#FarmingtonNH #Historical Society Members Bring #Keepsakes & #Stories

After our September Farmington Historical Society meeting we had society members  participate in a keepsake "Show and Tell". People in the society brought items or photos of items to share with everyone in attendance.

The best part was hearing the stories attached to the items each person had brought in and what those items meant to them. The type of items brought in were varied: ceramics, photographs, furniture, and even a condolence response card from Mrs. Kennedy!

This was a great way to get us interacting with history and helped all of us hone our story telling abilities to share some of our  personal history. Please take a look at some of the items shared that night below. We hope we can have another event like this one of these next year. Please let us know it you would like to participate.

Kyle Leach, Curator
Farmington NH Historical Society
Museum of Farmington History
http://farmingtonnhhistory.omeka.net

 

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Digital Recording Recalls Farmington NH History

Recently, the Farmington Historical Society received an unusual, yet priceless gift from Tami LaRock, a longtime community member and currently the Director of the Goodwin Library. The gift is a digital copy of a video recording of a basic, general Farmington History, as told by Alan Drew, Margory Drew, Twink Osgood, and Joe Bean. The recording was created by John Nolan and features not only those residents talking about town history from their perspective, but also a class of Farmington High school students asking them a few questions.

As you might imagine video recordings or film footage are rare items in the museum. It’s really too bad that people don’t think of donating originals or digital copies of these media types. They are not only important because of their subjects, but much like photography they often contain hidden, less personal information. Clothing, hair styles, room decoration, vehicles, landscapes, and buildings are common in video and film footage and they can provide insights into the decades they are taken.

 It is with donations like this that the society is able to continue to build and diversify documentation for Farmington’s historical record and further develop understanding of our town and those who lived in it before us. We are extremely thankful for this gift from Tami and welcome the opportunity to protect visual and auditory historical time capsules.

Kyle Leach, Curator
Farmington NH Historical Society
Museum of Farmington History
http://farmingtonnhhistory.omeka.net

 

 

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The Portsmouth Naval Prison with Katy Kramer on Friday October 5th

"The Portsmouth Naval Prison"

Friday, October 5th

7:00 pm

in the Museum of Farmington History 
on the lower level of the Goodwin Library

presented by 

Katy Kramer

Author

The Portsmouth Naval Prison, now vacant, sits at the far end of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey Island on the Maine and New Hampshire border. For over a century, "the Castle" or "the Rock," with its deceptively appealing exterior, has kept both visitors and New Hampshire residents in its thrall. Since its opening in 1908 to its decommissioning in 1974 and into the present day, myth and lore have surrounded this iconic building. For the 66 years it functioned, any prisoner who escaped was brought back dead or alive--or so it has been said. Only adding to the prison's mystique is its history of reform; particularly successful were the wartime restoration and rehabilitation programs. Although the prison's fearsome reputation is cemented in Darryl Ponicsan's The Last Detail, Portsmouth was a forerunner in many ways. Routine inside often reflected the latest advancements in the field. Yet, designed or deserved, the prison's legacy remains an intriguing mix of dread and redemption.

Membership Meeting
There will be a membership meeting at 6:00 PM.  A meet and greet with the presenter along with light refreshments will begin after the meeting at 7:00, with the program starting at 7:15 PM.
The public is welcome to attend all our meetings and programs.  Consider joining the Historical Society and helping preserve and protect Farmington History.  Annual membership dues are $5.00.

Links to Learn More
Katy Kramer - Images of America: Portsmouth Naval Prison on YouTube https://youtu.be/4gLCJlgFpzY  

 

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#Farmington Hay Day 2018- #Museum of #FarmingtonNH #History

 

It's that time of year again! Farmington Hay Day is this Saturday the 18th. Click this link to see a schedule of the entire weekend, from start to finish. The Museum of Farmington History will be open 9am-10am and then 11:30-3pm on Saturday 18, 2018 for Hay Day.

So many people said they wanted to attend the Historical Society presentation from the spring, that in the end did not get to attend, I've decided to present it again on Saturday during Hay Day from ten to eleven in the morning. I'll close the museum for the presentation and then open it back up to the public.The museum will be open for people to mill about for the rest of Hay Day on Saturday. The presentation is exactly the same as the one in March of 2018.

Here is our press release for the presentation:

What do stuffed birds, scary dolls, a blowfish, and acorns carved into baskets have in common?  They are all in the Museum of Farmington History! If you are curious about what else is in the collection, mark your calendars and come to the Museum of Farmington History, on the lower level of the Goodwin Library. Listen to Farmington Historical Society member, Kyle Leach, who has been the Museum Curator since 2012, as he takes you through a tour of selected items of special interest in our archives.  The collection houses some curiosities and oddities that are tied to the rich history of Farmington. Kyle, and other volunteers,  have spent countless hours sifting through the contents in the museum trying to organize and make sense of the treasures that have been donated and collected over the years.  More recently, he has established a growing online presence for the Society by developing and maintaining our online museum, a feature only few New Hampshire museums have the resources to do. The Historical Society invites you join us for this presentation, take an interest in our history, our museum.

