Here we met Denys Draper, a woodsman who talks about moving away from the sea coast and living with the native Americans. He also talked about the mast tree harvest which was done by England during this time. Trees with a diameter of greater then 24 inches were marked with an arrow to proclaim them to be owned by the King of England destined to be cut and sent back to England to be turned into the masts of ships. It became a bone of contention to the locals and the beginning of unrest among the colonists. We moved on to the next scene which was of a farmer who had taken advantage of the government's offer of 100 acre land grant if he would settle and develop the land. We then arrived at a winter scene showing living conditions for the early settlers. Amazingly the room was quite cool due to a cooling unit that created two frozen areas on either side of the walkway. Running our hands over the ice as we walked to the cabin, gave us a definite feeling for the harsh winters that were endured here. As the trail and time continued we found ourselves in a board barn in the early 1700s. Here mannequins showed the labors of the trades practiced during that period. On we went to the boat shop, which represents the Portsmouth Navel Shipyard where the Reliance and the Ranger were built. These were the first two war ships of the Continental Congress with the Ranger being Captained by John Paul Jones. The next scene is of Portsmouth in 1777 during the American Revolution. A long street leads away where a short film shows the men leaving for the battle of Bunker Hill. A lady talks to the visitors about life in Portsmouth, where the printing shop was located. Here we met 77 year old David Moreton, a printer of the New Hampshire Gazette, who was busy printing copies of the U. S. Constitution on an old hand printing press which actually worked. He was not so busy as to not be able to take time out to fold continental hats for a couple of kids who watched in fascination. We continued on into a room set in October 29, 1789 and watched George Washington deliver his thank you address as he did in Portsmouth on that date. We moved on down the trail and into the 1800s. We passed through the Abbott Downing Co. which built carriages in the 1830s including the famous stage coaches of the Old west era. We then arrived in a typical New Hampshire town square where Daniel Webster was delivering a dissertation on the life and times he lived in. The face of Daniel is back projected giving the mannequin a life-like appearance. On we went, passing a 1850 farm kitchen, and a town meeting where the elected were discussing whether or not to allow square dancing in the town hall. The path continues through an 1803 barn that was moved to the site, and on to many other scenes until arriving at the grand hotel where we waited for the conductor to take us on the train. We entered a passenger car and took a seat. A beautiful fall scene filled both side outside the train. There was a sharp whistle and a shudder and the train jerked and lurched and the scene outside began to slip by. The ride was all mechanical and quite real feeling. It made a very impressive ending for a most interesting walk through New Hampshire and time. On the outside, as we looked over the building, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to lock up my valuables so to speak (:-)

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