The GeneralThe Friends of Stark News Park Newsletter

starkpark.com | Spring 2021

Photo courtesy of Paule Houle; flickr.com/photos/paul_houle/collections History Has its Eyes on You: Manchester’s Hamilton Connections By Matt Labbe Inside this Issue: Last July, Disney+ released a live stage recording of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway Hamilton ……….………… 1-5 show Hamilton: An American Musical, based on the biography by Rob Chernow. Debuting to Annual Appeal …….……...… 5 critical acclaim in 2015, the show has gone on to earn eleven Tony awards, a Grammy, a Woodland Trails ….…...……. 6 Pulitzer, and a slew of other honors. The Heritage Trail ...………..…... 6 film version was equally successful, hav- Upcoming Events ….……..… 6 ing earned two People’s Choice Awards Trails Day …………….…….. 7 and the record for the most watched Board Changes ……..…..….... 8 straight-to-streaming title of the year. Back in the Day …..………..... 8 The show documents the remarkable life of founding father Alexander Hamilton who led troops at the Battle of York- The Board: town, founded the Coast Guard and the President New York Post, and, most importantly, Brian Brady was the primary architect of our modern Vice President financial system. Matthew Labbe Although they are never mentioned in the Eliza (Phillipa Soo) begs Alexander (Lin-Manuel Miranda) to Take a Secretary songs, several Manchester figures have Break in Hamilton: An American Musical. Photo from screenrant.com Erin Kerwin connections with the real historical figures featured in the show. Knowing that Alexander Treasurer Hamilton was a soldier in the Revolution, one might guess that the primary connection was Stephanie Lewry with General Stark. In reality, the degree of their interaction is unclear. It is true that both Stark and Hamilton fought at the battles of Trenton and Princeton, but they were in differ- Kara Andersson ent units and probably had no contact on the battlefield. They did, however, run in similar Tom Christensen personal circles, especially after John Stark joined the Continental Army, and they almost Diana Duckoff assuredly met on at least one occasion. Jennifer McBride In November 1780 Stark was introduced to George Washington by the Marquis de Lafa- Katie Shaka yette (played by Christopher Jackson and Daveed Diggs, respectively). Bad weather forced Elizabeth Soukup Stark to spend the day with Washington “as if he were at his house ... and he had nothing to Ann Thorner do.” Hamilton was Washington’s aide-de-camp, essentially his personal secretary, and chief

of staff, and it appears he was close-by the entire time.

Contact us at [email protected]! The Friends of Stark Park is a 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to develop, revitalize, maintain, and protect the heritage and recreational use of Stark Park as a historic asset to the City of Manchester, NH.

