A severe cold snap means opportunity for this punctual young lady…

HENNIKER-COGSWELL-380-ColdFriday-01-www.MarekBennett.com
HENNIKER-COGSWELL-380-ColdFriday-02-www.MarekBennett.com

I happened to visit the Henniker Historical Society on the day I was drawing this piece, and mentioned the anecdote to them.  Their eyes lit up, and they ushered me into the museum gallery to view Rebecca’s attendance medal, still shiny & bright 200+ years later:

DSCF2140-RebeccaRamsdell-Medal-SMALL DSCF2141-RebeccaRamsdell-Medal-SMALL

So there it is… The front side says, in Latin, “The Sun of Science Never Sets.”  The back side says, in lovingly hand-carved letters, “A TRIBUTE for LEARNING / Dec 1809″… Wait, what?!  It looks like maybe Ms. Ramsdell amassed more than one of these medals!  So is this NOT the medal from the story!?  (The search continues…)

This photo of Ms. Ramsdell at age “100+” stands next to the medal in the HHS display:

DSCF2143-RebeccaRamsdell-Ae100+-SMALL

19 January 1810

Unknown's avatar

Published by Marek

Cartoonist, musician, teacher.

2 thoughts on “Cold Friday (Henniker, 1810)”

  1. Pingback: The Cold Friday of 1810 - New England Historical Society

  2. ‘Little” Ms. Ramsdell displayed so heroically, even at her tender young years, that character, courage and determination of a people which truly proceeded to mold a Frontier Nation into the Greatest and most courageous people ever to populate this Planet.

    Reply

Leave a comment