Muskets, Shotguns and Pepperboxes: Firearms from the Collection

George O. Leonard learned the trade of gunsmith in the shop of his father Artemas in Saxtons River, Vermont during the first half of the 19th century. In 1859 he brought this skill to Keene and opened a gun shop on Center Street. He invested $600 in his “rifle manufactory” and produced 30 rifles in 1860, which he sold for a total of $900. Leonard worked alone in the shop and produced his wares through the use of one forge, one lathe and one rifle machine. The course of American history over the next few years brought him a dramatic increase in business and widespread recognition for the quality of his products.

Leonard’s rifles were known for their quality and accuracy at great distances. After the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, the demand for his rifles increased. Consequently, Leonard hired more employees and began to produce rifles for military sharpshooters. Keene historian Clifford Wilber reported that Leonard supplied some rifles for Col. Hiram Berdan’s famous sharpshooter units. One of Leonard’s rifles used at the Battle of Gettysburg has been displayed at the Civil War Museum there. Leonard remained in Keene until 1869 when he moved to Red Bluff, California, where he continued to make guns.

A double barrel shotgun made by Keene’s George O. Leonard in 1864 will be included in the Society’s Wyman Tavern Museum summer exhibit “Muskets, Shotguns and Pepperboxes: Firearms from the Collection of the Historical Society of Cheshire County”. The Society’s firearms collection is rarely displayed except for special exhibitions such as this one. Numerous guns dating from the 18th century to the Civil War period, the period illustrated at the Tavern, will be on display at the museum. In addition to the exhibit, the Society’s 2009 Wyman Tavern Lecture Series will focus on “Muskets, Militia and Firearms Manufacturing, 1750s-1870s”. Prior to the introduction of mass production, firearms were made by skilled craftsmen in small shops throughout our region and across the country. One of the lectures will focus on the careers and products of George Leonard and several other local gunsmiths who worked during this period. Some examples of their work will be shown and discussed.

The “Muskets, Shotguns and Pepperboxes” exhibit will open with a reception for members on the evening of July 17. Members are invited to join us to view the exhibit and tour the Tavern from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on that Friday evening.

A Message from HSCC President Carl B. Jacobs, Jr.

Since I became a Trustee of HSCC, I have thought about what history has to do with today. We are faced with difficult choices as resources shrink. Can we offer something useful in today’s world? Is history a worthwhile place to invest our time and money?

People put up preserves; not to have them as objects to look at, but because they provide sustenance during the months when gardens are not producing. Experience shows we can get through winter if we are prepared.

Our current exhibit, Coming to Cheshire County, shows that immigrants were successful not only because of the opportunity they found in Cheshire County, but also because they preserved their heritage and work ethic in their new home. They brought values and knowledge that sustained them.

HSCC is making choices to move through these challenging times. It is an opportunity to utilize our preserved resources. We can see how Cheshire County people faced adversity in the past, and learn from their success and failure.

HSCC Welcomes New Board Members

Patricia Colony of Harrisville and a life-long resident of the Monadnock Region joined the Board for a 2-year term. She is an incorporator of Historic Harrisville and helped to found the Children’s Museum in Keene.

F. Barrett (Barry) Faulkner, a Keene native and Swanzey resident, was elected to a 3-year term. He was a transportation planner in Boston for 30 years and now practices law in Keene. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Keene, on the Board of the Woodward Home and Board chairman of the New Hampshire West Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Jane B. Johnson of Swanzey was elected to a 3-year term. She has lived in NH for 43 years., coming to Keene with her husband, Gregory Johnson, a Keene native, in 1965.  Upon retiring from a career in primary education, she was elected to the NH House and is serving in her second term. She served on the Mt. Caesar Union Library Board and is active on the Swanzey Conservation Commission.

John Treat of Keene was elected to serve a 3-year term. John grew up in Springfield, VT and obtained a BA in sociology from Haverford College in 1972. He returned to school briefly for training in computer science, which lead to a 20-year career in bank information technology. His historical interests are the causes and consequences of the American Revolution and early industrialization of the Connecticut Valley.

Don B. Wilmeth, elected to a 2-year term, is a theatre historian and editor; he taught, directed and administered in the Theatre and English Departments at Brown Univ. for 36 years. He is also an actor and director and collects theatre and entertainment ephemera and memorabilia, as seen in his recent HSCC exhibit on “Actors on the Early American Stage.” Locally, he is a member of the Hourglass Readers and serves on boards for MoCo Arts and the Friends of the Keene Public Library.

