Publications of the Society

All publications are available for purchase at the Society's home, Academy Hall, 51 Maple St, in Henniker or online. The price of each publication can be found at the SHOP tab.

NEW!!! “Some Returned…The Stories of the Henniker Men who Fought for the Union” by Susan Fetzer (October, 2021) Could you be related to one of the 122 men from Henniker that fought for the Union cause in the Civil War? Or do you just enjoy learning about history at the local level? Knowledge of the civil war is not required as each man’s efforts are described along with his personal and family journey from birth to death. Over 125 photos and maps!

NEW!!! “Highways and Byways of Henniker” (July, 2021) Researched and compiled by Henniker Historian Martha Taylor this new book describes all of the roads, streets and dirt roads in Henniker. Included are anecdotes about their names, date of origin and includes maps! A must have for any Hennikerite!

Booklets

The Story of Henniker by Francis L. Childs (Booklet #1, July 1997)
This is a reprint of a speech given at the New England College Community Day Convocation, May 28, 1958, by Dr. Francis Lane Childs, Emeritus Professor of Anglo-Saxon and English Language and Literature, Dartmouth College. "The history of Henniker as a township begins early in 1735 when the Province of Massachusetts, claiming title to a large part of what is now the southern portion of New Hampshire, laid out a double tier of nine 'townships for defense,' each about six miles square and numbered consecutively. What is now Henniker was Number Six, so known and recorded until 1768."

The History of Academy Hall by Patricia L. Proctor (Booklet #2, July 1997)
When the Academy first opened opened in the spring of 1837, students were required to adhere to a set of strict rules, such as: "No student shall spend his time by loitering at any store, shop, tavern or places of similar resort" and "Students shall not be allowed to visit each others' lodgings, nor to walk nor ride for amusement on the Lord's day."

Railroading in Henniker by Alan Wimmergren (Booklet #3, January 1998)
In the glory days of railroading, Henniker had three railroad stations! At one of them, called Henniker Junction, was the crossing point for two railroads, the New Hampshire Central Railroad running from Manchester through Henniker and Bradford to Claremont Junction, and the Contoocook Valley Railroad running from Concord through Henniker and Hillsborough to Peterborough.

Amy Cheney Beach, American Composer by Angela Robinson (Booklet #4, July 1997)
Amy's musical talent surfaced at an early age. At age one she could accurately sing over forty tunes, always in the same key she first heard them. By the time she was four years old she was able to improvise at the piano and compose her first pieces. she already fit the definition of "musical prodigy."  

Poetry of Henniker, A Historical Collection,
compiled by Bruce Elliott (Booklet #6, January 1999)
This collection of poetry is taken from the archives of the Society. Some have been published in books, pamphlets or newspapers, some have not. Some are by residents of Henniker, others are about Henniker but by non-resident poets. The selections come from various eras of Henniker's 237-year history. Illustrative art work was added from advanced drawing students at John Stark Regional High School in 1998. The drawing at the right, by Sarah Bolton, illustrated the poem The Old Attic and adorns the front cover of this booklet.

Ocean Born Mary and Mr. Roy - Linked by Legend, by Alice V. Flanders and Martha C. Taylor
(Booklet #7, November 2000)
Alice Flanders served as a New Hampshire legislative attaché in the position of House stenographer from 1919 to 1969. Before and after retirement she devoted much time to historical research. She wrote this Ocean Born Mary article in the late 1960's to clarify the relationship between fact and fiction. She died in 1986 at the age of 91 years. Her daughter, Dorothy Greenly, of Henniker has given us permission to reprint the story.

Adventures of a Deaf-Mute in the White Mountains - 1865-1868, by William B. Swett (Booklet #8, July 2001)
Mr. Swett, a deaf-mute, was born in Henniker of deaf-mute parents. After his marriage to Margaret Harrington, a deaf-mute from Ireland, he moved to Marblehead, MA. Two of their five children were deaf. He spent three summers (1865-67) as a guide and handyman at the Profile House. This booklet details his daring adventures at the Old Man of the Mountains, the Flume, Echo Lake, Eagle Cliff, Mt. Lafayette and the surrounding area. Mr. Swett founded a school of industrial arts for deaf adults, which soon added an educational program for deaf children. It is now known as the Beverly School for the Deaf in Beverly, MA. In memory of William B. Swett, the Society has donated 100 of these booklets for fundraising to benefit their William B. Swett Museum.

