New Boston Historical Society

06/12/2026

Every time we look at an old photo we see something new! This picture of the Molly Stark Cannon was taken before 1927, when the white house you see to the right was moved across Mill Street so that the brick Wason Memorial library could be built on that spot. The house is now Nan's House, next to the Community Church.

Today someone noticed there's a windmill on the roof of one of the house's outbuildings. Most likely it was used to pump water into a tank just below the roof, from which it could be gravity-fed to the kitchen sink.

06/07/2026

Do you remember when Frank Crawford Auto Supply / NAPA was in the green building in downtown New Boston, where there's a garden center today?
The former blacksmith shop was one of the filming locations of a movie made by Frank's son George and his friends sometime around 1988. With George's permission we're sharing a one-minute excerpt that shows the exterior and interior of the store, which was 100 years old at the time. In this scene the Ghostbusters arrive and ring for the shopkeeper, who's just seen a ghost.

Do you remember when Frank Crawford Auto Parts / NAPA was in the gr...

05/29/2026

Has anyone seen "The Dark Wizard" on HBO Max? It's a 4-part documentary about Dean Potter, the BASE jumper who taught himself to climb cliffs on Joe English Hill when he was a New Boston teenager in the 1980s. The producer contacted the Historical Society for photos last winter... we wonder if they used any.

05/10/2026

The Historical Society invites you to "African-American Soldiers of NH During the American Revolution"
7:00pm THURSDAY, May 14, in the Community Church
Glenn Knoblock tells the history of Black soldiers (including two from New Boston) during the Revolutionary War.
**Sponsored by the NH Humanities Council**

04/30/2026

This rare Projectionist Cue Sheet for the 1927 movie "Man Power" starring Richard Dix and Mary Brian was found in the Town Hall.
Did you know that the New Boston Town Hall had a movie theater? Movies were shown on the second floor, where the Joe English Grange now meets.
There's still a tin-lined booth for the movie projectors, of which there were two.
An hour-long movie like "Man Power" was delivered on 6 ten-minute reels. The projectionist would use a cue sheet to know when to switch from the projector running Reel 1 to the projector on which he'd loaded Reel 2. Then he'd load Reel 3 on the 1st projector etc.
In addition to the spoken and visual cues printed on the cue sheet, there were white dots that flashed in the top-right corner of the screen to tell the projectionist when to start the 2nd projector and when to close one shutter and open the other.
The IMDB entry for "Man Power" says that the film is presumed lost, and that actor Mary Brian was considered for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939).
The movie poster image is from IMDB.

04/21/2026

What is the meaning of "Piscataquog"?

The question and three different answers are from "Historic magazine and notes and queries; a monthly of history, folk-lore, mathematics, literature, art, arcane societies, etc." (Manchester NH 1888)

04/17/2026

"One if by land, two if by sea."
This is one of two lanterns which hung in the steeple of Old North Church the night of April 18, 1775, to alert the Patriots that Redcoats would leave Boston by boat on their way to Lexington and Concord. Seeing the lanterns, Paul Revere leapt upon his horse and galloped off, shouting "The British are coming!" to anyone who'd listen... according to legend.
The lantern now may be seen in the Concord (MA) Museum, in front of an animated map that shows the events of the following day.
After the war, Revere returned to his business as a silversmith and bell-maker. Did you know that the largest Revere bell in New Hampshire hangs in the bell tower of the Community Church of New Boston?

04/10/2026

A true story: in 1980 the town had a contest to name the spring on River Road. This was the winning entry.

04/02/2026

Hundred-year-old Whitall, Tatum & Co. apothecary scales from Hagland's Drug Store donated to the Historical Society by Wendy Fletcher Todd.

Ernest Hagland was New Boston's pharmacist from 1920-1948 in the building that's now Tates Gallery.

Thank you, Wendy!

03/27/2026

This month's old barn quiz was too easy.
A new challenge: can anyone identify this "made in New Boston" tool?
It went on sale on eBay today for $1,000 and sold within a few hours.
What's it used for?