Don’t frown at me. You have at least one. Some guilty little pleasure that you don’t want to share publicly because well, its embarrassing. Deep sigh.
My guilty little pleasure is my Kindle. I have had an Amazon Kindle Fire for four years. It has very specific uses. I watch my beloved Sky News. I play two games – Candy Crush Saga and Soda and then my library of books. Lots and lots of different types of books from Biographies to Murder Mysteries and everything in between.
Since that is all I have on my Kindle I had a tough time believing that I had completely filled all of the available space on it. I didn’t care what the little messages said I couldn’t accept that I had 100% filled up all of the storage space. I admit I have amassed a large and varied collection of e-books with grateful thanks to the University of Michigan and the Google Project but still that could not be right.
So into the depths of my personal library I delved and began weeding out the books. I slogged through the titles and deleted 500 books over the course of a weekend. 500 from the device and the cloud. It hurt but I knew I could access them again if I wanted to read them again. But my Kindle continued saying it was full and I had to purchase and install additional storage if I wanted to continue. So I continued to clear the hundred ( or that’s what it seems like) or so hidden caches on my device but still no space. I cleared out another 300 books to no avail. Now I am angry. What nonsense is this?
So I found and used the contact me link. Whoa! Amazon is not fooling around when the contact me link is clicked. Instantly my phone rang. “This is Amazon Technical Assistance. My name is (indecipherable) how can I help you? “
The well-meaning young lady had too strong an accent for me to understand and I was not able to communicate clearly enough that the built-in Kindle fix was not taking care of the problem. Technical assistants dearly love to read the screen aloud to you. I can read the screen for myself and am usually able to follow its instructions. So with the strength of conviction I firmly requested an English speaking technician.
It took a few minutes but once I explained the problem and he remotely looked into my Kindle he knew just how to fix the problem. The latest automated update had used up a huge portion of my Kindles memory because it had not removed the bits that were no longer needed or were duplicated in the update. He quickly removed them and asked if I would like him to clean up my Kindle for faster speed. Yes please and do any other clean-up that you think will be helpful says I. From the Amazon store he quickly downloaded the free Ccleaner (Ccleaner can delete temporary or potentially unwanted files left by certain programs.)and in moments the Kindle I loved was returned to my control.
Do you clear your caches regularly? Do you know everything on your e-reading device? Have you cleaned your device lately? Do you believe everything it says and follow the directions it gives as blindly as I do? If its a device, keep it clean to enjoy it longer.
There is so much in this world I do not know and proudly share with anyone who will listen what I learn as soon as I learn it. Take for example the Free Seed Program offering offered by The University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension, URI Master Gardener Program, Ocean State Job Lot and Burpee Seeds.
I never looked into what happened to the seeds that were not purchased by a certain date. I just assumed they were counted and disposed of. Properly of course. Well look what I just learned.
I am taking this information directly off the ordering form so I don’t screw it up. “Burpee seed packets are available at no cost to individuals, schools, and other organizations in New England through the generosity of Ocean State Job Lot, which donates expired but still viable seed packets to URI Cooperative Extension every year. URI Master Gardner Program volunteers sort the seed packets and fill orders received via this form.”
There are order limits – 200 seed packets per individuals, and 300 seed packets per school. There is a selection of herbs, flowers and vegetables and some are in limited quantities. Substitutions may be made when supplies run out. There are even four varieties of surprise packages – flower mix, veggie garden mix, salad mix, and the super surprise mix of flowers and vegetables. They may be a little out of date but if Burpee and the Master Gardners consider them to be still viable, so will I.
Lots of us talk about how there is a need for more community gardens. How gardening should be taught in the schools. How cheery flowers make us feel and how good they are for the environment and for the bees and the butterflies. But how many of us are doing anything about it besides talk?
The University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension, URI Master Gardener Program, Ocean State Job Lot and Burpee Seeds have been and continue to take action. An action that can help you take an action in your community. Just go to https://web.uri.edu/mastergardener/freeseeds/ for more information, the order form, pick up dates or mail information. There is a postage and handling fee if you want the seeds sent by mail.
You can make a difference. Even if you just choose a bunch of seeds and hand them out to friends, family, strangers, churches or other organizations. You can make a contribution to a better community and a better world without it costing more than postage..
Time is running out. Orders need to be in by February 9th. Please call 401.874.2900 with any specific questions and be certain to say thank you next time you are in any of the nearby RI Job Lots for their donation of seeds to this program.
GPS and instant and updating directions are wonderful and a life saver for the directionally challenged such as myself and if I know what my destination is. It just not always the case for me. I like GPS but I like old fashioned maps too.
There is just something about maps that you have to lay out on a flat surface and trace lines with your finger that make me feel happy and secure. I have a better sense of where I am and where I am going.
For example I was taking advantage of the Bird Talk at the Agway on Otrobando Avenue the other night and by the register was a free Give away the – Connecticut Farm Map. You know I grabbed one of those straight away.
This is the third and latest edition of the map and designed”to help consumers to identify the fresh, high quality produce grown in the state and to create a greater awareness of farms and farm products.” I am an advocate for fresh and locally grown produce and products which can sometimes be a bit of a challenge.
By looking at the map on the table I can plan short and long trips throughout the state with an eye towards stops for my usual shopping haunts as well as expanding my day trips to include Agritourism, Christmas Trees, Farm Stands, Farmers Markets, Honey, Ice Cream, Livestock, Maple Syrup, Greenhouses, Orchards, Pick-your own, Seafood and wineries by checking the various icons on the route or area I am going to. Wool is under livestock if knitting or crocheting is your interest.
I first located Norwich, CT and then began tracing the routes and areas with icons of things I am interested in. Not much is available locally but places of interest pick up only a short distance away. Planning stops for fresh ice cream and honey can be used to break up a long drive. Exploring greenhouses in other areas can be that breath of fresh air we need in the spring. A neighbor and I once spent a delightful Mothers Day visiting area greenhouses with a lunch at a place we had never been. Gave us a great memory and stress relieving laughs through a tough time.
On the back of the map are descriptions, addresses, phone numbers and emails for the various farms, the latest farming initiatives, and lots of other contact information for the state agricultural programs that you are probably unaware of unless you are directly involved. Always trying to be better nutritionally, I am thinking of framing the Connecticut Grown Crop Availability Calendar for my refrigerator. I am having some issues believing watermelons can be locally grown even from as far away as New Jersey in March. But how our grocery stores are convincing us what is local and what is fresh is a blog for another day. Look for your free copy of the CT Farm Map and “Shop Locally On my friends. Shop On!”
In mid-October 2017 or so I purchased two fresh pumpkins from a national chain grocery store. They were well formed with good and even coloring, they even had their stems. I brought them home and placed them on my front steps.
I don’t recall what happened but I did not carve them up for Halloween so on the steps they have stayed. I thought they might last until Thanksgiving. Both pumpkins were still firm and their stems still attached. No little teeth marks from the various critters that live nearby. No implosion with leaking fluids and seeds. No beak marks from the wild birds who dine on the nearby feeders.
So I waited. How long would they last? I certainly hadn’t treated them with any agents to preserve them. Thanksgiving came. Thanksgiving passed. They were still bright in color and firm so I continued to leave them alone. The first frost came. The first snow came. They were rained on. The sun shined on them. No change.
The temperature dropped into the teens and still they were fine. My neighbors began to inquire why was I leaving them out? It’s Christmas! It’s past Christmas! It’s past New Years! They can’t possibly still be fine.
In mid – January 2018, with a shovel at the ready on one of the warmer days, I tried to lift pumpkin number 1 from its spot on the steps. The stem was still firmly attached. The flesh of the pumpkin was now soft and a little pulpy in texture but I could easily lift it by its bottom and carried it to the backyard. No leaking mass of seeds, liquid and pulp. No need for the shovel. So I carefully set it on the ground near my compost pile and returned to the steps for the second pumpkin. That one too remained intact while I nervously picked it up and carried it to the backyard. It felt like a soft basketball.
I considered hacking them both into bits but confess I am too curious about how long it will take them to naturally disintegrate and have left them intact to see what happens next.
I was helping a company prepare for a trade show and I asked for their checklist to be certain they had everything needed for their exhibit. “Every show is different so we don’t use a check list.”
That was the moment that I pulled out my written generic checklist for local and international exhibits and trade shows. Yes. Those of you who know me know I have a list for almost everything. Lists are handy and they keep us from forgetting things. I am a master of forgetting things so I need all the lists I can make and then some. So here is a very Basic Exhibit Checklist that can be used from local bake sales to International Trade Shows.
You have to be responsible for adjusting the list for your specific needs. Some of the items on the list are now on your cell phone but is your cell phone available for use by others and will it work in that specific area? How long does your phone hold a charge? Oh so many questions! Oh so many possible answers!
Ad-boards – Folders, labels
Computer – lap top, memory stick with all presentations, back-up lap top, portable printer, toner/ink, external speakers.
Location specifics – Sale items, display notebooks, table, chairs, weather umbrella, weather tent, sheet plastic, company credit card, currency, phone numbers of attending company representatives.
Miscellaneous – Attendee evaluations, clipboards, attendee request log/cards, planning notebook, 3 hole punch, membership applications, currency (if needed), shelf display, extra screws, extra hooks.
Name Badges – Plastic jackets, badge holders, lanyards, printed badges, extra badge paper, magnet badges, markers, camera, phone charger, business cards,
On-Site – Sign-in sheets, bathroom signs, break room signs.
Packaging – Transportation boxes, attendee labels, plastic sleeves, expandable folders, folders,
Paper – Regular, 3-hole punch, colored, card stock, folders, expandable folders.
Posters – signs, arrows, bathroom, conference A, B, C and Meal.
Pre-departure- Memory stick with all presentations, first aid kit (with extra band-aids), Personal products (pads, tampons, disposable shaver, antiseptic, soft cloths, paper towels, eye lubricant).
Supply Kit – Index cards, Velcro, message pad, markers, calculator, pens, scissors, box cutter, tape gun, packing tape, paper clips, stapler, staples, string, wire wrap, cable ties (various sizes), extension cord, table cloth, duct tape, flashlight, AA, AAA and flashlight batteries, tissues, hard candies/cough drops.
Transportation – Contact numbers, hand cart, carry grips.
Happy Sales! Happy Trails!
Every January I write a tribute to William Tyler Olcott. This year I am hoping that there will be a special tribute made to him at the newly refurbished planetarium in the Teachers Memorial Global Studies Magnet Middle School. Olcott was an attorney who in 1902, with his wife Clara Hyde of Yantic chose to make their home at 62 Church Street (the Glebe House) in Norwich, CT. At the time it was a common two and a half story house with an elaborate wide cornice with heavy dentils.
Olcott was born January 11, 1873 and became a gentle and observant man. At 36 he developed a love of astronomy and observing variable stars after attending a lecture by Edward Pickering in 1909. In 1911, he and Professor Pickering founded the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). To popularize the field of amateur astronomy Olcott published several books including one for children , “to blaze a trail for you among the stars in order that you might know your way about the night sky and easily come to know the many objects of beauty and interest that darkness reveals to us… “
To the back of his home Olcott added a wooden observatory, with a revolving hexagonal tower perched behind the roof. Sadly, the observatory was removed by the Otis Library when they used the house as a children’s library.
William Tyler Olcott died July 6, 1936 but his name and the work of the AAVSO continue on.
NASA named an impact crater on the moon in his honor for his dedication to space observation. Per NASA the crater lacks any significant appearance of erosion from subsequent impacts, and its features are relatively well-defined. The rim edge is generally circular, with a slight outward bulge to the northeast and a larger bulge to the south. It has an outer terrace and slumped edges along the inner wall. Several low ridges lie near the interior mid-point, with the western pair near the center and the eastern peaks offset towards the eastern rim.
The satellite craters Olcott M and Olcott L form an overlapping pair along the southern outer rampart of Olcott, with the smaller member of the pair Olcott L overlapping Olcott M. The satellite crater Olcott E is partly overlain by the eastern rim of Olcott.
Wouldn’t it be great if Norwich, CT in some small way paid some kind of a tribute to this man of science? Perhaps an observation field for people to set up telescopes to watch the skies for variable stars?
How I wish the Norwich Bulletin would return to the days when the complete text of the State of the City Address by the Mayor was printed so everyone could read it for themselves. Being a reporter is a tough job because there are always so many sides, so many bits and pieces to every story and when you are not familiar with the information being presented or have a particular prejudice for one side or another it is even harder.
The address by new Mayor Peter A. Nystrom was short and contained only a few references to the past and brought up a few points that could certainly use a bit of explanation.
Moving the thru traffic out of the city is not a brand new concept but perhaps it needs a bit of explanation and discussion with the residents and taxpayers of Norwich, CT before its presented and requested to the State of Connecticut.
Promotion of the City of Norwich, CT is a concept I have long been promoting but I would like to have heard more about to who the City will be promoted, what aspects in particular, how will the City be promoted, when will the promotions begin, where will the promotions be? How long until the residents can expect to see results? There is much more to Norwich, CT than colonial history. More industry than just what is found in the business park. More to this city than just the downtown. What can we as residents and taxpayers be looking forward to seeing and when? Who is going to be making money off the promotion and where is that money going to be coming from? Advertising costs large sums of money. Promotions cost very little.
Speaking of money there was a mention of taxes. I have a deep interest in taxes and the lowering thereof. But I would like to have heard more about how the lowering will be achieved or better yet how more businesses could be lured to Norwich so there could be some assistance in meeting the city budget without losing jobs and services.
What specifics were given? What promises were made? What hopes were raised? Is something being kept from the residents and the taxpayers? Was something made a mention of to keep a political promise but kept out of the report in the newspaper? Sometimes the old days and the old ways had a use.
When the weather is constantly changing I develop an annoying sinus drip that causes me to sniff, and cough. So in my ever growing in size purse I keep a supply of cough drops, hard candies and tissues. I purchase the cough drops in handy size bags and pop them in my mouth without really looking at the individual wrappers. Until now.
I purchased Halls Cough Drops and was fiddling with the wrapper instead of my usual twist and throw away. When it happened. I noticed there was writing on the paper. There is of course, the name Halls in a pattern but also words of encouragement. For example the words “You can do it and you know it.” “Conquer today.” “Dust off and get up.” “Put a little strut in it.” “Go get it.” Each little wrapper had words of encouragement in easy to read dark blue print. In at least one tiny space is the trademarked phrase “A pep talk in every drop.” Brilliant marketing!
Now I read each one and wonder how they know just which little words I need to hear today, at just this moment. “Tough is your middle name.” “Flex your can do muscle.” “Impress yourself today.” “March forward.” “Get back in the game.”
Words and actions matter even if you are a little late to the game. Like me. The little wrappers have a Facebook page. People save and trade them. They take photos of them and even keep scrapbooks. There are special wrappers for special days of the year. I don’t know if all of the varieties share their wrapper sayings. I am a bit of a purist I guess. I get the same ones all the time. “Don’t wait to get started.”
Here is the history of Halls according to a web page I found. The Halls Brothers Company was founded in 1893. The menthol hard candies were first made in the 1930’s. Warner-Lambert purchased the company in 1964. Pfizer purchased Warner-Lambert in 2000. The Halls brand was included in the “Adams Portfolio” of consumer non-drug products and was sold to Kraft Foods which in 2015 became Mondelez International.
The word for 2018 is “Encouragement.” Please use it and trade it with others frequently while enjoying a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!
If you are from Norwich, CT you have seen the photograph of the freight steamer “City of Norwich” at least one hundred times. It’s a lovely shot on a clear calm day with the ship front and center in the now ancient Norwich harbor. The photo has been used in numerous calendars, in newspaper advertisements, in nearly every history of Norwich book. You know the picture I am talking about now? Good.
So what happened to it? Not the photograph. The photograph will live on forever but the ship itself. What happened to the ship? Well here is a little bit of a follow-up with grateful thanks to the Norwich Bulletin of March 10, 1894. I put brackets around clarification details.
City of Norwich Sold. – She will in future plow southern waters. – The Norwich line freight steamer City of Norwich has been sold to parties who will employ her in southern waters. She has been idle for several years and of no use to the company so the sale is accounted a very good thing. She will be delivered at the convenience of the purchaser.
The City of Norwich was built in the early sixties [1860’s] and in 1867 caught fire and went to the bottom of Long Island sound. She was afterward rebuilt.
The particulars of the sale are not known in this city. [Norwich]
Back on February 2, 1894 neither the Norwich Board of Trade or the Norwich Bulletin were shy about extolling the many virtues of living in Norwich, CT. While vague in specifics its descriptive words could be used today by some enterprising people interested in promoting the City of Norwich as a good and progressive place to live and work in Connecticut or the nation.
“Record of Norwich.”
“The advantages of Norwich as a residential city and business place is something the Bulletin does not mean that her citizens or the world shall lose sight of.
The annual report of progress made by the Norwich Board of Trade for 1893 and published in the Norwich Bulletin Thursday morning showed,
First, that Norwich is a good place to live in.
Second, that it is a good place to do business in.
Third, that it is a good place to start a business in.
Fourth, that it is an A1 place to educate one’s children in.
Fifth, that it is a live, prosperous and progressive town which invites people to it.
The record of Norwich for 1893 cannot be duplicated by many cities of her population in the country. That year will go on record as the blackest year of this century, yet Norwich advanced in every category.”
I want to be reading these statements and hearing them on the radio. It is almost budget time and the leaders of Norwich need to stop taking surveys and sponsoring yet another study from which they learn nothing they don’t already know and which do not lead them to take action. It is time for the leaders to lead. To take an action. To take a direction. To stop wondering and to state outloud, “Norwich, CT is a good place to live. A good place to do business. A good place to start a business. A good place to educate children. A place that is lively, prosperous, and progressive. Join with us as we move with pride into the future.”
Then they have to get out of the way and encourage things to happen..
Reading this article in the Norwich Bulletin of March 7, 1893 as copied from an unspecified date of the New London Day caused me to wonder if any of the spoons were still around and if there was a historical organization or museum that cared enough about the history of Norwich, CT to create a display of them for the general public to see.
Let me first introduce Deacon William Cleveland who learned the trades of silversmith, watch and clockmaker here in Norwich. His jewelry shop, later became Adams’ tavern in Norwichtown. That is where he manufactured spoons; where on the back of the handle is the name CLEVELAND embossed in bold letters.
Over the years the spoons of Aaron Cleveland were periodically presented to a descendant of President Cleveland an event which may have triggered the printing of the article as one of the spoons was presented to Aaron Cleveland’s great grand-daughter Ruth, a daughter of President Grover Cleveland per an article in ‘”The Sun, N.Y., Feb 6, 1893.”
“They abound in the Vicinity of Norwich.” – At the sale of the effects of the Backus estate, Norwich, a few days ago, Enoch Crandall of New London, bought half a dozen silver spoons which he valued for their intrinsic worth and the old fashioned pattern. Since his purchase he has discovered that they were made by the grandfather of the reigning house, to wit, President Cleveland’s grandfather, and are therefore priceless if office-seekers are disposed to follow the Norwich party who sent a genuine Cleveland spoon to Baby Ruth.
The road to post offices and foreign consulates might possibly be hewn out with a silver spoon of the right pattern, insignificant as a tablespoon may appear to be. As a matter of fact the country families around Norwich have Cleveland spoons in abundance from well-to-do grandfathers as the original silversmith Cleveland seems to have been a thriving man in his trade and to have had a monopoly in silver spoons which, of course, his grandson, the president, would not have approved, had the man of destiny been destined for an earlier time.
Grover, however was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, a fact which might furnish some idea for some artificer in silver in making souvenir spoons.”
Mohegan Park is a great place to participate in The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) February 16 – 19, 2018. The GBBC is free, fun, and easy for bird watchers of all ages. Everyone becomes a citizen scientist when counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Participants count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings online at gbbc.birdcount.org.
Mohegan Park is open from dawn to dusk. Suggested viewing areas are along any of the four walking
trails. There are benches, rest and scenic areas, parking lots and picnic areas attractive to birds. Park Center offers views onto Spaulding Pond, and woods. While not in bloom the Rose Garden offers delightful hiding places for views of tiny birds. Some larger birds have made their home near the Lower Pond and beach areas.
While not as organized as the GBBC, birds have always been a part of Norwich, CT history. For example from the March 30, 1893 Norwich Bulletin is this article titled, “Winged Harbingers of Spring. – The blue birds and robins have appeared about this city, considered a sure sign that spring is here. The robins sometimes remain north during winter, finding warmth and food in the cedar woods. The crow blackbird which is not so hardy as the crow itself is once more making its hoarse cry and preparing to turn over the first bit of earth or stone that gives evidence of bugs or beetles beneath. The welcome chipping sparrow, generally called chipping bird, has not yet appeared but may be expected any day. His relative, the song sparrow, whose “olit, olit,olee” has such beauty ought to be everywhere now. Flocks of wild geese are daily flying over the city.”
I hope you will be joining me in counting and reporting the harbingers of spring.
Which famous or notorious person do you share your birthday with? If you were born on February 12th you share a birthday with both Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln. Did I forget to mention you also had to be born in 1809?
Of course I thought that no one had noticed the birth dates until the 2010 Time magazine article. I was wrong. Again. In the February 24, 1893 Norwich Bulletin was a rather lengthy article on how there should be a joint celebration of the two men as they had so much in common. A strong recommendation was to make the “occasion an interchange of graceful and kindly courtesies between Englishmen and Americans.”
Wouldn’t that make for a pleasant gathering?
Neither man showed much promise of greatness as a child. Darwin said of himself, “At no time am I a quick thinker or writer; whatever I have done in science has solely been by long pondering, patience and industry.”
So were there any other parallels?
Both men lost their mothers at an early age. Susannah Darwin died in 1817 and Nancy Hanks Lincoln died in 1818.
Both men loved Shakespeare.
Both men loved music but it is widely reported that neither could sing.
Both men became prominent after age 40.
Both men experienced the death of a child. Edward Lincoln died at age 4 and Anne Elizabeth Darwin died at age 10.
Both were abolitionists.
So how were they different? Lincoln loved cats. Darwin loved dogs.
Happy birthday gentlemen!
Staring at the same old photographs of old Norwich, CT is very nice but I get more excited when I find the descriptions of the buildings or structures that tell me just a bit more about what I am looking at. Knowing the details stretches my imagination to include the rest of my senses.
For example in the March 14, 1893 Norwich Bulletin I found this description of O. H. Reynolds’ New Stable, Well Ventilated and Conveniently Arranged.
Mr. Oliver H. Reynolds has just completed his new two story stable on Shetucket Street. The building stands upon the site of his former residence and is 50×115 feet in size. It is to be wholly devoted to the stabling of horses. The sanitary arrangement is complete. There are twenty stalls on the first floor and thirty on the second, with a large box stall on each floor. The upper floor is approached by a gently inclined brow covered with leather so that the sound of the horses going up and down is deadened. The floors are lighted with skylights on the roof as well as by side windows. The building is thoroughly piped and a basin of concrete in each stall connects with a drain pipe beneath, and the drains are flushed from the water-shed of a portion of the roof every time it rains. The compost is thrown into a compartment of such ample proportions that a two horse wagon can be driven beneath the stable for its removal. This is ventilated from the roof and is separated by brick walls from the stable proper. The stable on the lower floor is concreted; and the second floor is sealed overhead, and is well ventilated. Adjacent to the stable is an oat-bin of 1,200 bushels capacity. The hay loft will be separated from the new stable by a brick wall and fire-proof doors. All the horses are to be kept in the new part, and that part of the old stable row used for stabling the horses is to be remodeled and used for a carriage house. The floor is to be dropped to the level of the street, and it is to be made as easy of access as the carriage house now in use.
When the entire establishment is rebuilt Mr. Reynolds’ stable will be one of the most comfortable and convenient in Eastern Connecticut.
How is your imagination now? Can you smell the fresh hay? Can you hear the horses clopping softly on the leather covered incline? I am imagining petting their soft noses while they eat slices of fresh apple from my hand..
Its winter in Norwich, CT so everyone brings out and posts their photograph of the photograph of the winter when the ice was so thick in the Norwich harbor people were skating on it. Oh hum. Yes. I consider that to be old, trite and boring. I want to know the rest of the story.
For example this story called “Through the Ice” is from the February 14, 1894 Norwich Bulletin. Not precisely Norwich but a good example of what I am looking for in a historical story and representation.
“A New London Horse and Driver Get a Wetting.”
