ETTER

Volume 11, Issue 2

November 2002

Next Meeting: Nov. 12 (7 p.m ) Seacoast Science CenterOdiorne State Park, Route lA, Rye, NH

Come to theISHRA FALL MEETINGNovember 12 at 7:00 p.m.

Paul and Lisa Jenningsare the featured speakers for the eve-ning. Bring friends and come for aninteresting discussion, plenty of hot

coffee and snacks.

Your contributions to the goodies tableare always welcomed.

Seacoast Science CenterOdiorne State ParkRte. lA, Rye, NH

Thank you to Jean Stefanik for sending all theterrific photos in this issue

taken by Steve Cantelli during theFALL WEEKEND.

President's MessageFrom Laurrence "Laury" Bussey

I wish to thank all of you for the opportunity toserve ISHRA in this capacity. Many exciting eventsand projects are occurring on our beloved islands, andit's a privilege for ISHRA to be involved with many ofthem.

The season on Smuttynose has been very successfulthis year, so please refer to Dave MacEachran's re-port for complete details. We're fortunate to haveSmuttvnose Island available for all of us to enjoy, andespecially grateful that it will remain in its presentstate in perpetuity.

thda .Jean Ragonese's report on our July 14 Ytnp to

Frederick T. McGill, Jr.May 6, 1904 - September 17, 2002

A Tribute by Donna Marion Titus

The death of Frederick T. McGill, Jr. onSeptember 17 is mourned by the widecommunity of Shoalers everywhere. Hedied in Florida where in recent years hehad made his winter home. His daughter,Judy Case, and his wife, Sally, were athis side. Shoalers and other friends whohad been notified of his last illness werekeeping Fred in their thoughts andprayers. He was born on May 6, 1904,and grew up in Newton, Massachusetts.He graduated from Harvard, and marriedhis first wife, Virginia Frederick, in1931. Both had been brought up in Uni-tarian families, and Fred served for fouryears as Executive Director of the Uni-tarian Laymen's League. His profes-sional career was as a professor of Eng-lish at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Also interested in American history,he taught a course on what he called "the

McGill-continued on page 3

Appledore" demonstrates your combined enthusiasm for eventssuch as this. Would you like more than one during the summer?

We have truly exciting news for you regarding opportunities toparticipate in 'last minute getaway vacations to Star Island in2003. Paul Jennings will explain the details at our November12th meeting, as he and Lisa will be the featured speakers. Theshort version is that each of you who possess the flexibility maybe able to book a room at the Oceanic on very short notice.ISHRA will be notified of vacancies (perhaps only a few days inadvance), but those who indicate to us they wish to participatewill be notified by Email or phone that a vacancy exists. Fun,eh?

Our ISHRA Labor Day weekend was highly successful, and

Continued on page 2

Page 2 ISHRA Newsletter

Getting to know your ISHRA Board members

Janet McGee Saunders, a Portsmouth native, hashad better than a 30-year love affair with the Shoals,making her first trip to the Isles somewhere in thelate 60's. That love affair was an extension of anearly, avid interest in local history (and its characters)and literature: she was the youngest charter share-holder of Strawbery Banke prior to its being sold toan out-of-state corp., a young apprentice during theearly restoration done by her family to much ofPortsmouth's Merchant's Row, and was conductingguided tours of the TB Aldrich House under the shel-tering wings of the Garland Patch's at age 8. Thepile of rocks with the big white dwelling perchedaloft that could be seen from the beaches was thenext frontier. The young day-tripper, making pil-grimages with friends or aboard the Viking Queennever failed to be awed by the wild beauty of thelandscape and certainly, the "lore and legend" of the

"Let's have fun and

contribute to theresearch and history

of the Isles of

Shoals."

t:.ontributioOft to therefreshment tab\e are

al_a1f> _elwme.Than"5 to aU \lIho

m\p out!!'"

place intrigued and was fodder to a young fertile imagi-nation. At the Shoals, anything was possible. Thesame holds true for her today.

