What an interesting trip through New Hampshire! I crossed Jordan (okay not the river, but Jordan Street) and entered into Canaan. Over the next several hours I was in Gilead and Bethel. I was in the mountains of New Hampshire and in between these towns and villages there was nothing but forests and mountains. Oh, and also passed through Santa’s Village which looked more like a circus and for me was just too out 0f place. The only other thing of note, at least to me, was I felt like any time I’d see Billy Bob step out onto one of the wooden verandas of the houses scattered about, with a bottle of moonshine slung over his shoulder. Truly! There were remnants of the old pick-up trucks that we’d see in the old movies with the moonshine runners.
Mountains of New Hampshire
Back to the drive thru bible. It got me to wondering what went wrong. This must have been one hell of a land to settle and the people must have been desperate and determined, and most of all they must have been “god fearing,” when they settled this land. They had to literally carve their way through the woods, clear a way to even begin to see land they could build upon. I took a photograph of one chimney with the year 1878 em-blazed upon it. Likely the land was settled long before that and it beats me all to he** how they even got up here; my car even though new was chugging up those mountain sides. I can only imagine one horsepower and a wagon climbing through those forests, carving the roadway as they proceeded.
I also got the sense of there having been (and possibly still is) a very redneck population and had visions of the Klu Klux Klan. Were they inhabitants of these areas I drove through; possibly, but certainly I felt a presence. That wouldn’t surprise me if it turned out to be an historical truth. Where religion moves in so does man made bigotry and doctrine; the white man’s way. I saw only one or two people who were not “white” skinned; these were men working the road construction crew.
Does racism exist in the backwoods of America, even amongst those who struggle to make a living; not in the power boardrooms of America but the backwoods? And if it does, did religion have a play, a say in this? Likely for religion has been the crucible for many a horror; wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Drive thru bible; towns named after places found in the Bible/Torah – were the settlers from those mid-eastern parts; Palestine, Canaan? Perhaps they were from Ireland or Scotland and used the bible to name their new homes, much like we used to name our children after folks from the bible. Heaven only knows the intent; perhaps a good one, a prayerful name with expectations that YHWH would reside there with them in Gilead or Bethel or Canaan, and that their lives would be blessed.
I have no idea of the history of the area, can only speak of what I saw as I drove through, occasionally stopping. Small villages, sparsely populated and with miles and miles and miles between them.
The other rather common landmark, when one would look for churches, was the Jehovah Witness Kingdom Halls; there seemed to be more of that denomination than others, at least on the highways upon which I travelled.
Interesting to see what will unfold in the days and years to come. Will those from the city flee to the mountains when food and water becomes unavailable; returning to live off the land? Certainly there is more uninhabited space than inhabited. Like I said in another post, it seems to me that 75% of this country (USA) is without population. We could certainly afford to let several countries move in, bag and baggage, and still have plenty of space for growth and development.
