Chesterfield Historical Society Spring 2003 Newsletter (Number 17)

               

As this long winter draws to a close, we can look back on a busy and productive season at the Historical Society.  Some times we are so busy we forget to take note of all we do, and it takes a little thought to gather it all together to share it with you.

 

We continue to organize and catalogue our photographs—about 4000 of them now.  Many have been put in photo albums in ‘family groups’ or by subject, so they are readily available. [We have over 80 volumes of news clippings, genealogies, photos, and reminiscences, all catalogued and many indexed.  Any volunteers to index more of them?  It’s really fun reading through all that old stuff, but it takes time from other projects.] The rest are stored in envelopes in the photograph file drawers.

 

Late last year, Barbara Miles, an archival consultant from the New Hampshire Local Records Education Project sponsored by Dartmouth College, came to offer her services.  She checked everything carefully, and returned in February with her report, which was generally complimentary, and suggestions..  At that time, she spoke of methods of conserving documents and books, and brought materials to enable the Thursday morning volunteers to have a hands-on workshop on incapsulating! d! ocuments and ‘phase boxing’ old books.

 

Fred Rawlings has donated to us a collection of old tools mounted on barnboard.  They include an auger, a hatchet, a wooden plane, a cooper’s adze, sheepshears, a broadaxe blade, and a soapstone water pipe connector.  In addition, he gave us a framed display of old pieces of print type of various fonts. These are on display at the Society building.

           

Jane Allen has continued to drop in laden with untold [historic] treasures.  Besides many great photos of Spofford village and people of the early 1900s, her donations have included:

 

  • A wooden egg case used by A. H. Post to deliver eggs.  It could contain 5 dozen eggs safely.
  • A wooden firken used at the Spofford Store to hold Borax.
  • An old glass writing pen in a wooden case, given to her by Clifford Tuttle
  • Also an illustrated article on glass pens from the Spinning Wheel of September 1979.

In February we received a genealogy book entitled Solomon Johnson 1601-1690, by Wylie Pierson Johnson.  In it is information on Israel Johnson, one of Solomon’s descendants, who moved to Chesterfield from Massachusetts in the eighteenth century and lived in what is now the Chesterfield Inn.

 

We are continuing to keep our photo files of the building of the new bridge up to date.  We have a display at the Historical Society of photos taken in 1938-39 of the building of the present bridge.  If you were to compare them with what we saw day to day in 2002, you might find many surprising similarities.

 

Construction of the new bridge in 1939.  Note the old temporary bridge behind it.  Riverside Cabins is in the background. 

 

 

 

 

The Fiftieth Birthday Party for the Chesterfield School will be on Saturday, May 17.  We have been cooperating with Diana Warhall and her very industrious committee on the historical background of the ‘new’ school.  The Historical Society will have an open house on that day.

 

…..Odd bits of information department: The old Yeager mill on the corner of Main Street and Farr Road in West Chesterfield was at one time taken over by the Spaulding Sporting Goods Company in the 1940s.  They made, among other items, tennis racket handles. …

 

At the annual meeting in October the following were elected to the Board of Directors:  Neil Jenness, Audrey Ericson, Freda Davis, and Jean Hansen.  Officers of the Board for 2003 are: president, Neil Jenness; vice-president, Audrey Ericson; recording secretary, Freda Davis; corresponding secretary, John Hudachek; and treasurer, Skip White.

From the files of the Keene Sentinel…Saturday, Feb. 8, 1942

A hearing on a proposed change of location of Route 9 in Chesterfield will be held by the governor and council at Chesterfield Town Hall Feb. 24.  Under the proposal, Route 9 would leave the current route at the Stone House tavern and follow Back Brattleboro road, cutting out the village! of Chesterfield.

Sugaring with oxen at the 
Chickering farm on Poor Road.

 

All Volunteers are Welcome!

 

 

Please call Neil Jenness 363-8018, Audrey Ericson 363-8856, or Mary Maxwell 363-8261, or come by on Thursday mornings or Sunday afternoons from 2-4 for more details and a chance to see what would be involved.


 

CHESTERFIELD NH HISTORICAL SOCIETY
2003 CALENDAR OF PROGRAMS

 

April 16  -  Chesterfield Through the Eye of the Camera - Bob Mills will share his slides of Chesterfield.

7:30 pm at the town hall

 

May 14  -  The One Room Schoolhouses – A presentation of the Historical Society of     

                 Cheshire County.  An exhibit of items and photographs of our one room

                 schools will accompany the program.(Note: this is the 2nd Wednesday of May).

7:30 pm at the town hall

 

May 17  -  The 50th Birthday Party for the Chesterfield School will be held!  The society

                        will be open that day with special exhibits.

 

September - A Sunday afternoon of spinning and learning about the Chesterfield-made

                        spinning wheelhead – date to be announced.

 

 

October 15  -  Annual Meeting and Potluck Supper - We plan an exhibit of old and

                        new maps – with some copies for sale.

6:30 pm at the town hall.

 

October 19  -  A walk into the California Woods – the second in a series.

The time and place to meet will be announced.

 

All meetings are held at the Town Hall on Rte 63 and are open to all interested.

 

Delivering milk in 1919 
with Gyp the horse

 

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The Chesterfield Historical Society needs your support again in 2003.  To join, please complete this form and return it to:

 

CHESTERFIELD HISTORICAL SOCIETY

PO BOX 204

CHESTERFIELD, NH  03443-0204

 

Name(s): ______________________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________

Town: __________________________  State: ________ Zip Code: _______________

 

Telephone: __________________ Email Address: _____________________________

 

I/We enclose $3 (individual) _____ or $5 (family) _____ for Membership

I/We enclose a donation of $____________ for help with the work of the Historical Society

 

I am interested in: _______________________________________________________

 

I would be interested in helping with:

___ Programs                           ___ Old photos             ___ Public Relations

___ Buildings & Sites                ___ Typing                   ___ Other

___ Genealogy                          ___ Scrapbooks

___ Research                           ___ Baking

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The best time(s) for me to work: _____________________________________________

C hesterfield Conservation Commission