Spooky Season Reads

In 1805, a member of a survey crew working on building a road through New Hampshire’s Franconia Notch walked down to Ferrin’s Pond (today’s Profile Lake), gazed up the side of Cannon Mountain, and was mesmerized by what he saw—the state’s most iconic symbol, the Old Man of the Mountain profile.

A few years later, the Flume Gorge, an 800-foot-long natural gorge, was discovered. These natural curiosities quickly gained national attention, and by the mid-1800s, Franconia Notch was a tourist mecca; the limited stagecoach travel through the notch became daily, and the simple overnight accommodations were replaced with the Flume House and the Profile House, two grand hotels that could accommodate hundreds of overnight guests. After fire destroyed the Profile House in 1923, the property was put for sale. A joint effort between the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, the State of New Hampshire, and the New Hampshire Federation of Women’s Clubs led to the creation of the Franconia Notch Forest Reservation and Memorial Park (today’s Franconia Notch State Park) in 1928.

This book takes readers on a journey through the rich and fascinating history of Franconia Notch during the mid-19th to late 20th century.

The town of Stoddard, located in the Monadnock Region of southwest New Hampshire, is blessed with a handsomely severe landscape of forests, lakes, and hills admired for their natural beauty. Hundreds of farm families settled in the town between 1768 and 1820. When the rock-laden and thin-soiled farms failed in the mid-1800s, the town turned to industry to survive. An extensive woodenware industry and a nationally known glass industry provided employment through the 19th century. Those industries also failed by the early 20th century, and the town’s population toppled by more than 90 percent. The introduction of the automobile revived the community, allowing families to easily visit the town’s numerous lakes and ponds. Stoddard became a tourist destination as the 20th century progressed. Today, two-thirds of the land area has been conserved as natural open space, most of it available for public use. Stoddard’s natural beauty and unaltered historic character are enjoyed by visitors and a growing population of permanent residents.

Ghost stories from Amherst, New Hampshire have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky roads of Amherst, New Hampshire! 

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. 

Did you know Town Hall once had skeletons in the basement? Or that a haunted cottage sits near the shores of Baboosic Lake? Can you believe ghostly wolves roam the forests at night, their eerie howls echoing until dawn? 

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Amherst, New Hampshire forever, and have you sleeping with the lights on! 

The islands of southern Lake Winnipesaukee have a rich and diverse history.

The first summer home on Sleepers Island was Hale’s castle, a replica of a medieval castle constructed by the same stone masons who built Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough. An indigenous archeological site and other relics have been uncovered on Rattlesnake Island. Treasure Island and Cub Island were originally developed as a boy’s summer camp. Diamond Island was a stop for the steamboat Lady of the Lake, and the Diamond Island House was cut in half and moved across the lake to become the Hotel Weirs. In later years, the U.S. Navy established a research station on the island.

Local author and islander Stephanie Erickson shares the history of the islands and how they have shaped the culture of the islanders today. 

New Hampshire’s seacoast may be just 18 miles long, but what it lacks in length, it makes up for with centuries of fascinating maritime history. Portsmouth developed along the banks of the Piscataqua River to become the state’s colonial capital and a center of trade and shipbuilding. Portsmouth Harbor’s 1771 lighthouse was the first lighthouse established in the American colonies north of Boston. A few miles offshore, Native Americans were fishing and hunting at the archipelago known as the Isles of Shoals for centuries before the islands were developed by European fishermen and settlers in the 1600s, and a lighthouse was established at the southernmost island in 1821. Inland, three wooden lighthouses were built on Lake Sunapee in the late 1800s to guide steamships full of vacationers to their destinations around the lake. All of these locations have stories to tell of dedicated keepers and their families, shipwrecks, rescues, and much more.

Ghost stories from Nashua, New Hampshire have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery! 

Welcome to spooky Nashua, New Hampshire!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms.

Did you know that Nashua's historic Clocktower Place is buzzing with supernatural activity? Or that when the sun goes down in Mine Falls Park, ghostly miners wander the woods in search of hidden treasure? Can you believe that on autumn nights, when the moon shines bright, a mischievous spirit takes the shape of a raccoon?

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Nashua forever, and have you sleeping with the lights on!

Hampstead is a charming New Hampshire town with a deep history dating back to its founding in 1749, when Gov. Benning Wentworth incorporated the land surrounding his farm property on what is now known as Governors Island. Hampstead, both past and present, evokes an appreciation of a quaint village lifestyle. Included in this curated collection of the town’s history are early photographs of well-known landmarks like the Old Meeting House, built in 1745, and its Paul Revere Jr. bell that still proudly rings today as well as generations of Hampstead families enjoying everyday recreation, including summers spent on the three town lakes. The impact of the railroad coming to town in 1876, the factories and farming economies, celebrated town officials, and school days of the past can all be found in these pages.

Ghost stories from New Hampshire's White Mountains have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery! 

Welcome to the spooky White Mountains of New Hampshire!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms.

Did you know that playful ghosts haunt the Moat Mountain House in Conway? Or that the historic Blair Bridge in Campton is said to be cursed? Can you believe that on snowy nights in Woodstock and Lincoln, you may still hear the ghostly echoes of a plane lost long ago?

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see New Hampshire's White Mountains forever, and have you sleeping with the lights on!

New Hampshire's literary roots are long and rich, with names like Robert Frost, Celia Thaxter and Willa Cather beckoning book lovers.

Travel to Cornish and discover the connections between one of the state's premier novelists, Winston Churchill, and the British statesman of the same name. Experience north country beauty in Littleton, birthplace of Eleanor Porter, who introduced a new word into the English language. Learn how Newport native Sarah Josepha Hale became one of the most influential writers of her time. Follow young black novelist Harriet Wilson from Milford and the belated recognition of her groundbreaking book.

Local author Gary Crooker reveals the stories and places behind these and many more lettered luminaries.