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	<title>Old North Cemetery &#8211; THROUGH THE EYES OF JEFFERSON</title>
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	<description>Presidential site adventures as told by a bobble head</description>
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		<title>240:  AN AFTERNOON WITH AMERICA&#8217;S SADDEST PRESIDENT</title>
		<link>https://eyesofjefferson.com/240-an-afternoon-with-americas-saddest-president/</link>
					<comments>https://eyesofjefferson.com/240-an-afternoon-with-americas-saddest-president/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Watson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 08 Jul 2023 16:37:25 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bennie Pierce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Calvary Cemetery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christa McAuliffe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christa McAuliffe grave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Concord High School]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Concord New Hampshire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Frankie Pierce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Franklin Pierce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Franklin Pierce death site]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Franklin Pierce grave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Franklin Pierce Lake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Franklin Pierce law office]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hillsboro New Hampshire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jane Pierce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Old North Cemetery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pierce birthplace]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pierce Homestead]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pierce Manse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pierce Mansion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Space Shuttle Challenger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[St. Paul&#039;s Church Concord]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thomas Jefferson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thomas Jefferson bobble head]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://eyesofjefferson.com/?p=14973</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The clock on our rented Ford Explorer&#8217;s dashboard read 12:30pm when my photographer, his travel companion, Bob Moldenhauer, and I were on the road towards Hillsboro, New Hampshire. Although the temperature had warmed up slightly in the afternoon of Wednesday&#8230;]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The clock on our rented Ford Explorer&#8217;s dashboard read 12:30pm when my photographer, his travel companion, Bob Moldenhauer, and I were on the road towards Hillsboro, New Hampshire.  Although the temperature had warmed up slightly in the afternoon of Wednesday June 7, 2023, the sky was still overcast and hazy.  The route from Plymouth Notch, Vermont to Hillsboro was fairly direct, but it took nearly two hours to make the 60-mile journey.  When we finally arrived at our destination at 2:20pm, I was afforded my first-ever look at the boyhood home of President Franklin Pierce.  The historic home was on Tom&#8217;s agenda in 2017, but time constraints, along with his wife questioning the reason for going so far out of the way, made my photographer change his plans.  We ended up bypassing Hillsboro altogether that year, which displeased me to no end.  One more reason I love traveling with Bob!</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The huge, two-story house in front of Tom and I was built in 1804 by Benjamin Pierce, the future President&#8217;s father.  Benjamin was famous in his own right &#8211; he fought in battle during the American Revolution with General George Washington, and he served twice as New Hampshire&#8217;s governor for two nonconsecutive one-year terms in the late 1820s.  </p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">On November 23, 1804, Franklin Pierce was brought into the world in a small cabin located along the Contoocook River near Hillsboro.  Soon after Franklin&#8217;s birth, the Pierce&#8217;s relocated their family out of the cramped cabin and into the new spacious home built by Benjamin.  Franklin grew up in the house where he was a robust and devilish youngster, quick to either fight someone or pull a prank on them.  For thirty years after his birth, Franklin lived in the house; with the exception of the seven years he was away from Hillsboro, either at college or studying law.  After Pierce married Jane Appleton on November 19, 1834, the newlyweds moved out of the house and moved to Concord, New Hampshire.  The sudden move out of his father&#8217;s home was accelerated by Jane&#8217;s dislike for Hillsboro.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Our recent streak of good fortune in Plymouth Notch didn&#8217;t follow us into New Hampshire as the Pierce Homestead was not open to visitors on Wednesday or Thursday, which meant my companions and I were left on the outside looking in.  A few weeks before our trip began, Tom contacted the Hillsborough Historical Society and requested a private, off-hours tour of the Homestead, but unfortunately his request was denied.  Had they known who I was, the most famous bobble head in the country, the Historical Society likely would&#8217;ve changed their minds.  Even without their permission, the three of us managed to access the fenced-in grounds in front of the home after one of my travel mates unhooked the latch to the front gate.  For most of our visit, however, we either stayed outside of the fence or we walked up close to the southern wing of the house where there wasn&#8217;t a barricade in place.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-1.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14976" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-1.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-1.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-1.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Welcome to the boyhood home of Franklin Pierce, which was built by his father, Benjamin, in 1804.  Franklin lived in this home shortly after his birth until he got married to Jane Appleton in 1834.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-7.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14977" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-7.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-7.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-7.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-7.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I would&#8217;ve loved a tour of the historic Pierce Homestead, but instead I was left standing on the front fence.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-3.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14978" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-3.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-3.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-3.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-3.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Once my companions found a way to unhook the latch at the front gate, it wasn&#8217;t long before I found myself standing at the western front door of the Pierce home.  During my short time there, I envisioned young Franklin running past me as he played a prank on one of his friends in the front yard.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-4.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14979" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-4.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-4.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-4.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-4.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">There was no window ledge to stand on, but I managed to play the role of a Peeping Tom anyway.  With the interior curtains drawn tight, there was no way I could see inside the house &#8211; no matter how hard I tried.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-10.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14980" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-10.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-10.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-10.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-10.jpg?resize=768%2C548&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Some have claimed over the years that Franklin Pierce was actually born in this house.  But those stories are completely false.  The future President was born in a small cabin along the shore of the nearby Contoocook River.  Today, the remnants of the Pierce birth cabin are at the bottom of Lake Franklin Pierce, which is a natural reservoir created in 1926 when the Contoocook was dammed.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-8.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14981" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-8.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-8.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-8.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-HOMESTEAD-8.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tom placed me on the step of an entryway to what might have been the tavern Benjamin Pierce operated in the home.  In the distance to my right, it&#8217;s easy to see the south entrance to the main part of the home.</figcaption></figure></div>


<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">With no access to the interior of the home, thanks to our schedule and the unwillingness of the Hillsborough Historical Society to alter their schedule for three Presidential historians, our visit to the Pierce Homestead lasted roughly 15 minutes.  When Tom set the camera case, with me in it, onto the backseat of the Explorer, I couldn&#8217;t believe what the first words out of his mouth were &#8211; he told Bob we were headed to find the actual birthplace of Franklin Pierce.  In the past, I&#8217;d been subjected to some dangerous daredevil type stunts at Presidential sites, just so my photographer could get the perfect picture.  But taking me to the bottom of a lake was going a bit too far, at least in my opinion.  I knew Bob had stowed wet-weather gear for potential rain and thunderstorms during the trip, but I didn&#8217;t realize he had packed scuba gear as well.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">On the road to the birth site, we had gone less than a half-mile when Tom pulled our vehicle off to the north side of West Main Street.  That&#8217;s when the three of us began our 40-yard hike through overgrown weeds, rough ground, and a variety of discarded bottles and concrete, just to get close to the shore of Franklin Pierce Lake.  When the two trailblazers got to a point where they could go no further on foot, Tom held me aloft and took a few pictures of me with the calm water nestled between the hills at the horizon.  Although the reservoir was spread-out over 483 acres of land just west of downtown Hillsboro, it was the inlet in front of us that was the likely underwater resting place of Pierce&#8217;s birthplace.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAKE-1.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14985" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAKE-1.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAKE-1.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAKE-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAKE-1.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;Somewhere, out there, beneath the glare of Franklin Pierce Lake.  A cabin in ruins, where a President was born, laid silently below the wake&#8221;.  I stood and wondered whether or not the original birth cabin had survived until the damming of the Contoocook River in 1926 created the reservoir &#8211; covering the birthplace forever. </figcaption></figure></div>


