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Many interesting stories about Washington, New Hampshire have been featured over the years on local ABC affiliate WMUR-9's nightly magazine show, New Hampshire Chronicle. Many of these segments are presented personally by longtime NH Chronicle host, writer, and filmmaker Fritz Wetherbee. You can access them from here. Fritz Wetherbee filming a segment about the Shedd Free Library for WMUR-9’s New Hampshire Chronicle Click Segment Title To Watch Video Lovell Creamery — East Washington Fritz Wetherbee talks about the Lovell Creamery, a dairy cooperative of local farmers that operated from 1886-1896. The creamery processed milk, cream butter and cheese, operating from an old mill building on the shore of East Washington's Mill Pond that had previously been a rake factory. Fritz also mentions "Captain Leonard Bradford," a Washington resident who Fritz reports made wooden tubs (containers) into his 90's, and proudly inserted a handwritten note into each one that said "Captain Leonard Bradford of Washington, NH, made this tub in his 91st year, without the use of spectacles!" WNHHS research shows that Leonard Bradford lived in Washington for many years. The 1886 History of Washington notes that "He carried on the business of coopering, and continued in the business until very near the end of his life." Leonard was born in Mont Vernon, NH September 13, 1790, and died here in Washington on May 14, 1882 — aged 91! October 2024. Run time 2:56. The East Washington (Mill) Pond Fritz Wetherbee opens this segment saying that "This [Washington] is one of my most favorite towns in New Hampshire." In reminiscing about his first trip here in 1986 to film his first segment about the town for NH PBS, he states that "This was a village out of a dream!" The main focus of the segment is on the restoration of the dam at the East Washington Mill Pond in 1952. The restoration effort was successfully championed by the Purlingbeck Grange. October 2024. Run time 2:20. East Washington Schoolhouse The District #5 one-room schoolhouse in East Washington opened in 1849 and served that community for almost 90 years before closing in 1937. The schoolhouse has remained virtually unchanged over the years — still possessing original desks, maps, and many other interesting items. It has been operated as a museum by the Washington NH Historical Society for many years, and is open to the public free-of-charge Saturdays from July through Labor Day from 1-3pm. Standing before the now 175 year-old iconic landmark, Fritz Wetherbee explains how the school was voted the best school in New Hampshire at the time of its opening, and reminisces about one-room New Hampshire Schoolhouses in general. We hope that you enjoy this segment featuring our beautiful schoolhouse, and that it will encourage you and your family to come and visit it in person. September 2024. Run time 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Granges of East Washington Using the Purling Beck Grange building as a backdrop, Fritz Wetherbee tells the stories behind the Lovell and Perling Beck Granges that once served the people of East Washington (the Lovell Grange later relocated to Town Hall in Washington Center). September 2024. Run time 2 minutes 49 seconds. Presidential New Hampshire Towns Stories of the naming of a number of New Hampshire towns, including Washington, after early Presidents of the United States. Fritz Wetherbee presents these interesting stories using Washington's beautiful and historic town common as his backdrop. May 2024. Run time 2 minutes 42 seconds. A Tale of Two Freezings The chilling stories of Nancy Barton of Crawford Notch, NH, and Daniel Millen of Washington, NH are shared. Fritz Wetherbee relates these cautionary tales while seated inside Washington's amazing Shedd Free Library, and talks glowingly of Ron and Grace Jager's fabulous history of Washington, NH, Portrait of a Hill Town , as the source for Daniel Millen's story. May 2024. Run time 2 minutes 38 seconds. Tubbs Union Academy This private institution for higher learning was founded in Washington by Russell Tubbs in 1849. While the school was mainly only successful in its first four years, the institution lasted another 77 years, closing in March of 1930. Fritz Wetherbee delivers the whole interesting story, framed against Washington's beautiful town common! May 2024. Run time 3 minutes 9 seconds. Sarah Shedd Library Washington, NH is home to one of the most picturesque library's in the state of New Hampshire. It 's named for a woman who was a Washington native and one of the original mill girls of Lowell, MA. Fritz Wetherbee tells you Sarah's story and the amazing gift that she left to her home town. Aired May 7, 2024. Run time 2 minutes 38 seconds. The Communist Women of New Hampshire Two women, Elba Chase, of Washington, and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, of Concord, NH, both played notable roles in New Hampshire's communist party from the 1930s into the 1960s. Fritz Wetherbee introduces you to both of these women and shares their stories. September 2023. Run time 2 minutes 41 seconds. The Mystery of the Boy Shot on Mill Hill For over a century, someone lay buried in an unmarked grave in East Washington's historic cemetery. This feature segment follows Washington Historical Society's Bill Mulcahy as he searches for the boy's identity and uncovers his powerfully moving story. Former Washington Cemetery Trustee Kitty West is also featured. This segment won first place for best Feature Story at the 2021 New Hampshire Area Broadcasters Granite Mike Awards and was also nominated for a 2021 New England Emmy Award. September 2020. 8 minutes and 2 seconds. Fred Chase of Washington, NH Fritz Wetherbee tells the stories of Fred and Elba Chase, residents of Washington who were leaders of the New Hampshire Communist Party from the 1920's to the 1960's. July 2017. Run time 2 minutes 27 seconds. Pillsbury State Park Pillsbury State Park is a lesser known gem of the New Hampshire State Park System Heavily wooded and sprinkled with several ponds and wetlands, its diversity of habitats makes it a home to a great variety of wildlife, including moose, and loons. Fritz Wetherbee introduces you to Albert E. Pillsbury and explains how the landed that he gifted to the people of New Hampshire became the beautiful state park it is today. September 2014. Run time 3 minutes 15 seconds.

