59TH ANNUAL ESTABLISHED SECTION – FEBRUARY 5, 2020 THE MONADNOCK SHOPPER NEWS 5

In The Time Of Little Women: The Young Emeline Letters

The re-make of Little Women by director Greta Gerwig has fostered an interest in American author Louisa May Alcott (1832 – 1888) and the time period of her novel.

Little Women is considered semi-autobiographical, inspired by Louisa’s family life in Concord, MA, as well as her brief time in Walpole, NH. It paints a vivid picture of the issues confronting young women in the mid 19th century, portraying the role of women in so-ciety; family and marriage; morality and duty; parenting; and education of young women.

The same is true of a unique collec-tion of letters at the Horatio Colony House Museum. Spanning a period from about 1857 to 1863, the letters were written by Emeline Joslin (1842-1907) to her parents, Maria Eames and Elias Joslin, while she was attending the State Normal School in Framingham, MA. The collection is rounded out by responses to Emeline written mainly by her mother, therefore forming a con-versation captured on paper. There are

also letters written to Emeline by other friends and family members.

The letters to Emeline’s parents came to their home at 199 Main Street in Keene. Emeline likely saved the let-ters from her parents and brought them back to her family home (now the Hora-tio Colony House Museum) where they all have been stored for over 160 years.

The letters reveal the concerns of a girl in her teen years, sharing many interests and issues that faced her con-temporary Louisa May Alcott and the characters in Little Women.

Although Emeline’s family was not poor like the March family in Little Women, she still faced society’s pressure to ‘marry well’ and to conduct herself as a proper young lady. The letters reveal these concerns and also provide a window into a young woman’s life which included everything from sleigh rides, skating and riding atop a horse-drawn coach, to school work, interest in the latest fashions and the opinions of peers. The loving parenting of Maria Joslin, as expressed in the letters, guides her daughter through the universal uncertainty of being a teen. All this was happening in the backdrop of the time period leading to the Civil War.

Excerpts from the letters will be the core of an exhibit, titled In the Time of Little Women: The Young Emeline Letters. The exhibit will be hosted by the Horatio Colony House Museum. It opens May 1st and can be viewed through August 2nd. The exhibit will offer an overview of what was hap-pening in Keene during 1857 to 1863; a broad overview to the women’s rights movement during this time period; examples of clothing, writing materials, and family photos.

The Horatio Colony House Museum is located at 199 Main Street in Keene. Parking is available at Saint Bernard Church next to the museum. For more details on these events, contact the museum at horatio.colony@gmail.com, visit www.horatiocolonymuseum.org or call 603-352-0460.

Emeline Joslin, photo c. 1860, 19th century letter collection echos the time period of Little Women.

Established 1914Peterborough Community TheatrePeterborough Community Theatre

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Celebrating 102 Years!

est. 1918HOME • AUTO • LIFE

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Established July 1st, 1919on West Street in Keene

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The American Legion is…

Still Serving AmericA!

• allsaintsnh.org

All Saints’ Church is a spiritual home for all who seek a welcoming and inclusive Christian community of faith, fellowship, worship and service…Here for God. Here for Good. Here for All.

SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES:• 8:00 am, Rite I in the Church• 10:00 am, Rite II with Choir in the Church • 10:00 am, Rite Now Contemplative Service in Reynolds Hall

All Saints’EPISCOPAL CHURCH

The Reverend Jamie L. Hamilton

51 & 52 Concord Street • Peterborough • (603) 924-3202

Established in 1920

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AUMAND'S FURNITURE

Ernie Aumand

Established

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AUMAND’S FURNITUREESTABLISHED 1920

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Then

Now

93Years!

Since 1927 Federated Church of Marlborough

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The Historical Society of Cheshire County Collecting, preserving and communicating

Cheshire County’s history since 1927.Become a member today.

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Delivering outstanding health care since 1923

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Slavery in Cheshire CountyBy Alan Rumrill

When we think of slav-ery in the US, we often think of the plantations of the deep south and of the Civil War. Most people are surprised to learn that Cheshire County was the home of 18 slaves in 1790.

Eleven of the slaves resided with families in Hinsdale, Keene, Stod-dard, Walpole, Westmore-land, and Winchester; the remaining seven lived in towns that are now part of Sullivan County. Slave labor did not fit well into New Hampshire’s econ-omy of subsistence farm-ing. Most slaves acted as servants in the homes of well-to-do families.

Although the names of the county’s slave own-ers of 1790 have been preserved, most of these people have been other-wise forgotten. General James Reed is probably the best remembered of the group. He was one of the first settlers of Fitzwil-liam and did much to aid the growth of that town. He attained the rank of brigadier general during the Revolutionary War while serving under Gen-eral Washington. By 1790, when he was recorded as owning a slave, he was blind and quite elderly.

Slavery did not last long in the county or the state. There were 158 slaves in all of New Hampshire in 1790, only eight by 1800, and by 1820, there were none.

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