FAMILY’S HISTORY.
>> THE FAMILY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, KNOWN FOR HOTELS AND HOSPITALITY, LANDER P AND POLITICS -- HOSPITALITY AND POLITICS.
>> I WAS THE YOUNGEST.
>> SHE IS THE YOUNGEST OF 12 SIBLINGS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS BORN INTO THE HOSPITALITY BUSINESS.
IT STARTED WITH THEIR FATHER’S LUNCHEONETTE AND VARIETY STORE AND THE YEAR WAS 1920.
>> TRAINING STARTED SHORTLY AFTER THEY BEGAN TO WALK AND WE WERE IN THE STORE AT AGES 6, 7, 8 AND REALLY WORKING.
>> A BOOK SHE HAS BEEN MENTALLY WRITING FOR DECADES.
>> HAS TAKEN ME THE LAST FOUR TO DECIDE THAT I REALLY NEEDED TO DO IT, BECAUSE I AM PERHAPS THE LAST VOICE IN THIS GENERATION THAT COULD PUT IT TOGETHER.
>> ELEANOR’S PARENTS BOTH LEFT SCHOOL IN THE SEVENTH GRADE TO TAKE JOBS IN THE TEXTILE MILLS, NOT UNCOMMON FOR THOSE DAYS, BUT IT WAS SAULSBERRY BEACH, WHERE THEIR PATHS WOULD CROSS.
>> THEY HAD THESE CLUBS AT THE MILL AND IT WOULD SAVE UP TO HAVE A WEEK AT SALSBERRY BEACH.
THEY PUT A QUARTER AWAY EACH WEEK, FROM SEPTEMBER UNTIL MAY, AND LUCKILY, THIS PARTICULAR SUMMER OF 1913, THE CHICKASAW GUYS ENDED UP NEXT █TO THE GUYS.
>> LEROY JOKING THAT HE HAD A BUILT-IN LABOR FORCE FOR HIS LUNCHEONETTE AND DOOR -- STORE.
>> EVEN THOUGH HE COULD NOT REMEMBER OUR NAMES WHEN WOULD JUST POINT THE ONE THAT HE WANTED.
>> THE THREE OLDEST BOYS RETURNED HOME FROM SERVING OVERSEAS AND LEROY SET HIS SITE ON HAMPTON BEACH, EVENTUALLY GROWING THE FAMILY BUSINESS.
>> WE HAD A SMALL ONE AT THE NORTH END OF THE BEACH AND AFTER THE FIRE, WE BUILT THE THIRD.
>> WHEN LEROY DIED SUDDENLY AT AGE 57, THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SEED WAS WELL PLANTED IN THE SON’S.
>> WE HAD TWO BROTHERS WHO OPENED A RESTAURANT AND TURNED A PHARMACY INTO A RESTAURANT, IN ORDER TO PAY THEIR WAY.
>> A TAVERN CAME UP FOR SALE.
>> IT WAS JUST SO SPECIAL.
>> THEY STILL WHERE THE TEST OF TIME, WARMING IT DECADES.
>> THE BUSBOY WAS 16 AND HE ALMOST BURNED DOWN THE BUILDING THAT NIGHT, NOT QUITE KNOWING HOW TO USE THE FLU.
HE DID NOT GET FIRED.
JERRY BROUGHT HIM IN AND TAUGHT HIM THE RIGHT WAY, AND HE IS BACK HERE AS A NIGHT AUDITOR.
>> I THINK WE’VE REVIVED IT AND BROUGHT IT TO LIFE AGAIN, AND IT IS NICE TO HEAR THE CUSTOMERS TALK ABOUT HOW THEIR PARENTS MET HERE AND THE GRANDPARENTS MEETING HERE.
>> OFTEN CHOOSING RUNDOWN HOTELS THAT WERE DEEP IN DEBT, THE HISTORIC PARKER HOUSE HAVE SHUT DOWN IF THEY HAD NOT BOUGHT THE HOTEL, PAID OFF THE DEBT AND RETURNED IT TO ITS GLORY DAYS,
MAKING THIS ONE PROMISE.
>> THEY PROMISED THAT IT WOULD REMAIN THE CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING HOTEL IN THE COUNTRY.
>> THEY BUILT THE SHERIDAN WAYFARER IN BEDFORD, WHERE THE IRISH, CATHOLIC AND DEMOCRATIC FAMILY BEGAN BUILDING POLITICAL POWERHOUSE.
THE FAMILY BUILT CLOSE TIES WITH ANOTHER LARGE IRISH CATHOLIC POLITICAL FAMILY IN NEARBY MASSACHUSETTS, THE KENNEDYS.
>> WHEN THE WAYFARER WAS BUILT WITH THAT COVERED BRIDGE THAT WAS MODELED AFTER THE COVERED BRIDGES OF OLD, THAT BECAME THE CENTER OF DEMOCRATIC, PRIMARY NEW HAMPSHIRE POLITICS.
IT WAS DURING THOSE YEARS THAT THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY WAS MADE A REALITY.
>> WHILE THE BROTHERS WERE PERFECTING THEIR HOTEL BRAND, ALL THE SISTERS ENTERED THE CONVENT.
>> HER SISTERS EVENTUALLY LEFT THE ORDER, THREE OF THE MARRIED.
THEIR MOTHER SUPPORTED THEM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
>> SHE WAS A WOMAN WOULD HEAR YOU OUT BUT NOT HOVER OVER YOU.
>> THEY WERE DRAWN TO HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES AROUND THE WORLD.
IN 1974, THEY CREATED THE CIRCLE AT THE PARKER HOUSE.
SPEAKERS INCLUDED NELSON MANDELA AND CARETTA KING.
THE TIGHTKNIT FAMILY AND THEIR LOVE FOR THEIR PARENTS CREATED THE LEGACY OF HOSPITALITY AND GENEROSITY KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD, BUT WITH ROOTS DEEPLY PLANTED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
>> THE HUMOR, RESILIENCE AND RISK-TAKING.