Orford Historical Society Newsletter
June 2025
Ver. 1
The Orford Historical Society is looking forward to the closely upcoming Annual Meeting ( 7 PM on June 12, at the Congregational Church on the “Street”). The Annual Meeting is always a major event of the OHS Calendar…an opportunity for the Board of Directors to briefly update people in person on the past, present and future of the Society….to introduce the Board of Directors and the Officers of the Society, and to get a short report from the several Committees. We will “highlight” the important things on our Calendar and give you a chance to ask a question about OHS matters that are of interest.
We also engage a presentation by an outside speaker on a subject of wide interest. This year we have engaged Ms. Rebecca Rule, from the Humanities To Go program of the New Hampshire Humanities Council. The title of her presentation has the engaging title, “That Reminds Me of A Story!” The description of her presentation from the NH Humanities web site is: “Stories speak to us of community. They hold our history and reflect our identity. Rebecca Rule has made it her mission over the last 20 years to collect stories of New Hampshire, especially those that reflect what's special about this rocky old place. She'll tell some of those stories – her favorites are the funny ones – and invite audience members to contribute a few stories of their own.” What fun! How interesting! How appropriate!
So, we hope you will join the Board and your neighbors at the Church on June 12. We will keep the “business” part of the meeting to about 30 minutes because we all want to learn from and laugh with Rebecca Rule.
A note about a potential looming crisis for OHS programs like Ms. Rules’ in the future: there is the possibility that NH Humanities to Go will disappear because of drastic reductions in support from the National Endowment for Humanities to the NH Humanities Council. We are all aware of the challenges to various Federal programs are facing, but the long and short of it is that, without the NH Humanities to Go program. presentations like Rebecca’s wouldn’t happen. Since 1996, OHS has hosted 39 programs (!) that have been provided by the NH Humanities Council. From the Board’s perspective, they provide a significant enrichment of life in small towns all over New Hampshire. At this point, we don’t know what the consequences of these developments will be, but if you are so inclined, and enjoy the programming that has been provided by the NH Humanities Council for 50 years, contacting your New Hampshire Congressional Representatives might be helpful.
Looking a bit further down the road, the Board is discussing and planning the Summer’s program offerings. A “treasure” in our Community is the historic pipe organ (dating to 1825) that resides in the Orfordville Church. We will be “highlighting” it and featuring several organists during the Summer and Fall, including, perhaps, a community “sing-along”. We will be opening the Town Hall Heritage Center (THHC) in Orfordville through the Summer on Wednesday afternoons (4-7 PM) and Saturday mornings (10 AM to 1 PM) and will have a
number of displays that feature and highlight aspects of the history of Orford. Board members may be working on the Collection or engaged in a variety of topics, but love to have “Townies” stop by for a chat and coffee. Other program offerings will be developed. Look for announcements on the OHS Website (https://www.orfordhistory.org/) or Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Orford.Historical.Society).. Both of these resources feature a rolling display of images…”blasts from the past” that highlight the people and events that illuminate the Town’s history. We will also have posters announcing events in front of the THHC and at the top of the Morey Bridge.
Speaking of our social media sites, we invite you to visit them for updates on our plans, stories from the past and photos of times gone by…
As you probably know, the Orford Historical Society is entirely self-supporting…..we receive no funding from the Town or other local agencies. For quite a few years, our membership has been approximately a hundred….substantial, but we would like it to be more. Our mission is to “tell the story of the Town” ….pure and simple…but big and hard. Our most critical need is not money (though of course that is crucial), but hands and hearts and minds. You are invited to become a volunteer with no further obligation…unless of course you wish to get further involved. The Board invites you to come and join us for a monthly Board meeting….we will also post that in advance on the Town Listserv and the Web sites mentioned above. Everybody is welcome at those meetings….we wrestle with challenges, make plans, and laugh and enjoy each other’s company. They are open to all.
Consider becoming a member if you aren’t, and please renew your membership when the time comes. Membership is $25 per year, payable by check or cash, made out to the Orfprd Historical Society, P.O. Bos 44, Orford, NH, 03777. Hope to see you soon!
Sincerely,
OHS Board of Directors