Using a drone, Peter Sibley captured this beautiful video of the Fall foliage in and around the Washington, NH area at its peak on October 8, 2022. Click here to watch the foliage video. Peter spent 5 hours gathering the footage, which he edited down just under 5 breathtaking minutes. The video flight starts in Windsor by Hunts Honey Fields, moves on to Smith Pond, travels Rt 31 towards Goshen just past Pillsbury State Park, shows the Mount Sunapee Resort area, makes a fabulous pass over the Washington Historical Society's East Washington school house, captures amazing images of Eccardt Farm Inc., cruises over Island Pond and Half Moon Pond, captures the windmills near Goshen, and finishes up with one of the most picturesque sites in New England -- the spectacular Washington Common at the peak of Autumn glory!

Former WHS President Susan Fairchild tells the story of the July 2021 effort to conserve the historic O. L. Story stage curtain in the upper hall of the Washington Meetinghouse. In July of 2021, Curtains Without Borders, an organization responsible for documenting and conserving over 500 historic stage curtains throughout Northern New England, undertook the conservation of the historic O. L. Story stage curtain that has hung in the upper hall of the Washington, NH, Meetinghouse since 1906. Join former WHS President and video host Susan Fairchild and learn more about the history of Washington's special stage curtain and the steps involved as Chris Hadsel, Executive Director of Curtains Without Borders, leads a team of local volunteers through the cleaning and conservation process. Watch or Learn More Click here to watch the video. Or, click here to watch Chris Hadsel's presentation from the WHS September 13, 2021 meeting on the history of stage curtains and to learn much more about the many stage curtains that Curtains Without Borders has documented and conserved since 1996. You can also learn more about Curtains Without Borders by visiting their website.

John Porter, author and expert on historic barns, "reads" the Washington Historical Society's barn, noting its special features and the restoration it has undergone. Subject of an award-winning restoration in the early 2000’s, our 19th century barn features historic farm machinery and implements, blacksmith’s shop, maple sugaring exhibit, old-fashioned kitchen display, and original horse drawn hearse. Join author and specialist on historic barns John Porter as he takes us through a 9 minute video tour of our barn, commenting on its special features, interesting contents, and lovingly detailed restoration. We also invite you to visit the barn and our other two buildings in person! Click here for details. Dedication This video is dedicated to Philip Barker, James Gaskell and Richard Crane (in memoriam) who have been the driving forces to restore and preserve the barn. Video Production This video was created by Susan Fairchild and Jeff Buxbaum Read More Click here to read an article about the barn's restoration featured in the WHS Fall 2004 newsletter.

Join the hunt for answers as Washington Historical Society's own Bill Mulcahy searches for the boy's identify and uncovers his powerfully moving story. This story was the basis for a New Hampshire Chronicle segment which won a 2021 New Hampshire Area Broadcasters Granite Mike Award! For over a century, someone lay buried in an unmarked grave in the historic East Washington cemetery, the only clue to his identity a cryptic entry in the cemetery records - "Boy shot on Mill Hill." Who was he? How did he come to be there? Join the hunt for answers as Washington Historical Society's own Bill Mulcahy searches for the boy's identify and uncovers his powerfully moving story. Watch or Read More Click here to read Bill's story featured in the WHS Fall 2019 newsletter. Or, watch an Award Winning 8-minute segment about Bill’s search as broadcast on the September 16, 2020 edition of WMUR-9’s New Hampshire Chronicle. Producer/Reporter Karen Meyers, Drone Videographer Todd DiOrio, Videographer Paul Falco, and Editor Chris Shepherd were nominated for 2021 New England Emmy Awards for their work on this segment. The segment also won first place for best Feature Story at the 2021 New Hampshire Area Broadcasters Granite Mike Awards. A powerful and moving story of the discovery of a boy who lay in an unmarked grave for over 100 years. Bill Mulcahy holds a BA in History from Stonehill College, and is a past winner of that college's Frederick Jackson Turner for writing in American History. He was president of the Washington Historical Society from 2020-2021.

Every year people discover historic treasures that become a part of the WNHHS historical archive. We have been blessed over the years with the contribution of many items that are important to the history of Washington, NH. These have included items as large as the building and property that are now our Barn museum and as small as a scrap of wood lath with initials and date placed inside a wall at the Center School in the summer of 1959 by two local workmen. It's not the monetary value that matters. In considering an item for acceptance, the most important criteria is determining its historical significance as it relates to telling the story of our town and its people. Local family histories in the form of diaries, letters, photographs and journals are good examples and are a very important part of our Collections. Handmade items linked to early settlers such as quilts, clothing, drawings and other things also help illustrate past life in Washington. Over the years many types of artifacts have been donated, collected, catalogued, preserved and lovingly displayed in our 3 museums. Have an item but unsure if it is right for us? Understanding the historical significance of an item is not always easy. Something that you think might not be worth saving could turn out to be very important to us. It is definitely worthwhile reaching out to us to let us know what you have. Our Archivist will be happy to evaluate your item! While space limitations prevent us from being able to accept every item offered for donation, if it helps us in carrying out our mission to collect, preserve, and display the history of Washington, NH, we will gladly add your gift to our collections. The best way to have an item evaluated is to contact us by email. Tell us what you know about the item, how it came to you, and attach some photos if possible. Our Archivist will reply. Read More About Past Donated Items Barn property donation: See "Breaking News" in our Fall 2003 newsletter Family history donation: See "A Peak Into the Past" in our Spring 2004 newsletter Wood lath with initials and date: See "Old Center Schoolhouse" in our Spring 2021 newsletter