An Experiential Learning Challenge for America’s
250th Anniversary and the Willey House Bicentennial
Historical Evidence
Analyze primary sources, archived documents, newspaper articles, and eyewitness reports connected to the Willey Family story.
Environmental Science
Human Perspectives
Explore weather, geology, geography, and environmental conditions that shaped one of New Hampshire’s most famous historical mysteries.
Investigate how people respond to uncertainty, fear, responsibility, and change. The human story remains as relevant today as ever.
INVESTIGATION STREAMS
Every investigation begins with a question. ✶ Some questions lead us into the past. ✶ Some lead us into the landscape. ✶ Some lead us into stories, memories, weather patterns, maps, archives, and emerging technologies. The Lost Voices Challenge is designed to support multiple streams of investigation, each offering different opportunities for discovery and contribution. Historical Investigation
What happened in Crawford Notch in 1826? ✶ How was the event described by those who experienced it? ✶ Which accounts agree? ✶ Which accounts differ? ✶ What questions remain unanswered? ✶ Investigators may explore newspapers, letters, journals, maps, photographs, historical records, and archival collections to better understand the people, events, and decisions connected to the tragedy. Landscape Investigation How did the geography of Crawford Notch shape the events of August 1826? ✶ What can the landscape reveal today? ✶ How have people understood and interpreted this place across generations? Investigators may explore maps, GIS, photography, drone imagery, environmental data, and field observations to examine the relationship between landscape and history. Weather and Environment Investigation ✶ What weather conditions contributed to the disaster? ✶ How were those conditions described at the time? ✶ What can modern environmental science help us understand about the forces involved? Investigators may compare historical descriptions with modern knowledge of weather, watersheds, terrain, and environmental systems. Literature and Storytelling Investigation ✶ How did writers, artists, and storytellers interpret the tragedy? ✶ How did the story influence public imagination? ✶ Why did it continue to resonate across generations? Investigators may explore works such as Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Ambitious Guest, historical narratives, artwork, travel writing, and contemporary storytelling. Public Memory Investigation ✶ Why do some stories remain widely known while others gradually fade from public awareness? ✶ How has the Willey House story been remembered, interpreted, and shared over the last two centuries? ✶ What role do monuments, museums, schools, tourism, media, and communities play in shaping collective memory? Investigators may examine how historical narratives change over time and how communities preserve important stories. Media and Communication Investigation ✶ How was the tragedy reported in 1826? ✶ How did newspapers, books, artwork, and later forms of media shape public understanding? ✶ How might the story be shared with future generations? Investigators may explore historical newspapers, documentary production, digital media, podcasts, exhibits, websites, and public scholarship. Emerging Technology Investigation ✶ How might modern tools help investigators ask new questions? ✶ What becomes possible when technology, historical inquiry, and human curiosity work together? Investigators may explore GIS, StoryMaps, artificial intelligence, digital archives, photogrammetry, drone imaging, and other emerging technologies in support of broader investigations. These streams are not separate. They intersect constantly. ✶ A weather investigation may lead to historical records. ✶ A landscape investigation may raise questions about literature. ✶ A newspaper article may inspire a documentary. ✶ A drone image may spark a new historical question.
One investigation leads to another. One discovery opens the door to the next. That is how meaningful inquiry often unfolds.
∞ ✶ ∞ Curiosity changes everything. Every generation has the opportunity to ask new questions. ✶ Inquiry ✶ Discovery ✶ Contribution ✶ ∞ ✶ ∞
Every investigation begins with a question. ✶ Some questions lead us into the past. ✶ Some lead us into the landscape. ✶ Some lead us into stories, memories, weather patterns, maps, archives, and emerging technologies. The Lost Voices Challenge is designed to support multiple streams of investigation, each offering different opportunities for discovery and contribution. Historical Investigation
What happened in Crawford Notch in 1826? ✶ How was the event described by those who experienced it? ✶ Which accounts agree? ✶ Which accounts differ? ✶ What questions remain unanswered? ✶ Investigators may explore newspapers, letters, journals, maps, photographs, historical records, and archival collections to better understand the people, events, and decisions connected to the tragedy. Landscape Investigation How did the geography of Crawford Notch shape the events of August 1826? ✶ What can the landscape reveal today? ✶ How have people understood and interpreted this place across generations? Investigators may explore maps, GIS, photography, drone imagery, environmental data, and field observations to examine the relationship between landscape and history. Weather and Environment Investigation ✶ What weather conditions contributed to the disaster? ✶ How were those conditions described at the time? ✶ What can modern environmental science help us understand about the forces involved? Investigators may compare historical descriptions with modern knowledge of weather, watersheds, terrain, and environmental systems. Literature and Storytelling Investigation ✶ How did writers, artists, and storytellers interpret the tragedy? ✶ How did the story influence public imagination? ✶ Why did it continue to resonate across generations? Investigators may explore works such as Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Ambitious Guest, historical narratives, artwork, travel writing, and contemporary storytelling. Public Memory Investigation ✶ Why do some stories remain widely known while others gradually fade from public awareness? ✶ How has the Willey House story been remembered, interpreted, and shared over the last two centuries? ✶ What role do monuments, museums, schools, tourism, media, and communities play in shaping collective memory? Investigators may examine how historical narratives change over time and how communities preserve important stories. Media and Communication Investigation ✶ How was the tragedy reported in 1826? ✶ How did newspapers, books, artwork, and later forms of media shape public understanding? ✶ How might the story be shared with future generations? Investigators may explore historical newspapers, documentary production, digital media, podcasts, exhibits, websites, and public scholarship. Emerging Technology Investigation ✶ How might modern tools help investigators ask new questions? ✶ What becomes possible when technology, historical inquiry, and human curiosity work together? Investigators may explore GIS, StoryMaps, artificial intelligence, digital archives, photogrammetry, drone imaging, and other emerging technologies in support of broader investigations. These streams are not separate. They intersect constantly. ✶ A weather investigation may lead to historical records. ✶ A landscape investigation may raise questions about literature. ✶ A newspaper article may inspire a documentary. ✶ A drone image may spark a new historical question.
One investigation leads to another. One discovery opens the door to the next. That is how meaningful inquiry often unfolds.
∞ ✶ ∞ Curiosity changes everything. Every generation has the opportunity to ask new questions. ✶ Inquiry ✶ Discovery ✶ Contribution ✶ ∞ ✶ ∞
Follow the investigation
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