Courtesy of Rye Historical Society

For thousands of years, native peoples of Algonquin stock fished, hunted, farmed & settled. Seasonal Portuguese fishermen may have been at Isles of Shoals in 1500’s, but no evidence

• 1608 – Champlain discovers 200 native people settled amidst abundant food near Rye Harbor
• 1623 – David Thomson and others settle Odiorne Point; build fortified house and fish works; this is first documented settlement by Europeans in what would become NH, but it may have been seasonal and in winter people migrated inland or up-river to what would later be called
• Strawberry Banke (Portsmouth in 1651)
• 1630’s – later in decade, William Berry and other Founding Families begin settle Sandy Beach area (Foss Beach) at end of what is now Washington Rd.; this and nearby newly settled land became known as Sandy Beach, a neighborhood which became parts of nearby towns
• 1644 – path/wagon trail along shore and Sandy Beach trail (later Wash. Rd.) inland to center
• Mid 1600’s – John Locke and others settle what became Locke’s Neck, south side of harbor
• 1675/76 – King Philip’s (Metcomet) War; Indians seek revenge for white atrocities; Rye attacked
• 1690’s –Wars between Britain and France forced their allies, colonists and Indians, to fight each other; Breakfast Hill encounter, but Indians escape; Brackett’s, John Locke killed in these wars
• 1690’s – Mills at Cedar Run, Brown’s Pond, Seavey Creek built for flour, shingles, cider, etc.
• 1700 – wide spread poverty; Sandy Beach, pop. estim. of 100, was part of New Castle, Hampton and Portsmouth
• 1726 – after petitions, Sandy Beach granted parish status, which allows town officials such as selectmen; Sandy Beach now parish of Rye, named for ancient Rye, England; build 1 st church
• 1729 – Central Rd. laid out; Breakfast Hill Rd., former Sandy Beach Rd. from Foss Beach; Brackett Rd., Wallis Rd., Sagamore Road path to Portsmouth, Ferry Rd. to New Castel
• 1755 – 2 nd Congregational Church built; first bridge to New Castle in 1759
• 1756-1800 – Garland Tavern in center; several others in town; flips, toddies, fiery rum; selectmen note problems with drunkenness from an early date
• 1700’s – Isles of Shoals thriving, 500 at Gossport, but evacuate, some taking their houses, to Rye just before Rev. war in early 1770s
• Rev. Era – pop. 842 inclu. 19+ slaves; Rye militia helps attack N.C. fort William and Mary to steal gunpowder; 39 died in war inclu. 2 freed slaves, probably several at bunker Hill battle June ‘75
• 1785 – New state govt in NH grants independent town status to Rye; economic turmoil in US
• 1789 – Washington visits Portsmouth; many from Rye greet him, four Rye officers from Rev. war bring him to Garland tavern for drinks then Sandy Beach Road changed to Wash. Road.
• 1792 – harbor dredged; help from Nathan Goss labor and animals and barrels of rum; Goss farm/tidal mill located on edge of harbor
• 1800–Stone chapel built on Star Island; bell warning to ships; many wrecks along shores
• 1805 – Carroll and Goss build store at Lang and Wash, later owned by Rand; 2 nd fl. dance hall
• 1814 – Battle of Rye Harbor; locals drive off British supply barge – “twisted the lion’s tail!”
• 1820 – new state of Maine (Missouri Compromise) reminds Rye people of how not to compromise and the growing and unresolved slavery issue
• 1821–first lighthouse constructed on White Island, but shipwrecks continue unabated on shore
• 1837-39 – 3rd congregational church, Meth. /Epis. Church, Christian church all built in center
• 1820’s – first center school built; later in century – East, South and West schools built
• 1840’s – Railroad, telegraph, beg. of hotel resort era w/ Atlantic House (‘46) Ocean House (‘48) hotels, etc. and many boarding houses and three RR depots
• 1861-65 – Civil War, 86 serve, three die; avoid draft by paying $300, fish’men exempt from draft
• 1868 – Sch. Supt. in Town Rpt., curses cheap Rye for not repairing falling down East School!
• 1870 –Walker’s General Store opens in center, one of many in town; becomes P.O. in 1900s
• 1873 – Methodist church bought by town, convert to town hall – new center of pol. & soc. Life
• 1874-1922 – First trans-Atlantic cable ends in Rye from Ireland; message- Eur. 10 sec., not 2 wks
• 1876- St Andrews, Episcopal, modeled on rural English stone chapels, opens on Church Rd.
