Freedom Historical Society Presents “A History of Purity Spring Resort” on Wednesday, September 18
The Freedom Historical Society will close out its 2024 speaker program series on September 18 with a program entitled “A History of Purity Spring Resort” by John Sexton, longtime camper and later employee. The program is free and will be presented at the Freedom Town Hall at 7:00 PM.
Early beginnings in the 1850s involved the operations of a thriving mill as well as bottling and selling spring water from Purity Lake. Expansion included overnight boys and girls camps in the summer and “the oldest continuously operating ski camp in the country” in the winter.
The Resort includes various lodging and food service offerings, as well as the King Pine Ski Area. Learn how it got its name and its several expansion programs. More recently the Danforth Bay Camping & RV Resort has rounded out its hospitality portfolio. You’ll hear about 5 generations of the Hoyt family and their connection with “The Valley”.
The Sexton family first came to the Valley in 1962 and has continued to come summer and winter ever since. The Sextons and the Hoyt family have been close friends since that first year. John started as a camper at Tohkomeupog in 1968. He and his wife bought a house on the back of King Pine in 2008 and retired here in 2021. John works at the ski area in the winter and boys camp in the summer. Prior to retirement, John taught math for 38 years in New Jersey, California, Maryland and Rhode Island. He and Tanya (his wife of 32 years) have two sons and are expecting their first grandchild in October.
Members of the Freedom Historical Society and the general public are welcome and invited to come hear this informative presentation. For more information on this program or questions, please call (603) 491-8347.
Freedom Historical Society Presents “Now Who Shall Judge the Indians? How 500 Years of Colonization has Impacted the Abenaki Peoples of NH and the Northeast” on Wednesday, August 21
The Freedom Historical Society continues its 2024 speaker program series on August 21 with a program entitled “Now Who Shall Judge the Indians? How 500 Years of Colonization has Impacted the Abenaki Peoples of NH and the Northeast” by Anne Jennison. It is made possible by a grant from New Hampshire Humanities. The program is free and will be presented via ZOOM at 7:00 PM.
The “People of the Dawnland” (Abenaki/Wabanaki) of New Hampshire and the Northeast are the first indigenous peoples in North America to have had contact with Europeans. Anne examines how European colonization of North America impacted generations of Abenaki/Wabanaki people. She also highlights the ways that they have acted as agents of their own change through education, self-advocacy, and efforts to revitalize their languages and traditional arts. Finally, she discusses how – working with archeologists, anthropologists, and scientists – they have recovered and revealed more about their history and traditional knowledge.
Anne Jennison is a traditional Abenaki/Wabanaki storyteller and historian. Her storytelling skills have been polished by more than 30 years of experience with audiences of all kinds. With Masters degrees in both Storytelling and History, she brings a wealth of cultural and historical knowledge to enrich her retelling of these timeless stories. Anne is the current Chair of the NH Commission on Native American Affairs, a member of the Indigenous NH Collaborative Collective, an Affiliate Faculty member for the UNH Native American and Indigenous Studies Minor and a co-creator of the “People of the Dawnland” interpretive exhibit about the Abenaki/Wabanaki peoples at Strawberry Bank Museum in Portsmouth, NH.
Members of the Freedom Historical Society and the general public are welcome and invited to register in advance to obtain ZOOM access information using the link below. Please join the ZOOM meeting prior to the 7 PM start time on Wednesday, August 21. For more information or questions, please call (603) 491-8347.
Freedom Historical Society Presents “Saturday Morning Cartoons: Bugs Bunny, Bullwinkle, and Big Business in the 1960s” on Wednesday, July 17, 2024
The Freedom Historical Society continues its 2024 speaker program series on July 17 with a program entitled “Saturday Morning Cartoons: Bugs Bunny, Bullwinkle, and Big Business in the 1960s” by Margo Burns. It is made possible by a grant from New Hampshire Humanities. The program is free and will be presented in-person at the Freedom Town Hall at 7:00 PM.
Many kids in the second half of the 20th century shared a common Saturday morning ritual: watching Yogi Bear, Bugs Bunny, and Rocky & Bullwinkle while eating a bowl of Captain Crunch cereal. This practice, however, was a relatively recent development, brought about by the advent of television. Before the 1960s, cartoons were shown in theaters before feature films for adults. As more American families acquired TVs, animation studios retooled their storehouses to respond to the demand for new shows, and Madison Avenue advertising executives shifted their focus to a lucrative new demographic: children. Soon, after-school and Saturday-morning time slots were flooded with cartoons – and advertisements for sugary cereals and plastic toys. In this program, we will watch some clips from classic cartoons that will be sure to spark some nostalgia while taking a peek behind the TV screen to learn how the classic Saturday morning was created.
Members and friends of the Freedom Historical Society may be familiar with Margo Burns’ previous presentation on The Capital Crime of Witchcraft. She is also, however, a lifelong fan of cartoons, cutting her teeth on Popeye and Yogi Bear on Saturday mornings as a child. She has formally studied animation in the Rhode Island School of Design’s continuing education program as an adult, and been leading computer animation projects with middle & high school students since 2001 at UNH’s Tech Camp in Durham. Burns recently retired from St. Paul’s School as the Director of the Language Center. She has a personal animation library of over 750 titles.
Members of the Freedom Historical Society and the general public are welcome and invited to attend in person at the Freedom Town Hall, 16 Elm Street, starting at 7 PM on July 17. For more information or questions, please call (603) 491-8347.
