August 9, 2022 – 6:00 PM
Summer Picnic
Conway Historical Society will host its annual summer picnic at the Old Firehouse in Conway Village. We’ll provide hot dogs, hamburgers, corn, and beverages — you bring a side dish or dessert to share. See you there!
September 13, 2022 – 7:00 PM
Diary Excerpts from the 1943 Middle Sister Fire Tower Lookout, Elizabeth “Sammy” Sampson
During the second World War, women from all over the United States were hired by the Forest Service for a variety of positions, including that of fire tower lookout. In April 1943, Elizabeth “Sammy” Sampson and several other women went through three days of training where they learned new skills such as fire detection, map reading and radio communications at the former Gale River CCC Camp in Bethlehem, New Hampshire. After the training, Sammy was assigned the Middle Sister fire tower on Mount Chocorua in Albany, New Hampshire. Fortunately, the Forest Service has a copy of Elizabeth Sampson’s detailed dairy of her 1943 season as a fire tower lookout, in which she describes her daily work and life through words, sketches and photographs. Today, you can visit the remains of the Middle Sister fire tower where Sammy spent two seasons in the clouds.
White Mountain National Forest Archaeological Technician, Genevieve Everett (she/her) will present excerpts from Sammy’s diary and photographs of Sammy in and around the fire tower. Additionally, Genevieve will discuss the White Mountain National Forest’s role in protecting and preserving historic and archaeological sites on Forest Service land, including the remains of the Middle Sister fire tower.
Monthly Program
Conway Historical Society hosts a public program on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 PM.
Programs are free and open to the public!
Join us at the Old Firehouse at 111 Main Street in Conway Village (next to the Conway Village Fire Department)
Conway Historical Society
PO Box 1949, Conway, NH 03818
603-447-5551
website: www.conwayhistoricalsociety.org
I often say of George Washington
that he was one of the few
in the whole history of the world
who was not carried away by power.
-Robert Frost
A truly American sentiment recognizes
the dignity of labor
and the fact that
honor lies in honest toil.
–Grover Cleveland
History is not a burden on the memory
but an illumination of the soul.
–Lord Acton
Human history becomes more and more
a race between
education and catastrophe.
–H. G. Wells