The Bay State Monthly — Volume 1, No. 4, April, 1884

A vivid portrait opens this edition of a 19th‑century Massachusetts magazine, introducing the sturdy, outspoken George Hamilton Perkins. Born in a modest yet prosperous homestead beside the Contoocook River, he inherits a blend of entrepreneurial spirit and civic pride from a family that built the town’s early mills. As a boy he shows daring—chasing a runaway colt into a swift river and emerging triumphant—hinting at the resolve that will later define him.

The narrative follows his formative years, from playful days on Boston wharves to the disciplined corridors of the Hopkinton Academy and Gilmanton. At twelve, a congressional recommendation guides him toward a midshipman’s commission, and after private tutoring he steps aboard the Naval Academy’s “Middy's” uniform at fifteen. Listeners are invited to experience the restless energy of a youth poised between country freedom and the rigorous world of naval service, setting the stage for the maritime career that lies ahead.