In addition to these new trustees, Ernest Bell was reelected to fill a vacant one-year term. Join us in acknowledging these dedicated volunteers!

Wyman Tavern Lecture Series: Muskets, Militia, and Firearm Manufacturing, 1750s-1870s

• The Evolution of Firearms in the Connecticut River Valley, 1750s-Post Civil War
  Thursday - July 30 at 7:00 p.m.
  

  Historian Robert Colton from the Springfield Armory National Historic Site will present a program examining the history and evolution of firearms from the French and Indian Wars through the Civil War.

• The Volunteer Soldier: The Role and Function of the Local Militia
  Thursday - August 20 at 7:00 p.m.
  

  Bill Hartley, former Fort at No. 4 interpreter, will present a program examining the role and function of the local militiaman.

• Firearms Manufacturing in Cheshire County
  Thursday - September 10 at 7:00 p.m.
  

  A program by HSCC’s Alan Rumrill and Tom Haynes on the history of local manufacturing of firearms in Cheshire County.

Keene’s Historic Wyman Tavern is located at 339 Main St. in Keene. Lectures are free and open to the public with donations encouraged. Reservations are requested due to limited seating. Please call HSCC at 352-1895 to make a reservation.

Join us on Firday Afternoons at the Wyman Tavern

On most Friday afternoons from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. in July and August, the Society will offer activities, games, or crafts at the Wyman Tavern Museum that were part of 18th century life for children and families . Reservations are not required. Children ages 8 or younger must be accompanied by an adult.

• Friday, July 10 – Candle Making. Learn how to make tapered and dipped candles ($5/person or $10/family).
• Friday, July 17 – Instrument Making. Learn how to make simple musical instruments from everyday items (free).
• Friday, July 24 – Making Canoes and Boats. Design and construct simple canoes and boats using natural items and launch them on the Ashuelot River ($5/person or $10/family).
• Friday, July 31 – Playing 18th Century Games & Toys. Learn how to make and play a variety of games and to make 18th century toys (free).
• Friday, August 7 – Making Dolls & Animals. Learn how to make dolls and play animals from everyday items ($5/person or $10/family).
• Friday, August 14 – Candle Making. Learn how to make tapered and dipped candles ($5/person or $10/family).
• Friday, August 21 – Playing 18th Century Games & Toys. Learn how to make and play a variety of games and to make 18th century toys (free).

Historical Society to offer Children's Camps at Wyman Tavern Museum

• Paddle to the Sea for children 10 to 16
  July 22 to July 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

  Paddle to the Sea participants will learn the story of “Paddle,” from the book Paddle to the Sea by Holling Clancy Holling, and the importance of rivers as a transportation “highway” for food, water power, and industry in 18th century Cheshire County. They will hand carve a small wooden canoe and paddle in full-sized canoes up the Ashuelot River from Ashuelot Park to launch them on journeys to the sea. The cost for Paddle to the Sea Camp is $80 for members and $95 for non- members.




• Making 18th Century Games & Toys for children 8 to 16
  July 29 to July 31, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

  Participants in this program will construct toys and games using materials that were available to 18th century children. Such games and toys were constructed for fun and to develop skills. The cost for the Making Toys and Games Camp is $75 for HSCC members and $90 for non-members.

Chesterfield teacher Laurel Powell will teach both camps. Enrollment is limited to 12 children. Reservation and a deposit are required for both campus. Call HSCC at 352-1895.

Period Garden at Wyman Tavern

The irises are up and the baptisma, bleeding hearts and phlox are blooming in the garden at the Wyman Tavern Museum as this newsletter goes to press. Volunteers from the Monadnock Garden Club have been at work for several weeks caring for the garden, which was developed by the Club to complement the historic tavern building. The garden was created in 1981 with the assistance of a horticultural specialist, who helped to identify historically appropriate annuals and perennials. It includes hearty New England perennials that endure the region’s harsh winters and unpredictable springs and summers, including snowdrops, bleeding hearts, daffodils, violets, columbine, bloodroot, baptisma, valerian, lemon lilies, peonies, phlox, mints, chives, and evening primrose.

Known as a “parlor garden,” it features flowers and herbs that might have been enjoyed by the Rev. and Mrs. Barstow when they lived in the house with their family in the early 19th century. Creating an historic garden involves thorough research, careful design, and a commitment to maintaining the garden. The Historical Society and the community have benefited greatly from the efforts these garden volunteers.

The Monadnock Garden Club is a member of the Garden Club of America.