<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">When our safari to the shore of Franklin Pierce Lake had concluded, the three of us retraced our steps back to the vehicle.  I thought for sure my camera guy would either trip and fall during the expedition or get bitten by a poisonous timber rattlesnake.  Thankfully we escaped, no worse for wear; plus, we managed to get as close as humanly possible, without getting wet, to the historic birthplace.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The next site on our agenda was located 30 miles east of Hillsboro in the capital city of Concord, New Hampshire.  Tom had arranged a 4pm tour at the historic Pierce Manse, which gave us nearly 90 minutes to make the short jaunt to Concord.  But first, before we left Hillsboro, Tom needed to get some fuel.  But, not for the Explorer.  Instead, it was for the bottomless pit called his stomach.  Three McDonald&#8217;s cheeseburgers and a small order of fries later, we were on the road to Franklin&#8217;s house.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">It was 3:40pm when we arrived in the parking area near the side of the historic Pierce Manse.  Even though we were only twenty minutes early, there didn&#8217;t seem to be anyone else at the home.  Since it was a day when the historic home wasn&#8217;t open for tours, my photographer had arranged a special tour with Irene, a member of the Pierce Brigade.  However, Irene didn&#8217;t seem to be there yet.  Tom and Bob used that extra time to capture images of the Manse&#8217;s exterior.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The Pierce Manse, as it&#8217;s called today, was built in 1838 on Montgomery Street, which was roughly one mile south of its current location on Horseshoe Lane.  The home was saved by a group known as the Pierce Brigade.  That group relocated the historic Manse to keep it from being demolished in 1971.  </p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Franklin and Jane Pierce, along with their two sons Frankie and Bennie, moved into their newly purchased home in 1842 shortly after Jane persuaded her husband to resign from the United States Senate.  It was no secret Jane Pierce hated politics and disliked living in Washington D.C.  A little over a year after the Pierce&#8217;s moved into the home, young Frankie died from epidemic typhus on November 14, 1843, in an upstairs bedroom of the home.  The future President&#8217;s son was only four years old.  </p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">During their time in the Manse, Franklin volunteered to fight in the Mexican-American War in May of 1846.  While serving his country, Pierce rose up the ranks quickly and became a brigadier general within ten months.  In December 1847, after becoming very sick in Mexico City with diarrhea, possibly from drinking the water, Pierce returned home to Concord to a hero&#8217;s welcome.  The Pierce&#8217;s left the Manse in early 1848 after the home had been sold near the war&#8217;s end.  Franklin returned to his law practice in town, while he and his family lived in a rented apartment on Thorndike Street.  Just four short years later, Pierce was elected as our 14th President &#8211; a move that didn&#8217;t set very well with his wife.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Just as Bob and Tom were wrapping-up their exterior images, we got word Irene was ill and wasn&#8217;t available to guide us on our tour of the home.  I was concerned by the news because Irene said during a phone conversation that she would attempt to obtain permission for my two companions to take photographs inside the home.  During my first visit to the Pierce Manse in 2017, members of the Pierce Brigade were adamantly opposed to photography of any kind, which caused my photographer to boycott the tour.  Tom and I never went inside the house.  The news grew grimmer when we met our new tour guide at the entrance to the museum &#8211; it was Tom Fisk, Vice President of the Pierce Brigade; he was stepping in for Irene.  Once inside the small museum, we discovered the president of the brigade, Joan Woodhead, was there as well.  The only thought I had running through my resin mind was: &#8220;They brought out the big guns to keep me from being photographed inside that house.&#8221;</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">I couldn&#8217;t have been more mistaken.  When we entered the world of Franklin Pierce, his sanctuary just four years before he lived in the White House, I was shocked when Mr. Fisk allowed my photographer to let me pose in the parlor for a picture.  Once again, it seemed as though a divine entity was helping us; or perhaps the three of us were just in the right place at the right time with the right person.  The parlor was very elegant and featured several pieces of furniture used by Pierce in the White House.  That room was also where President Bill Clinton stood and delivered a speech in December 2009.  From that moment on, I posed in every room &#8211; with Tom Fisk&#8217;s permission, of course.  I was elated for such a surprising, yet wonderful, opportunity.  When Fisk led us to the upstairs bedrooms, my demeaner went from joyous to sorrowful, but it wasn&#8217;t because of the photography rules.  I was sad due to the two Pierce boys and their tragic stories.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The first bedroom we visited was Benjamin&#8217;s, or Bennie, as his parents called him.  In that room, I saw the original bed where the youngster slept from the age of one year until he was nearly seven years old.  Bennie was a healthy youngster who played in that room, read in that room, and dreamed in that room.  Sadly, less than five years after young Bennie last slept on that very bed, he was tragically killed when a train he was travelling in with his parents derailed near Andover, Massachusetts on January 6, 1853.  When I posed near the bed, my heart was filled with sadness for young Benjamin Pierce &#8211; gone at the age of eleven.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">In the Master Bedroom of Franklin and Jane Pierce, I had the opportunity to stand next to the President&#8217;s personal shaving kit where I saw my reflection in the mirror &#8211; the same mirror &#8220;Handsome Frank&#8221; saw his own reflection.  While that was an amazing moment, because that shaving kit likely contained some of President Pierce&#8217;s DNA, my jubilance quickly turned to sadness when I learned four-year-old Frank Robert Pierce, or their little Frankie, had died in that bedroom.  As a matter of fact, a portrait of Frankie hung above the fireplace in the Master Bedroom.  How sad could it get for the Pierce&#8217;s, especially after they lost their first-born son, Franklin Jr., when he died in 1836 just three days after he was born?  No wonder Jane became depressed, and the President drank himself to death.  All of the family tragedy made me realize why Franklin Pierce was the saddest President in American history. </p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-OUTSIDE.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15008" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-OUTSIDE.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-OUTSIDE.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-OUTSIDE.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-OUTSIDE.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The historic Pierce Manse in Concord, New Hampshire was where Franklin Pierce, and his family, lived from 1842 until 1848.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-10.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14993" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-10.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-10.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-10.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-10.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">When Franklin owned this home, it did not have a name &#8211; it wasn&#8217;t known as the &#8220;Pierce Manse&#8221; until 1969.  The name was to differentiate the home from the boyhood home in Hillsboro, called the Pierce Homestead, and the home where Franklin died in 1869, called the Pierce Mansion, which burned to the ground in 1981. </figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-OUTSIDE-AGAIN.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15009" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-OUTSIDE-AGAIN.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-OUTSIDE-AGAIN.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-OUTSIDE-AGAIN.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-OUTSIDE-AGAIN.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Franklin Pierce bought this home shortly after he resigned from the United States Senate.  In December 1847, Pierce returned to this home as a hero of the Mexican-American War.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-7.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14995" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-7.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-7.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-7.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-7.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Five years after Franklin Pierce walked out of the door behind me for the last time, he walked through the front door of the White House as our 14th President.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-3.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14997" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-3.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-3.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-3.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-3.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I&#8217;m standing above a shirt worn by Franklin Pierce while he was President.  The collar of Pierce&#8217;s shirt was starched and worn upright.  The President&#8217;s name was embroidered into the body of the shirt.  If you look closely, you can see his name next to the shirt&#8217;s right sleeve.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-2.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15011" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-2.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-2.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-2.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Now can you see the name?</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-13.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14999" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-13.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-13.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-13.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-13.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I couldn&#8217;t believe it when Tom Fisk allowed me to be photographed in the home&#8217;s parlor, with the dining room behind me.  The sofa below the portrait of President Pierce belonged to Jane and was used in their White House living quarters.  The table alongside me was also used in the White House by the Pierce&#8217;s.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-15.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15000" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-15.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-15.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-15.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-15.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In this view of the parlor, I&#8217;m standing close to the spot where Bill Clinton delivered a speech on December 2, 2009.  The portrait above the fireplace was Franklin&#8217;s father, Benjamin Pierce.  As a soldier in the Revolutionary War, Benjamin was present at the Battle of Bunker Hill.  In 1827, Pierce was elected as New Hampshire&#8217;s 11th Governor.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="558" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-4.jpg?resize=800%2C558&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15012" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-4.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-4.jpg?resize=300%2C209&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-4.jpg?resize=1024%2C714&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-4.jpg?resize=768%2C535&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">On December 2, 2009, Bill Clinton visited Concord and delivered a speech from the parlor inside the Pierce Manse.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-14.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15001" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-14.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-14.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-14.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-14.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">President Pierce used this small writing desk in the White House.  I wanted to stand on that desk, but my photographer didn&#8217;t want to jeopardize our trust with Mr. Fisk.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-16.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15002" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-16.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-16.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-16.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-16.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The top hat to my left, which was made from beaver pelt and on display in a glass case, was worn by Franklin Pierce for his inauguration in Washington.  The walking stick was also owned by Pierce.  He didn&#8217;t need the stick to aid him in walking, it was simply a fashion statement of the times.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-18.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15003" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-18.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-18.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-18.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-18.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">It was a true honor for me to stand alongside the original bed used by Bennie Pierce in his upstairs bedroom.  Less than five years after Bennie last slept in this bed, he was tragically killed at the age of 11 outside of Andover, Massachusetts.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-20.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15004" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-20.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-20.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-20.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-20.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Master Bedroom in the Manse was where Franklin and Jane slept.  Unfortunately, this was not their original bed, but has been reputed to be a bed from the house next to the Pierce&#8217;s when they lived in this home.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-FRANKIE.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15005" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-FRANKIE.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-FRANKIE.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-FRANKIE.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-FRANKIE.jpg?resize=768%2C548&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In the distance, I saw Franklin&#8217;s shaving table in the corner.  As soon as I noticed the portrait above the fireplace, however, my giddiness turned to sadness.  The painting was Frank Robert Pierce who died in that very room on November 14, 1843.  It&#8217;s unimaginable how grief-stricken Franklin and Jane must&#8217;ve been when they lost their little Frankie.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1087" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-19.jpg?resize=800%2C1087&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15006" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-19.jpg?w=938&amp;ssl=1 938w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-19.jpg?resize=221%2C300&amp;ssl=1 221w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-19.jpg?resize=754%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 754w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-19.jpg?resize=768%2C1043&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A timeless reflection of me as I posed near the shaving kit used by President Franklin Pierce.  The President was known as &#8220;Handsome Frank&#8221; and he looked in that very mirror when he shaved.  When I saw my reflection in the same mirror, I thought I looked pretty darn good myself.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-17.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15014" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-17.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-17.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-17.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-MANSE-17.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Back downstairs, as our tour neared its end, I stood on the home&#8217;s original floorboards where I took a moment to reflect on the world of President Franklin Pierce.  Earlier in the day, I saw Franklin&#8217;s boyhood home and birth site in Hillsboro.  Past the open door behind me, and down the street a mile or so, there were more historical sites associated with our 14th President for me to visit &#8211; including the home site where Franklin died.</figcaption></figure></div>


