My sister has been writing the 1963 to 1999 chapter of our hometown's
history for the past three years and as she collects and evaluates material
there have been many thoughtful and stimulating discussions among our group
of friends. The timeperiod covers the end of textile mills on the river,
end of yankee subsistance farmer, end of dairy farming,periodic purges and
retooling of the sylvania plant, the hippie influx, first stop light, 24
hour police, first national chain, among many other "advancements" as the
population has risen from 2 to 5000. Nonthe less many stretches of roads I
frequently drive are virtually unchanged from my youth and the area still
has a totally woodsy feel as except for a couple subdivisions one can easily
ignore most new housing is in2 to 5 to 10 acre lots with the houses hidden
back from the road. A by pass is finally going in but in general the town
welcomes it for the summer weekend delays will be gone and we will have
our downtown back. There will certainly have to be an adjustment of the
13 gas stations and 13 antique /junk furniture stores along the main drag.
The motto among my friends when a new enterprise some one dislikes is
brought up is "its progess and we are against it" What bothers me the most
is the abandonment of agriculture except for home gardens. I will have a
long post on my efforts soon. south central NH
