The City Council, by a 6-1 vote, authorized the City Manager to send a letter on behalf of the City Council to the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources (DHR) in support of installing a historical marker on a downtown section of Central Avenue. The historical marker would tell the broader story of the conflict between members of the Penacook and other indigenous people and Maj. Richard Waldron. Waldron lived on the site of the former county courthouse between First and Second streets in the 1600s.
The resolution, available here, was sponsored by at-large councilors Lindsey Williams and Linnea Nemeth, and added to the agenda at the beginning of the July 13 meeting. Williams said the late addition of the resolution was due to the upcoming meeting of the DHR on July 25. The approximate $2,300 cost to have a state historical marker made and installed would be covered by a grant from the Indigenous New Hampshire Collaborative Collective, the resolution states. Dover resident Alix Martin had submitted a preliminary draft proposal to the DHR, which expressed support for such a sign, according to the resolution background materials.
“This request is in line with discussions of the Dover Racial Equity and Inclusion Committee and is an important effort to decolonize the story of two major historic events involving Richard Waldron and the Pennacook Abenaki at Cochecho in the 17th century,” the resolution background material states.
The language for the marker was not in the background materials of the resolution but will be shared with the Council once drafted. “Dover residents are working with state historians, scholars and other indigenous community members to collectively develop the appropriate language to tell the broader story,” Williams said.
Councilor Fergus Cullen voted against the resolution. Councilors Michelle Muffett-Lipinksi and Robert Hinkel were not at the meeting.
Original source can be found here.
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