TRIVIA & HISTORY CHALLENGE 2022

 
  • The Trivia & History Challenge will present a question monthly pertaining to Salisbury in some way in print in Lifelines, on our Website and on our Facebook page.
  • We hope you will find the questions intriguing and find the answers interesting.
  • Parents and Educators: Some topics may very well lend themselves to further research for school children’s projects and reports.
  • Previous Questions with links to answers are Indexed on the following: https://www.salisburyhistoricalsociety.org/trivia-history-challenge-index/
  • Do you have an interesting question and answer for the challenge? Please let us know.
  • Should we make a factual error please do not hesitate to contact us. 
  • All additional data, images, corrections or questions are always welcome.

DECEMBER QUESTION: How did the earlier settlers light their homes?

Answer: Pine Knot and Candlewood torches, Candles & Whale Oil

For details:  https://www.salisburyhistoricalsociety.org/lighting

 

NOVEMBER QUESTION: Approximately how many cords of wood did the earlier settlers use per year?

Answer:  An excerpt from Stone By Stone by Robert M. Thorson:

” It is estimated that the average Yankee home used used 30-40 cords of wood per year each measuring four feet high, four feet deep and eight feet long. At that rate many farm lots would soon have been exhausted. Uninhabited areas beyond farming villages were cut over, their wood being sold as an export crop. Even the Caribbean rum trade took wood from New England in the form of ship timber, kegs, and charcoal. Thousands of  acres were clear-cut and their logs skidded to the nearest stream,  floated to navigable rivers, then shipped to New England cities especially Boston, Providence, New London, New Haven and New York which has since exhausted their local wood supplies.  The city of New Haven alone consumed 7,500 full cords of wood in 1811.”

OCTOBER QUESTION: What were the early days of the Salisbury Fire Department like?

Answer: This can best be answered by following the blue link below where there is information giving some  insight to earlier days.  

It is a good beginning for our historical exploration of this vital service in town.

Fighting Fires

We would like to add to this page:

  • Historical photos pre 2000 (if possible dated with identifications)
  • More information on the earliest of days.
  • More information on fairly recent histories. 
  • More names after 1976 for the Fire Officers (up to the present). 
  • Any recollections you may have that may interest others.
  • Please submit info to online@salisburyhistoricalsociey.org or share on our Facebook page.

SEPTEMBER QUESTION:

Over the years Salisbury had several Blacksmith shops. Where were they?

Answer:

There was one in the South Road Village area, one on Salisbury Heights, two in the Mill Village/West Salisbury area and likely one in the Smiths Corner area on Couchtown Road. For more details:

https://www.salisburyhistoricalsociety.org/blacksmithing/ 

AUGUST QUESTION:
What were early telecommunications like in Salisbury?
Answer:
In 1899 new technologies, much ingenuity and hard work brought telecommunications to our town.
This month’s Trivia/History Challenge answer compiles the input from different sources and presents a picture both historical and personal, giving us a glimpse of how it all happened.
JULY QUESTION:
Who were the Littles of South Road Village?
Answer:
The Littles were an industrious, creative and hard working family that lived in the South Road Village for about 165 years. They contributed much to the town at that time. For details and images:
https://www.salisburyhistoricalsociety.org/the-little-of-south-road-village/
JUNE QUESTION:
What is a Bull Rake and where was it made?
Answer:
A Bull Rake is a hay rake. The operator would walk with the rake slightly above the ground, enough so the tines would catch the hay but not dig into the ground. When the rake was full, the operator would lift it leaving the hay behind. You would rake in a direction perpendicular to the rows this forming rows of hay to dry. They began manufacturing the Bull Rake in 1848 and improved the design in 1868 and obtained a US patent at that time.
A Bull Rake is on display at the Salisbury Historical Society Museum on the front wall in the General Store. This rake was patented by Thomas D. Little whose portrait is hanging on the wall beside it.
The Little family occupied two houses adjacent to each other which were occupied by Littles from 1801-1956 on Old Coach Road) and the other from 1800-1930 on route 127 (Franklin Road).
Factory Location: Next to or slightly behind the house (gray house just east of the crossroads) at 24 Franklin Road opposite Academy Hall, same side. 
 

