Plaistow Historical Society, Inc

Plaistow Historical Society, Inc Plaistow Historical Society, Inc. 127 Main St. Plaistow NH 03865 USA

The Plaistow Historical Society museum, housed in the former firehouse, is filled with displays of our collection of local artifacts and genealogical information about Plaistow and its history.

06/01/2026

Isaac Merrill (38 farmer / shoemaker):
June 1, 1842- Very pleasant morning. N. K. Harriman started on a tour to Vermont with shoes. James B. Sawyer* was married to Jane Davis last evening. The Obsequies were performed by the Revd (sic).
*James Brickett Sawyer, son of Leonard and Abigail (Brickett) Sawyer, born 28 Nov 1812.
Mar. Betsey Jane Davis.(Hav.Vit.Recs.)

Nellie Caldwell (57 Housewife /Healer):
Thurs., June 1, 1905
This has been a glorious day, warm & bright. I did quite a baking today, making cake, apple & custard pies. I used the last of the apples today. We are not going to have many this year as the trees did not bloom much. I shall miss them but of course the trees have to rest the same as anything does. Went to PO tonight. Did not get any letter. Wonder how Stephen is.

05/31/2026

Isaac:
May 31, 1842-Fair weather. The ground is thoroughly drenched with rain. Went up to the moving of Wid.
N. Kimballs store to the railroad where it is to be converted into a depot. It required 30 yoke of oxen to haul it.

Nellie:
Wed., May 31, 1905
A rather nice day. A. went to work this morning. I have done a nice lot of work today, washed my floor, swept & dusted. Mary Hooke came this afternoon, spent the afternoon. Poor old woman, what a lonely, loveless life she leads. My 5 little chickens that were hatched out yesterday are smart. I gave them to old Cherry to take care of. She has cared for 3 litters.

05/30/2026

Isaac:
May 30, 1842-Dark and cloudy and quite rainy. True Kimball called towards night.

Nellie:
Tue., May 30, 1905
This is memorial day. It rained last night just enough to lay dust. I should have liked to have gone to the services but could not. I do not go anywhere. Hope the time will come. I went to mother’s grave today.* A kind hand has placed flowers there. God bless the one who did it. ________ came _____ got ___________.
* Nellie’s mother is buried in the Plaistow cemetery, within walking distance of Nellie’s house. The headstone reads: “Our Mother, Mary A., Wife of Dr. J. H. Flagg, Died May 4, 1895, Aged 67 Years, At Rest.” The photos below show the headstone in July 2025, before and after it was cleaned by the Plaistow Historical Society. These flowers were placed there by the Society.

05/29/2026

Isaac:
May 29, 1842- Sunday. Revd Mr Cushing preached. Very pleasant morning but gets cloudy at noon and a rain commences. Wind S.East.

Nellie:
Mon., May 29, 1905
This has been a very busy day. Alden took the double windows off from the sitting room windows. We planted our flower seeds today. Hope they will bloom fine this summer. Shall set out the tomatos tomorrow. I raised them myself. Our lilies look fine this year. How fast the spring has gone. Summer is here most. Hope it will be a good ____.

05/28/2026

Isaac:
May 28, 1842-Warm and pleasant day. Went after some roots and "arbs." True Kimball spent a couple of
hours here. Mr Oliphant returned from Boston where he has spent the week.

Nellie:
Sun., May 28, 1905
This has been a lovely day, warm and bright. The birds have been singing, the grass waving in the lovely May breeze. I did have a _____ longing to go to church today. The service was to be in honor of our dead soldiers but for various reasons I could not go. I am hungry to go to church but cannot go. O dear I hope the time will come when I can go when I want to.

05/27/2026

Isaac:
May 27, 1842- Cloudy morning. Began to rain after noon and continued gently while night. Wind N.E.
Corn looks well. Grass is quite forward.

Nellie:
Sat., May 27, 1905
Today has been rather warm & fair. Horace Hill came to see our chickens. He thought they were fine & healthy. I got ready & went to the city this forenoon to collect Alden’s pay & do some shopping. Came home, got some lunch, then had a lot of work to do. After lunch we set out the plants today in the boxes. They look very pretty well after their chill.

05/26/2026

Volunteers needed! We were able to obtain a donation of display case that would be perfect for showcasing some of our documents but we need some muscle to pick it up and move it to PHS. We have a truck and one mover. It is located fairly close to PHS and would take less than an hour. Please DM us if you have availability at 5:30 today 5/26. Thank you!

05/26/2026

Isaac:
May 26, 1842-Delightful day. Went to the village with Jesse E. George. Lois spent the day at S. Eatons.

Nellie:
Fri., May 26, 1905
Another fine day. Had a hen come off today with some little chickens. My chicks are doing fine. Hope they will all live for I want to have a lot of nice pullets this winter to help us out. Hope they will lay very early this winter. We have got the most of our planting done. We need a lot of rain, the land is very dry. How I miss the Brown family. Am very sorry they went away.

05/25/2026

Isaac:
May 25, 1842-Warm beautiful day after a cloudy morning. Considerable rain fell last night. Mrs Stackpole called. Called to see J. Heath. He is more comfortable but perhaps no better.

Nellie:
Thurs., May 25, 1905
This has been a fine day. I cleaned my chambers today. It looks a great deal better. A. came home tonight, said he was not going to work till next Wednesday. Well, he can do his planting & some other work he has to do, for if he had steady work he would have to hire a great deal of his work done. Well he may get better work by and bye. Hope so anyway.

05/24/2026

Isaac:
May 24, 1842-Another warm fair day. Planted my potatoes. This evening J. T. Georges wife was delivered of a daughter.

Nellie:
Wed., May 24, 1905
It was very cold this morning. We had a frost last night. A. went to work today for two days. I did a lot of extra work today. The flagpole for the V.I.S.* came today. It was cut in Oregon, sent to Boston, then drawn by four horses from Boston. It will be raised the 3d of June. It measures 125 feet. To be raised in Pollard Square. There is to be a great time.
*The V.I.S. is the Village Improvement Society, a group of Plaistow women that undertook projects to beautify the town green. Besides the er****on of the flagpole, it had sidewalks built and sponsored the installation of the Civil War monument.

Address

127 Main Street
Plaistow, NH
03865

Opening Hours

4pm - 8pm

Telephone

+16039741690

Website

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