AHSNH
E-ssociate, Vol. 4, No. 10
October 2008
Please Join Us! The Association of Historical Societies of New Hampshire invites you to attend the 57th Annual Meeting on Sat., Oct. 25, 9am-2pm at the Daniel Webster Farm in Franklin, NH. Join us for our annual meeting and a special behind-the scenes event. The Agenda, directions, and proposed by-law changes will follow in a separate email. Co-hosted by the Franklin Historical Society. If you are able to attend, please RSVP at 603-934-8222 or nhconnection@earthlink.net.
MEMBERS' EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. From the American Independence Museum, Exeter:
Sat., Oct. 18, 10am-3pm. Chair Caning with Tim Bobinsky. Please bring your own chair or footstool to class. $85/Members; $100/Not-yet Members. Pre-registration and payment required. One Governors Lane, Exeter. Call 603-772-2622, or curator@independencemuseum.org. http://www.independencemuseum.org.
2. From the Ashland Historical Society:
Sun., Oct. 12, 5pm. Dinner in a Bowl. Booster Clubhouse, Ashland. http://www.oldashlandnh.org.
3. From the Barrington Historical Society:
Tues., Oct. 7, 7pm. History of the Blue Job Fire Tower. Presented by Dick Melanson. Green Hill Chapel on Rte. 9, 1/2 mile west of the Rtes. 9 & 125 intersection, Barrington.
4. From the Bristol Historical Society:
Thurs., Oct. 23, 7:30pm. Annual New Chester Meeting with Guest Speaker Richard Boisvert. The NH State Archaeologist will be the guest speaker at this annual meeting for Bristol, Bridgewater and Hill. Fellowship Hall, Bristol United Church of Christ. Open to the public. 603-744-2751.
5. From the Centre Harbor Historical Society:
Thurs., Oct. 23, 7pm. Investigations of NH's Submerged Maritime Past. Professor David Switzer of Plymouth State University, who also serves as the consulting Nautical Archaeologist for the State of NH, will explore a steamer that sank in Newfound Lake in 1915 and a Lake Winnipesaukee horse boat he investigated with students from Brewster Academy. Free & open to the public. Schoolhouse Museum, 94 Dane Road (Rte 25B), Center Harbor. http://www.chhistory.com or 603-253-6746.
6. From the Historical Society of Cheshire County, Keene:
Tues., Oct. 28, 7pm. The Importance of Preserving Stone Walls. Dr. Robert M. Thorson, Professor of Geology, University of Connecticut, co-founder of the Stone Wall Initiative (www.stonewall.uconn.edu), and author and writer for the Hartford Courant, will speak on this important subject at HSCC, Maine St., Keene. Jointly sponsored by HSCC, Marlborough Heritage Commission, and the Marlborough Historical Society. Contact HSCC at 603-352-1895 or email hscc@hsccnh.org.
7. From Enfield Shaker Museum:
Sat., Oct. 4. Harvest Festival. Hands-on activities for the whole family. Hunt for pennies in a haystack, make your own cider, and crank your own ice cream. Horse-drawn carriage rides, traditional crafts demonstrations, and New England Search & Rescue Dogs demonstration. Admission includes Museum and garden tour. $5 Adults; $2 Children 6-18. Free to Museum members.
Sat., Oct. 25, 10am-1pm. Shaker Chair Weaving Workshop. Artisan Barbara Brady will teach you how to tape a chair with fabric Shaper tape. A beautiful array of colored Shaker tape is for sale in the Museum Store. Registration limited. $35/member; $40/nonmember.
Enfield Shaker Museum, 447 NH Rte 4A, Enfield, 603-632-4346 or visit http://www.chosen.vale.org?
8. From the Exeter Historical Society:
The society is open to the public on a weekly basis, Tuesdays & Thursdays 2-4:30pm and Saturdays 9:30am-12noon. 47 Front Street, Exeter, 603-778-2335, http://www.exeterhistory.org.
