We are excited that the Kemp Park event will be returning in May. On the 29th, the 6th graders will visit in the morning and we’ll be open for the public in the afternoon and then on the 30th, we will be open to the public from 9AM-3PM.

The River Runs Thru

Are you interested in Canoes, the Contoocook River, Railroads, Trucks? On Friday May 29 and Saturday May 30th, come to History Alive at Kemp Park.  Friday morning will be filled with 6th graders from Hillsboro-Deering Middle School, but from noon on Friday until 3Pm and Saturday from 9-3Pm everyone is welcome to come. 

Our theme is: “The River that Runs Thru.” Keynote speaker on Saturday is Archeologist, Robert Goodby who will share on: “Paddling thru Time: The long history of Canoes in NH”    We also expect to have one of the Abenaki style canoes present with someone who can explain how it was made.  Each day will start and finish with Abenaki drumming and singing

Contact Marian at 603-478-5650 if you want to volunteer or have further questions. 

New this year-

  1. Paddling thru Time: The Long History of Canoes in NH Come hear Archeologist
    Robert Goodby share about his findings in NH of canoes- both dugout and birchbark that have been found under NH lakes and in museums, and which have been carbon dated to prove their age.
  2. Raffle for $40 OR $50 Gift certificates to local restaurants. t Due to the tariffs and hard
    times in USA these days, many of the usual businesses in town could not give us cash. However, three restaurants have offered significant gift certificates that will be raffled off on Saturday. These include ones to: Daniels Restaurant in Henniker, where you can eat a meal overlooking the river, Tooky Mills,in Hillsboro where you can enjoy seeing the products of the mills in town displayed as decorations, and Nook Diner in Hillsboro – which is made from a railroad car and located next to where the trains turned around after coming into Hillsboro.
  3. 1938 Hurricane in Hillsboro. Have you seen the video footage of the hurricane as it
    went through our town? Ken Matthews from Hillsborough Historical Society will be showing it.
  4. Railroad Walking Tour. We will be leading a guided tour walking along where the railroad track ran through to the Hillsboro depot, (that carried freight, as well as tourists who later built summer cottages on our lakes.) This year, we are creating a booklet guide to enable you to guide others along the railroad corridor even after the History Alive Event.
  5. Railroad buffs- come enjoy seeing each others photos, memoriabilia of those who rode or played on the railroad, and hear Dale Clement and others share their memories of riding the trains or playing on the turntable as youth in the town. All those with stories about the railroad are invited to come share their stories.
  6. Literature for sale – We plan to have guides of rails to trails,
    information about the places along the river where you can launch your kayaks/canoes, a book written by Phil Harvey, who grew up next to the present day park that shares life in the town through the Great Depression, hurricanes, when the mills and the railroads were very active. A number of these will be for sale.
  7. Silent Auction- A number of items have been donated by those having booths at the event, that will be auctioned off. in addition to the Abenaki basket. These include a beautiful new rug, some historic pictures of the railroad and mills.
  8. Abenaki Plant Use – Monadnock Herbal Society has created a booth with information and plants which are used for food, medicine, dye, etc. that was taught by the Abenaki people to the first white settlers and helped them survive our harsh winters.
  9. CNBRLAC. – River itself Come enjoy an enormous 3D map model of the Contooook River Watershed with members of CNBRLAC (Contoocook/North Branch Local Advisory Committee), which has representatives from all the towns that border the river. They offer opportunities to help in monitoring the river this summer, and clean up the river in the fall. Marian Baker, a retired environmental educator will give a colorful talk about the history of our unique river on both Friday afternoon and on Saturday morning.
  10. Abenaki history/culture. Come meet Sherry Gould, who will share about the real meaning of the river, share about the research that she and others are doing to find out the history of their own people. Sherry was the first Abenaki Indian to serve as a Representative in the NH Legislature. Ask her how Indians in NH are different from those seen on TV/Movies.
  11. Abenaki Drumming/singing Do you like drums or singing? Come listen in and enjoy the drumming of Mike Franklin from the Nulhegan band of Abenaki. His drumming will be starting all the events both on Friday and Saturday mornings. He will also lead some songs about the importance of water and the river to end each day with the help of others.
  12. Row, row, row your boat – Are you curious about how the Abenaki make canoes out of birchbark? Reid Schwartz will have a canoe he made and be able to share how he, with help of Bill Gould, an Abenaki, figure out how such canoes were made that were the first means of transport ,used by both Native Americans and early white explorers and settlers.
  13. Abenaki Baskets One way the Abenaki kept their culture alive once the European settlers arrived, was to make baskets of all types. Sherry Gould will be making a basket with the help of the students and others who come to the event. You can help weave a basket that will be sold at our silent auction at the end of the program on Saturday afternoon.
  14. Abenaki Pottery – Vicki Blanchard, a local Hillsboro Abenaki will be demonstrating how she makes Abenaki style pottery, and makes new pots Abenaki style learned from shards of pots now displayed in various museums in our area.