Our Hometown Conway Premieres October 24, 8pm on New Hampshire PBS

(Durham, October 3, 2019) – Conway and its many villages, host the latest installment of OUR HOMETOWN, the New Hampshire PBS series that explores New Hampshire’s towns and cities through the stories of the people who call them home. New Hampshire author and storyteller Rebecca Rule will introduce viewers to some of the stories shared in this half-hour program which premieres on Thursday, October 24^th at 8 p.m. on NHPBS. Here’s a sampling of the featured stories.

Pink and green, those are the colors of the granite that was quarried from the mountain in the village of Redstone. Long time Conway resident Steve Swanson tells the story of how immigrants came to the village to work in the quarries and how the village, that began as a company town, is now a part of a rich local history.

The story of the Conway Scenic Railway is told by two men, current owner David Swirk, and founder Dwight Smith. In 1968 Smith saw potential in some dilapidated buildings, old trains and unused tracks. He, along with group of dedicated volunteers brought the old depot and trains back to life. Swirk’s relationship with the Conway Scenic Railway begins when he was a young boy on a visit to Conway. After missing the last train of the day his parents had a creative solution which eventually led to a lifelong dreams coming true.

Caring, sharing and taking care of each other is a core part of the Conway story, and OUR HOMETOWN tells the stories of local organizations like Jen’s Friends and North Country Cares which raise money for their neighbors to fight cancer and help kids in need.

Today, North Conway is known for skiing, but it wasn’t always that way. Thanks to North Conway lover and Wall Street financier Harvey Gibson and Austrian skier Hannes Schneider, North Conway has become the go-to destination for skiers everywhere.

At the height of the Depression, Leon Bolduc built a 17,000 square-foot building right on Main Street in Conway Village. It became home to his movie house as well as many other businesses, breathing life into the entire area. Today, history is repeating itself, thanks to a local organization with a vision.

And finally, learn about some of the covered bridges in the area, from a family whose roots in the region stretch back to the 1700s.

The stories generously shared for OUR HOMETOWN, shed light on Conway’s past and present. While it was not possible to include all 45 stories in the 30-minute program, everyone's story will be showcased online at nhpbs.org/hometown, creating a historical archive of life in Conway.

Produced in partnership with each community and hosted by New Hampshire author and storyteller Rebecca Rule, OUR HOMETOWN engages residents and businesses in telling their stories, which are then recorded and edited into a 30-minute television program for New Hampshire PBS.

The OUR HOMETOWN series premiered in 2015 with a focus on Peterborough, followed by shows about Colebrook, Stratham, Wolfeboro, Milford, and Littleton. The series explores the vibrant culture, commerce, history and people of New Hampshire's towns and cities.

OUR HOMETOWN: CONWAY premieres Thursday, October 24 at 8 p.m. on NHPBS with multiple airdates on NHPBS and NHPBS EXPLORE.

Support for the production of OUR HOMETOWN: CONWAY comes from Eversource Energy; Conway Scenic Railroad; Cranmore Mountain Resort; Leone, McDonnell & Roberts, PA; Memorial Hospital; Settlers Green and Zeb’s General Store.

To learn more about OUR HOMETOWN:  nhpbs.org/hometown or email us at  hometown@nhpbs.org.  

Pressroom Contact

Carla Gordon Russell
Director of Communications
crussell@nhpbs.org
(603) 868-4339