Exhibits Explore Communities “Along the River”

Warner, Lane, Contoocook, and Merrimack Rivers

April 17, 2014 • Saved under History
Press release
The Merrimack Glove Company in Warner was part of the "river community," processing leather to manufacture gloves, pants, vests, and jackets.
The Merrimack Glove Company in Warner was part of the “river community,” processing leather to manufacture gloves, pants, vests, and jackets.

New Hampshire’s people settled along its rivers and built communities for over 10,000 years. They found shelter, food, water power, paths for travel and communication, and places to work and play that connected their lives.

Eight local organizations explore the fluid relationships between natural and human communities along the Warner, Lane, Contoocook, and Merrimack Rivers in collaborative exhibits and programs during the summer of 2014. These rivers connect us to nature, to our history, and to each other.

Participating museums include the Bradford Historical Society, Hopkinton Historical Society, The Little Nature Museum, Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum, New Hampshire Telephone Museum, Penacook Historical Society, Sutton Historical Society, and Warner Historical Society.

Exhibits include The Little Nature Museum, which will share examples of plants and animals found along the river, and the Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum, which will explore Native American uses of these food resources in a joint exhibit at the Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum.

The rich history of the area’s mills will be found at the Bradford, Hopkinton, Penacook, and Warner Historical Societies and at the New Hampshire Telephone Museum. Travel and recreation on the rivers will be highlighted at the Hopkinton Historical Society, Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum, and Penacook Historical Society. The New Hampshire Telephone Museum will share photos and stories of natural disasters along the rivers and how communication was affected. All exhibits open May 1.

Accompanying the exhibits is a diverse array of programs and hands-on activities including lectures, outdoor experiences, history walks, a concert, and an historical re-enactment. The Bradford Bog People will perform in Bradford in May. Talks include Native American fishing, mill history, covered bridges, fish habitats, invasive species, 17th-century maps, and natural disasters.

Sutton will offer a living history reenactment in August. Plans also call for mill walks, cider making, water testing, and a canoe trip on the Contoocook. You can even win prizes by attending programs.

The project is funded in part by the New Hampshire Humanities Council and Sugar River Bank.

Raffle tickets for a kayak will be available at each program. The raffle drawing will be held at our final event, the College of Saint Mary Magdalen Fish Fry on October 17.

May Events

Along the River: Exploring Community Connections is a series of programs and exhibits presented by eight organizations about four rivers in five towns.  The exhibits and programs begin in May and continue through October.  The project is funded by the New Hampshire Humanities Council and Sugar River Bank.  A complete listing of programs can be found online at AlongTheRiver.org.

 Here are May’s events.  For additional information please call the sponsoring organization.

MILLS & INDUSTRIES ALONG THE WARNER RIVER WATERSHED: Friday, May 9, at 7 PM at the Warner Town Hall, 5 East Main Street, Warner. Free. The Warner Historical Society presents a program by Rebecca Courser on the mills and industries from Bradford to Contoocook Village. 456-2437.

EXOTIC AQUATIC PLANTS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE’S RIVER SYSTEMS: Friday, May 16, at 7 PM at the Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum, 18 Highlawn Rd, Warner. Free.

The Little Nature Museum presents a talk by Amy Samgola of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Exotic aquatic plants have long been documented in several of New Hampshire’s lakes and ponds, but they do thrive in many stretches of rivers across the state.  From the grossly named “rock snot” to the more common milfoils, there is more than one exotic invasive species to worry about.

Now, in addition to plants and algae and invasive aquatic animal, the Asian clam has staked its claim on river bottom habitats in New Hampshire.  This program will include an overview of the invasive aquatic species already in New Hampshire, their distribution, impacts, and control measures used to reduce their impacts.  Live and preserved specimens will be on hand to view. 746-6121.

BRADFORD BOG PEOPLE: Saturday, May 31, at 7 PM. Bradford Center Meetinghouse, Rowe Mountain Rd, Bradford. $10.

A concert of American roots music hosted by the Bradford Historical Society. 938-5372.

For the full schedule with dates, times, locations, and raffle information, visit AlongTheRiver.org.