Historical Society of Cheshire County Collecting, Preserving, and Communicating the History of Cheshire County VOL. 29, NO. 5

FEBRUARY 2014

Ernest Hebert to Speak on February 24th about the Writing of The Old American

Ernest Hebert in front of the monument to Nathan Blake

Ernest Hebert smiles when he recalls a moment that occurred when he was about ten years old. “I was a student at St. Joseph’s Elementary School in Keene,” he says. “Nearby was the college’s Blake House on the corner of Main and Winchester Streets. There was a hedge and I used to peek through it at a rock monument.” Hebert continues, “One day I mustered the courage to squeeze through the hedge and read the plaque on the monument. I learned that the first log cabin in Keene was on that spot and its builder, Nathan Blake, had been captured by Indians in 1747. It was that moment, standing on ground where a founder stood, that raised my consciousness. Indians in Keene—my hometown! History had always been events far away that you read about in books. Now I understood that History was all around me, a kind of embrace from the spirit world. The realization opened me up to lifetime of curiosity about the past. In particular, I wanted to know more about this Nathan Blake guy and his world. It took me half a cen-

tury of research and excursions to Canada and, of all places, Texas, before I could gather the known facts about Blake and his captivity and tell the story as best I could. Now I would like to tell the backstory adventures in those fifty or so years that led to the writing of The Old American.” Ernest Hebert did some of his research for The Old American at the Historical Society of Cheshire County, so it is fitting that the Society will welcome him back for a talk about the book on February 24th. The program will start at 7:00 pm. Ernest Hebert is one of Cheshire County’s favorite sons. He attended Keene High School and Keene State College. He wrote for ten years at The Keene Sentinel and he has been a Writer in Residence at Keene State College. His Darby series takes place in the fictional town of Darby, which Hebert says is a composite of Westmoreland, Sullivan, and Dublin, New Hampshire. His historical novel The Old American begins and ends in Keene. Continued on page 2:

Historical Society of Cheshire County

Board of Trustees Sydney CroteauFrechette President Paula Page Vice President John Treat Treasurer Larry Benaquist Doug Brown William Dow F. Barrett Faulkner David Frechette Medora Hebert Jane B. Johnson Jane Lane Art Simington Edwin Smith Rob Therrien Don B. Wilmeth Peter Wright Staff Alan F. Rumrill Executive Director Rick Swanson Development Director Katharine Schillemat Administrative Asst. Gail Lester Development Coordinator

The Old American (cont. from page 1): Ernest Hebert is the director of the creative writing program at Dartmouth College. He is the author of nine novels, and the seventh novel in the Darby series, Howard Ellman’s Farewell, is set to come out in September of 2014. His awards include Fiction Writer of the Year by the New England Booksellers Association and an “IPPY” (Independent Publisher award) for best regional novel in the Northeast. Although his credentials are impressive, when he talks about his writing he is very accessible and engaging. Anyone who comes to see Ernest Hebert’s talk on February 24th is sure to gain insights into The Old American as well as a sense of Cheshire County’s history.

“Your Grandmother Trusted Wright’s” J.A. Wright and his Silver Polish Company Exhibit Open Now through June 7, 2014

The Historical Society of Cheshire County announces the opening of “Your Grandmother Trusted Wright’s”: J.A. Wright and his Silver Polish Company, an exhibit featuring the story of Wright’s Silver Cream. John Artemas (J.A.) Wright founded his silver polish firm in a back room of Keene’s Eagle Hotel in 1873. J.A. Wright & Co. manufactured fine metal polishes in Keene until 2006 and continues to do so today in Gurnee, Illinois. The history of the company illustrates the curiosity, ingenuity and hard work of company founder J.A. Wright. He not only built a nationally known business from a bog full of “unusual dirt,” but he also patented several inventions and was involved in the formation of other Keene businesses. J.A. Wright and his descendants operated and expanded the Silver Cream business for five generations. This exhibit focuses on the fascinating story of inventor and businessman John A. Wright, his various companies, and especially the J.A. Wright silver polish company. When the company removed from Keene, the Wright family donated the company archives and museum to the Historical Society of Cheshire County. These materials form the basis of this exhibit. The exhibit will be open to the public every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Wednesdays, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, and the first and third Saturdays of each month, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. There will be a Gallery Walk on Saturday, March 1, at 10:00 am, led by Alan Rumrill, Executive Director. Samples of Wright’s Silver Cream are available for the first 100 people who visit the exhibit, thanks to a generous donation from Weiman Products of Gurnee, Illinois, owner of the Wright’s product line. The J.A. Wright Silver Polish exhibit is sponsored by John B. and Loren Wright. 2

