Thetford
The theme for this year is “As Old as the Hills” and the free programs will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays from April 12-May 3 at different locations in town.
“We found that the audience that we have is very interested in local history, but natural history especially,” said Martha Howard, president of the Thetford Historical Society. “It just seemed like it would be a nice subject area to focus on land and land building, and why our particular area looks the way it does.”
People from throughout the region attend the talks. Last year’s theme was “Weather or Not” and the most well-attended program was a talk about ticks.
“We probably had 225 people at that,” Howard said. “It was at the right time and the right place.”
The Schedule
April 12, Thetford Academy: In “Metamorphically Speaking” Ryan McKeon of Dartmouth’s geography department talks about the processes of land formation and mountain building and discusses important local minerals, including slate, copper and lead.
April 19, United Church of Thetford: In “Beware of Ice!” University of Vermont geologist Stephen Wright explains where the glaciers came from, what they did, how and why they receded and what they left behind.
April 26, Thetford Elementary School: In “Oh, Well…” Jon Kim of the Vermont Geological Survey discusses aquifers: their origins, mapping, contaminants and protection efforts. Questions welcome.
May 3, Union Village Church Hall: In “The Last Dam Program” learn how construction of the Union Village Dam reshaped the land to control the flow of water. Heather Morse of the Army Corps of Engineers presents a history of the dam and its role in flood control for the region.
For more information about the Thetford Historical Society programs, contact info@thetfordhistoricalsociety.org or 802-785-2068.
More Local History Programs In April
Talk: “Cars Made in Vermont” in Hanover: April 4, 10:30 a.m.-noon. A presentation on Vermont-made cars and their developers, dating from 1837 to 1924. Sponsored by the Yesteryears and Model A antique car clubs. Free. Mayer Room, Howe Library, 13 South St. 603-643-0036.
Talk: “Abolitionists of Noyes Academy” in Enfield: April 4, 7-8 p.m. Speaker Dan Billin explores the local reaction to one of the nation’s first integrated schools, which opened in Canaan in 1835. Co-presented by the Enfield Historical Society and the Enfield Library. Free. Enfield Community Building, 308 Route 4. 603-632-7145.
Talk: “Forgotten People of the Upper Valley” in West Lebanon: April 9, 7:15-9 p.m. Author Alec Hastings talks about Ammi Young, Clarinna Nichols and others who shaped the community in the 1800s. Q&A follows. Sponsored by the Lebanon Historical Society. Free. Kilton Public Library, 80 Main St. 603-448-3867.
Talk: “Remembering Billy Brown” in Orford: April 10, 7 p.m. The story of Billy Brown, the reclusive and legendary Orford man who lived on his farm in Quinntown for 50 years, as told by David Bishoff, Jane Hebb, Charlie Pierce and others who remember him. Presented by the Orford Historical Society, The Upper Valley Land Trust and the Orford Conservation Commission. Refreshments. Free. Orford Town Hall Heritage Center, 2539-2545 Route 25A. 603-353-4318.
Talk on Dora Keen Handy in Hartford: April 11, 7 p.m. Judy Roberts and Roy Black present a program on the life of Dora Keen Handy, a former West Hartford resident and famed mountain climber. Handy died in 1962 at the age of 92 in Hong Kong in the midst of a trip around the world. Hosted by the Hartford Historical Society. Free. Greater Hartford United Church of Christ, 1721 Maple St. 802-295-2123.
Talk: “Lafayette’s Farewell Tour of America” in Woodstock: April 15, 2-3 p.m. Alan R. Hoffman, president of the American Friends of Lafayette and the Massachusetts Lafayette Society, talks about the Marquis de Lafayette’s 1824-25 visit to the U.S., which included a stop in Woodstock. Presented by the Woodstock History Center. Free. Woodstock History Center, 26 Elm St. 802-457-1822.
Talk: “That Reminds Me of a Story” in Grafton: April 21, 1-2 p.m. Rebecca Rule, who has made it her mission over the last 20 years to collect stories of New Hampshire, will tell some of those stories and invite audience members to contribute a few of their own. Free. East Grafton Union Church, 80 Turnpike Road. 603-523-7024.
Talk: “The Westminster Massacre” in Ascutney: April 29, 2 p.m. Author and Vermont resident Jessie Haas talks about the forceful takeover of a Westminster courthouse by settlers in 1775. Sponsored by the Weathersfield Historical Society. Free. Martin Memorial Hall, 5259 Route 5. 802-885-9517.
Talk: “Lyme Landscapes” in Lyme: April 29, 3 p.m. Geographer Garrett Nelson, postdoctoral fellow at Dartmouth, presents “Lyme Landscapes: How People and Events Shape Each Other” at the Lyme Historians’ annual meeting. Refreshments. Free. Lyme Center Academy, 183 Dorchester Road. 603-795-4780.
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