9. From the Franklin Historical Society:
Thurs., Oct. 2, 7pm. The Northern Railroad Project. Ken Cushing will discuss the rail line that ran from Boston to Montreal through Franklin and will include Franklin pictures and facts of what rail service meant to the area. Free & open to the public at the Franklin Library (upstairs). http://www.histsoc.org/NH/FHS.
10. From the Hancock Historical Society:
Sat., Oct. 11, 11am-3pm. Apple Harvest Festival. Hands-on activities will include apple peeling, cider pressing, dunking for apples and making applesauce over an open fire. An exhibit highlighting Hancock's long history of apple production will be featured in the museum which will also be open for tours. HHSM, Main St., Hancock. 603-525-9379.
11. From the Laconia Historical & Museum Society:
Now through Oct. 31. Win 1 of 2 Mini-Vacations in NH. Buy your lucky raffle ticket and win either: (1) 2-night stay for 2 at the Inns & Spa at Mill Falls, Meredith; plus a $25 gas card and a Top of the Town Restaurant (Laconia) gift certificate; or (2) 2-night stay for 2 at the Jonathan Beede B&B, Sandwich; plus a $25 gas card and a $50 Friendly's Restaurant gift certificate. Raffle tickets are 1 for $5, or 3 for $10 and may be purchased online at http://www.LaconiaHistorical.org, or at various locations in Laconia. A $10 purchase entitles you to one free membership to LHMS. Some restrictions apply.
12. From the Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Society, Weirs Beach:
Now through Oct. 28. Play LWHS Bingo in October & Receive Free One Year Membership. Each person who supports LWHS by attending its Bingo charity fundraising games through October 28 will receive a free One Year Membership. LWHS hosts Bingo every Tues. (beginning at 6:45pm, doors open at 4pm) & Sat. (beginning at 4:30pm, doors open at 3pm) at the Funspot Bingo Hall, Rte. 3, Weirs Beach. The Lake Winnipesaukee Museum, 503 Endicott St. No., Weirs, is open all year Tues.-Sat. 10am-2pm. Free admission. http://www.LakeWinnipesaukeeMuseum.org, info@lwhs.us, or 603-366-5950.
13. From the Little Nature Museum, Contoocook:
Sat., Oct. 18. Map & Compass Workshop. Learn the skills to keep you from getting lost in the woods, such as map reading, using a compass, and basic GPS. Rain Date: Oct. 19. . Grades 6-8, 9am-12Noon; Grades 9-Adults, 2pm-5pm. $7/members; $10/Nonmembers. Preregistration required; call 603-746-6121Gould Hill Orchards, Contoocook. http://www.LittleNatureMuseum.org
14. From the Meredith Historical Society:
Tues., Oct. 7, 7:30pm. What's in Our Attic. Museum staff display some of the museum's treasures and inventory of old pictures. Main Street Museum, 45 Main St., Meredith. http://www.MHSweb.org or 603-279-1190. The Main Street Museum is open through Columbus Weekend Wed.-Sat., 11am-4pm.
15. From the NH Historical Society:
Wed., Oct. 1. Saint Gauden National Historic Site Tour. Join NHHS for a day-long bus tour to Cornish and Plainfield, NH and Windsor, Vt. $75/members; $115/nonmembers. For more information contact Education Services Coordinator Chris MacLeod at 603-856-0604 or cmacleod@nhhistory.org or visit http://www.nhhistory.org.