• 1879 – 200 farmers, 17 telegraph operators, 7 music teachers, 8 hotels, 35 bd. houses, etc.
• 1881 – handsome brick South School built on Central Rd. bet. Cable and Love Ln.
• 1895- live entertain. town hall: “Freezing- a-Mother-in Law;” refresh: oysters, ice cream- dance!
• 1899 – 1925 – trolley comes through Rye, travel around seacoast; now Rye kids to Ports. Hi Sch
• 1903 – Abenaki golf course/country club established as nine and later 18-hole course
• 1905- Rye Beach Village District estab. in southeast part of town – gaslights, sidewalks, etc.
• 1905 “History of Rye NH,” by Langdon Parsons, published including extensive genealogy
• 1911 – Rye library built with bequest from Mary Tuck Rand; last lib. built in Rock Co.!
• 1918/19- WWI ends, three form Rye die; war monument erected in center 1919; war veteran Jesse Walker becomes a hermit in rustic shack in back of church
• 1919 – Pagoda Dance Hall built on beach side of Ocean Blvd, at Cable Rd. (BYOB)
• 1920-1933 – Coastal Rye was the site of many efforts to smuggle alcohol into coves at night when federal “Prohibition” law made it illegal to consume and sell beer, wine and hard liquor Ralph Brown reported how smugglers (or bootleggers) would fill a boat house with cases of booze and later the owner would find one case left as a thank you for not calling the police
• c. 1925- Honest John Carberry, he wasn’t, opens Carberry’s Store on Blvd., now Common Roots
• 1926 – KKK burn cross in field – Wallis at Bracket – Portsmouth Herlad article
• 1920s – wild semi-pro basketball games in town hall; many fights; Charlie Green player/mgr.
• 1932- Wedgwood center school burns; 1934 handsome Rye Consolidated School opens, but soon over-crowded because students from East, South and West schools included
• 1930s – Harry Green moves to woods shack back of family farm- Wash Rd.; law unto himself
• 1934 – 1943 – Stoneleigh College for Women established at former Stoneleigh Manor Hotel built in 1920 on lower Central Road just beyond South Rd.
• 1937 – Blake Rand sets national record- 50 yrs. as town clerk; he runs town w/ Sel Newall Marden from Blakes store at Lang and Washington
• 1939 – jetties built at Rye harbor; 1940’s Odiorne homes demoed, = Ft Dearborn w/ big guns
• WWII 1942-45 – 244 serve,1 dies; Alma Locke sings for USO; Annie Drake is a coast watcher looking for enemy planes and ships; many Rye people work at Navy Yard building submarines
• Late 40’s – “Seahawk” semi pro- hockey team w/ vets; (see Bruce Valley’s book)
• Late 40s onward – Rye Players perform at town hall to the delight of Rye audiences of 200+
• 1949 – big two- story addition to south side of school including café and woodshop in basement
• 1950’s – Farragut, Drake house, Ocean Wave hotels, Sandpiper/Carberry’s/ Dinnemans stores
• 1954 – new fire station built in center but it was sub-standard, not allowing 2 nd floor addition
• 1956- Rye Elem. School opens turning Rye school in center into a 6 – 8 junior high
• 1959– historic 1837 3 rd Congregational Church burns in March; 1961 – 4 th Cong. Ch. opens early 1960s – Zetti’s Surf Shop at Sandpiper reflects huge interest in surfing in Rye
• c. 1961 – Odiorne Pt State Park; 1962 -Rye Harbor State Pier & Jenness State Beach; 1964 – Wallis Sands State Beach; also, in 60s – Ragged Neck State Park just north of harbor
• 1966 – Jr high gym built providing a new gathering for voting, town meeting, etc.
• 1966 -Historic Dist. estab. Grange Park to war monument in center; Conservation Com. estab.
• 1968–Rye Civic League estab., creates monthly town govt. newsletter; Rye enacts zoning regs.
