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Ruth Stimson        
Seashore Park, #2        
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A Park Instead of a Parking Lot, Part 2


picture Project Chairperson Ruth raking
Ruth was Chairman of the beautification project to turn "the fish house area" into Seashore Park. In her autobiography, she describes some of the work undertaken.

"Mother and I and many others worked hard on cleaning up the area. We planted and watered suitable plants and trees. The Town of Hampton put up a granite fence and chain (along the highway) when petitioned by the (Hampton Garden) Club.

"The Project Chairman really did rake! And there was much debris for removal. Donald Northway loaned his pickup truck and volunteered time. Eugene Leavitt donated loam to make the soil suitable for planting.

It took effort to beautify the 440-foot-long area."

The Hampton Garden Club provided picnic tables and benches "along with two trash barrels," a Hampton Union newspaper article noted. "Picnic enthusiasts have already made use of them."

The Garden Club planted:

There were no water facilities at the Park, so Garden Club members, including Ruth, donated the water needed.

In 1965, the Park was renamed the Ruth G. Stimson Seashore Park in recognition of Ruth's dedication to it.

In 2001, the Park was rededicated to acknowledge Ruth's attention to it over the years, with a permanent plaque fastened to a monumental boulder there. At that time, Ruth was busy with a plan to propagate seashore goldenrod at the northeast part of the Park to help keep the area as natural as possible.