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2009 Programs and Presentations
On February 17, 2009 at the Glen Fire Station the Bartlett Historical Society teamed up with the Glen Fire Department to host an evening of good food and good friends as well as a presentation of the history of railroading in our area. The evening began with dinner prepared by the members of the Bartlett Firefighters‘ Association. The menu included salad, spaghetti served with Phil’s famous marinara sauce, meatballs, rolls and dessert. Dinner was followed by a slide show presentation entitled “Railroading in Bartlett and Vicinity 1972 Forward” in the station meeting room by BHS member Ben English. This presentation is a continuation of his February 2006 program, “Railroading in Bartlett and Vicinity, 1961-1972. A sizable crowd turned out for this memorable event. Ben, who lives in Jackson, joined forces with Edwin “Bill” Robertson in the 1960’s and the result was a book entitled “A Century of Railroading in Crawford Notch” which documents the last hundred years of railroading activity in the notch and contains a wealth of historic photographs. Ben also partnered with his sister, Jane, to compile two volumes of journals and photographs of explorations of their grandparents in the White Mountains at the turn of the century. His latest effort to chronicle the history of railroading in our area, “Trackside around New Hampshire 1950-1970 with Ben English, Jr., by George Melvin, examines the Granite State during the period right after steam but prior to Guilford and will be released in February 2009. Ben is a member of BHS and is known to many of us as the teacher of our children during his twenty years as a Social Studies and English teacher to the junior high students at the Bartlett School. On April 21, 2009 the Society teamed up again, this time with our friends at the Bartlett Union Congregational Church in Bartlett Village for a dinner program. Dinner was served at 6:00 and was followed by a New Hampshire Humanities Council program entitled “New Hampshire Cemeteries and Gravestones.” Rubbings, photographs, and slides illustrate the rich variety of gravestones to be found in our neighborhoods, but they also tell long-forgotten stories of the Great Awakening, the throat distemper epidemic, and the American Revolution. In this program presenter, Glen A. Knoblock, explained how to read these “stone pages” that give insight into the vast genealogical book of
New Hampshire.

On June 16, 2009 BHS member and valley native, John Cannell will speak and answer questions on growing up in Glen in the 1930’s and beyond. Over the past several months John has been sharing his collection of Glen photos with us. We have exhibited these photographs which we call “Images of Glen.” Many of these photos and others from John’s collection will be on exhibit at this presentation. The time and place to be announced. Women Tavern Keepers;

On August 18, 2009 our program will feature Maria Schmidt Blaine from the New Hampshire Humanities Council with her rendition of “A Woman That Keeps Good Order” -Women, Tavern Keeping, and Public Approval Government regulations, licensing, handling drunks, controlling the flow of information: why would the government allow women to run a tavern? When her husband died in 1736, Ann Jose Harvey became the owner of a prominent Portsmouth, New Hampshire tavern and sole guardian of at least seven small children. For at least twenty years, Ann Harvey ran the increasingly prosperous tavern. Using documents related to Ann Harvey Slayton’s 18th century tavern, she will explore the world of female tavern keepers. A tavern was potentially the most disruptive spot in town. Why would a woman want to keep one? Why would her community approve of it and why would the government allow it? This program promises to make for a fun and interesting evening. Time and place to be announced. Marcia Schmidt Blaine earned her Ph.D. in History from the University of New Hampshire and is an Associate Professor of History, Plymouth State University as well as Coordinator of History, PSU Social Science department. She is the author of recent essays on female tavern keepers and women’s experience in provincial government.

October 20, 2009 wraps up our program calendar for 2009 with a dinner and talk/slide show presentation by Peter Crane on “The History of Livermore.” This program always draws a standing room only crowd. The time and place to be announced. Our programs and presentations are free and open to the public. A fee will be charged for the meals.