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Have a cool story about Nashua of yesteryear? New Hampshire PBS would love to hear it

By Dean Shalhoup - Senior Staff Writer | Jan 28, 2023

(UNH photo via NHPBS) Rebecca Rule, the host of New Hampshire PBS series "Our Hometown."

How many times, while catching up on the latest scuttlebutt with folks who have been around town for quite some time, have you heard phrases like “well, when I was a kid … “ or “I remember when they … “ followed by a sometimes vague and other times spot-on recollection of Nashua’s olden days?

“Olden” isn’t a typo – it came into use, I believe, with the arrival of the baby boomer generation. How and why I have no idea. But if you’re a boomer, you say “olden.”

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FAST FACTS

The Nashua Historical Society is hosting representatives of New Hampshire PBS next month to record stories about Nashua as told by longtime residents as part of PBS’ Our Hometown series.

WHEN: Feb. 9, 10 and 11

WHERE: Nashua Historical Society Speare House Museum, 5 Abbott St., Nashua

MORE: Photos are welcome. Each storyteller will speak for 15-20 minutes. To sign up contact Jasmine Allen, NH PBS, at 868-4431, 978-995-1496, or jallen@nhpbs.org. For more information, go to www.nhpbs.org or contact the Historical Society at 883-0015 or www.nashuahistoricalsociety.org.

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Now, our friends up at New Hampshire PBS are very much interested in hearing about Nashua’s olden days from the folks who were there, perhaps as children, maybe as young adults, and have a favorite recollection or anecdote they’d like to share for inclusion in the NH PBS documentary series “Our Hometown.”

The premise is straightforward and quite simple: “We are looking for people who want to tell a story about Nashua,” said NH PBS community and education engagement coordinator Jasmine Allen.

After all, “no one knows your hometown like you.”

A few months ago the NH PBS folks hosted a similar event at the Nashua Public Library, but citizen participation wasn’t what they had hoped it would be. This time, they’re reaching out to folks with stories to tell about growing up here and how, for instance, they weathered the ups and downs both economic and societal over the decades.

Each participant will speak for 15-20 minutes, but not every story will end up in the final version of the documentary. The uncut version will, however, be posted to nhpbs.org/ourhometown.

Appropriately enough, Rebecca Rule, one of New Hampshire’s premier storytellers, is hosting the Our Hometown series. Also a noted writer, author and humorist, Rule is well-acquainted with New Hampshire, having visited the vast majority of its 13 cities and 221 towns.

Dean Shalhoup’s column appears weekly in The Sunday Telegraph. He may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

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