History Hunters Letterboxing at Peterborough Historical Society
For all who like the thrill of the hunt, the Peterborough Historical Society has a new offering that explores local history through the popular pastime of letterboxing. Placed throughout the Society’s grounds at 19 Grove Street are a series of six letterboxes containing a message about history. The clues to find the boxes are available at the Historical Society and at www.letterboxing.org. Find the Society’s clues by clicking on the Clues Book, select Southern New Hampshire and look for History Treasure Time.
Five of the boxes on the Society’s property are available anytime but the sixth box can only be accessed when the Historical Society is open. Searchers who find all six boxes can claim a small prize at the Historical Society’s main desk. The Historical Society is open Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The letterboxing activity is free and open to the public.
Letterboxing was born in 1854 on England’s famous Dartmoor where Victorian gentlemen placed their calling cards in jars and passed clues for finding the jars by word of mouth. Over the next 150 years, the pastime evolved into letterboxes that contain a notebook and a stamp for recording the find. Since 1989 this quaint Victorian activity has taken off in the U.S. and become popular with families and those who love to explore the outdoors.
Letterboxers follow a set of clues to various boxes “planted” by other letterboxers. When the seeker finds a box, he places his stamp in the box’s notebook and uses the box’s stamp to record the find in his own notebook. Many letterboxers create hand carved stamps that reflect their personality or interests.
For more information on letterboxing, the Historical Society recommends www.letterboxing.org where clues are posted and can be searched by location. You may be surprised to find how many letterboxes are planted in the Monadnock Region!
The Peterborough Historical Society is a private nonprofit community museum and education center located just a short walk from historic Depot Square. For more information on letterboxing or the Historical Society’s other programs, contact us or call 924-3235