16. From the NH Preservation Alliance:
Sat., Oct. 25, 10am-12:30pm. 18th Century Decorative Wall Painting in New England. A lecture with artist and author Linda Carter Lefko. Morning program will explore early wall stenciling and decorative murals, with a tour of local homes after the program. Hosted at the Hancock Historical Society, 7 Main St., Hancock. $20/members; $30/nonmembers; Membership Special: $40. Space is limited. To register, call Beverly Thomas at 603-224-2281. http://www.nhpreservation.org
17. From the New Hampton Historical Society:
Thurs., Oct. 16, 7pm. The Preservation of New Hampshire's Past. Presented by Bill Veillette, Executive Director, NH Historical Society. This visually-rich slide show tells the story of the people who led the charge to preserve NH's history. From the writing of NH's first history in 1784, through the safeguarding of priceless historical documents and objects, to the preservation of its architecture, the state's past has been saved by energetic individuals whose motives did not always match those that drive us today. Free & open to the public. Gordon-Nash Library, New Hampton. For more information, contact Gordon Dubois at forestpd@metrocast.net.
18. From the New Market Historical Society:
Mon., Oct. 27, 7pm. History of Stone Walls. Janice Griffith will present a history of stone walls in New England, information on building stone walls, and a portfolio of her own work. She built her first stone wall on her own property and went on to own a landscape business in Amherst, building 70 stone walls in and around the area. Stone School Museum, Zion's Hill (Granite St.), Newmarket. Free & open to the public. 603-659-7420 or 603-659-7372. http://www.historicalsocietiesnh.org/newmarket.
19. From the Portsmouth Historical Society:
Sun., Oct. 5. Lively Boys! Lively Boys! Popular Seacoast historian, J. Dennis Robinson, examines the "bad boy" literary genre that began in Portsmouth and sparked the later work of Mark Twain.
Sun., Oct 12. A Short History of the Art Song & Theatre Music in America. Spend a Sunday afternoon with Angelynne Hinson and Alexandria Borrie as they explore American songs of the 20th century.
Sun., Oct. 19. The Remarkable Life of Celia Laighton Thaxter. A slide presentation exploring the remarkable life from her childhood on White Island Light to her unexpected fame as a writer. Participants join actor Stephanie Voss Nugent "backstage" as she transforms historical research into performance.
Sun., Oct. 26. Poems of Place. The popular Portsmouth Poet Laureate Emerita Mimi White is joined by fellow Seacoast poets for readings of poems of NH and of the sea.
The PHS Sunday Salons are held at the Discover Portsmouth Center, located at the corner of Middle & Islington Streets in downtown Portsmouth, beginning at 2pm. $8/members; $10/nonmembers. http://www.portsmouthistory.org, info@portsmouthistory.org or 603-436-8420.
20. From The Warner House, Portsmouth:
Sat., Oct. 25, 2pm. Portsmouth Furniture. A lecture with Allan Breed to be held at the Tyco Visitor Center, Strawbery Banke Museum. The Warner House is open through Sun., Oct. 19, Mon.-Sat. 11am-4pm and Sun. 12noon-4pm. Closed on Wed. http://warnerhouse.org, info@warnerhouse.org or 603-436-5909.
21. From The Wright Museum, Wolfeboro:
Now on display: New York Governor and longtime Lehman Brothers partner Herbert Lehman's restored 1941 Fleetwood Model Cadillac. Lehman was a staunch New Deal Democrat who considered himself to be a champion of the common man in the same manner as his friend FDR, but he had a thing for big Cadillacs. 77 Center St., Wolfeboro. The Wright Museum is open through Oct. 31, Mon.-Sat. 10am-4pm, Sun. 12noon-4pm. http://www.wrightmuseum.org, info@wrightmsueum.org or 603-569-1212.
RESOURCES & GENERAL INTEREST
The Henniker Historical Society has an extra display case available for sale. Painted white, it is 6' long x 21" wide x 38" high, with a glass front and top, sliding back doors, and storage underneath. If you are interested, and able to pick it up in Henniker, call Martha Taylor 603-428-7037 or momtay@mcttelecom.com.
