Exeter & Hampton Electric Company
Historical Review - 75th Anniversary - 1983
By Edward D. "Ed" McKenzie
Illustration Captions
(Note: Page numbers are from Mr. McKenzie's booklet.
Click here for full text of the booklet.)
Page 2:The Hampton to Seabrook "Mile-long Bridge" built by the Street Railway Company in 1902. (2) The Hampton to Seabrook bridge in 1983, built by the State of New Hampshire.
Page 2: The Hampton to Seabrook bridge in 1983, built by the State of New Hampshire.
Page 3: The Hampton Beach Casino about 1908. At left is the "trolley starter's shanty" which was near the band concert kiosk. The second story walkway (far right) led to the Ocean House, a 57-room hotel built in 1900.
Page 3: In this 1983 picture the Casino no longer has its roof dormers, and gone are the twin towers of the Casino Opera House. The Ocean House is replaced by McDonald's and the boardwalk has given way to concrete.
Page 3: Electric appliance displays surround the "cashier's cage" at the Wood Block office, 83 Water Street.
Page 4: The street railway's Rotary Station on Exeter Road, Hampton, was abutted by a 24-car capacity carhouse built in 1897 for the Street Railway.
Page 4: Standing by their Reo line truck are linemen Henry Hidden, Warren Whitten, Cy Keller, Charles Whitten, Foreman Clarence Amazeen and Meterman William McNulty.
Page 5: Beginning about 1912 a branch office on the Boulevard at Hampton Beach was needed to handle the heavy concentration of seasonal electric users there.
Page 6: Electric distribution department building (old carriage shop) at corner of South and River Streets, Exeter, about 1930.
Page 7: Fully equipped lineman
Page 7: Recruiting of returning World War II veterans brought in many young men who were to become linemen and to fill other positions. Shown here with Foreman Collishaw are Kenneth Johnson, Louis Gouin and Donald Collier.
Page 8: Other post-war crews included this heavy construction group. With Foreman Joseph Chatigny are (left to right) Joseph Martin, Richard Schultz, William Kershaw, Leonard Kukesh and Daniel Scully.
Page 8: A section of complex circuitry on South Street, Exeter, shows a very old type of street light fixture known as a "Bishop's Crook".
Page 8: Linemen Scott Lees and Armand Desrosiers appear to be removing a section of the old "arc line" connected to a scroll type incandescent street light fixture.
Page 9: High intensity, as well as high off the ground, sodium vapor type lighting fixtures were used to light the I-95 Hampton toll interchange area at Hampton in 1976. Four luminaires atop each steel pole can be let down to ground level for maintenance.
Page 9: Use of the punched card and computer system helped the major poultry companies to gain top efficiencies and production. Here a Nichols employee goes right to the source to do his key punching, while being observed by one of the subject chickens.
Page 10: 150 YEARS OLD IN 1900 PHOTO; THE OLD GILMAN HOUSE, EXETER
Page 10: HEMLOCK SQUARE, EXETER
Page 10: WEARE MONUMENT, HAMPTON FALLS. MESHECH WEARE WAS PRESIDENT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FROM 1776 TO 1781, AND CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY
Page 11: LOCKE'S STORE, SEABROOK, WITH TROLLEY WAITING STATION
Page 11: LOOKING NORTH TO BOARS HEAD, HAMPTON BEACH
Page 11: "BALL GROUNDS" AT REAR OF CASINO, HAMPTON BEACH
Page 12: EXETER DEPOT
Page 12: NEWS LETTER BUILDING, WATER STREET, EXETER. THE FIRST EXETER NEWS LETTER WAS PUBLISHED IN 1831, A SUCCESSOR TO THE EXETER MORNING CHRONICLE WHICH BEGAN IN 1776. NOW OCCUPIED BY THE EXETER BANKING COMPANY
Page 12: PHILLIPS EXETER ACADEMY, FRONT STREET
Page 13: EXETER HOUSE ON EXETER ROAD
Page 13: LOOKING UP NORTH BEACH
Page 13: THE OLD GENERAL MOULTON HOUSE, HAMPTON. BUILT 1770
Page 14: Poultry plant workers pack some of the millions of hatching eggs sent to points all over the country from Kingston in the 1950s.
