2022 News Postings

Freedom Historical Society Presents “Remarkable People of Freedom’s Past” at the Annual Meeting on Wednesday, October 26 at 6:30 PM

The Freedom Historical Society (FHS) invites its members and friends to register for this online Zoom meeting by clicking on the button below.

(This Zoom program has already occurred.)

After a brief business meeting with Co-President John Shipman reviewing 2022 programs, accomplishments, and finances, there will be an election of officers and directors for 2023.

At 7:00 PM the evening will continue with a special presentation by Co-President Roberta MacCarthy and Director Anne Gaudette on the new 2023 Calendar featuring “Remarkable People of Freedom’s Past.”

The 2023 Calendar is a tribute to Freedom’s businesses from 1880 to 1920 and to the people who built them. Following is the list of the “remarkable people” featured in the 2023 calendar who helped to shape Freedom and make it the special place it is today: Rensellear Towle, Stephen Danforth, Charles Beach, Alonzo Fowler, George Philbrick, Edgar Mills, Orren Drake, Nan Merrow, William Bennett, the Moulton Family, Herbert Pray, and Harry Berry Milliken.

Attendees are encouraged to bring any memories and stores about the “Freedomites” featured in the new 2023 Calendar to share.

Please register in advance using the button above, and be sure to join the Zoom meeting prior to the 6:30 PM start time. For additional information, email fhsociety28@gmail.com or call Roberta at 617-780-5724.

Freedom Historical Society Presents “Indigenous Peoples and Artifacts of Ossipee River Valley” on Wednesday, September 21 at 7 PM

This fascinating “show and tell” program will be presented by Kim White Feather at Freedom’s Town Hall on Elm Street. The program is free and open to the public.

Kim White Feather, the daughter of a full-blood Mi’kmaq native woman, will present a brief history of New Hampshire’s and Maine’s indigenous peoples (Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, and Abenaki) who traveled in the local area, including their trade routes and trails. Attendees will have the opportunity to view tables of Kim’s collection of artifacts from the Ossipee River Valley (some from tribes in New England) which will be on display. Kim will spend considerable time describing and demonstrating Native tools, musical instruments, games, furs, and clothing. There will be ample time for questions and answers.

Kim currently resides in Ossipee, where she has received her education and certification as a Certified Recovery Support Worker through AmeriCorps and has done coaching in the area assisting individuals in recovery from substance abuse disorder. She is also a volunteer at the Way Station in North Conway working with the homeless as they seek to improve their lives.

Kim was the Secretary of the New Hampshire Intertribal Native American Council for over 10 years and sat on the Pow Wow Committee for over 20 years. In addition, she has worked with Mother Earth Creations doing flute music, tours, and presentations at their Pow Wow grounds and the Fryeburg Fair.

Please join us for the presentation at 7 PM, Wednesday, September 21 at Freedom Town Hall, 16 Elm Street, Freedom, NH. For more information, please call 603-491-8347.

Freedom Historical Society Presents “New Hampshire’s One-Room Rural Schools: The Romance and the Reality” on Wednesday, August 17 at 7 PM

(This Zoom program has already occurred.)

Hundreds of one-room schools dotted the landscape of New Hampshire a century ago and were the backbone of primary education for generations of children. Revered in literature and lore, they actually were beset with problems, some of which are little changed today. The greatest issues were financing the local school and the vast differences between taxing districts in ability to support education. Other concerns included teacher preparation and quality, curriculum, discipline, student achievement and community involvement in the educational process. Steve Taylor explores the lasting legacies of the one-room school and how they echo today.

Steve Taylor is an independent scholar, farmer, journalist and longtime public official. With his sons, Taylor operates a cattle, maple syrup, and cheese-making enterprise in Meriden Village. He has been a newspaper reporter and editor, and served for 25 years as NH’s Commissioner of Agriculture. Taylor was the founding executive director of the NH Humanities Council and is a lifelong student of the state’s rural culture.

This fascinating program is made possible by a grant from New Hampshire Humanities and is free and open to the public. The Freedom Historical Society is pleased to present this program online via Zoom. Members of FHS and the public are are invited to register in advance to receive access information. Please join the Zoom meeting prior to the 7 PM start time. For additional information, call 603-491-8347.

Freedom Historical Society Presents “The White Mountain Huts: Past & Future” on Wednesday, July 20 at 7 PM

(This Zoom program has already occurred.)

The Appalachian Mountain Club’s Hut System is a unique institution in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Presenter Allen Koop will explore how the huts and the people who built, maintain, and use them have formed a worldwide mountain society with its own history, traditions, and legends.

Allen Koop earned a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, and has been teaching European and American History at Dartmouth College for 30 years. He has published books and articles on New Hampshire and American history including “Stark Decency: German Prisoners of War in a New England Village”.

