This week, as we celebrate our veterans, I wanted to introduce you to a gentleman who for many years was literally part of the fabric of Somersworth. His name was Harry Wingate Campbell, but if you are of a much older generation than I am, you might recall him simply as: The Rag Man.
If it was not for the foresight of one man I would not be able to tell you about Harry this week. That man was Dave Dumais, who one day walked into the Summersworth Historical Museum on Main Street, holding a simple tin box. That box contained all that was left of the belongings of a man whose life had been so full. You see, Harry had no relatives when he passed away in 1964 and he would in fact be buried in the Somersworth American Legion plot at Forest Glade Cemetery.
Dave’s father owned and operated Dumais Oil which was located on Market Street approximately where Somersworth House of Pizza is now. Harry had operated out of the building next door, which he had rented from Dumais for around 40 years. Known simply as The Rag Shop, Harry would collect and purchase fabric remnants from the mills that ran along the Salmon Falls River, then re-purpose and resell them. Dave told me he had found the tin box when he was packing up the office and for some reason had kept it.
I can still clearly remember the anticipation of turning the key to that box not quite knowing what to expect. Inside were a collection of handwritten letters, a photo, a small book detailing his trade and his war papers. This was when Dave informed the directors that he also had Harry’s uniform. An artifact he would subsequently bequeath to the museum along with the box and its contents.
Harry, it turns out had quite the life. He served in the Spanish American War and also World War I. According to several of the letters in that tin box, when World War II broke out, he wanted to serve once more but, much to his consternation, was too old according to Army regulations.
Another letter gives us a snapshot into the time when the country was in deep depression: 1932. In that one letter dated 1932, it appears Harry’s life had reached rock bottom and he appears to be writing to the war office asking who would be entitled to monies owed if he were to take his own life. His hope was that it would go to his ex-wife. He never sent the letter and it remains in that box at the museum as a sad testament to a time when people were truly thankful for all they had.
I’ve heard stories that each Memorial Day, Harry could be found in full uniform and he would walk from Somersworth to Old Orchard Beach and by all accounts I can find he was quite the character. He was for many years an active member of the Spanish American War Veterans’ Association.
Each Memorial and Veterans day, I pay a visit to Forest Glade Cemetery and Harry’s stone. There I spend a few minutes reflecting a life story almost lost to time and in my own small way paying my respects to a man who served his country. It seems like a small gesture, but one that is as important today as it was way back in 1947 when the very first Veteran’s Day was celebrated.
You can find Harry’s box and uniform in the military room at the Summersworth Historical Museum located at 157 Main St., Somersworth, along with artifacts from many of the major conflicts and the brave men and women of Somersworth who have served over the years dating back to the Revolutionary War.
This year, on Veterans Day, Somersworth will dedicate the freshly minted Somersworth Veterans Memorial at Stein Park. Located next to the Summersworth Historical Museum, which seems very appropriate, the memorial will serve as a quiet place to reflect on the sacrifice of others. It will also be a place of celebration for the lives, like Harry’s, that have gone before us, but are still as relevant today as they were when the first armistice was signed back on Nov. 11, 1918.
I’ll end this week by simply saying thank you. Thanks to all those who have served and those who continue to do so. Your sacrifices and those of your families will never be forgotten.
This article first appeared in Fosters Daily Democrat on November 9th, 2020.