Current Events

News

Heritage Museum

Space and Accessibility

  • 05/21/202005/23/2020
  • by Glenn

Here at the Hillsborough Historical Society, we are pleased to announce that the project to improve accessibility to the second floor of the old firehouse is moving forward.“  Having been proposed several years ago, the town recently contacted us to arrange for construction to begin.

This is exciting because our space on the first floor is fully utilized for the display of our rotating exhibits, leaving little room for meetings, gatherings and presentations.“  With the start of the elevator project, we are looking at ways to use the area on the second floor (currently non-public storage) for some of these purposes.“  Without a lift to provide access to persons with mobility challenges, this had not previously been possible.

Please note that due to a combination of COVID 19 restrictions and construction for the elevator we anticipate the museum being closed through July.“  “ Photos from the Manahan-Phelps-McCulloch Collection can still be ordered by contacting Gil Shattuck at (603)464-3850.

Check back soon and watch as the Society’s ‘Space Committee’ develops plans for improving the visitor experience!

Living History Event

History, Alive!

  • 05/29/201906/24/2019
  • by Glenn

The production known as the Living History Event (LHE), NH had a good run and finished its 10th and final year in 2018.

Fans of the event will be pleased to know that information about its successor, “History Alive!”. “ This new event will feature two of the primary focus areas from the former LHE, the Jones Road Encampment Reenactors and the Historic Hillsborough Center.“  Many hours of effort have gone into elaborating on the Hillsborough Center events, and can be found at HistoryAliveNH.org.

History Alive NH is an independently operated trade-name of the Hillsborough Historical Society.“  We share a common interest in our local heritage and wish them the very best!

Programs & Events

Do You Remember – 1986

  • 02/11/201902/16/2019
  • by Glenn

This year, Hillsborough Historical Society is hosting a series of “DO YOU REMEMBER?” round table discussions in order to enhance its archives by collecting stories about Hillsborough’s deceased residents, notable events, and businesses of yesteryear from those of you who remember them.

DO YOU REMEMBER “THE GREAT NUCLEAR DUMP FIGHT” of 1986?

It will be the topic of the Society’s second round table discussion to be held at the

Heritage Museum on 5 Central Street
at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, February 25th
(snow* date: 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 27th).

Of course, anyone living in Hillsborough in January 1986 remembers the announcement by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)“  that it was seeking a permanent nuclear waste repository somewhere between Maine and Georgia. Based solely on its “scientific” research, the DOE determined that a 78 square mile area of a particular type of granite centered beneath Hillsboro would theoretically provide the perfect dumping site capable of holding about 70,000 metric tons of radioactive trash. A half-mile deep network of tunnels extending into over 20,000 acres would negatively effect not only

Hillsborough, but at least ten neighboring towns for millions of years. For many residents this reopened a wound inflicted by the losing battle against the construction of the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant. So hundreds of very angry, frustrated, but determined residents formed two brigades to execute plans for getting Hillsborough off of the DOE’s hit list. “Don’t Dump on Me!” became their battle cry.

By Jim Richmond – IMG_1561aUploaded by ChNPP, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15172379

The main goal of “People of New Hampshire Against the Nuclear Dump” was to serve as a public relations group. They brought their plight to the attention of the state and national media; organized a united front of peaceful protests, rallies, and meetings; held fundraising events; and sold/distributed flags, banners, and t-shirts.

The main goal of “The Citizen Task Force” was to refute the criteria in the DOE’s four volume report of technological and bureaucratic jargon. At the end of the allotted 90 day time frame, the task force presented a well-researched, highly technical 700 page report which proved unequivocally that the DOE’s evidence to select Hillsborough as a dump site was inaccurate, and quite frankly, preposterous.

By the end of May, the DOE surrendered; it finally realized it had chosen the wrong site. The DOE learned one important thing about Granite Staters: not only is granite beneath their feet, but it runs through their veins as well! Granite Staters won! – at least, for now…

Some information for this article was gleaned from Cynthia Van Hazinga’s book History“ of Hillsborough, New Hampshire and Grace and Ronald Jager’s book The Granite State New Hampshire An Illustrated History.

Please join us to share your memories and memorabilia-such as: photos, t-shirts, flags, etc. If you didn’t participate in this event, please join us to to learn about it, and to express gratitude to those who dedicated their time, energy, and expertise to rescue Greater Hillsborough from annihilation.

If you are unable to attend the discussion, but have memories or memorabilia to share, please contact the Society…

mail: Hillsborough Historical Society, PO Box 896, Hillsborough, NH 03244-0896;

phone: 603-464-3637;

Email: Hillsboroughhistory@gmail.com;

or just drop by the Society’s Heritage Museum on any Wednesday or Saturday 9:00-12:00

For the Society’s next discussion, please watch local papers or visit www.hillsboroughhistory.org