There was a time before smartphones had even been thought of, let alone invented, when people had to actually rely on calendars that hung on the wall in the kitchen to know when and where they were supposed to be. I know, imagine that!
Personally, I still love printed calendars and continue to use them. The heyday of the printed calendar that featured advertising would be from the 1890s to the 1950s. During that time, many Somersworth and Great Falls businesses would take advantage of this wonderful way of not only welcoming in the new year but the next 365 days. The calendars would grace kitchen walls and office buildings and act as a daily reminder of the business that would often offer the calendars for free with a purchase or would send it through the mail to valued customers.
The Summersworth Historical Museum has many fine examples of such calendars that have graced the walls of many a hilltopper home over the years. In the 1890s, when wall calendars were all the rage and often featured famous works of art printed on one sheet of paper with a year calendar underneath. As the calendars grew in popularity and printing processes became more widespread, the calendars would often begin to feature local scenes and a tear off month by month calendar instead. There are examples from the 1950s that also include a frame and thermometer. They really are a snapshot in time when you look at them and they often give those of us that volunteer in the museum a clue as to when a business was thriving in the city.
Sadly, nowadays printed calendars are not as popular as they once were. I am that person who still writes on both her desk and kitchen calendars as I find them easier to use than my smartphone calendar.
As we prepare to ring in 2022, I want to let you in on a well-kept secret. This year, the Summersworth Historical Museum located at 157 Main St., Somersworth will be 20 years old this August. We are busy planning some exciting events to celebrate the past 20 years so stay tuned for more news.Get the News Alerts newsletter in your inbox.
This year I will be featuring, with the help of Museum President George Poulin and Vice President Frank Kennedy Jr, in this column, 20 items that the museum holds that we think showcases the history and spirit of the Hilltop City over the years. Of course when you have 19 rooms all of which are themed and packed full of treasures, it’s not going to be easy to pick just 20, but we will do our best. Of course, you can also visit the museum yourself which is open Sunday from 12.30 to 3.30 p.m. If you haven’t visited the museum yet, I highly recommend it.
Next week sees the swearing in of another city council and school board. While there are few changes on the city council side of the equation this time around, the city will welcome back Councilor Dennis Messier during the inauguration ceremony which will be held on Jan. 5 at 6 p.m. This year, thanks to COVID, the ceremony will take place at the middle school gym. It will be recorded and televised on channel 22 as well as Somersworth.com. To all those who choose to serve the Hilltop City, I say, “Thank you!”
I want to remind you this week that as the snow and ice continue to pile up outside my office window, that you can get details of parking bans in the city by signing up for the nixle text system at www.nixle.com or for the city e-newsletter at somersworth.com.
As January approaches and the temperatures dip, please remember to spare a moment for your elderly neighbors. Maybe they need a hand shoveling or just a quick hello so they know they are not alone. You never quite know the difference one smile or “hi” can make to someone’s day especially as we deal with another surge in COVID.
To all those who were kind enough to send me Christmas cards or letters this season, I want to say thank you. A special thanks goes to Diane Grant Alrecht who took the time to write and let me know more about Somerworth’s first female mayoral candidate as well as the Grant building that we now know as the old police station. I’ll be writing more about Mrs. Legro in the coming weeks as she is an interesting character for her time, for sure.
That’s all I have for this week, except to wish everyone who calls the Hilltop City home, a happy and safe 2022. Till next week.