With: Randy Miller

Event Fee: by donation

Event Size: 50 / adults only

Today I climbed the hill alone,
And stood beside the arch of stone.
The landscape smiled beneath the sun;
The strong wind waved the ripened corn.
The sunshine glorified the trees,
And roused to life the drowsy bees.

from "Autumn in a New Hampshire Village" by Arthur W. Anderson (1919)

Please join me in climbing this particular hill of history: a detailed look at the origins of Alstead in the 18th century. Since moving into town in the early 1970s, I have collected many stories and historical tidbits of the town. Through scores of visits to the Cheshire County Registry of Deeds in Keene, leafing page-by-page through the old leather-bound volumes, I have collected abstracts of EVERY deed transaction in the town of Alstead in its first 30 years of settlement - from 1763 to 1793! I created a map of the town that accurately superimposes the original Lots and Ranges onto a current USGS map, to reveal where lay the farmsteads, the town center, and school and minister's lots.

Randy Miller first settled in East Alstead in the spring of 1973. He is a graphic artist and professional musician. His wood engraving "Brook in Winter" was used on the front cover of the Alstead Town Report (1975), and he illustrated Heman Chase's book, "More Than Land." He is the author of "A History of the Second Congregational Church of Alstead, N.H. - 1788-1988," and recently published "Music from Mill Hollow" containing his musical compositions and autobiographical story.

With: Sharon Spaulding

Event Fee: by donation

Event Size: 50 / family friendly

The inventor of GPS who couldn't find a job. The ACLU co-founder who was booted from the group for being too radical. The 16-year-old who rode twice the distance of Paul Revere to warn of approaching British troops. Join us for the inspiring stories of these and other groundbreaking women who changed the course of history and then were mostly forgotten.

Since 2011, Sharon Spaulding has been researching and writing the stories of groundbreaking women who accomplished remarkable things and then fell into the shadows of history. For the last five years, she has produced a monthly newsletter, Women Make History: Stories we should have learned in school. A collection of these stories will be published this fall. She is also at work on a book about suffragist and reproductive rights activist Mary Ware Dennett. When not in Alstead during the summers, she lives outside Salt Lake City with her husband, and their dog, Hank.

With: Gail Golec

Event Fee: by donation

Event Size: 50 / adults only

For a time in the latter half of the 19th century, Vermont had some of the most progressive divorce laws in the Northeast. Contrary to the alarmist news media of the time, it wasn’t people from out of state moving to Vermont just to game the system - it was by and large local people and by and large, women choosing this legal option to end their marriages. At a time when women had very little agency, be they married, widowed, or single, these divorce laws became a life saving option for many. But it wasn’t just rich and well-connected people who got divorces; rich and poor had to rely on an undocumented network of other women, divorcees, sympathetic lawyers, family, and friends to protect themselves, their children, and property. This discussion covers a study of 180 divorce cases from Windsor County Vermont from 1871-1880, shedding light on this little known part of our local history.

Gail Golec is a professional archaeologist, who has worked on sites around New England for over 20 years. She currently works for Monadnock Archaeological Consulting. Gail was born and raised in New Hampshire and developed an interest in local history at an early age. Most recently, she has taken her years of research and funneled it into writing, producing and hosting a podcast about local history called The Secret Life of Death. www.thesecretlifeofdeath.com. Recently, Gail became a board member of the Mill Hollow Heritage Association.

With: Margaret Chase Perry and Nancy Botkin

Event Fee: By donation

Event Size: 50 / Family friendly

We will continue the celebration with Margaret Perry and her most recent accomplishment: Modern Times Come to Mill Hollow: The Technology and Cultural Changes Discussed in the Chase/Dennett Family Letters. This book launch will involve a short reading, time for discussion with the author, and a book signing. Her previous collection of letters Building the Mill will also be available.

Margaret Chase Perry is the daughter of Heman and Edith Chase. She is the archivist of the extensive collection of Chase family letters.

Nancy Botkin is the granddaughter of Edith and Heman Chase. She spends her winters at her home in San Francisco making books, playing with paper, and taking classes at the San Francisco Center for the Book. She then teaches book arts in the summer. This is her fifth year teaching at Chase's Mill.

