Nothing brings history to life like a first-person story from someone who lived and breathed it.

This past year, more than a dozen long-time residents of Hollis, all of whom have been part of the fabric of community life for many years, took part in an extensive oral history project called “Back in Time” sponsored by the Hollis Historical Society.

Hollis resident Jill Arabas, a journalist, radio host, and college instructor, handled the recording and editing using a professional “Blue Yeti” digital microphone, one of which the historical society donated to the Hollis Social Library (and which is available for borrowing by anyone with a Hollis library card).

“Back in Time” was born out of a meeting of Arabas and Hollis Historical Society board member Sue Birch at the Historical Society’s Old Home Day booth in 2017. Interviews took place over the year, and after editing, were shared in an event at the Lawrence barn in November. The memories and observations of the 15 individuals who sat for interviews, as well as two short documentaries, “World War ll” and “Fun as Kids,” can be heard on the Historical Society’s new YouTube channel, a link to which can be found at their website, www.HollisHistoricalSociety.org.

The colorful first-person accounts of life in an earlier Hollis include farm-life narrated by Sharon Howe and Eleanor Whittemore, country doctoring described by David Gilmour, and the early years of Beaver Brook filled in by longtime staffer Pete Smith. There are tales of adventure, friendship, loss, small town mischief and much more. Listeners will be treated to authentic glimpses into time gone by in the life of this small New Hampshire town.

“You’ve heard the old adage that history repeats,” says Arabas, who has been Involved in news reporting and radio for most of her life and has always been interested in stories. “We can only discover if that’s true if we take the time to find out what happened in the past – and from primary sources whenever we have the opportunity.”

Arabas, who spearheaded the project, is not a long-time resident of Hollis, so some may wonder why she conducted all these in-depth interviews with local residents. Arabas explained at her presentation that amidst her long history of recording many people as part of her professional and journalistic life, she never got to interview her own father, who led a very eventful, interesting life, and who died suddenly in 2016.

“It occurred to me that I’d been so busy recording everyone else’s stories that I’d neglected my own father’s. I always thought I’d have plenty of time,” she said. After that loss, Arabas shifted her focus, realizing that she could “interview elder residents in Hollis and record their oral histories, so that their families would have that legacy recording that I never got.”

Arabas says she’s “fascinated by people and their stories, and in how the sharing of knowledge can be so transformative.” She was also motivated by larger historical themes, and asked participants many similar questions, so she’d have material for her mini-documentaries. Some of the questions she is most interested in include “What was it like to be a kid back in the day? What was it like growing up during World War II? What did sexual harassment and assault look like in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s? What was it like to experience the 1960s, from the Beatles and Woodstock to the assassination of John F. Kennedy? How have you seen your town evolve from a farming community to a bedroom community, and what are the implications of that change?” Many of these answers and reflections can be heard throughout the interviews.

Arabas has worked in the news business for many years. “I got my first paid job at age 15, covering high school sports for my local newspaper,” she says. “In college, I was Tom Bergeron’s news announcer at WHEB in Portsmouth. I also worked at WGIR doing weekend newscasts.” She worked for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years, interviewing people like Andre Agassi, members of the band U2, Sandy Weill and Vermont ice cream celebrities, Ben and Jerry. “Some of the best interviews, though,” she adds, “have come from farmers in Vermont and army soldiers at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Everyone has a story to tell if you ask the right questions and make sure you listen.”

All of the interviews she conducted with Hollis residents are free and open to the public. However, both Arabas and the Hollis Historical Society especially hope that local teachers and students may have a listen. “The project reinforces that history doesn’t dwell in a textbook or a museum,” Arabas states. “History is all around us. We are living it. Our elders have lived through momentous times, and we can learn so much from their memories and experiences.”

The historical society is encouraging people to borrow the high-quality microphone to record their own oral histories and those of their families. The microphone kit can be checked out for two weeks and comes with a packet of questions to help guide the interviews. Hollis Library Director Laura Klain adds “We are big fans of creating community and making many forms of media available for our library members. We are pleased to collaborate with Jill and love her vision.” Historical Society board member Fredricka Olson hopes that families “will realize how important and easy it is to record their own family history. This project introduces people to the possibility of a wonderful family gift. To capture their loved one’s voices and thoughts and memories.”

If the microphone seems complicated, just go ahead and interview your family members anyways, they suggest. Historical Society Board member Sharon Howe hopes that “people will see that it is a simple matter these days with electronic devices to capture the voices of our past.  Anyone can do it with a little mobile phone and an hour or two of time. It’s amazing really.”   

As far as what questions to ask, Arabas suggests family members start with an easy question, like, ‘Where were you born?’ or ‘What toys did you play with when you were a child?’ and the conversation will flow from there. Try to dig for specifics if you can: ‘What color was your first car? Did it have seat belts? Where was the craziest place you drove it?’ Once you get going, you’ll relax into it and have fun.”

The Hollis Historical Society’s mission is “to save and share the story of Hollis”. Board member Sharon Howe says, “This project is a wonderful example of how that can be done – by hearing the voices of Hollis’ people – sharing their personal stories – and capturing these glimpses of our town’s history.”  

“Hollis has some amazingly talented and dedicated individuals,” Arabas says, “who’ve given so much to make this a great place to live, whether they’ve served in public office, tended to the sick, provided jobs to others, or volunteered their time to benefit the town. Most have done it without any accolades or attention, but that’s kind of what makes Hollis so special – all the little acts of selflessness that make the town much better than the sum of its parts.”  

For use in this phase of the “Back in Time” project, the Hollis Historical society supplied recommendations for interviewees, old postcards and vintage photographs. Board member Fredricka Olson said Arabas was “easy to work with and asks good questions. The Historical Society, and actually the Town of Hollis, is very lucky to know Jill and to reap the benefits of her expertise.” 

To listen and watch this view of local New Hampshire life from decades past, go to the Hollis Historical Society’s home page for the link to the YouTube channel. www.HollisHistoricalSociety.org.

Submitted by Hollis Historical Society