Chase Pennoyer lives in Concord.

My wife and I live in the heart of Concord. One of the many benefits of our downtown lifestyle is that we frequently walk our small dog, Pete, on Main Street and around the capital buildings.

Pete is very opinionated, sometimes frustratingly so, and he often chooses the route we take without regard for our input. His preference is dictated not by miles or elevation gain, but on the likelihood that we will encounter a friendly passerby. This means that he almost always prefers to head in the direction of the State House for a more social loop.

These downtown walks are a chance to see familiar faces, make new connections and occasionally see a politician or person of notoriety. They also are a chance to appreciate the monuments around the Capitol, of which there are many. Last week, we stopped in front of the State Library on Park Street, where there is an unassuming statue of a man standing next to a well-placed bench. The man has a friendly posture with his arm outstretched towards the bench, almost as if to invite you to have a seat.

This is the monument for Gov. John Gilbert Winant, who was New Hampshire’s 69th and 72nd governor. There is much to say about Winant’s legacy, of which I will only be able to scratch the surface here. On researching his accomplishments, what struck me was his ability to deviate from his own party affiliation to do what he believed was right and his profound ability to care about people.

John Winant was governor during the Great Depression, which was an incredibly turbulent time to be in politics. He deviated from his party and championed relief measures that helped dig the Granite State out of a dire situation. After his time as governor, he went on to head the newly established Social Security Administration Board, the creation of which his party fervently opposed.

In 2025, it is almost inconceivable to imagine someone deviating from their own political party to this degree.

In 1941, Winant was appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain. His predecessor, Joseph Kennedy Sr., returned from his post to the U.S., stating that “Democracy is finished in England. It may be here.” Kennedy’s statement marked his pessimism towards America’s involvement in European affairs.

Winant again deviated from his party, accepting the appointment from President Roosevelt and telling the people of Great Britain that there “Is no place I’d rather be at this time than in England.” His appointment as ambassador was the beginning of America’s critical support for Great Britain and the Allies.

The end of Winant’s story is deeply tragic. After the war, he entered a state of depression and took his own life in his house here in Concord on November 3, 1947. A portion of his epitaph at St. Paul’s cemetery reads, “That caring counts and that where there is no vision the people perish. That hope and faith count and that without charity, there can be nothing good.”

There is far more about Gov. John Winant that I missed or even over-simplified, so I urge you to do more research about this unbelievable person. I hope you can agree that Winant’s legacy is one we can all learn from. In this age of hyper-partisan politics, endless internet wars and clickbait news feeds, we should all remember the legacy of a once-great leader in our nation.

Caring counts, and we should never forget that.