| View this edition online»» | April 2008 | |||
| Rare Objects Given to the Society | ||||
Thanks to the Whitefield Public Library, the New Hampshire Historical Society’s collection of important Revolutionary War era artifacts has gained three new pieces with ties to New Hampshire residents who served in that war. The library donated a powder horn, a powder measure, and a cap used by Josiah Moody (1746–1832) of Unity, New Hampshire, during the American Revolution. "We are very grateful to the board and staff of the Whitefield Public Library for recognizing the importance of these rare objects and for donating them to the Society where they will be preserved and shared with the public for generations to come," said Bill Veillette, executive director of the New Hampshire Historical Society.
Josiah Moody apparently received the powder horn during the American Revolution from another soldier, Ward Thurston, who was part of a force of "Minute Men" raised in 1775 in Newbury, Vermont, then considered part of "Coos Country." Ward Thurston’s name and the date "1772" are carved in block letters along its side. Like Thurston, Josiah Moody was part of the forces gathered during 1775–76 to defend against advancing British forces, including the Battle of Bunker Hill. Also in the gift from the Whitefield Public Library is a powder measure carved from animal horn and a folded cap (hat) made of leather, linen, and cotton, presumably worn by Josiah Moody during service. The maker of the three objects is unknown. The objects apparently were passed down to Josiah Moody's son, Laurin Moody (1785–49), to Winfield S. Moody (1815–94), and from him to his son, Ralph Moody of New York City. Ralph Moody donated the items to the Whitefield Public Library in 1935. The rare powder horn is hand-carved with a pine plug that is secured by iron tacks. It has a scalloped edge near the tip and carvings of whimsical animals, birds, vines, flowers, human figures, and a house around the body of the powder horn. In celebration of this gift and in recognition of April’s John Stark Day (New Hampshire’s most famous Revolutionary War hero who coined the phrase "Live Free or Die"), the Society will offer free museum admission on Sunday, April 27, from 12 noon to 5 p.m. The public is invited to come and see the rare Moody powder horn on display along with objects captured by John Stark at the Battle of Bennington. |
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| Lecture Explores Portsmouth's History | ||||
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On Sunday, April 27, at 2 p.m., W. Jeffrey Bolster of the University of New Hampshire will present "When Shipping Was King: Portsmouth and the Atlantic World in the 18th Century," as the final lecture in a four-part series offered in conjunction with "Women of the Moffatt-Ladd House," an exhibition at the Society’s museum. The lecture will be held at the Society's library, 30 Park Street, Concord. Admission is free for New Hampshire Historical Society members and $5 for nonmembers.
The Moffatt-Ladd House in Portsmouth is among the best-preserved and finest Georgian mansions in all of the United States. The elegant home, which overlooks Portsmouth’s harbor, is listed as a National Historic Landmark and has survived through the efforts of generations of women who have lived within its walls and fought to save it. Built between 1760 and 1763 for merchant John Moffatt, the house later served as the home of General William Whipple, one of New Hampshire’s three signers of the Declaration of Independence, and his wife, Katharine Moffat Whipple, during the Revolutionary War. In 1817, the house passed to John Moffatt’s great-granddaughter, Maria Tufton Haven Ladd (1787-1861). Her son, Alexander Hamilton Ladd, lived in the house from 1862 until his death in 1900. Bolster holds the James H. Hayes and Claire Short Hayes Chair in the Humanities at UNH. He is the author of Black Jacks: African American Seamen in the Age of Sail and editor of Cross-Grained and Wily Waters: A Guide to the Piscataqua Maritime Region. |
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| Society Nominated for Profile Award | ||||
The New Hampshire Historical Society has been nominated for a 2008 Profile Award. The award winners will be announced at an official ceremony on Saturday, May 3, at 4:30 p.m., at the Peabody Base Lodge in Franconia Notch State Park. The statewide Profile Awards were established in 2004 after the fall of the Old Man of the Mountain. They recognize and celebrate outstanding individuals, organizations, and municipalities that display attributes associated with the Old Man of the Mountain, including the preservation of New Hampshire’s cultural, social, or political history and traditions. The awards ceremony is part of a larger festival celebration at Franconia Notch State Park and is free and open to the public. For more information, including a schedule of festival activities, visit franconianotch.org.
To mark the five-year anniversary of the fall of the Old Man, the Society is offering a new custom-designed t-shirt. Available in adult and youth sizes, the shirt features an image of the Great Stone Face on the back and the New Hampshire Historical Society’s name on the front left chest. Wearing this shirt is a great way to celebrate the Old Man of the Mountain and support the Society. The shirts retail for $14.95 to $19.95 and are available through the Society’s museum shop at 6 Eagle Square, online, or by calling 603/856-0625. |
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| Hutchinson Family Singers Return | ||||
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"There's a Meeting Here Tonight" is a staged, costumed recreation of a Hutchinson family reunion after the Civil War where family members have gathered at the homestead in Milford to celebrate their travels and experiences. P.T. Barnum, the great showman, is an invited guest. He brings with him Professor Solomon, "The Phenomenon," an extraordinary one-man band and juggler.
The original Hutchinson family quartet consisted of four of the thirteen children of Mary and Jesse Hutchinson, all of whom were self-trained musicians. The most influential member of the quartet was Abby who joined her brothers John, Judson, and Asa on the road when she was 12 years old. Some of the family members moved to Lynn, Massachusetts, in 1841 and set up a store down the street from Frederick Douglass, a recently freed slave who became one of the leading voices in the Abolitionist Movement and who inspired the Hutchinsons to join him in that cause. Douglass is also invited to the reunion where he recreates one of his famous anti-slavery speeches (originally given at Boston’s Tremont Temple), sings spirituals and camp meeting songs with the family, and teaches singing games to the children. "There's a Meeting Here Tonight" is sponsored by the New England Foundation for the Arts and the Bagan Foundation. The program is appropriate for adults and children ages 6 and up and includes audience participation. Tickets are available through the Concord City Auditorium for $24 per person, or are included in a 2008-09 season membership. For tickets and more information call 603/228-0660. Revels Repertory Company is the touring ensemble of Revels, Inc. Members include 40 adults and children who are chosen by audition and represent 20 communities in the greater Boston area. Programs are based on historic, cultural, and seasonal themes. |
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| Subscription Information | ||||
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The mission of the New Hampshire Historical Society is to educate a diverse public about the significance of New Hampshire's past and its relationship to our lives today. In support of this mission, the Society collects, preserves, and interprets materials pertaining to New Hampshire history. All of the New Hampshire Historical Society's programs and services are made possible by dues and contributions from individuals, foundations, and businesses.  |
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On Saturday, May 24, the Hutchinson Family Singers are returning to New Hampshire in a program presented by Revels Repertory Company. Although there were many traveling troupes of family singers during the 19th century, none was as well known as the Hutchinson Family Singers of Milford, New Hampshire. They sang in theaters, churches, schools—even on the street. Programs featured songs about important issues of the day such as Emancipation, Suffrage, and Temperance by America’s earliest and best song writers (Stephen Foster, George Root, Henry Clay Work) as well as Hutchinson family members. The program will be presented at the Concord City Auditorium on Prince Street in Concord at 7:30 p.m. 