FRAME - The window frame used throughout the site is a very old one belonging to John Butler.  It came from the Lawrence Barn, but was undoubtedly in a house before it was added to the barn.  The frame is thin compared to today's frame.  Note the pegs holding the frame together.  In this photo you see the side of the frame, which would have been outside and had putty added over the glass inserts.  The other side of the frame is shaped as are some of today's frames.  Note that glass in early days was expensive, often imported, and therefore window panes become larger as time passed and glass was manufactured in the US.

HILDRETH COLLECTION  - from Hilda Hildreth is both photos and documents. Note her picture of Rheta McGilvary at the switchboard in her home at 5 Broad Street where she was the dispatcher for the town, calling fire, police, and other services as needed.  This photo also hangs in the Always Ready Engine House. And listen to the oral history CD's at the library.  Children's games and tasks are described most thoroughly in the one in which her daughter, interviews her Mother.

BELL COLLECTION  - is photographs and a scan of the original deed for the property signed by the first settler of Hollis, Peter Powers.  A visit to the Registry of Deeds in Nashua is very interesting.

FARM EXHIBIT

DESCLOS COLLECTION  - is photos of unusual old planes.  The curved planes shown here were used to shape the tops of barrels both inner and outer circumference.  They were made by Mr. Manning near Lovejoy Hill (the top of the hill climbing Broad Street and reaching its top at Pine Hill Road).  Some had the name of the person for whom the plane was made stamped into the plane.

ELLEN - The doll's name is 'Ellen" she was made by the great-grandfather of two Hollis sisters.  Ellen is well over 100 years old.  Her body is jointed and is wood; she is in good shape and doesn't even need any medicine.  Her clothing is that which might have been worn by a toddler for she is not a tiny doll. She has a full set of clothing, but at her age she mostly sits and tells stories of old Hollis.

JACKSTRAWS - The set of jackstraws shown in the photographs was made by the great-grandfather of a Hollis resident.  He lived in Portsmouth and carved about 100 jackstraws, pegging them all together with friction fit.  Included are shovels, axes, other farm tools including an orchard ladder and some tools which may have been associated with fishing, e.g. canoe paddles and other paddle.  Each type of tool has several varieties within it.

Jackstraws were played like contemporary pick up sticks.  All the pieces were held in one hand and dropped in an irregular circle.  You can see this happening.  The players in turn tried to remove one piece at a time using thin crochet hooks.  If the pile moved or even trembled the player lost his/her turn.  Those pieces successfully removed earned points, which are marked individually on each piece.  A hoe might be harder to remove than a shovel.  How long do you think it took the great-grandfather to make this set? They all fit (with the crochet hooks) into a hand turned one-piece wooden case with lid.  The jackstraws are lying on a drop leaf doll table made by a grandfather.  Jackstraws are a very old game, some say going back to Egypt.  A great deal of information on jackstraws is available on the web looking under the word 'jackstraws'.

ORAL HISTORY - The most recent collection of oral history is on CDs currently housed at the library.  A volunteer skillful in sound editing is needed to add these to this site.  One sample can be heard on 038-055.  Check out a CD from the library and listen to it on your computer while you browse this site.  See a long list of oral history under 'Resources'.

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - are seen in permanent or temporary exhibits at the Wheeler House or the Always Ready Engine House, e.g. the Telephone Exhibit, two pictures are shown on that 'place to visit'.   The Farm exhibit summer through September 2002 is another example complete with a pegged barn frame.  Keep up to date on these exhibits by checking the Historical Society Web Site. http://www.hollis-history.org/