20 members so far!! Details of the December meeting:

At the December 10 meeting, Sheila informed us that we have 20 members so far! This is a great start. We also have collected enough money in dues and donations to pay for the remainder of our 501(c)(3) filings.

Here's a brief summary of some of the items discussed at our meeting:

• Loren Andrews was elected (in abstentia!) to chair the Woody Hill School projects group. However, before any work gets underway at this school, we need to work out a memo of understanding with the Town Council with regard to some grant money that remains earmarked for this building. Sheila hopes to set up this meeting early in 2009.
  
• Next year's One-Room Schoolhouse Reunion dates were discussed. We are zeroing in on three possible Sundays: April 19, April 26 or May 3.
  
• We now have our own email address: exeterhistory@yahoo.com .
• As always, we spoke about getting others involved with different projects. Would you be interested in helping turn Hall School into a museum? Helping to collect oral or written histories? Organizing a photo contest of "Historic Exeter"? The winter months are a great time to brainstorm -- if you come up with an idea, let us know - or better yet, come to the next meeting on Feb 10!
  

Mercy Brown - Can the vampire myth finally be put to rest?

Every year, around Halloween, our town tends to get a bit more interest than at other times of the year. This can be attributed to the legend of an Exeter resident from many years ago.

Mercy Brown was only 19 years old when she died of tuberculosis on January 17, 1892. While the loss of someone so young is tragic enough on its own, the legend that grew around the circumstances of her death are horrifying as well. Mercy was labeled a vampire by some of her superstitious contemporaries. Not only was she not allowed to rest in peace after her burial, but curiosity about her gravesite has kept this myth alive for a very long time.

Providence Journal writer G. Wayne Miller wrote a thoughtful article about Mercy Brown and the vampire legend this past October. We think it provides a long-overdue debunking of some of the assumptions made about her.

You can read the online version of the article here . It was originally published in the Journal on October 31, 2008.

Looking for a logo.........

Now that we've actually filed our 501(c)3 paperwork, we're ready to come up with a logo for our new organization. One idea mentioned was to have a stylized image of a mill and water wheel, since this type of structure is so iconic to Exeter.

Are you feeling artistic? Go ahead and make up a design! Other suggestions are welcome!

Our next meeting will take place on Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 7PM at the Exeter Public Library.

Announcing the arrival of the Exeter Historical Association!

In March 2008, a group of interested Exeter residents got together to begin the process of forming the Exeter Historical Association. Lead by local historians Sheila Reynolds-Boothroyd and Barbara Carroll, the group was incorporated in August 2008 and have begun filing the necessary 501c(3) paperwork in order to be able to apply for grants.


We encourage and welcome participation in this newly formed organization. Meeting notices will be posted here. If you'd like to be included on our mailing list, please contact Sheila Reynolds-Boothroyd at exeterhistory@yahoo.com