We’re Pulling into the Fast Lane of the Information Highway

Monadnock Historical Societies Roundtable Forum Meeting

If you haven’t visited the Historical Society’s website lately, please log on at www.hsccnh.org to see our new look. With the mentorship, handholding, and cheerleading of webmaster Gordon Peery, we have moved our website onto a new WordPress platform which will be flexible and easy to keep fresh. Gordon Peery has developed websites for the Town of Nelson (an editor’s pick for Best of 2012 by nhmagazine.com), the Harris Center for Conservation Education, the Monadnock Center for History and Culture, Electric Earth Concerts, and many others. On our new website you can find a link to a NH Chronicle segment about the 2013 Wyman Tavern Festival. You can read an architectural analysis and statement of significance about the Wyman Tavern by James Garvin. You can make a donation to the Historical Society. You can learn about resources for teachers and for students. You can read any of two hundred Monadnock Moments pieces by Alan Rumrill such as “The Village That Disappeared,” “The Steamobile Company of America,” “The Resort Hotel Without Any Guests,” “The Hurricane of 1854,” “The Hurricane of 1938,” or “Samuel Jones’ Leg.” You can see what the featured exhibit is or the Historical Society’s latest book. You can see who is on the Board of Trustees. And, oh yes, did we mention that you could make a donation to the Historical Society?

The Roundtable Forum Meeting will be held on Thursday, February 20th at the Historical Society of Cheshire County, 246 Main Street in Keene beginning at 9:30 am. The morning session will be our traditional roundtable discussion with everyone having an opportunity to share the goings on and needs of your organization. We will also discuss a few topics of interest to all organizations and give an update on the new Director of Education who will be joining the Historical Society of Cheshire County in March. Educational Outreach Program: After lunch Rick Swanson, Director of Development at the Historical Society, and Tracy Messer, historian, will deliver an interactive presentation on Social Media. Rick will demonstrate ways in which the Historical Society of Cheshire County uses social media while Tracy will highlight best practices used by other historical organizations that have made innovative use of social media technology. The Society building is equipped with wireless internet access, so we encourage you to bring your laptop to join in the online exploration and share sites you have found to be useful. Lunch: Please bring a brown bag lunch to eat in the meeting room. There are locations within walking distance (on the Keene State campus and in town) to purchase a lunch, but our lunch break will be brief so that we can move on to the afternoon session to enable everyone to participate and leave with plenty of time to return home. Parking is available behind the building in the spaces marked for HSCC. Coffee and refreshments will be served prior to the meeting and beverages will be available for lunch. All are welcome and we look forward to seeing you on Feb. 20. Snow date, just in case, is Feb. 21. For more information, call or email 603-352-1895 or [email protected].

Electronic Version of Newsletter Now Available The Historical Society of Cheshire County now offers the option of receiving the newsletter via email as opposed to the current print version. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter electronically, please email the Historical Society at [email protected] or call 603-352-1895. If we don’t hear from you, you will continue to receive the newsletter in print. As always, additional print copies are available at the Historical Society to share with friends and neighbors, and the newsletter may be viewed on our website: www.hsccnh.org. Thank you for sharing your preference with us.

