HOPKINTON, NH—After viewing several topographical maps, an old wagon wheel, and a few rusting farm implements, visitors to Hopkinton’s local history museum confirmed Monday that the curators had clearly dug deep to fill the two 15-by-20-foot rooms at their disposal. “The first room had photos of the town’s past and a handful of framed newspaper clippings by the entrance, but the next display case was basically just full of old railroad spikes,” said Hopkinton resident Clara Bouchard, who spent less than a minute examining a 1948 photograph of the town’s former train depot before concluding the structure, which now houses a café and yarn store, looks more or less the same today as it did then. “In the second room, they had all these pictures local kids had drawn of the town. Which is nice, I guess, but it’s not exactly history, is it? And there’s a whole exhibit that, as far as I can tell, is just about the board members of the local historical society.” Museum visitors were heartened to discover the wall nearest the exit was occupied by a trio of well-stocked vending machines.

Advertisement