• 1970 – most of police department resigns in dispute with Sel Bd., new dept. created
• 1974 – Rye takes lead to defeat proposed huge oil refinery in Durham by voting not to allow docking of huge oil tankers at NH Isles of Shoals
• 1975-Citizen’s initiative leads to office space at town hall, one of many 70s grassroots initiatives
• 1976 – 3-day great Bi-Centennial celebration and Rye Historical Society emerges from it
• 1977 – 1980- Parsons Park Corp (151 families) save 50 acres in center; sell to town, open space
• 1979 – a Rye legend, farmer, selectmen, character and true “townie,” Charlie Green, dies
• 1979 –1980 Marcia Gillis writes/pub. bi monthly newspaper Rye Free Press; copies in museum
• 1980–2000- over-grown w/ 30 housing develop.; but also, more land conservation donations
• 1983 – “Websters at Rye” nursing/assisted living facility opens on Wash Rd.
• 1985 –voters reject overwhelmingly, a mega “municipal complex behind bank in Parsons woods
• 1989 – proposed new police station beside cemetery/town green defeated by ONE VOTE!
• 1990-2000 – RJH principal George Cushing starts great “our Town” program in which small groups of students work with a mentor to research and create a Rye themed project to be presented to public in big celebration at end of year; see large Rye map in RPL on lower floor
• 1992- Seacoast Sci Center opens at Odiorne Pt State Park thanks to “Friends of Odiorne” etc.
• 1995 – Former Franciscan Friary in 1920 Stoneleigh hotel, demolished; a great loss to the town
• 1997 – huge new additions to Rye Junior High and Rye Public Library; origin of town museum
• 1999 – Rye changes its town meeting to SB2 format – Deliberative Session in early Feb. where warrant articles can be changed by those who attend and then town election in March; this change resulted in many more people voting, but far fewer at the meeting where important decisions are made by a maximum of 150 people attending, usually closer to 100; Civic League and town newsletters make effort to educate voters prior to election.
• 2000 – names of the 244 Rye residents serving in WWII are inscribed on war monument in cntr.
• 2002- Rye Town Museum opens in what had started as a 1930 antique shop and later apt. bldg.
• 2005 – old house moved to Central Rd. and very large new Fire/Police station opens
• 2005 – “Just Rye Harbor” by Rose and Tom Clarie pub.; important hist and stories preserved 90s into new century – Rye votes Open Space bond money to purchase conservation land
• 2009 – Rye Civic League revived (it had gone dormant in 1992) and pub. free mo. E-newsletter on town govt as well as general announcements; has 1300 on distribution list by 2012
• 2010 – “Save Rye Harbor” tries to save Saunders Rest. at harbor, but 4 town houses replace it
• 2010 – Goss Farm saved by town purchase for community farming; barn restored later
• 2011– Centennial of Rye Public Library, all day festivities culminating with Leftist Marching Band
• 2011 – beg. of decade long struggle to save town hall and find more space for town employees
• 2011 – 4 th grade Rye history trolley tour leads to 3 RHS public tours a year, still going strong
• 2011 – Rye Heritage Commission estab. w/ Demo Review com.; focus on saving town hall, etc.
• c. 2012 – Summer Sessions Surf Shop opened by McGill brothers in former Sandpiper store
• 2012–after 102 years serving Rye and seacoast, Rand Lumber co. closes on Wallis Rd., great loss
• 2014 – Peter Crawford was the hardest working civic league member; his petitioned warrant article this year led to the beginning of live streaming of all town government meetings
• 2016 – RHS pub. “Rye’s Battle of the Century: Saving the Seacoast from Olympic Oil, Lisa Moll, which chronicles Rye’s role in stopping this brute force tech. that would have ruined seacoast
• 2019 – September, First Goss Farm Harvest Fair attracts hundreds
• 2019 – Plan NH brings together 200 Rye residents to share idea on improving town center such as new sidewalk, reconfiguring Washington Rd. at monument, controlling speeders, etc. after much deferred maintenance, Town Hall is finally painted after citizens vote to save it.
• 1920/21 – The old apartment building by lib. is demolished creating a lib. common; a new town center agreement voted in – leads to former bank becoming town hall annex which will lead to town hall auditorium being restored; conservation com. purchase land in back of former bank; also- narrow Wash Rd to slow speeders and build side walk – delayed by covid
• 2023 – Rye celebrates its “400 th ” – the first European settlement in 1623 at Odiorne Pt. in what would become NH; many activities planned including getting Rye history into both schools

Courtesy of Rye Historical Society