<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">What a difference six years makes &#8211; in 2017, when my photographer boycotted an interior tour of the Manse due to the Pierce Brigade&#8217;s out-of-date &#8216;No Photography&#8217; rule, I left Horseshoe Lane with a definite sour taste in my mouth.  However, the tour of the historic home that my companions and I had just finished with Tom Fisk went far beyond my wildest expectations.  After all, I looked at my reflection in the mirror used by the President, I saw the bed where his youngest son slept, and I wept where Jane held their oldest son when he died.  I experienced the full gamut of emotions during the entire hour we were inside the historic home.  But our day with Franklin Pierce wasn&#8217;t quite over with yet, even though it was past five o&#8217;clock in the afternoon.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Around two in the afternoon, I stood in front of the Pierce Homestead near the site where Franklin was born.  At four o&#8217;clock, I stood in front of the Pierce Manse, the only home he ever owned.  Then, as the hands of the clock were moving towards six o&#8217;clock, I found myself standing in front of the Pierce Mansion.  Okay, I stood on the steps leading up to the mansion. It turned out the historic mansion was no longer there because it burned to the ground on September 17, 1981.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The Pierce Mansion, as it came to be known by over the years, was built in 1852 on South Main Street just five or six blocks south of the New Hampshire State House.  Franklin Pierce and his wife Jane lived in the three-story mansion on and off after leaving the White House in March 1857; they lived there as boarders of Willard Williams.  The former First Lady didn&#8217;t spend much time in the mansion as she preferred to stay with relatives in Massachusetts.  Concord brought back horrible memories for Jane, who constantly thought of her late son, Frankie, who died in her arms in the Manse.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Following his wife&#8217;s death in Andover, Massachusetts on December 2, 1863, Franklin&#8217;s drinking problem grew worse while he lived alone in that house &#8211; although at times, he did receive relatives and friends as visitors.  Pierce&#8217;s good friend, Nathanial Hawthorne, visited the former President in the home in 1864, shortly before the writer&#8217;s death on May 19th of that year.  Whether it was due to his consumption of &#8216;liquid courage&#8217;, or the fact Pierce was a staunch Democrat, but he publicly criticized and blamed Abraham Lincoln for the Civil War, which cost Franklin most of his longtime friends.  When the popular 16th President was assassinated in 1865, an angry mob showed up at Pierce&#8217;s doorstep when Franklin refused to fly an American flag as a symbol of mourning.  The mob was determined to destroy the home, or beat Franklin to a pulp, but Pierce&#8217;s skill as an orator calmed the crowd when he said his military history and public service proved his patriotism.  By mid-1869, as his health began to go downhill fast, his drinking grew heavier.  At 4:35am on October 8, 1869, President Franklin Pierce died alone in his rented Concord mansion at the age of 64.      </p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-3.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15018" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-3.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-3.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-3.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The steps behind me once led to the front porch of the Pierce Mansion.  The historic home burned to the ground in 1971, leaving only the steps behind as a ghostly reminder of where the saddest President in American history lived and died.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="623" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE.jpg?resize=800%2C623&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15019" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE.jpg?resize=300%2C234&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE.jpg?resize=1024%2C797&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE.jpg?resize=768%2C598&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">President Franklin Pierce died in this rented mansion in Concord, New Hampshire on October 8, 1869.  The former President was 64 years old.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="715" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-4.jpg?resize=800%2C715&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15020" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-4.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-4.jpg?resize=300%2C268&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-4.jpg?resize=1024%2C916&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-4.jpg?resize=768%2C687&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The small monument says it all &#8211; and it was here before the house was destroyed.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15021" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-2.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-2.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-2.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tom wanted me to pose on the upper level of the steps.  Before the home burned down, those steps were part of the mansion&#8217;s front portico.  There&#8217;s no doubt Franklin Pierce had walked those steps many times during the nine years he lived there, likely when he ran out to purchase a bottle of booze.</figcaption></figure></div>


<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Our visit to the site where the Pierce Mansion once stood was brief.  And to be honest, there&#8217;s not much one can do when there&#8217;s only a set of steps and a small monument marking the historical significance of the site.  During our 15-minute stay, I was able to stand on the grounds and think about the final years of President Franklin Pierce&#8217;s life.  He wasn&#8217;t our greatest President, because like Fillmore before him, and Buchanan after him, Pierce did nothing to end slavery in the United States.  He had very good reasons for not doing so, at least in his mind.  Pierce sighted our Constitution in his decision making and whether or not he had the power to end slavery without dividing our nation.  But all he did was put off the inevitable &#8211; which ultimately fell in the lap of Abraham Lincoln.  But when I stood alone on the steps of that rented mansion, he wasn&#8217;t the President of the United States.  At that moment, Franklin Pierce was a husband, and a devoted father; and he lost his entire family way too soon.  It was a very solemn moment for me.  I couldn&#8217;t help but think about President Pierce dying alone in that house, after years of trying to drown his sorrows in countless bottles of booze.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">During Pierce&#8217;s time in Concord, when he wasn&#8217;t in the State House of Representatives Chamber, Franklin worked as a lawyer.  And according to historians, he was a very good attorney.  As a matter of fact, Pierce was known for his diplomatic personality, eloquence, and he possessed an excellent memory &#8211; all which he used to his advantage in a court of law.  Franklin&#8217;s law office was located in a large, thee-story brick building on North Main Street, not too far from the State House.  Our journey from the Pierce Mansion site on South Main to the law office on North Main was just under one mile long; and the route afforded us a good opportunity to see the gold dome of the Capitol Building along the way.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAW-OFFICE-4.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15023" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAW-OFFICE-4.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAW-OFFICE-4.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAW-OFFICE-4.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAW-OFFICE-4.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The building behind me was built in 1826 and once played host to Franklin Pierce&#8217;s law office.  It&#8217;s believed to be the first three-story brick building on Main Street in Concord.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAW-OFFICE-3.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15024" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAW-OFFICE-3.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAW-OFFICE-3.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAW-OFFICE-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAW-OFFICE-3.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Originally, the structure featured two entries along Main Street.  Today, it still is home to a law firm &#8211; Gallagher, Callahan &amp; Gartrell.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAW-OFFICE-1.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15025" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAW-OFFICE-1.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAW-OFFICE-1.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAW-OFFICE-1.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-LAW-OFFICE-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Franklin Pierce was admitted to the New Hampshire bar in 1827 while still living in Hillsboro.  It&#8217;s amazing, but I could feel Franklin walk past me and into the building as he prepared a case for another client.</figcaption></figure></div>


