Spring 2006

 

PRESIDENT'S LETTER

    

     Spring is here!  I was away during the Town meeting March 18th.  I want to first thank Becky Knowles for doing a terrific job with her presentation of the Historical Society building.  Also thank you to all who attended the Town meeting and helped to pass Article 4.  To see if the Town will vote to create a Capital Reserve Fund for the purpose of repairing and restoring the Historical Society Building and to raise and appropriate the sum of thirty-five thousand dollars ($35,000) to be placed in this fund with the Board of Selectmen as agents to expend the funds.

     We will have the electrical needs of the building completed this spring.

     Unfortunately, the LCHIP grant we applied for was denied.  Becky is heading our newest committee, the Madison Historical Society Building Committee.  If anyone has an interest to be part of this important group, please contact Becky at 367-9289.

     We received the bronze plaque for the Madison Corner School and it has been placed on the building.  It states:

 

Madison School, District No. 1 Madison Corner School

1835 - 1949

Entered in the National Register of Historic Places December 11, 1980.

 

     We are now in the process of having the Corner School House placed on the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places.  How exciting! 

A big thank you to the Madison School Board in allowing us to pursue this endeavor.

 

      Don Harte from the Tamworth Historical Society called me recently to inform our members and anyone who may be interested that on Wednesday May 31st, Carol Batchelder will be presenting her program on e.e. cummings at the Cook Library in Tamworth and the Pontine Theater will be presenting a show on e.e.cummings at the Brass Heart Inn on Saturday, June 3rd at 7:30.  Please call for more information and to purchase tickets in advance at 323-7766.

     Happy Spring!

     Mary K.W. Lucy

 

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WISH LIST

 

1. Executive Board Secretary

2. Program Coordinator

3. Vice President

4. Lap Top Computer

5. Donations toward new

exhibit displays.

6. Donations of rough sawn

timber for the Pound or

funds toward the efforts.

7. Donations towards

expanding our Tool Shed

for more exhibit space.

 

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Executive Board 2005

 

Mary K.W. Lucy, President

Becky Knowles, Treasurer and Curator

Lisa Hayford, Publicity

Olive Clayton, Mailings

 

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CORRECTION

 

OOPS! The October program will be held on Thursday, October 19, not the 20th as stated in the 2006 brochure.

 

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BLAST FROM THE PAST

 

     This is taken from an old newspaper article, probably from  The Reporter, sometime after the Madison Historical Society meeting dated April 20, 1960.

 

Madison Historical Society

     Regular monthly meeting held on Wed. April 20.  The meeting was opened with a word of prayer at 7:30.  The secretary's report read and accepted.  A change in the by-laws was discussed at a previous meeting and at this meeting was voted on.  The change will go into effect at once. [sic]

     Mr. Joseph Prescott presented the Society with a framed handbill of a play put on by Madison people in 1916.

     As certain of our fine trees are dying, there was considerable discussion on how they could be replaced.  What the society should do for Old Home Week was presented to the members for further thought.

     President Herbert Weston read a number of interesting stories and epitaphs.

     The speaker for the evening was Mr. Guy Nickerson.  A purse of money was presented to him.  He presented to the society a desk and chair used in the N.H. Legislature for about 100 years.  Recently these were replaced by new ones.  Mr. Nickerson has served seven times in the House of Representatives and once as Senator at Concord.  Many interesting stories were told of happenings in Concord, how the Legislature was organized and committee assignments were made.  Mr. Nickerson has served long and faithfully as our representative.  It was interesting to know that his father also was representative in 1869 and several other members of his family have also served in Concord.

     Guests at the meeting were Senator and Mrs. Cates, and Mr. and Mrs. Crabtree of Effingham.

     The refreshments were made and served by Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Meader.

Editor's note: In the minutes of this meeting it was written, A Mr. Colby brought the elm trees by Guy Nickerson's house from Conway 90 – 100 years ago.  He walked to Conway and back each day.  Known as Elm Street then.

    

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COLONEL JOHN MARCH

 

     Betty Bue sent me this copy of a picture of a portrait of Col. John March.  Betty has the picture as part of her Harmon Family Genealogy.   Betty writes:  I am sending you a copy of that picture of Col. March – I would bet the original is in the hands of either the Artemas Harmon descendants or March family descendantsÉ the one I have was found in the "Harmon Genealogy" by Artemas C. Harmon – he was probably a descendant of Artemas Harmon, 1808 – 1882, m. to Mittie March (daughter of Col. John March), 1814 – 1892É

 

 

     We are still searching for the portrait that belongs back on the wall at Madison Town Hall.  It was given to the Town sometime in the year 1928 and was noted in the Annual Report for the Year Ending Jan. 31, 1929.  If anyone knows it's whereabouts please contact us.

