Sept. 13, 1913: Harry K. Thaw, a wealthy, prominent New Yorker who murdered one of the country’s foremost architects, Stanford White, arrives in Concord. Thaw was convicted, escaped from prison and was recaptured in Canada. He was brought back across the border and is being held under house arrest at the Eagle Hotel on Main Street. His case will be tangled up in court until December 1914. In the meantime, he will pass the summer of 1914 at a resort in Gorham.
Sept. 13, 1990: A crowd of New Hampshire dignitaries attends the first day of questioning of David Souter by the U.S. Senate judiciary committee. “All I can say is: He’s the brightest guy I know and I trust him and I’m pro-choice,” Concord state Sen. Susan McLane assures liberal activists. U.S. Sen. Warren Rudman tells his colleagues: “David Souter is my friend. I trust him and I respect him. I like him. He has made me think. He has made reflect. He has made me laugh.”
Sept. 13, 2002: On the last day of the two-week filing period for the Concord School Board, a mini-flood of filings produces seven newcomers and two incumbents who will vie for four seats on the board.
Sept. 14, 1972: On Main Street in Concord, Edward Nixon, the president’s younger brother, opens the state headquarters of the Committee for the Re-election of the President. The Monitor’s reporter notices only a vague resemblance between the taller, thinner Edward and his famous brother. “Only the nose,” Edward Nixon agrees.
Sept. 15, 1860: Concord celebrates the opening of Auburn Street. Several hundred residents join in a carriage procession, led by Mayor Simon Willard and the Concord Cornet Band, from the Eagle hotel, up Centre Street to Auburn. Two large flags suspended across the new street draw hearty salutes. The march continues to Little Pond Road. One speaker says the new road suggests indications of our progress in civilization. An evangelistic preacher and promoter named John G. Hook has laid out 11 streets with house lots in the woods of the city’s West End.
Sept. 15, 1983: WJYY radio in Concord takes to the airwaves for the first time. Politicians express delight at the new media outlet. “The more the better,” says Democrat Chris Spirou. “Someone might turn the dial and hear Chris Spirou talking!”
Sept. 16, 1820: John George of Concord has raised a radish weighing 3 pounds ½ ounce and measuring 13¾ inches in diameter.
Sept. 16, 2003: The Bishop Brady girls’ soccer team earns its first victory of the season with a 3-1 decision against Kearsarge.
Sept. 17, 1847: With 85 recruits for the 9th Regiment, Lieutenant Charles F. Low, son of Concord’s renowned General Joseph Low, sails for Vera Cruz, Mexico, and the seat of war.
Sept. 18, 1987: In Concord, Elizabeth Dole defends her decision to quit her job as U.S. transportation secretary to help her husband, U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, run for president. “This is my choice,” she says. “I’m not going to be just out there standing by Bob’s side and smiling. We’re talking about something with serious implications. We’re talking about the leader of the free world.”
Sept. 19, 1989: After nearly two years of shoulder problems, St. Louis Cardinal pitcher Bob Tewksbury of Concord wins his first Major League game since 1987. It is also his first Major League shutout, a 5-0 four-hitter over the Montreal Expos.
Sept. 19, 1991: In a telephone interview with the Monitor, Democratic presidential nominee Bill Clinton says: “I can win New Hampshire.”
Sept. 19, 2000: A deal has been struck to keep Concord’s Sunnycrest Farms a working apple orchard, the Monitor reports. A grassroots coalition led by the orchard manager has worked out an agreement with the owner, provided the group can raise about $1 million.
Sept. 19, 2001: Concord Planning Board approves the renovation of the Riverbend Community Mental Health’s building on North State Street The building is the former home of the Concord Monitor and was donated to the agency in 1999. The project will involve tearing down a 1969 addition that housed the newspaper’s printing press.
