Every year in early June, the second and third grades at the Colebrook School are introduced to the wonders at the Colebrook Historical Society.
The second-graders, who have never been exposed to Colebrook’s historic past, are visited in their classroom by the curator, who brings several small items calculated to gain their interest. This year they saw a cannon ball, a Revolutionary War powder horn, a collapsible drinking cup from the Civil War period, a homemade mousetrap and some wooden toys.
The cannon ball is a perennial favorite, not only because it represents mayhem and destruction (which they love), but also because it comes from the forge site in Robertsville. Because of research done recently, we have had to modify our description of this 3-pound ball, made to defend our country during the Revolutionary War.
We have always been told that it was made there, along with many other iron and steel items. A large mass of these cannon balls were discovered at the site of Richard Smith’s forge on the banks of Still River in Robertsville by students at the Forge School during one of the scrap drives held during the Second World War. We all assumed that because they were discovered there, they must have been made there.
The research on Richard Smith and his Colebrook forge is still ongoing, and we now know that no cannon balls were made at this forge. What the managers of the forge did do was to buy scrap iron to be made into new products, and it now appears that this is the origin of these particular cannon balls.
We have two locally made mousetraps, one of which is a great favorite because it would be brutally effective, and most young people are fascinated by it for that reason alone.
On the day following the trip to their classroom, they walk down to the museum from school and are conducted on a grand tour, during which they are to find the objects they had seen the previous day. It is very gratifying to watch them and hear the questions they ask. The letters that they write to the curator later on give an insight as to how much information they retained and what was their most interesting experience or what was their favorite object.
The third grade, having experienced the museum the previous year, are shown different objects, and some of their interests show an advancement over what held their attention just one short year before. Both classes are very enthusiastic and vow to bring their parents back during the summer. For me, this is the high point of the year at the historical society.
Another annual event is a historic tour of Colebrook for the second and third grades. This begins along Smith Hill Road, which was one of the first roads laid out in Colebrook, then goes down Deer Hill, past the site of Theron Rockwell’s tannery, across Route 8 and past the site of the forge. Following that, we travel up and over Eno Hill, and then pay a visit to the Colebrook River Dam.
The return trip takes us up Sandy Brook Road and past three old sawmill sites as well as the now disused road that led to the house of Henry Mossuck, sometimes called Manassa, the last Native American to live in Colebrook.
One of the sawmills, which was situated on the east side of Sandy Brook, received its logs from the mountain on the western side of the stream. As the terrain is much too steep for logging trails, a long, sturdy cable, one end anchored on the hillside, the other to a point near the mill, was used to transport each log by means of a trolley mechanism down the mountainside and across Sandy Brook. The remains of this cable still rest in the cellar hole of the old mill.
With this background information, please read some of the contents of the letters each student wrote, beginning with the second grade:
“I liked the block puzzles. That crazy quilt was cool, too. I saw everything that you brought the day before. I liked the top. I didn’t get to play with the preacher and the bear because the boys liked it a lot.�
— Courtney
“I liked the toy room the best … I think the gun room [the main room downstairs] was everybody’s favorite.�
— Kelsi
“I liked all the old clothes because I don’t know anybody with such old clothes.�
— Caitlin
“My favorite thing was the tree that grew around the sign. It was a very interesting visit. It must have been tough living back then.�
— Brian
“I liked the mousetrap because it went so fast you would not hear the mouse scream.�
— Lane
“I liked the room with the spinning wheel. I thought it was pretty fun there. I can’t wait to bring my parents there.�
— Monica
And from the third grade, which went to the museum and on the bus tour and also spent a day at the Rock School:
“Thank you for being our bus guide. I learned a lot from you. I might want to be a bus guide.�
— Owen
“I never knew there were so many beautiful parts in Colebrook like Beulah Falls and the brook on Sandy Brook Road.�
— Kendra
“Out of the historical society and the Rock School House, I would say that they’re both 50-50.�
— Stephani
“My personal favorite is the Rock School House.�
— Teddy
“My favorite part of the historical society was the bedroom. My favorite part of the Rock School House was the spelling bee.�
— Maggie
“Thank you for showing us how the globe works at the Rock School House and for showing us the amazing toys, clothing, bed, dolls, maps, mouse traps and all the other things.�
— Chelsea (with the glasses)
“I liked all the artifacts in the big case [at the Rock School]. I especially liked that little globe that folds inside the booklet.
“P.S. Thank you for the freshly mowed lawn. It would have been a shame if I had to sit down in tall grass and get itchy legs.�
— Aubrey
“I really liked the spelling bee, even though it feels funny wearing the dunce cap.�
— Meagan
“Thank you for coming to the Rock School House. I had a great time, did you? I can’t believe that I spelled ‘until’ wrong!�
— Annie-Rae
It is hard for me to believe that several years ago I was advised not to attempt working with any grade under the fourth, as their attention span wasn’t long enough for them to remain focused. It is difficult to know who gets the most information and pleasure from these interactions, the students or me.
Bob Grigg is the town historian in Colebrook.
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