New Hampton Historical Society presents Programs for 2019-2020 Our topics for the 2019-2020 programs consist of: The Dana Meeting House, History and the Next Chapter; New Hampshire Abolitionist Nathaniel Peabody Rogers; Gordon-Nash Library and New Hampton School; Paths Less Traveled – Trekking on Local Trails in the Lakes Region; New England Lighthouses and the People Who Kept Them; The Pemigewasset River Valley – A History. September 17, 2019 - Tom Smith; History of the Dana Meeting House and the Next Chapter The presentation will cover the history of the Dana Meeting House from its inception in 1800 to the present; including its contribution to the early history of New Hampton and the Freewill Baptist Church. The presenter, Tom Smith, is a native of New Hampton and was raised in the home adjacent to the Dana Meeting House. The Meeting House was once the home of Stephen Magoon, who constructed the “sheep pen” pews of this historic building. New Hampton Historical Society 2019-2020 Programs Page 1 October 15, 2019 – Rebecca Noel; New Hampshire Abolitionist Nathaniel Peabody Roger Rebecca R. Noel is Professor of History at Plymouth State University. She holds an MA and PhD in American and New England Studies from Boston University and a BA in History from Yale University. She teaches history courses on the antebellum and Civil War era, American medicine, childhood, and the American West. Her book in progress is Save Our Scholars: The Quest for Health in American Schools. New Hampshire Abolitionist Nathaniel Peabody Rogers Successful attorney--and father of eight--Nathaniel Peabody Rogers walked away from his Plymouth, NH, law practice in the 1830s for a dangerous and nearly unpaid gig editing a Concord-based anti-slavery newspaper, the Herald of Freedom. Plymouth State University historian Rebecca R. Noel tells the story of this feisty Granite State native, one of the so-called New Hampshire radicals. Rogers’ dedication to abolition and racial inclusion took several forms in his relatively short life. He sheltered fugitives in Plymouth and Concord, co-founded the integrated Noyes Academy in Canaan, networked with major abolitionists including Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison, and above all wrote passionate, searing essays against slavery and racism. Henry David Thoreau admired Rogers’ political zeal and his beautiful nature writing about the White Mountains, published under the pseudonym “The Old Man of the Mountain”. Abolitionist poet John Pierpont called Rogers the best newspaper writer in the United States. Rogers’ story shines a light on this lively reform era, and his contributions to the crusade for social justice still resonate today. New Hampton Historical Society 2019-2020 Programs Page 2 November 19, 2019 - Kent Bicknell and Jerrica Crowder The Judge, the Library, the School: Honoring the Past to Better Serve the Future Join us for an evening of fun and surprises as we learn more about Judge Nash and his vision for New Hampton and environs. See books from the very first library in the village – the New Hampton Social Library – established in 1813. Find out who put the dash in “Gordon-Nash” and why. Share in our discovery of two 19th century New Hampton School alumni sisters – Cornelia and Emily Bradley – who forged highly successful careers as popular authors based on their years in the village. Help us answer this question: how close did Judge Nash get to Emily, the younger of the two? Come prepared to follow the intertwining course of the library, the town and “the academy” as it developed in the most capable hands of the Bickford family and other early town/school mothers and fathers. Admission is, as always, free, and we guarantee that a great time will be had by all (or we will refund the price of your ticket). Jerrica Crowder, Library Director at New Hampton School and Dr. Kent Bicknell, Independent Scholar Kent Bicknell grew up in central New Hampshire and resides there still. In 1973 Kent became founding head of Sant Bani School and stayed as a teaching head for 44 years, retiring in 2017. He was a Scholar of the House at Yale University, and holds a master’s degree from Goddard College and a doctorate in curriculum from Boston University. Kent has been involved in education for five decades, including forty-three years on the Advisory Council of the New Hampshire Commissioner of Education and six years as a commissioner with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. He has served as a consultant to schools across the U.S. as well as in Bhutan, Canada, Colombia, Guatemala, India and Venezuela. Jerrica Crowder originally started her work in fundraising, first at Dartmouth College for 11 years and then beginning her career at New Hampton School in the Advancement Office before becoming the Library Director in 2014. She has an AAS degree