Franklin Historical Society-- Franklin, New Hampshire
In the previous e-newsletter, a clean-out of the city manager’s vault was mentioned in connection with color slides that were found. The hopes that they might be of the 1995 Sesquicentennial celebration were short lived, when they were all determined to be relative to a “revitalization” effort ongoing in the 1980s. However, some interesting images of some of Franklin’s (at the time) deemed expendable buildings were pictured instead. One particular example were the doomed buildings on Franklin Street (Joni Mitchell’s refrain echoes once again) destined to become a parking lot.
Franklin Historical Society
March 2026
Stuart Trachy, for a 1989 postcard (proving once again, history is being created every day, and important artifacts do not have to be more than 100 years old), inviting Mrs. Henry Trachy to the Historical Society’s Christmas dinner, and featuring a vintage Victorian Christmas greeting on the front;
Kathy Fuller, for a baptismal dress (owner unknown, unfortunately) from probably, based on the polycotton fabric and the use of Velcro, the 1970s, but a wonderful object to highlight the differences of such gowns over the decades;
and Frank Genus, for a small 3” x 5” pocket notebook, used in 1852 by Herrick Aiken, to jot down notes of expenses related to the then Education Committee for Franklin’s School District 10. Although only the first three pages have notations, also included were paper receipts with the signatures of some of Franklin’s most industrious 19th century personalities including Herrick himself, Stephen Kenrick, and James Peabody. Cross referencing these financial transactions with a ledger of Franklin School District 10’s records (found with the education memorabilia in the box of Joseph L. Thompson, donated by the Franklin Public Library), corroborates the entries, and clarifies why Herrick Aiken was involved with District 10. It appears he was chosen to chair a committee of three, to sell the existing schoolhouse, and find a property on which a new school could be built. Just the notebook itself is a grand piece of Franklin history.
Lastly, a 2026 Winter Carnival pin-back button was purchased to bring up-to-date the most complete button display that exists. What sets this collection apart is the inclusion of the exceedingly rare 1936-37 button, which was the genesis of the event to be carried on from the 1960s.
The good life continues in Franklin...
What a crazy winter this has been, and continues to be. Apart from the abundant snow, the widely divergent temperatures, and costly heating bills, an extended melt (read: mud) season would be now forthcoming to get rid of the massive snow piles abounding everywhere. Despite the cold and snow, the Directors and Officers met at Thompson Hall to create a slate for the annual election, and discuss potential programs, events, and volunteer opportunities which can ultimately benefit a growth in membership for the Society. Any suggestions for the subject of a monthly meeting presentation, are encouraged and welcome.
Society news: Member Lisa Martin wrote to inform the Society that Marie (Martin) Kulacz , the last sibling of Roger Martin, passed away at age 97. Although all of us have only a relatively short time on this earth, the legacy we leave behind can last forever. The Martin name will forever be entwined with the history of Franklin.
Answering questions posed via the “contact” button on the Society’s website has always been another community service the Society provides. Often it is about particular addresses, when the responding advice is to first do a deep deed search through the Merrimack County Register of Deeds in Concord. Then, armed with names and dates of previous owners, come back to see what the Society might be able to discover about these individuals. Sometimes the results can be quite surprising...and might encourage the seeker to become a member of the Society, having experienced first-hand its usefulness.
With February being the shortest month of the year, and only a Directors meeting on tap, one might expect a mere trickling of donations to the collections to come the Society’s way.
Not so!
The following people are graciously thanked for their thoughtfulness, generosity, and desire to enhance the Society’s ability to tell Franklin’s story:
Linda Pauwels, for her usual interesting newspaper articles, obituaries of Franklin people, and also, in this case, for a commemorative medal celebrating Franklin Savings Bank’s 150th anniversary;
Annette Andreozzi, for a T-shirt honoring the 100th anniversary of Franklin’s Class Day Parade;
John Benham, for recognizing the importance of a recent magazine article on “Community Slopes”, featuring the Veterans Memorial Ski Area (The “Vets”) and giving credit to so many who have made it an ongoing reality;
Current Newsletter
General news from the Society: Due to the heavy snowfall recently, it was thought to clear the porch roofs so as to minimize additional weight and stress on the porch supports. The front porch amount roof only consisted of a few inches, which was a bit surprising, but perhaps because the wind had kept the accumulation to a minimum, and it did not receive any additional loading from above. Unlike the rear porch, which is below the upper pitched roof from which snow descends, had a load ranging from 18 inches near the building, to 8-10 inches near the edge. Accessing from a window, and armed with a shovel, the mass of snow and ice was dispatched below, culminating in large piles between the porch and the parking lot.
Because of the intense cold, the propane tank levels have been closely watched, with a recent close call of perhaps running short effectively avoided with the immediate response of the Society’s delivery service, Huckleberry Propane in Boscawen. Having a local and responsive provider is definitely a plus.
As an update to the Abigail Webster House, the “ell” (that part of the house that connected it to the barns, that were lost to the fire) has been completely removed, effecting the back corner of the main house where it was attached (see photos below). As the house itself is still mostly intact, it is the hope that Easterseals (now the owner of the property) will preserve this 1805 structure with the important name of “Webster” attached, and its associated local history.