If Stark and Hamilton conversed privately at this meeting, they probably would have found common ground. They would have agreed on the necessity of the war and the consequences of de- feat. On a personal note, they had similar upbringings com- pared to their wealthier associates. Neither grew up on large estates like some of the founders, although the Starks had more than Hamilton, an orphan who climbed his way up from pov- erty in the Caribbean. Neither had a formal childhood educa- tion, a fact both men lamented. Unlike Stark, Hamilton made up for this perceived inadequacy by attending law school. At the time of this meeting, however, King’s College (now Co- lumbia University) was shuttered due to the war, and Hamilton had no guarantee of graduating. Unfortunately, this is mere speculation because we have not found evidence they knew each other on a personal level. General Philip Schuyler. Engraved by T. Kelly, 1835. From the NY Public Library. Even if they were acquainted, John Stark and Alexander Hamil- corresponded because they were both involved with the war ton probably did not remain cordial after the war. The two effort in Vermont and upstate New York. men would have been drawn apart by political philosophy dur- Philip Schuyler was born in Albany to a wealthy Dutch family in ing the formation of the modern two-party system. Hamilton 1733. He served as a quartermaster during the French and Indi- and John Adams were the faces of the Federalist party, espous- an War. When he returned home, he became involved in poli- ing economic and industrial growth overseen by a centralized tics, eventually joining the State Assembly where he became government that would keep the disparate states on common opposed to the established colonial government. He built two ground. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison (Played in the houses during this time - a brick mansion at Albany, and a musical by Daveed Diggs and Okieriete Onaodowan, respec- smaller country estate at Saratoga. In 1775, he was elected to tively) led the Democratic-Republican party, which advocated the Continental Congress and received a commission as General for local control of a predominantly agrarian society, specifical- that placed him in charge of the Northern Department, which ly eschewing industrial development. John Stark took this latter oversaw British incursions into the United States via Canada. position and remained in friendly correspondence with James Madison into old age. Jefferson himself never met John Stark, During these campaigns, Schuyler met fierce criticism from his but late in life sent Stark what basically amounted to a crazed generals, including Stark, who felt he was not up to the job. fan letter, gushing about Stark’s valor during the war and his Stark vehemently disagreed with Schuyler’s plan to evacuate commitment to democracy. Every piece of evidence we have Crown Point and was disappointed by the loss of Fort Ticon- indicates that Stark would have been opposed or even hostile to deroga to the British in 1777. This sentiment was so ubiquitous Hamilton’s ideas, and the relationships we do know about sug- among the commanders that Schuyler was court-martialed for gest that they ran in different social circles later in life. his failure. He was ultimately acquitted, but resigned his com- mission in 1779 and was replaced by Horatio Gates. John Stark was, however, well acquainted with General Philip Schuyler of Albany, New York Around the same time, John Stark was fighting with the NH (played in the musical by Sydney legislature over his command of the state militia. John resigned James Harcourt). They frequently his commission and returned home because he felt disgraced

About the Author: Matthew Labbe, Vice President of the Friends of Stark Park, holds a M.A. in Anthropology from Texas A&M University and works as a Principal Investigator with Monadnock Archaeological Consulting. His previous research on the history of his hometown has been published by Historical New Hampshire. 2

a cordial relationship. It turns out that both Stark and Schuyler were in agreement about how to defend Saratoga and enacted their plan successfully in October 1777. This victory led to a growing friendship over the years, but it came with a cost. As the British army was advancing, they were able to take Gen- eral Schuyler’s house. They used it as a camp for a night and, as a final insult, burned it to the ground the following day. A month later, Schuyler rebuilt the house on the original founda- tion with wood from his own sawmill, and even some hard- ware recovered from the fire. It still stands today as a museum at Saratoga National Historic Park. Schuyler wanted the house built quickly since winter was approaching, so he used labor from around the county and even British prisoners. We do not The Schuyler Country House at Saratoga. Photo from the NPS via Gina L. know if John assisted, but it seems likely, if he was still in the that Enoch Poor was promoted above him. In the subsequent area. This rebuilt house was the same one that Schuyler’s months, the situation in upstate New York continued to deteri- daughter, Eliza Hamilton (played by Phillipa Soo), is referenc- orate for the colonists and the legislature tried to get him back, ing in the song, “Take a Break,” where she begs Alexander to but to no avail. John only returned to service when the Conti- run away with her upstate for the summer. nental Congress made him a general in the Continental Army. While the Battle of Saratoga ended much of the fighting in the He accepted the commission with a single caveat: that he would north, the western frontiers were still frequently raided by the only answer to his home state, not the Congress. This decision British and the Iroquois. Both of Schuyler’s houses were locat- brought him into conflict with Philip Schuyler again. ed within this hot zone and were often threatened. In 1781, his Schuyler saw that the British were headed toward Saratoga, Albany mansion was raided by Tories and Native Americans intending to cut New England off from the rest of the states. who intended to take Philip prisoner. They failed, but family The anxiety with which Schuyler wrote about the advancing legend has it that Peggy Schuyler (played by Jasmine Cephas army was palpable and clearly personal because his country Jones) dodged a tomahawk throw while rescuing her baby sis- house was in the direct path of the violence. Schuyler sent or- ter from the attack. This daring feat did not make it into the ders to John Stark to rendezvous with his units in New York, but was immediately rebuffed when John replied that he did not answer to the Continental Army, and that he was instead going to Vermont to make a stand. John said to associates that he expected Schuyler to fail and retreat to Albany “as he has forfeited the people’s confidence in him, entirely.” Schuyler did not take the news well, and immediately sent a letter to Congress, essentially tattling on Stark and angering him even more. The letter made Schuyler look petty, however, because by the time it reached Congress, they had learned about Stark’s famous victory at the Battle of Bennington. Stark’s win ensured that the British would be undermanned and undersupplied when they reached Schuyler at Saratoga. Stark finally made his way to Saratoga and found himself sta- tioned at General Schuyler’s house. It is easy to image that this was an awkward situation for both men, yet they came out of it having found some common ground and the first indications of Eliza Hamilton, circa 1787. Oil Painting by Ralph Earl (1751-1801). From the Museum of the City of New York 3