<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">We spent less than ten minutes near the exterior of the building that once played host to Pierce&#8217;s law office.  I thought it was a good site to visit, but the next one had the potential of being great.  We were back in the Explorer and headed to church &#8211; St. Paul&#8217;s Church, that is.  St. Paul&#8217;s was where Franklin Pierce was baptized and where his funeral was held following his death.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The historic St. Paul&#8217;s Church was built in 1838 across the street from the New Hampshire State House.  Although Franklin Pierce was religious, he grew out of favor with his own Congregational denomination, mainly because it alienated Democrats with its anti-slavery banter.  Even though Pierce despised slavery, he turned to his wife Jane&#8217;s Episcopalian church in Concord because it left politics out of its sermons.  On the second anniversary of Jane Pierce&#8217;s death, which was December 2, 1865, the former President was baptized at St. Paul&#8217;s.  Following Pierce&#8217;s death nearly four years later, and after he laid in state in the New Hampshire State House, the funeral service for our 14th President was held on October 11, 1869 at the historic church as well.  </p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">My companions and I spent about ten minutes poking around the exterior of St. Paul&#8217;s.  The outside of the brick building, with its tall steeple, looked very impressive.  I was awestruck knowing Pierce&#8217;s casket was likely carried from the State House across the street, through the front door where I stood for a picture, and into the building for the funeral.  I hoped to get inside, but since it was a few minutes past six o&#8217;clock, I figured there was no way that would be possible.  My hunch was correct, when Bob attempted to open both of the large, red wooden front doors to the building, both were locked.  Never ones to give up easily, the pair of historians headed around to the back of the building where they found an open door that led to some offices.  Once inside, that&#8217;s the moment we met Andy Brundrett, a Sexton at St. Paul&#8217;s.  While Andy sported a handlebar mustache that rivaled Taft&#8217;s, he also wore a kilt, which took me by surprise because I had never seen anyone wear a kilt before.  I knew one thing for sure &#8211; I wanted to stay hidden in the closed camera case until we were finished climbing staircases.  Our host was extremely friendly, and Andy guided the three of us into the sanctuary of the church where he left us alone to pay our personal tribute to President Franklin Pierce.  But there was a catch.  In 1984, the entire interior of the church was destroyed by fire.  While that was disappointing to hear and meant the entire appearance of the sanctuary was likely different than it was in 1869, it was still cool to be inside the historic walls of St. Paul&#8217;s.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-ADJUSTED-AGAIN.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15030" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-ADJUSTED-AGAIN.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-ADJUSTED-AGAIN.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-ADJUSTED-AGAIN.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-ADJUSTED-AGAIN.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I&#8217;m standing in the middle of Park Street, across from the New Hampshire State House, with the historic and beautiful St. Paul&#8217;s Church behind me.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-7.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15031" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-7.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-7.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-7.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-7.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As I stood in front of St. Paul&#8217;s, which was an Episcopalian church, I envisioned six pallbearers as they carried the coffin bearing Franklin Pierce&#8217;s body through the door behind me for the President&#8217;s funeral on October 11, 1869.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-4.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15032" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-4.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-4.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-4.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-4.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Even though the interior of the church was likely changed following the 1984 fire, I stood in the area where Pierce&#8217;s casket would&#8217;ve likely been placed during his funeral.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-3.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15033" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-3.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-3.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-3.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A plaque on the wall above me was inscribed with: &#8216;This was formerly the pew of Franklin Pierce of Concord, New Hampshire.  A distinguished lawyer, an eloquent orator, a Brigadier General in the Mexican War, and President of the United States from 1853 to 1857.&#8217;</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-5.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15034" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-5.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-5.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-5.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-CHURCH-5.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The plaque above the pew made me wonder whether or not everything in the church was destroyed by fire in 1984.  Was this the original baptismal font used when Franklin Pierce was baptized in 1865, on the second anniversary of his wife&#8217;s death?</figcaption></figure></div>


<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">After my companions had finished their work inside the church, we retraced our steps to the staircase near the rear entrance of the building.  Tom and Bob took a few minutes to hunt down and thank their gracious host, Andy, for his time and kindness.  I wanted to ask him if he was wearing anything under the kilt, but I knew my photographer would&#8217;ve &#8216;kilt&#8217; me if I had.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">As we made our way back across Park Street, I heard my cameraman mention to his co-pilot that we were on our way to Concord High School.  The first thing I wondered was why?  After all, Franklin Pierce didn&#8217;t receive his secondary education in Concord.  As a matter of fact, Pierce didn&#8217;t get any type of schooling in Concord.  </p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">But there was a different reason we were on our way to visit Concord High, and that reason was Sharon Christa McAuliffe.  It turned out Christa McAuliffe was a social studies teacher at that high school where she taught history, law, and economics from 1983 until she took an extended leave in late 1985 to train for her next teaching lesson.  McAuliffe&#8217;s teaching style was different than most.  Christa didn&#8217;t want her students to simply learn out of a book, she took her students on field trips, or brought speakers into her classroom to help bring the subjects to life.  In my mind, I think Christa would&#8217;ve loved to have had me and my companions come to her classroom and talk about the Presidential sites we&#8217;ve visited.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">When Ronald Reagan announced the &#8216;Teacher in Space Project&#8217; in 1984, Christa McAuliffe entered the competition; one that consisted of over 11,000 applicants around the nation.  When the winner was finally announced on July 19, 1995 by Vice President George H.W. Bush, McAuliffe was the teacher selected to fly into space on Shuttle Challenger as a payload specialist.  Her &#8220;official&#8221; job on the Shuttle was to conduct experiments and teach lessons to school children around the country from orbit around the Earth.  </p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">But all didn&#8217;t go according to the lesson plan as tragedy struck on the morning of January 28, 1986.  Just 73 seconds after lift-off, Challenger broke apart and was destroyed over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven astronauts on board, including our Teacher in Space.  It was NASA&#8217;s worst space disaster to date and sent shockwaves around the country.  Thousands of school children, in classrooms in every state, watched as the event unfolded on live television.  Christa McAuliffe, and the other six astronauts, were eulogized by President Reagan later that day when he said in part:  &#8220;We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God.&#8221; </p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">At the site, Tom carried me to a couple of different areas near the front of the massive high school complex.  My companions knew it was unlikely we&#8217;d get inside the school to look for her classroom or to find any memorials, but a passerby pointed out a monument dedicated to McAuliffe located near one of the wings.  After I posed on the monument, and just as Bob was about to capture his images, the entire backdrop around the site was swarmed by a hundred or more female students.  Bob dejectedly put his camera back in the case and we walked back to the Explorer.  I felt bad for our friend and thought to myself: &#8220;That was the famous &#8216;Moldenhauer one-person-rule&#8217; on steroids!&#8221;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CONCORD-HIGH-AGAIN.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15055" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CONCORD-HIGH-AGAIN.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CONCORD-HIGH-AGAIN.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CONCORD-HIGH-AGAIN.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CONCORD-HIGH-AGAIN.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I couldn&#8217;t believe my painted resin eyes when I saw how huge Concord High School was. I laughed to myself and thought: &#8220;That&#8217;s a lot bigger than the one-room schoolhouse at Tuckahoe Plantation where Thomas Jefferson first learned to read and write.&#8221;</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CONCORD-HIGH-1.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15036" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CONCORD-HIGH-1.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CONCORD-HIGH-1.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CONCORD-HIGH-1.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CONCORD-HIGH-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Just seconds after Tom snapped this image of me standing on the monument, the steps behind me were swarmed by a hundred or more students.  I was stunned when none of them asked for my autograph or wanted to take my picture.</figcaption></figure></div>