Quite a number of local horsemen went to Miller’s pond Monday morning with the expectancy of having an afternoon’s good sport trotting on it. They were disappointed however, after one of them had gone horse and all through the ice, got wet through and created no end of excitement.
Tyler Earl volunteered to be the first man to make the attempt to test the ice. He had the horse Chester. Morris attached to the elephantine cutter of his and drove on what he thought was a good spot.
He hadn’t gone far from the bank when the ice broke over about three and a half feet of water, and let horse and sleigh down to the bottom. There was great danger of the horse being injured in his struggles and Earl waded up to his head. The animal was thrown on his side and Earl held his head while the harness was being cut. All the horsemen set to work, or rather as many of them as could be given something to do, and it was but a short time before the horse was brought ashore. The animal was then thoroughly blanketed and given some fever pills. Then a young man was found to ride him into New London, and last night the horse didn’t seem any the worse for his cold bath.”
I am looking for a similar Norwich story and will let every one know when I find one. Pictures, sketches and photos are nice but they don’t hold a candle to the details of a story.
How was snow cleared back in the day? Here is how it was reported in the Norwich Bulletin on February 14, 1894.
“A Snow Blockade. – Trains Delayed But the Hanover Mail Came Through.
The street railway employees fought all Monday night with the engulfing snow, and ran plows and cars incessantly. Supt. Shaw personally directed the schedule and provided a clothes basket of sandwiches for the men. It was a cheerless task running through the dark, deserted street in the blustering snow storm. After a trip the men had a chance to warm up, and it sounded rather like railroading to hear someone in authority say at 9 am, “Well, boys, lets take a run up to Norwich Town and tunnel the drifts.”
The railway people were busy Tuesday and Tuesday night clearing the tracks, and they carted off several hundred loads of snow from the narrow thoroughfares.
The trains were late on both roads Tuesday morning and the 9:35 train on the Norwich & Worcester railroad did not come in until between 12 and 1 o’clock. The Boston papers did not arrive until 3 p.m. The 10:55 train on the Northern did not arrive until 1 o’clock. The boat ride from New London due at 5:50 am, came through at 6:50 p.m. The 9:30 a.m. Train for Boston was stalled at Oxford.
The Hanover stage arrived in the city at 10:45 o’clock on Monday and was about an hour late. Mr. Judd brought the mail through safely but reported big drifts. The road was bad at the foot of Lee’s Hill and above Taftville. Mr. Judd carried a snow shovel and broke the way through in some places. “
OK so you know I want to know who actually made the clothes basket of sandwiches and who really paid for them. Where did they cart the snow off to and who unloaded it? Do the papers arrive on a special train or wagon? Did the passengers just remain on the boat while it worked its way up the river? I hope someone thanked Mr. Judd for delivering the mail regardless of the bad weather and having to carry and use a snow shovel through the drifts. Some things don’t change over the years. Thank you Wally for delivering my mail through all types of weather. I want to assure everyone that the snow shovels back then were heavy. I have a snow shovel from the 1930’s because it still works, and it is substantially heavier than any of my newer plastic and metal ones. No one ever wants to use it or borrow it because it is so heavy.
Norwich, CT residents have a fascination and a romanced view of the past. It seems that this search for the good old days, the better days has always been. Take for example this Norwich Bulletin article from March 15, 1902 titled The Spirit of Uncas at a Norwich Seance. The article is a tad on the hokey side but it was this kind of attitude that eventually became the basis for the silent screen movies, the westerns of the 1950’s and 60’s and later the base for the modern horror stories and movies and dare I say the romantic view we have of Norwich past.
“Thumps a Salute on the Table which Resounds Like a Blow from a Chief’s Club – He is Much Happy – His opinion of the Pale Faces Not Greatly Improved – No Rum or Pale Faces Where Uncas Is.”
The circle was seated around the long table, the lights had been subdued to the degree of faintness which is supposed to best agree with the constitution of a healthy ghost, and everything was in readiness for a message from “behind the veil.” The medium had induced in herself a due degree of obliviousness to material surroundings, and was ready to voice whatever was to come from “the other side.”
“Ugh! Whoop! Me Uncas!”
“Well, Uncas,” said the leader of the circle, “we are glad to have you come. What can you tell us about things where you have been living for so long?”
“Ugh! Much happy over there. Much venison. No big hatchet chop trees. No shoot Iron scare game. No smoke wagon. No stars on trees. Moon good enough. Heap big country. No fire water. No pale face.”
“Glad you have found so happy a place. What did you think of the pale face before you went away?”
“Ugh! Pale face wise. Make Indian give up hunting ground. Indian fool. Now Indian gone. Pale face fool.”
“Can you tell us anything about the fight you had with the Narragansetts?”
“Ugh! Talk leaves tell heap big story. Uncas no ‘member.”
“But you caught the big chief, Miantonomo, did you not?”
“Talk leaves so tell. Uncas no ‘member.”
“What do you think of the changes in your old hunting grounds that you see?”
“Indian no like ’em. Too heap big wigwams. Much things in ’em no use Squaws put on heap much blankets.”
“Cost big strings wampum. Make pale face brave work. Squaws stay in wigwam. Have soft fingers. Indian squaws no that way.”
“What do you think of the big wigwams where pale faces go to worship the Great Spirit?”
“Big high. No good. Manitou no climb. Get dizzy. No hear preach.”
“Have you ever looked into the big wigwam where pale chiefs meet in council?”
“Ugh! What Indian want there? Big pow-wow. Heap talk. Little do.”
“What do you think about our water works?”
“Ugh! Indian no trouble. Indian always go to water. Pale face make water come to him. Much big thing. Take heap strings wampum. Pale face no have wampum. The talk leaves for wampum. More big thing. Heap palaver. Biggest thing.”
“What do you think of our new post office? I mean the wigwam where the pale faces go for their talk leaves?”
“Pale face no wise. Want too heap big much wampum. Big father chiefs no pay. Chiefs wise. Make their own wigwam. Chiefs good. “
By this time it was evident that the old Mohegan chief had but a contemptuous opinion of the institutions which have grown upover his old stamping ground since he was here in the flesh. The forests mostly gone; the wild game nearly annihilated; his fishing-places destroyed by works which to him were an abomination; the graves of his ancestors, desecrated;- what could there be in this new time to interest the dusky son of the forest! Finally the leader propounded the question: “What do you think of our board of trade?”
“Ugh! Uncas tired. No talkee blankee fool. Uncas go.”
The lights were turned up, and the séance was over.”
It is good to see the past but as a city we must move forward into a new future.
For reasons I may never understand the March 10, 1898 Norwich Bulletin headline New Course of Norwich Golf Club caught my eye. Maybe its because I secretly like the game but play so poorly I no longer even make the attempt. My first Norwich Bulletin blog about golf in Norwich appeared on July 7, 2014. While I could not find the 2018 season opening date for the present course I do present this bit of Norwich Golf Course history from their website –
The first Norwich Golf Course was built adjacent to the ancestral home of Benedict Arnold sometime prior to 1896. The course was later relocated to the current location and enlarged and rerouted until the fourth renovation which was established in 1910 and completed for the grand opening on July 4th, 1924 as the current design. The course includes wide fairways and challenging greens constructed over undulating terrain featuring an 18 hole golf course (over 6,191 yards par 71 (municipal) & practice areas, clubhouse with full locker rooms, a fully stocked Golf Shop, and the Caddy Shack Restaurant.
Anyway.. – “To begin at Norwich Club House and to be 2,800 yards stretch – new road to be built. – The Norwich Golf club has completed arrangements for an entirely new course which is to be ready for use the coming season. The course will begin in the rear of the Norwich clubhouse, and, running northeasterly, follow the new Rockwell road in the rear of the Free Academy. From the terminus of this highway a new road is to be built to what is called the Reynolds lot, and from thence the course will cross the land of the Rev. L. W. Bacon a short distance.
The course will have a stretch of 2,800 yards and will have nine holes, the distance between them ranging from 160 to 200 yards. The first hole will be at the clubhouse and the ninth hole will be very near it, so that a person making the course will come back to his starting place. Work on the new road is to be begun at once, and it is expected that the course will be ready for play on April 1.
The new course presents a greater diversity of natural conditions than the present course opposite the hospital grounds. On the old links were two courses, but the new will have but one. The club has made arrangements with the Norwich club whereby the clubhouse is to be used as headquarters for the necessary equipment for the players.
The coming golf season, which opens April 1, promises to be a very prosperous one for the Norwich club, as more than usual interest is manifested in the game, and the members all express desire to take an active part this year and play frequently. Something I hope continues to be true in 2018..
On Monday, March 19th I gave this speech in front of the Norwich, CT City Council. I did not realize there would be others speaking on the observed behavior of the members of the City Council as well. Just in case my words were lost amongst the other speakers I am printing them here for all to read.
As we hear words being used in the media they begin to creep into our vocabulary while we don’t know their precise definition.
A word I began hearing on the national news has been creeping into the local vocabulary and also being used to describe local political situations and events.
The word is collusion. I looked it up and its definition per Merriam-Webster is a
“ secret agreement or cooperation especially for an illegal or deceitful purpose.”
I know that such is not the case here in Norwich, CT. But I would like to remind you (Mr. Mayor and members of the City Council) that much of the world is about appearances. On occasion it’s good to look at situations from afar and visualize how they might appear to those people not directly involved. How phrases can be misinterpreted. For example,
“There is a lot going on behind the scenes.” Does that mean payoffs? Not quite perfect permits? Something sneaky and illegal?
“As we discussed in caucus.” Brings visions of old style backroom agreements. Was there brandy and cigars like we see in the movies?
“We can’t disclose…” Then why was it brought up? What is being hidden?
“We met on this date but can’t tell you why or what was discussed.” Then why did you bring it up?
“You have to trust us.” “It worked in other places.” There is a profit to be made for someone involved and not necessarily a legitimate investor.
“We talked about it in the kitchen don’t you remember.” That is a heart stopper. The people who elected you are thrilled you are speaking with your constituents but they are also counting on you to do what is best for everyone in the city and not just one portion. That phrase means you are out and about, talking and listening but your buddies and pals have an advantage not available to others.
Modern policies speak of transparency which the public not only expects, but deserves. The time has come for no more private discussions but open and honest public discourse on topics even the ones that might be uncomfortable.
I posted notices. I put all food and snacks away in glass jars with lids. Trash was taken outside immediately. Bird food was moved to weatherproof sealed containers outside. But still every night it was party time and in the morning I had to clean up their debris. Personally I think they were just letting me know they were angry that their food supply was no longer available to them. Yes, you may have guessed it, my visitors were mice.
I am not good at setting the traps. I don’t want to kill them. I don’t like the sticky ones. Someone mentioned that mice don’t like mint and I should mix some mint oil, rubbing alcohol and water in a spray bottle and apply it along the baseboards and wherever I saw evidence of the critters.
Time for comparison shopping. I went first to the grocery store and the assembly of the products is under $10. That’s not too bad. There is even enough for another set of traps. Yes. I am guilty of being a onetime only trap user. Then I stopped at the dollar store. Honestly, I thought I would just get a better deal on the rubbing alcohol but was I in for a surprise.
There on the rubbing alcohol shelf was a bright green bottle of rubbing alcohol with wintergreen. It is already mixed and smells pleasant. So I brought a bottle home and switched the cap for a spray bottle top. I sprayed it on the baseboards and counter and around the door and sink. Then I checked the next morning. No evidence of a party. So I have been repeating the spritzing twice a week. My guests appear to have moved on.
Now I want to make a personal request to the cleaning product companies who add the smells of fresh linen, lemon, lavender, wild flowers among the host of other lovely and wonderful scents to please add the scent of mint to the cleaning products.
Times and tastes have changed since March 7, 1902 when these “Tested Receipts, of Value to the Housekeeper,” appeared in the Norwich Bulletin. Let me know if these are on your menu by these or another name.
Kedgeree – One cup of cold boiled fish picked in small pieces, one cup of boiled rice, two hard boiled eggs chopped fine. Put in the frying pan with a small lump of butter, add the fish, season with salt and pepper, stir until very hot and serve with toast. [Great for fresh fish leftovers. It makes a unique spread on crackers when mixed with celery leaves or parsley and served with tomato soup.]
Tripe Salad – Cut the tripe into small cubes. Rub the bottom of salad bowl with clove or garlic, arrange lettuce leaves, with some cress, put over the tripe and cover with a French dressing made by rubbing together a half teaspoon of salt, a little cayenne, four tablespoons oil and one of vinegar, add one teaspoon of tomato catsup. [Sorry I have zero experience with this.]
Potatoes and Chicken – Season three cups of mashed potatoes to taste, add two tablespoons of butter, one-half cup of breadcrumbs, a teaspoon of finely minced onion and a well beaten yolks of two eggs. Mix thoroughly together, roll into small cakes, cover rather quickly with minced chicken, and put on another layer of the potato mixture. Fry to a light brown in boiling lard. [This is great on the grill and add a slice of cheese in the center for variety. No need for the lard.]
Tea Cake – One pint milk, one-half pint flour, two eggs (whites and yolks beaten separately), one teaspoon butter, add the egg yolks, salt, then milk, then flour. Beat well, and lastly add the beaten egg whites. Drop in well buttered gem tins that have been heated quite hot. Bake in a quick oven. Serve hot. [ A quick oven is 375 – 400 degrees]
Fig Sandwiches – Split a dozen dried figs, scrape out the soft portion, rejecting the skins; rub this to a paste. Butter either white or brown bread, then cut the slices from the loaf as this as possible. Remove the crusts and spread the paste over the bread. Another thin slice may be placed over this to form the sandwich, or it may be rolled and tied with baby ribbon. [ I have never tied a sandwich with baby ribbon and I like the crust so I leave it on. Fig is a great spread on canned brown bread, pumpernickel, whole wheat or white. Makes a great energy treat on a hike.]
Orange Cups – Select twelve medium sized oranges of good shape and color. Cut a small circular piece from the stem end of each and remove the pulp in small pieces with a spoon. To the pulp add one small can of pineapple (sliced), two ripe bananas, quartered and sliced, one-quarter pound of Malaga grapes. Sweeten to taste. Fill the orange shells and garnish with candied cherries. [Malaga grapes are sweet and juicy green grapes. I like this with fresh crunchy fennel. The fronds can be an edible decoration. Yum!]
Mills in Norwich, CT were built and torn down, and opened and closed but those interested in the history of our city concentrate only on the ones whose buildings we have photographs of. The stories of the rest are lost forever unless someone looks in the old newspapers such as this portion of an article from the March 3, 1902 titled, “Norwich Town Otrobando Mill.”
“The Otrobando mill will be opened for work this Monday morning by the Shewville company for the purpose of filling orders unable to be supplied by the output of the latter mill. In engaging help those living in the vicinity of the mill have had the preference, and will continue to have it, though it is probable a few families may move from here to Shewville, and occupy some of the many vacant mill tenements on Sturtevant Street. The cloth to be manufactured is the best for men’s wear, the yarn for the same being at present spun in the Shewville mill. Later it is possible ladies’ cloth may be made here. The former manager, Walter G. Hitchon, is in charge, and with James Fraser, and John Shea, who has had charge of the premises during the long period of inaction, has been busy during the past week getting the mill ready for operation. Heavy golf suiting was the last material manufactured here.”
Please stay tuned to this blog to learn more about the history of golf in Norwich, CT.
When I get the chance, which is not as often as I would like, I peruse the New York Times. That means I don’t read it thoroughly but glance thru and read the articles that interest me. On February 5, 2018 I happened on an article by Jacob Bernstein titled “A Farewell to Liz, the Queen of Gossip.”
Liz Smith had died November 12, 2017 at age 94. One of the last true gossip columnists and the article was a summary of the speakers at her memorial service held on what would have been her 95th birthday, February 2. “Liz was the most bighearted connoisseur of scuttlebutt that God ever made,” said CBS correspondent Lesley Stahl, to a nearly full house of Liz Smith admirers at Broadway’s Majestic Theatre. “Liz forgave everyone and everyone forgave her.”
NBC correspondent Cynthia McFadden introduced the star studded program with “As Lizzie would have said: Greetings friends, enemies and those of you who aren’t yet decided!”
I won’t go thru the whole list of entertainers or the entertaining tales re-told in the article except for one, Billy Norwich. I need to check if his books are at Otis Library and just for the record, I sent him my very first ever, tweet. I just don’t know how to discover if he answered it. Anyway, here is the tale that caught my attention.
“Billy Norwich—the Vogue writer and editor, former gossip columnist and novelist—recalled how Smith took him under her wing, wrote letters of recommendation, and found journalism jobs for him when he was broke and struggling in Manhattan.
“She was the mother of my invention,” said Norwich, whose parents died before he reached the age of 20.
Norwich—who was born Billy Goldberg and hailed from Norwich, Connecticut—said he changed his byline at Smith’s suggestion, and that Smith engineered his gig as a sharp-penned gossip columnist at the Daily News—and then generously opened her Rolodex to him.
“I became Billy Norwich of Goldberg, Connecticut,” he joked, recalling that unlike Smith, who had a knack for smoothing things over with celebrities who didn’t always enjoy what she wrote about them, Norwich made powerful enemies right away.
Once, at a big society dinner, he was sitting at Smith’s table when one of his targets, Oscar de la Renta, came up in a rage and took a swing at him.
Smith blocked the blow with her arm, Norwich recalled. “She said, ‘Oscar, you can’t hit him! He’s a Jew wearing eyeglasses!’”
The audience at the Majestic roared with laughter.”
J L Chester memorial Westminster Abbey
The buildings that we currently refer to as the Reid & Hughes had a life as a dry goods store even before it was called the Boston Store. My source for this information is the February 6, 1893 Norwich Bulletin obituary of Leonard H. Chester.
Buildings themselves are great to trigger a fond memory or two but it doesn’t hurt to pay attention and to honor the individual people who made the fond memories possible.
“News was received in this city on Saturday that Leonard H. Chester, formerly of this city, had died suddenly at his home in Buffalo, N.Y., the evening previous. Mr. Chester was a native of Norwich, and for many years, almost from boyhood, was identified with the dry goods business in this city. Previous to his removal to Buffalo, which was about twenty-two years ago, he was the junior partner for several years in the firm of Williams & Chester, which did a large and lucrative business in the handsome block now occupied by Reid & Hughes and known as the Boston Store. He was a general favorite and universally esteemed for uprightness and strict business integrity. He was one of the five sons, all of whom made their mark in their different callings. But one survives – the Rev. Anson G. Chester. The elder son – Albert T. Chester, D.D, died in Buffalo a few months since, who for many years was a prominent clergyman of the Congregational church in western New York. Joseph L. Chester, another brother died in London after several years’ residence there, became an expert and an authority as a genealogical and archaeological student, and was acknowledged to be a savant among the many distinguished scholars of Great Britain. One of his works which brought him into prominence, was his book of several hundred pages entitled “Westminster Abbey Registers,” the fruit of many years’ hard labor and research. Queen Victoria, as a testimonial of her high appreciation of this work, sent him an autograph letter, complimenting and thanking him for the great service he had rendered England in devising and completing so great an undertaking. After his death, his memory was honored with a marble tablet in Westminster abbey, the only American – and he a Norwich boy – who has ever been thus honored in that famous mortuary of Great Britain.
Mr. L. H. Chester leaves a wife and a son, Carl Thurston Chester, who is one of the most prominent lawyers in Buffalo.”
Next time you are in London ask to see the memorial for American genealogist Colonel Joseph Lemuel Chester in the south choir aisle of Westminster Abbey. It is made of various colored marbles and was put up in 1883. The inscription reads:
“Colonel Joseph Lemuel Chester L.L.D. of Columbia College, New York City as also D.C.L. of the university of Oxford. Born 30 April 1821 at Norwich, Connecticut U.S.A. Died 26 May 1882 in London where he had resided for many years. The learned editor of The Westminster Abbey REGISTER. In grateful memory of the disinterested labor of an American master of English genealogical learning this TABLET was erected by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster”
Back on February 1, 1894 the Norwich Bulletin was running articles about Progress in Norwich mostly using the information from the Norwich Board of Trade report who subtitled their report “During the year 1893 – A Good Showing for a Bad Year.”
What a positive spin the writers of the report were able to place on the activities of Norwich. I wish in 2018 our business and political leaders were doing the same type of wordsmithing. The “Following is an abstract of the report of the committee of statistics of the Norwich board of trade composed of Messrs. Pullen, Story, Allen, Olcott and Prentice:
Mr. President and Members of the Norwich Board of Trade: The year 1893 has witnessed a long continued period of remarkably severe industrial and financial depression, extending throughout the country, affecting all branches of business and approaching in many instances a state of stagnation, yet in spite of this fact Norwich is able to give unmistakable evidence of progress in numerous directions.
During the year new industries have been put in operation, real estate transactions have more than held their own in number, building has been active, a hospital second in its appointments to none in the world has been opened, a substantial iron bridge of the most approved construction has been built, the electric street railway has been extended in several directions, and numerous other public improvements have been projected.”
I admit to a certain amount of community pride when I read about “The Hospital” “The William W. Backus hospital, a long needed institution, made possible by the princely generosity of Mr. William A Slater and the late William W. Backus, was organized in 1893 under a charter granted by the state legislature. The buildings were erected in 1892-93 at a cost of about $185,000. and were formally dedicated and opened October 4, 1893. The founding of this magnificent institution and its endowments represent gifts of more than half a million dollars.
There were admitted in the month of October 13 patients, in November 14, in December 11, and up to the present time a total of 60, of whom 36 have been discharged as cured or improved, 7 have died and 14 are now in the hospital. There has been one birth. The hospital has a capacity for 64 patients, there being four wards of 10 beds each, and 18 private rooms with six rooms in the isolating ward.”[
I am looking forward to seeing, reading and hearing the latest promotions of Norwich from our leaders soon.
Arbor Day, Friday, April 27, 2018 was made just a little more interesting for second graders at Moriarty Environmental Sciences Magnet School thanks to Teresa Hanlon and Franz Redanz, the Tree Wardens of Norwich, CT.
Ms. Hanlon and Mr. Redanz were introduced to the second grade students by Principal Rebecca Pellarin followed by a discussion led by the students of what they had already learned about trees and forests. The students were quick to expand on how trees add beauty to an area, help make oxygen so we can all breathe and some give us food, such as fruit and nut trees and some trees even share their sap so we can enjoy rup with our pancakes.
Then Ms. Hanlon turned to a power point presentation on a big screen with a very big black bug with white speckles and long antennae – the Asian Long horned Beetle. The students were taught when and how the bug first came to America and how hundreds of trees in Worcester and Boston had to be cut down because of their infestation with the beetle.
Mr. Redanz showed the students examples of the bug preserved in various life stages in boxes with actual pieces of bark with the tiny escape holes and another piece of wood showing the damage the larvae do eating away beneath the surface. He also made certain that each student had a card to take home of the Asian Longhorn Beetle, with a photo of it, its egg site and the size of its exit hole.
Both Tree Wardens reminded students that there are good bugs and bad bugs and its very important to take notice of the trees around us and work to keep the trees happy and healthy by encouraging the good bugs.
It was a pleasure to observe the exchange between the students and the Tree Wardens. Many thanks to Principal Pellarin, Norwich Public Works, Tree Wardens Hanlon and Redanz.
Thank you to everyone who participated in an Earth Day Clean-up at home, in the neighborhood, around the world and in Mohegan Park in Norwich, CT.
Blessed with clear skies and warm temperatures the day could not have been more perfect for a cleanup of our environment. Paper, plastic, and wrappers that had been tossed by humans and the winds were fair game for pick up.
The four hundred acres of Mohegan Park are kept pretty clean by the Norwich Public Works employees but a little extra cleaning couldn’t hurt. 20 people signed in but dozens more saw the table and joined in by making certain they threw their trash of the day in the readily available trash cans. Some fishermen came over to the table to explain that they had thrown some tangled fishing line away. Some less responsible fishermen just cut the line and throw it on the ground or in the water where it can be harmful to the fish or wildlife. Thank you fisherman for being considerate.
St. Vincent de Paul’s was well represented by work crew Foreman Leonard Matthews and Doris who took charge of cleaning up the area by the beach.
Chelsea Groton Bank sent their local and shoreline purple team with their families. They quickly took responsibility for the trail that goes around Spaulding Pond. Laughter rang as Marjorie Perrone, Kathy Majca, Amber Crespo, Zaifal Crespo and Ayla Drinkwater worked and walked along.
