Jennifer “Jenna” Carroll, executive director of the Historical Society of Cheshire County, addressed the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club on Thursday, July 30, highlighting the history of early 20th-century social reform in New Hampshire.
Speaking at the Cathedral of the Pines, Carroll focused on Jennie B. Powers, one of the state’s first female deputy sheriffs and a prominent humane society agent in the Monadnock region. Carroll detailed Powers’ advocacy work enforcing animal welfare protections and assisting vulnerable children and families.
The presentation also examined the broader role local communities played at the turn of the century in driving regional social reform initiatives.