became a member of George Washington’s musical and is a surprising reversal of her staff. He probably first met Alexander Ham- portrayal as childish. Anticipating further ilton at this time. After the war, Blodgett attacks, John Stark sent a group of soldiers to moved from Boston to Philadelphia and made protect the Schuyler’s country house and a fortune in the East India trade. His business help collect winter supplies for both the fam- ventures led him to publish several works ily and for the army. Among the soldiers was focusing on the development of the national John Stark’s eldest son Caleb (1759-1838), economy, a hobby which he shared with who had a chance to experience the luxuries Hamilton. He also served as chair of the of high society for the first time. board of commissioners tasked with design- Of the Schuyler’s fourteen children (only ing Washington DC. He used his personal three are mentioned in the show), Caleb be- fortune to help finance the White House and came closest to Hamilton’s wife, Eliza. Alt- the US Capitol and was a strong advocate for hough recently married, she stayed with her the construction of the Washington Monu- Samuel Blodgett, Jr., circa 1784 by John Trumbull. parents for most of the war while Alexander ment, just like Eliza Hamilton. From the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. was still working for George Washington. In 1795, Hamilton asked Blodgett to design Caleb and Eliza appear to have spent a significant amount of the First Bank of the United States, located on South Third time together because she taught him to play chess. During a Street in Philadelphia. It still stands today as a National His- tour of Washington at the age of 78, Caleb stopped to visit toric Landmark in Independence National Park. The bank was Eliza for the first time in over half a century. Reports say that intended to be the crown jewel of Hamilton’s career, and she immediately recognized him and that they spoke privately would have been a significant opportunity for Blodgett, who for some time. Unfortunately, that conversation, probably wholeheartedly embraced Hamilton’s economic philosophies. full of emotions, experiences, and reminisces, was never rec- As the first treasury secretary, Hamilton was in a prime posi- orded by historians. tion to influence the creation of American monetary policy. The Starks were not the only family in Manchester that had a He had strong ideas on how to do that but was often hit with relationship with characters from the musical. Unlike General ruthless pushback by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, Stark, there is clear evidence that Samuel Blodgett, Jr. had a who both believed it fundamentally unconstitutional. To get direct relationship with Alexander Hamilton. The Blodgett the project approved, Hamilton was forced to make a family will be familiar to longtime residents of Manchester. backroom deal with his two critics where, as the musical says Samuel Blodgett was a local lawyer who gained fame for me- in the song “The Room Where It Happens,” he “emerges with diating the Pine Tree Riot in 1772. He built the original canal unprecedented financial power/a system he can shape howev- at Amoskeag and proposed that the er he wants.” In exchange, he had to town of Derryfield be renamed Man- agree to move the nation’s capital chester to honor the industrial city of from Philadelphia to what would the same name in England. What become Washington DC. Hamilton many do not know is that his son, believed he got the better end of the also named Samuel, had a distin- deal. guished and prescient career that Hamilton thought that the bank would bring him close to several would stabilize national credit and famous figures. improve the handling of national Samuel Jr. (1757-1814) was born at finances. Congress approved the the family home near Amoskeag bank’s charter for twenty years be- falls. He served in the military dur- ginning in 1791 and forbid other ing the Revolution, and eventually federal banks from forming during The First Bank of the United States, then Girard Bank. Engraving by William Russell Birch, 1828. From the Free Library of Philadelphia 4