Construction and Parking Update

The north entrance to the Historical Society parking lot will be closed to traffic until October 2009, while Keene State College widens the driveway and installs a new parking surface in preparation for the opening of a new College Alumni Center at the intersection of Main and Winchester Streets. The driveway, which is shared by the Historical Society and Keene State, is being widened to accommodate increased traffic to the new facility. Until the entrance is reopened in October, HSCC members and guests must access the Society’s parking lot from Proctor Court or the driveway immediately South of the headquarters.

4th Annual Summer Bus Trip to Boston

Looking to do some genealogical research in Boston? Looking to go visit historic sites, shop, or sightsee in Boston for a day? If so, HSCC will have a bus leaving on Wednesday July 15th for its summer bus trip to Boston just for you.

The bus will leave HSCC at 6:45 a.m. and will stop at the National Archives Regional Office in Waltham, downtown Boston in front of the New England Historic and Genealogical Society on Newbury Street, and at the J.F.K. Library and Massachusetts Archives at Colombia Point. The bus will depart from Boston about 4:30 p.m. and return to Keene about 7:30 p.m. Cost will remain the same as last year, $27.00 for HSCC members and $32.00 for non-members. We will need at least 40 people to participate to make this trip possible, so please let others know and bring them along for this fun day in Boston. To sign up for this trip, please contact HSCC at 352-1895 or hscc@hsccnh.org.

Exhibit Programs

In association with the exhibit Coming to Cheshire County: Immigrant Experiences, 1860-1930, HSCC will offer the following guided gallery walks:

• Saturday July 11th - 10:00 a.m.
• Wednesday July 23rd - 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday August 8th - 10:00 a.m.
• Wednesday August 19th - 7:00 p.m
.
• Saturday September 12th - 10:00 a.m.
• Wednesday September 23rd - 7:00 p.m.

An Auction of Historic Proportions
Friday, October 23, 2009
6:30 - 9:30 p.m.

This year’s auction promises to be more fun than ever, with opportunities to preserve history at every turn. The organizing committee is conjuring up great auction items that will feed our love of history as it supports the work of the Historical Society. The honorable mayor of Keene, Dale Pregent, will be back to conduct the auction. Susan Landers-Gilbert is chairing this year’s event, and an energetic committee is organizing under her able leadership. Call 352-1895 if you want to help.

The committee looking for donations of all kinds – especially services (are you a gardener or a cook or appraiser or attorney with a service you could offer?); antiques, collectibles and artwork (the auction staple); gifts, and jewelry. We are also looking for items with a historic theme – dinner at a historical NH inn, photographs or paintings of historic sites – help us come up with some interesting and fun items.

Save the date. Tickets will be $50/person and will go on sale this summer. You may call and make a reservation now, as a limited number of tickets will be sold.

Kingsbury Toy Exhibit Expanded

The permanent exhibit of Kingsbury toys, on display since 2006, has been doubled with the addition of more display cabinets donated by the Kingsbury Fund. With additional cabinets, all of the Kingsbury Toy collection is now displayed. The toys span the years of 1887 when the Triumph Wringer Co. produced the first toy wringer through the Wilkins and Kingsbury years ending in 1942. Toys range from delicate cast iron farm and fire equipment to pressed steel automobiles and trucks, even a balsa wood airplane. These toys show the way the automobile, airplane and life in general evolved during this time. Those who have seen the display in the past and those who have not will enjoy a look at this special collection of toys that were manufactured in the City of Keene. We extend a special thanks to Greg Bixby who designed and installed the exhibit.

2009 Chautauqua Program
Steps to Freedom and Rights to Education

Thursday, August 6 at 7 p.m.
Keene Public Library's Heberton Hall

This year’s Chautauqua program features two educational leaders in celebration of the theme Steps to Freedom and the Right to Education for All. Living history presenters Marianne Donnelly and Gwendolyn Quezaire-Presutti will portray Louisa May Alcott in her role as a leader in the abolitionist and suffragette movements and Sarah Harris, an African-American educational pioneer. Harris enrolled in the Canterbury Female Boarding School in Connecticut in 1833, thereby creating the first integrated classroom in the US, and went on to achieve her goal of opening a school for African American children.

The Chautauqua program is funded by a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council in partnership with the Keene Public Library, the Horatio Colony House Museum, the Keene Sentinel, and the Historical Society of Cheshire County.

