canterburynhhistoricalsociety Exhibits

MAY 2021 NEWSLETTER

Historical Society May 2021 Newsletter

HAROLD SARGENT’S SCHOOL HOUSE MODEL NOW ON DISPLAY IN ELKINS LIBRARY

Last December Harold Sargent presented his model of the Houser Center Schoolhouse to the Historical Society. During the winter months the model has been on display at the elementary school for our students to see and study It has now been moved to the Elkins Library for all to see. The Society would like to again extend its thanks to Harold for his generosity in making this donation to us. We also wish to thank Mark Stevens who worked closely with Harold in scaling and drawing the plan for the project. We also extend our appreciation to Sue LeClair and the library trustees for allowing us to display this wonderful “Canterbury Creation” so prominently in the library. We are proud to have the model in our Archive Collection. 

OUR LONG “HIBERNATION” IS COMING TO AN END!

Finally, after 14 months of relative inactivity we are beginning to “stir”! We will be holding our first meeting shortly and there is much to discuss. Items will include programs we might sponsor for the next year, the mounting of an exhibit in the Elkins Memorial building, our One Room School House program, archive status, finances, trustee vacancies, our annual meeting status and our meeting schedule. The Trustees are anxiously looking forward to our meeting and to “getting going again”!

RECOLLECTIONS OF THE PANDEMIC

At the risk of being accused of “drip-dripping” we would appreciate receiving your stories, pictures, and writings about your experiences in the past year. Having a record of how you and others were affected in the past year will prove to be a valuable record in our historical society archives as future historians/researches study this extraordinary time.    

canterburynhhistoricalsociety Events, Exhibits, Historical buildings, Historical objects

Plans for 2018!

HISTORICAL SOCIETY TRUSTEES HOLD ANNUAL STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION
The Society’s trustees gathered on January 6th for what has become an annual event, i.e. reviewing the past year’s activities, assessing the Society’s current situation and planning for the upcoming year and beyond. Many items were discussed including:
    The One Room Schoolhouse Program – This will be our 11th year recreating the one room schoolhouse experience in which all Canterbury elementary school children participate as well as all the second graders from Belmont elementary school. The program will focus on the year 1887 and the curriculum will be designed as it might have been then. This is a program that has won national recognition and which all the students very  much look forward to. Like to be involved? Let us know!
    Exhibits – We plan to mount an exhibit later in the spring in the Elkins Memorial Building (former library) entitled, ”Out of the Archives” which will feature objects and materials from the Society’s archive collection. Do you have an idea for an exhibit? We are “all ears”!
    Programs – The Society will be sponsoring two “Humanities To-Go” programs in conjunction with the Elkins Library. The first will be on April 10th presented by Glenn Knoblock entitled, N.H. On High: Historic and Unusual Weathervanes of the Granite State”. The second will be on October 23rd presented by Steve Taylor entitled, “Poor Houses and Town Farms: The Hard Row for Paupers”. Both at 7 P.M. in the library. Do you have a program idea? Something you’d like to see? We’d love to hear from you!
    Archive Collection- Strategies for managing the collection were discussed including organization, accessibility and growth. If this is an area of interest, let us know!
    Sundry other issues- Some of which were the review of our current by-laws, committee structure, succession planning, signage, our new town history, continuation of oral history interviews and their transcriptions, potential grant applications, the Luther Cody glass negative collection and future planning. Interest in being a Trustee? Let’s talk!
Clearly, we have many areas on which to focus and would welcome you to assist, volunteer, or contribute support to any area you might find of interest. Visit us at www.canterburyhistory.org or email us at canterbury.nh.historical.society@gmail.com
canterburynhhistoricalsociety Exhibits, Historical objects

“I’ve been working on the railroad”; talk and new exhibit!

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Before the days of Interstate 93, tractor trailer trucks, and personal automobiles, the railroad was the lifeline that connected Canterbury to the world. Although long gone and mostly forgotten now, Canterbury once had a vibrant railroad system that included multiple trains running through town each day delivering passengers, mail, food, merchandise, and freight to the Canterbury railroad stations that no longer exist. These same trains also hauled out of town local produce including as milk, lumber, ice, and young recruits headed for service in WWII.

On Sunday April 30th at 1:00 at the Canterbury Parish House, local historian Mark Stevens is presenting a program entitled, “I’ve Been Working On The Railroad”.  It will feature old photos, historic research, and the stories that he gathered from interviewing old timers that remembered riding the rails and waiting for the train at the depot.  Mark has spent 5 years gathering all this information and has retraced the rail lines.  The photos of his discoveries coupled with historic photos he uncovered are a valuable and interesting part of our state history.

Immediately following Mark’s talk will be the opening of CHS’s newest exhibit “A trip through time on the Canterbury Railroad” that showcases many of the artifacts Mark came across plus many more photos. The exhibit will be across the road at the Elkin’s Memorial Building.