Kingston NH Museum

Former Sanborn Middle School Teachers Checking our their photo in the New Kingston History book. Ellen Hume-Howard, Ruth Benjamin, MaryAnn Medzela, Kate Wood, Mike Gibbons, Rick Chretien, Bobby Haurand, and Eileen Haurand

Have you gotten your copy of Kingston’s History book yet? I did, and I must say, I’m pretty impressed with all the work that went into this book! And then to see a page dedicated to my Dad! ❤️ Proud daughter moment! Did you find anything interesting? Did your family make a name for themselves in our little town?

The Kingston Historical Museum is requesting photos of how you and your family are spending your time during the Covid 19 Pandemic. In 15, 25, or 50 years from now the Museum may have a display on what we were doing during this time. Please send photos of: ~Your family engaged in "remote learning" vs attending
school; students engaged in school work/activities. ~How you're spending your time. Family activities. ~How different you neighborhood/street looks...are there
businesses closed near you? ~Any other photos relative to Kingston during this time period. Please email photos to: [email protected]

For months, a group of dedicated volunteers have been busy researching and writing an update to Kingston’s history. It’s peppered with wonderful, well- and little-known information, such as a the collection of Stone Age tools at the Historical Society, some that date back 8,000 years. And that the town must owe the British crown 325 peppercorns, its unpaid rent of one peppercorn a year as required by its original royal charter. (There are no pepper corns in the towns annual budget, so the bill must be unpaid?)

Although the volunteers are writing the book, to produce it requires funds for professional design and printing. The Kingston Town History Committee is currently seeking financial help through donations and sponsorships to defray the cost of producing what should be a roughly 500-page, hard-cover book anyone would be proud to have on their bookshelf.

The committee is accepting sponsorships in the amounts of $500, $275, and $100 in the coming weeks. Sponsors names will be prominently displayed in the book.

Donation forms are available on the town’s website at, https://www.kingstonnh.org/sites/kingstonnh/files/uploads/sponsor_request_combined.pdf,
But can also be found under the Museum and Heritage pages, follow the links to the History Book, Sponsorship form.

For more information, contact Bob Bean at 603-289-5027 or [email protected], as well as Lesley Hume at 603-702-2021 or [email protected].

When the Town Hall was burned in 1928, a lot of original records were lost. However, in 1885 Marcus M. Bartlett (no known relation to Josiah??) transcribed a whole bunch of our early records, among them the attached from May 1st, 1775. At which time Kingston created a group of militia called "Minute Men", to "...perserve the public peice " (sic).
That would have been just after hearing about the famous stand by the Concord, Mass. Minute Men in April of that year.
In this town meeting we also voted to send Josiah Bartlett to a meeting of regional parishes as a Deputie. Kingston was right in the middle of the American Revolution.

I am interested in visiting the Museum but can not find a way to determine the dates and times it is open. I remember seeing a sign that said it was open on Wednesdays, but wondered what hours it would be open. Is it every Wed. or just a couple a month? I was at the Public library a few weeks ago and drove past the Museum, but we were there on Thursday, and it wasn't open. I would like to visit, but don't want to drive all the way up there without knowning if it would be open or not. Any assistance? Thanks. Marcia

I love the photo of the band on the boat!!! Kingston must have been a "happening place" back then! Still is!!💕

Hello Kingston, NH Museum - I'm researching the death of a local physicia in town. His name was Fred W. Ingalls. I'm wondering if there are any Ingalls in town who may've been related and who may know something of the family history. He died on March 14th, 1894 at the age of 35. He was originally from Canturbury but was a physcian in Kingston when he passed. Any help is appreciated!

My great grandfather!

Salisbury Historical Society, NH
In doing research for The Salisbury Historical Society of New Hampshire I see that our towns were in the past deeply connected in fact the Proprietors from Kingston were the key to establishing the very town of Salisbury NH. Several of our pioneer families hail from Kingston adn moved to the frontier. Currently this month we are focusing on what was likely our very first church which once existed high on a hill with a sweeping view. In 1764 I see that Deacon Elisha Swett and Jonathan Woodman in Kingston selected the site in our town, 10 acres on Searle's Hill called afterwards. In Kingston April 7, 1768 pews were sold to help fund the church. John Calef, David Tiltion, Samuel French and Jonathan Ladd purchased pews as did Josiah Bartlett all this according to John Dearborn in his History of Salisbury NH. There the Websters attended as well as your Josiah Bartlett from time to time while visitng his nephew Dr. Joseph Bartlett. The church that is shown in our profile picture is a reconstructed building 1791, using the materials from the original on Searles Hill which was moved to a lower land site in a part of town growing in population toward the end of the 1700's. Recently, we had an event for fourth graders which included a cemetery walk and our reenactor as Reuben True told about his love and wife Rhoda Bartlett True daughter of Josiah Bartlett. Thank you to the Proprietors of Kingston for establishing Salisbury! ,