History By Era: Progressive Era - WWI
1890-1933
Timeline
Online chronologies of events in Cheshire County at different periods of time.
Monadnock Moments
Short historical articles about people, places, or events in the Monadnock region.
Agriculture in Cheshire County
An online presentation on the history of agriculture in Cheshire County, New Hampshire from pre-colonial days into the 21st century. Based on an onsite exhibit at the Historical Society of Cheshire County in 2017.
An American Nurse at War
High School. Film. This award-winning documentary honors women's service to their country and chronicles the heroic experience of nurse Marion McCune Rice of Brattleboro, Vermont. Rice's story is told through her own photos as well as written accounts by wounded...
Caring for Pets
Caring for Pets Grades K-3. Lesson. In this 8-page colorful booklet, students learn about wants vs. needs of animals and humans and the responsibility involved in caring for pets. This lesson introduces students to the role of humane societies in our community and...
Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve
High School, Film. Available on DVD or via Vimeo How does a teacher training school in rural New Hampshire transform itself into a leading public liberal-arts college? This documentary chronicles Keene State's rise from Keene Normal School, founded in 1909, to an...
History of the Jewish Community
High School. From Peddlers to Shopkeepers to Professionals:A History of the Jewish Community in Cheshire County. The story of Jewish immigrants to Cheshire County, New Hampshire, at the turn of the 20th century. Learn about Jewish presence in our communities and...
Horses in our Community’s Past
Grades K-3. Primary Source Packet. 12 enlarged historic photographs of Cheshire County scenes that contain images of horses. Students will note the various ways in which horses were a vital part of our town's economy and culture. Works well with Lesson: Caring for...
Industrialization in Cheshire County
Grades 3-6. Primary Source Packet. 10 photographs depict a variety of mill scenes in Cheshire County between 1875 and 1921. The packet may be used to discuss technological developments, labor conditions and the arrival of the Industrial Revolution in our region.
Jennie B. Powers, local Progressive Era reformer
Grades: 9-12. Mini unit outline with links to a short film, documents and photographs. This unit asks students to define a progressive, in terms of the early 20th century definition. They will analyze the life of Jennie B. Powers, agent for the Keene Humane Society,...
Kingsbury Toys for Boys and Girls
Grade School, video. The story of how toys came to be made in Keene, NH, from the 1890s-1940s. Introduction by Jennifer Carroll, Director of Education, Historical Society of Cheshire County.
Local Immigration History- the Finns of Cheshire County
Grades: 6-8, 9-12. Lessons (2). Students will learn about local immigration history by analyzing primary sources pertaining to the Finnish community in Cheshire County. These lessons are made available to teachers for free thanks to the support of the Finlandia...
Local News and the Progressive Era
Grades: 9-12. Lesson. Students will use Keene Sentinel articles and other historic documents to study progressive era reform movements at the turn of the 20th century. Articles show both what was happening in the Monadnock region and local response to national...
Logging & Woodworking Industries
Grades 3-6. Primary Source Packet. Designed to help students understand one of the most important industries in the region. This packet contains enlarged photographs depicting lumber-related industries in Cheshire County. Images range from the harvesting of trees to...
Meet Elizabeth: a 20th Century Abenaki Story
Grades: K-3. In this 7-page booklet, students learn about a local Abenaki family's story. Elizabeth Sadoques grew up in Keene, NH, as a child in the early 1900s. Her story is multi-generational and linked to her family's culture. Questions at the end test students'...
Our Finnish Community
Grades 3-6. Touchable Artifact Kit. A collection of Finnish objects, children's literature, musical instruments, and music CDs related to Finnish culture in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire. This wonder box comes in an old suitcase, allowing kids to imagine...
Railroads and Economics
Grades 3-5. Mini Unit. This unit of study focuses on the economic impact of the railroad. Students learn about local and national history of the railroad and how it fundamentally changed the way business was conducted. They learn essential vocabulary and develop...
Toy Manufacturing in Cheshire County
Middle School, High School. Online exhibit reveals technological innovations in Cheshire County, NH, the history of childhood play in America, the impact of popular culture on industry, and how both national and international forces impacted the toy industry. Toys...
Transcribing Local History
Grades: 7-8, 9-12. Don’t just READ history; CREATE history with your class! Turn your students into “student archivists.” Have them transcribe real historic letters and diaries as part of their classwork. This mini unit includes five lessons that introduce students...
Transportation Over Time
Grades 2-5. Primary Source Packet. 10 historic transportation photographs allow students to visualize the evolution of transportation in Cheshire County over the last century. Students can identify the forms of transportation covered, technological developments,...
Trolleys, Trains, and Flyers
Middle School, High School. Film. Available on DVD or via Vimeo Stories from Keene residents who remember the days when Keene was a railroad center. Interviews with Ernest L. Bell, Sally Bell, Donald Carle, Philip H. Faulkner, Jr., Judy Hall, Margaret Hanrahan, Robert...
Western Abenakis, the Sadoques Family
Middle School & High School. Primary source packet. Contains historic photographs representing four generations of the Sadoques family of Keene. Students will note an Abenaki presence in the Connecticut River Valley region that persists today. Each photograph...
Women’s Suffrage
Grades: 4-8, Primary Source Packet. Did you know?! Famous suffragist Susan B. Anthony spoke in Keene on two occasions. This packet contains 12 original newspaper articles, transcribed, a timeline of NH voting rights history with emphasis on the Monadnock region, and...
World War I
High School. Touchable Artifact Kit. Artifacts, historic photographs, and the transcribed diary of local soldier Arcade Joyal combine to illustrate the impact that World War I had on local residents in the 1910s.