Extending Knowledge: A History of the Henniker Woman's Club - 1897-1969, by Lillian Ayer (Booklet #9, June 2002)
The Henniker Woman's Club began as the Ladies' Reading Club with the object being the "interchange of thought and cultivation of taste for a more extended knowledge of reading, such as history, authors, fiction, current events, or whatever the Club may deem advisable." After studying American history and about life in foreign countries they presented musical programs, dramas and travelogues. Civic efforts were undertaken throughout its' existence. World War I and II activities and promoting children's well-being and education were efforts they contributed to each year.

In Memory of... This booklet of gravestone epitaphs in Henniker, NH, cemeteries 1775-2000, was compiled by Martha C. Taylor (Booklet #10, October 2002)
The title for the booklet was chosen because a great many of our stones had "In Memory of" or "In Loving Memory" engraved on the face of the stone. Sixteen percent of the stones in the First Burial Yard and the Old Cemetery are so engraved. The epitaph used on the cover is the one most often found on Henniker gravestones.

“Jesse Emory, The best wooden works clockmaker in the country.” was written by Thomas Johnson as the culmination of his Eagle Scout project. ( Booklet #11 ) The booklet explores Jesse’s life in Henniker, Weare and Deering (1759-1838) and documents the quality of his wooden clockworks craftsmanship. As a result of this project the Historical Society is now the proud owner of an 1805 Jesse Emory clock

“Daily Happenings 1768-1899, Henniker , New Hampshire ” is made up of 365 events related to Henniker, one for each day of the year. (Booklet #12) They were found in the Henniker Courier, the Hillsborough Messenger and the History of Henniker. On the sixth of January, 1895 , one hundred and fifty skaters enjoyed that exercise on Long Pond; On the second of April, 1820 , Henniker’s population was 1900. Manchester’s was 761; On the twentieth of July, 1899, Fred Dow applied for a patent on box making machinery, which promises to revolutionize that industry; On the fourteenth of October, 1893, we were told that some of the largest loads of cider apples brought into market came from the so-called temperance orchards.

Cemeteries of Henniker , New Hampshire , An Index to Burials (Booklet #13) compiled by Martha Taylor. This is an index to the two works entitled Historic Cemeteries of Henniker , New Hampshire , A Detailed Record of Gravestone Inscriptions and New Cemetery , Henniker , New Hampshire , A Detailed Record of Burials and Gravestone Inscriptions, 1820-2000. (Listed below) This booklet lists all persons alphabetically, followed by year of death and the cemetery in which they are buried.

Edna Dean Proctor, Poetess of the Contoocock by Charles Cost (Booklet #14)
Edna Dean Proctor, a Henniker native, was a well-known American poet whose work appeared in numerous editions and in leading magazines and newspapers during the Civil War when her poems advocating the abolition of slavery and appealing for a defense of the Union first appeared.  She was widely known and respected for writing during an era when few women wrote for publication.  She traveled extensively throughout the world and often spent her summers in Henniker.  She left a gift of money to the town of Henniker for the upkeep of our scenic stone bridge.

A Book of Firsts, by Nina Morse and Barbara L. Gratton (Booklet #15, August 2011)
This booklet of more than two hundred Firsts from 1760 to 1994 has sixteen chapters of topics from Agriculture to Transportation. These Firsts were taken from various sources in the Historical Society's archives and from our history books.

publications

Beautiful Henniker, Look Up, Look Down, Look All Around, Architectural Detail & Yard Art, 

This book of four hundred twenty-one pictures shows architectural detail and yard art from two hundred forty-nine addresses in Henniker. Forty-five of these locations have three or more components presented. Architectural terms describe each image or set of images and those terms are defined in a glossary at the end of the book.

Greetings From Henniker, A Look at the Past Through Postcards, Volume 1
Includes 340 different postcards of Henniker with historical captions. Featuring People, Railroads, Schools, Businesses, Bridges and the Inn.

Just A Line From Henniker, A Look at the Past Through Postcards, Volume 2
Includes 365 different postcards of Henniker with historical captions. Featuring Houses, Proctor Square, Mills, Churches, Celebrations and the River.

The Only Henniker On Earth, by the Henniker History Committee, published for the Henniker Historical Society and the Town of Henniker in 1980.

A review of the town's history for the hundred years 1880-1980.

The “History of Henniker”  from its inception to 1880 was compiled by historian L.W. Cogswell in 1880. The book of 770 pages includes genealogical profiles of Henniker citizens of the century. The book is now available online free and can be accessed at https://archive.org/details/historyoftownofh00cogs . The hardback bound book did not include an index. The Henniker Historical Society created the Index to Leander W. Cogswell's "History of the Town of Henniker NH" which is available for sale.