Samantha Venturo and Craig Murphy re-marked the walking trails. Painting the bright color blotches of Red, Blue and Green increases the safety of walkers by helping to keep them from straying off the trails.
Stacy Gould, of the Norwich City Council and Frank Cilley policed the area by the lower parking lot and saw for themselves how many people were taking advantage of the beautiful day. Sam Browning was home with a cold and sent his regrets. Feel better Sam!
Zechariah Stover and John from the Rotary Community Corp attacked the mean thorned trees by the dog pound. The trees grow wild by the edge of the fence and the dogs could have gotten a thorn in their paw which really hurts.
Dee Keaney came to volunteer some time working outside before leaving to volunteer at the NAC downtown demonstrating her amazing dedication to the city.
Judy and Nick Magnano were surprised by how little trash was in the Upper Parking Lot but saddened that a dirty diaper was on the ground mere inches from the trash can.
Shiela Hayes of the Rotary Community Corp handed out bottled water to keep everyone hydrated and worked with a very determined 18 month old who wanted to sweep Park Center clean.
Thank you to Michelle Heikkineu and everyone who picked up litter whether they signed in or not and to everyone who routinely reduces, reuses, recycles and throws away their trash. YOU make a difference every day and we all appreciate it.
Friday, April 27, 2018 is Arbor Day and the Norwich Tree Wardens will be at Moriarty Environmental Magnet School with a presentation on trees. All visitors must sign in at the school office. Time to be announced.
Spring has arrived and there is no shortage of things to do, places to go and people to meet up with in Norwich so please include one or more of these fresh air and exercise events, stops and walks in Mohegan Park to your list. The best part is all of these are FREE and open to the public and open to all ages.
The City of Norwich, CT Mohegan Park Improvement & Development Advisory Committee is proud to join in the Norwich City Council Promotion Initiative.
The public is asked to please enjoy these events and Mohegan Park alone or with friends, family and groups. All events are FREE and open to the public with never an admission or parking fee.
On Sunday, Earth Day April 22, 2018 Please meet at Park Center to begin a clean – up and refreshing of the trails of the Park between Noon – 4 PM. Everyone is invited to join us and groups or families are welcome to choose the areas they would like to be responsible for. Please bring your own rakes, brooms and gloves.
Friday, April 27, 2018 is Arbor Day and the Norwich Tree Wardens will be at Moriarty Environmental Magnet School with a presentation on trees. All visitors must sign in at the school office. Time to be Announced.
See the early bloomers at the Memorial Rose Garden, on CT Public Garden Day, Friday, May 11, 2018.
Here in Norwich, National Trails Day has been expanded from Saturday, June 2 through Sunday, June 10th so there is plenty of opportunity to explore our multiple maintained and unmaintained trails throughout the 400 acres of Mohegan Park.
SCRRA will present “Composting” in Park Center at 7 AM on Wednesday, June 6, 2018 National Gardening Exercise Day
See the changes at the Memorial Rose Garden on Sunday, June 24th when more of the roses will be in bloom.
The 400 acre Mohegan Park is open to the public with no entry or parking fees every day of the year from dawn to dusk. Picnic areas are available. We ask only that you leave the park as clean or cleaner than you found it. Our birds and other wildlife appreciate it.
Additional Events:
Plant Swap – Sunday May 6, 2018 Lee Memorial Church 1pm – 3 pm Indoor and outdoor plants, seedlings, Vegetables, Herbs, and Flowers. Plants to swap is encouraged but not required. There are plenty of plants available to good homes.
Plant Swap – Sunday June 10, 2018 Lee Memorial Church 1pm – 3 pm Indoor and outdoor plants, seedlings, Vegetables, Herbs, and Flowers. Plants to swap is encouraged but not required. There are plenty of plants available to good homes.
And
Guns of Norwich Historical Society – Saturday, April 28, 2018.presents Norwich Made Firearms and Civil War Era Weapons, at Norwich Game & Fishing Association, 44 Browning Rd, Norwich, CT.
The following information is from the dates indicated of the Norwich Bulletin. Details also appeared in various other newspapers but I am using just the stories of the Norwich Bulletin for my references.
World War I lasted from July 28, 1914 through November 11, 1918.
Almost nine years later in the May 19, 1926 Bulletin was a small article how the R. O. Fletcher Post No. 4 American Legion received notice from the Office of Governor Trumbull that the application for a war trophy ( a German made 155mm Howitzer) made several years earlier had been approved and granted and a request for the shipment of the 4,500 pound gun to New Haven had been made.
October 8, 1926 was the announcement the gun which had been hauled by a Norwich City truck would be located to Chelsea Parade for its permanent location at the back of the World War memorial monument would be held on Armistice Day as a part of the town’s Armistice day and susquicentennial observance thanks to Commander Dunbar and First Selectman William S. Murray.
On November 12, 1926 page 5, the Bulletin described a tarpaulin being dragged off the freshly placed memorial gun by four men. A soldier, a sailor, a marine and Leslie Fletcher, brother of Robert O. Fletcher, after whom the post was named.
I always used October 10, 1910 as the celebration date for the Society of the Founders of Norwich, CT. I never questioned the date as it is on the seal and the pin and all sorts of other documents. What I never recognized was I was looking at their incorporation date. Silly me.
So just to bring a smile to your face here are excerpts from the March 18, 1902 two column report of the “First Public Meeting at Buckingham Memorial” of the Founders of Norwich, CT. After reading the complete article I must admit I much prefer the much shorter meetings of today.
“The first public meeting of the newly organized Society of the Founders of Norwich was held in the hall at Buckingham Memorial on Wednesday afternoon at 4 o’clock. There was a good sized attendance of members and others interested in the history of the town, present.
President George S. Smith called the meeting to order, and in a brief address welcomed the guests. He explained the object of the organization, which he said, was limited to descendants of the 35 original settlers of Norwich (in 2018 this is no longer the case). Its mission was to perpetuate the history of early Norwich and the marking of objects associated with the first days of the town, such as the first church, the birthplace of Benedict Arnold, and other citizens of note.
Next followed the singing by a quartette, consisting of Maj. And Mrs. B. P. Learned, Mrs. M.E. Jensen and Mr. Eben Learned, of the quaint old hymns, ‘False are the Men of High Degree’ and ‘Invitation’.”
“George S. Porter read the first paper, on “The Families of the First Settlers.” Mr. Porter begged for indulgence in not being able to report in more detail due to his limitation of time and in data in preparing his paper. But for me as a reader of only the article there were some details of Norwich history I have not been reminded of in a very long time.
Porter spoke of Robert Allyn, for whom Allyn’s Point was named; John Baldwin, was an English silk merchant; Thomas Bingham, later became a resident of Windham; John Birchard was the first town clerk and Clerk of county court; Joseph Bradford, was the son of John Bradford of Plymouth, Mass; Rev. James Fitch was the first pastor; Thomas Howard, was slain the Narragansett fort fight in King Phillip’s war; William Hyde was the first of his family in America; Lieut. Thomas Leffingwell, the leader of the Uncas relief expedition to Shantoh Point on the Thames in 1645, and a very prominent member of the band of the first settlers; Maj. John Mason, the conqueror of the Pequot Indians, commander-in-chief of the military forces of Connecticut and the originator of the movement to settle Norwich; Dr. John Olmstead, surgeon in King Phillip’s War; Sergt. Thomas Waterman, the first innkeeper in the town and with nods and mention to the other male settlers of Norwich. Apparently women had no part in the settlement of our city, or did they? Historians here is an opportunity to speak up as none have done before.
The next presentation of the meeting was by Miss Maria P. Gilman, on “Lowthorpe,” which word she said was originally taken to mean a group of houses. She reported that one of the oldest settlers of Norwich was the Rev. John Lathrop of Lowthorpe, England and how he held several pastorates in England, and was at one time imprisoned for his religious views. Lathrop came to America with part of his flock and settled in Scituate, Mass and later moved to and died in Barnstable, MA.
Lathrop’s son, Samuel, moved to New London and became a prominent member of the First Church and with his son Samuel, purchased large tracts of land in Norwich.
The paper went on to trace the descendants of Samuel Lathrop with interesting reminiscences of various ancestors of Miss Gilman, and were illuminated by dashes of kindly wit.
The quartette sang another curious old hymn, “America’s Hero,” typical of the period of the settlement of Norwich.
Then Jonathan Trumbull in a few words commended the work of the Society, believing it to be of future value to the community before the meeting adjourned for the evening.
What questions are crossing your mind about the history of Norwich and would you like to hear a rendition or two of these old hymns? A full concert might be pushing it but a sampling at an event or two would be nice don’t you think?
Yup its time for another history lesson. The machine gun was invented in the United States of America by Hiram S. Maxim in 1884. By 1887 the machine gun was being produced in Germany at the Spandau Arsenal. In 1914 they had produced 12,000 guns and by 1917, over 100,000 had been produced and the Germans were happy to report that the majority, 90%, of their small arms ammunition was going into the chambers of their machine guns.
Those machine guns were not going onto shelves to be sold to the public, they were being toted and used across Europe in the first World War. World War I lasted from July 28, 1914 through November 11, 1918. Nine million soldiers never returned home. Twenty-one million returned home wounded. The heavy German machine guns called Howitzers were left in fields, backyards and beaches when the German soldiers were given the order to leave an area, move on, retreat, or to finally go home. The story told by the winning side was the guns were captured.
After the war, since everyone knew there would never be another; the American Government regulated the purchase of the guns to organizations, cities and towns throughout America. Each gun was given an identity and a story of true heroism. The fact or fiction of the tale was of no concern. The Europeans had seen enough of the guns and the power they had against their citizens and so did not want them. The world was more interested in the power and strength of the American dollar. The American Legion, Robert O Fletcher Post in Norwich purchased one of the guns and it proudly stood on the tip of Chelsea Parade. Children played on it as it deteriorated to finally be hauled away out of sight and out of mind. Robert O. Fletcher was one of the Norwich men killed in action. He played ball at Norwich Free Academy and wrote sports stories for the Norwich Bulletin, but his story wasn’t as interesting and he was soon forgotten.
Now it has been 100 years so the skeleton of the gun is ready to be hauled out and paraded out in public again as a demonstration of American power and might. I hope someone tells the rest of the story. War is not just fought by the winners. The losing side has stories and families too.
There has been not one word of mention to honor the soldiers of Norwich, CT buried in other countries and cared for by the American Battle Monuments Commission. Residents of Norwich will contribute dollars to fix up the gun to be better than new and then there will a dedication and a moment of silence for the lost soldiers or perhaps we’ll get to ring the bell at City Hall again.
But not one dime will be contributed to the care and preservation of the graves overseas for the men who died for this country but will never have the earth of their country beneath them again.
The interments of World War I remain at ABMC cemeteries permanently. It is no longer possible to repatriate the remains. The program of final disposition of the remains was carried out by the American Graves Registration Service, quartermaster general of the War Department under the provisions of Public Law 389, 66th Congress and Public Law 368, 80th Congress.
On November 11, 2018 the 26 permanent American military cemeteries and 29 federal memorial, monuments and markers which are located in 16 foreign countries, the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the British Dependency of Gibraltar; and the three in the United States will host a ceremony to honor the 100th anniversary of the Armistice of World War 1.
Those will be the ceremonies that will honor the last deeds of our Norwich, CT sons. Perhaps you know the families of –
Private Billings Theophilus Avery, Jr.
Cook Dominick Barber
Corporal Irving E. Bogue
Private James Carver
Private Erwin A. Cohen
Private George A. Dawson
Sergeant Robert O. Fletcher
Private Thomas M. Growns
Private Thomas Perry Johnson
Private Frederick J. Kelley
Lieutenant John F. McCormick
Private Patrick O’Leary
Private James H. H. Perrin
Private Arthur P. Schulz
Private William Stankiewicz
Private Wladslaw Szablinski
Private John Ulan
Corporal Frank A Wilcox
Corporal Walter J. Woodmansee
Private Charles Zdancewicz
Private William M. Durr
Private Donald G. Fraser
With grateful thanks to the American Battle Monuments Commission for all their efforts to commemorate the service, achievements and sacrifice of the members of the U. S. Armed forces buried and memorialized around the world and at home, families and the public will have access to multiple artifact collections through their collections and preservation staff.
Classroom lessons, ideas and resources can be obtained through www.abmceducation.org
ABMC staff members are available to escort family to gravesite locations, to assist with photographs, and give a personal guided tour at each site.
Flowers can be placed within ABMC cemeteries at gravesites. Floral arrangement orders must be placed directly with a florist.
Direct next-of-kin scan request a photo of the floral arrangement at the grave site at no charge. Direct next-of-kin are defined as parent, spouse, sibling, or child of the deceased.
For more information and for a listing of all other services available please visit the ABMC website at www.abmc.gov
And while Norwich, CT has a loose connection with the Roosevelt family it should be noted that the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt has two sons buried next to each other in the Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-Sur-Mer, France. Quentin Roosevelt (born November 19, 1897) First Lieutenant, U. S. Army Air Corps, 95th Aeroplane Squadron, Air Service, Died July 14, 1918 Buried Plot D Row 28 Grave 46 and WWII Brigadier General Theodore J. Roosevelt, O- 139726, Died July 12, 1944, Plot D Row 28, Grave 45.
Whenever I have the search opportunity in a paper that is not local I enter my last name for no reason other than because I can. So a couple of weeks ago I was searching in the archives of the Hartford Courant for something completely unrelated and uncovered the following January 4, 1968 and January 8, 1968 story written by Richard D. McNeill for the Hartford Courant.
My father died in 1983. His WWII stories centered about the trucks he drove, the pranks and trouble he and his buddies got in to. Every few years there would be a reunion and the stories would be retold. As time passed, there were fewer stories of the war and more about future plans, their families, their children and grandchildren. I still exchange holiday cards with some of the other “children.” We never discuss our fathers stories. The stories were theirs to tell, not ours.
Anyway, this newspaper article was a memory that I can only vaguely remember. My grateful thanks to Mr. McNeill and the Hartford Courant Corporation for this personal history lesson. I hope you won’t mind if I tell this story mostly from the newspaper article with a few additional memories added. I regret there are a lot of questions that will never be answered.
On December 27, 1967 the phone rang in a Norwich home and a woman’s voice asked to speak to, “Abe Fishbone.” When he was called to the phone the voice said, “You probably don’t remember me.. “
And Fishbone replied, “As long as any girl remembers me I’m happy.”
The story began twenty-three years earlier and involved a brave seventeen year-old who had out-foxed the Nazis and a three-day stopover. The liberation of World War II concentration camps shed light on some very ugly scenes to Private Abraham Fishbone.
But something beautiful happened in a Herzberg forced labor factory.
Fishbone was with the 38th 91 Quartermaster Truck Company transporting troops of the 1st Division to front line action during the liberation march. When they reached Herzberg in the Hartz mountains just over the Rhine River, he spoke with a member of the Polish underground because he spoke a little Polish, “just enough to get along.”
“I asked if there were any of my people around.” Fishbone said. Then he was told to wait.
Looking around there was a lot of dirt and starving people. The labor factory was made of rows of long, low, wooden quarters that looked like tumble-down chicken coops yet they housed hundreds of humans.
In one of the buildings was a young, pretty and very frightened Dina Klahr.
She and a friend had more to fear than most. They were Jews.
Their parents had been killed in the quiet town of Oleszyce, Poland, just before the girls had run away under falsified passports to escape the ghettos and imminent death there.
The underground agent walked into Dina’s room where she and her friend waited with about 12 other girls. Mrs. Kesten remembers: “He thought we were Jewish and there was a Jewish man outside. I thought you might like to meet him.” he said.
The girls were “excited and happy.” So excited, Fishbone wrote in a letter home, “they actually couldn’t believe it.” “You know how I hate to see women cry, well this lasted for half an hour.” He returned to his camp and the next day brought the girls food and talked with them for a while.
In November 1942 the Jews in Dina’s recently Nazi occupied town were all made to wear white arm bands with the Star of David.
Dina’s mother had obtained a false passport for her. For the next two and a half years everyone but her closest friend, Ruth Lewkowicz, knew her as Eugenia Mikado.
She and Ruth ran away to the big city of Lublin, Poland but there was no work and nowhere else to run. Always in danger of being discovered they still went to the German Labor Department to volunteer for work.
Mrs. Kesten remembered the story she told the officials was something about “my mother had died and my step-mother was no good.”
From Poland she was sent to work in the bomb and mine factory under Nazi rule but was still able to outsmart the enemy. The girls would fix some of the bombs so when they hit they would not explode.
Finally liberation and Pvt. Fishbone came but it was in the wake of bad news. President Roosevelt had died the day before, April 12.
On the third and last meeting of Dina, Ruth and Pvt. Fishbone, Dina recalled the address of an aunt who lived in New York. She asked Fishbone to write and “tell her I’m alive.”
The letter was mailed the next day from some 60 or 70 miles away. He never heard from Dina again until the phone call.
Dina, with “no place to go” and “no future,” left Germany and returned to Poland where she married Abraham Kesten.
On the day after Christmas, in 1958, she came to the United States and ten years later Dina had become Betty and she and her husband owned a poultry farm in Watertown, CT and had two children.
Fishbone’s company was awarded with presidential citations for heroism and bravery in combat.
To my knowledge there was no further communication. No cards. No reliving the memory. Now I am wondering how and why the story was in the newspaper in 1968 when stories of war were not fashionable. What happened to Ruth? Did she ever hear from the Aunt in New York? What was the trigger to make the call? So many questions with no answers.
Thank you all for your service and for working to make all the atrocities of evil, war and pain a memory and not a future.
I was excited to see the City of Norwich Summer activity and education offerings. We have a new recreation leader for the first time in years. There would not be a bountiful selection to choose from due to the budget but still the presentation should be fresh and new. I could hardly wait.
Then it came out. The selection is smaller than ever and the old-fashioned comic sized booklet is the same uninformative and dreary presentation it has always been. I have been struck speechless. How could this be? The City Council has poured serious taxpayer dollars into hiring a recreation director with all kinds of credentials and experience yet when given the opportunity to make the changes so desperately begged for in our city. Nothing. Perhaps even a reduction in the services and activities we currently have.
Where are the Adult Education Classes? Where are the activities of the various churches and the athletic leagues? Why do the surrounding towns have a much greater selection? What is their secret? What are they doing that we, with our high priced professional cannot?
The answer has varied a bit, but not nearly as much as one would think. Mostly, the other towns sent out questionnaires, some made phone calls and one has a collective committee of various group representatives and an impressive host of volunteers.
Then they collect and organize the information. Some charge fees to the organizations for their participation to cover the printing costs, some found or created sponsors. All of them said it was difficult the first few years but once they realized the how much they depended on each other for participants, generation of new ideas, and activity locations it became easier and it is slowly becoming second nature to pick up a phone and ask if two or more groups or organizations would like to sponsor or participate in a new activity.
What makes it so difficult in Norwich, CT to coordinate a collection of programs being offered to the public by the Department of Recreation, the Athletic Leagues, Adult Education, the Senior Center, NFA, Three Rivers, the varied Houses of Worship, Social Services and Veterans organizations and whatever other groups, services and organizations I have forgotten? Norwich, CT leaders enjoy the feelings of maintaining individual towers of power while their actual programs and facilities languish from misuse, overuse, lack of volunteers and lack of funds generation.
NOW is a very good time to begin making a change. Let’s start by working together. One or two groups at a time. Change cannot only be made, it can be accomplished. WE just need to work together. This is the later and the future that was spoken of in the past. It’s long past time to create the environment we want for our future.
I am in awe of the “all things British” fervor that has taken over the United States or the colonies as they were once known. Even the local historical groups have forgotten that drinking the highly taxed imported tea and sugar was considered to be practically treason during the American Revolution.
So what did those sympathetic to the American patriotic cause drink? Why “Liberty Tea” of course and so can you. The “Liberty Teapot” was restricted only by the season, the household menu and of course the spirit of adventure of the families taste buds.
Today, the only restriction we really have is our taste buds. We can go to tea shops, grocery stores, farmers markets and stands and even our own back yards for a widely varied and delicious selection.
Perhaps a historic group looking for a unique fundraiser would like to sponsor a “Liberty Tea” serving tastes of the varieties of teas once gracing the “Liberty Teapot.” (The Leffingwell House Museum had a tea once with a variety of herbal tea selections gracing the tables.) Or maybe a tasting booth at a local history fair. The teas could be brewed as “sun teas” no heating required, or kept chilled in an ice chest (On a hot day I would welcome four ounces of a fruit tea such as strawberry-mint or perhaps a mix of honey, cucumber and mint.) There was a Portland, Maine company that created a dried mixed leaf tea so tasty that during the American Revolution it replaced the British East India Company teas and was exported tax-free to England. How about a demonstration of making your own healthy and delicious teas at home?
So what flavors of teas could people look forward to tasting? How about mint, strawberry, blueberry, clover, chamomile, fennel, violet, rose, golden rod, willow, sassafras, anise, clove, cucumber and even basil? All are delicious on their own or with their unique flavors enhanced with a light swirl of local honey.
I can even imagine the advertising poster borrowing from a pre-revolutionary war Boston newspaper. A satirical writer wrote that “the fair daughters of liberty” should refrain from drinking tea altogether and stop gathering together. He invited the ladies to, “ASSEMBLE together, HANG the tea-kettle, DRAW the tea and QUARTER the toast.” In my head the tea changes but I imagine cinnamon, sugar and butter but jam, jelly would work nicely too on a slice of freshly baked bread cut into quarters. I wonder who the Boston writer thought did the shopping and maintained the boycotts with creative alternatives. Some of the most zealous women refused to accept callers for themselves or their daughters that were not patriotic sympathizers, while others distributed petitions and gathered anti-tea pledges.
The women of Norwich, CT were no strangers to the fervor of war and extended their generosity with more than just tea and toast but with blankets, clothing, socks and other supplies as needed through the seasons.
Sometimes I find the most charming things in the older newspapers. On May 20, 1895 the Norwich Bulletin re-printed this poem from the Detroit Free Press called When Women Register. I can’t even imagine a world where the age claimed by someone registering to vote is the focus of such commentary. I focus more on just getting everyone eligible to vote registered and to the polls on election day.
When the women come to voting
And to giving names and ages,
There’ll be lots of funny capers
On those registration pages.
Whether she’s a Miss or Mrs.
Will annoy the registrars.
Asking won’t be safe – they’d rather
Read the answer in the stars.
As for ages-if the question
Must be asked-the man without
Faith in truthfulness of answers
Had best not display his doubt.
He’ll put down the sweet voiced answers,
Ask not if they’re what they seem,
And, for public satisfaction,
Use perhaps this little scheme: ‘
Mark the age, when “claimed,” in this way (+)
Each “refused to answer” so (++)
And all ages that are “sworn to”
With three daggers in a row (+++).
It may be Mothers Day on Sunday, May 13,2018 but creating a garden or even just introducing a single plant to the entire household is a wonderful celebration of life. But consider a more non-traditional gift, consider planting a wild flower garden that all can enjoy but does not have to tend. With some help from your local garden center choose some plants and seeds that celebrate heritage. You will also be helping the bird, bee and other helpful critter populations.
For example – An Irish Wild flower garden might have a mix of poppies, sweet pea, wild viola, cornflower, calendula, nasturtiums, baby blue-eyes, maiden pinks, forget-me-nots, snapdragons, clarkia, and baby breath.
Every motorway in Germany has been sewn with a meadow mix of poppies, corn flowers, daisies, yellow rattle, pink nettle, phacelia, roses and red orach.
Lawns are meadows in Poland filled with hay, ox-eyed daisies, meadow buttercups, ragged robin, St. Johns Wort, field poppies, marigolds, dark mullion, and scabrous.
Canada is not so far away and so the possibilities are an endless mix of familiar annuals and perennials. Lupin, brown-eyed susans, coreopsis, golden Alexander, New England asters, Wild Indigo Blue, milkweed, Smooth Penstemon, Gay Feather, Eastern Columbine, anything that blooms in red, white, blue, yellow, pink or lavender.
As a Harry Potter fan I loved learning the names of the blooms in the gardens and meadows of Scotland that change with each season. Yarrow, wild thyme, wild strawberries, marjoram, giant bellflower, slender St Johnswort, Devils Bilscabious, cornflower, foxglove, white campion, toad flax, seapink thrift, teasel, tansy, vipers bugloss, water avens, violets, sneeze wort, selfheal, primrose, bluebells, burdock, common knapweed and burdock.
