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The Old Water Cooler
The Old Schoolhouse, when it was functioning in that capacity, did not have running water. How did students quench their thirst for water as well as knowledge?
The Old Schoolhouse, when it was functioning in that capacity, did not have running water. How did students quench their thirst for water as well as knowledge?
C-5-18 - The Nelson Cotton & Woolen Company was formed by Asa Beard, Amos Heald, Pious Burnap and Andrew Harris in 1814.
B-4-12 The oldest son of Stephen and Sally Beard, Stephen was born in Packersfield in 1797 at E-3-9. His father died from the bite of a rabid dog when Stephen was just five. He acquired 3 ½ acres here on the road to Sullivan in 1829 from his cousin Dorcas (Beard) Stiles who lived nearby
Horace Yardley bought land here from Abiel Wright and built a house in 1856. Born in Dublin to William and Sarah Yardley in 1804, he married Sarah Taylor in 1841. The couple had five children before moving to Nelson in 1856.
D-3-18: Its most well-known owner was Parke Hardy Struthers who purchased the farm in 1932 and named it Merriconn because the property is situated on the watershed divide between the Merrimac and Connecticut Rivers. It was a brick house of a grand size for Nelson and situated on an imposing location. Perhaps the height of its prominence was as the home of Louis C. Cabot of Boston who made it into his summer estate.
The site of a house built in about 1817 by Nathaniel Parker. The current house on the site is a renovation of a barn on the original place. The old home stood between the current house and the well. The original home burned sometime in the early 1950’s.
B-3-9 Samuel Griffin built the house circa 1805. Griffin was a Major General in the NH state militia.
The construction of the Nelson Congregational Church began in 1841.
D-4-17 Part of the new village of Nelson Center laid out in 1839 was a blacksmith shop at the junction of the road to Harrisville and the road to Hancock. With its coal fired hearth, it was probably located at the edge of the village on purpose.
Owned today by the Guida family, this is an old Nelson house that has been more or less constantly inhabited since 1800. Many repairs have never-the-less left some of the original structure in place.
B-4-4 The cabinet maker’s home: Thaddeus Barker built the house here when he established the mill at B-4-7 in 1798. This house was the mill owner’s home until 1845.
B-4-10: Winslow was the third son of Philip Atwood II and his wife Eunice. Philip and Eunice seem to have left their old house at C-4-19 sometime prior to 1858 and built here. They died in 1867 (Philip) and 1871 (Eunice) and are buried in the Village Cemetery. Their son Winslow may have built the house here around 1858.
D-4-34 Born in Keene in 1807, Reuel moved to Nelson in about 1830 and seems to have worked for Henry Melville in his store. At the time of Henry’s death in 1838 the men had a partnership called Melville & Nims. Following his partner’s death, Nims formed a partnership with Henry’s son, Jonas, and purchased this lot and the land that is now occupied by the Nelson Common and the church. The new partnership built the three-story brick store in about 1840. Jonas lived in Jaffrey; Reuel was the active partner.
B-4-11 Frederick was the son of Danforth Taylor who moved to B-4-1 from Stoddard and occupied the farm of Robert Sheldon. Sons, Frederick and Henry Danforth came with him. Frederick Taylor bought the sawmill (B-4-7) from Abel Kitteridge in 1841. Since the creation of the mill in 1798, the mill owner had lived at [...]
B-5-10: John French III. seems to have built the house here in about 1808 and stayed until 1816. Whitcomb French owned it for two years before selling it to Reuben Tarbox
B-5-8: Represented by a small foundation today, this house was built by Elliot J. Davis in the summer of 1858. It is likely that Davis was associated in some way with the steam sawmill at B-5-7. Born in Gilsum, Davis moved here from Vermont with his wife, Roxanna E. Brown, and two children. He became the owner of the whole site when the mill ceased operations in 1860.
B-5-11: John Buxton, his wife, Elizabeth Burnap, and their children Eunice and Timothy Russell Buxton came to Packersfield from Wilton, NH in 1791 and built the house here.
B-5-6 Mill Headquarters: This structure was built in 1855 likely as the mill office and crew quarters for the steam powered sawmill 100 yards to its east at B-5-7.
B-5-7. Three foundations in the far northwestern corner of Nelson are the remains of a steam powered sawmill that operated between 1855 and 1860. The complex is composed of the mill site itself and two supporting buildings that have in-ground foundations.
C-4-17. Eli and Thankful Burnap came to Packersfield from Reading, Massachusetts in 1795 at the age of twenty-three. Eli’s parents, John and Mary Burnap followed them to Packersfield
B-4-1. This is a beautifully preserved large cellar hole with extensive barns and paddock walls. Robert Sheldon, from Temple, New Hampshire settled here in 1795. Starting with 100 acres, and at age twenty-one, he built a farm of several hundred acres.
C-4-9 Stephen Harrington established his tannery in about 1803. He probably built this water powered bark mill at about the same time. The bark mill consisted of a dam and a mill where oak and hemlock bark were ground to produce tannin rich “powder” for use in the tanning process.
John Spinney was an early settler with a board house and two acres cleared by 1773. He was a Packersfield selectman in 1775 and 1776 and signed the association test in that year.
Beriah and Abigail Wetmore and their family arrived in 1771 building a pole house on a 104-acre piece of land here. In 1773 they had 18 acres cleared and had built a cabin. For some reason, probably poor financial circumstances, the family was “warned out of town.” This was a process towns used to force possible welfare cases to leave before they became a burden.
Joseph Stanford was one of Monadnock #6’s earliest settlers buying 100 acres from Jonathan Blanchard in 1769 for forty schillings. By 1773 he had a log cabin built near here and seven acres of land cleared. He answered the alarm at Concord on April 20, 1775 and served outside of Boston until November of that year.
In 1864, Jonathan Whittier moved with his family into a 60-year-old farmhouse in the southwest corner of Stoddard. In late December of 1876 the family was running low on supplies. A storm was threatening, but Whittier felt that he could walk to the Munsonville store and post office, some 3 miles distant, to get supplies and the family’s mail before the storm arrived.
One of the oldest standing houses in Nelson, this small cape has been repaired numerous times, but the frame and many of the sawn boards from the c. 1775 home of John Morse still survive.
Asa Beard was a founder of the Nelson Cotton and Woolen Company in about 1815. While living at D-3-3, he built this house as his new residence and began building a factory at the outlet of Fish Pond (Granite Lake).
C-1-3: The outlet of Pleasant Pond (later Beed Pond and Silver Lake) was the site of three mills. The town’s first gristmill was established here in about 1771 by Daniel Wood of Upton, Massachusetts.
The original settler of the land on the north end of Tolman Pond [then Little Pond, later, Byrant Pond] was Jabez Grover who built the house at E-3-13 just up the hill. We lack deeds to definitively determine who built this house and when it was built, but a brick in the central chimney has “1791” inscribed into it and there’s no reason to doubt that date.
C-1-4 Nathaniel Breed JR. Acquired the property and its grist mill (C-1-3) in 1782. He was the oldest child of Nathaniel and Anne Knowles Breed and came to Monadnock #6 with his parents in 1767 at the age of fourteen. The Breeds lived at D-4-7 until 1782 when Daniel SR moved to New Ipswich, [...]
Nelson's population in the Census of 1790 was 721. The most recent (2020) Census shows a population of 734 - a whopping increase of 13 people over a 230 year period. Of course there are some twists and turns in the story, and we've added some graphics to spice up the tale.
Ebenezer Tolman, a housewright by trade, moved to Packersfield from Fitzwilliam in 1790 with his wife, Mary (Clark) and 4 children. Tolman served in the Revolutionary War and kept a diary detailing his experiences as part of Arnold’s expedition against Quebec in late 1775. He is the founder of the Tolman family in Nelson.
E-5-4 The house currently at this location is a modern one built on the cellar hole of an older house built by John White in 1781. The original house burned the night of October 1, 1966. John White was a minuteman from Mansfield, Massachusetts who came to Packersfield in 1781. There is an extensive [...]
D-3-8 Known today as the Poland Place it was originally part of David Beard’s farm and, for a time owned by his son, Asa. The modest house here was probably built by Asa around 1815. He soon got involved building the mill at the outlet of Granite Lake and building a larger house at [...]
D-3-7 Amos Skinner was an early settler coming in 1774 from Mansfield, Massachusetts with his wife, Elizabeth and two children. Their son, Zelotus was born here. Held numerous town offices during his brief stay including moderator and chairman of the Committee of Safety. He signed the Association Test in 1776 and was elected lieutenant [...]
In the early development of manufacturing, areas that afforded the potential for water power were prime locations for community growth. In 1814, the Cotton Factory was built in a remote section of Nelson to take advantage of the water power from the outflow of the dammed Factory Lake, now known as Granite Lake. A [...]
E-3-3 Ezra Sheldon bought the 250-acre Goodenow Farm in 1807 after Abraham Goodenow died. The purchase did not include the sawmill at E-3-8. This was Ezra’s “new house.” His original house was at E-3-2. By 1807 Ezra and Sarah (Day) Sheldon needed a larger house; the couple had nine children ages two to twenty. They [...]
C-3-16 David Kimball came from Boxford, Massachusetts. He bought 100 acres in the original right of Alexander Parke JR. in 1784. The property was 100 acres and would eventually hold three houses. David Kimball saw much service in the Revolutionary first answering the call at Lexington in 1775, then only fifteen. He went on [...]
D-3-15 David Kimball sold his original house (C-3-16) and half of the farm to his brother, James, in 1799 when he built this house.* David and Lydia lived here until until their deaths (1842 and 1847). In 1817 their daughter, Mary, married Jared Pratt of Jaffrey. The young couple bought the house at E-3-7 [...]
B-3-10 Apple Hill Music Camp: The cape that is the center of Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music campus was built by William and/or Oliver Wright in about 1790. (This is a different Wright family that the one that settled at F-3-4.) The property was owned by Jonas Minot of Concord, Massachusetts at the [...]
Reuben and Rebecca Phillips of Nelson were the parents of six sons born in that town. This is the sad story of the Phillips family. ~ by Alan Rumrill
D-4-28 One of the first settlers of Nelson Village, Rand bought a 3-acre lot from the estate of Henry Melville in 1839. Dr. Rand bought Dr. Calvin Hubbard’s practice in Nelson and moved here from Hancock. Dr Rand practiced medicine in Nelson and was a partner with Ruel Nims in the store on the [...]
B-5-5 Ebenezer Tarbox: This site was in the town of Stoddard until 1835 when the Tarbox Farm was annexed to Nelson at the request of the Tarbox family. Ebenezer Tarbox family settled in the southwest corner of Stoddard as early as 1800.Th original house on this site was bult by Jacob and Lucy Blodget who [...]
B-4-9 Willard Jewett bought the old Henry Wheeler farm (B-4-6) in 1836. In 1844 he sold two acres at the junction of the new road from Nelson to Sullivan and the Keene to Concord Road to Alanson and Olive (Beverstock) Bingham of Alstead. They built the house here and moved in with their three [...]
