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This item is a digital file and it does not exist in the physical museum collection.


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This item is a digital file and it does not exist in the physical museum collection.


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The obituary reads:

Dorothy A. Bean, 84, of Farmington passed away on August 20, 2021 after a period of declining health.

Dottie was born in Orange, NJ on January 6, 1937 to the late Joseph and Donna (Otey) Bean and spent her childhood in New Jersey. After her father retired, the family moved to Farmington, NH where Dottie’s grandfather owned a 340 acre farm. Dottie graduated from Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA in 1958 with a bachelor’s degree in biology.

After graduation, she worked as a research supervisor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston under a grant administered by Harvard University. In 1970, she accepted a position with Tufts University at New England Medical Center in Boston, now Tufts Medical Center.

Because of her parents' failing health, Dottie moved back to her family’s Farmington home in 1990 and resigned from Tufts in 1991. Since the death of her parents, Dottie has taken care of the farm’s buildings and property. During her custodianship, she developed an abiding concern for forest preservation and farming.

While living in Farmington, Dottie was an active member and avid supporter of many area organizations, including the NH Farm Museum, where she was the membership registrar; NH Historical Society; Farmington Historical Society, where she had served as president and headed a committee to publish a book on the town’s history; Farmington Woman’s Club; Goodwin Library, where she had served as a trustee; NH Preservation Alliance; Currier Museum of Art; Wright Museum and the First Congregational Church of Farmington, where she was active in the Women’s Fellowship and was one of the founding members of Blessed Bargains thrift shop. She also worked at the voting polls during each town election for many years and in 1995, she was named Puddledock Press Person of the Year. Dottie was an enthusiastic supporter of the Boy Scouts, Moose Mountains Regional Greenways and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, where she was passionate about conserving the land. 

Her deep appreciation of history and land converged on her own property, where she worked tirelessly for more than 30 years on the restoration and improvement of her historic home and land. Her conviction in the importance of farming and her belief in the need to preserve and protect undeveloped land led Dottie to establish the Joseph D. ‘26, Donna M. and Dorothy A. Bean Endowed Fund at the University of New Hampshire. She established this fund in honor of her father who graduated from UNH in 1926. This fund will provide need-based scholarship support for students enrolled in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and will also provide general support for COLSA faculty members.

There will be a graveside service at Pine Grove Cemetery in Farmington, NH on Sunday, September 12 at 1:00 PM. If you wish to honor Dottie’s memory with a donation, please direct it to the charity of your choice or to the UNH Foundation with Bean Endowed Fund in the memo, University of NH, 9 Edgewood Road, Durham, NH 03824.

 Cremation care by Peaslee Funeral Home. To express condolences, please visit: www.peasleefuneralhome.com






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Included photos by Kyle Leach & Stan Freeda ]]>

This is a digital file and does not reside in the physical collection.


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The article reads:

10,000 Attend Klan Meeting

National officials Speaks
in farmington, NH

American Flag Floats Over
Interested Throng

Hundreds of New Members
Are "Naturalized"

Special Dispatch to the Globe

ROCHESTER. N II. June 1 — This
morning, at K. K. K. State headquar-
tm, in South Main st, there was a
large gathering of Maine, New Hamp-
shire, Vermont and Massachusetts
klansmen, and thia afternoon a big
meeting, attended by fully 10,000 per-
sons, was held on an unoccupied farm
in the town of Farmlngton, about four
miles from Rochester. Dozens of klans
men did picket duty, and all members
present wore klan robes.

Outsiders were admitted. If vouched
for by klansmen. Rochester police esti-
mate that 2S0 automobiles bearing
Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, New
York and Massachusetts registration
plates passed over the roads leading to
the meeting place.

On the south side of the farm was a
platform over which the American flag
floated, and for more than two hours
three speakers from national headquar-
ters, Atlanta spoke on the principles of
the order. The throng was silent and
gave close attention to the speaker.

King Kleagle E.W. Gaynor of Indiana,
new leader in this section, presided over
the meeting but the names of the
speakers from national headquarters
were not annouced.
Music for the Farmlngton meeting
was furnished by Witham Klavern
Band of 35 pieces, from Portland.

