On This Day

Our series highlighting a digital collection or item relevant to this day in history, by Monica Erives, Edward Connery Lathem ’51 Digital Library Fellow.

Sixth Earl of Dartmouth arriving in Hanover on Oct. 25, 1904. Main street in background.

On this day in 1904, the Sixth Earl of Dartmouth arrived on the Dartmouth campus. Dartmouth College was named after the Second Earl of Dartmouth for his important early support of the college, contributing the initial £50 for the establishment of the school and helping obtain another £200 gift from the king. Since then the college community has witnessed the occasional Earl of Dartmouth visit. Most recently, the Tenth Earl of Dartmouth in 2009.

College Hall (Collis) crowd at the time of the Sixth Earl of Dartmouth’s visit.

View more images depicting Dartmouth’s early history and connections across the sea in the Photo Files collection.

Dartmouth, Earls of 1st and 2nd

Dartmouth, Earls of 3rd through 9th

On This Day

Our series highlighting a digital collection or item relevant to this day in history, by Monica Erives, Edward Connery Lathem ’51 Digital Library Fellow.

September 21, 1938 hurricane damage on East Wheelock Street. In the background, Thornton Hall, Dartmouth Hall, and Fayerweather Hall are in view.

On this day in 1938, the Great New England Hurricane made landfall on Long Island. This hurricane, also known as the Long Island Express, was one of the most destructive storms of its kind to hit New England. Few were prepared for the storm due to its high speed and erratic movement. Approximately 600 people were killed and vast swaths of forest were damaged by extreme winds.

Hurricane damage on Main Street in front of College Hall (Collis).

These images show only some of the hurricane damage done to the Dartmouth College campus in 1938. View more photos of the 1938 New England Hurricane by visiting the Dartmouth Photographic Files, a diverse collection of approximately 80,000 photographs related to the Dartmouth College area, dating back to the 1850s.

Sources:

Wikipedia – 1938 New England Hurricane

The 1938 Hurricane along New England’s Coast

On This Day

Our series highlighting a digital collection or item relevant to this day in history, by Monica Erives, Edward Connery Lathem ’51 Digital Library Fellow.

On this day in 1995, Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital (MHMH) was demolished. The Hospital was built in 1893 by Hiram Hitchcock in honor of his late wife, Mary Maynard Hitchcock. It was located to the north of Dartmouth’s campus and emptied just a few years prior to its demolition for relocation to Lebanon, NH. On demolition day, many gathered to hear Dr. James Varnum, President of MHMH, deliver some parting words. An article from the Dartmouth Medicine Magazine (2010) recounts his speech:

“The buildings had been essential, he said, but it was the people inside those buildings who made the hospital such a warm environment. When he returned to the Hanover location just after the move to Lebanon, he found that without those people, the buildings no longer felt so welcoming. ‘The life and spirit had moved to our new facility,’ he said. ‘It was time to move on.'”

Today, if you’re strolling by Maynard parking lot, you can spot a plaque indicating the original site of the hospital on the southeast wall of the Geisel Admissions building.

These images come to us from The Dartmouth College Photo Files, a diverse collection of approximately 80,000 photographs related to Dartmouth College, Hanover, and the surrounding area. Dating back to the 1850s, this collection is the perfect place to explore nearly all aspects of past Dartmouth College Life.  View more MHMH Demolition images in the Photo Files Collection or take a look at the Image of the Week series for more blasts from the past.