Italian gardens are labor intensive geometric topiaries and shaped greens with few flowers. The hedges are shaped into balls, cones and other shapes that bring interest. If it’s not a hedge there are trees and plants will grow to a huge size in giant container pots. Pergolas will be smothered with fragrant climbers such as wisteria, jasmine, and roses. Around the hedges or perhaps in the center of the perfectly coifed hedge will be lavender or rosemary.
Red geraniums are often the only flower to contrast the green. You will see Bear’s Breeches, Boxwood, Italian Cypress, Eucriphia, Holly, Myrtle, and Yew.
Domestic window boxes are filled with green herbs and the flowers are left to be decorations for the markets. So maybe a small dish garden of herbs might be a great gift that keeps giving throughout the year?
Have a happy day all!
Are you aware that Friday, May 11, 2018 is a holiday? Not a day off holiday but a holiday none-the-less. It is National Public Gardens Day!
This delightful holiday begun in 2009 was started with a partnership with Rain Bird as a way to bring local and national exposure to to the the “importance of building vibrant, relevant gardens committed to community enrichment and environmental responsibility through community engagement, sustainable practices and conversation.”
While Norwich, CT does not go out of its way to participate in this national holiday, I’d like to remind everyone that the Norwich Memorial Rose Garden is open 365 days of the year with no admission or fees. The garden is well and lovingly maintained with much deserved pride by the Norwich Department of Public Works.
The now annual tradition of celebrating public gardens takes place each year on the Friday before Mother’s Day weekend with the intent to raise the awareness of public gardens and the important role they play in our communities and on a global scale.
More than 30 years ago Norwich concert bands played beneath the cover of the gazebo while the audience strolled among the rows of rose bushes or sat on chairs they had brought with them. The acoustic without benefit of electric enhancement were fine for us all. I am lucky to have a sound memory of a Spanish guitar being played there that I wish I could share with you all. It was truly lovely.
Please take advantage of our Norwich Memorial Rose Garden by taking a stroll through the rows. Check out the buds and the blooms and the scents. Read about the men and women who are remembered with the small plaques on the many beds. If you play an instrument, please take advantage of the amazing acoustics that are available there without benefit of electricity. It’s a wonderful place to create a lasting memory.
Are you an indoor or an outdoor gardener? Do you grow your own herbs in the kitchen or in a patch outside? Do you improve the quality of air inside your home or office with live plants? Are the flowers in your yard finally bursting with scent and color? Do you wish your yard was bursting with scent and color? Are you concerned about our environment, pollination, harmful and helpful bugs?
It is still a little early but Bozrah is hosting the first Plant Swap of the 2018 season on May 5th and on May 6th is the first NORWICH PLANT SWAP.
A Plant Swap is a quick and easy way to give your indoor and outdoor landscaping a quick and easy face lift. Everyone has happy indoor plants that keep having babies. It’s great that your plants are happy but some of us have run out of friends to share our plant babies with. I have the same issues with some of my outdoor plants. Some spread their happy growth and joy beyond the boundaries of where I want them to be and some could benefit by having new friends.
I don’t know enough about plants to be able to give advice, but I can listen to the advice of others really well and am selfish enough to benefit from that listening.
So on Saturday, May 5, 2018 from 10AM – 3PM come to the Spring Vintage Market, 45 Bozrah St, Bozrah CT 06334 or on Sunday, May 6, 2018 come to the Lee Memorial Church, 294 Washington Street, Norwich, CT 06360 from 1 PM – 3 PM. COME with your clippings, your extra seeds, your ‘volunteers’, plants and samples of the plants you are not certain of.
We will have tags so you can identify your plants, extra pots and containers so you can take your choices home. Please bring a lawn chair so you can be comfortable while chatting with other plant and gardening enthusiasts. All plants are free. If you are just starting out and don’t have plants to swap, PLEASE COME. Gardeners adore new people and love to share their bounty of plants with new adopting plant parents. Don’t worry if you miss these there will be more.
It is officially summer. The sun is shining and it is hot. I like a little sun but then I have to find some places to explore and to be cool. So I checked out the Museum & Local Attractions Pass available at local libraries through the CT Library Consortium.
You can view it on line at https://www.ctlibrarians.org/page/museum There are the usual places that you would expect to see but then there are quite a few others that require a bit of travel but would certainly be worth the trip as something fun and unusual and cool to boot.
Have you been to the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks? Real Art Ways in Hartford? Stamford Museum & Nature Center? The CT Science Center, Hartford? Discovery Museum, Bridgeport? How about Imagination Nation, A Museum Early Learning Center, Bristol.
When you check out the website don’t be afraid to also check for discounts and admissions in neighboring states. That’s right you might be able to receive a discount at some places in other states such as the Providence Children’s Museum in Providence, the usual places in New York City but there are a few surprises in Massachusetts in addition to the Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield and Battleship Cove, Fall River. Check out the Eco Tarium, Worcester or the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst.
Get out of your comfort zone and explore someplace new. Maybe we’ll run into each other there!
My first stop of the morning was at the Memorial Rose Garden in Norwich, CT. The grass was still wet and not all of the roses had stretched themselves to full daytime bloom. It was glorious!
Then I began the list of errands before I got my brilliant idea. Many of you have a deep understanding of how uncrafty I really am but man oh man do I have ideas. So, this afternoon I was off. My brilliant idea was to make a disc golf course that was moveable and could be adjusted for different locations and abilities. Stop looking like that, some of us are still working on the wrist snap required for truly great Frisbee aim.
At home I have a few different promotional Frisbees so those will have to do. So my first stop was at the Dollar Store to purchase hula hoops of various sizes but how was I going to be hold them up in the air? A little Harry Potter Quidditch like but without the magic. Hmmm. Garden stakes would work but of course I had my moment of brilliance when there were none available at the dollar store so I picked up a few pool noodles and took my loot to my basement. It took a while but I found the orange drive way poles that I use during the winter. Then I went out in the yard to see how this might all come together. Sorry I forgot to mention the wire hanger I clipped in half that came from my closet.
For the first “hole” I took a large hoop and dropped two of the wire hanger ends over the hoop and into the ground so the hoop would remain standing. The second hole should be a little harder so I put two of the orange driveway poles into the ground a fair distance away and dropped matching pool noodles over them before duct taping a medium sized hula hoop in place. With such success I got a little creative with hole number three. To keep the birds way from my plants I have whirly flowers, from the dollar store of course, but four, two on each side could balance a hula hoop with a little help from some duct tape. I went to the hardware store for hole number four I purchased true wooden garden stakes the tallest they had and screw in hooks large enough to hula hoops. Three inches from the flat end of each garden stake I screwed a small piece of paint stirring stick. A hula hoop can balance high in the air on the little pieces of wood with a little help from some duct tape. Hole number five just required me to screw in the hooks so the hoop could hang in place.
Daylight was burning so my neighbor and I spent perhaps a little too much time trying out my new game. It is a great game for the sports challenged. The hoops are bright and colorful and is a great way to recycle aged or bent hula hoops.
Have you ever invented a game? When was the last time you played it? Its time to enjoy the sunshine.
Finally summer has arrived with sun shining days, the flowers and roses are at their peak of blooming. This is going to be the perfect weekend to visit Connecticut’s Historic Gardens. The official Connecticut’s Historic Gardens Day 2018 is Rain or shine Sunday, June 24th from noon – 4:00 pm.
The Norwich Memorial Rose Garden in Norwich, CT may not be on the official list but let’s face it. When in bloom, like right now, the small garden is magnificent. The colors are brilliant and the sweet, delicate scent in the air can be called a perfume. On a recent visit a low playing radio added to the atmosphere but to be honest someone strumming a guitar, or playing a flute, or a sax would have been better. Try it, I promise you will love it.
The Norwich Rose garden is an especially great place to try your hand at painting en plein air.
But if you are willing to travel a little further take a garden tour of a formal parterre garden at 1 or 3 pm at the Bellamy-Ferriday estate in Bethlehem. It was designed between 1915-1918 by Eliza Mitchell Ferriday.
Eliza Butler McCook and her sister Mary installed the Jacob Weidenmann Garden in 1865. Grounds admission is free but regular admission applies for the house.
The Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme is ready inside and out with their exhibit of Art and the New England Farm, “Explorer Kits” make it easy to discover more about the landscape, and painting supplies are available to create a personal masterpiece. Grounds admission is free; and regular admission applies for the house and art gallery.
Take the time to learn about the Jekyll Garden Restoration Project with a guided garden tour at the Glebe House Museum and the Gertrude Jekyll Garden in Woodbury. First floor Glebe House tours will be free and there will be a drawing for a signed and framed CT’s Historic Gardens Day poster.
America’s first female landscape architect, Beatrix Farrand designed the gardens at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford and Park Staff and Friends of Harkness volunteers will give free tours from Noon – 4pm. Suggested donation from 10 am – 2 pm for a tour of the Harkness mansion. The great lawn is a fabulous place for a picnic lunch.
Self-guided tours rule at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford. There is a shade garden with exotic elephant ears, castor bean plants, roses, perennials and annuals, CT’s largest Merrill Magnolia, grafts from the Stowe Dogwood, the Common Paw and more.
For a price visitors can tour the 1871 Harriet Beecher Stowe home on an interactive, conversational tour.
Visitors to Hill-Stead’s famous Sunken Garden in Farmington will encounter a living example of landscape architect Beatrix Farrand’s creative vision for one family’s estate. Young gardeners can enjoy a scavenger hunt and other activities to acquaint them with the gardens from 10 am – 4:00 pm.
Make scented sachets at the Osborne Homestead Museum in Derby and take a guided tour of the Colonial Revival gardens for free.
Bring your sketch book when you visit the Beatrix Farrand-designed garden at Promisek at Three Rivers Farm, Bridgewater.
Jana Milbocker will be at Roseland Cottage in Woodstock to sign copies of her book The Garden Tourist: 120 Destination Gardens and Nurseries in the Northeast.
Costumed interpreters will be dying cloth and fiber in the 18th century Dooryard Gardens from 12-4 at the Stanley-Whitman House in Farmington.
Haddam Historical Society and Thankful Arnold House Museum,14 Hayden Hill Road, Haddam, CT Visitors will learn how herbs, vegetables and plants were used by the Widow Thankful Arnold in the early 19thcentury. The Wilhelmina Ann Arnold Barnhart Memorial Garden features over 50 varieties of herbs including those used in cooking, dyeing, fragrance and medicine. The museum’s newly interpreted outhouse will also be on the tour from
12 noon to 4 pm.
The Wethersfield Webb Deane Stevens museum offers special programs in their colonial revival garden designed in 1921 by landscape gardener Amy Cogswell. Admission to the garden is free and tours of the museum houses will be available for a fee.
In Wilton the Weir Farm National Historic Site staff and Garden Gang volunteers will offer short informal talks about the plants, flowers, restoration and on-going preservation in the sunken garden and the secret garden. The scenery has inspired artists for over 130 years and the park has free-to-use watercolor supplies.
So which gardens will you be visiting?
I hate it. I hate it when I am working on something positive but to get there I have to first uncover bad and evil. I suppose everything needs to have a place to begin and few things start off lovely and perfect and improve from there.
Anyway, did you know the first recorded case of incest in the Connecticut Colony appearing before a local magistrate was in Norwich in May of 1672? It was the case of Thomas and Sarah Rood.
Thomas Rood had at least nine children, ranging between six to twenty-three. There may have been older children but they were not listed in the court records. Rood owned at least 180 acres of land in Norwich. Roods wife Sara had died about 4 years earlier. When it was noted by the community that the unmarried daughter of Thomas was pregnant, she admitted the child was by her father. By June the records show the local ministers were being asked by the court if “a person guilty of the crime of incest ought to be put to death?” On October 10th the court, Deputy Governor and Assistants of Connecticut asked the advice of the General Court. Justice was speedy and the execution of Thomas Rood was ordered to take place on October 18th in Norwich.
Poor Sarah though was also indicted for incest and pled guilty on October 8th but the court assistants couldn’t decide if she was as guilty as her father so she had to wait until May 19, 1673 for the court’s decision. The court’s decision was that she was “ignorant and weak in mind’” and consistent with being victimized and abused. But, having determined all that and a bit more, she deserved to be “severely whipt on the naked body once in Hartford and once at Norwich.” This was to make both examples to others in the community who might be tempted to abuse children and to the children who failed to report any such abuse. Keep in mind Sarah gave birth to a son named George in late 1672.
The rest of the Rood children were made dependants of the townsmen of Norwich and were “placed out into orderly families where they (could) be well educated.” The townsmen were also ordered to take control of Rood’s estate and to manage it for the support of Sarah and her child. I don’t know what happened to them all but child #6, Thomas died in 1682 at the age of twenty-one. Micah, moved to Franklin and more about his life and “strangeness” can be learned from the “Legend of Micah Rood.” The story, in short is he murdered a peddler in his orchard and from then on one apple tree produced a yellow apple with a bright red spot within its flesh representing a spot of blood. Micah died in 1728.
George, born in 1672, was placed into the care of Thomas Leffingwell in 1675 until he reached the age of twenty-one. His mother, Sarah, moved to New London. Then its a few years before the life of George takes an ironic twist. In July 1702 George married a pregnant Hannah Bush. In October 1702 Hannah tells a magistrate that her step-father Thomas Hall had repeatedly raped her with the assistance of her mother, Susannah and her unborn child was his and not her husband’s. After the hearing where Thomas and Susannah deny all, the magistrate orders them committed to jail until court the following June unless released on bond. Hannah was released on bond paid by Samuel Lothorp. Susannah (Hannah’s mother) bond was paid by Samuel Rood, the youngest legitimate son of Thomas Rood and the older half-brother and uncle to George.
The records of an October 27th hearing are disturbing to say the least and I won’t relate them here but it took until May of 1703 for Thomas to submit his rebuttal that contained some elaborate explanations and further accusations and implications. It was the responsibility of George to divorce Hannah when he learned that she was pregnant. George and Hannah had allowed seven pounds of goods to be stolen from his house and George’s brother Samuel and sister-in-law Mary Rood were behind the theft of goods. Hall was a victim of a conspiracy and of an unnamed witch practicing her evil art. That did not go over as well as it might have in 1660. On May 29, 1703, Thomas and Susannah Hall were found guilty of the charges of incest and accessory to incest and sentenced not to death, but to stand at the gallows with a rope around their necks for one hour, receive a whipping not to exceed forty stripes, and to wear a capital “I” two inches long and “proportional bigness and in a contrasting color” for the rest of their lives. Hannah was sentenced only to be whipped. I consider myself fortunate to not find any further references to the Rood family saga.
After being immersed in this very dark and disturbing bit of local Norwich history I am going for a walk in the sunshine and hope to hear children laughing and dogs barking and cats purring and to see the bright colors of blooming flowers and be reminded that that there is good in the world after all. Even if there is not, that is what I am going to tell myself.
Decisions. Decisions. Stay home and clean or go out? Go out of course. On the road to the Rice Violet a “Thai Kitchen and Vegetarian Bistro,” at 287 Main Street, Worcester, MA.
How I wish the restaurants here would borrow a few serving suggestions from there. Easy parking, clean and well lit. Pleasant staff who had no difficulty explaining exactly how each dish is prepared and served and suggesting what should be paired with something else as we had decided to share whatever we ordered. We all eat seafood, but the rest were a mix of vegetarians and carnivores.
We started with a Veggie Nice Sampler – a mix of chive dumplings so light one floated above the plate, veggie dumplings, Samosa Bags (A crispy wonton wrapper stuffed with curried potato and served with a sweet and sour sauce), Crispy Kale rolls, Tofu triangles, and soy wings with a homemade ginger soy sauce and an order of lightly fried Brussels sprouts. An eye roll, had a carnivore order the chicken satay with peanut and cucumber sauces. The cucumber sauce was delicious. I could have eaten it with a spoon and then licked the bowl.
We shared one bowl of Tom Yum, an amazing Thai hot and sour spiced soup with chili, mushrooms, lime juice and shrimp since we were sharing. It came steaming with an aroma that made our mouths water even though we had really already had enough to eat. Anything you order can be adjusted for vegetables & tofu, chicken, shrimp or seafood. No one makes a big deal of any request made because they make it fresh and to order. Its not frozen and heated up to serve. Lightly battered or heavy batter its ok to make the request to get precisely what you want.
I was a bit disappointed that no one in our group ordered the duck. They serve duck in what seems like a hundred different ways from soup to crispy slices in a magical variety of sauces, curries and combinations. The spicy salmon was lightly pan-seared on a bed of lightly steamed fresh vegetables, the seafood curry had shrimp, octopus, and scallops in a coconut milk red curry and vegetables, Brown sauce with fresh pineapple, cashews and other veggies was delicious but I don’t know what it was called. The Trio Madness of chicken, beef and pork with vegetables in hot sauce was too spicy for me. The white rice had a perfume. Not an odor or a scent or a smell but the light perfume of a summer’s night garden.
We enjoyed sharing ginger, coconut and green tea ice creams, a banana roll with honey and a Thai custard on top of sticky rice.
As we waddled to the car the consensus was we should have parked further away. Norwich, CT is attracting some better restaurants but there is room for a few more that stretch the palate..
The City of Norwich, CT has the resources and the potential to be a health trend leader in the State of Connecticut and best of all it wouldn’t cost the much put upon taxpayers an extra dime. That’s right, I wrote that we, the residents of Norwich could be leaders in something positive and it wouldn’t cost the taxpayers a single red cent more than they are already paying.
Norwich, CT has pockets of green, i.e. parks, parades, lots, 3 rivers, multiple streams, ponds, lakes and dams and of course, the 400+ acre Mohegan Park in the center of the city. No portion of the city is without some portion of green. So with all that, Norwich with a bit of strategic promotion is positioned to be a leader in the latest craze sweeping the world, “Forest Bathing.”
From lots of sources I learned that the craze began when the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries started promoting the practice of “taking in the forest atmosphere” for health and wellbeing in 1982. The Ministry called it “shinrin-yoku,” or roughly, “forest bathing” in English.
“Forest bathing,” is the practice of “immersing in the forest atmosphere to relieve stress.” There are a bunch of studies documenting how the trees and forests are healthy resources for people with a variety of physical and mental issues. The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides’ website www.natureandforesttherapy.org offers links to numerous research papers and articles.
One of the most positive features of forest bathing is its availability to people with physical issues. There are easy forest trails, at Bluff Point State Park in Groton, Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme, Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam, and Chatfield Hollow State Park in Killingworth and our own Mohegan and McKeon Parks. For a guide to Connecticut trails statewide visit CFPA’s Connecticut Walk Book www.ctwoodlands.org/connecticut-walk-book-20th-edition.
The healing benefits come from exposure to the essential oils the trees exude and share naturally. The oils protect the trees from insects and diseases. Wouldn’t you like to live, work and have your business in a city that cares about its residents? Surprise! You do! But until the leadership of the city recognize the treasures of Norwich they will continue to be a secret. Telling people about “Forest Bathing” and taking a walk or two among the trees, or watching a flower grow is all the promotion required. YOU can do it. The leaders of this city can do it. Together, we can positively promote our city. See you outside.
Finally the warmth, and the sunshine and the rains have arrived and June is Native Plant month. Some of the seed catalogs and the garden places are excited and gearing up for the week of June 18 – 24th which is Pollinator Week.
Check with your local garden center to see if they will be hosting a “Pollinator Party” to educate their customers about environmental preservation. Environmental education is not the same now as it was even ten years ago. The strength of the habitat and pollinator movements has grown exponentially. More people are aware that every outdoor space, not just gardens, farms, schools, and golf courses can contribute to a better environment for everyone.
There is so much information available now it is easy to become overwhelmed and if you are like me, frozen into inaction by all of the conflicting information. So feel free to start small. Start with a single pot with a single plant that attracts whatever you are interested in. My neighbors and I like birds and our bird feeders and baths have attracted a very wide selection we are very proud of. So our experiment is to attract and increase the number of hummingbirds in our neighborhood.
Hummingbirds like bright colors, fragrant and tube shaped flowers so I have filled two large planters with honey suckle and have connected them with a broken hula hoop so the vines have something to grow on. I don’t know if this is the best of plans but one of my little neighbors (she is now three years old) and I spent a wonderful hour or so discussing and creating our rainbow garden. It took a couple of tries but we found just the right spot so we can each see it from our windows and will have a great view of what it attracts.
If you are not certain your thumb is green, there are lots of other things that you can do to help pollinators. Create a watering station by filling a shallow dish with marbles and fresh water. The marbles give insects a place to land so they can get a drink before they continue their journey to the next flower.
What is it you are hoping to attract? Birds, Butterflies or Bees?
The question in a continuing e-mail barrage that I am receiving is “Do You Have Plans This Weekend? Join us at a Trail! Over 200 free events in CT!”
There is a health insurance company that is very concerned about my health and wants to play a part in my life. The events however are not in Eastern CT and when I contacted the very concerned company they had no interest in adding the Norwich, CT Mohegan Park Trails Week to their list of more than 240 planned events which makes the state of Connecticut the host of the largest National Trails Day® in the country.
But not a single event will be held here in Norwich, CT. Other places will have hikes, family walks, trail runs, paddles, bike rides, even historical strolls. All events are free and have a volunteer guide. The Mohegan Park Committee invited the public to wander the parks maintained trails over the course of the week from Saturday, June 2 through Sunday, June 10th but without the reinforcement of the residents the small promotion doesn’t gain the momentum to grow and become an event.
We failed in getting the interest though of local residents. What does it take to get your attention? How do we communicate to you the wonderful trails that are available to everyone all year long at no cost? Well marked and maintained trails that can be mixed or matched to any length you would prefer.
No charge to enter the park. No charge to park or use the general public picnic areas. Open dawn to dusk every day of the year. What is your excuse?
A friend at the Connecticut State Library sent me a treasure for which I shall forever be grateful and in his debt. My friend sent me a copy of a 1797 court case mentioning a man some friends and I have been researching for years! The man was Cato Meed. He enlisted in the Revolutionary War from Norwich, later lived in New York and then Iowa.
Montrose, Iowa was always very proud to have a revolutionary soldier buried in its cemetery and shocked to learn just a few years ago that Cato was on the U.S. Census rolls as a black man and is now officially the first black revolutionary war soldier known to be buried west of the Mississippi River. Now we know about others but Cato was the first. Anyway, I am so excited it is tough to focus.
How many family researchers go beyond looking in the local newspapers for birth and death notices? Once in a while coming up with the notice of an anniversary or special party or gathering. What about the church records? Some churches on their anniversaries will create a book of their members from the 1st to the present. But where do the church records eventually wind up? Birth, baptism, bar mitzvah, wedding and death what do you celebrate? What makes up the points of your life?
What about the court records? For a while they were a very popular find at yard sales. Now the logs of the court records are found in boxes in libraries, museums, storage areas, attics, basements, barns and garages. A few such as the ones at our own Leffingwell House Museum in Norwich, CT are on occasional display but mostly they sit on a shelf with no one taking inventory of their pages, the names of the individuals involved or the subjects they cover. Over the years the pages have become drier and more delicate but the ink is still as dark and vibrant as ever. With the latest technology or a camera phone held steady on a frame I can only hope someone is now photographing the pages and placing them in any of the free research spaces available to the public. It would be a crime if they were to attempt to charge for the public information but a well placed note of appreciation for a donation would likely draw a fine response.
When you are researching your family think first of yourself and the highlights, both good and bad and then continue to search in what you know to be the unlikeliest of places. You may find a surprising treasure there!
Let’s just face the facts. If you were born in Norwich, CT you have to leave Norwich, CT to reach your full potential and to become appreciated. Take for example Simon Perkins. Simon Perkins was born September 17, 1771 to Captain Simon Perkins, who died in 1778 while in the Continental Army and Olive Douglas, a descendant of William Douglas, one New London, CT’s founders.
Perkins spent his youth learning the trade of surveying and at age 24 he ventured to Oswego, New York to survey and sell land for three years. From late 1797 through 1831 he was the land agent for the Erie Land Company in Ohio, a subsidiary of the Connecticut Land Company owned and organized by none other than General Moses Cleveland of Canterbury, Connecticut. Perkins established the company headquarters in Warren, Ohio that was then a portion of the Western Reserve of Connecticut.
