Isles of Shoals Historical and Research Association - ISHRA

04/08/2026

ISHRA is sponsoring two conferences this summer, in June (theme is Boats!) and September (theme is Celia Thaxter). Please consider attending! Registration is open... go to the Star Island website for more information.

Finances a concern? Star Island offers a variety of discounts for conferences. You may qualify... as a new conferee, or pernaps it's been a while since you have come out to Star? Or maybe you want to travel with a friend or family member - there are incentives for bringing someone new to Star!

Financial Aid is also available depending on your income... Star and ISHRA are committed to supporting those who would otherwise not be able to attend simply because of finances. But you must apply throught the Star Island Registration process on the website, and indicate which ISHRA conference you hope to attend. Your financial situation and potential R&B discounts will be kept in the strictest of confidence! The deadline for applying for financial assistance for the June conference is April 15, and for the September conference it's July 1. You're welcome!!!

02/16/2026

Let's begin using this page more frequently... it's been a wealth of shared photos, memories, and comments for many years. It's linked to the ISHRA website too!

09/09/2024

Special thanks to Ellen Koenig & Amy Richards for hosting ISHRA's September Conference, Wabanaki: People of the Dawn. It has been a meaningful and fun weekend with lots of participation, sunshine, beautiful views and friends.

06/21/2024

Had a charming es**rt into Gosport Harbor earlier this month.

03/20/2024

The story of the founding of New Hampshire has been shrouded in myth, mystery and misinformation. Why do we know so little about David and Amias Thompson of Plymouth, England? And why is the little we know so often wrong? Our first European couple “settled” at Rye, NH in 1623. Within five years the Thompsons had abandoned their fishing and trading outpost and disappeared from Granite State history.
Author J Dennis Robinson explores the era, unearths the facts, and debunks the myths of our rocky 400-year-old origin tale as the guest speaker at the Isles of Shoals Historical and Research Association spring meeting in the Levenson Room at The Portsmouth Public Library on Tuesday, April 9 at 6 p.m.
Robinson’s latest book, 1623: Pilgrims, Pipe Dreams, Politics and the Founding of New Hampshire, will be available for signing and purchase, along with his 400th-anniversary graphic history of Portsmouth for kids, his new hardcover history of New Castle and other works.
This free program is brought to ISHRA through the Humanities to Go program from New Hampshire Humanities.

01/14/2024

It can feel like a visit to the Isles of Shoals is so far away at this time year. Let's get together and celebrate this special place with stories and camaraderie. We’d love to see you at the ISHRA Winter Social Gathering in Kittery Point on Sun., Jan. 28, from 12:30-3:00 p.m. The afternoon will include a potluck lunch and a silent auction to benefit ISHRA. (Snow date is Sun., Feb. 4.)
The event is free but please RSVP to help us plan by following this link - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ishra-winter-social-gathering-2024-tickets-792731961637?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
We hope you’re able to join us!

10/28/2023

We hope you will consider joining us for our Fall ISHRA Membership Meeting on Wed., Nov. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Portsmouth Public Library. You can join in person or by Zoom. Our guest speaker will be Ta Mara Conde, who led the restoration of the historic Beebe Monument on Star Island in June. Please RSVP today to help us plan!

Ta Mara will talk about — and show photos of — the three-day process where she worked with ISHRA volunteers to restore the monument, which long ago had cracked in two. Her talk will be preceded by a brief ISHRA membership meeting.

RSVP TO ATTEND IN PERSON: To reserve your place to attend in person at the Portsmouth Public Library, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ishra-fall-2023-membership-meeting-tickets-747479891477?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

RSVP FOR ZOOM: To receive a Zoom link to join the meeting online, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0od-uqqDstHNVeydrJs5XVeky7wC8e21pz #/registration
Thanks! We hope to see you there.

09/28/2023

ISHRA members on Star Island for their September conference celebrated receiving a grant from The Fabulous Find for $11,116.84. Hooray! And thank you!

08/16/2023

This just in from The Portsmouth (NH) Herald: A 6.5-mile event featuring 20 expert swimmers going from the Isles of Shoals to Rye Beach on Sunday, Aug. 20 is steeped in local history. It's also personal for Betsy Sandberg, daughter of Nancy Sandberg, one of three women credited with leading a successful fight 50 years ago to prevent business magnate Aristotle Onassis from building a $600 million oil refinery on the New Hampshire coast. Betsy Sandberg, along with Bob Fernald, is organizing the marathon distance event called Save Our Shores. That's the same name as the citizen group her mother, Nancy Sandberg, led in Durham in 1973 to oppose the oil refinery. Betsy Sandberg will also be a swimmer on Sunday. More here: https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/local/2023/08/16/isles-of-shoals-to-rye-nh-swim-honors-oil-refinery-fight-anniversary/70590751007/
If you are not a subscriber & can't access the article, more info is here: https://www.blueoceansociety.org/sos/

The event is personal for Betsy Sandberg, daughter of Nancy Sandberg, one of three women credited with thwarting business magnate Aristotle Onassis.

08/13/2023

Star Island is indeed a place for reflecting.

(Denise Wheeler photo)

08/08/2023

We want to give a shout-out to Joe Watts, the Chief Executive Officer of the Star Island Corporation, for his vision, good humor and excellent work. You are great to work with Joe. Thank you for all you do.