Hollis Historical Society
www.hollis-history.org 603-465-3935
Newsletter for Winter-2008
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Winter Season's Greetings. (Is it ever going to end?), I hope everyone is coping with this record setting winter and surely would like warmer weather. With the new year 2008, we celebrate our 50th year! Join the society in May for our 50th celebration. Your editor; Mark Piekarski |
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Another part of growing up in this small town was hearing the fire "whistle" blow calling all the volunteers to the report of a fire. Over the years, I developed a keen interest in the history of the fire service, antique fire apparatus and their related histories. There was always a story to tell! The very same goes for the history of Hollis and the stories to be told. Hopefully, I'll keep some of those stories alive.
Upcoming Programs:
March: On Mar. 27, 2008, Our own Fire Chief, Rick Towne will give us a history of Hollis Fire Dept. at the Lawrence Barn at 7:30pm
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NASHUA HARDWARE CO. We have the best MILKING PAIL you ever saw. See our Mop and Clothes Wringers. Dinner
Pails, Oil Cans, Government Ready Mixed House Paints, Enamels and
Gilding Fluid. ___ 70 Main ST. Nashua
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April: On April 17, 2008 brings Rebecca Rule, Humorist. All are invited to bring their favorite humorous Hollis story. Again, 7:30pm at the Lawrence Barn. May 15, 2008: Come Celebrate our 50th ANNIVERSARY of the Society Dinner with a special program at the Alpine Grove at 6:30pm. See the "Program Flyer" for further details on upcoming events. News Items:
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HISTORICAL TRADITIONS- "HAIR WREATHS" AND "OLD FOOTSTEPS":
"Hair Wreaths- (or Mourning Wreaths)"
On one of my visits in the last couple of weeks, Martha Davis proudly
showed me an icon called a Hair Wreath. Hair Wreaths were very popular in the
1800's as memorials to deceased loved ones. During the Victorian age, women
incorporated the importance of friends and family into their work. They were
made of human hair and adorned with such materials as glass bulbs, beads, jet,
etc. One form of this hair works is hair flowers, formed by stitching the hair
with fine wire over a rod which forms a series of loops which are then formed
into different flower shapes. Most hair wreaths were formed in the shape of a
horseshoe and placed on a silk or velvet background inside a frame. Family
Memorial wreaths were made y hair being collected from deceased family members
and added to the wreath whenever any one dies, such as the Maj. James Wheeler
family (of Hollis) wreath pictured to the left:
Note that the top was always kept open, ascending towards the heavens. It is said that the newest addition to the wreath would always be placed in the center, and then moved to the side to become part of the large wreath when the next person passed on. For a woman whose local supply fell short, so to speak, hair swatches could even be purchased from catalogs and stores!
"Old Footsteps":
This past summer, my wife and I visited the Wheeler House and my wife noted one
the unique pair of children’s shoes on display.
Thinking they were simply a pair of children’s shoes from days long gone by, we
were told that they were found in the Emerson/ Locke home on Broad St. by Tim
Desclos and Paula Buckley of Hollis and, it appears, that while undergoing
restoration, the shoes were actually found built within the walls! We were then
told of the tradition of “Concealment”, an old “superstition” practice to ward
off evil spirits within the home! The practice of Concealment dates back to the
middle ages where shoes were left in roofs and attics for good luck and
to ward off evil. It seems that this tradition continued in New England and as
far south as Virginia and far west as Missouri and was a common occurrence in
the building homes in the 1700’s and 1800’s. Almost half of the shoes belonged
to children with more female footwear found than males. It appears that no one
can really explain how the tradition came to be however, some speculate that it
stems from an ancient custom of killing someone and then building a house over
the grave. It gives question though that, if you recall in those early, early
times, shoes were worn by the affluent. More than likely shoes were selected due
to the personality of the wearer. They incorporated the spirit of the loved one
and their shoes may have been buried in the walls as a form of “fen sui” (or
“old shoes”)! I guess there’s nothing like a good pair of old shoes!
On this Date- 100 years ago- The Hollis Times:
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Some
interesting information from February editions of the Hollis Times-
February 1908;
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| “POCKETS PICKED IN CONCORD”- Among the number that attended the Taft | |
| reception at Concord on Tuesday, were Chief of Police Daniel Hayden and Samuel Worcester, both prominent men of this town. In the crowd there were several pickpockets, and Chief Hayden thought he saw suspicious persons and mentioned to Mr. Worcester that they were apt to lose their own money if they were not careful. After the latter had made an examination of his pockets, he found that he was about a dozen dollars short and then the Chief found that he had been relieved of about 20 dollars!......” | |
HOLLIS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
20 MAIN ST.
HOLLIS, NH 03049
