Chesterfield New Hampshire Historical Society
Past Programs
Below is a list of our past programing
All programming starting in September 2020 - 2022 has been via Zoom unless otherwise noted
2022
Grave Robbing in New England
Tues. Oct. 18
Presented by Alan Rumrill
Historical Society of Cheshire County
During the 19th century it was common for paid grave robbers to visit cemeteries in the dark of night to dig up recently buried bodies and sell them to medical schools for use as cadavers in dissection classes. Alan Rumrill will share stories of this practice throughout New England. He will also discuss laws and punishments used against grave robbers and the process used to rob a grave. The presentation will include several Cheshire County grave robbing tales.
The Annual Meeting of the Chesterfield Historical Society
October 19th at 6:30PM
Old Town Hall
(In-Person only)
The meeting will feature unseen footage found among the archives!
Women’s Suffrage in the Monadnock Region
Tues. Nov. 1
Presented by Jenna Carroll
Historical Society of Cheshire County
One hundred years ago, many women around the country won the right to vote with the passage of the 19th amendment. Jennifer Carroll delves into the history of that occasion from a local perspective, highlighting empowered women who sought change and sharing the ways in which small cities like Keene became involved in the women’s suffrage movement. Women’s Suffrage in the Monadnock Region is a 1 hour zoom presentation that provides the public with an opportunity to link local history to national events, compare the past with the present, discover new perspectives on an issue they may have learned about in school, and to think critically about the history of women’s suffrage in all of its complexity.
Jenna Carroll is Educational Director at the Historical Society of Cheshire County (HSCC
Registration for this program will be through thru HSCC
Spofford Summers In Poetry
Tues. Aug. 9th - In Person
Chesterfield Old Town Hall
In the 1950's, teenager Jane Kimball (Mitchell) wrote poems about her experiences spending the summers on Lake Spofford. These memoirs were place in a booklet, "Spofford Summers". In Jane's memory, her family will read an assortment of these poems for the community. They are sure to take those who grew up on the lake back down memory lane.
Poor Houses and Town Farms: The Hard Row for Paupers
Mon. May 23
Presented by Stephen Taylor
A New Hampshire Humanities Presentation
From its earliest settlements New Hampshire has struggled with issues surrounding the treatment of its poor. The early Northeastern colonies followed the lead of England's 1601 Poor Law, which imposed compulsory taxes for maintenance of the poor but made no distinction between the "vagrant, vicious poor" and the helpless, and honest poor. This confusion persisted for generations and led directly to establishment in most of the state's towns of alms houses and poor farms and, later, county institutions which would collectively come to form a dark chapter in New Hampshire history. Steve Taylor will examine how paupers were treated in these facilities and how reformers eventually succeeded in closing them down.
Steve Taylor is an independent scholar, farmer, journalist, and longtime public official. With his sons, Taylor operates a dairy, maple syrup and cheese making enterprise in Meriden Village. He has been a newspaper reporter and editor and served for 25 years as NH's commissioner of agriculture. Taylor was the founding executive director of the NH Humanities Council and is a lifelong student of the state's rural culture
2021
Swift, Silent, Deadly
By Norman VanCor
Wed. Oct. 13th
Chesterfield author, Norman VanCor will be discussing his Vietnam memoir Swift, Silent, Deadly, giving program participants an insight into his experiences both as a young soldier and now as a writer reflecting on his experiences. VanCor’s experience in the Marine Corps set the tone for his life, helping him better understand it and have confidence in his abilities. Like most who returned from Vietnam, he chose to only speak about his experiences with fellow war veterans. The process of writing it down reconciled these memories and provided his children with insight into his war experience which he previously had never disclosed to them. Join us as we learn about a 20-year old’s experiences that lead him be nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor, earn the Navy Cross, and how he got the courage to put it into writing.
In the Far Pasture: 300 Years of Agriculture in the Monadnock Region
By Alan Rumrill
Thurs. Sept 9th
The nature of agriculture in Cheshire County has changed immeasurably over the past three centuries. The transition from 18th century subsistence farms to organic farming and specialization in the 21st century is a fascinating story of hard work, geography, technology, and economics. The presentation tells the story of agriculture in southwest New Hampshire from the time of Native American habitation to the present day. Alan Rumrill has been executive director of the Historical Society of Cheshire County for 38 years.
The History of Agriculture through Barns
By J.C Porter
Wed. July 21st at 7PM
The evolution of barn architecture tells the story of New Hampshire agriculture. Barns changed from the early English style to Yankee style, to gambrel and then pole barns to accommodate the changing agriculture. This presentation will be a chronological walk-through time, with photo illustrations of barns around the state that are examples of these eras of agricultural history. J.C. Porter erved as a Dairy Specialist for the UNH Cooperative Extension from 1974 until his retirement in 2006. He still works part-time for UNH and operates his own consulting company, "Farm Planning Services, LLC." (This program is presented in conjunction with the Friends of Chesterfield Library and is a Humanities to Go Program.)
