The
Chichester Youth Association will be holding its next meeting on
May 16th at 6 p.m. in the Selectmen’s Conference Room at the
Town Hall. Please stop and take in a meeting to see how
this volunteer organization is run and what you can do to
contribute. Presently the CYA has immediate needs for a
Soccer Commissioner, Golf Tournament Coordinator, and Volunteer
Coordinator. Remember, this is a volunteer organization and
without the support of the parents/families, we cannot offer the
programs that we do. Please stop by the meeting to see how you
can get involved with the youth of our community and help to
grow something that so many other families have built up for us.
Chichester Grange is planning a brief Memorial Day
Celebration at the Veteran’s Memorial in the Town Hall Parking
Lot at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 30. All are welcome to attend.
Happy Birthday to Carter Pillsbury and Todd Hammond on May
13.
Chichester Grange will meet on Wednesday, May 19, at 7 p.m.
upstairs in the Grange Hall. It will be Family and Community
Night, and the baking contest of fruit squares with a pastry
crust (any filling) will be judged.
The
date for Chichester’s Old Home Day this year is August 21 with
the Variety Show on August 19 and Cruise Night on August 20.
This year’s theme is “Halloween in August,” which should provide
plenty of ideas for parade floats. If you would like to reserve
a space at Carpenter Park for vending or informational purposes,
please contact Jaan Luikmil at 798-4987 soon. Space is limited.
If you are able to bake and donate cookies for the Old Home
Day meal, please contact JoAnn Luikmil at 798-5483. She wants to
know well ahead of time where the food is coming from.
There will again be a Yard Sale on Old Home Day under the
tent. Halloween items would be especially appropriate, but
anything in good condition is welcome. Pick-up can be arranged.
Call Stacy Luikmil at 798-4987.
Non-fiction titles always sound so intriguing! Look in the
Chichester Town Library for the following books: The New Secrets
Of Style – Your complete guide to dressing your best every day -
by Jennifer Alfano, The Faith Of The American Soldier by Stephen
Mansfield, The Fred Factor – How passion in your work and life
can turn the ordinary into the extra ordinary – by Mark Sanborn,
The Oriental 7-Day Quick Weight-Off Diet by Anthony Norvell, The
Stranger And The Statesman – James Smithson, John Quincy Adams,
and the making of America’s greatest museum – the Smithsonian –
by Nina Burleigh, The Best Of Friends – Martha and Me – by
Mariana Pasternak, and Game Change – Obama and the Clintons,
McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by Joan Heilemann.
Chichester Historical Society
Early
Settlement
By Walter Sanborn
This article will start with the early settlement of
Chichester which will lead up to the vanishing breed of town
officials.
Although the Town of Chichester was incorporated in 1727 it
was fifty years before many proprietors took ownership of land
and started to live here. The town was originally about 8
miles square and laid out in sections. These sections were
divided into ranges and these ranges divided into lots of twenty
acres each. Any proprietor was assigned a lot for free if he
would start a homestead and farm the land. A map of the
town was made showing ownership of the lots. If a proprietor did
not take his lot in a given time it was given to someone else.
Most early settlers were single men or if he had a family
the family stayed on the seacoast until a man built a new home
in the interior and they could move inland and start farming.
All of New England was mostly all forest and all the land
had to be cleared of trees to develop a homestead for farming to
survive.
The only thing a man owned was probably an axe, saw and
spade and most important a gun and powder and shot to provide
game for food. His first need was to cut the trees to clear the
land and provide himself a shelter. There were no domestic
animals in the country and all labor was manual to cut and clear
the land.
No roads existed and a trail was used to reach the seacoast
where the proprietors returned to Portsmouth or Hampton to get
supplies.
There were only the supplies from England to be bought for
use by the early settlers.
Ships traveled regularly between England and New
England and each trip brought new settlers and supplies. Some
ships also brought animals and seeds for purchase by the people
who had started farms on their established land grants.
It might be several years before a man could build a home
and clear a small piece of land for farming. After
this he would return to the coast and if he had a family bring
them to the farm he had started.
As the settlement grew one of the requirements for a new
town was to build a public meetinghouse. Many votes were
taken and later rescinded as to where the location of the
meeting house should be located. It was not settled until 1791
when it was built at the present location of the Chichester Town
Library which was the first meeting house.
The census of 1790
shows the population of Chichester to be 491 consisting of 82
families. Of these there were only 137 males over 16 and only
males over 21 were allowed to vote. All early town meetings were
held in Portsmouth so only a few men traveled there to take part
in voting on town affairs. Those who attended these town
meetings were usually elected to office and appointed to serve
on various committees for the town.
The only domestic animals available to be bought were
brought over from England on ships. Each ship from England to
this country brought more immigrants, supplies and farm animals.
The most useful animal was the bovine and pig with a few
chickens. The bovine or cow produced calves which would be a cow
or bull. The cow was the most useful as she produced offspring
and of course much needed milk. Unlike today if the calf is a
bull it is killed for the meat it provides. In the early days a
young bull calf was castrated and raised as steers to work on
the farm. It would be some time before horses were
available for farm work.
The steer and ox were the only means of power to help the
farmer perform heavy work on the farm.
To be continued
Volunteer Answers For 12-18 Year Olds
Every year in public, private and home schools, our
younger people in the communities of Epsom, Chichester, and
Pittsfield are required to volunteer for a number of
hours. Have you decided how to do that?
We have the Answer! Join the new Epsom-Chichester LEOS Club.
This is the youth branch of the International Lions Clubs. You
will have an opportunity to plan how you want to spend your
volunteer time with your friends. You get to plan the project. A
number of your friends have already signed on.
Come to the Circle 9 Ranch Campground Hall in Epsom on May
16 at 6 p.m. Bring your parents and your buddies!
Questions? Call Amy at 682-4857 or Elaine at 736-8006.
Out Of Your Attic Thrift Shop News
Submitted By Carol Hendee
Before I go on to mention some of the services completed so
far in 2010, I should finish what was accomplished in 2009 from
your contributions. We distributed hundreds of hygiene kits,
wash up kits and comfort kits. 25 were helped with health
equipment needs. Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter baskets were
also provided. Also much appreciated were the 5 boxes of craft
supplies for a Boys And Girls Club and a bag of knitting needles
for 4 H. Already this year, one of our local helpers, Bessie,
has delivered birthday kits to the area food pantries. We have
also given out 200 layette bags, with a fair market value of
$150.00 each. Much good continues to be done, with your help.
Are you into recycling and Going Green? Think of the Attic
Thrift Shop as a hub for recycling. You have good items all
around your home-garage, attic, basement-that you haven’t used
in years. The item is just too good to bring to the dump- so,
bring it to the Attic-it will be “recycled” by someone who can
really use it. It is staying out of the landfill and it’s life
is being extended. However, things that really do belong at the
dump should go to the dump. We cannot accept any electronics
unless they are in working order. We also do not accept
computers, tv’s or printers. Whether you have one small item or
ten, feel free to stop by on Tues., Wed., or Thurs. 8-4 or Sat.
10-4 at out shop in the Blueberry Plaza, Rte 28 No. in
Chichester. The “special day” previously mentioned is the last
Thursday of every month. Stop in and see what the sign says that
day or call 435-9339 for directions. You can also visit our
other location on Main St. In Laconia.