 

 

Col

 

COL.  JOHN MARCH, of Eaton, N.H.

Son of James.

(From an old painting.)

 

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Madison Historical Society 2006  Meeting Programs

Meetings held at the Madison Historical Society Building at 7:00 PM unless noted. Read the "Conway Daily Sun" for notices and any changes for each month's program.

 

 

April 20          Tapes, from work of Louisa Bryant, teacher at Madison Elementary School "An Oral History of Madison"

 

May 18           NH Humanities Program 

       Jack Noon from Dartmouth College  "Cannon Shenanigans and New Hampshire's Muster Day Traditions"

 

June 15                Sponsored with the Friends of Madison Library  

James J. Kiepper         "Styles Bridges, Yankee Senator"          Madison Library – Chick Room

           

 

July 20            Russ Petrie & Cathy Marker   "Traditions of Praise"              Madison Church

 

August 17   June I. (Granville) Dakin & Norma Granville    "Farmers Take Flight"  

  Program and book signing.           Madison Elementary School – Noyes Hall

 

September 21     Earl Whitaker          "History of the Robert Drew House"

 

October 19      "Sebago Lake"            (A fishing story.)

        Radio program written by William  Manley, dated April 20, 1935.         Madison Corner Schoolhouse

 

Other events to note:

 

August 6    6 – 7 PM Blueberry Fest

 

August 8   Old Home Week – Tues.

 2-4   Museum Open House

 

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EXCERPT FROM THE REPORTER 1908

 

Silver Lake.

     Earl Forrest Knowles and Miss Mabel Ambrose, two of our highly respected young people, were united in marriage Monday night, Aug. 8, by Rev. S.D. Church of Chocorua.  A large party of young people turned out Tuesday night about midnight and gave them a genuine old fashioned serenade.  They have the best wishes of their many friends here for a long and happy journey through life.

PICTURE FROM THE PAST - DO YOU RECOGNIZE THIS HOUSE?

 


 I received a digital copy of this photo by e-mail from Kathie Thomas of Maine who has been researching her family roots.  Kathie's great-great-great-grandparents lived here for a time in the late 1800's.  Their names were Naomi Morrill Onthank Barrett and her husband Franklin Barrett.  Naomi's first husband was Daniel Gregory Onthank who died at the age of 28 in 1857.  Naomi and Daniel had four children, two of which died as infants.  The two surviving children were Alphonso Daniel, born 15 Jan 1852 and Lina Louise, born 23 Mar 1857.  Lina Louise Onthank married Nathaniel M. Nason on 20 Sep 1875.  Nathaniel was born in Freedom in 1845.  In 1876, Lina Louise and Nathaniel M. Nason moved to Madison, where Lina's mother Naomi had moved after her marriage (2nd) to Franklin W. Barrett.  For twenty-five years Nathaniel Nason conducted a "sales work" business; financing the making of men's pants by women at home in the surrounding villages, and selling the products to a Boston company.  Later he did carpentry.  Lina became a very fine practical nurse and was greatly esteemed by many persons of the town.  Lina died in Madison on 28 Feb 1930, and Nathaniel died a month and a half later on 13 Apr 1930.

     Anyway, back to Naomi Morrill Onthank.  After her first husband died she married Franklin Willard Barrett, who had been born at South Londonderry, Vermont on 28 Nov 1828.  They later lived in Madison, where many of the Onthank family delighted to visit because of Naomi's renowned culinary skill as well as the bracing climate of the White Mountains.  Franklin died 18 Sep 1898 at Winthrop, and  Naomi died 11 Dec 1898 at West Newton. According to deeds on this property (from the Carroll County Registry of Deeds), Franklin W. Barrett purchased the property from an Adam H. Lepper on 11 July 1884 (book 82, page 368).  Adam H. Lepper had purchased this property on 5 May 1874 from Jonathan Harmon (book 63, page 408).  Frank and Naomi sold the property to Ernest Kennett on 24 Apr 1893 (book 99, page 524).  The two earlier deeds note; Excepting and reserving three burial lots on the South East side of the burying yard, now on said farm as in Kenison deed."  So, the Barrett's lived there from 1884 to 1893 and the picture above was taken sometime during that time period.  Franklin also purchased land and buildings near Madison Corner on 4 Dec 1877 (book 70, page 416), and conveyed that property to Nathaniel M. Nason on 1 June 1896 (book 106, page 191).

 

Answer:  The house is what is now Sally Perrow's home on the Conway Road, i.e. Route 113.  It hasn't changed much.

 

Would you like to share your stories of Madison? We are always looking for articles to add to our newsletters.  Please  e-mail your stories to ghostduster@roadrunner.com  or mail them to the attention of Mary Lucy, Madison Historical Society, P.O. Box 505, Madison, NH 03849.