English Country Dance at Historical Society On Sunday, February 16th, from 2:00 to 5:00 pm, in the Exhibit Hall, the Monadnock Folklore Society presents the first in a series of English County Dances, with Mary Jones, caller, and Carol Compton and Thal Aylward providing the music. Admission: $10.00. For more information call (603) 209-3304 or visit http://www.monadnockfolk.org. 3

The Stranger’s Church of New Orleans: A New Book by Historical Society Member, Meg Dachowski

In remembrance of David R. Proper -Schoolteacher, librarian, historian, author, and a member of the Historical Society of Cheshire County for 65 years.

David R. Proper was the unofficial historian of Cheshire County for about half a century. In 1961 he began to write a weekly column on "County History" for the Keene Sentinel, and he didn't stop until 48 years later when he had a record of 2400 columns appearing under his byline. Many of these columns were published in two Keene Sense of History books by the Historical Society. He wrote several other books and dozens of articles and book chapters on topics as diverse as historical clocks, New England town bands, the Salem witchcraft hysteria, 18th century black female poet Lucy Terry Prince, and the history of Keene's First Congregational Church. His honors included a Fulbright Scholarship and the University System of New Hampshire's Granite State Award. In Alan Rumrill's words, "We have lost a wonderful memory filled with historical knowledge -- a true walking encyclopedia of local history. But David will not be forgotten because we have those 2400 'County History' columns and his many other written works, because of the extensive history he collected, preserved, and shared." The Historical Society of Cheshire County is honored to have been named in David R. Proper's obituary as the organization for contributions made in his memory. We are also grateful to learn that he designated the Historical Society as the beneficiary of a legacy gift. His generosity and foresight to make a planned gift will make much of our work possible in the future.

Meg Dachowski has just published a book about the Unitarian Universalist church in New Orleans. Work on this book has been an important part of her life, off and on, for the last 30 years. Meg is a member of the Historical Society of Cheshire County; she did much work on her book during the 2000s at the Society. The Society has a microfilm set of the Christian Record (the American Unitarian national newsletter from 1830 to 1940) which was very helpful in her research. The Stranger’s Church of New Orleans is the story of a free thinking congregation and a colorful flock of nonconformist ministers. It is also part of the history of American Unitarian Universalism over the years from the 1820s to the 1980s. It includes accounts of heresy, hurricanes, scandals, slavery, gambling, desegregation, yellow fever epidemics, pacifism, carpetbaggers, war, evolution, loyalty oaths—all played out against the background of New Orleans, one of the most fascinating, frustrating, and beautiful cities in our country. The book is a 243 page paperback, with bibliographic references and index, and is available from the author or at the Toadstool Bookshop in Keene. Meg was an active member of The First Unitarian Church in New Orleans starting in 1962. Meg and her husband, Larry, moved to Keene in 2000 and are members of the Keene Unitarian Universalist Church. 4

Historical Society 2013-2014 Program Sponsors Ariel Printing Ashuelot River Hydro, Inc. Carin Torp Connecticut River Bank C&S Wholesale Grocers Keene Elm City Rotary Club Keene Lions Club Fenton Family Dealerships Faulkner Family Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Harrisville Designs Keene Lions Club

Keene Rotary Club Monadnock Lions Club Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. Munsonville Ladies Group New Hampshire Humanities Council Savings Bank of Walpole Toy City U-Save Car & Truck Rental UNFI John B. and Loren Wright Website Sponsor Yankee Bottle Club

2013 Tavern Keepers The following donors made the Wyman Tavern programs and activities possible in 2013 Larry Benaquist & Tammy Armstrong Megan Burke Kidder Juliana Bergeron & Arto Leino Harriet & Claus Knappe Chris, Mary & Julia Booras Lee & Paula Page Cambridge Trust Company of NH Charlton & Diana MacVeagh Richard & Donna Cohen Monadnock Garden Club Richard & Betsey Church Jane Reynolds Robert & Alfrieda Englund Tim & Talu Robertson Philip Faulkner, Jr. Phyllis & Jim Rogers Frechette Fund Joan Kibbe & Richard Scaramelli David Frechette & CeeCee Croteau-Frechette Dr. Arthur & Lynn Simington Susan Landers Gilbert Kimball & Maria Temple Elizabeth & Peter Hansel Rob & Lianne Therrien Dr. & Mrs. H. Roger Hansen Tony & Barbara Tremblay Peter and Tricia Heed John Treat & Eloise Clark Carl B. & Ruth Jacobs, Jr. Robert & Jan Weekes Neil, Peter, & Cathy Jenness Barbara & Norman Woodward Greg & Jane Johnson Bob & Lisa Wyman Keene Masonic Lodge

