida Co.   We are trying to prove Richard had a son Amos Parmelee who was in Oneida County and then moved to Orland, Cook County, Il.   

I just learned from the PM that she did get info from  the library in Killingworth which she does not think will help her.   It is most frustrating, but I will understand if you can't help either.   

Are you involved in your chapter lineage or as registrar?
----------

Dear Barbara,
Your RootsWeb page says you've been studying your roots for 26 years; I've only been at it (when I can) for about 2 years.  Your RootsWeb page gave me my first big clue as to the family of my 3rd Great Grandmother, Jane Winn b. 22 Aug 1800, and pointed me to the book "The Mohawk Valley Ehles and Allied Families".  I sincerely thank you for that.  I am writing you for two reasons:
1) The Mohawk Valley Ehles book says John Winn (Jane's grandfather) was from Belfast, Ireland.  From what I have researched and you show on your page, he appears to have been born in Albany County, NY and his immigrant ancester seems to have been born in Belgium.  Any opinion on that?  Just another document error?
and
 2) I haven't tried all avenues yet, but I now need to find out more about Jane's husband, John G. Kelly, and his family. I'm not sure exactly how you are descended from the Scramblings and others, but I was wondering if you had stumbled across anything about John & Jane.  Since you've been studing the family so long, perhaps you could suggest some juicy research material for the western New York area and its people.  I have the census information and some information after they settled in Hamberg, NY, but I'd like to break the wall of where John G. Kelly (born in USA) came from... why they lived in Canada for awhile...  and anything else I can find. 
Okay, I admit writing you is a shot in the dark, but I thought I'd try.  I think I have done all I can on the internet and now I need to try writing/contacting some record sources and finding other avenues of research.
Again, thank you for the lead on Jane
----------

My name is ____. I live in Upton, Massachusetts, which is central Massachusetts. I grew up, in part, in Hampton New Hampshire for several years until I was around 13. My family rented a large house which had a carriage house and barn in the back. To my recollection, the house was owned by a gentleman who lived in New York, who was the last of the Lane family. I moved to California after High School, which I attended in Rhode Island, and lived there during my college years and for many years after. I moved back to Massachusetts several years ago, and have gone to visit Portsmouth. My family moved from Hampton to Portsmouth for a few years, and I did go back to Hampton just once, in hopes of visiting the house I remember so well from my childhood. I remember the location as being close enough to walk to the Main Street, which was not much of a downtown area thirty years ago, when we lived there. And, I was also able to walk to the library, which I loved and have many fond memories of.
I was disappointed when I went to visit, as I was unable to find the house my family rented, which was owned by the Lane family.  I was told by someone in town that the house burned down many years ago. Curiosity over the years has led to want to know more about the family, the house and the history of Hampton.
As I was doing a little online research I came upon your blog via ‘Life From The Roots’. I noticed a house, could it be the home of the historical society, which looks so much like the style of the house my family lived in for several years. It made me wonder if perhaps the Lane family home hadn’t burned down after all, and I was misinformed.
Can you provide any insight, or do you know how I might find out more on the topic? It’s a curiosity which has never left me for many reasons.

Follow-up: I did write the above person (after two years). Amazingly, she responded within hours. Here is what she wrote me:

"I’m very impressed and grateful that you’ve responded, albeit after some time. Thank you for that!  Actually, the house was located within a very short walk of the central business district as it were, and the town Public library. I will contact the Hampton historical society, what and excellent idea.
 

And, thank you for posting it on your blog. One never knows where connections take place."