Hampton: History Matters

by Cheryl Lassiter

The famous sandy beaches and first-class boardwalk of Hampton, New Hampshire often overshadow its long and robust history. In this eclectic collection of stories, historian and columnist Cheryl Lassiter takes readers behind the scenes for a fascinating look at some of its lesser known residents and surprising events.Learn about the tumultuous, intertwined lives of early settlers Henry Roby,whose self-interest knew no bounds, and Captain Samuel Sherburne, who sacrificed his life to protect others; traveling preacher Nancy Towle, a fervent evangelist and untiring women’s rights advocate; and hotelkeeper John Garrison Cutler, the town’s only black resident, who was also a Republican Party boss.Alongside lively accounts of an equestrian schoolmarm, a turnip-stealing Puritan, the town witch, and a Revolutionary War general’s haunted house, read about those who came to Hampton—early aviators, beach queens, homeless tramps; those who left Hampton—the Mormon Nightingale, gold-fevered Forty-niners, a 19-year-old World War I ambulance driver; and those who made Hampton a better place to live—the country doctor, the preservationist minister, the philanthropic millionaire.These tales and so much more lie ahead in Hampton History Matters.Cheryl has chronicled the history of Hampton since 2009. Her History Matters column appears in the Hampton Union newspaper and on Facebook, Twitter, and lassitergang.com.

140 pages, Paperback

Published August 5, 2017

About the author

With broad historical interests, Cheryl writes on topics that collectively span the 17th through 21st centuries. A member of the Hampton Historical Society, she has produced museum exhibits and a documentary video, and has received awards from the Association of Historical Societies of New Hampshire and the New England Museum Association. A former columnist for the Hampton Union, her published columns can be found at lassitergang.com.

Her current project is a graphical novel about a teen boy and his magical guitar.

About her personal life she says, “My life is my hobby. When I’m not drawing, writing, reading, torturing house plants, or just vegetating, I can usually be found perambulating the 17th century, where (I’m pretty sure) I once lost a gold pocketwatch. You haven’t seen it, have you?”

History done write!