New England’s ancient Town Pounds are seen near the center of most towns even today. Substantial, square and made of large stones, town pounds are New England’s most enduring and emblematic features of our agrarian past. Most towns have one that survives; Nelson has two! They were built to hold the largest and most agile of domestic animals in temporary custody, protecting crops and precious cows, pigs, horses, sheep, oxen, etc until their owners could recover them.
F-3-1 The second son of Ebenezer and Mary Tolman, George came to Packersfield at age four. He bought the land at this lovcation in partnership with Thomas Reed. He built a small house here in 1810 on the 66 acres north of the road deeding the balance south of the road to Reed. In [...]
E-2-6 In 1856 Joel Bancroft sold 85 acres here to Appleton Parmenter. The site included a good mill site just downstream from the Bancroft sawmill. Parmenter built a saw and grist mill here. In 1864 he sold the mill to his brother, Isaac, from Brooklyn, New York. Sometime later the mill was sold to [...]
E-2-5 The Bancroft Mill site today As early as 1830 Joel Bancroft built a sawmill at the outlet of the Great Meadow. The elaborate foundation including a dry-stone arch and mill raceways can still be seen today. In the late 1850’s the mill had been sold to the Sheldon and Tolman Clothes [...]
D-4-5 Asa Wilson: This is the traditional home of the miller who operated the grist mill at D-4-22. It sits a few feet north of the brook that empties White Pond and a few feet from the mill first built here by Henry Melville in 1796. The house was constructed by Melville to house [...]
D-4-8 Nathaniel Breed moved to Packersfield in 1767 and built a “double pole house” at D-4-7 as there was no sawmill in town at that time. He probably built a proper board house on this site in 1774. In 1782 he sold the place to Samuel Cummings -- a 240 acre farm with the [...]
D-4-7 This modest cellar hole is the site of Nathaniel Breed’s “double pole” house built in 1768. He, likely, replaced it with a proper board house at D-4-8 in 1773. Nathaniel Breed was the second settler of Monadnock #6 and the first in what is Nelson today. Born in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1727, he [...]
C-5-10 The mill site is the lowest of three on the stream that empties Granite Lake. The broken grindstone near the mill’s tailrace is evidence of its early use for grinding grain into flour. Joseph Baker likely built the mill in the 1790’s as a saw and gristmill. By 1816 it had been purchased [...]
C-4-19 Josiah Parker: The approximate location of the Josiah Parker homestead. The site is occupied by a much more modern building. Stone enclosures and potential barn foundations suggest it as the site for Parker’s house. Josiah Parker came to Packersfield from Wilton, New Hampshire in about 1789 with his wife Eunice (Pierce). Their first [...]
C-4-13 This two-story brick house was built by Abel Richardson about 1815. We know little about this energetic early citizen. He operated the mill at D-4-7 then lived and may have operated a tavern at D-3-11 before building this brick home on a hill in 1815. He seems not to be related to the [...]
C-4-10 The site of a shoe shop built as part of Stephen Harrington’s tannery works. Established prior to 1822 and continued as late as 1857.
C-4-7 There is no trace of this cellar hole today, It was graded over when the current home was built on the property in the 1990’s. Samuel Hartshorn bought land here from Josiah Parker in 1819 and built a house. He sold the place back to Parker in 1822. Josiah’s son, Samuel, bought the [...]
C-3-18 Amos and Sybil (Brown) Heald came to Packersfield from Temple in about 1789 and had built the house here by 1790. Amos was a housewright. Their first child (of eight), Oliver, was born here in October 1, 1790. The Healds seem to have moved to Dublin in 1828. Sybil died in 1837 and [...]
C-3-6 John Boynton came to Packersfield in 1781 after service at Saratoga in the Revolutionary War. He bought 100 acres here and probably built the house soon after. John is said to have been a blacksmith. John and Sarah Boynton welcomed their first child here in 1785; The couple had four more. They sold [...]
C-2-1 Brothers Richard, Absalom and John Farwell arrived in Packersfield from Marblehead, Massachusetts early. All were signers of the Association Test in April 1776. Richard saw service early in the Revolutionary War serving with his brother, Absalom at Bennington and Saratoga. Richard, the youngest of the three, bought 120 acres of land here in [...]
D-4-27 Upton bought the former Jonas Davis farm and replaced the original Davis farmhouse which was slightly further up the hill.
D-4-26 Approximate location of the second home of Jonas Davis. Remnants were obscured when the current house was built in1882. Jonas Davis was one of three brothers to come to Packersfield from Rutland, Massachusetts after the Revolution. He purchased 100 acres of land from his father, John Davis, in 1779 and added another 50 [...]
In the late nineteen-nineties it took the Nelson School District three years to design, achieve political support for and build an addition to the Munsonville School. In 1821 School District Number Seven faced similar issues and dealt with the inadequacies of the old wooden building in a matter of months.
C-3-7 Born in Westminster, Vermont, in 1785, Simon Goodell attended two courses of lectures in medicine at the Dartmouth College. In 1812 he was recruited to practice in Packersfield by some influential members of the community. One of those members, Josiah Melville, sold Dr. Goodell the property here in 1815 and he built the [...]
D-4-22 The Wilson Mill: Situated at the outlet of White Pond today is a very large stone dam, a ruined concrete gate and spillway and numerous stone piers that held the structures of the mills here from 1796 to the end of the 19th century.
E-2-4 Nathan Wesson (also Weston) bought 105 acres of land here from James Bancroft in 1782. He came here from Hollis after two enlistments in the army serving in the Ticonderoga campaign and elsewhere. His introduction to Packersfield probably came from serving with Allen Breed and Joseph Felt. He built a house here in 1782 [...]
F-3-4 There is no trace of this house today. From road and property records we know its approximate location on the old road to Hancock a few hundred feet east of Nehemiah Wright’s cellar hole. The foundation was, likely destroyed when the house now occupied by Mary and Dennis Dellagreca was built in the [...]
F-3-2 Brothers, Nehemiah and Oliver Wright grew up in Dunstable. In those days Dunstable straddled the Massachusetts/New Hampshire border where Dunstable, Massachusetts is today. Dr. Ebenezer Starr also lived there; he was the owner of some 700 acres in the southeast quarter of Packersfield. The Wrights bought 100 acres (known as the David Cook [...]
D-2-13 Eleazur Twitchell was one of the earliest settlers on Monadnock #6. He bought his first land here in 1769 and built the home here in 1772.The family was originally from Sherborn, Massachusetts. Though he built a log house here early, owned hundreds of acres (Including all of Harrisville Pond) and had 25 acres [...]
B-3-15Packersfield established nine school districts in 1791 and raised 270 pounds with which to build them. The early schoolhouses were frame buildings completed sometime around 1795. They were replaced with brick ones in about 1820. This is the only original brick schoolhouse that still from that period. It was sold by the town in February [...]
B-3-8 Circa 1890 James Banks bought land here in late 1778 and is credited by Struthers with building the house. Perhaps he built a small part of the substantial house that strands there today though he did not own the property long. It is likely that Philip Atwood build most or all [...]
D-2-12 School #7 This was one of nine schools built by Nelson in 1789-1790. It served the families in the southeast quarter of the town and was located “on the road between Captain James Bancroft’s house and Dublin”. This one-room schoolhouse, originally built from wood, had perhaps as many as 40 students ranging [...]
Brick school was built here and served the mill village of Munsonville until the Munsonville School as built in 1891.
B-5-13 In 1889 the town voted 33 to 32 to raise $1200 to build a new school here to replace the schools at C-5-9 and B-4-8. It took two years to agree in the site and build the school. Bricks from the two earlier schools were used in its construction. It has had three [...]
B-3-5 There is a nice cellar hole and barn foundations here about 1500’ along an old town road that runs north from Apple Hill Road. This property was purchased in 1803 by Nathaniel Breed III, grandson and namesake of one of Nelson’s founders, who built the house here. The following year he sold it [...]
C-4-1 The settlement survey in 1774 lists a sawmill and house here that had been built by Breed Batchellor as early as 1772. This was part of Batchellor’s estate that had been confiscated by the State of New Hampshire when he joined the British Army. It was bought first by Elisha Wheeler in 1781 and [...]
E-3-6 Nathaniel Woods built this house on part of his farm after he sold the place to his son, Samuel, with the right to live there until he died. Perhaps the house was built to facilitate management of the brickyard across the road. The Woods and Felt families all operated the yard in turn. [...]
E-3-5 Nelson’s oldest and most productive brickyard. Started by Abiel Smith in about 1777, though bricks from chimneys in earlier Nelson structures suggest a brick source earlier, It was worked by him until acquired by Ebenezer Tolman in 1789. Tolman was a housewright by trade but soon operated a sawmill and this brickyard. Tolman [...]
D-3-13 There have been three houses on this place. Thomas Richardson came to Packersfield from Attleboro, Massachusetts after the Revolutionary War, bought 200 acres on land in this area in 1784. In 1794 he sold 90 acres to his son, John, who built the first house here in 1795. John died in 1814 and [...]
C-4-3 Joshua Kittredge (also Kitteridge) married Solomon and Tabitha Kittredge's daughter Lydia on November 29, 1787 in Amherst, New Hampshire. They had three daughters, then she died. He remarried Beulah Baker on June 10, 1796. The following year he built a much larger house here using lumber he milled himself. He [...]
B-5-4: Joseph came to Packersfield with his parents about 1790. He followed his father at B-5-12 before buying lot four, range four of the northwest quarter in 1816 and building the house here. He left for Weld, Maine in about 1820 and Asa Stone (who may have held a mortgage) was awarded title by a court after Baker’s departure. Sometime between 1816 and 1827 a second dwelling was added. The property was acquired by Joseph Osgood in 1827.
E-2-3 By Magicpiano - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, on Wikipedia This house is in what is now Harrisville, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Timothy Bancroft is believed to have built the ell of this house in about 1785; the larger main block was probably added in the [...]
D-2-6 This was James Bancroft’s second house. Timothy Bancroft of Barnstable, Massachusetts bought the Right of Benjamin French (400 acres) in the southeast quarter of Monadnock #6 early. His son, James, acquired this part of the French Right after his father’s death in 1780. In approximately 1786 he built the house here and sold [...]
E-5-5 John Sprague bought 140 acres here from Uriah wheeler in 1784. He was a blacksmith by trade and came to Packersfield after service in the Revolutionary War. Born in Attleborough, Massachusetts, he arrived in Packersfield with his wife, Betsey. They had six children. They lived on the place until late in life. Their [...]
D-5-2 Josiah Whitney bought lot #2 in range 10 in Packersfield’s northeast quarter in 1779. Clearing had been done there earlier by Elihu Higbe. He built first at D-5-7 and afterwards here. Nancy and Josiah Whitney came to Packersfield with their first two children; they added seven more. In 1822 Josiah sold his 160-acre [...]
E-4-5 This cellar hole, the remains of a house built by Jeremiah Barrett in about 1775 is on the side of Green Gate Road, a private road today. Jeremiah Barrett, from Ashburnham, Massachusetts, bought the land here late in 1774 and probably built the house in 1775. He was here before moving to D-1-1 [...]