in Administrative Support/Information Processing from Lakes Region Community College, a BA in History and Religion from Granite State College and a MSLS in Library Science from Clarion University. She grew up in nearby Sanbornton, New Hampshire. New Hampton Historical Society 2019-2020 Programs Page 3 February 18, 2020 – Gordon Dubois; Paths Less Traveled – Trekking on Local Trails in the Lakes Region Gordon Dubois, avid hiker and columnist for the Laconia Daily Sun has lectured throughout New Hampshire on his hiking exploits. In 2011 he completed hiking the Appalachian Trail (2,285 miles). He has also hiked the Long Trail in Vermont, the International Appalachian Trail in Quebec, Canada; the Cohos Trail in northern NH and the John Muir Trail in CA. Gordon has summited New Hampshire’s 200 Hundred Highest peaks, the Northeast 111 highest peaks, the Trail Wright’s 72, 4,000 footer’s, the Adirondack 46 highest peaks and the New England Hundred Highest in winter. Gordon is a member of the New Hampton Conservation Commission and past President of the New Hampton Historical Society. He spends much of his time hiking in the White Mountain National Forest with his dog Reuben and especially enjoys hiking in the Lakes Region due to the proximity to his home in New Hampton. Gordon DuBois, will be sharing tales from his recently published book Paths Less Traveled, Tramping on Trails (and sometimes not) To Find New Hampshire’s Special Places. Peter Crane, Ph.D. Curator at the Mount Washington Observatory Weather Discovery Center’s Gladys Brooks Memorial Library in North Conway, NH states “Whether enjoying a short and easy walk to a beaver pond in the Lakes Region on a stroll suitable for the entire family, or toiling on a trailless near-epic ascent, bushwhacking to an obscure, viewless, but in its own way satisfying North Country summit, DuBois’ writing is infectious with his affection for the out of doors. Many a hiker or walker will find the tales of his adventures to be inspirational. By the time the reader is halfway through the book, he or she may be faced with a dilemma – do I keep reading, or do I put this book down, lace up my boots, and hit the trail?” DuBois, in addition to sharing stories from the book, will also provide insights into getting your own “dream” book published. New Hampton Historical Society 2019-2020 Programs Page 4 March 17, 2020 – Jeremy D’Entremont; New England Lighthouses and the People Who Kept Them New England Lighthouses and the People Who Kept Them Everyone knows there's "something about lighthouses" that gives them broad appeal, but their vital role in our history and culture is little appreciated. Our early nation was built on maritime economy, and lighthouses were part of the system that made that possible. Due to automation, traditional lighthouse keeping as a way of life has faded into the past. Jeremy D'Entremont tells the history of New England's historic and picturesque lighthouses primarily focusing on the colorful and dramatic stories of lighthouse keepers and their families. Jeremy D'Entremont has written more than a dozen books and 300 articles on lighthouse history and other maritime topics. He is the official historian of the American Lighthouse Foundation and the founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses. D'Entremont has lectured and narrated cruises from Maine to California, and his photographs have appeared in many books and magazines. He is also editor of the website "New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide" at www.newenglandlighthouses.net. He emphasizes the rich human history of lighthouse keepers and their families in his presentations. New Hampton Historical Society 2019-2020 Programs Page 5 April 21, 2020 – Daniel Heyduk; The Pemigewassett Valley – A History Anthropologist and historian Daniel Heyduk lived with native people in Mexico and Bolivia, did prehistoric archaeology in Ecuador, was a college professor, and ran scholarship and education programs worldwide. He wrote the “Passing Time” history column in the Meredith News for six years, and the books Meredith Chronicles, and Stories in the History of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region and Pemigewasset Valley. The Pemigewasset Valley – A History The Pemigewasset Valley held many threads of New Hampshire History. Native Americans traveled its corridors for thousands of years, followed by hostile raiders of the Indian Wars, and by surveyors and settlers. Farms stretched from its stream banks to its high slopes, and dams harnessed its power. Loggers, tourists and conservationists fought over its resources, while artists captured its beauty. Born on the slopes of the White Mountains, the Pemigewasset River was at times a destructive demon for those living in its valley. New Hampton Historical Society 2019-2020 Programs Page 6.