Hampton History Matters II

The famous sandy beaches and first-class boardwalk of Hampton, New Hampshire often overshadow its long and robust history―that is, until Hampton History Matters. In the style of its predecessor, Hampton History Matters I, this latest collection of stories is an eclectic and entertaining sampling of the history of Hampton―from its early days as a colonial town to the twentieth century. Infused into the stories of the area’s people, politics, industry, traditions, fads, and landmarks is the author’s passion for finding the why behind each story.

Here you’ll encounter a fine cast of inhabitants who helped mold the town’s character and community―beach artisans, crafty politicians, hardworking Puritans, ambitious women who owned their own businesses and ran for public office. Read lively stories about the attempts to separate Hampton Beach from the mother town; the strange tale of a feckless young man who took revenge against his powerful adversary in a most bizarre way; the iron-fisted selectman who arbitrarily fired the entire police force, but wound up with a park named in his honor; the attempt to cure a young girl stricken with the King’s Evil; the rise and fall of the old town hall, a storied, 150-year-old building that met a fiery end in 1949.

Included in Volume II are new stories about two of the town’s most notorious residents, the “witch” Goody Cole and the rascally General Jonathan Moulton. These tales and so much more lie ahead in Hampton History Matters.

Cheryl has chronicled the history of Hampton since 2009. From 2015-2019 her column History Matters appeared in the Hampton Union newspaper. While she has since gone on to other writing projects, her past columns are still available at lassitergang.com.