E-4-4 The place known today as the Story Farm is a substantial cellar hole on the north side of Greengate Road and a barn foundation across the road. The place was settled prior to 1774 by Abraham Griffith who bought 100 acres here and had cleared 12 acres and built a log cabin by [...]
E-2-1 Jesse and Lydia (Parker) Wright moved to Packersfield from Woburn, Massachusetts in 1780. Their initial lot was 104 acres, the common size for an uncleared lot. That year they built a house at E-2-1. There were here 13 years before they acquired additional property to the south and built a much larger house [...]
D-5-5 The exact location io this house is uncertain. It seems to have been several hundred feet north of today’s Old Stoddard Road though the location can’t be identified. Joshua Felt came to Packersfield by 1778 from Lynn, Massachusetts. He marched from Lynn to the Lexington alarm in 1775. He was wounded in the [...]
D-5-4 The cellar hole here was filled in about 1995 when a new house was built on the site. Both Struthers and the 150th Anniversary Celebration (probably Struthers; source) state that Brown’s farm was located above the lead mine where John Breed later lived. Brown’s deeds and the official surveys make it clear that [...]
C-4-18 Nathan JR married Sarah Barstow in 1825 with whom he had three children. Sarah died in 1828 and Nathan remarried Achsah Hardy with whom he had three more children including Edward who served in the Civil War and was killed at the Battle of Williamsburg in 1862.
D-4-9 The Osgood graphite veins were discovered in 1848 and property owner Horatio Osgood leased them to Moses Carleton of Lancaster, Massachusetts. Two years later, Carlleton sublet them to J. and J. Seabury, a New York mining company; Jacob Seabury also bought the Town Farm Mine in 1858.
In 1851 brothers Silas, Edward, and Payson French leased mining rights on the Newell property from Oliver and Gad Newell. But the veins were narrow and short, and the deposit was probably worked out by 1855.
C-3-17 This graphite deposit was discovered in 1853 on what was then the 156-acre Nelson Town Farm, and the selectmen were quickly authorized to sell the mining rights. The S. C. Griffin Company had a lease on the graphite veins as early as 1855; Parke Struthers (1968) reported that the Griffin company showed “some [...]
C-3-4 This beautiful example of an early Nelson home is probably best known for its service as Nelson’s Town Poor Farm from 1851 to 1858. It takes its name from a quarry on the property where graphite was mined in the 1850’s and 1860’s. Lead Mine Farm Joseph Beal, a blacksmith from [...]
C-3-2 The place was first settled in about 1774 by Thomas Upham, an earlier settler of Packersfield who had pioneered at D-5-6. He probably built the house before moving to Wilton in 1777. The Stoddard Family in the form of Richard and Rachael from Templeton, Massachusetts bought it from him. . Richard features prominently [...]
C-2-3 John Adams was born in Sherborn, Massachusetts in 1750 and was one of Packersfield’s earliest settlers. He bought 300 acres from his father, Captain Moses Adams, an early investor in land in the town. His name appears in the record of the first recorded road laid out in the town – the road [...]
C-1-1 Asa Robbins bought the land here in 1793 and built the house still standing there. Asa was born in Westford, Massachusetts in 1769 and moved to Packersfield with his brothers, Noah and Josiah in about 1790. He married Hepzibah Adams, daughter of John and Mary Adams (C-2-3). They had two children here before [...]
D-2-10 Jonathan Lovejoy was born in Hollis in 1754, enlisted from there and settled here in 1791 after service in the Revolutionary War. He and his wife, Rebecca, had three children. Their youngest daughter, also Rebecca, married Absolom Farwell and lived with Jonathan until he died in 1825. The Lovejoys are burried in the [...]
C-4-14 Batchellor Sawmill House Nothing remains of this home today. It was probably built originally as the house for the operator of the town’s first saw mill located at C-4-20. It was probably occupied by Joshua Kitteridge when he first purchased the mill. It was small and he, soon built another house across Center [...]
D-3-2 Town Pound The third pound established in Nelson. It was a replacement for the earlier one at D-4-20 built by vote of the town in 1795: “build a pound of stone 35’ square the committee to recommend the height of the walls. Voted to set the pound in Capt. Ezra Smith’s pasture on [...]
D-3-6 Deacon Samuel Griffin Samuel Griffin was one of the early settlers of Packersfield coming after military service around Boston including Bunker Hill. He bought land here in 1777 and is thought to have moved to Packersfield in 1779. He built a house here and married Sophia Foster, the daughter of the first settled [...]
C-4-4 James French James French, a cordwainer from New Ipswich, bought 100 acres of land here in 1791 and is undoubtedly the builder of the old part of the home on the site today. Little is known of him. In 1794 he sold the house and five acres to Dr. Samuel Skinner who moved here [...]
D-4-16 Melville Store Uriah Wheeler built a house and tavern here as early as 1781. The establishment must have been quite commodious as town meeting were often adjourned to his house. The Wheelers sold the place to Jonas Minot of Concord, Massachusetts and Thaddeus Barker seems to have kept the tavern here from 1787 [...]
D-4-19 The Melville Farm The house rebuilt after a 1925 fire. Uriah Wheeler was an early, large landowner in Packersfield owning some 400 acres that included the current village. The land had been owned by Breed Batchellor and was confiscated and sold when Batchellor joined the British Army. He was born in Sudbury, [...]
C-1-2 Thomas Wood Gurler Thomas was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts in 1775 and came to Packersfield with his parents, Nicholas and Betsy (Scripture) Gurler immediately after the Revolutionary War. Nicholas, Thomas' father, died in Packersfield in 1785 and the young Thomas went to live with Samuel Griffin’s family at (D-3-6) where he later would rescue [...]
B-5-2 The Osgood Farm Levi Warren purchased 100 acres here from Thomas Packer (III) in 1790 and probably built a house. Struthers writes that Warren lived here; he is listed in the 1790 census as a Packersfield resident. The Rev. Seward, in his Sullivan History, credits the house to Nathaniel Osgood. The current two-story [...]
B-3-14 There have been two dwellings here. The current cabin was built around 1897 by Dr. Seneca Egbert, a resident of Franklin, Pennsylvania, who used the old farm as a summer place until his death in 1939. More recently it has been owned by Fred French. The Egbert cabin was built near the cellar [...]
E-3-8 Goodenow’s Mill Abraham Goodenow was born in Sudbury, Massachusetts in 1749 and moved to Packersfield in 1783. He came with his second wife, Silence, their three children and his oldest, Abraham Jr. They had six more children here. He established a sawmill at the outlet of Long Pond, now called Nubanusit, to saw [...]
E-3-7 The Bailey Place This small house was built in 1933 on the foundation of Ebenezer Tolman’s second house in Packersfield. Ebenezer was a housewright and built three houses in the area between Tolman Pond and Nubanusit Pond when he first arrived. He built here in 1800 and lived here for five years. He [...]
B-5-3 Barker place in the late 1800s Lyman Stone This home is associated with two of Nelson’s founding families. John Breed JR was the grandson of one of Nelson’s founders, Dr. Nathaniel Beed. He was born to Nathaniel Breed’s second son, John, and his wife, Sarah Felt at D-4-9 in 1785. That [...]
C-4-11 William Barker moved to Nelson in 1779 and, occupied the farm first cleared by Richard Newton (C-4-16). There is no deed evidence of his purchase of lot #3, range 12 in the Northeast Quarter, but road records and a subsequent transfer of a half interest to his son, Leonard, are proof that he [...]
E-4-1 Samuel Adams built the first house here, moving here with his wife, Sarah Felt, and their oldest child, Sarah. As so many early settlers did, he came from Massachusetts after extensive service in the war. From his pension application we know he was” 5’ 5” tall and 28 years old” when he began [...]
D-4-2 Noah Hardy built the cape cod style house on 100 acres of land here in 1785. He came from Hollis, New Hampshire. His last enlistment (1780) was from Packersfield. It is not clear where he might have resided prior to 1785. He sold a small piece on the brook to Thomas K. Breed [...]
C-4-5 Isaac Jewett Deeds and road descriptions make clear that this was the homestead of Isaac Jewett, the founder of that family in Nelson. Parke Struthers has him at B-4-6, but the first Jewett there was Isaac’s son Willard. Isaac was born in Hollis, New Hampshire, bought the land from his father, Nathaniel, and [...]
B-4-7: This site is popularly called “Taylor Mill” because Frederick Taylor was its last operator from 1841 until well past the Civil War. When Monadnock #6 was settled, there were a number of small mills built on small but reliable brooks to furnish early settlers with the means of grinding their grain into flour and sawing lumber into boards to build the early homes. More specialized mills followed. Taylor mill was one of the later ones, built by Thaddeus Barker, the youngest child of William Barker, in 1799.
B-4-6 Betsy and Henry Wheeler came to Packersfield from Concord, Massachusetts in 1796 and built a home here. They farmed the place until 1801 when they moved to B-3-11. Andrew Stiles followed and lived there until his death in 1828
F-5-2 Deacon Ingalls A short biography of Solomon can be found on page 93 of the pamphlet "Celebration by the town of Nelson" written and published for the town's 150th anniversary. Solomon and Mercy (Mary) Ingalls moved here from Andover, Massachusetts in 1783. Solomon had served several years with George Washington around New York. [...]
F-5-1 Nathaniel Barrett Jr. This place is in Stoddard. Nathaniel was the second son of Nathaniel Barrett (F-5-6) built the house here around 1800. He died in 1847 and his widow, Relief, continued here until her death in 1866.
D-2-5 John Farwell John came from Marblehead, Massachusetts in 1772 at age 33. By the year 1774 he had 9 acres cleared and a frame house built with his family in residence. He probably responded to the Lexington alarm and marched from Packersfield in April of 1775. Later, in 1777, he responded to a call [...]
C-2-2 Aaron Beal Aaron Beal (also Beel) was an early settler and blacksmith by trade who purchased about 200 acres of land east of Pleasant Pond (now called Silver Lake) in 1769. By the time of the Settlement Survey in early 1774 he had 27 acres cleared, a log cabin and his family was [...]
B-3-11 William Beal William Beal seems to have come to Packersfield before 1772. He succeeded as miller at the grist mill (at the outlet of Pleasant Pond (now Silver Lake, C-1-3)) succeeding Daniel Wood as operator. In 1785 he left the mill and moved to this location to begin his life as a farmer. [...]
F-5-14 John French John French bought several lots of land in the Northeast Quarter from Breed Batchellor in 1774 and built a two-room log cabin (One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the First Settlement of Nelson New Hampshire 1767-1917) near here in 1775. He moved to Dublin in 1784 selling the farm to Ezra [...]
F-5-6 Nathaniel Barrett Nathaniel and Mercy Barrett bought land here in 1778 from John French. His record of enlistment in the Revolutionary War (he enlisted from Mason, NH) suggests that he built here after the war – perhaps in 1783. The had six children including John who married Lucy Nichols (F-5-14) and Nathaniel JR who [...]
B-3-13 Joseph Briant The origins of this house are somewhat mysterious. The property seems to have fallen into tax arrears and was purchased by Jonas Minot, a Concord, Massachusetts investor in land in Packersfield and the father-in-law of Josiah Melvin, founder of the Melville family in Nelson. His partner in this investment was Oliver [...]
B-2-7 Jonathan Haild Jonathan Haild (also Hale and Heald) moved here from Templeton, Massachusetts. He was born in Acton, Massachusetts in 1740. The Acton connection is undoubtedly how he met William Barker (C-4-1) and his family marrying that man’s oldest daughter, Rhoda. He served in the Braddock Campaign with his father-in-law. The Hailds bought [...]
