Snapshot: Dover

Tommy Makem of Dover, born in Ireland, came to America and became known as the "Godfather of Irish Music," the Bard of Armagh. Makem's career as musician, singer, songwriter, author, and storyteller has spanned more than four decades as he revived Irish folk music to its greatest popularity and re-introduced the Irish culture to the United States. The tradition continues strong as his three sons formed their own group, the Makem Brothers, to delight audiences with songs of Ireland.

Jenny Thompson, born in 1973, is the youngest member of this list of Dover notables, but certainly no less accomplished. Born in Dover, this Olympic Gold Medalist is one of the most decorated US female swimmers in Olympic history. She brought home the gold, the bronze, and the silver from Barcelona, Atlanta, and Sydney!

Tidbit - At the time he assassinated President Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth was engaged to marry Lucy Hale, the daughter of John P Hale, the first abolitionist US Senator!

Places
The campus of the Woodman Institute is home to three museums: the Woodman House, the John P Hale House, and the Damm Garrison. The Woodman House offers three floors of diverse exhibits including minerals, shells, original display cases from the turn of the century housing moth and butterfly exhibits, and a War Memorial Museum containing an impressive array of items. Among them is the saddle President Lincoln, who visited the area often, used on his last trip to Dover just before his death. Preserved and on display in the John P Hale house are belongings of its residents including toys, dolls, furniture, and political papers. The Damm Garrison, the oldest intact garrison in New Hampshire, gives you a look into colonial life with everyday items such as spinning wheels and the furniture of the day.

If you want to see what is in Dover and the surrounding area, the place to go is the Garrison Hill Park and Tower. From the Tower, you can see the city and well beyond, including the White Mountains and the Isle of Shoals! While you're up there, you might spy a train. After a 36-year absence, the train is running again, stopping in Dover on its way from Boston to Portland, Maine. What a wonderful way to travel to a beautiful city!

Tidbit - John Tuttle established his farm on Dover Point Road in 1632. To this day it is still owned and run by his descendants,