Chesterfield New Hampshire Historical Society
Bits of History
Brief highlights of Town, State, and Regional Historical facts, plus some trivia about holiday celebrations and how things were done in the "Good Old Days". Originally, these were sent out to our membership via e-mail during lockdown as a way to stay connected. They proved to be very popular, so the program has been continued.
Select your Bit of History by clicking on the underlined title.
Historical Trivia
An Abenaki Story about Oodzee-hozo
One of the traditional Native American stories about how New England's landscape was created
Chesterfield's Proprietors Chart & Royal Charter
A 2023 restored copy of the c1760 Proprietors Chart and a summary of the 1752 Royal Charter
Six Reasons why Chesterfield's was not settled till 1761
Although Charted in 1733 and 1752, the first Anglo Settlers delayed their arrival.
New Hampshire's War with Vermont
Chesterfield's role in the New Hampshire Land Grants Controversy and its secession from NH
The King's Broad Arrow Acts: Mast Trees for the Royal Navy
During colonial times, there were restrictions on the harvest of Eastern White Pines
Mrs. Mary Rowlandson 17th Century Ordeal
A summary of the book Captivity and Redemption of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson in 1676
How it came to be!
Physician's Training in 19th Century
How the change in training made grave robbing lucrative
Sheep, Stonewalls, and Wheel Heads
How Chesterfield impacted the Nation or
Why CHS Logo is the Miner's Accelerated Wheel Head
This includes a video explanation of how the Great Wheel Works
A brief look at their culture
How the town got its name, and its connection to the calendar!
Local Happenings - Past and Present
An 1825 Letter from Luther Richardson, a student at Chesterfield Academy, home to his parents
A 1838 Poem - Valuable Recipe for Lowness of Spirits
Chesterfield's Poor House
Old Chesterfield's Poor - From Auction to Alms Houses
Chesterfield Commons Controversy
The town's reaction to a proposed mall in 1990
Singing schools (1721 - 1810) were a New England phenomenon which spread into the South and West.
Chesterfield was no exception to the trend.
Some of Chesterfield's first hand experiences about attending a rural Grammar School
1951 - A New School (From 19 to 3 to 1)
In his own words, a 7th Grader's reaction to moving from the local West Chesterfield School to the new consolidated Chesterfield Center School
An Early Lake Spofford Girls' Camp
The Day Dignitaries Came to Town
Old Home Day 1948 drew 4,000 people and 50 Distinguished Dignitaries
More than the grandson of Chief Justice Stone, but a Benefactor to the town
There was a time when snow removal was not necessary for travel, that is until the car became popular.
Also known as Ice Cutting, this tidbit explains the old method of harvesting ice.
A bit of history about the origins and evolution of this winter activity
Old Home Days - How it Started
The first Chesterfield Old Home Day was in 1899.
Preparation for Old Home Day August 1948
An Article from the Brattleboro Reformer
A Harlan F. Stone adventure at Amherst College
An old Spofford Tea and Guest House
A little history about this important NH season and how times have changed in the production of maple syrup.
The Childhood Memories of Gladys Cordana Pierce Priest on a Poocham Road Farm
The catastrophic March 1936 flooding of the Connecticut River
An area of open water persisted in the same location for two years.
What can the possible cause be?
This outlines the traditional events at the Annual Town Meeting
A Poem by Winifred Watts Cray
Holidays:
St. Patrick's Day Facts
"Not a wee bit of blarney here!"
Valentine Day
From Martyrdom to Romance and the History of the Written Valentine
Remembering our Fallen Heroes - Who they were and how they earned their Gold Star
(This will redirect you to Noted Citizens)
Flag Day (June 14th)
How the New Hampshire Flag came to be!
4th of July
Josiah Bartlett - New Hampshire's Sole Signer of the Declaration of Independence
Labor Day
Frances Perkins - A woman behind the New Deal's Progressive Labor Laws
Veterans Day (Nov. 11)
A list of known Chesterfield Veterans
The half-size replica of the Washington DC Vietnam War Memorial visited Brattleboro
Halloween (Oct. 31)
Messages from the Grave - A Collection of Chesterfield Epitaphs
Grave Markers - Reading a Cemetery
Physicians' Training 19th Century - Grave Robbing
Thanksgiving Posts:
Cranberries - A Thanksgiving Essential
Thanksgiving 2023 - A native berry which has been used for 12,000 years
The Pumpkin Pie - The Most American Pie
Thanksgiving 2022 - Few of our Festive foods have deeper roots in America than the Pumpkin Pie!
Thanksgiving 2021 - A Brief History of Apples and how the saying came to be.
Thanksgiving 2020 - The Original Thanksgiving Menu
The Difference Between the 1621 Meal and Today's Classic Menu
Christmas Posts:
The gifts that keep on giving
Christmas Stories & Heavenly Tales
Chesterfield's Master Storyteller - Charles Tazwell
The Story behind "The Night Before Christmas"
Season Greetings from the Archives
CHS volunteers favorite Holiday Greetings