From 1801- 1829 he also served as the first postmaster in the Connecticut Western Reserve. With urging from the United States Postmaster General, Perkins, established a mail route to Detroit in 1807 by negotiating a treaty with the Native North American tribes.
On March 4, 1804 Perkins married Nancy Ann Bishop and they subsequently had nine children who later also figured prominently in Ohio history.
In 1808, Perkins became a Brigadier General in the Ohio militia and in 1812 commanded 400 men in the defense of the northwestern area of Ohio from British and Native American attacks after the surrender of Detroit in the fall of 1812 by General Hull. All while serving also as an auditor of Trumbull County Ohio from 1810-1812.
With 64 stockholders and a capital of about $100,000 Perkins established the Western Reserve Bank of Warren, Ohio in the fall of 1813. Building upon that success he also assisted in the founding of banks in Painesville and Norwalk; the Brier Hill Iron & Coal Company (later the Brier Hill Steel Company) in Youngstown, Ohio; becoming a trustee of the Warren Academy, an agent for Aetna Life Insurance Company, stockholder and President of the Trumbull and Ashtabula Turnpike Company, and State of Ohio Canal Commissioner from 1826 – 1838. This was during the main planning of the Ohio and Erie Canal. Perkins invested in land near Summit Lake, now south Akron. He generously donated some of his land to the state for a canal right-of-way. To further assist with the founding of the City of Akron he and Paul Williams, also of Connecticut, donated 100 lots of land according to the December 6, 1825 record at the Portage County seat of Ravenna, Ohio.
1815 records show Perkins was one of the largest land owners in the state of Ohio and paid one-eleventh of the total state real estate taxes from Portage County, Ohio. Some of the holdings are now in Cuyahoga Falls and western Akron, Ohio. On March 25, 1815 he purchased 1,298 acres at $2.08 an acre from Samuel Parkman. The acreage is now most of downtown Akron.
General Simon Perkins died November 6, 1844 in Warren, Ohio and Mrs Perkins on April 24, 1862. Original oil portraits of General and Mrs Simon Perkins are on display at the Perkins Stone Mansion an Akron, Ohio house museum preserved in honor of the General and Mrs Perkins eldest son, Colonel Simon Perkins who managed his fathers holdings and investments as well as his own which included a large sheep and spinning operation for a time managed by abolitionist John Brown.
Modern Norwich, CT residents insist upon doing and following along on what has been done in the past; yet the successes of its residents all lie upon their leaving Norwich to break the rules and succeed somewhere else.
Take for example Jennie Dorcas Fellows. She was born in Norwich, CT April 4, 1873. Then I found precious little except she was a library assistant at the Norwich Peck Library from September 1892 – 1895; an assistant at the New York State Library in February 1899 and she earned her diploma in Library Sciences in 1905. She also is credited with working in a number of large and mostly political private libraries until she became an instructor in elementary cataloging, accession and shelf work at the New York State Library. In 1911 she was elected to faculty membership.
In 1914 Fellows book, Cataloging Rules, was first published as Bulletin 36 of the New York Library School. From 1921 to 1937 Fellows edited the 11th edition of the Dewey Decimal Classification after the death of May Seymour. But, it was the well received 25% larger, 12th edition she was fully responsible for. It was this edition that “has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.” The 13th edition was one-third larger than the 12th edition growing the tome to 1,647 pages.
By all reports, Fellows became the successor of Melvil Dewey (the father of modern librarianship and spelling reform), even changed the spelling of her name from Dorcas to Dorkas, and published the classification using the reformed spelling standard.
Today, we recognize the spelling reform, in text messaging. A common example is this from a letter sent between Fellows and Dewey, “d n order paper. I l get tt I tym. Give whn redi t order final decision o syz & weit.” Could you read the phonetic spelling?
In 1927, Fellows moved the DDC editorial offices from the Lake Placid Club to an office in the Library of Congress. Shortly afterward, Decimal Classification numbers began appearing on the Library of Congress cataloging cards sold to thousands of libraries.
Fellows died in 1938 while working on the 14th edition of the classification.
Thanks to M. Whitney of the NY State Library and the Hathitrust Digital Library.
Norwich, CT has been the birthplace of numerous exceptional women. Women, that quite frankly, most of us have never heard about, such as Julia Henrietta Gulliver.
Born July 30, 1856 to Reverend John Putnam Gulliver and Frances Woodbury Curtis in Norwich, Ct. Julia and her siblings of a sister, two brothers and two who did not survive early childhood moved around the country regularly during her early years. She and her family left Norwich in 1865 for a pastorate in Chicago. In 1868 the family moved to Galesburg, IL where her father served as a President of Knox College for four years before leaving for another Presbyterian pastorate in Binghamton, NY where Julia graduated high school before becoming a member of the first class of the newly established Smith College in 1875.
Julia’s senior thesis in 1879 on dreams was published in the Journal of Speculative Philosophy in April 1880. She continued her education in philosophy with her father who by 1878 had joined the faculty of the Andover Theological Seminary and in 1888 earned her doctorate in philosophy from Smith College. Before 1900, fewer than 200 women had ever earned PhD’s.
Two years later she was appointed head of the Department of Philosophy and Biblical Literature at Rockford Female Seminary (Renamed Rockford College in 1892) in Rockford, Illinois. During 1892 and 1893 she was the only female in a class of two hundred men at the University of Leipzig studying under European psychologist, Wilhelm Wundt.
In 1902 Dr. Gulliver accepted the role of President of Rockford College adding programs of home economics, pedagogy, library science, and secretarial studies, banned sororities, doubled the endowment, and earned national accreditation before retiring in 1919 and moving to Eustis, Florida to live with her sister until her death July 25, 1940 at age 94.
Her book Studies in Democracy was published in 1917 and supports the theory that increased participation by women in politics would increase peace and unity in society rather than discord and strife due to their nature as natural conservators and nurturers.
Huge sigh. Two weeks ago I bought new sheets at a large department store in the Crystal Mall. They were on sale even though they have a high thread count. This is the second time I have washed them. In cold water I might add. The side hems are disintegrating already. Not such a big deal as that portion of the sheet is usually tucked under the mattress but still I have an expectation of the lengthwise hem lasting more than two washings.
In the same wash was a set of sheets I purchased in Tepper’s Store located in downtown Norwich back in the late 1970’s. I bought them as disposable sheets for I think my first apartment and fully expected them to have a very short life span. They have been in continual use since then in dorms, apartments, homes, campsites, the beach, for humans and animals and still they show no thin spots, wash clean, show no stains, fold flat, and the top, bottom and side hems are intact. In fact they look new, well, almost new as the colors are still sharp and crisp but the design has been and gone round more than once. I want to toss them but, other than my knowing their age, and their old design, there is no reason too. My new sheets on the other hand, probably won’t make their first anniversary. Sigh.
In the 1960’s and 1970’s we used paper straws. Then in the interest of progress we moved onto the wide spread use of plastic straws. Now in 2018, cities are choosing to ban the plastic straw to protect their environment. Ways to create your own waxed and reusable paper for wrapping sandwiches and cover leftovers on plates and bowls are an internet sensation. Plastic bags are discouraged in our stores. Bring your own bags and boxes are encouraged. More restaurants and fast food places are opening for breakfast and have a menu very similar to a 1970’s diner.
In the 1950’s and 1960’s small local businesses were where we all shopped and we had a healthy distrust of the big box store merchandise. Shop local! Is a national Chamber of Commerce promotion. Going out to dinner was an event to look forward to. Your plate was likely to have vegetables grown nearby and you could tell the season by which veggies were featured.
Clothing was still mostly natural fibers of cotton and wool and had seams and buttons that loosened but lasted until it was tossed into the rag bin when it was no longer fit to be worn by family or stranger.
The perfect world was in the 1970’s and we are putting up a good fight to return there. What do you remember that is now new again?
Dear Norwich, CT leaders. Not just local residents are watching the actions that you take, or not take, but people from a distance are watching and waiting too. When a project is begun with much fanfare and then abandoned it may take a while but be assured it will be noticed and noted.
A few years ago there was great fanfare for the building of the David Ruggles Freedom Courtyard in front of City Hall and there was an “investigation” to find his grave in the Yantic Cemetery. Whether he was re-buried here or not, it would still be appropriate to have some kind of a marker in his families area. Currently there is still no marker or stone, storyboard, or indicator and by the way, the cemetery map at the entrance is missing and could have used updating when it was last seen.
Sadly, inquiries to the conventional sources did not respond.
I would not bring this up again except I recently received the following email inquiry and it deserves a reply. Thank you Norwich, CT leaders for your assistance.
Hi Beryl,
I am a 2/3 grade teacher in Easthampton, MA, who every other year teaches about the Underground Railroad and the abolitionist movement, especially focusing on local history.
Steve Strimer of the David Ruggles Center in Florence, Massachusetts gave me your name as someone who might know more about the location and (potential) gravestone marker for David Ruggles.
I recently visited the Yantic Cemetery in Norwich and found the location of his mother’s grave, with the help of Ray Thompson who was cutting grass in the cemetery. I have read that David Ruggles was buried next to his mother’s grave. Ray helped me find the spot and mentioned that four or five years ago he remembered some people visiting the cemetery with instruments that located a grave in the grassy area behind Nancy Ruggles’ gravestone. (Ray also gave me directions to Bean Hill and the David Ruggles Freedom Courtyard.)
I wondered if you have records that this is David Ruggles’ gravesite location and if you knew if there are plans to put a stone or plaque honoring him. The David Ruggles Freedom Courtyard is an exceptional memorial to his life, but it was sad to visit the cemetery and not find his place of burial marked. Are they ways to help get a marker in place?
If you have any information or contacts that would help me find out, that would be so appreciated! I am also writing to other contacts Steve gave me.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
(Name withheld for privacy)
So, leaders of Norwich, CT what is your reply?
Most people in Norwich are familiar with the surname Backus because of the William W. Backus Hospital that plays such a huge part in the Norwich, CT community and surrounding area. But were there others named Backus? Who were they? What did they do and where did they do it?
If anyone wanders through the Yantic Cemetery they’ll come across the grave of Henry Titus Backus born April 4, 1809 died July 13, 1877. From that information you’d imagine that he spent his whole life here but you’d be wrong.
Backus was born and educated in Norwich even worked as a store clerk in Norwich as a young man but he began attending classes at Yale and later began studying law under Calvin Goddard and eventually being admitted to the Connecticut bar in 1833 before moving to the Western Territory and Michigan.
In Michigan he lived in the house of his cousin, law partner and future father-in-law William Woodbridge.
Backus married Juliana Trumball on December 7, 1835. Later he bacame a senior partner in the law firm Backus and Harbough.
Firmly established in society Backus was easily elected to the Michigan House of Representatives as a member of the Whig Party in 1840 and was a member of the state constitutional convention of 1850 followed by becoming an Alderman from the 9th ward of Detroit from 1860-1861. It was a short term because Backus was also elected to the Michigan State Senate as a Republican and was chosen to act as President Pro Tempore when J. R. Williams became Lieutenant Governor of Michigan. When Williams died in June 1861 Backus rose to become the 15th Lieutenant Governor until January 1863.
Backus built a reputation for his legal knowledge, fairness and negotiation abilities to the extent that when William T Howell resigned from the Arizona bench, U.S. Senator Jacob M. Howard recommended Backus as the replacement. The new Associate Justice of the Territory of Arizona received his commission on March 11, 1865 and was present for the opening of the territories first Supreme Court session on December 26, 1865 so he could leave for his posting in Tucson on January 2, 1866.
He enjoyed his posting and exploring the area, territory and even Mexico but did not request reappointment when his term expired in March 1869. The throat condition that hadn’t troubled him in Arizona returned when he returned to the colder climate of Detroit. In 1875 Backus requested an appointment in Arizona or New Mexico but none were available. By March 1877 he was making his home with his friend Charles Hayden of Tempe, Arizona. While the two were traveling through Mohave County, Backus became ill in Greenwood, Arizona and died on July 13, 1877 and was buried there and then later moved to Norwich, CT.
Are you an arm chair historian? Did you once like history but have become bored with hearing the same old stories over and over again? Tired of reading only from the female perspective? Then grab your kindle and read Reveries of a Bachelor (1849) aka a Book of the Heart. by IK Marvel or as he was known in Norwich, CT growing up Donald Grant Mitchell (April 12, 1822 – December 15, 1908.)
The book was a favorite of poet Emily Dickinson and the author was called “one of the pleasantest of our American writers.” by Oliver Wendell Homes, Sr. Marvel brings to life the sentimental thoughts of a bachelor sitting before a fire in a country farm house interpreting the blaze as life and what lies ahead, “so lively yet uncertain, so bright yet flickering.” How life settles into the a steady glow of hot coals and may flare like the dry leaf of a fine cigar when touched by the flame of a match. Its a wonderful story filled with sentiment, life style, marriage, travel and dreams and told from a male perspective. Dream Life or a Fable of the Seasons (1851) are good choices as well and please read to the dedication to his friend Washington Irving.
Mitchells family tree was filled with educators, politicians, lawyers, and judges. He tried to follow the family tradition and graduated from Yale where he was a member of the Skull and Bones and studied law for a time but he enjoyed literature more. He began demonstrating his environmental and agricultural interests while serving as U.S. Consul in Venice, Italy from 1853 – 1854 and at his estate called Edgewood near New Haven, CT in 1855.
He was writings were about what he knew and was interested in and his writings style is clear, clean and easy to read and follow. My Farm of Edgewood: A Country Book (1863), Doctor Johns was a character novel (1866), About Old Story-tellers (1878) and American Lands and Letters (1897-1899). He wrote more but I am not able to list them all here.
“You’re from Norwich, CT?” “Yes.” “Do they ever have exhibits of “finger billiards?” “I’m sorry but I honestly have no idea what you are talking about.” And so began the most interesting history conversation I have ever had while watching a game of pool.
The gentleman speaking to me is a billiards historian. He told me he was once a professional player but age shakes put an end to it being lucrative so now he just watches and does a little teaching on the side of the younger players when they let him.
“So why did you ask about “Finger Billiards” in Norwich? That’s when he told me this mostly unverified story of “Yank Adams.” Yank’s real name was Frank B. Adams. He was born in Norwich, CT December 19, 1847 and died sometime in 1923. He began being called “Yank” while serving in the Eighteenth Connecticut Volunteers during the Civil War. He was a large boy of 16 when he enlisted and an even larger man when he was discharged three years later. During those three years he also learned how to bowl and would show-off bowling tricks such as the “cocked hat”, “back frame”, “head pin stand” and the “Skew ball.”
From 1872-1875 he found work as a carpenter and then as a traveling salesman for the American Sterling Silver Company. One day, when he was twenty-five while working for the Derby Silver Company of New York he was waiting to meet with his customers in a Poughkeepsie hotel and he wandered into a billiard room. He took six balls over to one of the tables and began practicing his “bowling” shots. He soon had the attention of every person in the room because of the way and the speed that he moved the ball. Men asked for the privilege of placing the balls as a test whether Adams could make the shot. That’s when Adams learned about Professional Carom Billiards.
Carom Billiards is when a player manipulates the billiard balls with his hands instead of a cue stick. The manipulation is usually spinning the ball between the thumb and middle finger.
In the next town he hired a table to practice and while he continued to sell silver for the next three months he practiced and added new tricks and shots until he had a regular exhibition repertoire.
When he returned to New York a meeting was arranged for him to meet Maurice Daly, the “Dean of Billiards.” Daly challenged Adams to make the shots he claimed with a set of four balls. Adams made twelve shots as Daly became more and more interested and asked for Adams to repeat certain shots before offering him the opportunity to exhibit in his Billiards Room.
It wasn’t long before he gave up his job with the silver company and began earning $115 a week at Miner’s Bowery Theater. After a while he went on tour, for example in Chicago he earned $500 a week for a three week engagement. Then he returned to New York for a year and then went on another tour of the United States and Europe. Even in tiny venues Adams drew standing room only crowds.
Adams performed for the Vanderbilts, three U.S. Presidents, the Prince of Wales and the Comte de Paris. But he also developed other interests and was the editor and publisher of the Chicago Sporting Journal, general manager of New York Sporting and Theatrical Journal, and was an intermediary for boxing challenge matches often holding the stakes and distributing the winnings.
Partial to Chicago, Adams owned the White Elephant, the Academy Billiard Hall and Union Square. His business card read, “Yank Adams, Champion Finger Billiardist of the World. Residence Immaterial.”
His biggest match was in 1878 in Manhattan’s Gilmore Garden against the reigning cue champion William Saxton. Using only his fingers Adams won the three day competition of straight rail against Saxton using a traditional cue.
According to Bullocks Billiard Guide, Adams earned more than $70,000 for exhibitions alone over seven years. It is claimed that is more than the combined earnings of all the other listed billiardists of the time including Jacob Schaefer, George Slosson and Eugene Carter.
In 1889 Adams broke the world record for successive straight rail points with a score of 4,962 counts in a row. In 1890 Adams earned 1,000 francs or about $200 a week for 13 weeks exhibiting in Paris.
When Adams was 76 years old he was still exhibiting and running a billiard academy in New York. Tom Foley is quoted as saying he thought, “Yank had cashed in. But he’s like all those billiard players. They never die.”
Melia Hotels International is a mega conglomerate with 350 hotels in 40 countries offering more varieties of stores, businesses, restaurants, schools than everything currently being offered in the entire city of Norwich, CT. If you can imagine it; they probably have multiple sites that offer it. All sites are beautifully managed and maintained and the staff are an absolute treat to deal with. No detail is too small and every guest is treated equally. Their willingness to help achieve whatever the goal may be is a little daunting for someone more accustomed to hearing the words “No. Not interested.” before more than a greeting is exchanged.
All of the hotels play a part in the city they are located in. When pressed for their reasoning it was carefully explained that the city is the home to their staff and if the staff is happy and content at home and see a good future, they are more willing to see to the happiness and comfort of others. Staff who have a full belly and are not worried that their children are hungry are better workers
Even the amenities bottles are with all guests in mind. The scent is a light “extract of orange and musk” made in the EU. Not my first choice but still very light and pleasant. But it was the bottles that of the shampoo, conditioner, bath gel and body lotion that caught my attention. Each bottle was also marked in Braille so blind guests could identify the contents. The Braille markings were not a pasted on aftermarket label but were a pressed in part of the bottle itself.
Someone gave thought to this accommodation. They thought about it and they brought it to the management who probably thought some more about it and looked into the costs and thought some more and then said “Yes.” Making this small accommodation for the small population of people that can read American Braille will in fact demonstrate, more than words could ever do, how important all of their guests are to them.
Is Norwich, CT so accommodating? Do our leaders and management pay attention to the smallest of details and accommodations for our visitors, residents and taxpayers? Maybe the residents and leaders and officials of Norwich, CT should examine how a company can be located in 40 countries, with multiple locations, each with its own set of rules and regulations and design issues can operate so efficiently. It is long past time for Norwich leaders and officials to stop fighting with themselves and put the progress of the City of Norwich, CT first.
I found a recipe pamphlet advertising Mapleine at 35 cents for a two ounce bottle of the flavoring. I checked the price on-line today and found a two ounce bottle on sale for only $18.72 so you can estimate for yourself how old the pamphlet I am referring to is.
Mapleine, per the pamphlet is “not an imitation or substitute for anything because it is an original product. It is a purely vegetable product produced by a scientific blend of vegetable ingredients, emphatically not a coal tar product.” “contains no maple sugar, syrup, nor sap but produces a taste similar to maple.”
There are the usual recipes but as it is nearly fall and apple picking season, I urge you to give this recipe a try for Mapled Apples.
Mapled Apples: 6 small apples, 1 ½ cups sugar, 1 ½ cups water, 1 teaspoon Mapleine, 1 banana, 6 marshmallows.
Peel and core apples and fill cavity with banana. Make a syrup of the sugar, water, and Mapleine and cook apples in it until they are tender, turning occasionally. Remove the apples, place a marshmallow on each and place in oven long enough to swell and brown the marshmallow. They had me at put the banana in the apple.
Mexican Kisses: 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, ¾ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup hot water, ½ teaspoon Mapleine, ½ cup chopped nuts.
Boil the sugar and water until it threads. Remove from the fire and add the Mapleine. Beat until it begins to cream. Stir in nuts; then set in a bowl of hot water and drop from a teaspoon onto waxed paper.
Vegetable Candy: 1 cup hot mashed potatoes, 2 cups pulverized sugar, 1 ½ cups nut meats, ½ teaspoon Mapleine. Rub the potatoes smooth and mix thoroughly with the powdered sugar; add Mapleine and nut meats. Spread on waxed paper and when cold cut in cubes, or form in balls and coat with melted chocolate.
Crescent Health Bread: 1 ½ cups sweet milk, 1 cup flour, 2 cups graham flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon Mapleine syrup, 3 level teaspoons baking powder. Let stand 1 hour. This makes one loaf of delicious bread. [No baking instructions.]
Check your mail carefully for the Fall 2018 Norwich Recreation Department leaflet of new and exciting opportunities for children and adults. Its 16 pages with 14 new opportunities including: Fall Basketball clinics, Randy Deglin Basketball Clinic, Beginner Fencing, Children’s Yoga, Beginner Dance, Magic Lessons, A Schools Out Program, Pickleball League, Tennis Ladder League, Tai Chi for Beginners, Core & More, Nutrition Series, Therapy Dog Training, Kayaking for Fun, and Norwich Garden Club.
Norwich activities averaged a cost of $45 causing them to be slightly pricier than even the out of towner charges of similar activities in nearby towns but such is the cost of convenience. Its a shame that this leaflet is yet another demonstration of how Norwich organizations, businesses and government processes refuse to work together to create an image of a bigger, better and more cohesive community.
This flier could be a community showcase for activities and programs run at various churches, libraries, and yes, even the schools. The technical schools, Montessori schools, private schools all must run some programs but I gather they do not need paying participants from outside their memberships.
Frankly I am amazed that organizations that run the fairs, expo’s, annual dinners and carnivals are not fighting to be in a piece of mail that goes into every home in Norwich and gets at least a glance through in homes with schoolage children.
The Norwich Recreation Department has a new Director, Cheryl Hancin Preston, who may not know just how active the Norwich Community is so give her a call at 860.823.3791with your group or organizations calendar, with name, date, place, time, cost and contact to be included in the 2019 Adult, Youth and Senior Ceter booklet so together we can make Norwich, CT look like the happening place it really is.
Did you ever wonder how a city gets to be rated one of the best cities to live in? Most of the articles I read used the US Census in a per county examination of nine categories: crime, demography, economy, education, environment, health, housing, infrastructure, and leisure.
So are the leaders of Norwich, CT targeting these demographics to promote Norwich, CT as a great place to live and work? In short, NO.
Is it really that difficult to speak positively about a city that has an over all B+ rating? Is there a reason that promotional community events are rarely found in the local newspapers and radio stations until after the event?
Norwich, CT has an average crime rate, perhaps even a touch lower than some of the surrounding communities. Why aren’t we crowing about being a safe community? The economy of Eastern CT stinks but there has been significant growth of small businesses in Norwich. OK they are tiny and mostly home-based businesses but there are also a few restaurants. So where are the promotions? Joining a Chamber of Commerce can be a significant amount for a start up so in some places, companies for the first five years are included in events and promotions at nominal rates to help them get the word out knowing that a membership will be taken out when the business can afford it.
Houses can still be purchased for under $100,000. Some of the last houses in Connecticut available in that market. That should be shouted from the rooftops and local realtors taught how to present these opportunities for young growing families as well as those seeking to downsize. Norwich has the potential to be a Mecca for small business finish contractors, plumbers, electricians, landscapers, architects and designers. But what do we hear? Nada.
Our schools are not what they once were but they are getting better than they were. Considerable effort is being made to take advantage of every growth possibility to improve. Staff and administrators are not resting on their laurels but working hard at getting better. What more can you ask for anyone’s education?
When the lights go out in the surrounding areas, the lights remain steady in Norwich thanks to its own Norwich Department of Public Utilities. While NDPU has its flaws, and is not as cheap as other municipal utilities but it does keep Norwich humming when other places are dark. Why isn’t NDPU being spoken of as a reason to locate businesses in Norwich?
An absurd amount of Norwich, CT municipal property is parks. Every Norwich, CT community has its own park, a variety of recreational fields as well as its own minor league baseball field, golf course, ice skating arena, fishing areas, boat launch and a 400+ acre park for walking, hiking, fishing and swimming. Why aren’t there mentions of these places on the highway exit signs?