The NH Archives Group will hold its Fall Meeting/Workshop on Thurs., Oct. 29, entitled "Getting Your Collections Under Control," focusing on collection maintenance and development. 9:30am-3:00pm. St. Kieran Community Center for the Arts, 155 Emery St., Berlin. For details or to register, visit: http://www.nharchivesgroup.org.
The NH Commission on the Status of Women proudly announces a new initiative to develop a NH Women's Heritage Trail to provide visible recognition of the significant contributions and achievements women in NH have accomplished over the years. At this time, your help is requested to identify women to include in this venture, based on the following criteria: individual must be deceased; individual must have lived or been born in NH; accomplishment(s) must be of significance to the state, region, nation or world; contributions may be in categories of Arts (visual & performance), Business, Education, Health Care, Law, Medicine, Literature, Politics/Government, Sciences, Technology, or Sports. Nomination forms available by mail from Sylvia Gale, Executive Director, NHCSW, 603-271-2660 or sylvia.e.gale@nh.gov.
The Granite State Post Card Collectors Club will cap its 25th anniversary celebration with a special Fall Show on Sat., Oct. 18, 9am-3pm. Unitarian Church, 206 Central St., Franklin. Free admission; open to the public. For more information about the club or the show, contact Larry Cooper, larrycooper@comcast.net, 603-226-8808 or David Sysyn, 603-588-2653.
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The NH Visual Arts Coalition, established in 1976, is an organization of members who represent the state's nonprofit institutions that present the visual arts - museums, galleries, art centers and association - and welcomes new members. If interested, RSVP to Leah Fox, Director of Public Programs, Currier Museum of Art, 603-669-6144, ext. 119 or lfox@currier.org.
The Marlborough (MA) Historical Society invites all historical societies throughout New England to an Idea Exchange on Sat., Nov. 1, 9am-3pm in Marlborough, MA, to share ideas and insights on Membership, Communication, Programs, Special Events, Publishing, Merchandise, Collection Management, Fundraising, Volunteers, and more. $20/per person to cover the room, box lunch and handouts. Learn more and register at: http://www.ideaexchange.eventbrite.com. While the focus will be on all-volunteer historical societies, all societies, including those with staff and larger budgets, are welcome. Can't attend but interested? Participate in the online survey at http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/66469/all-volunteer-historical-societies. Please complete the survey or register for the Idea Exchange by Oct. 17.
The New England Museum Association will hold its Annual Conference, Wed., Nov. 12 - Fri., Nov. 14, in Warwick, RI, entitled "Sustaining Communities: The Power of Museums." More than 60 sessions will be offered, plus leadership conversations with former AAM Board Member Bill Eiland, author of the newly revised "Museums in Motion" Mary Alexander, and marketing consultant Dorothy Chen-Courtin. http://www.nemanet.org or call 781-641-0013.
AASLH is offering some new workshops, including the "Going Green" on-line webinar (Oct. 15, 22, & 29) and "Digitizing Audio Collections" workshop to be held in Nashville, TN, Oct. 22-24. Contact Bethany Hawkins at hawkins@aaslh.org or 615-320-3203, or visit http://www.aaslh.org/workshop.
Editor's Note: I am interested in hearing from members regarding if you are open over the winter and, if so, what hours you're open to the public. Thanks in advance.
Ann W. Sprague
Ann W. Sprague, Editor
The E-ssociate
Association of Historical Societies
of New Hampshire
The E-ssociate is the on-line newsletter of the Association of Historical Societies of New Hampshire (AHSNH). It promotes news of its member societies and provides other information that may benefit membership when space is available. Please send submission requests by the 15th of the month for dissemination on or about the 1st of the following month to: annsprague@historicalsocietiesnh.org. Please let us know of any changes, additions or removals to this AHSNH distribution list.
AHSNH is a nonprofit organization that undertakes activities to promote the interests of its member societies and encourages the study and understanding of New Hampshire history. To become a member, to find your local historical society, or for other information, visit the web site at: http://www.historicalsocietiesnh.org.
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