MAY QUESTION

Who were Mary Campbell and Tasha Tudor?

Answer:

The idea for this Trivia Challenge question actually came from Erin Moran who writes a historical and recipe blog specifically from  woman past called the Soul Spun Kitchen. She contact the Salisbury Historical Society and we shared some data. It is included with her research in her wonderful blog. Check it out!

https://www.erinemoulton.com/mrs-mason-campbells-blueberry-topsy-turvy-cake-new-england-1970/

Mary Campbell was a writer of cookbooks. She was a summer resident of Salisbury along with her husband Doug from 1946-1979 residing at 70 Franklin Road.

Tasha Tudor was a well known and prolific creator and illustrator of over 100 children’s books.  Her style can be describerd as 1830’s Americana.  She resided in Webster NH at the same time. 

Mary Mason Campbell and Tasha Tudor no doubt made their acquaintance during the time they both resided in our area and collaborating on a cookbook called the New England Butt’ry Shelf Almanac. The cookbook includes a collection of 200 New England recipes with illustrations from Tasha Tudor and was published in 1969.

Both women had a great love of rural life, simple living and tradition. 

 

APRIL QUESTION

On November 13, 1987 , the Concord Monitor reported an usual even that took place near Mill Brook in Salisbury  and caused quite an uproar. What was the event?

Answer:

In October of 1987, Walter Bower, Sr., “a man of sound mind and sober spirit”, swears he saw Bigfoot while hunting pheasant in a field known as “Bob’s Big Interval” next to Mill Brook in Salisbury. He told the Chief of Police at the time and family friend, Chief Jody Heath, who told the boys at the Crossroads Country Store, who laughed their fool heads off. Mr. Bower stood behind his claim and endured ridicule.
To commemorate the event, Steve Wheeler created a display featuring a cartoon, the Concord Monitor article about the event and the “bigfoot hair”. The display hung in the Crossroads Country Store for many years and ultimately was donated to the Salisbury Historical Society where it will be on display this coming season. Excepts of this writing were taken from a Concord Monitor article. p1       p2

MARCH QUESTION:

What was medical and healthcare like in the early days of Salisbury?

Answer:

The practice of medicine was very different than it is today. 

For details please see

https://www.salisburyhistoricalsociety.org/healthcare/

 

FEBRUARY QUESTION:

What is the New Hampshire Old Tree Project?

Answer:

“In 1950, the NH Big Tree Program began in an effort to find, record and recognize our magnificent individual trees. The list of recorded trees now includes over 1,000 county, state and national champions. NH Big Tree volunteers search the state for the largest examples of tree species and work together measuring trees in their local area nominated to the program. The group typically meets bimonthly for program updates, measuring trips and sharing discoveries and stories.” UNH

https://extension.unh.edu/natural-resources/forests-trees/trees/nh-big-trees

JANUARY QUESTION:

What might be the oldest tree in Salisbury? Oldest five?

Answers:

The answers to this question will be based on input from townspeople, tree experts, hunters, land owner, hikers etc. If you have an idea or speculation please share it. We welcome all your input or thoughts on this.          online@salisburyhistoricalsociety.org

#1 Number one is likely the Sugar Maple located at 70 Franklin Road. It measures over 15 3/4″ feet round and makes it ones of the largest in the county. It originally had a center section that was lost hence it is not as tall as it could have been but it did grown quite wide at 61 ft span.   It sits next to a house dated 260 years in age and is likely just about or over 300 years old.

#3 The owners of the property at 124 South Road were once informed that their Black Locust was the third oldest tree in Salisbury.

#4 The large tree at the entrance of the graveyard behind the Baptist Meeting House (Salisbury Historical Society) deserves some consideration as well.

#5  There is a large Champion yellow birch tree on record with the state however to date we are not sure where it is located. To be continued!