Meredith – As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence in 2026, there is renewed focus on the efforts of national founding fathers George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and others. A new book published this summer by the Meredith Historical Society adds a local name to that esteemed pantheon.
“Ebenezer Smith, Meredith’s Prime Mover: Biography of a Local, State, and National Founding Father” by Rudy VanVeghten delves deep into the life and times of the one individual who most championed the cause of settling the township that today encompasses Meredith, Laconia, and Center Harbor Village.
“Every town had one,” says VanVeghten in the book’s introduction. “In neighboring Gilmanton it was Joseph Badger. Over in Moultonborough it was Jonathan Moulton. Here in Meredith, the prime mover—the individual who through hard work, perseverance, and support of his fellow settlers is most responsible for the establishment of a new town—was Ebenezer Smith.”
Beginning with Smith’s ancestry and birth in Ipswich, Massachusetts, the book follows the life of Ebenezer Smith through his work in promoting Meredith’s settlement, his decades-long service as the town’s leading selectman, his militia leadership during the American Revolution, his work as a representative and senator in the New Hampshire legislature, and even a theory by a Dartmouth history professor about how Smith possibly saved the U.S. Constitution from defeat in 1788.
“This thoroughly researched and richly developed book will be a ‘must have’ for anyone interested in the founding and evolution of Meredith,” said Meredith Historical Society President John Hopper. “Indeed, it is somewhat astounding that it has taken more than 200 years after his death for an in-depth work such as this to emerge.”
“This book beautifully captures the significant impact of Ebenezer Smith, a truly influential figure in the Revolutionary-era history of New Hampshire,” added Lynn Brody Keltz of the Laconia Historical and Museum Society. “Without a doubt, the scope and extent of Smith’s political and community-based achievements are of extreme historical importance.”
“Ebenezer Smith, Meredith’s Prime Mover” is now available for sale at the society’s Main Street Museum. Copies of the book will also be available at the society’s August 6 program by Cristina Ashjian on “Exemplary Country Estates,” at 7 p.m. at the Meredith Community Center, and at the society’s annual Open House on Tuesday, September 3, when the author will be on hand to sign copies of the book.
Since 1950, the Meredith Historical Society has endeavored to preserve, develop and promote the knowledge and awareness of the town’s rich history through educational programs, museum resources, original historical research and publications, and an expanding library of digital and traditional resources.