B-2-6 Levi Wilder Levi and Sarah (Moody) Wilder and their infant daughter, Clarissa, settled here in 1786 moving from Templeton, Massachusetts after his service in the Revolution. According to his pension records, his house burned in August of that year while he and his family were are church. They rebuilt and welcomed another four [...]
B-3-12 Daniel Town Daniel Town bought the land here in 1790 and built a large house. It sits on a knoll and must have had beautiful views into Vermont to the west. He lived and farmed here until 1827 when James Phillips bought it. Phillips, an early settler of Packersfield (1773), moved here from [...]
A-2-7 Samuel Wadsworth Place The land here was originally settled by Luther Heaton who bought it from his father in 1784. He built a house near here (A-2-6) where he lived with his wife, Joanna, until they sold the farm to his nephew, Samuel Wadsworth, and his wife Hulda (Heaton) Wadsworth. Samuel was born [...]
B-2-5 Josiah Woodward Josiah Woodward bought land and water rights here in 1804 and moved here from Marlborough with his wife, Keziah, building a large two-story frame house. His wife died in 1810 and he remarried Sally Wakefield of Dublin. Josiah deeded half the home, mill and 110 acres to his son, Josiah M. [...]
B-2-1 Woodward Pond Mill We know of the existence of a mill here prior to 1788 because of a road laid out by the Town of Packersfield in November of that year as follows: “Voted to accept of a road laid out December 3, 1788 beginning at a hemlock stump marked on the south [...]
A-2-17 Eli Clark Samuel Wadsworth states that the records of occupancy here are unclear. Eli Clark bought land here in early 1808. He died in 1850 and was succeeded by his son, Eli Clark JR. He was here until 1861. The brick cottage was burned in 1892.
A-2-10 The Eames Place John Estabrook of Rutland, Massachusetts bought the land here from Breed Batchellor in late 1774. He probably built the house the following year. He signed the Association Test in 1776. He sold the place to Daniel Estabrook, probably a son, in 1784. He sold it to Robert Eames from Sudbury, [...]
B-2-9 This is one of the older sites in Packersfield. Note there are two cellar holes at this location about two hundred feet apart. One is small and, clearly abandoned many years ago. Built originally by Benjamin Nourse (also Nurs or Nurse) who came in 1772, they may have been inhabited by father and [...]
A-2-20 The Banks Place Rutland, Massachusetts provided many of the early settlers of this part of Packersfield. James Banks of Rutland built the place with its neighboring barn in about 1780. His son, William, succeeded in 1807. Deacon Reuben Phillips and his wife Rebecca bought the place in 1836. They raised 14 children there. [...]
F-5-12 Stephen Osborn’s Sawmill Signage Along the Trail - credit: Kathy Stickley Mullen - 2020 Probably constructed in 1815, the mill sits beside a 25’ water fall in Bailey Brook. Charles Bemis’ unpublished notes on the history of Nelson “manufactures” written in 1913 states that the mill produced tool handles including those [...]
F-5-10 Stephen Osborn There are foundations for two houses on this site within a few hundred feet of each other. They are what remains of homes built by Stephen Osborn beginning in 1799. Stephen Osborn was born in 1771 and married Rachael Baker of Marlborough in 1792. In approximately 1799 they moved to Packersfield [...]
C-5-3 Nathaniel W. and Mary S. Fay This couple bought 110 acres on land on the Stoddard line east of Granite lake. The came from Lowell, Massachusetts. They built a small house here in 1851 and sold it in 1865. Nathaniel died in 1888 at age of 70 and Mary in 1891 aged 80. [...]
B-3-7 Jason Harris Both Samuel Wadsworth and the One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary book ascribe the founding of this place to Benjamin Rice in 1813. The deeds for this part of Nelson record that Jason Harris bought this piece of land from the estate of John Penhollow, one of the original proprietors in December [...]
A-2-16 James Phillips James Phillips Came from Rutland, Massachusetts and had cleared 7 acres of land and built a pole house by 1774. Built a frame house soon after and was succeeded by his brother, Gideon Phillips in 1792. In 1827 Gideon sold it to Gideon Newcombe and his widow sold it after Gideon’s [...]
A-3-1 William S. Buckminster William “Stoddard” Buckminster bought land here from his father Solomon and built a frame house here about 1810. The brick house that stands there today was an addition likely added in the 1820’s. Born in Rutland, Massachusetts in 1778, he married Hannah, daughter of Bartholomew Grimes in 1806. They had [...]
A-2-12 The Newcomb Place: A well-developed site with a large barn foundation to the west. William Banks built the house here prior to 1791. When Charles Rice bought the place and moved here from D-4-1 in 1791, the deed included the following: “the same farm on which William Banks now lives together with all [...]
A-2-5 Isaac Davis Isaac and Mary Davis, moved from Rutland, Massachusetts in 1782 after Isaac had served a number of enlistments in the Revolutionary War including the Battle of Bennington. They lived here until their deaths in 1836 (Isaac) and 1837 (Mary). They were followed by their son, Isaac, who lived there until his [...]
A-2-3 Roxbury Meeting House A large number of Packersfield’s early settlers came from Rutland, Massachusetts in the mid to late 1700s and settled in the southwest part of Packersfield near the Batchellor farm, Ruth Batchellor herself had been a native of Rutland. As such the settlers formed a natural community within that corner of [...]
A-2-2 Breed Batchellor He was the first official settler of Monadnock #6 coming here in 1766. He moved here from Keene with his wife, Ruth. By the time of the 1773 survey, he had 100 acres cleared, a frame house, and a barn. Breed was the Clerk of the Monadnock #6 proprietors and the [...]
C-4-6 The Holt Family Joseph Stiles acquired the property from his father in late 1792. The record of the road layout that year indicates that the house had been built by Joseph, but before the actual purchase, probably 1791. Stiles sold it to Samuel Holt and it would continue in the Holt family until [...]
B-2-4 William Parker Came to Packersfield in 1789 with his wife, Mary, at age 24 after service in the Revolution. Died on the place in 1842 and was succeeded by his son, William, JR. He sold it to Reuben Phillips (B-3-7) in 1847 who sold it to his son, Joseph, the following year. It [...]
Joseph Felt JR. was part of the numerous Felt family that moved to Packersfield after the Revolution.
by Alan Rumrill, reprinted with permission, from a recent Newsletter from the Historical Society of Cheshire County A load of chairs from the Colony Chair factory in Munsonville. The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in substantial numbers of people working from home as a way to accomplish social distancing. This process has the potential [...]
A-2-4 Solomon Buckminster Place The house was probably built in 1783 by Benjamin Nurs JR. He sold it to Samuel Frink who owned it less than a year before selling it to Solomon Buckminster with “the dwelling house theron standing”. He was instrumental in the formation of the town of Roxbury and was chairman [...]
D-3-1: Ezra Smith was born in Sudbury, MA in 1755. It is not known exactly when he came to Nelson. He built this house in 1781. He was a farmer (as was most everyone) and he became the pound keeper in Nelson from 1786 until his departure for New York in 1824.
It is difficult not to view life in Nelson in the mid-nineteenth century as a stereotype -- a bucolic farming community relatively untouched by the national issues like industrialization and immigration. Indeed Nelson was a bit on the sidelines.
Albert Quigley's Nelson: An Artist's Vision was a PowerPoint presentation prepared and presented by Lance Tucker for the Nelson, NH Summer Library Forum Series on July 13, 2017. This youtube was made by merging the live recording from that presentation with accompanying photographs to help tell the story of the life and work of Albert Quigley.
The history of the small village of Munsonville is a familiar New Hampshire story as it has all the elements of the history of similar villages throughout southwestern NH during the 100 years from the 1850s to the 1950s.
Among the distinctions that grace Nelson and its environs is the presence of three historic graphite mines. The mines – small “open pits” – are inconspicuous to the casual visitor...
Especially in Nelson, because of the available lumber and water supply, the early farmer found that he could keep up with rising living costs by supplementing his income through a small mill or shop and by manufacturing within the home.
The old kitchen was the best loved and most used of all the rooms of the house. It served not only as kitchen, but as dining room, sitting room, parlor, and general living room for the whole household.
A glow in the darkened sky alarmed Wayland Tolman and his father, Orson, as they turned towards home after a long winter’s day of logging near Long Pond (Nubanusit). The date was February 6, 1894. They raced ahead and as they rounded the road to the village their worst fears were realized. Fire!
George Washington Holt wrote a journal which provides detailed, but brief, accounts of his daily activities. His life probably typified the lives of many who grew most of their own food raised in small gardens, kept a few animals, bartered time for time or for goods and worked for several individuals or one of several manufacturing operations of the time for wages.
Simon Griffin was born in Nelson on August 9, 1824, the son of Nathan and Sally Wright Griffin. The Nathan Griffin family lived on Center Pond Road about a mile from the village. Simon Griffin's grandfather, Samuel, had fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill before coming to Nelson in about 1779 and settling at the top of Dixon Hill.
In 1891 Olivia Rodham bought the Collins place on Lead Mine Road in Nelson, New Hampshire. Her barn there, itself, stood as mute witness to Miss Rodham's influence. She cleaned it, shored it up, shingled it, converted it to bedrooms above the original stalls and tucked her library in one end.
The solid stone walls of the foundation of the large mill built in Munsonville are all that remain of this early industrial site at the outlet of Granite Lake. In 1814, Asa Beard built the Cotton Factory and a boardinghouse for mill workers in what was then a remote section of Nelson to take advantage of the waterpower provided by the dammed up Factory Lake.
When I took over as Treasurer of the Nelson School years and years and years ago, I also took over a large beat-up carton of old school papers – receipts, vouchers, etc. – which had been tossed higgledy-piggledy into the carton. Eventually I bundled all these together and tossed them higgledy-piggledy into a new carton and left them for the next treasurer to cope with.
Two manuscripts of historical interest came to light during the closet-cleaning needed to ready the contents of the Hardy homestead for the auction held last July. One details a lifestyle in our town that has long since vanished. The second manuscript is concerned with the physical setting of the old town center.
The period from 1790 to 1830 has been called the Age of Self-Sufficiency in northern New England. Nearly everything needed for daily living was made on the homestead. For exceptional needs, there were local shops, the most prevalent of which were grist mills and sawmills.
D-4-18: Reuel Nims gave land here to the Town of Nelson if it would, at its own expense, erect a 34×48’ meeting house, Nims to get full use of the basement as a store house. The Congregational Church had given up its use of the Second Meeting House on the hill above the village and built its own church at D-4-11. The old second meeting house, 45 x 60’ and built in the period 1786- 1790 was disassembled and parts of it used to construct our current Town Hall. Sometime after fire destroyed Nims’ store, the tall basement Nims had used for storage was lowered to create the building we have today.