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CALL Class Focuses on Town Histories Naulakha Field Trip

The Historical Society will offer a class on Town Histories of the Monadnock Region during the spring 2014 session of the Keene State College CALL program. CALL, the Cheshire Academy for Lifelong Learning, is an eight week educational program offered on Fridays for seniors and retirees. The Town Histories class will be held from March 14 through May 2 in the Society’s exhibit hall from 10:00 to 11:20 a.m. The classes are taught by representatives of each town’s historical organization. The presenters tell the story of their town, or a specific aspect of the town’s history, such as industrial history. Registration for the class may be completed through Keene State College (http://www.keene.edu/conted). The schedule for the upcoming session is as follows: March 14 March 21 March 28 April 4 April 11 April 18 April 25 May 2

The Historical Society will once again offer a field trip to Rudyard Kipling’s home Naulakha on Wednesday, March 26, 2014. Kipling had Naulakha built in Dummerston, Vermont in 1892-93. In 1992, the abandoned property was rescued by The Landmark Trust, USA and the home is listed as a National Historic Landmark for its unusual example of Shingle Style architecture. Kipling, who had a hand in the design, described Naulakha as a ship, with his study in the prow and the kitchen in the stern. It commands spectacular views over sloping meadows to the Connecticut River valley and mountains of New Hampshire. In addition to touring Kipling’s home, visitors will see storyteller Jackson Gillman offer a performance as Kipling telling his “Just So Stories.” These are Kipling’s well known children’s stories that he first told to his daughter at Naulakha. We will car pool to Naulakha from the Historical Society leaving at 12:00 p.m. to be at Naulakha for our 1:00 p.m. tour and performance. Space is limited to 20 people. Cost is $12.00 for Society members and $16.00 for non-members. To reserve your place for the tour and performance, please contact the Historical Society at 352-1895 or [email protected].

Alstead Chesterfield, Part 2 Walpole Peterborough Westmoreland – The History of the County Farm Dublin Swanzey Marlow

Now Accepting Donations of Saleable Hard-cover Used Books.

Wyman Tavern Awarded LCHIP Grant On January 6, 2014, the Board of Directors of the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) announced that the Wyman Tavern was one of thirty-nine projects in New Hampshire to receive LCHIP grants. The Wyman Tavern received an award of $50,000 towards the estimated cost of a $300,000 historic rehabilitation project. The project will also include archaeological investigation at the site. The LCHIP Board Chair Doug Cole of D.S. Cole Growers said, “The projects awarded grants represent an array of New Hampshire’s best natural, cultural, and historic resources.” The grant will help us preserve one of Cheshire County’s most architecturally and historically important buildings and it will allow the Historical Society of Cheshire County to pursue our vision of a cultural heritage center at the Wyman Tavern where history will come alive.

The Society is once again encouraging members and friends to donate books for the 14th Annual Book Sale. We are hoping to receive gifts of hardcover nonfiction books to add to the selection available for sale. Topics such as history, antiques, architecture, travel, nature, biography, or similar subjects would be appropriate for this sale. Recent hard-cover fiction is also popular, but we are not seeking mass market paperbacks, older fiction, textbooks, or damaged items. Do you have overflowing bookshelves and wish to help support the activities of the Historical Society? We would be delighted to receive your books. They should be delivered to the Society by May 7th. Pick up of items may also be possible. Please call 352-1895 for additional information. 6

