1874 Memorial
A group of Dartmouth men gathered Monday p.m., January 28, at the house of Clifford L. Sturtevant, formerly known as Wyman Tavern, to do honor to their College in witnessing the placing of a bronze tablet, 20 x 28 inches in size, noting the first meeting of the Trustees of the College.
Those present were: Elgin A. Jones '74, Willis O. Smith '91, John E. Allen '94, Arthur W. Hopkins '99, Natt N. Batchelder '03, William H. Watson '03, Ira O. Willard 'O4, Cheslee B. Jordan '15, Frank C. Huntress '17, John W. Prentiss '2O, Russell G. Putney '22, Edward C. Sullivan '24, John R. Goodnow '2B, and Harry C. Shaw of the Keene Sentinel staff.
W. O. Smith and Judge Jordan representing the alumni and student body placed the tablet in position. Honorable J. E. Allen, Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court, placed the screws in the tablet. E. A. Jones, repfesenting the class of '74, placed the rosettes and screw heads, thus completing the project which he first suggested in the following letter to his classmates:
"The mantle of class secretary, so efficiently worn for fortyseven years by Charley Quimby and thirteen years by Judge Parsons, has fallen upon me, and I find we have a class fund, the ac- cumulation of later years with no occasion for its use, since we will probably never hold another reunion. With class approval I am using in the name of The Class of 1874, a part of this fund for a commemorative bronze tablet (20 x 28 inches in size) to be placed upon a house in our city made historic by an event of deepest interest to every Dartmouth man. An event apparently forgotten these many years. The occasion is made evident by the following advertisement which appeared in the ConnecticutCourant, October 16, 1770, published at Hartford.
'Dartmouth College in Hanover, Oct. 11, 1770.'Whereas a meeting of the honorable corporation of DartmouthCollege was appointed to be on this day held in this place by somemeans the advertisement of the same which was sent to be published in the New Hampshire Gazette miscarried. These are therefore to notify all concerned that a meeting of said corporation isnow appointed to be held at the house of Mr. Wyman, innholderin Keene- on Monday, Oct. 22nd iyyo instant at nine o'clock in theforenoon.
, President of said, College:
"This meeting was attended by President Wheelock, Peter Gilman, William Patten, Benjamin Pomeroy, William Pitkin Timothy Pitkin and John Smalley.
"The tavern was built about 1762 by Capt. Isaac Wyman who had been in Colonial Service in Massachusetts for several years before coming to Keene. Both he and his tavern became historic in another way, soon after. News of 'Lexington' reached Keene the morning of the 20th. Alarm guns were fired, minute men summoned, a meeting held, volunteers called for, preparations made, and at sunrise on the 21st thirty men under Capt. Wyman started from the tavern for the scene of conflict; marching, no doubt to the stirring strains of On the Road to Boston played by drum and fife.
Keene, New Hampshire,January i, 1935.