domain: geography


Doppe & Kokke release the excellent Ep "Festival Summer Mixes" and their latest single "No Lime Required!"
After the flawless single “Glad To Be Alive,” and the inspiring “Find Your Way,” Doppe & Kokke are back with their latest single “No Lime Required,” an inspired track that will captivate the listeners from the first second to the last!
Today at Planet Singer we have the great pleasure of sharing with you Doppe & Kokke’s music, and diving into their world with an exclusive interview!
Doppe & Kokke, thanks for being with us today guys! Your discography is incredible, tracks like the exciting “Glad To Be Alive,” the inspiring “Find Your Way” and your latest Ep “Festival Summer Mixes” are just a few of the song that confirms not only your talent as songwriters and producers, but also your artistic maturity and charisma! We are thrilled to know more about you and your artistic journey, so, let’s start from the very beginning. When did you guys meet, and when did you decide to make music together?
Our friendship dates back to our time in the 4th grade, which means we’ve known each other for a considerable length of time. Our shared interest in music began to materialize about a decade ago when we started experimenting with creating songs, mostly as a fun hobby. However, things took a different turn during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our enforced home isolation sparked an intensified interest in music, offering us an unexpected opportunity to channel our energies into refining our craft. We seized this chance to enhance our skills and the quality of our output. Today, our dedication to creating music is stronger than ever, and we find it impossible to imagine not pursuing this passion.
“Festival Summer Mixes” is another great addition to your discography! Can you tell us more about this Ep?
Our aim was to break away from our traditional music-making style, crafting a mini-album featuring two original songs and three remixed versions of these, a total of five tracks. This project was our homage to the energetic vibes of summer electronic music festivals. Rather than music that simply sounds pleasant to the ear, we targeted tracks that would inspire listeners to get up and move, igniting the dance floor. In contrast to our typical compositions, the focus here shifted heavily toward instrumental elements.
Your sound is unique, can you reveal what your creative process is? How does your music come to life?
We’re still on the journey to discover our unique sound signature. There’s a red thread running through our music, but we’re always experimenting, seeking that distinctive style that will enable our listeners to immediately recognize our work. As a duo, we benefit from the fact that each of us brings different inspirations to the table. One of us leans towards the vibrant energy of EDM and powerful vocal-led tracks, while the other draws from the nuanced world of deep melodic house. This blend of influences creates a harmony that we both love, and you can often tell who had the final say on a track!
Our creative process often sparks from an idea that one of us has, or it can be triggered by hearing a song on the radio that we feel we could give a fresh spin. We’re avid listeners and continually draw inspiration from various sounds, aiming to add our own flair to similar elements. In our vocal-centric tracks, we tend to provide the vocalist with the freedom to infuse their own touch, which we believe leads to the best result in the end.
Although we no longer live in the same city, we have adapted to the challenges of remote music production. It’s not only a fun process but also an exciting one, as we get to see the evolution of a track after one of us has worked on it.
You are from Stockholm, Sweden, one of the world’s music capitals, where Pop, EDM, Metal, and Rock music coexist in the most healthy and creative way possible. Do you think this vibrant environment influenced your artistic journey?
Music seems to be woven into the very fabric of Stockholm’s culture. From our early school days, all kids are immersed in a strong emphasis on music education and collective participation. Think how much musical talent comes from Sweden considering the small population. This environment unquestionably ignited our interest, inspiring us on our own musical journey. While our initial focus in our younger years was more inclined toward sports, music has always been a constant presence in our lives. As we’ve grown older, this background melody has gradually stepped into the foreground, taking a more important role in our lives.
What made you move to beautiful Switzerland? Was it a career-based choice?
Indeed, only one of us relocated to Switzerland, and the move wasn’t motivated by music but rather a career switch. While we’d relish the opportunity to make a living only from our music, we understand that this isn’t a practical reality in the current climate. However, we’ve committed to meeting as frequently as possible to continue our musical journey. We believe we’ve found a solid way to maintain our collaboration despite the distance. Having a long-standing friendship to fall back on has certainly made this process smoother and more enjoyable.
Are you planning any live shows for this Summer?
Our live performance experience is relatively limited at this point. We’ve had a few gigs at smaller venues like bars and clubs, but haven’t yet been on the stage at any major events. So if anyone out there has a line on potential live gigs, don’t be shy! We’d love the opportunity to get our music out there on a larger platform. Give us a shout!
And talking about Summer, one of the tracks in your Ep “Festival Summer Mixes” is the excellent “Balaton Sound,” can you tell us more about this song and the “Vocal Edit” version?
“Balaton Sound” is our musical homage to the recurring summer electronic festival in Hungary at the lake called Balaton. We half-jokingly hoped that naming a track after the festival might earn us a golden ticket to perform there. But in all seriousness, the track is designed to get our listeners into a foot-tapping, body-swaying dance, truly enjoying the moment. As mentioned earlier, one of us leans more towards melodic deep house and had the upper hand in producing this track. However, given our dynamic as a duo, the other half nudged for a stronger vocal presence. The result? A compromise in the form of a vocal edit that satisfyingly represents both our musical inclinations.
If you could collaborate with some of the artists who inspired you, who would you like to share a song with?
That’s a great question. Being Swedes ourselves, we’d be thrilled to collaborate with fellow Swedish artists like Ehrling or perhaps even Eric Prydz. Both of them are phenomenal music producers, and we believe there would be a ton of knowledge and inspiration to gain from such an opportunity. Another artist that has inspired us is Avicii, but unfortunately, he passed away way too young. His innovative approach to music continues to inspire us, reminding us of the transformative power of creativity and passion.
What are your plans for the future? A full-length release maybe?
We have a steady stream of tracks that are nearing completion, so brace yourselves for regular new releases throughout the rest of the year. Although the idea of launching a full-track album sounds appealing, we realize that the current music industry dynamics aren’t exactly favorable for that approach. There’s always a risk of producing a set of ten amazing tracks in a full album, only to find that one grabs all the attention while the others fade into the background. We find the song-by-song release strategy more effective, allowing us to maintain a consistent presence and more time to market and push it to the audience. Don’t forget to check out our latest track dropping on the 29th of June. This piece features a summer pool chill sound, coupled with powerfully captivating female vocals and a resonating deep bass undertone. We promise it’s a listening experience you won’t want to miss. It is called “No Lime Required”.
Guys, it was such a pleasure having you with us, is there anything you would like to say to our readers and your fans?
We just wanted to take a moment to express our immense gratitude for all the support we’ve received. Each new listener is a wonderful addition to our musical journey and means the world to us. We are always accessible through social media and love staying in touch with our fans and listeners. So, keep following us – there’s so much more on the horizon. Also, a big thank you to you for having us. It’s been a pleasure.
Check the links below, discover more about Doppe & Kokke and their music, and remember to add their tracks to your favorite playlists!


VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (KDKA) — A picture of San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s jersey taped to a Virginia restaurant’s floor is causing a controversy online.
Virginia Beach resident James Perry posted the picture to Facebook, showing the jersey taped down to the floor of Krossroads Rock and County Bar.
The post has been shared more than 5,000 times and Perry has asked people in his community to boycott the bar.
He told CBS affiliate WTKR that he was stunned to see the jersey on the floor.
“What went through my mind was like ‘Wow, is this real or is it a joke?’ How would you feel if someone taped a police officer’s uniform down?” Perry asked.
But some people are not so taken aback by the restaurant’s actions.
“I was not offended by that,” Carol Bevilacqua said. “I think we live in a free country. I think people are allowed to do what they want.”
The manager of the restaurant told WTKR that the jersey being taped to the floor is about “sportsmanship and Kaepernick’s disrespect of the flag – not race.”


text:
As a collector with a very narrow focus on one specific title, I’m constantly seeking the best deal available. But oftentimes, I get subjected to the whims of the marketplace. If an issue of Amazing Spider-Man is in high demand and thereby has a seemingly inflated price, I sometimes just got to eat my vegetables and pay it, though I know some collectors out there are going to cringe at the idea of me settling. Have I also mentioned that I’m a terrible negotiator?
My acquisition of Amazing Spider-Man 431 is a story that’s more about me “lucking out” and emerging “victorious” against the whims of the market for a change. It’s also a story for all would-be and current collectors out there to never fully dismiss the contents of the “bargain bin” at a comic book store or show, because every once in a while you’ll find a legitimate bargain.
But let me start by attempting to connect the dots and understand why an issue that only came out 1997, that contains no significant first appearances or life-altering events for Spider-Man, would be so overvalued in the first place. Like a lot of collectors at the time, I stopped buying comics in the late 1990s. For me, it was because I was getting later into high school and I wanted to spend my money on other things. The Spider-Man series was also in the midst of the clone saga, which may go down as one of my least favorite storylines of all time. You can reference that for now here (though at some point I really need to break down my hatred of this storyline further since it temporarily drove me out of collecting).
For the rest of the world, the late 90s marked the end of the comic speculator boom. As collectors realized that many of the comics they had picked up were not going to magically accrue in value and be worth thousands of dollars, they left the industry in droves. Marvel was so badly damaged by the fallout that they filed for bankruptcy in 1996. However, during this time they were still publishing comics, but with lower circulation numbers. As a result, a lot of the comics published during this span just seem to be much harder to find, and as economics 101 will tell you, low supply and increased demand equals higher prices.
Of course, I didn’t realize all this until well after the fact. About four years ago, after pretty much securing every ASM comic back to #200, I set out to fill some of the more recent gaps, including a number of issues in the mid-400s and some in the inexplicably renumbered “volume 2” (which for arguments sake let’s just consider part of the 400s since Marvel returned to the original numbering in time for ASM 500). Whereas I found I could fill most gaps in the 200s and 300s by ordering small “runs” of about four or five books from eBay or from other online retailers, I had no such luck for the 400s. I had to buy a lot of these comics individually and the prices seemed outrageous. Granted a $10 or $15 for a comic is nothing when I’m dropping much more than that currently for the remaining issues in my chase, but for a book that had come out less than 10 years ago (at the time) that just seemed obnoxious.
Two issues that were especially prickly for me to track down were ASM 430 and 431. These comics immediately raised a few red flags as a collector – they featured Carnage, an one-dimensional serial killer villain, but one who had developed cult status and even his own mega-crossover a few years earlier, “Maximum Carnage;” and the two issues prominently featured another Marvel superhero, the Silver Surfer. So those who were lucky enough to get their hands on these issues when they first came out during the low-circulation era, were able to take advantage of the appeal for Carnage and Surfer, making these issues even more expensive.
I’d search the buy it now section on eBay and see the few people who were even selling copies were charging more than $20 for either of these issues. I’d check auctions and while I would end up paying less, by the time shipping costs were tacked on, it seemed like too steep a price to pay for a single comic. Especially since I always thought Carnage as a villain was ridiculously overrated (so he kills without conscious and introduced a wave of ultra-violence into Marvel comics. Whoopee) and I had little to no attachment to the Silver Surfer (Fantastic Four fans would probably disagree with me there).
Actually, for people who appreciate this storyline, I’m downplaying it. In an event that should have been more significant, but just seems tired to me in retrospect, that blasted alien symbiote I keep writing about, left its host Cletus Kasady, the serial killer who became Carnage, and merged with the Silver Surfer. This was a pretty deadly combination as an alien with a dead-red murderous streak essentially co-opted a demigod with cosmic powers. So I’m sure there’s a curiosity out there for some on the collecting side. But for me, I was done with alien symbiote stories about 50 issues before this came out.
I was ready to bite the bullet and pounce on the next copy of ASM 430 or 431 that was available at one of the online retailers I liked to buy from, justifying the exorbitant cost to myself because I would be combining it with a few other comics, thereby saving on shipping. I just wanted to be done with all of the ASM’s in the 400s so I could start moving on to the older and more exciting to find (and buy) issues.
But I was just patient enough. I had plans to check out a local comic book show, so I decided that would be my last resort before I settled. Thinking that I’d still have to spend more than I wanted for it, you can imagine my shock when I was digging through somebody’s “All Comics $1” box and just lying there was a copy of ASM #431. I nearly yelped, but held it back so as not to draw any attention to myself. As if the seller was going to grab the comic out of my hands and be like “how did that get in there?” (though, I guess you never know).
In anticipation of this post, I just re-read the story arc again and I still think the whole thing is a little silly. There’s the obligatory, Peter “quits” being Spider-Man panel that lasts all of a page, and despite the idea that a symbiote-controlled Silver Surfer should be absolutely terrifying, Spider-Man was able to take him down long enough for the symbiote to rejoin Cletus and become Carnage. Then the Surfer “freezes” Carnage in stone, so he can ponder all the wrong in the world he’s caused. Okay then.
I definitely regard the late 90s as the “dark era” for Amazing Spider-Man in terms of quality and content, as the series really didn’t pick up for me again until J. Michael Straczynski joined the comic as head writer in 2001 (coincidentally, around the time I got back into collecting full-throttle). But hey, it doesn’t bother me how middling ASM 431 was. Because I was able to pick it up for $1.
All images from Amazing Spider-Man #431: Tom DeFalco, Joe Bennett & Bud LaRosa

domain: hobby


text:
Bane of Kings reviews the second omnibus in the Riyria Revelations series, Rise of Empire, written by Michael J. Sullivan, and containing the novels Nyphron Rising and The Emerald Storm. The edition that I’m reviewing right now is the UK edition, which is published by Orbit Books.
“A delightful, entertaining and page-turning read that reminds us just how enjoyable, and how good – the Riyria Revelations series is. A must-buy for all fantasy lovers.” ~The Founding Fields
I read Theft of Swords, the first Riyria Revelations novel quite some time ago, and now that I have finally devoured both Nyphron Rising and The Emerald Storm, I can tell you that I really enjoyed the time that I spent reading Rise of Empire. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that I enjoyed this Omnibus as much as the first collection.
The creation of the Nyphron Empire has brought the battle to Melengar, and in order to save her kingdom, Princess Arista defies the orders of her brother, enlisting protagonists Royce and Hadrian to conduct a dangerous mission behind the lines of the enemy, and it is not long before Royce realises that the wizard Esrahaddon may be using the thieves in his own fight for power. In order to find the truth behind Esrahaddon’s games, Royce must unravel the secret that is Hadrian’s past, and what he finds there will lead both thieves on a journey to the ends of the world.
Now, where do I start with this review? I’m going to have to say that both novels are consistent in not only pace, but also in execution. This isn’t a series that will have a good book and then a bad book, as by now you can be assured that Michael J. Sullivan will have delivered quality after quality.
Characters have also changed a lot since the end of Theft of Swords, and one of the most obvious examples of these changes is in Thrace, who first appeared in Avempartha. Now renamed Modina, she is the empress who is, as one would expect – a puppet, dancing on the strings of those who wish to control the Empire. However, there’s just one problem that they need to overcome. Modina is in shock, locked in a dungeon and seemingly unable to speak, and the duty of making her talk seems to fall to an intriguing character named Amilia, who fast becomes secretary to the Empress.
The thing that’s still there, throughout both novels, is the banter between Royce and Hadrian, and the ‘real-ness’ of their friendship. Sullivan has written both characters fantastically well, and made them some of the most likeable additions to the long cast of fantasy heroes. And if you’re wondering if it’s all about the main cast, then no – it’s not, the secondary characters are flushed out, and minor characters are developed as well as the big stars.
The novel is extremely easy to read, and quite quick to get through as well, despite its length. Sullivan also seizes the chance to prove that this isn’t a series that you can skip a couple of books and still have a rough idea what is going on, and he makes both Nyphron Rising and The Emerald Storm unmissable entries to the series, and both enjoyable to read in their own right.
However, if there’s one issue that I had with Rise of Empire and that is that there are a few plot holes in this novel, such as how quickly Arista’s magic grew in strength, and I feel that if the author didn’t have the need to get characters to where they were in the story, this could have been quickly overcome. On the other hand, it didn’t detract much of the enjoyment from the story, and one small flaw will not prevent me from picking up the third and final Omnibus in the Riyria Revelations series, entitled Heir of Novron.
What bugged me in Theft of Swords is that there were a bit too many deus ex machina moments for my liking. However, Michael J. Sullivan has quickly overcome these flaws, which is good to see – and there are no moments like that in this novel.
There are also several fantastic, memorable set-pieces throughout the Omnibus that I really enjoyed reading, and they look as though the author enjoyed writing them as well, and they only add to the well-written action scenes that filter throughout the novel.
If I had to say which novel that I thought was the best out of the two, I’d go with Nyphron Rising. As much as I enjoyed The Emerald Storm, I didn’t quite feel that it matched up with its predecessor. However, that’s not to say it was a bad book, oh no – both were excellent additions to the fantasy genre, at least in my opinion, and this series is well worth the read when you have the time.
Verdict for Nyphron Rising: 4.5/5
Verdict for The Emerald Storm: 4/5
Verdict for Rise of Empire: 4.5/5
The Riyria Revelations series: The Viscount and the Witch (short story) The Crown Conspiracy, Avempartha, Nyphron Rising, The Emerald Storm, Wintertide, Percepliquis