12,000 Years in the Granite State
Presented by Robert G. Goodby
June 8
The native Abenaki people played a central role in the history of the Monadnock region, defending it against English settlement and forcing the abandonment of Keene and other Monadnock area towns during the French and Indian Wars. Despite this, little is known about the Abenaki, and conventional histories often depict the first Europeans entering an untamed, uninhabited wilderness, rather than the homeland of people who had been there for hundreds of generations. Robert Goodby discusses how the real depth of Native history was revealed when an archaeological study prior to construction of the new Keene Middle School discovered traces of four structures dating to the end of the Ice Age. Undisturbed for 12,000 years, the site revealed information about the economy, gender roles, and household organization of the Granite State's very first inhabitants, as well as evidence of social networks that extended for hundreds of miles across northern New England. Robert G. Goodby directed the excavations of four 12,000 year-old Paleoindian dwelling sites at the Tenant Swamp site in Keene. He is author of "A Deep Presence - 13,000 Years of Native American History".
New Hampshire's One-Room Rural Schools:
The Romance and Reality
By Stephen Taylor
May 18
Hundreds of one-room schools dotted the landscape of New Hampshire a century ago and were the backbone of primary education for generations of children. (Chesterfield at one point had 19.) Revered in literature and lore, they actually were beset with problems, some of which are little changed today. The greatest issue was financing the local school and the vast differences between taxing districts in ability to support education. Other concerns included teacher preparation and quality, curriculum, discipline, student achievement and community involvement in the educational process. Steve Taylor explores the lasting legacies of the one-room school and how they echo today. Steve Taylor is an independent scholar, farmer, journalist, and longtime public official. He was the founding executive director of the NH Humanities Council and is a lifelong student of the state's rural culture.
2020
Yankee Spy!
Stoddard's Jonathan Hale in the Civil War
Presented by Alan Rumrill
Thurs. Nov. 5th
Cheshire County native Jonathan Davis Hale left New Hampshire to seek his fortune in the mid-1800s. He gained wealth in his adopted state of Tennessee, only to lose it all when the Civil War began because of his support for the Union cause. His amazing life story is the tale of wealth, happiness, patriotism, danger, loss, and finally, heartbreak and poverty. Alan Rumrill has been executive director of the Historical Society of Cheshire County for 38 years.
Votes for Women: A History of the Suffrage Movement
Presented by Liz Tentarelli
Tuesday, Oct. 6th
The campaign for women's right to vote was a long one, from the 1848 Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York to ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920. Who were the key players in New Hampshire and the nation? What issues and obstacles did they face? How did suffragists benefit from World War I in the final push for passage of the women's suffrage amendment? Who was left out when women got the right to vote? Using historic photos and documents, Liz Tentarelli will guide us on the journey. Liz is president of the League of Women Voters NH, a non-partisan organization that is the direct descendant of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. She has been a member of the League of Women Voters for more than 25 years and president of the state League since 2009. (Co-Sponsored by Friends of Chesterfield Library)
Jennie Powers: "The Woman who Dares"
Presented by Jenna Carroll
Thurs. Sept. 24
Jennie Powers took a stand against social vices in New Hampshire and Vermont in the early 20th century. She was a humane society agent in Keene from 1903-1936 and one of the first humane society agents to become a deputy sheriff in New Hampshire. Jennie was known across the country as “The Woman Who Dares” cited by the Boston Post newspaper in 1906 as having arrested more men than any other woman in America. As a photographic activist, she used her camera to document animal cruelty, family violence, and wide-spread poverty in New Hampshire’s Monadnock region and beyond. This one-hour illustrated presentation from Jenna Carroll introduces us to Jennie’s life story, the work of humane societies at the turn of the twentieth century, and the politics of the Progressive Era (1890s-1920s) from a local perspective. Jenna Carrol is presently educational director at the Historical Society of Cheshire County.
Chesterfield Stonewalls
Tues. March 3
Town Hall Annex
Chesterfield Historical Society will present the findings of three Keene State Students’ study on our area stonewalls. Michael Lapen, Isaac Thompson, and Sydney Dudda have spent a semester finding, mapping, and photographing Chesterfield stonewalls. Join us to learn what they have discovered about the stonewalls that surround us. Thanks to all the folks who came out to listen to the Stonewall Presentation
For those who are interested, the LiDAR map link is: https://nhdes.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=f4d57ec1a6b8414190ca0662456dffb0
2019
Madam Sherri Revisited
Lynne Borofsky
Thurs. Aug. 1st
Asbury United Methodist Church
Lynne Borofsky, a local authority on Madame Sherri, will share some of the material recently found in the home of the late Ann Stokes. Ann purchased the famous Castle property and the forest around it and worked diligently to preserve them. Also, some buried archived material found by the late Wayne Carhart, President of the Battleboro Historical Society 1998 - 2004, will be revealed. The program will end with a 30-minute documentary film by American Ruins on Madame Sherrie who some consider one of our most famous, or, for some notorious, Chesterfield residents.