<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">We&#8217;ve had an amazing day, one that began in Plymouth Notch, Vermont with Tracy Messer and all the kind people we met there, and it was winding down in historic Concord, New Hampshire.  But as we slipped the surly bonds of Concord High School and headed to touch the face of Franklin Pierce at Old North Cemetery, the sun was growing lower in the western horizon.  We still had roughly 90 minutes before sunset, but the overcast sky would likely bring on darkness quicker &#8211; the three of us had no time to waste.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">It was precisely seven o&#8217;clock when Tom pulled our vehicle onto the grounds of the historic Old North Cemetery.  From the parking spot he found, the three of us went off on foot to find the grave of our 14th President Franklin Pierce.  The Presidential gravesite wasn&#8217;t segregated from the others, but the area where the Pierce plot was located, known as the Minot Enclosure, was only accessible to pedestrians.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Concord&#8217;s Old North Cemetery was the oldest burial ground in the city.  It was first established in 1730, just five years after Concord received its charter.  The historic burial grounds hosted the final resting places of two New Hampshire governors, but it was the Pierce burial plot that remained our focal point.  Although Franklin Pierce was not a popular President, even in his home state of New Hampshire, none of that mattered to me as I stood on the monument that rested over the graves of him and his family.  I was deeply saddened when I stood above the names of his two children, Frankie and Bennie, who both died before they had a real chance at life.  And although I stood in complete silence on the gravesite of Franklin Pierce, I wanted to drink a toast in his honor &#8211; but the Moxie was gone.  Wouldn&#8217;t that have been appropriate?  After all, Pierce was a war hero, a public servant for most of his adult life, and a man who tried to help those who couldn&#8217;t help themselves.  But the only two things Handsome Frank is remembered for was being a drunk, and for his lack of action against the evils of slavery.  As a matter of fact, Theodore Roosevelt once said of Pierce: &#8220;He was ever ready to do any work the slavery leaders set him.&#8221;  The fact was, Franklin Pierce loathed the institution of slavery with every fiber in his body, but he loved our country more.  His decisions were made with the intent to keep our nation together, even if &#8220;United&#8221; meant half free states, and half slave states.  </p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-3.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15038" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-3.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-3.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-3.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I&#8217;m standing in the Menot Enclosure section of Old North Cemetery in Concord, New Hampshire.  The last time I was in this historic burial ground was on July 11, 2017.  The grave of President Franklin Pierce is in the background, marked by several small American flags.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-2.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15039" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-2.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-2.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-2.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Standing on the tombstone that marked the grave of our 14th President was a fitting way to end my personal Pierce tour.  I began at Franklin&#8217;s place of birth, and I ended my tour at his final resting place.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1119" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-AGAIN.jpg?resize=800%2C1119&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15045" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-AGAIN.jpg?w=1072&amp;ssl=1 1072w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-AGAIN.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-AGAIN.jpg?resize=732%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 732w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-AGAIN.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Once again, it was a true honor for me to stand in silent tribute at the final resting place of &#8216;Young Hickory of the Granite State&#8217;, Franklin Pierce.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-KIDS.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15042" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-KIDS.jpg?w=1025&amp;ssl=1 1025w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-KIDS.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-KIDS.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PIERCE-GRAVE-KIDS.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">During my visit, there was no way I would forget about the two Pierce boys, Frankie and Bennie.  As the late-day&#8217;s sun cast my shadow upon the monument, a small tear rolled down my resin cheek as I thought about those two boys &#8211; gone way too soon.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="585" height="819" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/jane-and-bennie-2.jpg?resize=585%2C819&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15043" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/jane-and-bennie-2.jpg?w=585&amp;ssl=1 585w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/jane-and-bennie-2.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 585px) 100vw, 585px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Young Benjamin Pierce with his mother Jane.</figcaption></figure></div>


<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">We paid our respects at the grave of President Pierce and his family, then we headed back out of the Minot Enclosure to where Tom had parked the SUV.  In just four days of the trip, thus far, the three of us had visited the gravesites of five Presidents &#8211; Fillmore, FDR, Van Buren, Arthur, and finally Pierce.  But we weren&#8217;t finished &#8211; we had one final grave left to visit in Concord.  </p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The last stop of the day was located about a mile-and-a-half south of Old North Cemetery.  But when my photographer drove the Explorer through the stone archway at the entrance and onto the 14.4 acres of hallowed grounds in Calvary Cemetery, my companions had some work to do.  Both guys kept their eyes peeled for a flagpole, or some other visual sign of a significant gravesite.  Finally, after ten-plus minutes of driving around in circles, they decided to do what should&#8217;ve been done from the get-go &#8211; they reverted to a map.  What a concept!  The map on Tom&#8217;s phone helped guide the three of us to our final destination &#8211; and the final destination and resting place of Christa McAuliffe.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">When the Shuttle Challenger broke apart and killed all seven astronauts on January 28, 1986, Concord&#8217;s own Christa McAuliffe was one of them.  But McAuliffe died like she lived, trying her best to educate children by taking her profession to the highest levels &#8211; space.  As a matter of fact, Christa&#8217;s motto was &#8220;I touch the future, I teach.&#8221;</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">While I stood on the black granite headstone, which was polished to a mirror finish and cut into the shape of a polygon, I couldn&#8217;t help but think of the prophetic words Christa said in the White House Roosevelt Room on July 19, 1985 after Vice President Bush announced she was selected by NASA as the winner of the first Teacher in Space Project.  With tears of joy in her eyes, McAuliffe said &#8220;I&#8217;ve made nine wonderful friends over the last two weeks.  And when that shuttle goes, there might be one body, but there&#8217;s gonna be ten souls that I&#8217;m taking with me.&#8221;</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MCAULIFFE-GRAVE-3.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15047" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MCAULIFFE-GRAVE-3.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MCAULIFFE-GRAVE-3.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MCAULIFFE-GRAVE-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MCAULIFFE-GRAVE-3.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">When Christa McAuliffe perished in the Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986, she left behind a husband and two children.  And all across this great nation, she left behind a million more kids as well.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MCAULIFFE-AND-BUSH-2.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15048" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MCAULIFFE-AND-BUSH-2.jpg?w=807&amp;ssl=1 807w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MCAULIFFE-AND-BUSH-2.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MCAULIFFE-AND-BUSH-2.jpg?resize=768%2C548&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This was the moment in the Roosevelt Room, on July 19, 1985, when Vice President George Bush announced Christa McAuliffe (gold blazer) was chosen as NASA&#8217;s Teacher in Space.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MCAULIFFE-GRAVE-2.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15049" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MCAULIFFE-GRAVE-2.jpg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MCAULIFFE-GRAVE-2.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MCAULIFFE-GRAVE-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MCAULIFFE-GRAVE-2.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The insignia above me on Christa&#8217;s headstone was the perfect tribute to her.  The design was of a torch pierced by the Shuttle rising towards seven stars.  The reflection made it look as though the Shuttle was already skyward headed for the heavens, and that was awesome.</figcaption></figure></div>