Freedom Historical Society Presents “A Sense of Place: How Vintage Postcards Help Us Envision Freedom the Way It Used To Be” on Wednesday, May 15
Introducing A Sense of Freedom, a new book by local author Noel Quinton
Thanks to the talent and dedication of Freedom resident Noel Quinton, the Freedom Historical Society is announcing a new publication, A Sense of Freedom, to be released this May. Noel took on this project at the invitation of the Freedom Historical Society. The proceeds from book sales will benefit ongoing preservation and research initiatives focused on the Society’s collections. The book will be available as of May 25 at the Freedom Historical Society’s Museum Store and in our online store starting May 16.
Throughout its history, Freedom has been documented by numerous photographers. The author, Noel Quinton, a local historian and Lifetime Member of the Freedom Historical Society, has many years of experience collecting vintage photography in the form of postcards. He has been gathering and interpreting historical postcards of Freedom since moving to the village in 2007. His new book features over 160 period images from locations all around Freedom, dating back as far as 1904. These postcards bring to life the street scenes and homes of the village as well as scenic views from many vantage points around town. The images and narrative help us understand how past generations experienced our present surroundings.
Noel describes A Sense of Freedom as “a comprehensive collection of vintage images of Freedom with carefully researched remarks about each scene. These postcards were sold in Freedom stores and were purchased by residents who wanted to send messages to their friends, as well as summer guests who bought souvenirs to help them remember the time they spent here.”
Although the book focuses on historic imagery, readers will find many new historic details in the narrative uncovered by Noel while he researched the subjects in period newspapers, business directories and publications of the town and state. The combination of images and descriptions will allow readers to appreciate just how strongly the present-day village relates to its past and help future generations understand the appearance and character of the village.
On Wednesday, May 15 at 7:00 PM at the Freedom Town Hall, Noel will give a presentation to FHS members and the public entitled “A Sense of Place: How Vintage Postcards Help Us Envision Freedom the Way It Used To Be”. Signed copies of A Sense of Freedom will be available following his presentation. Not only will you want to purchase a copy for yourself, but the book will be an ideal gift for your friends and family who also think of Freedom as a very special place. Be one of the first to purchase this book on May 15. You will not want to miss this event. For more information or questions, call (603) 491-8347.
Freedom Historical Society Presents “The Old Man: His Life and Legacy” on Wednesday, March 20
The Freedom Historical Society (FHS) continues its 2024 speaker program series on March 20 with a program entitled “The Old Man: His Life and Legacy” by Inez Mc Dermott. It is made possible by a grant from New Hampshire Humanities. The program is free and will be presented via ZOOM at 7:00 PM.
When the Old Man of the Mountain fell from his perch high above Franconia Notch on May 3, 2003, it made international news. Many in New Hampshire and beyond responded as though mourning a beloved public figure. This program presents the “story” of the Old Man and examines the ways that public perceptions of the Profile played a role in shaping and establishing New Hampshire’s identity, both symbolically and physically. It will include the stories of many people who played a part in “saving” the Old Man – from the risk-taking mountaineers and engineers who kept the ledges in place for so many years, to the school children who gave their pennies to help protect the forest around him. Participants will be encouraged to tell stories of their own encounters with this iconic symbol with a discussion about why these granite ledges – the result of a “miraculous accident” according to a state geologist – have played such an outsized role in the hearts of many.
Inez Mc Dermott is Professor Emerita of art history at New England College. She is a curator of art and history exhibitions at various museums and galleries throughout New England, including, most recently, An Enduring Presence: The Old Man of the Mountain at the Museum of the White Mountains at Plymouth State University (June – September 2023). She has served on the New Hampshire State Council of the Arts, as a board member for New Hampshire Humanities and currently serves as Exhibition Committee Chairperson for the Saint-Gaudens Memorial and as a member of the Interpretation Committee for the New Hampshire Historical Society.
Members of the Freedom Historical Society and the general public are welcome and invited to register in advance to obtain ZOOM access information using the link above. Please join the ZOOM meeting prior to the 7 PM start time on Wednesday March 20. For more information or questions, call (603) 491-8347.
Freedom Historical Society Presents “Early New England Ice Harvesting” on Wednesday, February 21
The Freedom Historical Society (FHS) begins its 2024 speaker program series on February 21 with a program entitled “Early New England Ice Harvesting” by Jane Hennedy, a site manager with Historic New England. The program is free and will be presented via ZOOM at 7:00 PM. Click on the link below to obtain access information.
Join us for this illustrated talk as Jane provides a look into a process that was once commonplace for people in past centuries. The program includes examples from regional collections on food preservation methods used prior to ice boxes, the opportunities for making a fortune from this seasonal industry, the process of harvesting ice, and, with the advent of electrical refrigeration, the decline of the ice business. Also planned will be some local commentary related to ice harvesting artifacts in the FHS Museum.
Jane Hennedy has more than 25 years of experience in caring for and sharing local history. Among her previous positions, she was Director of the Old Colony Historical Museum in Taunton, MA. She is currently employed as Site Manager, Southern Rhode Island for Historic New England at Casey Farm in Saunderstown and Watson Farm in Jamestown. Both are historic sites with ties to ice harvesting and sustainable working farms.
Members of the Freedom Historical Society and the general public are welcome and invited to register in advance to obtain ZOOM access information using the link above. Please join the ZOOM meeting prior to the 7 PM start time on Wednesday February 21. For more information or questions, call (603) 491-8347.
Freedom Historical Society & Museum 