Immigrant Experiences Topic of Teacher Workshop

In conjunction with the summer exhibit, HSCC’s annual spring teacher workshop will also explore the topic of immigration. Entitled “Immigrant Experiences in the Granite State, 1860s - 1930s,” this two-day workshop will be held on Wednesday-Thursday, July 1-2 in HSCC’s Exhibit Hall from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day.

The workshop is designed for any educator who wishes to expand their understanding of immigration history between the 1860s and 1930s, especially immigration history in New Hampshire and the Monadnock region. For further information or to register, please contact Tom Haynes at 352-1895 or dired@hsccnh.org, or visit the Teacher Workshop page on the HSCC website at www.hsccnh.org/education/workshops.cfm.

We wish to thank the New Hampshire Humanities Council, Ashuelot Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, and Ariel Printing for their generous support for this workshop.

Roundtable Forum News

The Monadnock Historical Societies Forum will meet at the Westmoreland Town Hall on Thursday June 18, 2009 beginning at 9:30 a.m. The Roundtable’s open forum and planning for the fall’s collaborative exhibit and publication on education and schools will be part of the morning meeting. After a brown bag lunch, the group will tour the old Westmoreland school house. For further information, please contact Tom Haynes at 352-1895 or dired@hsccnh.org.

Summer Field Trip to Windsor, VT
Saturday, August 8th

HSCC will offer a summer field trip to Windsor, Vermont to visit the American Precision Museum and the Old Constitution House State Historic Site. The trip will be on Saturday August 8th. We will car pool from HSCC leaving promptly at 8:45 a.m. and returning about 4:30 p.m.

The American Precision Museum preserves the heritage of the mechanical arts, celebrates the ingenuity of our mechanical forebears, and explores the effects of their work on our everyday lives. Housed in the original Robbins & Lawrence Armory, it holds the largest collection of historically significant machine tools in the nation. Arriving at about 10:00 a.m., we will be guided through the Museum’s main exhibit and receive a behind the scenes tour of the museum’s extensive collection. (Please note that steep stairs access collection areas upstairs and there is no elevator.) There will also be ample time to roam the museum on your own. Our second stop will be a guided tour of the Old Constitution House beginning at 2:30 p.m. In 1777, delegates gathered at this tavern to draft a constitution for the newly independent Republic of Vermont. Vermont’s constitution was far reaching at the time and guided the republic until it was admitted into the Union in 1791 as the fourteenth state.

In between our visits to each historic site, there will be time to visit downtown Windsor to have lunch or to shop, or to find a comfortable spot to enjoy a brown bag lunch. Cost is $12.00 for HSCC members and $16.00 for non-members. Reservations are required. For further information or to make a reservation, please contact HSCC at 352-1895 or hscc@hsccnh.org.

HSCC 2009 Program Sponsors

• Ariel Printing
• Ashuelot Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution
• Connecticut River Bank
• Creative Encounters
• Good Fortune
• Keene Sentinel
• Monadnock Folklore Society
• New Hampshire Humanities Council
• Savings Bank of Walpole
• Carin Torp Healing Arts PLLC

Ways of Giving to HSCC

Now, more than ever, the Historical Society of Cheshire County needs the financial support of its members and friends. HSCC is a non-profit organization and all contributions are tax deductible. About 25 percent of our revenue comes from contributions from individuals, organizations and foundations. HSCC receives no funding of any kind from state or local governments.

There are many ways to insure that local history continues to be collected, preserved, and interpreted for future generations. In addition to annual membership dues and appeal contributions, there are many other ways to give:

• Planned Giving: consider naming the Historical Society as a beneficiary in your will or using other planned giving tools such as gift annuities, trusts, etc. The Society would be pleased to work with your financial advisor if you are considering a planned gift.
• Memorial Gifts: Honor departed family members and friends with memorial gifts. They are part of the history of the region that we value so highly.
• Special Occasions: Consider a gift or membership to honor someone special. Many would fund such a gift very meaningful.
• Become a Tavern Keeper: The Wyman Tavern is one of Keene’s oldest structures and home of the Society’s colonial-era collections and history education programs. Join the Tavern Keepers with a gift of $250 or more, and help preserve this vital resource in the heart of historic Main Street.

Finally, since the Society is the trusted repository of the history of our entire region, if you have artifacts, family documents, photographs or artwork connected to the history of Cheshire County, you may wish to consider donating these materials to the Society. In our care they can be preserved, protected, and made available to future generations seeking to understand our heritage.