<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">I&#8217;ve never been a fan of visitors leaving mementos on headstones or monuments at cemeteries.  But, as I stood amongst the clutter on the black granite marker at Christa McAuliffe&#8217;s grave, I also thought about the other six astronauts who perished with her on January 28, 1986 when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 46,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.  There was the Commander of the mission, Dick Scobee, and Pilot Michael Smith.  The three Mission Specialists were Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, and Judy Resnik.  The other Payload Specialist, along with McAuliffe, was Greg Jarvis.  And the sad thing was, they were all killed by NASA &#8211; not the explosion of the Space Shuttle.  </p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Over and over and over again, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration took chances with safety, not only the safety of their space vehicles, but with the safety of their astronauts, as well.  Time was money and paying companies expected their equipment to be delivered into orbit on time.  This particular mission, named STS-51-L, was originally scheduled to launch in July 1985, but was delayed until November, then January 1986.  Finally, Challenger was supposed to launch on January 22nd, but was pushed back to January 28th &#8211; which was an extremely and unusually cold morning in Florida.  As a matter of fact, the launch was originally scheduled for 9:38am on the 28th, but it was pushed back to 10:38 and then 11:38, all with the hopes the ice on the launch pad would be melted.  Was it safe to launch?  Heck no.  But NASA couldn&#8217;t afford another delay; the nation was watching as a high school teacher was about to go into space.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">So, when it came time to make the decision of &#8220;Go&#8221; or &#8220;No Go&#8221; on January 28, 1986, Arnold Aldrich (NASA&#8217;s Mission Management Team Leader) and Lawrence Mulloy (NASA&#8217;s Solid Rocket Booster Manager) rolled the dice &#8211; even though the temperature was only 38-degrees Fahrenheit.  Their final decision sent seven men and women, who were husbands and wives and fathers and mothers, to their graves.  And in my heart and mind, that&#8217;s never acceptable &#8211; especially after living with my safety conscious photographer for the past ten years.  When an independent third-party completed a thorough investigation of the Challenger disaster, they concluded that it didn&#8217;t matter who was in charge of the launch; the safety culture throughout NASA was to take chances, or throw caution to the wind, because time was money and they needed to prove they were reliable.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">During our entire four-mile drive from Christa McAuliffe&#8217;s grave to our hotel, I grew angrier and angrier over the senseless deaths of seven people.  That entire disaster flashed through my resin mind when I stood on that teacher&#8217;s headstone.  We arrived at the Best Western Concord just before eight o&#8217;clock.  My companions were registered, had the Explorer unpacked, and we were in our room less than 15 minutes later.  Tom immediately placed me alongside the room&#8217;s TV set where I had the pleasure, or displeasure, of watching him slurp down a bowl of Ramon noodles he cooked in the microwave.  </p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">When the lights were extinguished at 10:15pm, my hollow resin head spun with anxiety.  The day had started out so positive in Plymouth Notch, but our time in Concord really dampened my spirit a bit.  For roughly five hours, I stood in the tragic footprints of Franklin Pierce, who truly was the saddest President in American history.  Then we finished the day at the gravesite of a teacher, a wife, and mother, who had her whole life ahead of her, only to have it snuffed out by greed and the total disregard of safety by NASA.  As I stood in the complete darkness while my photographer snored the night away, I began to wonder if NASA wasn&#8217;t actually an acronym for Negligence About Safety Always.  </p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">And the real sad part of the whole story &#8211; NASA did it again in 2003.  History does have a way of repeating itself.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size"><strong>** THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO THE SEVEN ASTRONAUTS WHO DIED ON BOARD SPACE SHUTTLE CHALLENGER ON JANUARY 28, 1986. **</strong></p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="640" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CHALLENGER.jpg?resize=800%2C640&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-15050" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CHALLENGER.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CHALLENGER.jpg?resize=300%2C240&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CHALLENGER.jpg?resize=1024%2C819&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CHALLENGER.jpg?resize=768%2C614&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">STS-51-L crew: (Front) Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Ron McNair.  (Back) Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Greg Jarvis, Judy Resnik.<br></figcaption></figure></div>]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>59: TAKE ANOTHER LITTLE PIERCE OF MY HEART NOW, BABY!</title>
		<link>https://eyesofjefferson.com/59-take-another-little-pierce-of-my-heart-now-baby/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Watson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Feb 2020 03:37:23 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Concord New Hampshire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Franklin Pierce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Franklin Pierce grave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jefferson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jefferson bobble head]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New Hampshire Motor Speedway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New Hampshire State House]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Old North Cemetery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pierce Manse]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[It was sad for me as we left the historic Coolidge neighborhood in Plymouth Notch, Vermont on the morning of July 11, 2017. I had enjoyed our visit with Calvin Coolidge; I was proud to stand in some of the&#8230;]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">It was sad for me as we left the historic Coolidge neighborhood in Plymouth Notch, Vermont on the morning of July 11, 2017.  I had enjoyed our visit with Calvin Coolidge; I was proud to stand in some of the places where he once stood.  Our next Presidential site was 95 miles to the east and the route took us from central Vermont to Concord, New Hampshire, which was in the middle of the Granite State.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">We arrived at a large, two-story home known as the Pierce Manse at about 12:40pm.  Franklin Pierce, our 14th President, and his wife Jane lived in the historic home from 1842 to 1848 after she had nagged him to resign from the United States Senate and move out of Washington.  The Manse had been relocated to its present location in 1971 after the historic building was threatened with demolition due to urban renewal.  It was purchased and saved by an organization called &#8220;The Pierce Brigade&#8221;; a group that had continued to manage the home on the day we visited.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">After I had posed for a handful of photos with the exterior of the Pierce Manse, I was carried inside the home where my photographer had planned to continue our photoshoot.  Just as my cameraman was about to hand over the entry fee, the three elderly women who represented the Pierce Brigade delivered the bad news: &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry to say that photography inside the home is prohibited.  You can take pictures out here in our museum, but no pictures are allowed anywhere inside the house.&#8221;  Tom, who was obviously dismayed, immediately went into his usual spiel about our Presidential quest; but this time his plea fell on deaf ears &#8211; even though the women mentioned they thought I was cute.  I thought for sure they would relinquish since the ladies had taken a shining to me; but the Brigade held steadfast to the rules.   Once he was denied permission to photograph me in the house, my cameraman refused to pay for a tour; even though I had hoped we would walk through the historic home anyway.  Sometimes I wonder why I hang out with such a stubborn guy like Captain Cheapo! </p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="632" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-03.jpg?resize=800%2C632&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2758" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-03.jpg?w=4082&amp;ssl=1 4082w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-03.jpg?resize=300%2C237&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-03.jpg?resize=768%2C607&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-03.jpg?resize=1024%2C809&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-03.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-03.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Franklin and Jane Pierce lived in this house with their two boys from 1842 to 1848.  Tragedy struck the couple when four-year old Frank Robert Pierce died in the Manse from epidemic typhus.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="599" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-04.jpg?resize=800%2C599&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2759" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-04.jpg?w=4250&amp;ssl=1 4250w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-04.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-04.jpg?resize=768%2C575&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-04.jpg?resize=1024%2C766&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-04.jpg?resize=120%2C90&amp;ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-04.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-04.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I wanted to see the inside of the Pierce Manse, but when my cameraman was told that interior photography was prohibited, he refused to pay for the tour.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-05.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2760" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-05.jpg?w=4320&amp;ssl=1 4320w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-05.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-05.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-05.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-05.jpg?resize=120%2C90&amp;ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-05.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-05.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ironically, or maybe not, the house number was identical to Franklin Pierce being the 14th President of the United States.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1025" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-07.jpg?resize=800%2C1025&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2761" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-07.jpg?w=3174&amp;ssl=1 3174w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-07.jpg?resize=234%2C300&amp;ssl=1 234w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-07.jpg?resize=768%2C984&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-07.jpg?resize=799%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 799w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-07.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-07.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I&#8217;ve always been a fan of a good knocker, which made me proud to pose next to the brass knocker on the front door of the Pierce Manse.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="784" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-08.jpg?resize=800%2C784&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2762" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-08.jpg?w=3177&amp;ssl=1 3177w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-08.jpg?resize=300%2C294&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-08.jpg?resize=768%2C752&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-08.jpg?resize=1024%2C1003&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-08.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-MANSE-08.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Pierce Brigade allowed me to be photographed next to a shirt worn by Franklin Pierce around 1850.  Pierce would have worn this shirt with a heavily starched collar and a pair of cuffs.</figcaption></figure></div>