domain: literature


(Play nice GD).
The minister’s ‘thing’ tomorrow will be a first yardstick against which to measure our ‘part time DAS’. See what manner of man lays beneath the highly polished surface. He does, most certainly have a ‘problem’, an internal one. No matter how many stage managed ‘revitalization’ pantomimes, or tambourine banging sing alongs the minister hosts with lemonade and ice cream, to create ‘good will’ the distrust will linger, like a festering canker.
It’s time someone told it, the way it is. Only fair to the new boy. Some will say “Ah but he is aware of the problems”. I say -NO – he ain’t. Not the deep seated ones, not the deep, dark, archival stuff that has grown into legend over the decades.
Now I’m not one to believe every tale I hear in the pub; I acknowledge that there is always two sides to any quarrel and it take s two to Tango; but, I always listen, carefully, then think it trough, then investigate, then check. One absolute horror story got me interested in ‘research’, the tale was too bizarre too be true and so began the Bankstown Chronicles. I was amazed at the results of my investigation; I had been slightly misled. The chap involved had underestimated the amount of sheer bastardry involved. It was staggering; it was proven to be truly, the most disgraceful episode I have had the misfortune to study. I thought at the time that this could not possibly be anything else but an aberration; sadly that assumption turned out to be wrong, very, very wrong. There are many such examples, where the CASA have, with malice aforethought, set out on a path of deliberate, deceitful destruction. The BRB have, through research and investigation discovered and verified an amazing amount of ‘embuggerance’, some on a minor scale, others so large as to beggar belief. CASA have gotten away with everything, bar blue murder, unscathed, untouched, untroubled and totally unrepentant. It is this deeply entrenched ‘fear and distrust’ which underlays every single appeal for ‘reform’; not of the benighted regulations, but of the organisation and those who still hide deep within its bowels, well fed, well paid, gainfully employed, safe in the knowledge that CASA is, indeed above the law. This situation was created by CASA people, the list is long, the files are many; but none of them will change the unspoken abhorrence of CASA, while the minister believes they are above reproach; and he will, as his predecessors did, believe that faery tale. Except Albo – who embraced it, then broke a squillion rules to have his pet sociopath gifted the job; boy, did the good times roll then.
The minister is entitled to believe whatsoever he chooses; every other minister has. But there can be no meaningful change so long as ‘ the outstanding matters’, close and personal to many in industry, go unchallenged and while the minister is ‘associated’ with and seen to be supporting of the ‘authority’, as it stands. Tarred by the same brush, guilty by association. Want an inquiry? then make certain the ToR are aimed somewhere close to the heart of ‘the problem’.
Aye well; time for the BRB which promises to be ‘entertaining’ – given the impending ‘Grand Announcement’ – another one off on the wrong road. No matter, tonight we play ‘the Huns’ and they are no easy beat. Time to tune up the gunsight, limber the arm and forget, for a while, the awful waste of time, money and people that todays CASA ignore in their ‘presentations’ to the purblind, ignorant, deceived minister of the day. “Smoke and mirrors” “Anyone?” – “We have lots to give away”.


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Greaves Electric Mobility, a subsidiary of Greaves Cotton has completed the allocation of 35.8 per cent share to Abdul Latif Jameel, an independent, family-owned, diversified global investor and operator following up to its investment of $150 million (Rs 1,171 crore).
Greaves Electric has allotted 68,35,450 equity shares of face value Rs 10 each representing 35.80 per cent shareholding in the company on a fully diluted basis by way of preferential allotment through private placement basis for a share subscription consideration of Rs 1,171 crore ($150 million).
Following the allotment, the e-mobility arm continues to be a subsidiary of Greaves Cotton and the resultant shareholding of Greaves Cotton in the company on a fully diluted basis is now 61.38 per cent.
At present, Greaves Electric Mobility manufactures electric two-wheelers under Ampere Vehicles brand and three-wheeler vehicles (e-auto and e-rickshaw) under the brands Ele and Teja. The EV maker has a revenue of more than $100 million (Rs 780 crore) annual.
The investment will be used to develop new products, associated technologies and brand awareness to make Greaves Electric a leader globally in the EV space. The company says this strategic investment marks a major milestone in the development of the electric two- and three-wheeler ecosystem in India, currently the world’s fourth-largest automotive market where the share of EVs in the two-wheeler and three-wheeler segments is expected to increase significantly. These segments are less dependent on commercial charging infrastructure, unlike passenger cars.

domain: news


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Author(s): Susan Sontag
'A dazzling intellectual performance' VogueAgainst Interpretation was Susan Sontag's first collection of essays and made her name as one of the most incisive thinkers of our time. Sontag was among the first critics to write about the intersection between 'high' and 'low' art forms, and to give them equal value as valid topics, shown here in her epoch-making pieces 'Notes on Camp' and 'Against Interpretation'. Here too are impassioned discussions of Sartre, Camus, Simone Weil, Godard, Beckett, Lévi-Strauss, science-fiction movies, psychoanalysis and contemporary religious thought. Originally published in 1966, this collection has never gone out of print and has been a major influence on generations of readers, and the field of cultural criticism, ever since. 'Sontag offers enough food for thought to satisfy the most intellectual of appetites' The Times
'A dazzling intellectual performance.' Vogue
Susan Sontag was born in Manhattan in 1933 and studied at the universities of Chicago, Harvard and Oxford. She is the author of four novels, a collection of stories, several plays, and six books of essays, among them Illness as Metaphor and AIDS and Its Metaphors. Her books are translated into thirty-two languages. In 2001 she was awarded the Jerusalem Prize for the body of her work, and in 2003 she received the Prince of Asturias Prize for Literature and the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. She died in December 2004.

domain: artistic


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Rihanna wows in white on the August cover of Harper’s Bazaar. The Bajan beauty stuns in the sleek and sexy photos by Camilla Ã…krans.
Inside the pages, the golden goddess dons a metallic bodysuit with cheetah-print boots, showing off her legs in a Baroque-style Balmain dress with Manolo Blahnik heels as she leans against a wall. She gazes out behind a white mesh top in another striking image.
See the fashionista rocking the season’s latest looks in the issue, on sale now.

domain: design


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Mortgage in principle
Apply for a Mortgage in Principle with Better.co.uk to take your first step onto the property ladder.
What is a mortgage in principle (MIP)?
A Mortgage in Principle (MIP), also known as an Agreement in Principle or Decision in Principle, is a document from a mortgage lender or broker indicating how much they will likely lend to you for a mortgage.
Before you begin house hunting, it’s essential to get a Mortgage in Principle because, combined with your deposit, it will set your budget for purchasing your new home.
When deciding how much to offer for a new home, remember to budget for additional costs associated with buying a house. It's crucial to consider these expenses in your financial plan.
Using your mortgage Decision in Principle as a guide, it's not wise to exhaust your budget entirely when making an offer. Keep in mind that the actual amount a lender may approve could differ from your Decision in Principle during the formal application process once the lender has looked into your finances more closely.
How do I get a Mortgage in Principle?
You can get a Mortgage in Principle directly from a lender or by using a mortgage broker like us.
Each lender has unique eligibility criteria, and the borrowing amount can vary between providers. Approaching a specific lender will give you an idea of their potential lending amount, but exploring other lenders with different criteria might lead to better offers.
When you apply for a Mortgage in Principle with Better.co.uk, we assess and compare borrowing options from a wide range of lenders, providing a more precise figure and improving your chances of securing a Mortgage in Principle.
To apply for a Mortgage in Principle with Better.co.uk, you’ll need to:
Live in the UK
Have the right to work and live in the UK
Be aged 18 or over
What information do you need for a Mortgage in Principle?
To determine the amount you could borrow, we'll ask for the following details:
Your current and most recent addresses
Your employment status
Your monthly expenses, including any existing credit commitments
Don’t worry if you don’t have all this information to hand; you can save your profile and come back to it later.
When you apply for a Mortgage in Principle, we'll perform a soft credit check to determine how likely different lenders are willing to accept a mortgage application from you and if there’s anything in your credit history that may impact how much you could borrow.
Once you’ve got a mortgage Agreement in Principle, you can speak to one of our expert mortgage brokers about the next steps and how you can improve your chances of getting a good mortgage deal.
Mortgage in Principle FAQs
What people are saying about Better.co.uk...
Get a mortgage with Better.co.uk today
Important info & marketing claims
You may have to pay an early repayment charge to your existing lender if you remortgage. Your savings will depend on personal circumstances.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
*The savings figure of £506 is based on Better.co.uk remortgage customers in December 2023. Read more on our marketing claims page.
We can't always guarantee we will be able to help you with your mortgage application depending on your credit history and circumstances.
Average mortgage decision and approval times are based on Better.co.uk's historic data for lenders we submit applications to.
Tracker rates are identified after comparing over 12,000 mortgage products from over 100 mortgage lenders.
As of January 2023, Better.co.uk has access to over 100 lenders. This number is subject to change.
For buy-to-let landlords, there's no guarantee that it will be possible to arrange continuous letting of a property, nor that rental income will be sufficient to meet the cost of the mortgage.

