The Summer Sampler at the Woodman Institute Museum is June 16th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This event is a market day that includes a sampling of fine arts, crafts, music, foods and demonstrations. It is a fundraiser to assist the Woodman Institute Museum with the preservation of their collections, the history of Dover, NH and the region. Vendor space is still available and starts at just $40. Read More.
History Comes Alive Labor Day Weekend, and you can be a part of this historic reveal. Whether you’re a regular on the local stage, at reenactments or just love history this is your opportunity to join in the fun. The Woodman Night at the Museum will run August 30 to September 2. Actors & Guides are needed..print-out a cast form request or contact the museum.
The Woodman Institute Museum in historic Dover, New Hampshire, is open for the 2013 season with new trustees, a new curator and new exhibits. Considered one of New England’s finest nineteenth century style natural science, local history and art museums offering visitors from across the country and around the world a unique museum experience.
Visitors will find new additions to the mill and Civil War exhibits and many changes in the historic 1675 garrison house. This season’s feature exhibit in the Woodman House is “QUENCH YOUR THIRST…a history of Dover bottlers..” An opportunity to see examples of Dover milk bottles representing the local dairy farms, pharmacy bottles embossed with the names of local pharmacists, and soda bottlers like Robinson Brothers, Mission Beverage and the Dover Bottling Company.
Re-enactors representing the Spanish-American, Civil War, WW I, WWII, Vietnam and Gulf Wars greeted veterans and visitors. All veterans were admitted free and enjoyed coffee-donuts at the WW II USO tent. Thanks to all our veterans and active duty soldiers…and to the re-enactors for helping to preserve our military history. Dover honor war veterans (slide show)
On October 20th at 11:00 a.m. a Civil War Honor Guard with members of the 5th N.H. the 12th N.H. and the Kearsarge Afterguard, marched down Hale Street, across Locust and placed a wreath at the Soldiers – Sailors Monument in front of the Dover Public Library. Museum trustee Thom Hindle made a few opening remarks then the color guard presented the colors. James Parcell, Chaplain for American Legion Post No 8 gave an Invocation and Mayor Dean Trefethen read a proclamation. Following the wreath laying, shots were fired from muskets followed by the playing of Taps by Alex Roemer, a senior member of the Dover High School band.
On October 19th, 1912 one hundred fifty Civil War veterans led by members of the Charles W.Sawyer G.A.R Post No 17 marched from the Third Street B&M Railroad station to the front lawn of the Dover Public Library to officially unveil and dedicate the newly erected monument…a gift to the city of Dover from Civil War veteran and prominent attorney Col. Daniel Hall.
Following the wreath ceremony On Saturday the 20th, the re-enactors returned to the Woodman Institute Museum for demonstrations and were available to talk with museum visitors about the items on display as part of the “Letters Home” exhibit and artifacts displayed in the Civil War Room exhibit in the Woodman House. Medical Steward Dan Meehan, Company A, 12th N.H. had a medical tent filled with implements used to treat various wounds suffered during the bloody battles. Members of the 5th N.H. set up a first Sergeant’s desk display and were available to talk about the daily life of a soldier many miles from home and family. A special sailors tent was set-up by the Kearsage Afterguard and the cook baked bread and prepared a full meal on an old wood stove.
Co A 12th N.H. Medical Steward’s tent
After a visit to the War Room exhibit at the Woodman Institute Museum last fall, Darby Reynolds decided to donate her uniform and medals to the Dover museum. This donation is the first related to the Vietnam War and displays her dress uniform with medals along with photos of the Brink Hotel bombing where she was wounded.
She spent 26½ years in the Navy, retiring with the rank of captain. She was one of the first females to serve in Vietnam, serving at the very beginning when it wasn’t considered a war.
Capt. Darby Reynolds and three others were the first Navy nurses to receive a Purple Heart in Vietnam. The 1957 Dover High School graduate was injured during the Saigon Christmas Eve bombing in 1964. She was recognized for her selfless response assisting others that were injured…and her response to receiving the recognition: “None of us felt we deserved it because we were just doing our job.”
She was home on leave for Christmas in 1963 looking forward to receiving orders for her first assignment after spending two years at Pensacola, Florida. Darby requested an assignment in Japan, Spain or Italy, wanting to travel. Orders arrived at her parents Dover home on Christmas Eve from her chief nurse. Along with the news that Reynolds had been promoted to lieutenant, the assignment was Saigon, Vietnam.
Wearing her winter dress blue uniform, Lt. Reynolds and 100 men, mostly Army soldiers complete with rifles, on a cargo plane with wooden seats and no windows, landed under sniper fire on a runway at Saigon airport in March 1964.
Unaware that she was injured during the Christmas Eve bombing, her first response was to join the other nurse and immediately begin triage and treatment of the 100 injured. Two persons who were in the next room next to Lt Reynolds died when the floor above fell on them. One of the corpsmen noticed that Reynolds was bleeding and needed several stitches. She also had received a concussion when a door hit her. During the presentation of medals, the presenter said, “These four will be recorded by historians as the first women members of the U.S. Armed Forces to receive the Purple Heart in Vietnam.”
The museum’s collections also represent Dover soldiers who served during the War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish American War, World War I and World War II.
These collections are available for viewing as part of the museum’s regular tour
”TOYMAKER-COLLECTOR-NATURALIST” Henry Clinton Fall (1862-1939).
As a young school boy attending Belknap Grammar School Henry was a collector and builder of model boats and trains, a collector of stamps/postmarks, and a fascination with butterflies and beetles. He would graduate with the Dover High School class of 1880 and become one of America’s foremost naturalists.
On display in the Hale House, are some of the original model boats and several steam engine trains that have survived all these years and donated to the Woodman for young and old to enjoy. The exhibit features an original Belknap Grammar School spelling exam from 1876, an original hand bell and photos of the school located on the corner of Belknap and Silver Streets, Henry’s restored and framed original DHS 1880 diploma, the original High School hand school bell, front door key, and 1880 graduation program.
