Program of Meetings and Events, 2008-2009

Tuesday, October 07, 2008
The New Hampshire Primary & its National Significance  Caroline Amport, Director of Programs at the New Hampshire Political Library, will explore the history of the NH Primary and its significance in national politics, using some political cartoons to illustrate.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008
New Hampshire's Biggest Weather Events in the Last 100 Years  WMUR's morning meteorologist, Kevin Skarupa, will focus on the twenty "biggest" weather events in the state over the past 100 years. (Please note that this program is being held on a Wednesday, due to the date of the presidential election.)

Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Holiday Open House  5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Join us for food, sociability, and holiday cheer!

Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Laconia State School, 1901-1991  Understanding our Past to Create a Better Future for People with Disabilities. Gordon DuBois, Vice-Chair of the New Hampton Historical Society, will use an extensive collection of slides, artifacts and video-taped oral histories, to trace the evolution, growth and closure of the Laconia State School for people with developmental disabilities.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Discovering New England Stone Walls  While building a stone wall in miniature, Kevin Gardner--author of The Granite Kiss--will share building techniques & provide some history of this staple of the New England landscape.

Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Running a Weekly Newspaper  Former Exeter News-Letter editor and co-publisher Harry Thayer reminisces about his years with Exeter's 178 year-old newspaper.

Tuesday, April 07, 2009
New England: Myth or Reality  Edie Clark, former senior editor and writer of Yankee Magazine, will investigate the role that the work of Robert Frost, Wallace Nutting, Norman Rockwell and Yankee Magazine played in creating the myth of New England. This program is sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council (NHHC).

Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Annual Members' Meeting - Better than a Poke in the Eye  Humorist & author Rebecca Rule will entertain with funny, true(ish) stories, collected all over the state. This presentation is sponsored by the NHHC.

Family Open House
Sunday, September 28, 2008, 1 - 4 p.m. Bring the family to the historical society to explore life in Exeter over the centuries. Examine the original Wheelwright Deed to the town, 1638. Learn about school life 100 years ago. Print a bookmark using a working printing press. Compare your bicycle to the 1870s velocipede, "the Bone Shaker". Watch a 1941 newsclip filmed in Exeter. Enjoy delicious refreshments, and much, much more!

Book Signing and Book Fair at Barnes & Noble
Sunday, October 12, 2008, Noon to 5 p.m. Barbara Rimkunas will be signing copies of her new book, Exeter: Historically Speaking, at the Barnes & Noble in Newington, NH, starting at 1pm. While you are there, get an early start on your holiday shopping -- Barnes & Noble will donate a portion of the afternoon's sales (made with a special voucher) to the historical society. And, while helping the historical society, you can purchase books to donate to two Exeter schools' libraries--Main Street School and Lincoln Street School will have wishlists posted. American Girl activities will be available for children. (Pre-registration is required for participation in the American Girl activities. Please call the store at 603-422-7733 to register.)

Appraisal Day
Date to be determined. An opportunity to bring your antiques and collectibles to the Historical Society for appraisal by well-known Seacoast appraisers Caroline French and Dan Olmstead.