We will have our logo hats and t-shirts for sale as well as both Farmington history books. It is also a great time to think about becoming a member of the society or making a donation. Memberships dues are only $5 per year. Donations and dues go toward our online museum, our annual scholarship, maintenance of the artifacts, and sometimes allow us to make acquisitions for the collection.

 I hope to see you in the museum that day. Enjoy your Hay Day weekend!

Kyle Leach, Curator
Farmington NH Historical Society
Museum of Farmington History
http://farmingtonnhhistory.omeka.net

 

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#FarmingtonNH Historical Society Receives Donation: Seeks Other #School Items for #Preservation

Recently, the Farmington Historical Society received yet another priceless gift from a community member. Long time, local resident and active community volunteer, Dottie Bean gave a varied collection of Farmington Town Reports and Farmington School District Reports.

The town reports in the gift lot range from the mid-fifties to current years, the very decades the collection currently needs to acquire to have a complete set from the 1870’s through the early 21^st century. Even if we come up short on more than a few years, this moves us much closer to that goal. Also, though fewer in number, the donated Farmington School District Reports are greatly appreciated as the society has so few representations in the collection.

This donation will add to the museum exhibits for culture, schools, buildings, businesses, and notable persons, as well as providing some information on births, deaths, and town statistics which can be invaluable for genealogy work. The donated items are in very good condition, which even if duplicated, will allow us to choose the best copies for archiving in the collection for posterity.

It is with donations like this that the society is able to continue to build and diversify documentation for the historical record and further develop understanding of our town and those who lived in it before us. We are extremely thankful for this gift from Dottie and welcome the opportunity to protect these historical treasures.

Members of the community have been so generous this year I hate to ask for anything else, but this is an important plea. Class photo cards and year books are terribly important markers for not only the people in them, but as representations for each generation and for the decade they are created in. We don’t have many class photo cards or yearbooks in the museum collection. As people pass on they are often thrown away or stored, never to be seen again. Every one we get has tremendous cultural value and increases what we know about our community.. If you can part with them we would love to have them as part of the permanent museum collection.

Kyle Leach, Curator
Farmington NH Historical Society
Museum of Farmington History
http://farmingtonnhhistory.omeka.net

 

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#Farmington Historical Society- Lorraine Meyer Gift- #FarmingtonNH #History

Recently, the Farmington Historical Society received yet another large gift from a community remember. Long time, local resident and businesswoman, Lorraine Meyer donated a varied collection of general documents, programs, photographs, postcards, news clippings, and business memorabilia, all related to Farmington.

In all, the collection contains hundreds of items, many which the society does not already have in the museum collection. When sorted, documented, and placed in the museum system, the donation will add to the museum exhibits for culture, schools, buildings, businesses, and notable persons. It contains several dozen Farmington postcards, many which are rare or difficult to find. The donated items are in exceptional condition considering some of them date as far back as the very beginning of the 20th century.

It is with gifts like this that the society is able to continue to build and diversify documentation for the historical record and further develop understanding of our town and those who lived in it before us. We are extremely grateful for this gift from Lorraine and welcome the opportunity to protect these historical treasures.

Kyle Leach, Curator
Farmington NH Historical Society
Museum of Farmington History
http://farmingtonnhhistory.omeka.net

 

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#FarmingtonNH Historical Society #Antiques Appraisal Event Recap

The Antiques Appraisal Event earlier this season was as successful as we hoped it would be!

We had over forty people come to the event to get their items looked at by Caroline French, of Caroline French antiques. Items ranged from books to glassware, ceramics, small collectables and musical instruments, all the way to fine art. One of the most interesting items was a small Dutch oil painting a local couple brought in. I was able to talk with several people about the museum collection and we were able to secure a few new members.

The Society wants to thank the Farmington Woman's Club and Happiness Tree Decor for sponsoring and we want to thank all the volunteers who helped with the event and making the delicious home baked food for sale. The Society would also like to thank the Friends of Farmington for allowing us to advertise in their display window when another group didn't need to use it. It looks like we will have this event again in the future, so keep a lookout in spring for an announcement for the event. Again, we thank the community for supporting our mission and supporting our organization.

Kyle Leach, Curator
Farmington NH Historical Society
Museum of Farmington History
http://farmingtonnhhistory.omeka.net

 

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