Backus Hospital is part of Hartford Health Care and so has wide medical connections throughout the state of Connecticut and beyond. Medical expertise within a local area is a dream for many.
Norwich, CT leaders are now on the campaign trail to promote a city wide promotion bond but without telling us any specifics just that it will help businesses in areas outside of the downtown for a change. Brilliant idea but I find it hard to have trust in a program run by people who have such a difficult time extolling the positive points of living and working in Norwich, CT and who are so reticent and embarrassed to tell us all what the details of the plan is for the money that will put the taxpayers of Norwich into serious debt. I want to vote yes on the bond on the November ballot but I need to hear the details of a plan for the money not just that the money will be spent.
Do you know a group, organization, or business looking for a new and different way to fundraise or reach out to a new and larger audience? Something a little different than the Norwich, CT standard of serve alcohol and the same people will come?
How about creating a coloring book. It is really not that difficult once you get the hang of it. There are quite a few YouTube videos showing the steps of how to change an actual photo into an outline form using Photoshop or individual photos can be sent to a number of businesses who will make the pages for a fee.
For example if you were a landlord the coloring book of the property might have a page each of the outline of the house, the living room, the kitchen, the bedroom, the yard, perhaps a map with an outline to school, businesses, shopping, parks, or gyms.
If its an organization than perhaps an outline of your national logo, your past fundraisers, events, meetings, dinners, or sponsorship’s. Do you have an award ceremony and give out checks, or trophy’s? Even a single page can attract new and different people.
A city like Norwich, CT has serious potential for a thick coloring book using a variety of its many attractions for example the different house styles found throughout, close-ups of window styles, gates or steps, Indian Leap, Leffingwell House Museum, Slater Museum, Mohegan Park pavilion, arches or Rose Garden, Any of the mills, the fire houses, animals, pets, wildlife, the possibilities are endless.
Norwich harbor has been home to a variety of types of ships and boats since 1659. Many of the ship types can be made using origami. If your interest is in history or shipping it would not be hard to add a bit of information to a page of origami outline to make it your very own. Most of the outlines are even easy to make once you get the hang of it. The pop-up said I could not add the directions for the origami for security reasons but I will be delighted to email the six types I have to anyone interested.
If any of these ideas sound interesting to you, please feel free to make them your own. Promoters of Norwich, CT need new, fresh ideas. Sadly the ideas listed above are not new or fresh but they have not been done in Norwich, CT and perhaps it’s about time they were.
There is always discussion in Norwich, CT of bringing back the good old days. Why can’t we have more small businesses in Norwich like the ones I remember when I was young? “The taxpayers have a responsibility to bring businesses back to the downtown because that is where the businesses were.”“People went to town to shop and conduct their business. There were no small businesses in the outskirts of the city or in the residential areas.”
Well folks, maybe its time to check the facts. Lets take a look at a section of the daily Norwich Bulletin on July 25, 1902 called Norwich Business Houses.
According to the blurb below its title, Norwich Business Houses is the “Directory of the leading Financial, Professional, Manufacturing, Wholesale and Retail firms. It is published daily for the benefit of traveling salesmen, strangers and the public generally.” This was a free and ever changing listing that helped to prove the worth of advertising to the readership of the local paper and helped to boost the business of those who could not yet afford to advertise but with a little help to their business might someday soon be able to afford advertisement.
Ah well, let’s take a look who at who was singled out on this particular day and what the locations were.
Bakeries. L. H. Brunelle, 20 Fairmount St. “We make a specialty of fine bread.”
A. Shapiro, 10 Thames St, Baker of white and rye bread. Fine cakes and Doughnuts.
Star Bakery, Taftville. Best and cheapest place to buy bread, pies, cakes etc in the city. H. Mueller, proprietor.
Bicycle Repairing. D. K. Hubbard, 230 Franklin St. Bicycles, sewing machines, lawn mowers repaired. Locks and keys fitted. Knives, shears, etc. sharpened.
Blacksmiths. Wm. Blackburn, 15 Myers Alley, Blacksmithing in all its branches. Machine forging a specialty. Prices right and best of work guaranteed.
E.C. Gay, Town Street. Horseshoeing and general blacksmith. Personal attention paid to all work. Repairing promptly done.
Boots and Shoes. L. Markoff & Co, 159 West Main St Mark down sale of footwear. Prices are low.
Carriage Builders. Geo. W. Harris, 354 West Main St Has on hand a few new business wagons at low prices.
A. R. Keables, Norwich Town. Carriage and Wagon painting. General repairing on wood and iron work. Prompt attention given to orders.
Carriage Painters. George F Adams. Town St. Carriage painter. All work warranted to give satisfaction. Give a trial order.
Cigar Manufacturers. L. E. Conant. 11 Franklin St.
Hotels. Del-Hoff, Broadway. $2.00 to $2.50 per day. Commercial rate $2.00 per day. Hot and cold water in every room. Elevator.
The New Market, 215 Boswell Ave. Choice line of ales, wines, liquors and cigars always on hand. On line of electric cars.
Florists. Miss R. L. Spencer, 24 Elizabeth St. Fragrant white roses. Very fine. Large stock. Also cut flowers etc at right prices.
Horseshoeing. H.C. Lane, 17 Chestnut St. The shoeing of lame horses a specialty.
J. D. Pfeiffer, 208 West Main St, Scientific horseshoeing a specialty. Horses called for and returned, if desired. Tel. Call 3-3
M.W. Sterry, Norwich Town Green. Practical Horseshoeing. General hobbing at short notice. All work guaranteed. Prices reasonable.
Junk Dealer. Norwich Bottle & Junk Corporation, 44 Forest St. Dealers in scrap iron, metal, rubbers, rags, bottles, etc. Drop us a postal and team will call.
The Max Gordon & Son Corp., Willow St Dealer in paper stock, woolen rags, rubbers, odd metal, etc. Highest prices paid. Telephone connection.
Livery Stables. John B Stoddard, 127 Franklin St Livery, boarding, and feed stable. Horse-clipping done with Gillette power clipper. Telephone 175-5.
Markets. Falls Market, 50 Sherman St., Choice beef, mutton, lamb, and veal. Canned goods, vegetables etc. J.B. Alofsin, Proprietor.
Merchant Tailors. A Greenberg, 227 Main Street. Extra fine Worsted suits made to order.
So how or what can the Norwich Bulletin do to promote more businesses in Norwich? How or what can every day residents do to promote more businesses in Norwich? Is blocking businesses in residential areas the answer? Maybe its time to take an honest look at the economic past of Norwich and not the economic past we imagined it to be.
The Connecticut Plein Air Painters Society (CPAPS) is coming to Mohegan Park, Norwich, CT on Sunday, August 12, 2018 from 9:00 AM to 12 Noon and signing in at Park Center. If you are not a member, you don’t have to sign in. If you would like to meet them and decide if its something you would like to be a part of this is your chance. Visit their website at http://www.cpaps.org/
According to the CPAPS website members are a group of local artists who enjoy the camaraderie, support and safety of painting together. They select sites within Connecticut that provide painters with bucolic farmlands, coastal marshes and vistas, waterways in forests and open spaces, as well as some of our historic and unique residences and villages.
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join them as they explore our park with their pallets, sketch books, cameras and families.
I am personally very excited to see the 400 acres of forest, woods, nature, beach, garden and water through the eyes of these artists. I do not care if they are using cameras, sketch pads, paints or some other mediums I am not even familiar with. I know with an amazing amount of certainty that the results will be reaching the eyes of others and just might spark an interest in their making a trek or a visit to Norwich.
This is a public opportunity to interact with other artists. Some are amateurs. Some are professionals. Some are students. Some are teachers. Some just like art. Everyone is encouraged to come and spend some time outside. There are no time limits. Some people may spend 15 minutes and others may spend hours. Some may sit quietly and some may be actively walking, hiking or even running.
Every visit to our city brings potential for future interest. Every tiny splinter of interest is hope. The leaders of Norwich, CT chant the mantra of “Norwich just needs one chance, one opportunity to break through and become the great city it has the potential for.”
Maybe one of these visitors will see potential while on their visit here. Take a few minutes on Sunday and wander the paths of Mohegan Park with them. Become a visitor to your own city and imagine!
Am I wrong? Am I really wrong? When it comes to Norwich city politics I keep asking for a plan. Any plan. Just something with a beginning, steps to achieve or not but some sort of goals to reach and an ending being a better city. But what I keep getting are no plans but astronomical estimates and plans for another bond because the price Norwich would pay for the bond is low right now.
A plan that says only “We are going to take a loan out for the City (that’s the bond) and figure out how we are going to spend it later.” does not work for me.
Telling me that a bond needs to be taken out so more exorbitant salaries can be paid to people who may or may not have the required skills for a job that hasn’t been decided on or described yet does not sound fiscally responsible to me.
Please don’t tell me the City needs to have another study performed to assess what we have, don’t have and what our community and population needs are. Sorry but we have enough of those that sit on shelves in Norwich City Hall and Otis Library and yes, most of the recent ones are even available on-line. If there is in fact further confusion as to what members of the community are in need of, perhaps its time to ask the City of Norwich Department Heads what they and their staff are seeing. I’ll bet the Norwich Clergy Association and the area ambulance services would be happy to make a list too.
I looked at the Economic Development Strategic Plan 2015, City of Norwich and it proved to be an excellent source of what is where in Norwich, attitudes of the residents and lists good and bad points for industrial and business sites. It is not a perfect document and I would like some clarification of some of the points. But some goals were accomplished and now its possible for other goals to be set. I do not care who wrote the Plan or which political party was in place. The fact is, there is something in place that can be used. It has a variety of focus points. Choose one or choose five. Just don’t start all over again. It is time for the members of the Norwich City Council to begin to work together and to demonstrate open and honest fiscal responsibility for the residents and taxpayers of Norwich, CT.
Ask yourself, how proud of something are you if you can’t tell people about it? Please members of the Norwich City Council do not ask me to support a bond for which there is no plan or one you cannot speak proudly about. Thank you.
Some things never change and advertising events is one of them. Some people think that posting on Facebook is all that is needed. How often do you check on Facebook for events? If you don’t why do you expect that all others do?
Do you belong to an organization in need of money? Is your church having its largest fundraiser in September, October, November or December? Are you at all interested in making the event bigger and more lucrative than it has ever been in the past? Then it is your responsibility and that of your friends and members to tell people.
Print advertising is most effective the week before and the week of the event. Radio advertising is best the week of the event. Cable television advertising needs to be seen the month before and of the event. On-line advertising such as Facebook, tweeting and instant messaging are really effective only the day before and the day of the event but they need to be carefully timed and require the cooperation of a lot of people to click on share so that the word spreads quickly. Individual websites serve only to give people a visual of what to expect when they attend your event but are useless for genuine advertising. Ask how they will know to find your site?
As soon as you know the details of your event start placing the information on the community calendars of the local and statewide newspapers, handouts and magazines. You want people to see your event when they plan their dates, their weekends, their itineraries for their visitors. If your town or city has a website see if they have a calendar you can add to, Recreation Department calendars, Parent Teacher Organization event Calendars at each school, and Chamber of Commerce Schedules. Look around local towns for their newspapers and calendars too.
Southeastern CT has the CORE (Calendar of Regional Events) http://culturesect.org/calendar/calendar. Do you use it? Do you know about it?
Basic information for every entry is Name of Event, Sponsoring Organization, What the event is, Date and Time of the event, Where the event is to take place (the address), Purpose of the event, and any fees parking or entry and don’t forget a contact name and phone number if there are questions.
This past blog is from 2014. What has changed?
I saw a Facebook entry asking this question for Canadian residents of The Province (Vancouver, B.C.) Does your community really embrace the Christmas spirit?
Tell us why your municipality would make the list of Santa’s favorite places (don’t forget to tell us where you live).
Then I thought A city as large as Norwich, CT could so easily do a project like this with its smaller communities of Yantic, Chelsea, Occum, Taftville, Greenville, East Great Plains, Cherry Hill, Laurel Hill, Wawecus and Norwichtown.
Imagine if the residents could write in to the Norwich Bulletin why they are proud of their community, their section of Norwich. Not just at Christmas time but the rest of the year. Take it a step further and perhaps have the hosts of WICH/WCTY spend a small portion of their daily talk shows (OK one day a week in December) taking calls from residents proud of their community, neighborhood or street. What if, the host of a cable talk show invited some of these proud residents a little time for what is good about Norwich and yes how it could be improved. What if a creative advisor to the marketing class at one of the high schools or tech schools or community colleges gave the students this project as an option for community service? Would it be possible for an edited version be made available on the City of Norwich website? Or on the NCDC website? Do you think a creative real estate business could use a positive piece on Norwich on their website to help sell properties in an area? Do you think a business person would find it easier to bring a business into a community that has residents that feel good about themselves?
The professional marketers and politicians of Norwich are having some issues how to best present the city to the world, so is it time for the residents, and the taxpayers of Norwich to show them how it’s done? Send what makes you proud of your neighborhood to the Norwich Bulletin or call into the radio talk shows and tell people why you stay here. Why you choose to raise your family here. Why you pay your taxes here. Why you vote here. Why you live here. Let’s work together to make 2019 the year of Norwich residents!
Due to some computer issues I am recycling a few past blogs.
I want to see Norwich be a home to lots and lots of new tax paying businesses. Businesses that are small to medium sized so that there is plenty of room for them to grow and expand in the future.
The term being thrown around now is for “cities to develop their brand.” The individual city needs to put their essence, their character, their spirit – into a single word or phrase that explains their city when a representative is not around to do it.
A city’s brand is developed over years by its policies and its amenities. ”small-town charm with big-city amenities,” or “One Norwich” may be extremely relevant about a place, but it is not the least bit distinct or self-explanatory.
The tag-line or brand is a statement about the product. It should tell what the product does or is. A tag line should also arouse curiosity as well as pride. An example of brand marketing is what makes you curious about a place to visit, or what advertising do you find reassuring when you decide to purchase a product.
What does Norwich do or have that makes it unique from other cities across Connecticut that would be of interest to businesses? Norwich has both a technical high school and a technical community college. Schools that might be convinced to create programs specific to a specific industry. Norwich is also located to several other technical schools and universities. Norwich has its own power company. The city that managed to keep its lights on when almost a third of the United States was in the dark.
If you were a business owner what tag-line or brand would bring you to Norwich to look around?
I spent a little time on Saturday with the Yantic River clean up. My contribution was small but better than no contribution at all. Anyway, I kept thinking about all that I know about the Yantic River and recalled writing this blog back in 2014.
The Yantic River was important enough that a ship was named in its honor. Wouldn’t it be nice if the City honored the military ships named for this area? By no means is this information complete but it is what I have.
The USS Yantic was launched on March 19, 1864, and over a 60 year career she was in three wars, several skirmishes, and an expedition to Greenland.
The Yantic was commissioned on August 12, 1864. On August 13th, she patrolled the Atlantic Coast north and east of Nantucket.
The Yantic joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron off Wilmington, N.C and on December 24, 1864, attempted to capture Fort Fisher, North Carolina and then moved to participate in the capture of Fort Anderson, N.C. and for the last two months of the Civil War, the Yantic performed blockade duties, part of the successful Union operation that prevented the Confederacy from trading successfully with overseas nations.
On April 25, 1881, the Yantic’s crew took part in celebrations at the unveiling of Admiral David G. Farragut’s statue in Washington D.C., before she sailed on to Mexican waters. In June at Progreso, Yucatan, she investigated the detention of the American bark Acacia.
After that, the Yantic returned north to the eastern seaport where in October 1881, she took part in ceremonies commemorating the centennial of the Battle of Groton Heights (the closest she would get to her namesake) and in the festivities celebrating the centennial of the American victory at Yorktown, Virginia.
The Yantic was the reserve ship of the Greely Relief Expedition in Greenland, and picked up the members of the expedition in Melville Bay after the Proteus , the relief ship which born them and their supplies, was crushed in the ice.
In 1889 the American Navy, including the Yantic entered Haitian waters to intimidate Legatine partisans feeling that negotiations led by Frederick Douglass with the Haitians should be backed up by cannon.
Then the Yantic is transformed into a Great Lakes Training ship, then pressed into service again during the Spanish American War, then the United States Navy assigned the Yantic as a training ship on the Great Lakes and a training base for sailors for many years and then brought back into service as a training Ship for World War I Sailors when America entered the First World War in 1917.
On October 22, 1929, the Yantic sank alongside her moorings at the foot of Townsend Avenue, prompting more romantic mariners to remark that the “old lady had gone to her well earned rest.”
Her anchor and silver alloy bell were displayed at the Brodhead Armory for many years Her hull is buried in a filled in boat slip in Gabriel Richard Park on the Detroit Riverfront near the Belle Isle Bridge. The Navy struck the Yantic from its list on May 9, 1930.
Reading newspapers from other communities, states and countries is one of my favorite things to do. I don’t know or mind if the news is out of date. It’s all new news to me. I look for fresh new ideas.
This time I found a great twist on a newspaper oldie but goodie. I called the editor of the paper and asked where she got the idea and what was the response. She told me it had brought in a few new subscriptions and a few new advertisers thanks to an additional promotion by the inventive advertising department. I have not been able to have a conversation with him.
Step 1 was to identify the local restaurants, bars, walk-ups, cafeterias, schools, rehabilitation centers, hospitals and every place that served food. The list was surprisingly long.
Step 2 was to convince each place to submit a favorite recipe that their customers or clients enjoy. Some didn’t want to share their recipes, some just defrost, heat and serve and some didn’t really serve food but wanted the FREE ADVERTISEMENT that the recipe would be. One of the bars submitted the recipe for spiced peanuts to go with beer. A walk-up explained how to make the perfect ice cream sundae. A school cafeteria submitted its “world famous” dipping sauce. The recipe did not have to be complicated.
Step 3 was deciding how often the Community Recipe should run. It was decided that it would run the day before the grocery inserts so people would have time to add to their shopping list. There was discussion whether enough recipes would be submitted for a 12 week trial run.
Step 4 What was needed for submission. A photo of the food or of the facility or of the chef or any combination. The recipe. A list of the ingredients, the amounts, the instructions, serving suggestions. At the bottom was the name of the chef, the facility, the address, website, phone number, hours.
Step 5 An advertising special was developed for the participants so they could advertise in the paper telling when their recipe was going to appear.
Step 6 Then they prayed and their prayers were answered. “Community Recipes” has been running continually for almost three years. There have been no recipe repeats and now the system evolved allows for participants to choose the date best suited to enhance their business.
Wouldn’t it be great if our local newspapers had a similar program? Especially now that Norwich, CT has so many new restaurants and coffee house? Not more recipes from the back of the package or from the internet but recipes adjusted for the tastes of our very own community.
Is it in the drinking water in Norwich, CT? Perfectly talented people come to Norwich with insightful and inventive ideas and then…
Norwich is beginning to be the host again of street festivals. But our streets are tiny so sometimes more than one street is needed but what I am just not able to understand is the strong conviction of organizers to not put up signs that direct attendees to the other streets in the festival. The signs would not have to be fancy. The signs could be the simple portable A-frames with “MORE” written on it clearly and an arrow pointing in the correct direction for people to find “More.”
Sometimes two or more festivals will be a street away from one another but there will be no on-site communications between the two festivals to exchange attendees. The simple “More” signs would make each of the festivals seem larger and with more activities and so a more desirable destination. This on-site cross-communication might even increase attendance and serve as an introduction to new clients, customers and members. These new people might even purchase something.
Visitors might also find signs with “Parking” and an arrow helpful as they attempt to find the entrances to the hidden parking garages and lots. I call them hidden because while the parking is in plain sight the entrances may not be if you are not familiar with them.
In some communities when there is a festival the restaurants are encouraged to develop small plate specials, even ones with food trucks. The lower priced small plates are an introduction to the restaurant and sometimes per cent coupons are passed out for use on a return visit. Over Labor Day I was in a community with a street lined with bars, a tavern, restaurants, a walk-up, a fire station, a flower shop, a gift shop, a collectibles store, a couple antique stores, a public park, a town beach, a music shell and some others I can’t recall. Anyway, they had worked out a unique $2.00 menu. Each place offered a $2.00 special. One offered a tiny margarita, another a mojito, an ice cream sundae, a wrist corsage (ok that was also a fundraiser for a local group that had made the wrist bands.) bags of bite sized clam fritters and single sip cups of chowders but it was up to the business to create their own unique $2.00 promotional item. One place had grab bags with noise makers to be used later during the fireworks. The afternoon of strolling, tasting and drinking had moved to the park to listen to the bands and to watch the fireworks over the water while some people had set up on the beach. It was constant yet relaxed movement and there were signs with arrows directing people to locations that were participating but not on the single direct street. Even I did not get lost! At 10 PM most of the families had left the area and the bars, restaurants and tavern had returned to their standard fares. Why can’t Norwich, CT develop and encourage something similar? Working as a community is not nearly as difficult as Norwich, CT makes it.
To all of my friends and to those with whom I am not so friendly with and those who I have not yet met, We have all received the most wonderful of invitations from the Bozrah Farmers Market. I have replied yes so they could let people know there will be artists coming and all types of artists are welcome. Sketchers, painters, crafts people, photographers amateurs and professionals.
“ Hi! My name is Lindsey and I’m with the Bozrah Farmers Market. We are doing a “En plein art market” on Friday Sept 21st from 4p to 7p and was curious if you would be interested in coming and setting up around the market?
This is a wonderful opportunity to let people see your art work and sometimes to get a free lesson or two or more just from being around other artists and another great way to make connections you have possibly not thought of making before.
Please check them out at on Facebook Bozrah Farmer’s Market, 45 Bozrah St · (860) 984-5523
There are no fees involved. There is plenty of convenient parking. It is outside and weather dependent. There are usually some outstanding food trucks and fresh farm produce and music too.
Please be sure to say thank you for the invitation to the Bozrah Farmers Market Representative as they do make rounds to everyone to make certain everyone is as happy as possible and that you received notice of the invitation through my column. I need a little positive now and again too. Hope to see you there!
I was recently on the Yale University campus in New Haven, CT. Laying on a table were piles of papers and orientation schedules and all kinds of interesting and useful things. In addition to the papers I was supposed to collect, I also collected a few papers that caught my eye. One of those papers was called, “Affirmation of Understanding and Commitment,” that needed to be read, signed and returned to the Registrar. I hope they do not mind my sharing parts of the document with you.
It was my first experience ever seeing this type of document. When I went to school with Fred and Wilma Flintstone we did not have, or perhaps I was just unaware of school “Sexual Misconduct Policies and Related Definitions.” No one clarified to me that “sexual assault” includes penetration, oral sex, and/or sexual touching, which includes kissing, in any of four circumstances:
1. By physical force – overpowering the victim.
2. By incapacitation – with a victim who does not resist by virtue of being drunk, under the influence of drugs, or passed out.
3. By coercion-the pressure of a non-physical threat.
4. In the absence of affirmative consent.
Then there were the very clear and concise definitions of “sexual harassment” that included, among other behaviors:
1. Sexual remarks, jokes or stories that are insulting or offensive.
2. Inappropriate or offensive comments about someone’s body, appearance or sexual activities.
3. Saying crude or gross sexual things or trying to get someone to talk about sexual matters when they don’t want to.
4. Transmitting offensive sexual remarks, jokes, stories, pictures or videos to people that don’t want them.
5. Continuing to ask someone to go out, get dinner, have drinks or have sex even though they said, “No.”
I thought this was a well thought out and clear definitive list of what is socially acceptable or not. I would like to see this type of document in more work places with not just a signed copy in a personnel file but a copy given to each employee, board members and yes, volunteers in case they have a question or concern. Does your workplace have a “Sexual Misconduct” policy with related definitions?October 2018
The American Red Cross has been hounding me lately for a blood donation but I have been dealing with seasonal allergies and sinus drip so they’ll just have to wait until later in the season when I am feeling better. In the mean time… I thought of something else that could be done that might benefit two or more organizations.
In the archive vault of the Leffingwell House Museum in the Almy collection is a personal letter from Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross thanking Mrs. Almy for her recent assistance.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the American Red Cross Blood Drive Trailer was brought to the museum parking lot for a blood drive while the letter was on display to the public? Blood donors having the opportunity to see the letter for free all others pay admission. Just a thought to encourage bringing some of the lesser known treasures of the Society of the Founders of Norwich, CT forward to the public eye.
