Treasures of the Jaffrey Historical Society

Exhibition Runs March 6-April 18

The Jaffrey Historical Society is proud to present our Spring exhibition, "Treasures From the Jaffrey Historical Society” on display at the Jaffrey Civic Center, through April 18, 2026.

Curated by local artist Jeanne Duval, this exhibition shows the numerous treasured and unique artifacts held in the collection of the Historical Society that make Jaffrey such a distinctive town. Some of the artifacts on display include:

• The original Bacon maple syrup jug molds. The iconic brown plastic syrup jug, now ubiquitous in the maple syrup world, were invented by Charles Bacon of Jaffrey. The original wooden molds, in a variety of sizes, were used to create these famous jugs.
• Amos Fortune’s original compass and lantern. Amos Fortune, an enslaved man who purchased his freedom and moved to Jaffrey in 1780, has been the subject of numerous books, most famous “Amos Fortune, Free Man.” A tanner who died in 1801 and left substantial gifts to the local schools and church, his compass and lantern are shown with a variety of original documents from his life.
• The rarely seen evidence from the William Dean murder of 1919. Dr. William Dean was a Jaffrey doctor who was murdered under mysterious circumstances just after World War I. Rumors of lights on Mount Monadnock, German agents, and Masonic conspiracies circulated for years, and the murder has never been solved. On display are his shoes, the burlap bag and rope used in the murder, and a variety of other items.
• The diary of Dr. Frederick Sweeney, a Jaffrey doctor who served n World War I. This diary was later used by the world-famous author Willa Cather as the basis for her book, “One of Ours.”
• Native American artifacts, probably Abenaki, including arrowheads and spear points, discovered on the shores of Contoocook Lake.
• Early photographs, maps, and other pieces involving activities on Mount Monadnock.
• The Paintings of Elianna Gagnon, known as “Jaffrey’s Grandma Moses”

“We are thrilled to display many of our treasures for the first time in many years.” Said Peter Lambert, the president of the Historical Society. “Jeanne has, as usual, done a fantastic job displaying these items, and there’s a lot of things here that even I didn’t know we had. I think it would be very interesting to anyone living in the Monadnock Region.”

The show is available to view, at no charge, during Jaffrey Civic Center open hours: Wednesday-Friday 12-5 pm, Saturday 10 am-2 pm, March 6 through April 18.

The Jaffrey Historical Society, founded in 1958, possesses the largest collection of Jaffrey-related historical artifacts and documents. One of the larger historical societies in the Monadnock Region, it is looking for a new location but has proudly been associated with the Jaffrey Civic Center since 1966. It has a presence on both Facebook and Instagram.