If you think Penacook history begins and ends with the Hannah Dustin saga, let me set you straight: In Penacook, there's history in every nook and all but four crannies. It is, if I may try a metaphor, a village-sized Triscuit that somebody topped with partially-melted echoes of the past, bubbling up because he or she shut the microwave of time off just at the right moment. Or not.
The unwritten history of Penacook is what appeals to me most. It's where I learned some of the lesser-known facets of its story. For example, Penacook is not the birthplace of pop singer Phil Collins; no cactus has ever taken human form in Penacook and shouted rude things while throwing baked beans at locals; and Penacook has never had a “toughman contest” that broke down into a frenetic laser battle with the fate of Earth at stake – all of which, frankly, are points in its favor.
But there's a problem: How do we keep history from being overlooked in an age when every fifth U.S. resident is actually a computer-generated image? (Now you know just how much power George Lucas really has!) Today's young readers don't have time to track down unwritten history, they have chores to do . . . on their virtual farms on Facebook. So how to grab their attention? Interpretive dance? A stronger social media presence? Hiding their clean laundry?
No, the way to reach out and make local history more relevant is to develop updated versions of some of the classic Penacook histories, emphasizing events and elements of the past that will speak to people in our world. Here's a set of excerpts from “The History of Penacook, N.H.,” the turn-of-the-century account from David Arthur Brown, where I've tweaked a little of the language for the modern audience. You may find that a few sentences are technically not as accurate as they were before, but you'll forgive that when you see these things flying off the shelves and downloaded time and time again:
“Samuel G. Noyes came to the village in 1854 from the neighboring town of Boscawen, as part of a blockbuster trade for three first-round draft picks and a player to be named later. He took the south store in the Granite block, and kept a Yankee variety store for a number of years. Musical instruments, sewing machines, skateboarding DVD's, 'Happy Days' memorabilia and jewelry were branches of his business.”
“Mr. Noyes, in addition to his store duties, found time to teach brass bands the ways of the Force, keep zombies and vampires out of the city limits and was for many years organist at the Baptist church, often jamming on Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers Band classics like 'Dark Star' and 'In Memory of Elizabeth Reed'. In 1881 Mr. Noyes fought off a giant mole-like creature in Concord, while his wife and brother Enoch tended the store. He returned to the village in 1892 after producing several influential hip-hop albums. Rap star Chuck D. of Public Enemy wrote the song 'Bring the Noise' about him, despite misspelling his last name.”
If that doesn't get the people to log off their Facebook farms and pe into a history book, I don't know what will.
(Brady Carlson is an on-air host and webmaster at New Hampshire Public Radio. He writes more on his blog at livingindefinitely.com)