Membership and Philanthropy at HSCC

HSCC relies on both membership and charitable contributions to support its diverse services and to sustain its mission to preserve and communicate the history of our wonderful corner of New Hampshire. Membership counts! Through active membership in the Society individuals and families in the region maintain ongoing contact and connection to HSCC. But as is the case with all membership organizations, member dues provide only a small fraction of the funds needed to fund operations – in our case, only 10% of the budget comes from dues. At HSCC, we keep member dues low to encourage all our neighbors to join the Society, and today we have nearly a thousand dues paying members – the most in our history. Even still, member dues alone cannot sustain HSCC.

Contributions from individuals, local businesses, foundations, and community organizations provide the lion’s share of the funds required to support HSCC’s ongoing activities – 25%. Many donors who support HSCC are not active as members; many dues paying members do not make additional gifts to HSCC. But to sustain the many programs and services you can read about in this Newsletter, we need the help of many more donors. It’s that simple.

In these economic times…. no doubt, you have received numerous requests for support from very deserving charities pleading for donations, especially during this recessionary period. And at HSCC, we need your support too, perhaps more than ever. But not just because of tough economic times.

Your Historical Society has been a part of the fabric of Cheshire County through several recessions. In fact, HSCC survived the Great Depression, even though it was then just a fledgling charity. But as our programs have grown, as the number of people seeking help with genealogical research has exploded, as the collections of historic Cheshire County treasures have expanded, and as our educational programs have become interwoven with the schools of the region, the need for broader community support has grown, too.

The Historical Society of Cheshire County is now 81 years old. If you want the Society around eighty years from now to show future generations what life was like in the region in the 1990s, then we need your support today. Like our ancestors, we who live in the region today are making tomorrow’s history. If you give today, we will preserve that history. Without your help, that commitment may become impossible to sustain.

Calendar of Events

Continuing

Tues. – Saturday, Coming to Cheshire County: The Immigrant Experience, 1860-1930, HSCC Feature Exhibit on display through September.

Continuing, Thurs. – Sun., 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Wyman Tavern Museum open for visits and tours.

July

Wed.-Thurs., July 1-2, HSCC
Teacher Workshop: Immigrant Experiences in Granite State

Fri., July 10, 1 p.m.-4 p.m., Wyman Tavern Museum
Friday afternoon at the Tavern: Candle Making

Sat., July 11, 10 a.m. HSCC Exhibit Hall
Immigration exhibit gallery walk

Wed., July 15, Bus Trip to Boston
Departs from HSCC at 6:45 a.m.

Fri., July 17, 1 p.m.-4p.m., Wyman Tavern Museum
Friday afternoon at the Tavern: Instrument Making and 6 – 8 p.m., Wyman Tavern Exhibit Opening: Muskets, Shotguns and Pepperboxes.

Wed.-Fri., July 22-24, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Wyman Tavern Museum
Paddle to the Sea camp for children

Wed., July 22, 7:00 p.m., HSCC Exhibit Hall
Immigration exhibit gallery walk

Wed.-Fri., July 29-31, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Wyman Tavern Museum
Making 18th Century Games & Toys camp

Thurs., July 30, 7 p..m.., Wyman Tavern Museum
Tavern Lecture Series: Evolution of Firearms

Fri., July 31, 1 p.m.-4p.m., Wyman Tavern Museum
Friday afternoon at the Tavern: 18th Century Games & Toys

August

Thurs., Aug. 6, 7:00 p.m., Heberton Hall (KPL)
Chautauqua, “Steps to Freedom and Rights to Education”

Fri., Aug. 7, 1 p.m.-4p.m., Wyman Tavern Museum
Friday afternoon at the Tavern: Making Dolls & Animals

Sat., Aug. 8, Field Trip to Windsor, VT
Leaves HSCC at 8:45 a.m. by car pool

Sat., Aug. 8, 10 a.m., HSCC Exhibit Hall
Immigration exhibit gallery walk

Fri., Aug. 14, 1 p.m.-4p.m., Wyman Tavern Museum
Friday afternoon at the Tavern: Candle Making

Wed., Aug. 19, 7 p.m., HSCC Exhibit Hall
Immigration exhibit gallery walk

Thurs., Aug. 20, 7 p.m., Wyman Tavern Museum
Tavern Lecture Series: The Role of Militia

Fri., Aug. 21, 1 p.m.-4p.m., Wyman Tavern Museum
Friday afternoon at the Tavern: 18th Century Games and Toys

September

Sat., Sept. 5, Wyman Tavern Museum
Closes for summer. Fall tours by appt.