<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Our entire visit at the Pierce Manse lasted around 20 minutes; most of that time was listening to my photographer as he dickered unsuccessfully with the Brigade.  As I was carried back to the nearby Avenger, I laughed to myself because those three women thought I was cute; at the same time, I wondered if the gray-hairs had personally known Franklin Pierce.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The second of our four Concord sites was the New Hampshire State House, which was a little over one mile to the south of the Pierce Manse.  As soon as I was carried through a huge granite archway and onto the Capitol grounds, I saw tree-trimming equipment near the front of the building and I knew that equipment would irritate my photographer &#8211; which it did.  Built in 1819, the New Hampshire State House is our country&#8217;s oldest in which the Senate and House still meet in their original chambers.  While the gold dome and eagle that adorned the top of the dome impressed me the most, I couldn&#8217;t understand for the life of me why a statue of Daniel Webster was prominently featured in front of the building while President Franklin Pierce&#8217;s statue was off to the side.  But when I thought about the contributions that Webster had made to the state of New Hampshire and our country; combined with the fact that Pierce was a grieving alcoholic who accomplished very little while in the White House; I understood why the President played second fiddle to Webster.  </p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1002" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-09.jpg?resize=800%2C1002&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2766" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-09.jpg?w=3883&amp;ssl=1 3883w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-09.jpg?resize=239%2C300&amp;ssl=1 239w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-09.jpg?resize=768%2C962&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-09.jpg?resize=817%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 817w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-09.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-09.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The New Hampshire State House in Concord was built in 1819.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1121" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-10.jpg?resize=800%2C1121&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2768" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-10.jpg?w=3832&amp;ssl=1 3832w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-10.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-10.jpg?resize=768%2C1076&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-10.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-10.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-10.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">American statesman Daniel Webster lost his bid as president to Martin Van Buren in 1836, but he went on to be Secretary of State under three presidents &#8211; William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, and Millard Fillmore.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1150" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-06.jpg?resize=800%2C1150&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2769" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-06.jpg?w=3974&amp;ssl=1 3974w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-06.jpg?resize=209%2C300&amp;ssl=1 209w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-06.jpg?resize=768%2C1104&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-06.jpg?resize=713%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-06.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-06.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The gold eagle atop the State House dome looked down on Daniel Webster.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1146" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-07.jpg?resize=800%2C1146&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2770" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-07.jpg?w=3398&amp;ssl=1 3398w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-07.jpg?resize=209%2C300&amp;ssl=1 209w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-07.jpg?resize=768%2C1100&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-07.jpg?resize=715%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 715w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-07.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-07.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In 1818 a gold-painted wooden war eagle, one that looked to the left, adorned the top of the State House dome.  It was replaced in 1957 with an element-proof peace eagle that&#8217;s depicted looking to the right.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-08.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2771" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-08.jpg?w=6000&amp;ssl=1 6000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-08.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-08.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-08.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-08.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-08.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The orange tree-trimming lifts proved to be eyesores for Tom&#8217;s photographs.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1395" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-01.jpg?resize=800%2C1395&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2772" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-01.jpg?w=2956&amp;ssl=1 2956w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-01.jpg?resize=172%2C300&amp;ssl=1 172w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-01.jpg?resize=768%2C1339&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-01.jpg?resize=587%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 587w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-01.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CAPITOL-01.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As we admired the statue of Franklin Pierce, I had wondered why the artist did not include a whiskey glass near the President&#8217;s right hand.</figcaption></figure></div>


<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Located about a half-mile south of the State House was our third Franklin Pierce site in Concord.&nbsp; When Vicki parked the Avenger across the street from the site, I was removed from my camera case and carried across Main Street where I expected to see a house.&nbsp; Instead, I saw concrete doorsteps and the front walkway that led to nowhere.&nbsp; Before the fire in 1981, however, those steps led to the front door of the Franklin Pierce House where our 14<sup>th</sup> President died on October 8, 1869.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">As I stood on the doorstep, I thought about Franklin Pierce and how he was perceived as the saddest President in history.  Before he took the Presidential Oath of Office in March 1853, all three of his young sons had died; including 11-year old Bennie who was tragically killed in a train accident just six weeks before the inauguration.  Bennie&#8217;s death affected Franklin Pierce&#8217;s presidency; partially because his son and his wife did not want him to be elected to the White House.  Haunted with guilt, President Pierce drank heavily to help drown his sorrow; a habit that affected him on and off for the rest of his life.  Ten years after Pierce left office, his wife Jane died from tuberculosis at the age of 57.  Saddened beyond words, Franklin Pierce moved to the Main Street house in Concord in 1856 and lived out his days drinking his sorrows away.  Our 14th President died alone in that house from cirrhosis of the liver at the age of 64.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="562" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-01-1.jpg?resize=800%2C562&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2780" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-01-1.jpg?w=5693&amp;ssl=1 5693w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-01-1.jpg?resize=300%2C211&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-01-1.jpg?resize=768%2C539&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-01-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C719&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-01-1.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-01-1.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Upon our arrival at the Franklin Pierce House site, I had expected to see an actual house.  Even though the historic home burned down in 1981, for a brief moment is was as though the house was still standing behind me.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="313" height="253" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-HOUSE-CONCORD.jpg?resize=313%2C253&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2775" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-HOUSE-CONCORD.jpg?w=313&amp;ssl=1 313w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-HOUSE-CONCORD.jpg?resize=300%2C242&amp;ssl=1 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 313px) 100vw, 313px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Franklin Pierce House was destroyed by fire in 1981.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="539" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-03-1.jpg?resize=800%2C539&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2778" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-03-1.jpg?w=5762&amp;ssl=1 5762w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-03-1.jpg?resize=300%2C202&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-03-1.jpg?resize=768%2C517&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-03-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C690&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-03-1.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-03-1.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">From my position near the top step to Pierce&#8217;s home, it was as though I could see Nathaniel Hawthorne as he walked up those steps.  The famed writer had visited Pierce at this house a short time before his death in 1864.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="615" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-06.jpg?resize=800%2C615&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2777" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-06.jpg?w=4194&amp;ssl=1 4194w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-06.jpg?resize=300%2C231&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-06.jpg?resize=768%2C591&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-06.jpg?resize=1024%2C788&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-06.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-DEATH-HOUSE-06.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">With his health ravaged by severe cirrhosis, Pierce drank more than ever.  During his final months, a caretaker was hired because family members stayed away.  The saddest President in history died alone in the house that once stood here. </figcaption></figure></div>


<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Even though the granite steps were the only remnants from the Franklin Pierce House, the site had saddened me during the 15 minutes that I was there.  As President, Pierce had climbed the country&#8217;s tallest mountain and sat in the political throne at the White House.  But he did it all with a broken heart; one that not even a bottle of Washington&#8217;s finest liquor could mend.  When he saw his son Bennie die in front of him, helpless to prevent the tragedy, a huge part of Franklin Pierce died that day as well.  </p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">As I was carried away from the site, a small piece of my resin-filled heart was broken as well.  The time had come for us to head for the Old North Cemetery in Concord where my photographer and I wanted to pay our respects to President Pierce, his wife Jane, and their two sons Frank and Bennie.  The 1.5-mile route to Concord&#8217;s oldest cemetery took us north past the State House until we arrived at the burial ground.  Vicki drove the Avenger into one section of the cemetery, but we had to walk about a hundred yards into a Minot enclosure where the Pierce gravesite was located.  As my photographer&#8217;s hand protected me from danger as we walked along the asphalt pathway, the anticipation of visiting my 24th Presidential gravesite was killing me.  Once we were in front of the granite monument, however, I stood in silent sadness as I saw Bennie&#8217;s name on the marker.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-04.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2783" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-04.jpg?w=6000&amp;ssl=1 6000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-04.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-04.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-04.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-04.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-04.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">From the opening to the Minot enclosure of Old North Cemetery, we could see the Pierce gravesite off in the distance.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1046" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-06.jpg?resize=800%2C1046&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2782" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-06.jpg?w=3156&amp;ssl=1 3156w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-06.jpg?resize=229%2C300&amp;ssl=1 229w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-06.jpg?resize=768%2C1005&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-06.jpg?resize=783%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 783w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-06.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-06.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The granite monument that marked the graves of Franklin, Jane, Frank, and Bennie Pierce.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1239" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-01.jpg?resize=800%2C1239&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2784" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-01.jpg?w=3749&amp;ssl=1 3749w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-01.jpg?resize=194%2C300&amp;ssl=1 194w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-01.jpg?resize=768%2C1189&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-01.jpg?resize=661%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 661w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-01.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-01.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As I stood dangerously close to my own death, my thoughts turned to young Bennie Pierce.  I knew in my heart that the eleven-year old would have loved me; and in a strange way, I knew he wanted to play with me during my visit.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1133" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-02.jpg?resize=800%2C1133&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2786" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-02.jpg?w=3854&amp;ssl=1 3854w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-02.jpg?resize=212%2C300&amp;ssl=1 212w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-02.jpg?resize=768%2C1088&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-02.jpg?resize=723%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 723w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-02.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-02.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The granite slope where I stood seemed slippery and I was surprised that my photographer took the chance of killing me had I fallen.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1232" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-03.jpg?resize=800%2C1232&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2785" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-03.jpg?w=3871&amp;ssl=1 3871w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-03.jpg?resize=195%2C300&amp;ssl=1 195w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-03.jpg?resize=768%2C1183&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-03.jpg?resize=665%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 665w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-03.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PIERCE-GRAVE-03.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">From my position lower on the tombstone, I figured that I would be closer to the Pierce family.  I also felt a lot safer on the wider granite ledge; just in case Bennie accidentally knocked me off as he played with me.</figcaption></figure></div>


