Ruth S. Nash
During summers the author lives in her 7 room log cabin, "Stage Coach Lodge", which is off Stage Coach Road, in Alton, New Hampshire. The cabin sits on a hill overlooking Wolfeboro Bay. Since mid 1700 to 1900, stage coaches were the most popular form of transportation until the automobile took over. As population in New Hampshire grew, and the onset of the Abbot-Downing stage coach in 1823 to 1897 in Concord, N.H.,the only thing that changed was intended use.. The steamboat on Lake Winnepausakee as well as the steam engine train decreased some of the long distance drives of some of the stage coaches, but increased local use such as train station to innor tavern.
Morah and Walter's daughter fell in love with an Ohio boy, and exciting adventures took place before marriage on graduation day. Morah and Walter were pillars. Before the century ended, Buffalo Bill Cody made a dramatic entrance in Concord.
The author met the real Morah at Florida Southern College in 1995.
Ruth was 79, Morah 70. After graduation the following year, Ruth traveled to New Zealand and Australia where she met and stayed four days with Morah's sister, Jean.
From teens to oldies, you'll enjoy the story. It moves fast!
Although Ruth S. Nash was born in Westfield. Massachusetts nearly 90 years ago, she has been associated with New Hampshire since 1958 when the family bought Stage Coach Lodge in Alton. Living in Winthrop, Massachusetts, she attended Simmons College one year, graduated from the School of Handicraft and Occupational Therapy, both in Boston, then became a Girl Scout Administrator. She married Clayton Nash in 1940. Her offices were in Lynn, Salem, Lawrence and Andover, and in spite of working 30 years, she and her husband brought up three daughters in Reading. As a volunteer she escorted a troop of Senior Scouts to Mexico and Southwest U.S. for six weeks, and a troop of 32 Senior Scouts to Canada. She’s an avid traveler and has been to Europe twice. She just returned from Alaska. She and her husband retired to Florida in 1978; he died of Alzheimers in 1990, and Ruth graduated from Florida Southern College in December, 1996, at age 80. The following March she went on a seven week trip to New Zealand, Australia (camped in the outback for 25 days) and to Japan. It was a Creative Writing course in college that began Ruth’s writing career. This is her third book; her previous books are “High Seas To High Stakes or Around Cape Horn To the Gold Rush” and “Tales and Tails of Stage Coach Lodge”, animal stories for children.
Ruth has outlived her two brothers and sister. Her life as a Girl Scout helped her develop a philosophy which believes, there are no problems, only opportunities, challenges. She has been a registered Girl Scout for 80 years!
July 4, 1895 brought forth the largest gathering that Concord had ever accommodated. At an early hour that morning, a special train produced none other than Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West Show. A parade was formed and 20,000 people from miles around lined the streets. Morah and Walter were among them along with Stuart, Wendy, David, Brandon, Ashley and Kasia. As the original stage coach driven by Buffalo Bill himself with reins to six mules approached, the parade stopped.
The old coach was battered, and its sides were inscribed with the legend 1863-HOME AGAIN -1895. The wheels were the original ones.
Bill got out and approached Morah and Walter, took them by the arm, walked them to the coach and helped them climb aboard. The audience roared and clapped their hands and started a chant, “Mom and Pop, Mom and Pop”! Wendy’s family had tears in their eyes. They were so proud! They met again at the field where the Wild West Show was presented. Aside from the Deadwood Mail coach and Buffalo Bill, the main attraction seemed to be the 81 bucks and 5 squaws from the Ogallala and Sioux Indian nations, and of course Annie Oakley.
