As a writer I often find myself asking the question why? It’s one of the fundamental questions of writing that we are taught in elementary school, but it’s something that we so often forget to ask ourselves as we reach adulthood. Writing reminds me constantly to ask that question and for that I am grateful.
Since I started blogging and writing about Somersworth some five-plus years ago, I often get asked the question why I choose to write about Somersworth. The good thing is this question makes me step back and ask myself that question as well. The answer is as complex as it is simple.
The 5-year-old in me simply answers because I live here. The adult answer is because I live here and I want to make a difference to the place that I choose to call home. It’s so much more than that though. It’s been an amazing way for me to combine my love of history, my love of writing and my love of Somersworth into something I can share with others.
One unexpected side effect of my writing about Somersworth is the connections I have made with people who currently live here and like myself call it home and those who grew up here but have found themselves in other parts of the country or the world. I always get excited when I receive an email or letter from someone who has read about something I have written about that fills in any of the blanks and helps bring the subject, be it a school that no longer exists or the train station, to life.
As the saying goes, “History repeats itself.” This is true as much in a city as it is in life itself. The more I delve into the fascinating history of Somersworth, I learnthe way that it came to be what it is today. More than that though I see so many similarities between yesterday and today. Let me give you just a little example:
The bridge that runs over the Salmon Falls River and connects downtown Somersworth with Berwick has been for many years a bone of contention. The question of who was responsible for the repairs to a bridge that spans not only two tons but also two states, Maine and New Hampshire, has led to many a spat over the years. The bridge at one stage in the late 1860s was labelled “the bridge of sighs” by one city councilor after Berwick declined to contribute funds in order to build a brand new iron truss bridge that would replace the then-wooden structure. It was only recently that the two states came together and rebuilt the bridge which today sees an average of 30,000 cars travel over it each day.
Open pretty much any old city newspapers that are held within the Summersworth Historical Museum archives and you will likely find something that is as relevant today as it was the day the newspaper was printed. The technology or machinery may have changed, but the core of the issue is fundamentally the same. Here’s a perfect example of this I found the other day
The headline on the Somersworth/Berwick Free Press from March 2, 1967 reads “Sidewalks not plowed Fournier Tells Why” with the byline of “The straw that’s breaking the department’s back.” Also included is a picture of a sidewalk plow. If you watched any of the City Council meetings over the past five years you will be aware that while the equipment has changed the issue has not. That was until the council decided to purchase a new sidewalk plow and decided to invest in Somersworth’s sidewalks. Even then, the results are not immediate as anything worth doing takes time, energy and, oh, money. So the city has embarked on a plan that involves collecting data on the sidewalks and those that are in need of immediate repair and those that can wait with a heavy bias to those that are used as a way to get to school.
It’s only when we understand how and why something got the way it is can we begin to understand how to either fix it or at least improve it. By looking back at the city’s history and seeing how yesterday is still connected to today, we begin to understand the fundamentals of a problem. As the city motto reminds us “Proud Past, Bright Future.” This is a big part of why I write about the things I do.
I also love uncovering the stories that are in danger of being lost to time. The stories that are buried deep in the newspaper pages that sit on the shelves of the historical museum or in the minds of readers of this publication, or those who are interred in their permanent homes in one of the city’s five cemeteries.
As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and hopefully see the back of it, Somersworth, like Sleeping Beauty, is beginning to wake up and as we come back to life and more events are scheduled, I will bring them to you here.
These are the main reasons I love to write about Somersworth and I would love to hear what you like to read about here. That’s all I have for this week, so until next week, please be kind to one another as you never know what someone else is going through.