From the desk of Sandy Brackett

‘Landaffians’, come out and show our fellow Landaff farmers our support.

JOIN THE LISBON AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
ANNUAL MEETING AND PROGRAM

SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 2019 – Shared Ministry’s White Church
South Main Street, Lisbon

12:30pm – Brief meeting and election of officers
1:00pm – LIFE “DOWN ON THE FARM – THEN AND NOW”

The Lisbon Area Historical Society will be presenting a panel
discussion of past and present life on area farms at 1:00 PM on Saturday
January 19th at the Shared Ministry’s White Church on South Main
Street in Lisbon. The Historical Society will prior to its program on
farming be holding a brief annual meeting of its members and election
of officers at 12:30 PM, and all others attending the event are welcome
to be present for the Society’s meeting.
“Farming has for over two centuries been a prominent aspect of
life in our three towns of Lisbon, Landaff and Lyman and the
surrounding region,” said program committee member Dori Hamilton.
“We are very pleased to have a panel of speakers who have as farmers
lived on and experienced all aspects of farm life in the local area.”
The Historical Society’s panel of present or former farmers
speaking about “Down on The Farm – Then and Now” will include
Richard Bronson, Douglas Erb and Douglas Heath – all residents of
Landaff – and Russell and Mary Hicks of Littleton. The presentation will
include histories and pictures of early settlers and descendants, and
recollections of childhood before electricity and telephone. Discussed
farming activities will include milking by hand and the advent of
machinery and haying up to 15,000 bales.
“Farming was a way of life in rural New England,” said Society
historian Andrea Fitzgerald, “and our towns were no exception. Many
families in villages like Lisbon even kept a milk cow and chickens as
sources of food for themselves. Sheep farming to produce wool was
common until the mid-1800’s,” said Fitzgerald. “However, dairy farming
became the big local business when the arrival of train service in the
1850’s gave local farmers over-night access to the growing Boston
market for milk and other dairy products.”
This program is free and open to the public, and light
refreshments will be available. Those attending will be encouraged to
share their own experiences in the discussion to follow. “Those who
come early for the Society’s annual meeting will learn more about our
Historical Society,” said Hamilton. For more information regarding this
event, contact Dori Hamilton at 838-5149 or email
info@lisbonareahistory.org.