Day Five we left Salem, Massachusetts and heading for Verona Island in Maine. In between was a drive thru New Hampshire. Part One of Two blogs for this day finds us at Odiorne Point State Park. We visited three sections of the park, the first being Battery 204. This is a park with World War II history. It contains concrete ruins and old bunkers from Fort Dearborn which was active in the 1940’s to protect Portsmouth Harbor.
Since you are at ocean level the Battery 204 hill is a mere 40 feet above sea level. A climb to the top finds a nice flat area with some of those concrete ruins.
Below it on both sides is a bunker or storage unit.
We went back up the road a short distance to a trail that lead back to the Odiorne Cemetery.
Excerpt from the park website:
“This may be the oldest cemetery in the state near where the first New Hampshire settlers landed in 1623. The Odiorne family obtained this land soon after 1660 when Portsmouth’s early settlers divided the town land among its key citizens. The Oriorne’s lived at "Pascataway" that historians believe was the first European site in New Hampshire, established as a fishing outpost in 1623 by David Thomson. For eight generations the Odiorne family farmed here. A plaque outside the graveyard reads as follows:
"Two hundred and eight-two years of Odiorne ownership led to the use of the family name for Odiorne Point State Park. During World War II, the property was a coastal defense known as Fort Dearborne."
The wording is elusive. In fact, the federal government took the extensive Odiorne property (and 17 other family houses) by eminent domain. When the war was over and the family attempted to recover its ancestral lands, the farm was given instead to the state of New Hampshire, a source of great heartbreak to the Odiorne family. Luckily for us at least, this scenic site at the mouth of the Piscataqua is now a well-maintained state park.
On up the road is the third section with a relatively flat trail leading to Bunker Hill also 40 feet above sea level.
On top there are some concrete blocks with one having a water spout.
Dropping back down to the trail I came across the remains of a bunker. Sadly these old remains have been victim to graffiti
At the foot of another 40 foot hill is Battery Seaman
It has also been tarnished with graffiti!
A look at the other side
At the top is another graffiti laden bunker
I am not sure what this was
On the way back I had a scary moment where I thought I was looking in a mirror!
A look at the bay
This was a great start to the day. Next stop - Maine!
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