John Milton Hay and the Promise of American Democracy

John Milton Hay – John Singer Sargent Portrait

John Milton Hay and the Promise of American Democracy

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John Milton Hay was an American statesman, diplomat, author, and trusted adviser to President Abraham Lincoln. Born in 1838 in Salem, Indiana, and raised in Illinois, he studied at Brown University before becoming one of Lincoln’s private secretaries during the Civil War. Working closely with Lincoln gave Hay a firsthand understanding of the struggle to preserve the Union and expand the promise of liberty, shaping his lifelong commitment to democratic government and public service.

After Lincoln’s death, Hay served in diplomatic posts across Europe, worked as a journalist, and became a respected author. Determined to preserve Lincoln’s legacy, he joined John George Nicolay in writing a landmark ten-volume biography that introduced generations of Americans to Lincoln’s ideals of freedom, equality, constitutional government, and leadership devoted to the people.

Hay reached the peak of his career as U.S. Secretary of State under Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt from 1898 to 1905. During a period of growing American influence abroad, he championed diplomacy and international cooperation. His Open Door Policy promoted equal trading opportunities in China, while his negotiations helped pave the way for construction of the Panama Canal.

The final chapter of Hay’s life unfolded at The Fells, his summer estate on the shores of Lake Sunapee in Newbury, New Hampshire. Built in the 1890s as a retreat for his family, the property became a place of reflection for one of America’s leading statesmen. Hay died there on July 1, 1905. Today, The John Hay Estate at the Fells stands as a reminder of his enduring commitment to public service, democratic ideals, and principled leadership.

Mother of Forensic Science

Frances Glessner Lee making Nutshells

Mother of Forensic Science

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The story of The Rocks is filled with fascinating people, but few left a legacy quite like Frances Glessner Lee, a pioneer whose work helped transform criminal investigation in America.

Her family’s connection to Bethlehem began in 1882, when her father, John Jacob Glessner, purchased 100 acres after spending several summers enjoying the region’s grand hotels. A successful businessman and early member of the Forest Society, Glessner established what would become a multigenerational family home.

Later in life, Frances made The Rocks her home. Fascinated by legal medicine, a field closely tied to what we now know as forensic science, she helped establish the Department of Legal Medicine at Harvard and supported its extensive library.

Her most famous contribution was the creation of 20 painstakingly detailed miniature crime scenes known as the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death. Designed to teach investigators how to carefully observe a scene and evaluate evidence, the miniatures became groundbreaking training tools for law enforcement.

In 1978, Frances’s surviving children donated The Rocks to the Forest Society for permanent conservation. Today, the 1,400-acre property protects not only an extraordinary New Hampshire landscape, but the story of a woman whose innovative work helped shape modern forensic science.

Frances’s legacy is also a reminder of the value of forward thinking in every pursuit. Today, Forest Society North at The Rocks carries that spirit forward as a flagship for the Forest Society in New Hampshire’s North Country, connecting people with the enduring importance of conservation, stewardship, and care for the places that shape our communities.

The Bell That Signaled America’s Next Revolution

Belknap Mill Bell

The Bell That Signaled America’s Next Revolution

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At the heart of downtown Laconia, the Belknap Mill stands as one of New Hampshire’s most significant industrial landmarks, representing the rise of early American textile manufacturing along the Winnipesaukee River. Built in 1823, the mill became part of a growing network of New England mills that harnessed water power to drive machinery and transform local economies. Recognized as the oldest surviving largely unaltered brick textile mill in the United States, it offers a rare window into early industrial architecture, labor history, and technological innovation.

At its center, the Belknap Mill bell once regulated daily life, signaling shifts, breaks, and emergencies for generations of workers who kept the mill running. Cast by George Holbrook, an apprentice to Paul Revere, the bell connects the site to early American metalworking traditions and the broader story of industrial innovation in New England. Today, the mill remains a preserved landmark where history, community, and industry intersect, with the bell serving as a lasting reminder of Laconia’s transformation over time.

