A message from the Rochester Historical Society and Museum: 

Dear Members of the Rochester Historical Society and Members of the Public,

We are pleased and honored to announce that Patrick Connelly will be visiting the area and has offered to come visit us on Thursday, October 22nd. During his visit, he will explain to us some details of what early life was like for a typical Rochester family in the early 1700’s. His two-volume research works involving Rochester during this time period are here in our museum and will be available to buy.

Imagine traveling to Rochester or Dover in the early 1700’s. Travel would have been by horseback or horse-drawn wagon. The challenge and adventure of arriving in our area was daunting, to say the least. There was no community, no roads, no eating establishments. The brave souls who chose to come to New Hampshire during this time period bounced along rocky terrain, while their clothing and few belongings and tools clanged against each other. There were some native Americans, plenty of tall trees, rivers and streams, and when hunger struck, you had to find wildlife to kill in order to eat. Building shelters was back-breaking work. Primitive cabin life was beyond difficult: trees had to be felled, logs lifted into place, and stones fitted properly to provide a large chimney. What little insulation existed then consisted of moss, clay, and lime to fill air cracks so people could protect themselves from the sub-zero winters. The floors were dirt or straw. The work involved in all this had to have been amazingly difficult and threatening. A family worked together in this great survival effort. Each person had a role to play, and the collective undertakings eventually gave rise to a whole new nation of people who loved life and freedom.

Mr. Connelly has prepared a presentation which will likely astonish you when you think of what our forefathers endured to make settlements in our area. He’ll give us specific information on how early settlers managed. He’ll explain how men and women handled their seasonal tasks and endured the rugged costs of self-sufficiency. As New Englanders, we’ve been described as a rugged people and immortalized by iconic images such as the Old Man of the Mountain in the northern part of our state.

This should be an incredibly enlightening event, presented to us by a man who has been living and breathing the information and artifacts from the colonial time during his detailed research. The time will be 6 pm sharp at our museum on Hanson Street. We welcome all our members and friends to attend. There is never any charge if you’re not a member. We welcome donations, of course.

Ralph Montgomery
President
The Rochester Historical Society