I also had another fundraising thought for the museum knowing how much some of the members enjoy costume play. With a little research the character of Mrs. Leffingwell, a well-known Norwich area nurse could be developed and perhaps some of the tales of her patients and their care could be told. Medical care played an important part in the development of Norwich, CT with many clinics, practices, hospitals and surgeries opening and closing as they were needed. The stories are plentiful and expose a seldom heard part of Norwich history.
I have yapped and made suggestions before on making innovation posters for Norwich before but no one has chosen to look at the list of endless possibilities listed on either the United States Patent Office site or a search on Google Patent.
So I chose six to tell you about today with the suggestion that posters be printed, sold and hung throughout the city to advertise that innovative thinking is not new to Norwich and we have room for more.
In 1866, Henry W. Holly of Norwich, CT improved upon the pencil in US patent #58102. I bet you thought it only was invented once and never improved on.
In 1866, Reuben B. Fuller of Norwich, CT developed an improved vase for cultivating strawberries in US patent #55482 A that was used as a pot for growing plants under water culture in 1952. It kept the roots contained, water directed and transferred the warmth of the sun to the roots for better growth.
In 1867, Albert M. Force of Norwich, CT invented a new and improved meat slicer in US patent #63236 that has been referenced by other inventors for a paring and slicing knife (USP 2858610) in November 1958, a tracheotomy (USP 3013553) in December 1961 and an adjustable bow knife (USP 5802723) in September 1998.
In 1871, Webster Park of Norwich, Ct invented a new and improved method for measuring water flow in US patent #111,143. I wonder if the billing office of NPU has a party on January 24th to celebrate the anniversary of the water meter?
In 1886, John Coit and John McNamara of Norwich, CT developed a new and improved beer drawing apparatus. Yes, a beer tap that could control the head on the mug as it was poured.
In 1928, Zaida Webb created the “Garden Doll” US patent # 323,915. A doll so sweet looking any child today would be proud to possess.
There are plenty more that would create some very interesting posters and could carry a theme if you like but what do you think of these to get us started? Imagine the sketch of all of these on one poster with a short individual blurb explaining them and a blank space that says your invention belongs here contact the Office of the Mayor of Norwich, CT for more information.
I hope this is one of the stories told on at least one of the historic Walktober Norwichtown trots.
The best place to start a project is at the beginning and so I read what is posted on line as the history of the Norwich Golf Course but I need your help in verifying what it claims. Much of what follows is directly from that history posting as I know nothing about golf and wanted to present what I found in hopes of more details being brought forward.
The posted history says that the location of the first golf course in Norwich was on the home lot of Benedict Arnold. The owner was a rector at one of the Episcopal Churches in Norwich and a young golf enthusiast. He(unnamed) and a friend (also unnamed) laid out a six-hole golf course in the back yard and recruited friends to play (including women). This first course had an area of ledge on a fairway. The article claimed the ledge was used in Indian times as a place where Indians ground their corn and the mortar holes were visible in the ledge.
The first tournament was held in November, 1896 proven by a small silver cup with the names of the winners, the date and their score engraved. (I have asked about this cup but no one knows what I am talking about.)
Then supposedly there were two more courses between the city and the Norwich Town Green but the locations are a bit hazy.
The Golf Course history goes on to mention a score card kept in the archives from the 2707 yard third course with no mention what par was in use at the time. The bogey system was the criterion of excellence. The back of the card is filled with local rules and penalties for lifting. A note at the bottom announces that hole number one has no local rule.
The fourth course is the current one laid out on 80 acres just south of the city. On March 12, 1924 additional land was purchased and Tull & Tull was hired to design a new course and on April 19, 1924 the plans were changed and more land acquired and the course was opened on July 4th, 1925.
In 1978 the golf course was purchased by the City of Norwich and opened to the public.
The next time you take a guided walk on the historic Norwichtown Green ask the Guide to tell you about some of the tales of the courthouse and the prison. Do not let them get away with pointing to a location and saying there once stood the county jail and leave it at that.
I am partial to the tale of Abel Buell. (The spelling of his name changes with the document and source being used). Abel was born in Clinton, CT in 1742 to and was apprenticed in his early teens to Ebenezer Chittenden a well-known silversmith. He had it all to be a great success. He was a handsome smooth talker with imagination and industry. He married Chittenden’s daughter Mary by the time he was 19. She was the first of his four wives. A nosy neighbor peeked in an upstairs window and saw him changing a 5 shillings note into a larger 5 pounds note and reported him to authorities.
He was found guilty at the Superior Court in Norwich in April 1764, of passing an altered note to Zephaniah Clark and sentenced to prison, to have one ear cropped, branded on the forehead, and his property sold.
Given his young age and otherwise good character, the branding was done high on his forehead where it was later concealed by his hair. The tip of his ear was cut off and placed on his tongue to keep it warm and quickly replaced so later there was little disfigurement.
Abel never returned to Norwich. But he lived a life of adventure made for a movie screen. He made money again, but legally this time by inventing the copper penny and the press to make them. He learned the art of chart and map making and in 1784 published and printed the first map of the new United States; the first of the country to be copyrighted in the United States; and the first map published in the new country to show the Stars and Stripes.
He died March 23, 1822, New Haven’s Columbian Register reported a death “At the Alms House in this town, on the 10th, Mr. Abel Buel, aged 81 years, an ingenious mechanic….”
Learn more about the adventures of inventor and engraver Abel Buel of Connecticut.
I enjoy the attending the Yale Repertory Theatre and taking advantage of seeing a performance with Audio Description. I would love to see it available at the Garde!
Audio description is the art and technique of using the natural pauses in the dialogue during live theater performances to insert descriptions of the essential visual elements: actions, appearance of characters, body language, costumes, settings, lighting, etc. Patrons with vision disabilities hear descriptions via a tiny earpiece, allowing them to sit anywhere in the audience. Benefit to the sighted is that here was no need for the whispered conversations explaining what is happening during the silences and breaks of the play.
The theatre even had programs available in Braille!
Andrea Miskow was the audio describer. In addition to Yale Rep she has worked for many years as an audio describer with Hartford Stage, Second Stage Theater and on Broadway.
A trained and successful actress Miskow studied at the National Shakespeare Conservatory and the American Conservatory Theater and has appeared with various Shakespeare companies at the Catskill Shakespeare Festival and the Tribeca Playhouse, as well as at the San Francisco Theater Project and at the EXIT Theater.
For more information about the Yale Repertory Theatre’s Accessibility Programs, contact Ruth M. Feldman, at 203.432.8425 or rm.feldman@yale.edu.
Women’s suffrage is the right of women to vote and stand for elected office. I like to put this blog forward every fall around election time to remind everyone how important it is to exercise the privilege of voting. I hope I will be seeing you there.
In 1756 Lydia Taft voted in Uxbridge in the British colony of Massachusetts. In 1869 women in the Wyoming territory voted. In 1902 21 women are listed as eligible voters of the City of Norwich Connecticut.
The voting districts were different back then. Jennie Swan of 71 Maple Street and Grace Willey of 52 Asylum Street were from the 2nd district. Both women were married Jennie to Amos an electrician with Eaton, Chase & Co and Grace to Herbert a cigar manufacturer.
The other 19 women were from the 6th district. Eliza Avery, 8 Hamilton Ave; Jennie Briggs, 15 Penobscot; Addie Billings, 1 Hamilton Ave; Mary Billings, 1 Hamilton Ave; Rachel Buell, Mulberry; Nettie Bushnell, 64 Main; Minnie Campbell, 5 Elm; Jennie Davis, Corning Road; Mary Green, 21 Penobscot; Elfie Harris, Mulberry; Harriet Harris, Mulberry; Ida Mathieu, 68 Main; Nellie Rathbun, 18 Williams Ave; Nellie Service, 9 Hamilton Ave; Sarah Spaulding, 20 Main; Annie Storms, Palmer; Amelia Vetter, 1 Hamilton Ave; Ellen Williamson, 62 Main; and Elizabeth Young, Palmer
What were the issues that brought them to the polls? Were they registered despite their husbands or fathers or with their encouragement and support? On a shelf, in a trunk or a box or a chest in the attic or cellar is there a diary, a book or a record that can give us some insight into the lives and reasons that they registered and voted? What were their emotions? How did it feel to cast those ballots? If you are a relation of any of these women were you ever told a story about how they became a voter? A family tale or legend? Now would be a good time to share those tales with us.
You never know what gives someone his or her start. Take William A. Conant for example. He was a musical instrument manufacturer in the 1800’s who lived most of his productive life in Brattleboro Vermont. Conant was very particular about the wood that he used to manufacture his violins and cellos. The top or belly of the violin could only come from old growth spruce still found in the Green Mountains. He claimed it was selected for its softness and fine grain and only the north side was suitable. Conant believed that the south side of trees grew faster and the sun would draw the gum to that side and make the wood coarser. Conant typically used a varnish of a dull brown, occasionally with a yellow, or also a dark red brown varnish.
Conant got his start working with wood when he was seven years old. A friend from Norwich, CT brought him some wood from the pulpit floor of an old church which was taken down , with the hope that the age of the wood would give the instrument a deeper tone. Two violins were manufactured but their tone was no different than the violins made of the local wood.
Conant maintained that if the wood had come from the choirs’ seat, the result might have been different.
William A. Conant was born on November 30, 1804 and died February 13, 1894.
I was reading a Norwich Bulletin article by Elmer F. Farnham from May 1959. His well-researched article relates information about a seat cushion cover that was presented to the City of Norwich, CT in 1907 from the Norwich Cathedral in Norwich, England.
It appears a complete set was originally given to the Norwich Cathedral for use in the corporation seats by Mayor Thomas Baret in 1651 and If Frances Caulkins is correct and it was his cousin Christopher Baret who was the Mayor in 1634 and 1648 and also a cousin of Margaret Baret Huntington, wife of Simon Huntington, and the mother of Christopher and Simon Huntington founders of Norwich, CT.
C.E.C. Tattersall, once of the Textile Department of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London wrote in a book titled History of British Carpets where he described the design as , “A large shield with the arms of the city of Norwich in the middle, the rest of the field being filled up with detached floral devices and birds. The border has a wavy stem, quite oriental in character.”
Embroidery of 18th and 19th Century Norwich, CT has the unique characteristic of a completely filled in background allowing for none of the cloth background to show through. I wonder if this was a way to show off the wealth of a community rich in sheep, fertile land and water leading to a wide variety of dyes in large supply for the home spinners and mills of flax, and wool?
Norwich, CT has discovered that people come from different places and enjoy different foods and drinks in different combinations. Maybe with a little encouragement one or more of the restaurants in Norwich, CT will feature this middle eastern comfort drink. delight
I had never heard of it before I tried it but it is really good! I have made it successfully and I want everyone to try it. I am still not certain I am making it or serving it correctly so here is the recipe I started with.
Sahklep or sachlav is infused with rose water. It should be hot, thick and filled with goodies, like nuts and coconut and raisins and lots of cinnamon. My version is made non dairy with coconut or almond milk and I used cornstarch to thicken it. This is not an original recipe. Restaurants should consider adding this to their after dinner and dessert options. This makes 2 servings or 1 very large serving. It is also a wonderful filling treat after a brisk walk in the cold and served with cookies. It takes about 5 minutes to make.
Sahklep
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups almond or coconut milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon rosewater
Toppings
1 tablespoon shredded coconut
1 tablespoon toasted pistachios and hazelnuts
1 tablespoon raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
Heat your milk of choice with sugar and vanilla over low heat. When it comes to a boil bring down the heat and pour in the corn starch mixture. Keep whisking while you bring the mixture back up to a boil. The mixture should thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon. After letting it boil for a minute, turn off the heat and mix in the rosewater and pour into mug.
Now, the most important part is the garnish. You want a lot of toppings and anything goes. Shredded coconut, raisins, chopped toasted pistachios or hazelnuts and ground cinnamon or even shaved chocolate. Serve hot and enjoy.
If you let it cool it will turn into a pudding called Malabi.
While looking for a list of the disc golf facilities in Connecticut I came across a very informative article in the Connecticut Coast and Country 2018-2019 Annual Tourist Guide page 50 by Dirk Langeveld, titled “hitting the disc golf links.”
Langeveld wrote a thorough description of the game in three short paragraphs.
1. The game disc golf is “a series of a metal baskets mounted on a pole with chains hanging down over it referred to as ‘holes’”
2. “Walking between the ‘holes’ provides good low-impact and gives your brain a workout as you strategize how to reach the hole.”
3. “The rules of the game are to toss the disc into the basket in as few throws as possible, starting at the tee and taking subsequent shots from where the disc lands.” Fewest number of tosses wins.
Langeveld then went on to describe 23 disc golf courses already established in Connecticut with brief descriptions of their good and bad points. I am happy to list the courses but you’ll have to read his article to learn about the good and bad points of each course.
1. Camp Brook, 316 Ashley Road, Canaan, 18 and growing hole course
2. Camp Sloper, 1000 East Street, Southington, 18 hole course
3. Center Springs Park, 39 Lodge Drive, Manchester, 9 hole course
4. Cranbury Park, 300 Gruman Ave, Norwalk, 18 hole course
5. Coss Farms, 201 Rhodes Road, Tolland, 18 hole course
6. Crystal Pond, 305 Crystal Pond Road, Woodstock, 18 hole course
7. Davis Forest, Salmon Drive, Brooklyn, 18 hole course
8. Ecker Hill, 248 West Street, Vernon, 18 hole course
9. Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, 18 hole course
10. High Plains, 525 Orange Center Road, Orange, 9 holes
11. Hop Brook, 4 Straits Turnpike, Middlebury, 11 hole course
12. Lufbury Park, Off Cheshire Road, Wallingford, 18 hole course
13. Millwood Creek, Heather Glen Road and Fox Run Lane, Groton, 20 hole course
14. Nichols Field, 180 Falls Road, Haddam, 18 hole course
15. Page Park, 60 Dewitt Drive, Bristol, 18 hole course
16. Panthorn Park, 485 Burritt Street, Southington, 18 hole course
17. Pomfret Recreation Park, 576 Hampton Road, Pomfret, 9 hole course
18. Rockwell Park, 448 Park Street, Bristol, 18 hole course
19. Sherwood Island State Park, Via Sherwood Island Connector, Westport, 18 hole course
20. Veterans Memorial Park, 4600 Park Ave, Bridgeport, 18 hole course
21. Waveny Park, Lapham Road, New Canaan, 12 hole course
22. West Thompson Lake, 449 Reardon Road, North Grosvernordale, 18 hole course
23. Wickham Park, 1329 West Middle Turnpike Manchester, 18 hole course
I have now played Disc golf once. It is so low impact, it is hard to believe its a sport. The afternoon I played was more like a stroll in the woods directed by a saucer sized Frisbee aimed in the direction of a basket I could not always see. There was no heavy bag to carry and my jacket didn’t get in the way. Our Frisbees were brightly colored and designed to be hard to lose. I am told that some players carry a sleeve of different weighted frisbees but we did just fine with a single Frisbee apiece.
The nets are higher than I could reach but trapped frisbees were easily jostled loose. Clear areas would make the game a bit boring so having trees and growth make the course challenging.
No trees, bushes, birds or other critters were harmed by our afternoon of play.
File this blog under more things Beryl was not aware of and never thought to question. According to a November 8, 1897 article in the Norwich Bulletin quoted from Tidbits and I have no idea where they got their information from.
“Tattooing among ladies is held in higher esteem abroad than in this country. Queen Olga of Greece has an anchor tattooed on her shoulder, as a token of affection for her father, the late Grand Duke Constantine of Russia, and Princess Waldemar of Denmark, wife of the sailor son of King Christian, is also marked in like fashion, with the addition of a crown. Princess Chimay’s tattoo mark is an initial C below a crown. It is said that Lady Randolph Churchill is the only living woman in the English peerage who has been tattooed. The idea occurred to her while traveling in India. She sent for an artist, who submitted designs, and suggested the symbol of eternity – a snake holding its tail in its mouth. As a rule a gold band covers it, and only personal friends have seen the design.”
People love to recall the ‘old days’ and then retell what they have heard told or watched for themselves on movies and television that may or may not have any tiny kernel of truth. The following was written by H. L. Reade to the November 22, 1897 Norwich Bulletin. His letter was lengthy but it was the part about, the old brick oven, that caught my attention so I had to share it with you.
“One other thing. Almost everyone attended a Thanksgiving service in their home church. In all the old farm houses of the long ago there was a brick oven built in connection with the chimney. Once in each week this was heated by building in it a brisk fire, and when the bricks were sufficiently hot, removing most of the coals, and then on the bottom oven placing whatever was to be converted by the baking process into suitable food.
On Thanksgiving mornings the oven had extra heat, and when church time came the substantials for dinner were put therein and the door sealed with ashes. Many times the entire family started for the meeting house.
The good minister had prepared his Thanksgiving sermon. For weeks the choir had met to rehearse their Thanksgiving anthems. The house would be wellnigh full, and with prayer, and talk and song an hour or more would be crowded with what many times thrilled and always helped the devout listeners.”
Of course there was also a recounting of the church service and the sharing of hymns, prayers, family tales, and treats of sweets, apples and walnuts long into the night.
My thanks to all who read this blog and share it far and wide, and for the blessings received by myself, friends, family and strangers and my prayers for all that health, peace and kindness find a home here on earth. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
The residents of Norwich, CT have a long history of having giving hearts, but by 2018 the articles in the newspapers are just a few sentences that are glanced at quickly and dismissed. I wonder if there would be more interest if events were still reported in the detail of this article from a November 24, 1897 Norwich Bulletin.
THANKSGIVING CONTRIBUTIONS. School Children Donate Quantities of Provisions for City Mission Distribution.
The rooms of the City Mission on Main Street were the scene of an unusual activity on Tuesday and the aggregation of provisions of all varieties would remind one of a country store. The custom, which was instituted a number of years ago of requesting the school children throughout the town to bring contributions of provisions to be used in furnishing Thanksgiving dinners for those unable to buy them, has grown almost beyond the dreams of the originators. The scheme met with favorable opinion at the start and the custom, a very beautiful one, has become a very important aid in the work of the city mission.
The stores continued to pour in all day Tuesday the total amount being considerably in excess of that received in any past year. City Missionary G. W. Swan being out of town for the past few days, the work of arranging for the distribution-quite an arduous task- was very capably performed by Miss Nannie B. Ward. There were thirty-five bushels of vegetables, 100 pounds of fresh fish (donated by a gentleman for his two children), four dozen chickens, besides quantities of bread, fruit, cake, jelly, apples, cookies, rice, grapes, tea, coffee, sugar, flour, and in fact everything which could be used in preparing a dinner for Thanksgiving.
The schools which contributed were the Broadway, Roath Avenue, Boswell Avenue, East Broad Street, Laurel Hill, Greeneville, West Side, Norwich Town, Falls and East Great Plain, and it is expected that between 250 and 300 families will receive the provisions which will be distributed today.
All year long the Norwich Soup Kitchen is open to donations of all kinds from warm clothing to canned goods and gift cards that can be used for personal items. Even your store plastic bags can be used again rather than tossed out. Please consider making giving a part of your families tradition.
I spent a few hours past copies of the Norwich Bulletin and came across this article from November 12, 1897. Please, please believe me that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Flim Flam Game Worked Again. Baltic Street woman buys paper and envelopes supposed to contain money – swindlers escape.
Two well dressed strangers called at the house of Mrs. Thiel on Baltic street Thursday forenoon selling paper and envelopes. They had eight sheets of cheap paper and eight envelopes each in a large yellow envelope. They placed a $10 bill in an envelope and sealing it placed it in a bunch of envelopes, offering Mrs. Thiel her choice of any envelopes in the lot for $5, claiming that each contained a sum of money. To make the purchaser sure of winning something they finally offered for $10 to throw in ten envelopes.
The woman paid the money and took the envelopes. The men drove off cautioning her not to open the envelopes until they had gone. When she opened them they contained nothing but the paper and envelopes. The police were notified and the men were traced in the direction of Taftville but nothing was learned of them there. This game is so old and has been so often exposed that it is strange that anyone should be taken in by it especially in a city.
In 2018 you may be approached on the phone, the internet, Facebook, e-mail, even by regular mail, television or an advertisement. Stories are geared to tear at your heartstrings; you may even recognize a location as being in the news recently. Do not send cash, or check, or give a stranger access to your bank account, or your social security number. Please don’t be a modern victim of an age old scam.
Support your own community where you can see how the funds you donate are spent, purchase locally too. Invest in the community you live in to make it a better place to live.
To enhance life in Norwich, CT there are more groups and committees than ever before. Brand new groups all dedicated to doing the very same things that the old and existing committees are already doing.
I don’t get it. I just don’t get it. If you are going to create a new committee then why not do something new? Diversity is a new vocabulary word in Norwich, CT. There is a whole committee dedicated to discovering there are diverse ethnic groups and churches in Norwich.
I was really hoping to see that instead of creating more festivals supporting out of town vendors and performers, a calendar of all the ethnic festivals supporting the existing groups, neighborhoods and churches would be published. Even if it did not have the specific date and details it would be good to know when all the dinners are, the craft sales, public celebrations and parades are.
I not only want to buy local, I want to support locally too. I enjoy going to the Polish Church on the second Friday of each month, and the Italian, Greek, and Russian festivals. But there are so many more I am not aware of ! I am all for supporting the bars in downtown Norwich but maybe we could support some of the other bars and churches in other parts of the city as well?
I’d love to see a Chinese New Year Parade for example. Are dances held anymore? Are there performances and story times from “the old country” being held anywhere?
How about the production of a Norwich Passport that could be stamped when our ethnic restaurants or stores are visited? Irish, Korean, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Chinese, Italian, Greek and all the ones I didn’t mention.
In 1950, Marjorie McCune was teaching third grade at the Falls School in Norwich, CT. The population of Norwich was rapidly expanding with immigrants speaking different languages and practicing different customs in their homes. To celebrate the diversity, students from all grades brought dolls to school dressed to represent the different nationalities. It was so unusual at the time that even those without students in the school attended and wrote letters to the local paper about how wonderful it was. Why not do something similar now? Perhaps not in school but in storefronts throughout the city? Maybe dolls, or staged scenes or mannequins with fashions? I would not object to seeing a store front of a tropical country perhaps sponsored by a travel agency while I shiver in my jacket.
Doing the same things over and over again is very nice but you can’t expect that doing the same things over again, the same way but calling it something different is going to get a different result. Be the change that you want to see.
With grateful thanks to the eagle eyes and great memory for details of Mr. R. R. Russ I recently learned more about Norwich, CT local resident and WWI casualty, Private William Morton Durr. He has an honor stone near the Norwichtown Green on the property of the First Congregational Church. The members of the Workers in Training Class placed the stone to honor their friend, first club president, Sunday School Officer, and Christian Endeavor Society member on May 31, 1925. They also planted a Colorado Spruce with the stone with the hope it would grow tall and strong and protect those who sought shelter beneath its limbs.
In my book, Legendary Locals of Norwich, CT I shared what little I knew about Pvt. Durr. He was the first in his family to complete his education, was valedictorian of his Town Street School class and was an active member of Jesse E. Hyde’s Sunday school class.
In February 1918, 19 year old Durr enlisted in the United States Army. By April he was part of the 28,000 man 3rd Division in France. On July 23, 1918, after several days of fierce fighting and facing heavy machine-gun and artillery fire, Private William M. Durr was killed in action. His body was not recovered.
But Mr. Russ found this article titled, “Great Grub” Over There in the July 4th, 1918 Norwich Bulletin which his parents must have shared. By the date of the letter we know it was written shortly before his death.
Nothing to complain of about the ‘eats’, in France it is evident from a letter received by Mr. and Mrs. Martin Durr of Lathrop Avenue, Norwich Town, from their son, Private William Durr, who is now with Company B, Fourth U. S. Infantry. He writes as follows:
June 6, 1918
Dear Father and Mother: –
I thought your letter would never get here, but I received it just the day before we moved again. We had two more days of box car riding and we all felt as frisky as a lot of young colts when we got off.
We are living in tents, resting up after a lot of hard work. All we do is eat and sleep.
Talk about grub! We get steak, gravy, spuds, bread and coffee. The mess sergeant went out to some towns today and got fifty chickens. That means a nice chicken dinner tomorrow.
You want to know if I like this life. I sure do. This outdoor life makes a fellow feel great.