Thanks to your support over the years, we have made sub- that period. A budget of $110,000 was appropriated for its stantial improvements in Stark Park, and as a result, the construction. The bank was initially successful in paying down park has become a community resource for all to enjoy at war debts, but it was still a common target for politicians who any season. This was especially true during the pandemic. favored other monetary policies. After Washington and Ham- ilton left their offices, the opposition successfully sold govern- Your financial sup- ment interest in the bank and allowed its charter to expire (by one vote) in 1811. The building was sold to Stephen Girard port is still need- for use as a private bank, which remained in that location ed. This year, we into the twentieth century. have a twofold landscaping plan to Even the building itself was a target for criticism. Several ar- chitects described it as old fashioned like the style of English implement – one Palladianism and that it was not representative of the future of in the upper half of American architecture. This must have been a blow to the park, requiring Blodgett’s ego as he often bragged about learning his architec- irrigation and tural skills while traveling through Europe during his youth. plants; the other is Additionally, Hamilton was dead by the time the bank dis- a magnificent trail solved, but Blodgett must have felt some loss at watching his that the winds friend’s dream turn into a nightmare. Even worse, the disso- through the lution of the bank came at a time when he was facing serious woods. challenges over another one of his projects. Snowshoeing has been a popular activity among visitors to the Around the same time Blodgett was designing the bank, he park this winter. Each spring we sponsored the development of the Blodgett Hotel in Wash- reach out to you ington DC. He planned to construct a public building through with reminders that your financial support is needed to a lottery, exactly like his father had done with the canal at help us carry out our mission “to maintain and protect the Amoskeag. Ultimately, the plan fell apart due to mismanage- heritage and recreational use of Stark Park." As you know, ment; Blodgett lost everything and spent some time in debt- The Friends of Stark Park is an all-volunteer organization, or’s prison. In 1800, it became home to the first theater com- and our overhead is very low; there is no staff or rent to pany in the city. The government purchased the building pay. Your contribution goes directly to support our work from Blodgett in 1810 for use as the US Patent Office. The sale did not fix Blodgett’s money troubles. In 1814, he died in in the park, itself! Special contributions designated for obscurity in Baltimore. When Washington DC was burned landscape improvements should be indicated next to Con- shortly thereafter, the building temporarily housed Congress tinuing Restoration on the return envelope. until the Capitol could be rebuilt. It was used afterward as the Patent Office and the US Post Office until it was destroyed by Please fill out the enclosed envelope and send us your fire in 1836. Although the building no longer stands, its archi- check or visit to donate on-line. Thanks in advance for tecture inspired the design of the current US Treasury build- your annual donation to the Friends of Stark Park. ing, built the same year as the fire.

The story of Hamilton is not just a biography about a single man. It is the story of the fabric of our shared cultural history Bring your work gloves and a rake and join us, from 9am – and national identity. This means that even though they don’t 12pm, followed by a pizza party. Meet your neighbors and appear in the show directly, people like the Starks, Blodgetts, friends in a safe and socially distant effort to spruce up the and countless other contemporary Americans contributed to park and participate in a community service day with the that story, a weaving of historical events that has captured our entire family. The city will also provide rakes and bags, so national imagination through hip-hop. everyone is welcome. 5

For well over a decade, the Friends of Stark Park has worked in partnership with the city of Manchester to refurbish Stark Park. As we continue to make significant improvements to the upper grounds of this beautiful legacy park, our current joint project is the restoration of a trail system that meanders through the woods, below the Stark family gravesite.

Thanks to leadership from Tom Mattson of the Manchester Parks During a January thaw, a team from Manchester Public Works used heavy Department, the first phase of this project has already been completed. They equipment to repair a washed out road in the lower half of Stark Park. repaired the drainage system through the woods that has washed out a former carriage road. They also repaired the wooden trail steps, cut and cleared fallen trees along the trails, and tidied up the area through weed whacking and leaf blowing.

