I met Dick Martin about 40 years ago after I learned he had a herb and spice business. I visited him in his barn in Smithville and felt like I had entered the workshop of  a herbal wizard from a Tolkien novel.

Dick was a very interesting guy, he was a Harvard educated botanist who traveled to the Amazon river basin with ethnobotanist Wade Davis to study tropical botany. Dick’s interest in the use of medicinal herbs led him to open Attar in the late 1960s.

Dick was an accomplished musician, playing clarinet, piano, harpsichord and the sax. I had the opportunity to play along at some the jams he would hold in his living room with members of the “Over Easy Band”. The music was above my ability, but I was happy for the chance to participate in a couple of tunes.

Dick was friends with bluegrass recording artist Peter Rowan, who made a few visits to New Ipswich. I lament missing that jam.

When Dick’s health began to fail he sold Attar to a party in Hillsborough and it became strictly a mail order business. Dick’s house fell in disrepair and he died on December 10, 2015. His ashes are interred at South Cemetery in Smithville, New Ipswich.

Attar Returns!

I was enjoying a  birthday lunch at the Thai Cafe in Peterborough when my eyes caught sight of a familiar sign located inside the Monadnock Oil & Vinegar Company on Grove Street. I had a nice chat with the owner and we chatted a bit about Dick.

I was happy to see that the store has a physical presence. The scents  and aromas brought back memories of the little building on playground road.