The smile says it all! Seth Wheeler is seen here moments after opening the first box from Puritan Press containing copies of his new book, Putting the Power in Your Hands: The First 75 Years of the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative. Production of the book was entirely a “made in New Hampshire” effort, with Armarium Editorial Services managing the ten-month project and providing the editorial and research assistance, Infusion Studio Creative Design in Alton Bay handling design and layout, and Puritan Press in Hollis printing the book.
The author, who holds a degree in English and history from Colby College in Maine, joined the cooperative in 2002 after 10 years as a reporter and editor with the Newport (N.H.) Argus-Champion and Laconia Citizen. In his position as NHEC’s communications administrator, he had already been delving into the vast historical archives accumulated since the Co-op’s 1939 founding, doing presentations on rural electrification for civic groups and historical societies around the state. So when NHEC executives decided to publish a book in honor of the co-op’s 75th anniversary, Seth was the obvious choice to write it.
Turning boxes (and boxes and boxes!) of worn newspaper articles, old photos, and all manner of written historical records into the finished product shown here so proudly was a challenge given the relatively short time frame – but great fun for amateur historians like Seth and his editor.
The process of self-publishing a book is a story for another day, however. Now is the time to celebrate seeing those words in print. Congratulations, Seth! We look forward to your next literary project.