domain: economics


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With 35 miles of sandy shoreline and 70,000 acres of protected wilderness, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, located on Lake Michigan’s northeast coast, is big—think three times the size of Manhattan. With so much glorious land and water to explore, planning a vacation to the dunes can feel daunting. Yet, like any vacation hotspot, there are certain enduring destinations that have made the Sleeping Bear Dunes iconic. Here’s the definitive guide to nine Sleeping Bear Dunes attractions every member of the family will enjoy.
The Dune Climb
Ascending the 300-foot-tall face of sand that is the Dune Climb is strenuous work, but Mother Nature was kind enough to reward those who scale the bluff with a stunning vista of inland Leelanau County and several lakes. This mainstay of the Sleeping Bear Dunes is a huge, sandy playpen. Launch yourself off the dune after a running start, and land lightly in the sand after going airborne. Those with the stamina can hike to Lake Michigan via the Dune Climb Hiking Trail; those with brains can picnic at a climb-side table. Located on M-109 west of Glen Arbor.
Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
This 7.4-mile circuit is an automotive journey through the many ecosystems of the dunes: from beech and maple forests to rolling, shrub meadows and lastly to mountainous dunes overlooking Lake Michigan and the Manitou Islands. With 12 informational stops along the way (including the unforgettable #9 Overlook 450 feet above the water), visitors of the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive are immersed in Dune-ology, and walk away with greater respect and awe for the ecology and beauty of the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Located south of the Dune Climb on M109.
Kayak, Canoe or Float
Two tranquil rivers flow through the heart of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The Platte River—located at the southern edge of the dunes—is a highway for lounging tubers enjoying the warm, shallow river. It’s also a popular place to canoe. Rentals are available at The Honor Trading Post and Riverside Canoe Trips. The Crystal River—near Glen Arbor—is navigable by kayak and canoe and Crystal River Outfitters offers rentals.
Lake Michigan can also be kayaked (experienced paddlers only). Its clear water, clean coastline, and impressive dune views make it a favorite. Read more about paddling the Sleeping Bear coast.
Travel Back In Time to Port Oneida
With around two dozen subsistence farms, Port Oneida was once an agricultural hub of Leelanau County: while time has passed and the agricultural activity waned, the pastoral legacy of the area has been upheld through maintaining many of the historic farms. Drive along M22 north of Glen Arbor to discover the timelessness of Port Oneida’s barns, fields and farms. Learn more about Sleeping Bear’s Visitor’s Center, museums and more.
Summit a Lake Michigan Bluff
Watch the sun plunge into Lake Michigan at one of several bluff overlooks along the Sleeping Bear Dunes shoreline:
- Empire Bluffs, 5 minutes south of Empire off of M22. Access by Empire Bluffs Trail.
- Pyramid Point, 15 minutes north of Glen Arbor. Access by Pyramid Point Trail.
- Alligator Hill Lookout, 5 minutes west of Glen Arbor. Access by Alligator Hill Trail.
- Bay View Trail Overlook, 5 minutes north of Glen Arbor. Access by Bay View Trail.
Visit Glen Haven Historic District
Just 5 minutes west of Glen Arbor by M22, Glen Haven Historic District boasts a wealth of educational sites: the Cannery Boathouse Museum, a working blacksmith shop, the US Coast Guard Station Maritime Museum and the Glen Haven General Store. This living historical site is rife with cultural heritage, and the beach in front of the Cannery Boathouse Museum is among the best.
Every day during the summer months at 3 p.m., the Maritime Museum at Sleeping Bear Point presents a live breeches buoy demonstration, during which a park employee guides children through the steps of saving Raggedy Ann and Andy from pretend peril with a complex zip line system. The life-saving technique was used in the earliest days of Great Lakes sailing as a means to transport sailors from a sinking ship to a nearby ship or shore.
But the breeches buoy system would have been useless without its counterpart, the Lyle gun. This small cannon was capable of shooting a lifeline more than 400 yards to a ship in distress. Every Thursday after the breeches buoy demo the Maritime Museum shoots a line from its own Lyle gun.
Watch this MyNorth video of the Lyle Gun Demonstration.
Visit a Remote Island
North and South Manitou Islands form the foundation of the Native American’s Sleeping Bear myth: a mother bear and two cubs traversed Lake Michigan from Wisconsin, but the two cubs drowned before reaching shore. The Manitou Islands formed as markers for the fallen cubs. You can camp on both islands, or take a day trip to South Manitou and visit the lighthouse and Coast Guard station.
Many attractions at the Sleeping Bear Dunes require a fair amount of activity (I’m looking at you, Dune Climb). But a good vacation is relaxing, and there’s no better place to lounge than on a Lake Michigan beach. You’ve got 35 miles of sandy shoreline to make up your mind, but the following link should help to narrow your search: Click to read more about Sleeping Bear Dunes beaches.
When we vacationed to Sleeping Bear Dunes last year, we actually stayed at a hotel instead of camping, and we used Wonderbuggy.com and got a great deal! Thanks for this article, love SBD. <3


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When it comes to the MTV Video Music Awards, it’s all about the fashion and of course, the hair. Luckily, this year everyone brought it in the tresses department including Britney Spears. We are crowning Brit Brat our winner of the night for the best hair on the VMA red carpet. She mastered pastel streaks with not one color but four. Spears incorporated blue, pink, green and purple in her luscious locks. Check out the video to see the fun new do.
To stay in the loop, bookmark our homepage.

domain: celebrity


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Happy New Year to all you out there. It’s lookin’ like it’ll be an exciting year in Bad Things land. We’ve been working hard on writing some new material so haven’t been booking a whole lot for ’09 but we have a show coming up in January at one of our favorite venues The Tractor with the great Mamie Lavona and Golden Robot Army and another Tractor show in March. We’re also working on getting down to Portland here in the spring with Danbert Nobacon. Also some talk of some April Fools shows with Chervona from Portland and another possible collaboration with the Can Can’s Castaways.
The new stuff is sounding amazing…we’re really excited to play it live but we’re waiting until they’re just right! Someone had commented on the earlier post on whether or not we’ll post lyrics on the website and I think that’s a good possibility but in the meantime send us requests for songs that you want lyrics to and we’ll post ’em on this blog. He also wanted us to come out to Chicago and all I can say is we’ll do our best. Due to busy lives we rarely get opportunities to tour but Chicago and New York are two towns that we are dying to play so keep checking the blog and we’ll let you know when we get a plan to get out your way.
Thanks to everyone that’s bought the new CD. Please let us know what you think. We have gotten very little feedback from folks on it and we’re always curious as to what our fans think of our new tunes.
That’s it for now my friends but keep listening and bloggin’ and coming out to the shows! We love you guys!
The Bad Things

domain: entertainment


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With a General Election possible within a year, the Prime Minister has reshuffled his top team. But are new faces - and one retread - enough to reverse the party’s slide in the polls?
KentOnline political editor Paul Francis examines the team sheet…
Who would have thought that a former Conservative Prime Minister would overshadow the sacking of the lamentable home secretary Suella Braverman?
After a weekend in which Rishi Sunak had been under rising pressure to ditch Ms Braverman, he embarked on a reshuffle and threw a curveball by appointing the former PM David Cameron to one of the biggest offices of state – foreign affairs.
Maybe it was a political decoy. Although you’d like to think there were other reasons, given the important nature of the role – not least ensuring that the UK remains a key player on the international front.
Bringing back a retired elder statesman certainly caught a lot of people by surprise; the question is whether - having been surprised - what does it bring to the Conservative party that it was lacking?
That is not immediately clear.
Cameron, who almost became a candidate in a Kent seat when he was starting out on his political journey, led a coalition with the Lib Dems which did not find favour with everyone, especially those who blamed him for the party’s failure to win an outright majority in 2010.
And it won’t be overlooked that he triggered the Brexit referendum and quit as PM after failing to persuade the country that staying in the EU was better than leaving.
As to James Cleverly, the home secretary inherits a familiar in-tray (or red box) with the controversial policy of processing asylum seekers in Rwanda topping the pile. A legal ruling on a challenge to the government’s proposals is due on Wednesday.
And that, of course, links to the widespread publicity and media focus on those still trying to cross the Channel in small boats and dinghies.
What the public will make of the prospect of another new broom to try to resolve the ongoing issue of these crossings is anyone’s guess.
Installing a new minister isn’t going to change things overnight; it won’t stem the flow of boats, although the squally seas and poor weather does force the number down.
Mr Cleverly says he is absolutely determined to crack down on unlawful crossings and says his work as foreign secretary means he is familiar with the issues.
“I've worked very closely with my colleagues in the Home Office cracking down on illegal migration, reducing the number of small boat arrivals,” he said.
“Now as the home secretary, I'm absolutely committed to stopping the boats, as we promised, but also making sure that everybody in the UK feels safe and secure, going around, going about their daily business, knowing that the government is here to protect them.”
It is all sound stuff but the proof of this particular political pudding will be in the eating and the public’s appetite for sweeping changes at the top table is not exactly high.
So far as Rishi Sunak is concerned, it is arguably his last throw of the dice before voters deliver their verdict.
After 13 years, the party may simply be running out of steam and no amount of reshuffling will cure that affliction all parties go through: voters’ indifference.