With: Jim Gruber

Event Fee: by donation

Event Size: 50 / family friendly

We will gather in the community room of the Mill for an evening of reflections and stories of what it was like to be part of the community of Mill Hollow in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Many were drawn to this area, many were already here. Come and listen or come and share your memories. If you want to share a story and you have a picture or two to include, please send them to Jim Gruber: jgruber@antioch.edu. Pictures are needed at least 3 days before the event (by July 15th).

Jim Gruber arrived in Mill Hollow in 1978. He worked with Heman Chase to do Mill structural repairs and to restart the woodworking classes for kids on Saturdays. He lived in the Brick House with Mary Burroughs his first year in New Hampshire, and cut out the timbers in the Mill for his house that he and his family live in. He served on the Board of Chase's Mill for 6 years. He is now semi-retired and currently serving in the NH House.

Event photo: Heman and Edith Chase and youth woodworkers, 1960s - courtesy of Bruce Bellows and the Alstead Historical Society.

With: Dudley Laufman

Event Fee: This program is free. Registration is encouraged as space is limited.

Event Size: 50 / Family friendly

Since the late 1600s, the lively tradition of contra dancing has kept people of all ages swinging and sashaying in barns, town halls, and schools around the state. Contra dancing came to New Hampshire by way of the English colonists and remains popular in many communities, particularly in the Monadnock Region. Presenter Dudley Laufman brings this tradition to life with stories, poems, and recordings of callers, musicians, and dancers, past and present. Live music, always integral to this dance form, will be played on the fiddle and melodeon.

This program is made possible by New Hampshire Humanities. Find out more at www.nhhumanities.org.

Dudley Laufman received the highest honor for traditional artists, the National Heritage Fellowship, in 2009. He received the 2001 NH Governor's Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 1999, Laufman presented at the Smithsonian FolkLife Festival in Washington, DC. Laufman has been playing fiddle and calling for contra and square dances for 64 years. He co-authored Traditional Barn Dances and recorded several CDs. Under Laufman's leadership the Canterbury Orchestra produced five recordings.

With: Matt Saxton

Event Fee: by donation

Event Size: 50 / family friendly

Matt spends time with old photographic portraits and listens as they tell their life stories. Come and meet these revived characters who, as told through Matt's creativity, humor, and imagination, come alive.

Matt Saxton is interested in American cultural history. He is an old man living in an old house with old furniture and makes a living repairing old furniture with old tools. He started his business long ago in…….Chase’s Mill!

With: Kali Lucey

Event Fee: by donation

Event Size: 50 / family friendly

The Land For Good organization offers direct technical assistance to farmers who are looking to access farmland and establish secure tenure. Land For Good also supports retiring farmers develop succession plans to transfer their farms to the next generation. Additionally, Land For Good works with landowners who are interested in leasing, or selling, their land to farmers. This presentation will be an overview of these topics, and their importance for the future of agriculture in New Hampshire.

Kali Lucey's search for farmland allowed her to experience first-hand the many hurdles farmers face when trying to start a farm or transition out of farming. She is passionate about helping to bridge this gap. She facilitates this as an employee of Land For Good, a Keene based organization. She came to New Hampshire to farm and was drawn here because of the abundant water and strong agricultural community.

With: Miranda Spencer

Event Fee: by donation

Event Size: 50 / Ages 10+ at participants' discretion. Please be aware that adult subject matter may come up unexpectedly due to the nature of the event.

In the spirit of New York’s original “The Moth” storytelling slams, we’re bringing back “The Earwig,” an open-mic night for sharing and/or listening to 5-minute, true personal stories on a set theme (to be determined). Entertain and be entertained, learn about others and let them learn about you, then vote for and (just maybe) win a prize for best story.

Miranda Spencer is a freelance writer and editor who has lived or "summered" in East Alstead her whole life. With a background in journalism, copywriting, and blogging, she knows how to tell a story and knows a good one when she reads or hears it. A very long time ago, she studied theater and English at Bard College.