After Janet moved to the Deep South for an almostIS-year period, the pilgrimages continued whenever op-portunity allowed. And when she couldn't get back tothe Shoals, the Shoals came to her! A fun footnote:New Year's Eve in Jacksonville, FL-J990 ... she tied upat the Landing in order to enjoy the evening's celebra-tion and found herself directly astern of the Viking Sunfrom Portsmouth. The Captain was gracious and it wasa taste of horne to be able to visit an "old friend" andjoin the party aboard. Now back in the Seacoast andbusy as a consultant, author and heading up six compa-nies, Janet finds the yearly ISHRA Weekend the eventshe looks most forward to in her year's schedule. Shehasn't missed a Weekend yet and - while she may bethe last one to sign up and get on board - she hopes she

Continued on page 5

President's Message continuedfully booked. Please reviewJean Stefanic'sreport. It's great, and she's agreed to chair itfor next year, althoughwe need a volunteertodo the program. Now, let's not always see thesame hand! Nance and I brought Cberyl andJustin Caramagno along, as they are goodfriends who live in Eliot Justin is an attorneyin Portsmouth,and they havejoined ISHRA,as has Paul and Lisa Jennings. Congratula-tions and welcomeaboard!

Steve Cantelli of United Divers of NewHampshire organizedan incredible cleanupproject of Gosport Harbor on September21st.

Over 20 divers swept the bottom, while twicethat number coveredStar and Smuttynose, col-lectingall mannerof trash and debris. Steve'saccount is fascinating.

Historicallyspeaking,Sharon Stephen'sreport is an exciting account of how CeliaThaxter still lives in the hearts and minds ofNew Englanders. Sharon's book and exhibi-tion has been received with accolades every-where it has been seen.

Please let me know how you would liketo assist, and how 1SHRA can be a more dy-namic and supportive organization to theSeacoast.

This is your organization, so let's havefun and contribute to the research and historyof the Isles of Shoals.

Laurence "Laury" BusseyPresident, ISHRA

Skipper@neyachts.com

Volume 11, Issue 2Page 3

Star Island Fall Weekend a Success!by Jean Stefanik, Chairperson

A record 46 people attended the ISHRA weekend which was held this year from September 6-8. Af-ter loading luggage and enjoying the ride on the MV Thomas Laighton to Star Island, everyone really appreci-ated the excellent dinner provided by Star Island - after which was the mandatory safety orientation by IslandManager Paul Jennings. Beds beckoned some - others wandered about the island, taking in the sights andsounds and ocean smells. The White Island lighthouse horn moaned in the distance. Saturday morning beganwith some mingling with other groups for an early morning bird walk, others appearingjust in time for break-fast, and still others for the 9 a.m. departure of the RV Kingsbury from Appledore to take us on our excur-sion. On Appledore, we toured the marine lab, purchased at the gift shop. Some explored the coves, and ofcourse there was Celia's garden, still blooming. Upon reboarding the boat, we enjoyed excellent spottings ofboth harbor seals and a gray seal while circling Duck Island - then back to Star. (continued on page 5)

McGill, cont'd

Concord Group," - Emerson, Thoreau,and Hawthorne. Fred first went to StarIsland in 1922 as a delegate from hischurch to the youth conference. Aftermany years of being conferees, he andGinny joined the Star Island Staff inthe 1950s and they worked in variousjobs, including Island Manager, for theStar Island Corporation for the next 30years. His interest in the 19th centuryNew England writers is reflected in hisfirst book, Channing of Concord; ALife of William Ellery Channing 11,Rutgers University Press, 1967. Thiswas followed in 1972 by Letters toCelia; Written During the Years 1860-1875 to Celia Laighton Thaxter by herbrother, Cedric Laighton, Edited withNotes and Drawings by F.T.M., pub-lished by Star Island Corporation, Bos-ton, 1972. The Sixth Edition of TenMiles Out, The Guide Book To TheIsles of Shoals by Lyman V. Rutledgewas published in 1984. Revisions andAdditions were by Frederick McGill.Fred's reputation as an island historianwas secure. He was known for his dry,Yankee wit, and as a great story tellerand teller of jokes. Conferees and visitors from Appledore and the other Shoals islands loved tohear him give the island history, or to read the story of "The Fastest Hound Dog in the State ofMaine", or to tell the gruesome true tale of the 1873 murder on Smuttynose. After Ginny's death in1988, Fred set about organizing the notes and writings they had kept during their long working as-sociation with the Star Island Corporation. The book they had planned and written together, Some-thing Like a Star, was published in 1989. He sub-titled it, "A Rather Personal View of the Star Is-land Conference Center, " but it is more than that. Picking up from where Lyman Rutledge left offin The Isles of Shoals in Lore and Legend, McGill's Something like a Star is a record of the 20thcentury history of Star Island.