The Freedom Historical Society is pleased to present this program online via Zoom. Members of FHS and the public are welcome, and are invited to register in advance to receive access information. Please join the Zoom meeting prior to the 7 PM start time. For additional information, call 603-491-8347.

Freedom Historical Society Presents “Vanished Veterans: New Hampshire’s Civil War Monuments and Memorials” on Wednesday, June 15 at 7 PM

(This program took place at Freedom’s Town Hall, 16 Elm Street).

New Hampshire towns did not erect monuments to prior wars, but the emotional and family toll, unprecedented in American history, drove the decision to honor local soldiers and sailors of the War of Rebellion. From Seabrook to Colebrook, Berlin to Hinsdale, along main streets and 19th-century dirt roads, in city parks and on town greens, in libraries and town halls, and in cemeteries prominent and obscure, George Morrison located, inventoried, and photographed the fascinating variety of New Hampshire’s Civil War memorials. He shares his discoveries, from the earliest obelisks, to statuary and artillery, to murals, cast iron, stained glass, and buildings from the 1860s through the 1920s.

George Morrison earned a BA in History at UNH. He served for 30 years as a high school teacher. A long-time researcher of unpublished primary sources, Morrison has contributed to the work of numerous aviation historians and artists in several countries. He is a life-long photographer, historian and motorcyclist. Morrison has already traveled over 18,000 miles in the course of researching monuments and memorials, an interest sparked by a puzzling 1918 monument inscription.

Members of the Freedom Historical Society and the public are welcome to attend this free in-person program at 7 PM at the Town Hall in Freedom. Light refreshments will be served following the presentation. For additional information, please call 603-491-8347.

Freedom Historical Society Presents “The Mount Washington Carriage Road and the Glen House” on Wednesday, May 18 at 7 PM

(This Zoom program has already occurred.)

Freedom Historical Society’s May 18 program, “The Mount Washington Carriage Road and The Glen House,” is interpreted and presented by longtime General Manager, Howie Wemyss. Using historic images and stories, Howie will relate the story of America’s oldest man-made attraction and the famous grand hotel at the base of Mount Washington. The Glen House first appeared in 1852 and has gone through 5 iterations with its most recent being opened in September, 2018. The history of the hotel and the evolution of the Carriage Road into the Auto Road are intertwined and fascinating.

After growing up on the coast of Maine and spending winter weekends in the White Mountains, Howie attended Colorado State University before spending time in the U.S. Army. He moved to the mountains in the early 1970’s and for many years ski patrolled at Wildcat while driving stages on the Mount Washington Auto Road in the summer. His first full-time employment was managing the Auto Road in 1987.

In 1995 he was offered the additional responsibility of managing Great Glen Trails, the management company’s recreational branch. After retiring in 2020, Howie rediscovered his passion for cross country skiing, hiking, and travel. He remains active with the Mt. Washington Observatory, Mount Washington Commission and the Glen House Hotel.

Freedom Historical Society Presents “Getting Started in Genealogy” on Wednesday, April 27 at 7 PM

(This Zoom program has already occurred.)

Learn how to research your family’s history from genealogist Ann Lawthers at Freedom Historical Society’s next program! Maybe you want to learn the identity of your ancestors, find out where they lived and what they did for a living. Or maybe your family lore includes stories of a Mayflower immigrant. Perhaps you’ve heard that your ancestor fought in the Revolutionary War or the Civil War. Or you may have medical concerns and wish to find out about your family’s medical legacy.

Curiosity, lineage, and medical history are all common reasons to take up the growing hobby of genealogy. Join Ann Lawthers, genealogist from the American Ancestors and New England Historic Genealogical Society to learn how to get started in your family history research. Ann will delve into essential resources, records, tips, and techniques in the field of genealogy to help you become successful in your search for your ancestors.

Ann is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Harvard School of Public Health, with Masters and Doctoral degrees in Health Policy. With a long-term interest in history and family research, Ann lectures frequently on behalf of American Ancestors. Areas of particular interest include New England and New York, the Mid-Atlantic states, the southern colonies, Ireland, and migration patterns.

Freedom Historical Society Presents “New England Lighthouses and the People Who Kept Them” on Wednesday, March 16 at 7 PM

(This Zoom program has already occurred.)

Everyone knows that there is “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 a maritime economy, and lighthouses were part of the system making that possible. Due to automation, traditional lighthouse keeping is a way of life that 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 20 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouse and other maritime history. He is the historian and president of the American Lighthouse Foundation, the founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and historian for the U.S. Lighthouse Society. Jeremy has lectured and narrated cruises throughout New England, and he hosts the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s weekly podcast, “Light Hearted”.

The Freedom Historical Society is pleased to present this program through a grant from New Hampshire Humanities. Members of FHS and the public are welcome, and are invited to register in advance to receive access information. Please join the Zoom meeting prior to the 7 PM start time. For additional information, call 603-491-8347.

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