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Stories from ‘Back in the Day’
As time marches on and technology speeds up our world, stories and memories of times past can fade rapidly. Jeanne Eastman, president of the Chatham Historical Society, wanted to save some of the stories and memories of the unique town of Chatham and so has put together a collection entitled, Visits with our Chatham Neighbors from Back in the Day.
“I felt that there were just so many interesting stories of the town’s history and of its citizens’ daily lives that shouldn’t be lost,” Eastman says. The 30-page booklet is dedicated to Barbara Eastman, who passed away in 2023 but left a legacy of community service through organizing and running the Chatham Library and, subsequently, the Chatham Historical Society. It was also inspired in part by Jeanne Eastman’s five-year-old grandson, who refers to the stories his grandparents tell him as they take him to Chatham’s old cellar holes and stonewalls and hiking to old mines as “back in the day.” With contributions from 15 different residents, some still living, others from diaries or remembered by relatives, the booklet provides an entertaining look at times mostly long gone—definitely simpler, but also sometimes much harder. The accompanying artwork to enhance the stories is provided by local residents, both adults and children. Visits with our Chatham Neighbors is available for $10 at the Chatham Historical Society, which is located at the Chatham former one-room school house in Center Chatham and is open from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays. The booklet can also be ordered by calling (603) 694-3388 or by emailing [email protected]. |
Upcoming Events
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Date TBD
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March Maple Weekend
We will be selling chili. |
Date TBD
Nate & Kate's Maple, Green Hill Road, South Chatham. |
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Saturday,
May 3, 2025 |
New England Hillside farms and how geopolitical events factored into their evolution “Not as brainy as it sounds!” says presenter, Peter Benson of Jackson, NH.
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10:00 am
585 Butter Hill Road |
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Saturday,
June 21, 2025 |
Wit and Wisdom: The Forgotten Literary Life of New England Villages, with Jo Radner. Jo has done extensive research on lyceums, (19th century community events to improve the mind) which started with cleaning out her grandparent's house in Fryeburg and ended with a wonderful book. Since then we have found a lyceum paper from South Chatham in our collection.
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700 pm
At the CHS Schoolhouse, 1061 Main road, Chatham, NH |
Historic Quilts
with Pam Weeks
Binney Family Curator of New England Quilt Museum
with Pam Weeks
Binney Family Curator of New England Quilt Museum
In case you missed it .... here are a few of the historic quilts from Pam Weeks' presentation:
Antique crazy quilt
Vintage signature quilt
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Quilt made from insignia on Italian uniforms in WWII
Vintage nine-patch quilt
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Pam Weeks, Curator, New England Quilt Museum
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Historic quilts were examined, discussed, and explained by Pam Weeks, in a New Hampshire Humanities program sponsored by the Chatham Historical Society and the Chatham Congregational Church.
Weeks is the Binney Family Curator of the New England Quilt Museum, as well as a quilter, fabric artist, quilt historian, and state-juried member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. An expert historian, she often speaks on the history of fabrics and quilting through the ages. |
On her website, www.portablepatchwork.com, Weeks writes, “Quilts have been the focus for more than half of my life. I started making quilts as a result of the craft revival inspired by the Bicentennial in 1976. By the mid-1980s I was designing my own work. In 1991 I took a class on reproducing antique quilts and was hooked on quilt history. This led to research on “potholder” quilts, and even the Civil War. Quilts tell stories, from women's work during the Civil War to tales of western migration and industrial history. My first book was published in 2013 on Civil War quilts made for soldiers. My next book will be out soon.”
Thursday, May 16, 6 PM At Chatham Congregational Church, 1061 Main Road (113B), Chatham, NH
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One-room Schools in Chatham, NH, and Stow, ME.
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Support the Chatham Historical Society; Become a Member!
| Dues and Donations (pdf) |
Veterans' Memorial
Participate in our memorial project
| How to sponsor a memorial paver |
| List of Chatham Veterans |