Once the heavy work has been completed, volunteers will be called on to help renovate the trails. Depending on the weather, we expect this work to begin sometime in April or May. If you are interested in joining us for trail work, please contact us at [email protected]. We also invite you to join us for our spring cleanup on April 17th at 9am and for Trails Day on April 24th at 9am when we will have a ribbon cutting ceremony to dedicate the newly restored trails!

While we are on the topic of revitalizing woodland trails, the Heritage Trail has received some attention recently. Last fall, a group of weed whacking volunteers, calling themselves Friends of Manchester Rails With Trails, a project of Manchester Moves, Inc., cleaned up the overgrown trails that wind through the woods along the Heritage Trail behind the Sununu Youth Services Center.

The Heritage Trail is a 200-mile trail program run by the state of New Hampshire that plans to connect cities and towns in a north/south direction, from top to bottom across the state. Portions have been completed in various locations by communities along the trail, and in Manchester the trail runs along the Merrimack River. Our park trails connect to this system, and another trail head is located just 100 yards north of Stark Park on River Road. The trail heads can be identified by the wooden posts with the inscribed HT symbol.

Unfortunately, the pandemic still prevents us from hosting any Yoga in the Park events with large crowds. This means that John Stark Day, the Yoga Balance will be conducting classes in the park Wednesday annual Egg Hunt, and the summer concert series have been evenings from 5:30pm to 6:30pm starting on June 2 continuing cancelled again this year. We are exploring options for holding until September 8. If you are interested, please contact a short concert season late in the summer, if conditions im- [email protected] or visit their website, yogabalance.info, for more information. prove, and hopefully we will have more information about that possibility in time for the next issue of the newsletter. Smaller, private events are listed below as they will be hosted with so- cial distancing measures. And as always, feel free to just enjoy some outdoor time at the park alone or in small, safe groups! Barre Life Class Barre Life will be holding a barre/yoga class in the park every Saturday morning from 8:15 to 10:30am starting on May 1st continuing until September 4th. If you are interested, please con- tact [email protected] or visit their website, https:// barrelifenh.com, for more information. A past Barre Life class in the park. From the BarreLifeNH Facebook page. 6

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Friends of Stark Park Non-profit org. PO Box 1485 U.S. Postage Manchester, NH 03105-1485 PAID starkpark.com Manchester, NH Permit No. 424

We are regret to report that Jim Adams resigned from our Board of Directors at the beginning of this year. Jim, a journalist, enjoyed writing and contributed several articles to our newsletter. He was also active with the landscape committee. We wish Jim the best in all his future endeavors! Elizabeth “Betsy” Soukup joined the board in February. Betsy and her husband, Jason, led the res- toration of the Heritage Trail adjacent to the park and joined us for our fall cleanup. Be sure to wish Betsy a warm welcome when you meet her!

Live Free AND JOIN!

Do you love Stark Park? The Friends of Stark Park invite you to join us! Stay informed on activities, events, and opportunities to help revitalize, maintain, and protect the heritage and recreational use of Stark Park! Become Stark Park Summer House, c. 1910. Photo courtesy of Dick Duckoff. a donor via starkpark.com/membership! This circa 1910 postcard shows the summer house, a now de- Donations are welcomed and accepted year round and allow the FSP to con- funct feature of Stark Park. The summer house was like a minia- tinue furthering our mission to pre- ture gazebo, allowing a “proper” Victorian couple to step out of serve and protect the heritage of the rain or hot sun. It could also be used as a discreet Stark Park. Thank you for your gen- place for a quick canoodle! This structure is a erosity and support! good examples of how little the usage of the park has changed in its nearly 130 year history, de- spite significant changes to the way it looks. We are not clear exactly where the summer house stood or when it was finally removed, but based on this postcard, it appears that it sat southeast of the gravesite, overlooking the lawn that goes down to Photo by New England Nomad the old softball field. newenglandnomad2015.com