Z is for Zephyr Lake

Z is for Zephyr Lake- Zephyr Lake in Greenfield was originally called Cragin Pond for Daniel Cragin who built Frye’s Measure Mill. In the 20th century two boys from the Varnum family found a dugout canoe filled with rocks on the bottom of the lake. They brought it to the surface but it disintegrated once […]

Y is for Yankee Siege

Y is for Yankee Siege- For several years in the early 2000s, an autumn trip to the Yankee Siege in Greenfield was a highlight of the season. The Yankee Siege was a replica medieval trebuchet. Trebuchets are siege warfare machines that use a swinging arm to hurl stones or other missiles. The Yankee Siege’s missile […]

X is for Xylanthrax

X is for Xylanthrax- We bet you thought we couldn’t come up with something for X but we did! Xylanthrax is charcoal. In the days before coal was readily available, charcoal was used by blacksmiths to heat iron for crafting tools, hardware, and horseshoes. The Monadnock Region had abundant wood resources and some farmers took […]

W is for Wilton Winter Carnival

W is for Wilton Winter Carnival- Several Monadnock Region towns hosted winter carnivals in the early 20th century but only one town’s carnival ended up in the pages of Ripely’s Believe It or Not! Winter carnivals brought in much needed tourist dollars during the winter months. Eighteen winter carnivals were held in New Hampshire in […]

V is for Veterans

V is for Veterans- Monuments to those who served in the Civil War are a common sight in our Monadnock Region towns but the region is also home to two very unusual veterans memorials. One commemorates those who served in World War I and the other grew out of one family’s loss in World War […]