Frederick T. McGill, Jr.

continued on page 4

FredMcGill

"On the porch ofthe Oceanic Hotelhe stood at the top

of the steps andwelcomed all who

came to theislands. "

Please send newsletter itemstoHelen Brewster at<tinkinaway@hotmail.com>

Text and photos need to bein jpg. format or Word doc.Please scan images and sendbyemail.

Submissions need to be re-ceived by April 1, 2003 forthe Spring issue.

Page 4 GOSPORT HARBOR(to the tune of the song Lonesome Road)

Coastal Cleanup Day continued from back page Put in to port, the Shoals are calling;Come where the lighthouse gleams.Come in to rest, and furl your sails,And lose yourself in dreams.Blown by wind, tossed by tide,Heaving hard from side to side,Put in to port, the Shoals are calling,And lose yourself in dreams.Drop anchor deep in Gosport harborAnd find yourself in dreams;Ride lightly now on gentle wavesDown which the moonlight streams.High above, spars shine white,Silver crosses 'gainst the night;So ride awhile in Gosport harbor,And fmd yourself in dreams.Sail out, sail out, from Gosport harborAnd rouse yourself from dreams.Sail out, sail out;the sun has rise;Go face his golden beams.Breasting on into the light,Ploughing on toward cities bright -Sail out, sail out, from Gosport harbor,And bring to life your dreams.

Frederick T. McGill, 1931

What did they learn?That there is trash even in the small, local area of theIsles of Shoals. That not everyone gets to go on SmuttyNose and the Marine Lab area, etc. That being on aboat and out in the salt water air makes them hungry &thirsty. That the Boy Scouts are pretty good soccerplayers! I gave the girls a "souvenir" which was a gelcandle with sea shells in it ; very appropriate as a re-minder for the day. The girls all slept on the way homeand we were back in Lyndeborough by 6:00 pm. Theywere bubbly and enthusiastic and are interested in go-ing back out to the ocean.

THANK YOU to everyone for your support. It was awonderful day!!!

McGill continued .••

Fred McGill continued going to Star Island every summerthrough the last years of his life. He was a beloved "OldShoaler" with a long memory, a vast knowledge of the past,and, as everyone who ever met him knows, a great sense ofhumor. He had a genuine interest in people, a sympatheticoutlook, and a naturally courteous and gracious manner. Onthe porch of the Oceanic Hotel he stood at the top of thesteps and welcomed all who came to the islands. No onewill ever replace him and hewill be missed.

Cards and letters of sympathymay be sent to:

Judy Case7151 Jasmine DriveNew Port Richey, FL34652or toSally McGill13406 Rayburn RoadBayonet Point, FL 34667

Contributions in his memorymay be made to the AnnualFund of the Star IslandCorporationlO Vaughan Mall, Suite 8,Worth Plaza Portsmouth, NH03801

Janet McGee Saunders, continued

never will! The harsh yet ethereal beauty,combined with the immediacy of the ele-ments at their most vibrant never fails tosoothe and bring spiritual and physical restand healing. Janet lives with her husband,Peter, in Kingston, NH and Ipswich, MA.Quite simply, no matter where she hascalled home, the Isles of Shoals (with anextra soft spot for Smutty!) remains herfavorite place on earth.