Page 14: Timberlane Regional High School.
Page 14: The Exeter Cottage Hospital.
Page 15: The famous Model T Ford "Snowcat".
Page 15: Pole Line inspectors with more modern snow machine in 1970.
Page 16: Typical of hundreds of sites of destruction during the hurricanes of 1954 was this blow-down at Smith's Grove in Hampton.
Page 16: Workers pose outside the String Bridge entrance to the 83 Water Street building about 1924. Left to right, standing, are Walter Thurston, Storekeeper, Clarence Amazeen, Foreman, Warren Whitten, Cy Keller and Charles Whitten, while kneeling are William McNulty, Meterman, Henry Hidden, William Cater, and Basil Collishaw, linemen.
Page 16: In 1963 the Company's first "bucket truck" is demonstrated for Board Chairman Rockwell C. Tenney and President Franklin Hollis (at center of picture) and Directors, officers and guests.
Page 17: The Wood Block, Exeter, about 1935. The Company shared it with the Telephone Company, George B. Keezer's Real Estate office and a beauty shop.
Page 17: During the grand celebration at the opening of the new offices and showroom in Exeter in 1957, the whole staff lines up for a picture. Missing is only Joseph S. Bruce, Plant Accountant.
Left to right are: Ed McKenzie, Carol Cote, Velma Rock, Janet Gilman, Gwen Marcotte, Lillian Wicker, Royal Knowles, Joan Higgins, Bob Boisvert, Florence Hanson, Bill Rand, Bob Curran, Phil Fiset, Elaine Gilman, Irving Peaslee, Dan Herlihy, Kathrine Groetz, Mabel Howard, Norma Simes, Barbara Bailey, Eleanor Willis, Merle Walker, Elizabeth Reynolds, Faye Cunningham, Harry Manning and Henry Page.
Page 17: A 1930 display of electric appliances at the Exeter Town Hall included one of the earliest electric ranges, as well as vacuum cleaners, radiant space-heaters, toasters and coffee pots.
Page 18: The new sales area at 225 Water Street and Swasey Parkway was well stocked in this 1958 picture. Staffing it at the time were Serviceman Edward Foy, Salesman Robert Hill and Demonstrator Faye Cunningham.
Page 18: Major home appliances were much in demand in the 'fifties. Here Mr. Hill shows General Manager John Robinson a new double door refrigerator. Through the office window at rear is Maynard MacLean, Sales Manager from 1954 to 1975.
Page 19: The appliance service group in 1961 included, left to right, Harold Heartz, Edward Foy, James West, Donald Briggs, Walter Turner and Arthur Lewis, shown here with their service vehicles at South Street, Exeter.
Page 19: Enjoying a day at the beach in 1938 are some of the Water Street building employees; Beatrice Simmons, Frances Bradie (beautician), Eleanor Willis and Velma Rock.
Page 19: In 1951 the "Number One" line crew was made up of Armand Desrosiers, Foreman Frank Schultz, Gordon Standish and Howard Barr.
Page 20: Charles Henry Tenney -- "... A master builder of public utilities. His humanity equals his business acumen and a loyal organization vouches for his executive qualities. Service to the public and to his employees has a real meaning in his mind." (Reprinted in part from an article in Electrical World magazine, May 1, 1926.) Colonel Tenney was first Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company.
Page 22: Map of Exeter & Hampton Electric Company 167 sq. mi. service area after 1928. Adapted from Map by O. R. Cummings.
Page 23: Looking West down Water Street, Exeter in 1959. The Town Hall is at the left edge of the picture, and the New Electric Company building can be made out at the lower end of the street.
Page 23: Looking East up Water Street, Exeter, toward the bandstand.
Page 24: The whole "line gang" lined up in front of the Service Building in Kensington for this picture, taken from an aerial lift truck, in 1970.
Page 24: Edward D. "Ed" McKenzie, writer of this historic review, chats with Company Controller Richard F. Gilmore. Mr. McKenzie plans to retire in 1984 after thirty-six years of service with Exeter & Hampton and with other New England utilities.