<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Visiting Presidential gravesites is a passion of mine and standing on a tomb doesn’t usually bother me, but the Pierce grave was different.  It wasn’t so much about President Pierce, because he was an adult and he drank himself to death.  But Bennie was an innocent 11-year old and youngsters like him are supposed to grow old; even in the 1850s.  As I looked down from the monument to the flower-covered soil below me, all I could do was picture in my mind the fun-loving boy in the arms of his mother Jane.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="247" height="309" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/JANE-AND-BENNIE.jpg?resize=247%2C309&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2789" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/JANE-AND-BENNIE.jpg?w=247&amp;ssl=1 247w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/JANE-AND-BENNIE.jpg?resize=240%2C300&amp;ssl=1 240w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 247px) 100vw, 247px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bennie Pierce with his mother Jane.</figcaption></figure></div>


<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Our stay in Concord was over and it was time to “Pierce Out”.  With Vicki behind the wheel of the Avenger, my photographer barked out directions from the navigator’s seat until we arrived at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon at 2:45pm.  As we pulled into the parking lot, I thought to myself: “I hate NASCAR; what the heck does this racetrack have to do with Presidents?  It&#8217;s not like I&#8217;ll ever see a President at a NASCAR race.”  But then it dawned on me that my photographer is the Commissioner of a goofy NASCAR fantasy league, and his wife enjoys the sport more than he does, which was the main reason for our stop at the racetrack. </p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Although there were no events being held during the time we were there, the NASCAR Sprint Cup ‘Overton’s 301’ race was only five days away.  As we walked towards the entrance, I heard Vicki say: “Since the race is this Sunday, it would be so cool to see some of the drivers today.  It would be really cool if we ran into Kyle Busch here!”  Once we were inside the gift shop of the racetrack, my photographer managed to talk his way into seeing the actual track.  He was told that some of the racecar haulers were beginning to arrive and that we could go to the main grandstand area to see the track. </p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="499" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-01.jpg?resize=800%2C499&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2790" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-01.jpg?w=5694&amp;ssl=1 5694w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-01.jpg?resize=300%2C187&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-01.jpg?resize=768%2C479&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-01.jpg?resize=1024%2C639&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-01.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-01.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The entrance to New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="491" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-03.jpg?resize=800%2C491&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2791" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-03.jpg?w=5674&amp;ssl=1 5674w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-03.jpg?resize=300%2C184&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-03.jpg?resize=768%2C471&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-03.jpg?resize=1024%2C628&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-03.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-03.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Vicki was excited to pose alongside a Toyota pace car for the upcoming race.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-04.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2792" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-04.jpg?w=6000&amp;ssl=1 6000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-04.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-04.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-04.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-04.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-04.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The view from Turn 1 as we looked down the Front Straight and along Pit Road.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="507" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-07.jpg?resize=800%2C507&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2793" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-07.jpg?w=5268&amp;ssl=1 5268w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-07.jpg?resize=300%2C190&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-07.jpg?resize=768%2C487&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-07.jpg?resize=1024%2C649&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-07.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-07.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As Vicki stood near the Start/Finish Line, she kept her eyes peeled for a Kyle Busch sighting.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-06.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2794" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-06.jpg?w=6000&amp;ssl=1 6000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-06.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-06.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-06.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-06.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-06.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Start/Finish Line at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-08.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2795" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-08.jpg?w=6000&amp;ssl=1 6000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-08.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-08.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-08.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-08.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-08.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Every NASCAR driver&#8217;s goal is to drive over that gray line in first place on the last lap of the race.  Denny Hamlin won the 2017 Overton&#8217;s 301 and crossed that finish line first.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-09.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2796" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-09.jpg?w=6000&amp;ssl=1 6000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-09.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-09.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-09.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-09.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-09.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">From our position in the main grandstand, we could see Eric Jones&#8217; #77 car hauler.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-11.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2797" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-11.jpg?w=6000&amp;ssl=1 6000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-11.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-11.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-11.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-11.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-11.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Alone in New Hampshire with her thoughts centered on Kyle!</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1231" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-12.jpg?resize=800%2C1231&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2798" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-12.jpg?w=3744&amp;ssl=1 3744w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-12.jpg?resize=195%2C300&amp;ssl=1 195w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-12.jpg?resize=768%2C1182&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-12.jpg?resize=665%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 665w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-12.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-12.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">And of course she sat in seat #18, the same number of Kyle Busch&#8217;s Toyota Camry.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-10.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2799" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-10.jpg?w=6000&amp;ssl=1 6000w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-10.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-10.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-10.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-10.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/NASCAR-10.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The view that Vicki had from her #18 seat in the main grandstand.</figcaption></figure></div>


<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">I had to admit, the 1.5-mile racetrack was impressive to see in person.  We saw some of the equipment on Pit Road and there were a couple of haulers on the infield.  But unfortunately for Vicki, we did not see Kyle Busch; or any of the other drivers for that matter.  I suppose if I had to pose with any NASCAR driver it would be Danica Patrick; but we didn’t see her either.  I wonder if Danica would rather hold me or an Aaron Rodgers bobble head?</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">My photographer’s original goal was to drive as far north into Maine as possible so that we would be in a good position to visit Campobello Island in New Brunswick, Canada early the next morning.  But since we had spent more time at the racetrack than Tom had originally anticipated, we drove to Brunswick, Maine where we found a Comfort Inn for the night.  How far did that leave us for the next morning’s drive?  We were 225 miles from the New Brunswick &#8211; Maine border and it would take us nearly four hours to get there.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEA-DOG-02.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2801" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEA-DOG-02.jpg?w=4320&amp;ssl=1 4320w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEA-DOG-02.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEA-DOG-02.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEA-DOG-02.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEA-DOG-02.jpg?resize=120%2C90&amp;ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEA-DOG-02.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEA-DOG-02.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Sea Dog Tavern in Brunswick, Maine where my photographer and his wife enjoyed dinner.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEA-DOG-01.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2802" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEA-DOG-01.jpg?w=4320&amp;ssl=1 4320w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEA-DOG-01.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEA-DOG-01.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEA-DOG-01.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEA-DOG-01.jpg?resize=120%2C90&amp;ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEA-DOG-01.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEA-DOG-01.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The scenic entrance to the Sea Dog Tavern with the Frank J. Wood Bridge in the background.</figcaption></figure></div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/MAINE-PORTLAND-AREA.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-2803" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/MAINE-PORTLAND-AREA.jpg?w=4320&amp;ssl=1 4320w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/MAINE-PORTLAND-AREA.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/MAINE-PORTLAND-AREA.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/MAINE-PORTLAND-AREA.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/MAINE-PORTLAND-AREA.jpg?resize=120%2C90&amp;ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/MAINE-PORTLAND-AREA.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/MAINE-PORTLAND-AREA.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rapids in the Androscoggin River as they flowed beneath the Frank J. Wood Bridge.</figcaption></figure></div>


<p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">After my cameraman and his wife had dinner at a cool place called the Sea Dog Tavern, which was a brewery situated along the shore of the Androscoggin River, we went back to the Comfort Inn and settled down for the night.  From my usual position alongside the room’s television set, I quietly spent the night in anticipation of visiting my second Canadian Province.  I was also anxious to visit Franklin Roosevelt’s Summer home on Campobello Island; even though it was the place where he first suffered his symptoms of polio.  I was slightly concerned as I already had leg issues; I didn’t need to contract polio as well. </p>
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