Volunteer Spotlight: Alei Verdi Alei Verdi has been a volunteer at the Historical Society since 2007 when she was matched up with the Historical Society through the RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program). Alei has been an active volunteer in the community since she retired from her professional career. In 2003 she started offering assistance and providing friendship to elderly persons through the Neighbors in Deed program. She enjoys the work she does with Neighbors in Deed. “I meet some wonderful people,” says Alei. “It is very enriching, and sometimes challenging, but I like to give something back because I have been very blessed.” Alei can always be counted on to pitch in and help with whatever needs to be done at the Historical Society. She regularly reads newspapers and saves clippings pertaining to the Historical Society. And in the past she has helped Gail Lester with clerical work in the development department. “Gail is wonderful to do things for,” says Alei. “She is always so encouraging. Also, Kathy Schillemat, Chris Pratt, and of course Alan Rumrill are always ready to help with any kind of question.” Alei fondly remembers a project she worked on when she helped Alan Rumrill with the intake of hundreds of books that David Proper had donated to the Society. “It was such an interesting project,” she says. “I like working at the Historical Society because if I keep my eyes and ears open, I can learn a lot.” The people at the Historical Society have learned a lot from Alei as well. She has written a memoir about her experiences as a child in Germany during World War II. “It was a difficult time filled with fear,” says Alei. “When I wrote the memoir, I was able to get a lot of the trauma out of me.” Alei arrived in the United States when she was 22. She had been trained in Germany as a pediatric nurse and she took a job as an au pair. “I wanted to travel,” says Alei. “I wanted to see the big wide country of the United States.” Today she has put down roots in the U.S. and has three children, seven grandchildren, and two “grandchildren of the heart.” Her oldest son manages a music store in Dover, her daughter is a CPA in Keene, and her youngest son recently accepted an important position at C&S Wholesale Grocers. We are grateful that Alei Verdi is available to help out at the Historical Society, and we are proud to put her in the volunteer spotlight. 7

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID KEENE, NH PERMIT NO. 102

Historical Society of Cheshire County P.O. Box 803 – 246 Main Street Keene, New Hampshire 03431 603-352-1895 – www.hsccnh.org Hours: Tues., Thurs., & Fri.: 9 am - 4 pm Wed.: 9 am - 9 pm First and Third Sat., 9 am– 12 pm Collecting, Preserving, and Communicating the History of Cheshire County ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Calendar Wednesday, April 30, 7:00 pm, Exhibit Hall, Heritage Plant Lecture: “Restoration of the American Chestnut”

February 2014 Thursday, February 20, 9:30 am, Exhibit Hall, Monadnock Historical Societies Roundtable Forum Monday, February 24, 7:00 pm, Exhibit Hall, Historical Society Member Meeting. Speaker: Ernest Hebert

May 2014

March 2014

Friday, May 9, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Saturday, May 10, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, Exhibit Hall, 14th Annual Used Book Sale

Wednesday, May 7, 7:00 pm, Exhibit Hall, Heritage Plant Lecture: “Native Gardens”

Saturday, March 1, 10:00 am, Exhibit Hall, Wright’s Silver Polish exhibit Gallery Walk Friday, March 14, 10:00 am, Exhibit Hall, CALL class on Town Histories begins.

Wednesday, May 14, 7:00 pm, Exhibit Hall, Heritage Plant Lecture: “Heirloom Apples and Home Orchard Basics”

Wednesday, March 26, 12:00 pm, Historical Society, Field Trip to Naulakha, Rudyard Kipling Home

Wednesday, May 21, 7:00 pm, Exhibit Hall, Heritage Plant Lecture: “Edible Landscapes”

April 2014

Saturday, May 24, and Sunday, May 25, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Wyman Tavern, Heritage Plant Sale

Monday, April 28, 7:00 pm, Exhibit Hall, Historical Society Annual Meeting. John B. Wright will speak on the history of J.A. Wright & Co.

Now through June 7, 2014, “Your Grandmother Trusted Wright’s” J.A. Wright and his Silver Polish Company exhibit open. 8