Events

Plainfield’s Paupers

Sunday, March 24th at 3pm at the Meriden Library.


Historian and author Mary Kronenwetter will share her research about how New England towns cared for their indigent. Did you know that selectmen indentured pauper children to townspeople for terms of up to six years? Or that paupers were auctioned off at town meetings to the lowest bidder?


Mary researched Plainfield records and there were many, many paupers auctioned off at  Plainfield Town meetings before the town decided in 1840 to purchase a farm where the poor could be cared for in one location.


Town Order
“To A.G. Daniels, Treasurer of the Town of Plainfield Pay to George Westgate fifty -wo dollars, that amount having been allowed him for the support of Betsey McDaniel and child one year ending Feb. 5 th , 1856.” Paragraph

“Uprooted: Heartache and Hope in New Hampshire”

 Sunday April 21st at 3pm at the Meriden Library.


History professor John Kruekeberg from Plymouth State will speak about the history of immigration and then show a 30 minute documentary “Uprooted” based on interviews collected during the NH Humanities Fences and Neighbors initiative on immigration. The film tells the story of five refugees who escaped from war-torn countries to resettle in NH. The film explores what it means to be a refugee and how it feels to make a new life in a strange place.New Paragraph

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