Saw my first air fight today. A German came out and shot down an observation balloon. Then the Frenchmen went up after the German and the reports are that two French and one German came down. There are hundreds of them flying over every day. I don’t think I would care much for that job – the ground is high enough for me. When you fall you don’t have so far to go.
I was attached to Co. G because they didn’t have enough men to fill up their company. (Blank space) Co. (Blank space) it got over here two weeks later. I was mighty glad to get back again.
I suppose all the kids are waiting to have a lot of noise on the Fourth. We are having it every day.
The weather is great, haven’t had a rainy day in a month. All we need is some soft dirt and a blanket, and we are all satisfied and happy. I never saw such a bunch. We’ll be happy going over the top.
One thing we all miss is the packages from home. Tough luck! It is against the rules to send any.
Do you ever see Hammy? Tell him I will write as soon as I get some paper. It is as scarce as hen’s teeth and none of us want to carry more than we have to.
Saw some African troops yesterday and believe me they sure are black. Their faces are scarred, I think they are tribe marks. They wear earrings and bracelets. I should think they would scare the Germans.
Hoping you are all well. Love to all,
PVT. WILLIAM M. DURR
Co. B Fourth U. S. Inf., American E. F.
The United States military members, support staff and families past and present, make the best they can in situations they would probably never even dream of. Please remember to say thank you.
At a gathering a few nights ago the guitars came out and some really old three chord songs were sung. One of them was “Daisy, Daisy” the old version and not the new release by Ed Sheeran.
My friend and three chord guitar strummer, Tony, gave a little history of the song before we all joined in and then he surprised us by singing a response to the well-known chorus. This is a shortened Wikipedia version of the music history.
“Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two)” is a popular song, written in 1892 by British songwriter Harry Dacre, with the well-known chorus, “Daisy, Daisy / Give me your answer, do. / I’m half crazy / all for the love of you”, ending with the words, “a bicycle built for two”.
The song is said to have been inspired by Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick, one of the many mistresses of King Edward VII.
It is the earliest song sung using computer speech synthesis, as later referenced in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).
David Ewen wrote in American Popular Songs:
When Dacre, an English popular composer, first came to the United States, he brought with him a bicycle, for which he was charged import duty. His friend and other songwriter William Jerome, remarked lightly: “It’s lucky you didn’t bring bicycle built for two, otherwise you’d have to pay double duty.” Dacre was so taken with the phrase “bicycle built for two” that he soon used it in a song. Daisy Bell, is said to have been inspired by one of the mistresses of King Edward VII, Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick. Katie Lawrence sang its first became success performance in a London music hall and Tony Pastor was the first to perform it in the United States but Jennie Lindsay brought down the house when she performed the song at the Atlantic Gardens on the Bowery in early 1892.
The song was originally recorded and released by Dan W Quinn in 1893.
It is also the earliest song sung using computer speech synthesis and was referenced in the 1968 film 2001:A Space Odyssey.
In the original light-hearted lyrics there are several puns (“tandem” as describing both a tandem bicycle and matrimony, bell/belle, weal/wheel, etc.), and almost from the beginning the song lent itself to parody and satire, with a great number of additional verses having been penned, ranging from the mildly humorous to the outright obscene. For example, the same year the song was published, an “answer” chorus appeared:
Michael, Michael, here is my answer true
You’re half crazy if you think that that will do
If you can’t afford a carriage
There won’t be any marriage
Cause I’ll be switched if I’ll get hitched
On a bicycle built for two
It was not unusual for the male first name to change with each response version. I hope you enjoy these samples as much as I did.
Maxie, Maxie here is my answer true
I’ m not crazy at all for the likes of you
If we can’t afford a carriage
There won’t be any marriage
Cause I’ll be damned if I’ll be crammed on a bicycle
built for two.
or
Barkeep, Barkeep, Give me your answer true,
I’m half crazy over the foamy brew
I haven’t any money, but wouldn’t it look funny,
me staring at you across the bar
without a brew in my hand?
I am looking forward to hearing the last version at future Norwich tavern celebrations.
It has become my tradition even if we no longer have newsboys tell this tale again. Have a wonderful 2019 and I hope to see you all at many of the events that we have here in Norwich.
“The News-Boys Address, To the Patrons of the Norwich Courier” was originally printed on the New Years Day front page, above the fold as “The News-Boys Address To the patrons of the Norwich Courier, On the Commencement of the Year 1810.” I hope you enjoy it.
“The News-Boys Address, To the Patrons of the Norwich Courier”
On the commencement of the year 1810
Each week your News-boy fondly tries
To please his friends with fresh supplies
Of news, derive’d from ev’ry quarter,
Both here at home and ‘cross the water;
Fondly hoping by this measure,
To gain your cash and win your favor,
Sometimes he tells of dismal wars
That fill the world with horrid jars,
That raise your pity and your fears,
And from the timid exort tears;
With prospects of a lasting peace.
Sometimes your fortunes seem all made,
With news of unembargo’d trade,
And while your fancy fills your treasures,
By news receiv’d of peaceful measures,
And while your minds are all perplex’d
In counting chickens’fore they’re hatch’d,
Then all at once your hopes prove frail
By news received by the mail,
That tho’ embargoes have no force,
They’re supplied by non-Intercourse.
Sometimes he tells of actions done,
By those who govern here at home,
Relates you speeches often made,
In Congress ‘bout restricted trade.
Sometimes to spend a leisure hour,
Of duels fought by men in power;
Sometimes of deaths to make you sad,
And then with weddings to make you glad.
Sometimes old women he doth fright,
With fiery meteors seen at night,
And earthquakes too tho’ still not near,
Yet they affect their minds with fear.
Of the relieves the farmer’s care
When he can hear of his stray mare,
And if the yearling chance to stray,
Or boys indented run away,
Or if a thief a horse should take,
Or men in bus’ness chance to break;
Or should you wish new goods to buy,
Or old, or cheap, or wet or dry –
Or should a stranger wish to find
A Barber suited to his mind,
One who could cut, and brush and shave
The honest, witty and knave,
All, all you learn from me your friend,
Who on your favor still depend.
I might a long time yet go on,
And greatly lengthen out my song,
By telling things you hear from me,
And thus perhaps increase my fee.
But as I’ve not a miser’s heart,
Permit me from you to depart,
By wishing all my friends much cheer,
Throughout this new, and ev’ry year.
Mohegan Park sits right above my home and is near and dear to my heart so I got a little excited when I read in the May 16, 1896 Norwich Evening Record an article called, The Park Project. The article began with the usual report of minutes being read and approved, declining membership, treasury balance all way too familiar and very boring. Then I read the report of Richard H. Nelson, chairman of the committee on municipal art, who read the following report in regard to the proposed city park:
The committee have devoted a great deal of time to the consideration of matters connected with the proposed city park and are able to report some measure of progress.
In the issue of the Norwich Record of January 11, 1896, a map of the proposed park was published together with so much detailed information concerning the character of the land, that the committee feel it unnecessary to repeat those published statements. It may suffice to say that the efforts of the committee have been directed toward securing for park purposes about 200 acres of land centering around Spalding’s Pond, and easily accessible from North Washington Street, Greeneville and from the proposed Rockwell avenue on the south side.
The owners of this property have, for the most part, responded generously to the quests of the committee for the donation of their land. A committee on roads that was laid on the table at a previous meeting should be acted upon definitely. If the acceptance of the report on parks means the approval of the building of the Rockwell Road I want to go on record as opposed to the building of the road.
The meeting did not seem willing to call the road report from the table. A short discussion in regard to parks followed and then this resolution prevailed:
Resolved, That the Board of Trade expresses its thanks to those citizens who have so generously offered to donate their lands for a public park, and that the board hopes to see the consummation of the plans, which are being made to secure this public benefit to the city.
Some good natured desultory discussion followed and the meeting was adjourned at 10 o’clock.
But all of that was just the beginning. The Washington Street entrance was opened to travel in 1911 while the driveways joining Washington and Rockwell streets were not finished until 1912.
Thank you John A. Rockwell, Charles Bard, Edward Harland and J. Hunt Smith, Henry R. and Mary B. Bond, W. H. Allen, trustee of the will of Charles Spaulding, Fanny Louise and Edith Mary Bliss, Mary W. Reynolds, William H. Bushnell and Dr. L. W. Bacon and children.
“Twas the Night before Christmas” is a poem recited often before Christmas, but perhaps we can begin a movement to recite this poem Titled “Benny” Author Unknown from the Norwich Evening Courier of January 31, 1857.
I had told him Christmas morning,
As he sat upon my knee
Holding fast his little stockings,
Stuffed as full as full could be,
And attentive listening to me,
With a face demure and mild,
That old Santa Claus, who filled them,
Did not love a naughty child.
“But we’ll be good, won’t we moder?”
And from off my lap he slid,
Digging deep among the goodies
In his crimson stockings hid;
While I turned me to my table,
Where a tempting goblet stood,
Brimming high with dainty egg-nog,
Sent me by a neighbor good.
But the kitten, there before me,
With his white paw, nothing loth,
Sat, by way of entertainment,
Slapping off the shining froth;
And in not the gentlest humor
At the loss of such a treat,
I confess, I rather rudely
Thrust him out into the street.
Then, how Benny’s blue eyes kindled!
Gathering up the precious store
He had busily been pouring
In his tiny pinafore.
With a generous look that shamed me,
Sprang he from the carpet bright,
Showing, by his mien indignant
All a baby’s sense of right.
“Come back, Harney!” called he, loudly,
As he held his apron white –
“You shall have my candy wabbit!”
But the door was fastened tight;
So he stood, abashed and silent,
In the center of the floor,
With defeated look alternate
Bent on me and on the door.
Then, as by some sudden impulse,
Quickly ran he to the fire,
And while eagerly his bright eyes
Watched the flames go high and higher,
In a bright clear key he shouted,
Like some lordly little elf,
“Sant Kaus, come down the chimney,
Make my moder have herself!”
“I’ll be a good girl, Benny,”
Said I, feeling the reproof;
And straight away called poor Harney,
Mewing on the gallery roof.
Soon the anger was forgotten,
Laughter chased away the frown,
And they gamboled ‘neath the live oaks
Till the dusty night came down.
In my dim, fire-lighted chamber,
Harney purred beneath my chair,
And my play worn boy beside me,
Knelt to say his evening prayer:
“God bless Fader – God bless Moder,
God bless Sister – then a pause,
And the sweet young lips devoutly
Murmured, “God bless Santa Kaus!”
He is sleeping – brown and silken
Lie the lashes, long and meek,
Like caressing, clinging shadows
On his plump and peachy cheek;
And I bend above him, weeping
Thankful tears – Oh, undefiled
For a woman’s crown of glory,
For the blessing of a child.
Blessings of the holidays to all!
Daily from December 23 thru 25, 1953 the readers of the Norwich Bulletin learned the story of Cindy, the little Mohegan Park deer. This is the slightly abbreviated version.
Cindy was born in the woods of Stafford Springs, and could hardly walk when she was found by a hunter who gave her shelter. After four months the state game wardens decided Mohegan Park here in Norwich with its deer enclosure was the best place for her to live.
The Park made a few minor preparations for her arrival in a big green park truck and was taken right to the deer enclosure where she immediately made herself at home.
But Cindy was soon to become the loneliest deer that ever came to the park. Mother nature has some strange ways. The rest of the deer in the park did not like Cindy. She was already four months old and the rest of the deer just couldn’t accept her as one of their own.
Cindy was quickly named the “Little Outcast” by the park staff and regular visitors. She spent all her time alone with no one to eat or play with. At feeding time all the deer were in high spirits, running and jumping and chasing one another.
When a dinner bell was rung all the deer ceased their play and formed a line in back of Litchy, who is the leader of the deer at the park. Litchy’s hometown was Litchfield, CT and he had been the king of the deer for five years. The deer respected Litchy and always let him begin eating first. The morning menu was hard green apples, raisin bread and grain. The deer munched on the apples and grain, eating the raisin bread last.
While little Cindy watched from a perch on top of a tree stump, a park employee explained to observers that if Cindy had come to the park when she was first born, one of the other deer would have taken care of her until she became full grown. But Cindy was four months old so Litchy, told the other deer not to associate with her and would stop them if they did.
The next day the deer had just finished eating when Cindy was spotted standing on her favorite tree stump waiting patiently and sadly for the rest of the deer to finish eating. When the last deer had finished Cindy approached the eating area very cautiously. There was nothing but a few crumbs of jelly bread left but the park superintendent immediately saw to it that the little outcast received a fresh portion.
Cindy looked up as if she was crying. Her white, fluffy tail was up in the air; her eyes were big and shiny bright; her nose, not like Rudolph’s was shiny black; her feet were the daintiest ever seen on a little deer and her face was the prettiest of any deer at the park. She seemed awfully sad though. When she finished eating she slowly raised her head as if to say thank you to the park employee who gave her the jelly bread.
The park superintendent then gave Cindy a very special treat of ginger bread, which is the deer’s favorite dessert at the park. Soon Litchy appeared on the scene and nodded his head for the rest of the deer to come in a hurry to get some of the ginger bread.
Cindy had most of it and the little that was left Litchy quickly snatched from her, and swallowed in a hurry, before standing on his hind feet and galloping off into the woods; with the rest of the deer following close behind him. It was time to play games and Litchy was starting them off.
For the rest of the morning the deer played games and for the first time in months, Cindy showed signs of being happy again.
She watched the deer playing their games, and every few minutes would try to join in, but Litchy would quickly stop her. When a little boy put his arm out to her, she licked his hand, before running off into the woods with Billy the goat who would play with Cindy when he was not playing with the rest of the deer.
Occasionally Litchy would even stop Billy from associating with Cindy, but for a few days he did not interfere.
Cindy seemed to watch for visitors with little paper bags in hopes of some gingerbread. She would leave a group of children who were petting her to come over to eat the gingerbread before hurrying back to the children for more petting.
Cindy, was the best friend the children had in the park. She let them scratch her head, tickle her behind the ears and then lick their hands to show her appreciation. Litchy just watched the children but never stopped her from playing with them.
On Christmas Eve Cindy was not seen with the other deer out playing in the moonlight. There was even concern something had happened to her when she didn’t come when called, but with a little closer inspection there was Cindy.
She was standing so still she looked like a statue. She was trying to show off something around her neck. She was wearing a beautiful wreath of laurel, red berries and pine cones.
High on the wire fence enclosure was a sign that had not been there earlier that day.
“Cindy, the little outcast deer, has been appointed by me as the official greeter to children and representative of all the deer in this park, this 25th day of December, 1953, Signed, Santa Claus and his helpers.”
Merry Christmas to all!
While away I visited a teeny, tiny, little town that revived my Christmas spirit. I sorta lost my spirit when I saw the downtown lights were dim and missing swatches of light and the parade had to change its route because people were only at the start of the route where people were being dropped off and at the end of the route to be picked up. The local stores didn’t have a decorating contest. Homes don’t decorate. People just install blow up decorations that may or may not have any connection to one another, other than they were on sale at a local big box store. So let me tell you about the festival I attended.
Norwich, CT can do something similar. We have most of the components and maybe even a few more. We, as a community, as a city need to get our holiday spirit back.
In the other town, on the first day of the two day event Santa arrived atop a fire truck at 5PM. Norwich could do that.
5 – 7 PM Santa hears children’s wishes and Sparky, the Fire Dog hands out goodies.
A local rescue squad and Grange members make candle holders. Norwich could do that.
There were tours of museums with a man singing original songs. Norwich could do that. Maybe tours of City Hall with the First State Troubadour?
They had a tour of a historic area led by a member of the historic society with music by members of the high schools chorus. How about a tour of our own Church Street? Glebe House has a great holiday story!
The Boy Scout Troop handed out tiny cups of cocoa and handed out LED candles to children 3 – 12 for the parade. Norwich scouts could do that.
A local bank sponsored stilt-walkers, jugglers and hula hoopers. Norwich even has a resident fire breather just hoping to be asked to perform.
5 pm One of the funeral homes sponsored a church with 19th century holiday music supplied by a school chorus. Norwich has churches with great acoustics and I am certain there must be a school chorus or two in the city.
6 pm was a vocal ensemble with holiday jazz music at a different location.
A dance school staged a street show with performers 3 to 18. Norwich has dance schools.
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm saw fire spinners on a particular street and a kooky children’s band entertained with kazoos available for the children to join in with.
7:15 pm – saw a high school marching band play for the street decorations lighting. Phenomenal! This I don’t think Norwich could do. The power company arranges for the overhead street decorations to come on as the band marches down the street. Everyone knows its time for the lights because the street gets dark. I thought it was a power failure but the excitement was electric. Even the shops dimmed their lights. The decoration lights came on as the band played beneath. Didn’t take long but the effect was breathtaking. Then people gathered behind the band with their LED candles and walked to the Town Hall for the Lighting Ceremony, a performance by another High School, a few words from Santa, the countdown and lighting. But wait! There is more!
Until 10 pm there was an acoustic duo performance, refreshments with adult beverages for sale.
Day Two Began at Noon
Santa arrived on another fire truck and leads a walk thru another historic district. Selfies with Santa were
hosted by a Girl Scout Troop for the price of a non perishable food item to be donated to the local food pantry. I just saw a Girl Scout Troop sell cookies at Stop & Shop.
Stations were set up with help from a Webelo Pack to make packages of Reindeer Food to take home sponsored by a local Agway. Our Norwich Agway sponsors Santa with your pet photos and has great bird feeding supplies.
An art gallery featured a high school guitar ensemble. Does Norwich have any students that play guitar? How about the Tech Schools or 3 Rivers?
A donation please Trolley provided transportation between various venues. Their website had specifics for locations, times, events, trolley stops, sponsors, links and more.
In various areas kids were invited to bounce away excess energy at Big and Little Moonwalks while parents were urged to rest. There was also touch a fire truck and learn what emergency services are available in your town display.
An 18th Century House had a fireplace cooking demonstration and tasting when available.
Circus performers wandered around an historic district.
Cups of a specialty soup were available from one of the markets.
Kids were invited to a make a special craft at one of the shops.
12 Noon – 1 The Rotary sponsored a High School Choir at a local restaurant. Norwich has the Senior Citizen Choir, numerous church choirs, and more. Perhaps one of them?
1 – 2 pm had a Children’s Theatre Chorus singing at another restaurant.
1:30 was a juggling and balloon show with tricks fun and audience participation with a post show session for kids to learn to make their own balloon animal. Norwich has at least two great clowns!
3 pm was a choreographed vaudeville style circus show with workshops afterwards teaching juggling, hula hoop tricks and flag spinning. Does anyone else recall the Fire-ettes and when NFA had a marching band with flags?
1 – 3 Gingerbread cookie decorating workshop at the library followed by story-telling. Some were old favorites and some were new stories written by local authors.
Adult ornament making workshop at a local church.
Hand bell ringing lessons at a local church.
6-8 pm
Community Bon Fire sponsored by fire cadets, Veterans Associations and Middle and High School student associations.
In town parking was a challenge but Norwich has well placed parking garages and parking lots if people and businesses were willing to cooperate with one another for events. Just because you can do something does not always mean you should do it. Being kind will not come back to bite you.
I know this seems like a lot. A lot of coordination. A lot of participation. But look at it carefully. Its really just tiny groups focused on one or two things and creating a much larger event. Norwich could do something similar. It did not happen for this town overnight. It took many years of practice and growth. Norwich residents just need a chance to breathe, regroup, imagine, smile and focus on the spirit of the season. Together we can make the holidays happen for us all!
In the November 18, 1897 Norwich Bulletin I found a lengthy article about Noteworthy Trees – Recalled by Norwich Citizen Who Has Demonstrated His Interest as an Arborist. His name was J H. Brand, 165 Rockwell Street, Norwich.
I am not going to quote the entire article but I had never heard some of the details of our city or the story of ‘Peter’s Oak.’ How true and accurate the stories are I cannot say, but I found the stories entertaining and I hope you do too.
Near the Cobb farm in Norwich are two sassafras trees, one having a circumference of seven feet and a height of 40, and the other measuring seven feet five inches around and about 45 high. For sassafras trees this is unusual in this portion of the country and there are few that can compare with them. Another of about the same size was recently cut down near the same place, and a somewhat smaller one, about 30 feet high and five and a half feet in girth, near Kramer & Henderson’s ice pond at Greeneville.
A white oak formerly stood on Starr Street, about a half mile east of Hubbard’s corners. The tree had a hollow in the trunk large enough to admit a man. This tree was damaged by a storm about two years ago [1895?], and cut down.
In a small clearing about one-eighth of a mile east of the corner of Rockwell and Orchard Streets, Norwich, stands a white oak, the girth of which, at about one foot from the ground is eleven feet two inches. On one side, this tree has been charred and hacked to a height of ten feet, leaving only about three feet of one side covered with bark, and the tree is fast dying, many of the larger limbs being already dead. The girth of this tree before it was charred must have been 14 or 15 feet.
At a distance of 150 feet to the westward is a square formed of earth and stones, marking the site of “Peter’s Hut.” A hut formerly stood there, and was occupied by an Indian, who led a hermit life. It is related that he was in the habit of declaring that that no man should ever cut down or burn the oak tree until Peter was gone, and the tree remains a monument to this man; but will soon be gone, unless something takes place to prevent it. The height of this tree is only fifty-five feet.
J. H. Brand closes his article with the disclaimer, “Although the trees I have enumerated are not remarkable for their immense size, they are peculiar, and therefore worthy of notice. May we not hear of more peculiar trees?”
Stories about our Norwich, CT neighborhoods are important. The stories make our communities different and interesting. Pointing at a place and saying a business once stood there, or a family once lived there is not enough. As neighbors and walk guides we need to be able to relate the stories of the lives, that walked our paths. Please feel free to share these blogs and don’t hesitate to research them further.
When was the last time there was talk of airships in Norwich, CT? In the Norwich Bulletin of November 17, 1897 there was a great article about New Flying Machine to Be Tried Here. A Jersey City Inventor would be experimenting with an airship in Norwich.
Can you imagine? Little Norwich, CT was a place where people brought things to test out. To improve upon and to market. If the product did well in Norwich, CT it would do well anywhere!
Lambert S. Nirdlinger of Jersey City, who has become so well known in connection with air ships, is in Norwich, and had planned to make a flight on his air-ship early this morning from the roof of the Del-Hoff soon after the Bulletin went to press. His intention was to fly out over the buildings toward Laurel Hill about a thousand feet, reverse and return to his starting point.
Mr. Nirdlinger’s flying machine, which is packed so as to be easily carried by hand, consists of a huge pair of wings, above which is an aero-plane. Between and beneath the wings is a bicycle frame on which the operator sits, and a small gasoline engine with two bicycle wheels acting as fly-wheels. The action is like the flying condor, the huge South American bird. Each time the huge wings come down the flyer soars upward 16 to 18 feet and eight times as far laterally. The machine travels about sixteen miles an hour.
These facts concern the small machine which Mr. Nirdlinger has in Norwich. A five-horse-power engine is being constructed for him by Maxim, the famous inventor and with this an air-ship built on this principle could be used for the coast defense work. It could carry two people and travel out over the ocean a hundred miles to drop shells which could annihilate an incoming fleet.
If the experimenter succeeds in flying against the wind, which hitherto has been the difficulty with air-ships, the machine will be taken to Washington by Lieut. John Gurney, U.S.A., of the signal corps, who accompanies him.
Mr. Nirdlinger has been associated with Messrs. Edison, Eddy and Lamson, but each has different ideas regarding flying and each hopes to first perfect his air-ship.
The box kite, which Mr. Nirdlinger flew Tuesday afternoon above Union Square to try the air currents, attracted much attention.
He has had dealings with the Cuban Junta and at one time made plans to blow up the City of Havana by means of bombs dropped from kites, but the Cubans had not perseverance enough to carry it through.
I did not find the follow up article, so I don’t know if he succeeded or not.
The November 3, 1897 Norwich Bulletin had an article asking a question, and I would like to ask it in the present time of December 2018. The article was called the Curious Apple Tree and it was about a tree that distributed fruit in two counties and in three towns.
L.P. Ayer of Franklin writes The Bulletin: Having noticed the articles in the Bulletin from time to time in regard to big trees, perhaps someone will be interested in this. Milo Sharp of Lebanon owns an apple tree growing in the town of Franklin from which the apples fall in two counties – Windham and New London – and in three towns – Franklin, