Rain had been falling on Cheshire County for several days. An area of low pressure had settled into the Connecticut River Valley and more than six inches of precipitation had fallen by midday on Wednesday, September 21, 1938. At about 5:00 p.m. that evening, as the region's residents left work and began the trek home, a mild southeast wind gained in intensity, snapping small branches from trees. The wind rapidly increased to frightening strength, toppling entire trees and chimneys. The gale continued unabated for an hour and a half, and decreased very little until after midnight. The 90 mile-per-hour winds snapped trees, sent small buildings flying through the air and toppled brick factory buildings. The air was soon laden with debris, from leaves and branches to boards and shingles. Residents of southwestern New Hampshire sat in fear throughout the night as the wind whistled and debris clattered in the dark; they were experiencing the wrath of the famous hurricane of ’38.

Those of us who did not live through the storm cannot comprehend the terror experienced that night by local residents who did not know what was happening or what to expect next. Now, exactly 70 years later, however, we will have the opportunity to hear the story in the words of local residents who were there. A new documentary entitled “The Hurricane of ’38” will premiere on the afternoon of September 21, at almost the very hour the storm hit Cheshire County 70 years ago. The documentary will feature original photographs, film footage, and interviews with area residents who lived through the storm. The premiere will serve as the Historical Society’s September meeting; it will take place at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 21st at the Colonial Theatre on Keene’s Main Street to accommodate what is expected to be a large audience.

“The Hurricane of ’38” is the first in a series of documentaries resulting from a cooperative project entitled “Reflections: An Oral History of the Monadnock Region.” “Reflections” is a project designed to collect and preserve the memories of individuals who have lived through and participated in events and activities that shaped the identity of the Monadnock Region. In addition to the Historical Society, project partners include Keene Public Library, the Keene Sentinel, Cheshire TV, Monadnock Institute at Franklin Pierce University, and Keene State College. “The Hurricane of ’38” and at least four additional documentaries on local historical topics will eventually air on Cheshire TV.

This first documentary will feature first hand accounts and images that will tell the story of the region’s most famous hurricane, from the terror of that night 70 years ago to the unbelievable devastation that greeted residents when they emerged from their homes the following morning. Plan to join us on September 21st to learn the true story of what your friends and neighbors experienced in “The Hurricane of ’38.”

Historic stone walls are best left in place, even when unkempt in the woods. They enrich the woodland habitats as stony edges, dry habitats, holders of soil, and makers of shade. They are artifacts of a civilization that disappeared scarcely a century ago, and are now begging for attention from archaeologists. They are symbols of a work culture associated not with freeways and cubicles, but with fresh air, family farms and village life. They are tonics for modern psyches worn down by the urgent pace and broad reach of electronic life. Finally, they are beautiful. But why?
Robert M. Thorson, Ph.D. August 4, 2008

On Tuesday, October 28 at 7 PM Dr. Robert M. Thorson, Professor of Geology at the Univ. of CT and co-founder of the Stone Wall Initiative, will speak at the Historical Society of Cheshire County on "Why Preserve Stone Walls." This program is co-sponsored by HSCC, The Marlborough Heritage Commission, and the Marlborough Historical Society.

There are approximately 240,000 miles of stone walls in New England, which is longer than the U.S. coastline or even the distance to the moon at perigee. Abandoned stone walls are the signatures of rural New England. Crisscrossing the parks, suburbs, the farms of nearly every village and town, they are the relics of a vanished agricultural civilization that once flourished in the hillside farming communities.

Stone walls exist elsewhere, but only in New England do they rise above the level of architectural ornaments to the status of landforms. New England stone walls have been sold and, worse, stolen and moved to other areas of the country. Such activities have been reported in several New Hampshire newspapers just this summer.

Dr. Thorson's lecture promises to be interesting and informative. Those who have heard him will attest to his knowledge and ability to convey his passion in a delightful manner.. We hope you will be able to join us.

Thorson is the winner of the 2003 Connecticut Book Award for Stone by Stone: The Magnificent History of New England's Stone Walls. He is the co-founder of the Stone Wall Initiative, which supports the appreciation and preservation of historic walls. He wrote the field guide to New England stone walls, Exploring Stone Walls, and writes a regular column for The Hartford Courant.

Come explore early times in the Monadnock Region. Settlers laid out roads, built houses and lived their lives. Over two hundred years later all that is left are the abandoned artifacts of that early life: their roads, their walls, their cellar holes and their scant records. Cellar holes are a reminder of the families who worked, farmed, thrived, and struggled here before us. Their stone walls, roads, wells, and foundations offer a glimpse into a fascinating past and a dramatically changing landscape. Hear from individuals who are studying cellar holes and old roads. Presenters include Tanya Kress from the NH Division of Historical Resources, Rick Church and Dave Birchenough of Nelson, Eric Aldrich of Hancock, and a representative from the Lyme cellar holes project. Learn about ways to protect these irreplaceable historic resources. After the presentations, there will be a short field trip to a nearby site where we'll measure, take notes, and hear about the families who lived there. Co-sponsored by the Harris Center, the Historical Society of Cheshire County and the NH Division of Historical Resources. Bring a lunch.

The Historical Society is looking for volunteers to assist library patrons and help with research requests. Volunteers are needed each morning and afternoon that the Society is open to the public, and volunteers typically adopt a “shift” – a morning or afternoon on a particular day. If you like genealogy research and enjoy searching for historical information, this is a perfect opportunity for you! Later in the fall, the Society is planning a library orientation for new volunteers, so don’t feel that you already need to be familiar with all the resources in the Wright Room. Give Julie a call at 352-1895 if this is of interest to you.

The Wyman Tavern is one of the most important artifacts in HSCC’s collection, and its historical significance to Keene and Cheshire County is unparalleled. As the 1762-built tavern gracefully approaches the 250th anniversary of its construction, HSCC is seeking community comments to help develop a long-range plan for the operation and care of this historic building.

Currently, HSCC operates the Tavern as a period house museum interpreting two time periods: The Tavern time period of occupation with Innkeeper Isaac Wyman and his family (1762-1818) and the R

HSCC sees itself as a steward for the community in preserving the historically important Wyman Tavern. Unlike many period house museums in New England, visitation at the Tavern has grown moderately over the past few years due to an increase in educational programs. Declining visitation for many owners of period house museums has added to the financial challenges of maintaining historic structures.

HSCC is one of many large and small historical societies throughout New England concerned with maintaining important historic buildings in their communities, and their missions of good stewardship is at a crossroads.

To help in the long range planning of the Wyman Tavern Museum, HSCC is organizing a “Wyman Tavern Forum: Preserving A Community Building.” To ensure full community participation, four forums are scheduled for October 2008 in four different locations in Cheshire County. Two central questions will be asked at each forum:

• Which time period of occupation, Tavern or Barstow, do you feel is the most important to interpret at the Wyman Tavern?
• What do you want to see the Wyman Tavern become?

To help generate an open and moderated discussion, a slide presentation will be given on the current use of the Wyman Tavern, along with a wide variety of models that other historical organizations are using to help support their historic buildings.

The importance of these forums goes beyond HSCC learning what the community feels about the Wyman Tavern. Each historical organization that owns and operates a historic building can gain insight into how the greater community feels about the use of a historic building by using the Wyman Tavern as a case study. It is HSCC’s hope that these forums will be a beginning step toward a greater community involvement in the use and preservation of historic buildings in Cheshire County.

We strongly encourage your participation at one of these four important meetings. We sincerely want to know how you feel about the use and preservation of the Wyman Tavern. If you have questions, please contact Tom Haynes at 352-1895 or by email at dired@hsccnh.org.

• Tuesday - October 7th at 6:30 p.m.
  Exhibit Hall of the Historical Society of Cheshire County. The Wyman Tavern Museum will be open for touring from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. before the meeting.
• Thursday - October 9th at 6:30 p.m.
  Fitzwilliam Town Library and hosted by the Fitzwilliam Historical Society. The Blake House will be open for touring from 5:30 to 6:15 pm. before the meeting.
• Tuesday - October 14th at 6:30 p.m.
  Chesterfield Town Hall
  Rte. 63, Chesterfield


• Thursday - October 16th at 6:30 p.m.
  Nelson Town Hall
  Nelson Commons, Nelson

The Wyman Tavern Museum closed for the summer on Saturday, August 30th. The Tavern was a full and active place this summer, with the exhibit “Piecing Together Our Quilting Past and Present” by the Cheshire Quilters Guild, children’s programs on 18th Century Life in Cheshire County, and the Wyman Tavern Lecture Series on Early American Life all generating wide interest and support. We wish to thank the Cheshire Quilters Guild for all their efforts in organizing the wonderful exhibit, Laurel Powell for her outstanding skills and guidance in teaching our children’s programs, intern Eric Lindquist for another season of high-quality work, and to all the many volunteers who have been a part of a successful summer of educational programs. Beginning September 2 through November 14, the Tavern will be open for tours or scheduled events by appointment only. If you would like to schedule an appointment, please contact Tom Haynes at 352-1895 or dired@hsccnh.org.

This collaborative open house is free and open to the public. The Wyman Tavern Museum is located at 339 Main Street in Keene, and the Horatio Colony House Museum is located at 199 Main Street. Separated by about two blocks, the museums are within walking distance of each other. For further information, please contact HSCC at 352-1895 or hscc@hsccnh.org, or the Horatio Colony House Museum at 352-0460 or colonymuseum@webryders.com.

• Genealogy Research Class at HSCC
  

  HSCC will host a “Doing Genealogy Research” class on Wednesday evenings, October 1 through October 29, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The 5-week introductory class is offered through the Keene State College Continuing Education program. Participants will learn the basics of how to conduct genealogical research. Each session will examine different aspects of the research process, including how to get started, using local history resources, museums, libraries, internet, cemeteries, deeds, and probate records. Through lectures, demonstrations, hands-on activities, and field trips, the class will offer the basic skills and tools to start you on the path toward uncovering your family heritage.

  For further information, contact Tom Haynes at 352-1895 or dired@hsccnh.org. To register, call Keene State at 603-358-2290, 1-800-KSC-1909, or online at www.keene.edu/conted/registration2.cf.

• Children’s Camps
  
  • Fall Fair at the Wyman Tavern: Friday, October 10, 2008 – 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
    CANCELLED
  • Week Long Theater Camp: February 23-28, 2009 with Children’s Stage Adventures
    

    In association with our winter exhibit on Early Actors of the New England Stage, we are considering offering a week-long theater camp with Children’s Stage Adventures of Sullivan during the February school vacation week. This camp would include a week of preparation to perform an audience-attended play, workshops, t-shirt, and lots of fun and laughter. Before we can commit to this week-long camp, we need to know how much community interest there may be. Please call or email HSCC to let us know that this would be a good program for us to host. We can be reached at 352-1895 or hscc@hsccnh.org. Please share this opportunity with your friends. Thank you for your support.

You may have noticed changes in our membership program – new membership dates that are the same for all members and new membership materials. One thing that hasn’t changed is the cost of membership, which remains a bargain. Our members are the foundation of all that we do – and we are pleased to note that our membership is growing. Over 100 new members have joined in the past year! Membership growth allows HSCC to develop new programs and exhibits and care for our collection, which in turn benefit our members and our communities.

There has never been a better time to be a member of HSCC. Each season brings new programs, exhibits, and opportunities to preserve and understand local history. Do you know someone who would enjoy being a member of our distinguished community? If you do, please encourage them to join. Or perhaps you know someone you would like to honor with a gift membership to celebrate a birthday or anniversary? Please help us spread the word that membership in the Historical Society is a great value and an important contribution, all at the same time.

On the evening of November 7, the Historical Society will come alive with music, and patrons will be treated with delicious hors d'oeurves and wine samples while they preview a most unusual array of items to be auctioned. Some items will be auctioned silently, but the real fun will begin when the Honor-able Mayor of Keene, Dale Pregent, bangs the gavel for a live auction of donated goods and services. Mayor Pregent will be ably assisted by our very own Jane Kirk as Master of Ceremonies, and the line of auction items has something for everyone – vacation opportunities and products and services from individual and local companies and merchants.

The items to be auctioned are listed online at http://www.hsccnh.org/GalaList.cf. In a few weeks, we will begin accepting bids on all items. Watch the website for more information about what will be auctioned and how to place a bid. Although you don’t have to attend the auction to bid, we hope that you want to come to support the Historical Society and enjoy a wonderful evening. Tickets for the Gala are $50/person and the number of tickets sold will be limited to 150. Don’t miss this opportunity. Call 352-1895 and reserve your ticket today!

The Gala event is being underwritten by corporate and individual sponsors, including to date: Ametek-Precitech, Corning Specialty Materials, Markem-Imaje, and Dr. Donald Hudson. Our website will be updated regularly as new sponsors are added to the list (www.hsccnh.org/gala ).

Items to be auctioned include: the use of a beautiful lawn beside a historic Keene home for a private function; teeth bleaching by Dr. Donald Hudson; a reception for 40 at the Monadnock Fine Art Gallery – complete with wine and hors d’oeuvres; savings bonds donated by the Savings Bank of Walpole; a sterling silver bracelet by Anthony Toepfer; lobsters from Hannafords; a quilt of a Civil War pattern made by Elizabeth Ezod; a video life history by Bob Perry; garden tools from Jack’s True Value; books from Borders; a bicycle helmet from Norm’s Ski & Bike Shop; a birdfeeder from Achille-Agway; gift certificates from Toadstool Bookshop, Papagallos, Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Shaws, Chili’s, Panera Bread, and Plimoth Plantation; genealogy research by HSCC staff; a consultation & planting design from Marc Hudson of Inspired Gardner; Indian chutneys by Nila Gandhi-Schwatlo; a 4-wheel vehicle alignment from Cheshire Tire – and the list is still growing.

The fall meeting of the Monadnock Historical Societies Forum or Roundtable Forum will meet in Harrisville on Thursday October 16th at Cheshire Mill No. 1 (the Granite Mill), 69 Main Street in the village of Harrisville beginning at 9:30 a.m. Historic Harrisville, Inc. will host this meeting that will include our traditional roundtable gathering, discussion on the next collaborative project on Education and Schools in Cheshire County, and de-accessioning surplus items in our collections. For further information, please contact Tom Haynes at 352-1895 or dired@hsccnh.org.