PageSFall Weekend continued

Saturday afternoon's schedule was loose, but includedsome becoming involved in the Coastal Cleanup 2002 whichSteve Cantelli organized. Others rowed to Smuttynose, andstill others enjoyed the island including thesoftball game - either by participating or simply sitting on therocking chairs on the porch cheering. A few hearty soulswent swimming! Following dinner was our chapel service(thanks to Marjorie Young and Laury Bussey for steppingup to organize). Some gathered on the Southwest comer ofthe porch to watch the Hampton fireworks - the skies wereclear and the air was fresh. Others migrated to Eliot Hall towatch the newly created video of the Pier reconstruc-tion. Midway through the video, Paul Jennings came in,strongly suggested we "pause" the video, and everyonerushed to see a magnificent display of northern lights over-head - streaks of reds, greens, blues and whites covering thesky above and to the north. In the distance, despite light pol-lution from the mainland, the natural display was contrastedby Kittery's fireworks which somehow seemed to pale incomparison to the natural wonder. The aurora borealis wasgone almost as quickly as it had appeared - in about 10 min-utes - and the group finished the pier video. Those who thenfeasted on a bedtime snack of an ice-cream social reflected onthe good company, and all which had happened this day.

Sunday began with several hearty souls watching the sun-rise on East Rock (we found 2 pelicans who spent the nightthere!). The morning activities included low tide walk belowthe gazebo, finding mini-anemones and lots oftidepool crit-ters and plants. Group photo gathered after breakfast andpeople again were "on their own" to enjoy the island - someagain went to Smuttynose. After lunch the fmal collection ofCoastal Cleanup 2002 trash was heaped near the frontporch, with the most unique item being a spend aerosol canof"fart spray" (???!!!) which generated lots of laughs. Un-fortunately, it was then time to head for Portsmouth - ourgroup rode on the Kingsbury - others on the Prince of Whalesand before we knew it -the weekend had ended.

At tbe November 12 meeting (Seacoast Science Centerat Odiorne State Park) I will be asking anyone whoattended to comment on their personal experiences - andhope tbat others will consider attending in 2003! For thosewho attended (in the folklore words of Blackbeard's wife'sghost) ...

"You WILL come back!"

please use the enclosed insert to UPDATE YOUR MEMBERSHIP

NEXT MEETING, Nov. 12 (7 P.M ) SEACOASTSCIENCE CENTER

, ODIORNE STATE PARK, ROUTE lA, RYE, NH ~.-~! RYE, NH i I

~~~~~~~~

Isles of Shoals Historical & ResearchAssociation

P.O. Box 705Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03802

-.----- ~--------

Errata: The wonderful pencilsketches in the last issue attributedto Bob Cook were actually bySavannah artist Jean Lim whovisited the Shoals last summer.

Coastal Cleanup 2002- from Maria Brown

What a good and productive day it was!! Here'smy "quick" summary - especially for the GirlScout Directors since they were not able to join usin person.

Sat Sept 21st offered perfect weather.Girl Scout Director, Martha, was there to see usoff from the port - thank you and thank you toyour patient son! We had the gloves from Wal-mart and food from Shaws. The T-shirts whichLinda provided were excellent! The Troop is ableto pay just $5 per shirt for the Girl Scouts - thankyou for the affordable price. One of the GS couldnot believe that even Steve Cantelli and some ofthe other divers do not get to go to Smutty NoseIsland on a regular basis -she did appreciate the"honor" of being able to go there.They enjoyed

, seeing the kayaks working and are interested inlearning more about those. Jean gave us a briefhistorical talk about the different islands and Iwant to learn more about Smuttynose Island and

the stories relating to its history. They all had sunscreenwhich based on the color on my face today, I'm glad wehad it. The Girl Scouts did mingle with the Boy Scouts -that social interaction added to the fun of the day - espe-cially since the boat ride was longer than antici-pated. (The smaller boats get to the spot within a halfhour - the large boat which were on (The Kingsbury),took about an hour).

What would we have done differently? Start later - get-ting up at 4:30 am was brutal. More Food (on theboat)!!!! We were starving by the time we had lunch-thank you to Jean, who prepared that. Then we ran outof water bottles to drink on the way home. None of theGirl Scouts did go on the little boats and they didn't haveas much "hands on" as they were expecting - and I thinkthey were a little disappointed, actually. They liked thebig seaworm thing and the crabs & lobsters.

continued on page 5