Visitors can still experience the mill’s legacy through its architecture, exhibits, and the enduring presence of the bell overlooking downtown Laconia and the Winnipesaukee River waterfront that once powered the region’s industrial growth.

In addition to his medical practice, Doc Remick was a herdsman and established Hillsdale Dairy in 1934 to provide pasteurized milk to nearby Civilian Conservation Corps camps. Trained as both a doctor and a farmer, he understood the health and safety benefits of milk pasteurization and incorporated this technology into his operations. The equipment on display is original and marks the first commercial use of milk pasteurization in Carroll County. Today museum visitors can tour the dairy barn, milking parlor, and pastures that were once home to Hillsdale Dairy.

Before his death in 1993, Dr. Edwin C. Remick created a foundation to preserve the family farmstead and history of the country doctor in a way that the public could directly learn from and enjoy. The Remick family’s 200-year-plus history in Tamworth gives us a glimpse into how people farmed, worked, and played in this idyllic landscape.

Health, Pasteurization, and the Modern Dairy Industry

Milk canister, insulated canister, and milk crates at the Milk House

Health, Pasteurization, and the Modern Dairy Industry

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Originally launched in 1937 as “National Milk Month” to distribute surplus summer milk, June has grown into an annual tribute honoring dairy farm families and highlighting the essential nutritional benefits of products like milk, cheese, and yogurt.

Prior to the 1930s, raw milk was responsible for a sizable portion of foodborne illnesses, primarily due to unsanitary farming conditions and the commercial pooling of milk from multiple herds. Pasteurization — heating milk to a specific temperature to kill harmful pathogens without ruining its taste — emerged in the early 20th century to combat deadly milk borne diseases like bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, and typhoid.
Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm explores rural life through the story of the six generations of the Remick Family who called this New Hampshire place home. The last two generations produced country doctors: Dr. Edwin Remick (1866–1935) and Dr. Edwin Crafts “Doc” Remick (1903–1993), each of whom served the rural community where they were born and raised.

In addition to his medical practice, Doc Remick was a herdsman and established Hillsdale Dairy in 1934 to provide pasteurized milk to nearby Civilian Conservation Corps camps. Trained as both a doctor and a farmer, he understood the health and safety benefits of milk pasteurization and incorporated this technology into his operations. The equipment on display is original and marks the first commercial use of milk pasteurization in Carroll County. Today museum visitors can tour the dairy barn, milking parlor, and pastures that were once home to Hillsdale Dairy.

Before his death in 1993, Dr. Edwin C. Remick created a foundation to preserve the family farmstead and history of the country doctor in a way that the public could directly learn from and enjoy. The Remick family’s 200-year-plus history in Tamworth gives us a glimpse into how people farmed, worked, and played in this idyllic landscape.

13,000 Years of History, Art and Resilience: An Indigenous Perspective on 250 Years of Colonialism

Storm boats on the Rhine River, 1945

13,000 Years of History, Art and Resilience: An Indigenous Perspective on 250 Years of Colonialism

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Long before New Hampshire existed, this continent was home to several hundred tribes and numerous linguistic groups. Sadly, many people are under the impression that with the founding of New Hampshire and the United States, 250 years ago, Indigenous Peoples disappeared. Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum was founded 35 years ago to dispel that erroneous myth.

Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum is the only museum in New Hampshire that is solely focused on educating the public about artistic expression, traditional values, and contributions from past and contemporary Native life. Explore seven galleries, arranged geographically, spanning the continent. Gain a better understanding of Indigenous life before, during, and after the impacts of colonial expansion forever changed the world.

Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum celebrates 13,000 years of Indigenous history and lifeways. Visitors will gain an appreciation of the diversity of Native peoples and how they continue to coexist with their environments. Additionally, the museum celebrates an awareness that Native peoples continue to practice traditional skills, arts and lifestyles today.