Amos Fortune, The Man and His Legacy - eduScapes
Amos Fortune, The Man and His Legacy - eduScapes
Amos Fortune, The Man and His Legacy - eduScapes
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parishioner's daughter decided to sell the pewter <strong>and</strong> contacted an expert on antique<br />
ecclesiastical pewterware. This expert, by an incredible coincidence, happened to be<br />
John Ward Poole of Jatfrey, whose brother Joel Poole had been a member of the<br />
Prudential CoIllIllittee of the First Church of Jaffrey the year before the service was<br />
given up. Remembering his father's <strong>and</strong> brother's description of the communion<br />
service, including several features unique to this service, John Poole III instantly<br />
recognized the Michigan pewter as the <strong>Amos</strong> <strong>Fortune</strong> set. It is unknown why Poole<br />
did not try to bring the service back to Jaffrey (his father "never forgave" the minister<br />
for giving up the service), but he was at least able to uncover its history. <strong>The</strong><br />
service is now part of the pewter collection of the Brooklyn Museum in Brooklyn,<br />
New York.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Amos</strong> <strong>Fortune</strong> Forum: In 1946 a group of Jaffrey Center residents decided to<br />
start a summer lecture series, inviting local personalities to speak on a variety of<br />
issues. <strong>The</strong>y named the series the <strong>Amos</strong> <strong>Fortune</strong> Forum. It continues to meet on<br />
seven Friday nights in the Jaffrey Meetinghouse <strong>and</strong> lasts exactly one hour. Each<br />
speaker is presented with a jug of maple syrup <strong>and</strong> a copy of Elizabeth Yates' <strong>Amos</strong><br />
<strong>Fortune</strong>, Free <strong>Man</strong>. Traditionally, speakers should live within sight of Mount<br />
Monadnock, though exceptions are made for men <strong>and</strong> women with local connections.<br />
Topics each season are deliberately varied. Past speakers have included scientist<br />
Harlow Shapley, philosopher Julius Seelye Bixler, writers Thornton Wilder<br />
<strong>and</strong> May Sarton, historian Henry Steele Commager, inventor Edwin L<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong> of<br />
course Elizabeth Yates <strong>and</strong> Alex<strong>and</strong>er Magoun.<br />
Mount Monadnock: This mountain rises 3,165 feet above sea level in the northwest<br />
quarter of Jaffrey. Although <strong>Amos</strong> <strong>Fortune</strong> never lived on it, nor do we have<br />
proof that he ever climbed it, it did play an important role in the early days of Jaffrey<br />
<strong>and</strong> has been mentioned in all books relating the tale of <strong>Amos</strong> <strong>Fortune</strong>.<br />
Today Mount Monadnock is completely forested except for the summit, which<br />
is bare rock. In <strong>Amos</strong> <strong>Fortune</strong>'s day this situation would have been reversed. <strong>The</strong><br />
early settlers cleared much of the forest on the lower half for pasture <strong>and</strong> fields. It<br />
was difficult growing crops on the slopes of the mountain, but they provided good<br />
grazing for livestock. Some of the leather from these animals might have been<br />
tanned by <strong>Amos</strong> <strong>Fortune</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> summit, however, was completely forested. This isl<strong>and</strong> of dense woods<br />
was a refuge for wolves <strong>and</strong> bears, which preyed on the farmers' livestock. <strong>The</strong><br />
farmers set fire to the mountain several times in the early 1800s in an attempt to<br />
drive out the wolves <strong>and</strong> bears. <strong>The</strong>y succeeded, but the soil at the top of the mountain<br />
then eroded away, leaving the bare summit we see today.<br />
16<br />
Jaffrey celebrates<br />
bicentennial<br />
Woburn, MA dedicates<br />
<strong>Amos</strong> <strong>Fortune</strong> Square<br />
<strong>Amos</strong> <strong>Fortune</strong> Fund transferred to<br />
Jaffrey Public Library<br />
1970 1971<br />
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1 98 1999 2000
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