Later in the evening several thousand
new members were naturalized at State
headquarters here, and a buffet lunch
was served. At the edge of the farm
where the afternoon meeting was held,
the fiery -cross burned, and a blazing
electric cross blazed from the roof of
headquarters.

The entire proceedings of the day
were carried out with gravity and per-
fect order.



This is a digital file and does not reside in the physical collection.

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War Time Workers Hand Book, What Every Worker Should Know, circa 1943.

This item belonged to Farmington worker 636, Department 52, which was stitching, all information written on the back inside cover, along with the worker Social Security number(not inlcued in scan). The Foreman for the worker was Louie Underburger.

The booklet contains a fair amount of American propaganda, helpful home and work advice during wartime, financial advice, community service advice, commentary on the war, post Pearl Harbor Attack, and some forcasting on the war effort.

This item does contain biases from earlier periods.




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National Foreman's Institute
R. O. Rondeau Shoe Company]]>
R. O. Rondeau Shoe Company]]>

The text reads:

This issue of The Puddledock Press is dedicated to the memory of Roger Belanger or Rog-B as most knew him. Roger recently passed away after a period of declining health at age 71.

It has been said that the typical date of birth, dash, date of death is misleading. The dash is such a small symbol for a life. Rog- B's life was that of a very dedicated person. He was dedicated to his family, church, community and this publication.

He started at the Press in advisory capacity and of course, that was not enough so he began to work with the staff at every meeting, finding old stories, setting up the pages, laying out the stories, delivering the paper and more. In the months that Rog was not well and unable to help, this staff realized how much he contributed and how he was missed!

When not working on the Puddledock, Rog was active with St. Peter's Church where he was recently honored with a plaque from his church "family". He assisted with the Interfaith-food Pantry. He was recognized with a Community Achievement Award and was the Puddledock Press Person of the Year in 1987. The Farmington Historical Society had him present programs on Farmington history several times and of course his famous political collection was featured at the Goodwin Library on occasion.

Perhaps more than -the awards, we would like to think he enjoyed the waves, hellos, and thank-you's from many, many people who knew him as he walked around town sprucing up our comrmunity He will be missed.






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Note this article cotains biases from the period.

The text of the article reads:

Probably two good .men who. have
charge of the regular collections at the
Congregational church never wore more
pleasingly astonished in the course of
their Sunday duties than -were they on
December 15 when they found in the
morning offering a cheque for five hun-
dred dollars; this amount to be known
as the Lucy Dodge Memorial Fund, the
Income to be used in the support  of  the
church and its customary exercises.
The name given recalls to the older peo-
ple of tho community the story of a
loyal soul whose devotion is thus com-
memorated  but this should be known
also to our younger friends, in merited
regard for both past and, present,.and as
a lesson for the future. -In the period
of the civil war Mrs. Martha E. Edgerly
(her first marriage having been to Cap-
tain Enoch Dodge who was killed in the
war) brought a homeless little black girl
to her own home in South Berwick, Me.,
and this child was known as : Lucy
Dodge. She was taught everything
practicable in the well appointed house-
hold, and at both common and Sunday
schools, and became a faithful and com-
petent housekeeper. She was nearly as
much at home In Farmington.-as at
South Berwick, attending her mistress
in visit's to her brothers, and to.her sis-
ter who was the first wife of' James B.
Edgerly, and upon the marriage of Mrs.'
Dodge to the latter, several" years after
the sister's decease, Lucy became per-
manently resident in town and.was ever
a devout attendant upon exercises of the
churcb, taking honest pleasure in con-
tributing to its support and good works.
In falling health, after the decease of
her kind mistress, Lucy was given every,
possible care by the .members.of the
family which.she held as hers, until she
followed those whose loss she had
mourned. It is like the conscientious
and public spirited head of tho house-
hold, James B. Edgerly, to .have planned
thus generously for the continuance of
a part lo the progress of the church and
parish, In the name of the loyal friend
whose memory is thus perpetuated.


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