The Friendly Tavern
Alan Rumrill
Tues. July 16th
Asbury United Methodist Church
Alan Rumrill, the Executive Director of the Historical Society of Cheshire County (NH), will give a presentation that explores the history of public lodging in the region from the mid-1700s to the mid-1900s. The story is told through the history of three dozen Cheshire County taverns, hotels, grand hotels, motels, and country inn
Diver finds Old Navy Bomb in Lake Spofford
by Annette Spaulding
Thurs. July 11th
Asbury United Methodist Church
In April 1952, the Navy dropped several practice bombs on a frozen Lake Spofford. Two were recovered, the rest lie deep in the lake’s silt, their location unknown. Recently, while searching for the remains of the Steamship Allegretto, Annette Spaulding made the unexpected discovery of a third bomb. Come join us as Annette reveals how this was accomplished. She will show, for the first time, a video and photos of this amazing discovery.
35 Years of Diving in Spofford Lake
History, Fish, and Adventures
Annette Spaulding
Tues. June 11 - 7PM
Asbury United Methodist Church
Annette returns with some interesting discoveries that she has made in Spofford Lake, none of which she has shared in her other presentations. There will be underwater footage, slides and stories that will amaze you.
2018
The Hurricane of 1938
Wed. Sept 5th, 2018 - 7pm
Chesterfield Town Hall
On Sept. 21, 1938 an unnamed hurricane plowed into a very surprised Southern New England. It created massive devastation as it turned its way northward into Vermont and New Hampshire. There, still mantaining its punch, it transformed the landscape by uprooting millions of trees. So many trees were lost that sawmills couldn’t met the demand. Stephen Long, author of "Thirty-Eight", will discuss just how this storm event transformed New England; bringing about social and ecological changes that can be still observed today. Afterward his presentation, the Reflections video, The Hurricane of 1938, will be shown.
Thirty-Eight is Stephen Long’s second book. He is founder and former editor of Northern Woodlands magazine and the author of “More Than A Woodlot: Getting the Most from Your Family Forest”. He lives in Corinth, VT.
This program is co-sponsored by the Chesterfield Public Library
Moved and Seconded: Town Meeting in New Hampshire
Presented by Rebecca Rule
Wed. August 29th
7:00PM at the Chesterfield Town Hall
Drawing on research from her book, Moved and Seconded: Town Meeting in New Hampshire, the Present, the Past and the Future, Rebecca Rule regales audiences with stories of the rituals, traditions and history of town meetings. Along the way, she introduces the audience to some of the characters who keep the drama cracking. The book earned a 5-star rating among its readers. (Let’s see if she caught the essence of our last two 6-hour Town Meetings.) Rebecca Rule comes from “a long line of New Hampshire Yankees” and has spent much of her life collecting and telling stories about her home state and the wider New England region. She is the author of 11 books.
Rudyard Kipling Revisited
Presented by Jackson Gillman
Wed. August 8th
7:00pm at the Chesterfield Town Hall
Rudyard Kipling (1865 – 1936) was the most internationally celebrated author of his day, winning the 1907 Nobel Peace Prize in Literature for his collection of work. For four years (1892 - 1896), he and his wife, Carrie, lived in or near Dummerston, VT. There he wrote "Jungle Book”, a collection of short stories "The Day's Work" and a novel "Captain Courageous". This program looks into the life of this intensely private and complex man. It is part lecture, part living history, and part storytelling, by award winning storyteller, Jackson Gillman. The presentation includes a revealing interpretation of how much the poem “If” relates to Kipling’s experiences, and some sparkling renditions of several of the classic “Just So Stories”. Jackson Gillman has been telling Rudyard Kipling’s stories since 1978. He has been featured four times at the National Storytelling Festival and is a three time Teller-in-Residence at the International Storytelling Center.
What is at the bottom of the Connecticut River?
Presented by Annette Spaulding
Wed. July 25 - 7pm
Chesterfield Town Hall
For over 30 years, master diver Annette Spaulding, has been exploring the depths of the Connecticut River. During this time, she has found historical artifacts and shipwrecks. In the fall of 2015, she located a Native American petroglyph (rock carving) at the confluence of the West and Connecticut Rivers. During this program, she will share some of the stories about her discoveries and display some of her recovered artifacts.
The History of Pisgah
Wed. June 13th
7:00PM at the Town Hall
The program will include an introduction by Kim Nilsen featuring the area's 10,000 year history, an update on hikes by Lynne Borofsky, and a movie entitled "Pisgah: A Place Apart". We thank the Friends of Pisgah for making this program possible.
Presentation By Miss Augusta "Gusty" Pierce
On March 28, 2018, Miss Augusta “Gusty” Pierce, a visiting teacher from the past, gave a presentation to the Chesterfield Elementary and Middle School assembly. She explained what life was like growing up during the 1840s in the Temperance Lake House, now known as the Stone House Tavern. She explained the importance of the business to the community and the traveling public, how it functioned without electricity and running water, and why the 1840s were in some ways similar to the present day. Upon the death of her father, EP Pierce, Augusta and her older sister Theresa inherited the building and lived in it for the rest of their lives. During that time, their younger brother, Benjamin, operated the business. For more information see "The Stone House Tavern History".
