Franklin Historical Society-- Franklin, New Hampshire
Franklin Historical Society
May 2026
It is May, the flowers are blooming, the temperatures are more comfortable, and the skies are loosing welcome rain instead of snow (you don’t have to shovel rain... a thankful seasonal respite). Particularly for the Society, this month marks the date of the important annual meeting, during which the officers and directors are elected for the coming year. The proposed slate to be presented to the membership is the following, noting that nominations can also be made from the floor, with the proviso that all candidates must be in good standing with current dues paid.
Proposed slate: President: Leigh A. Webb; VP: Frank Genus; Treasurer: Dan Darling; Sec: Rob Desrochers, Jr.; Co-Sec: Karen Darling; Curator: Annette Andreozzi; Asst. Curator: Annette Cain; Directors: Term to 2029, John Benham, Chris Seufert.
Attendance for this election is crucial for members to have a voice in how their Society will conduct its business in the coming year. To encourage all local members to attend, the Society will present another interactive slide show, Thursday, the 7th, entitled “From the Vault”, featuring fascinating pieces of Franklin’s history and photos from two centuries, discovered when helping the city to relocate material stored in the City Manager’s walk-in safe in the Soldiers Memorial building. The presentation will begin at 7 pm, in the Society’s meeting room at its Webster Place headquarters (21 Holy Cross Road). Everyone is welcome, and as always, the program is free. As further enticement to attend (and stay), light refreshments will be served in between the slideshow and the business meeting.
Community Day is a GO, and volunteers are needed to be at the Society’s booth at Odell Park in shifts from 10:30 to 2:30 pm on Saturday, May 9th. It is always fascinating to engage visitors who may have questions, be interested in joining, or would like to purchase the merchandise the Society offers. Even if you cannot stay to help, stopping by is always encouraged!
The plant Sale will take place on Saturday May 30th (if the weather is cooperative) or Sunday the 31st (as a rain day). Either way, the hours will be 10 am to 2 pm. Volunteers to provide plants, or help out on the day selling and making customers welcome, should email or call Annette Andreozzi (project Chair), whose contact information will be posted on the Society’s Website and FaceBook page. If you have that information already, you may get hold of her anytime.
And then there is the steady stream of donated materials for which the Society will be forever in debt to the donors. Acknowledgements go out to—
Kathy Fuller, for two T-shirts (one for the 100th Anniversary of Class Day, the other for “Support the Outing Club”), a sesquicentennial pin-back button for the “Belles” (with a bell still attached), and an booklet “Old Hill Village Guide”;
Chris Lewis, for a laminated tribute and obituary for Albert J. Garneau (father to Albert G. Garneau and grandfather to Joey) from the Transcript;
Linda Pauwels, for her usual contribution of local articles and obits featuring Franklin people;
Annette Cain, for a copy of the hospital expenses incurred for her birth! (a lot costlier today);
The Laconia Historical Society, for three boxes of photos and negatives from the St. Louis Photography Studio, from the 1970s and 80s;
and Robin Siegel of Boxford MA, for a photo of a man in a horse-drawn sleigh identified as William Oliver Stevens supposedly taken in Franklin (however, there is no corroborating data to confirm he spent any time here, but the thought was appreciated).
Thanks again to one and all. It is this kind of generous thought and action that makes possible productive research and answers for future inquiries.
Support the appreciation of history, and there will always be hope that lessons can be learned, and past mistakes not be repeated.
Current Newsletter
From the Vault: can anyone identify this building, from a circa 1983 slide? Unfortunately, the sign is not legible enough to reveal any clues...
The Central NH Historical Society will be meeting on Sunday, May 3rd, at 1 pm in the Webster/Tay House to discuss items of interest to all Societies in the Lakes Region. Anyone can attend and offer insight into solutions that could benefit all. The space in our building was made available without charge, as a willing gesture that all Societies need to support one another.
More Society news: The Society’s thanks are gratefully and sincerely extended to all those who volunteered to help make presentable the gardens around our building, recognizing the efforts of Dan and Karen Darling, Frank Genus and family members Frank Jr., Evie, and Rosie, Rob Desrochers and Carla Gerona, Elizabeth Jewell and Belinda Aylward, and Annette Andreozzi. THANK YOU.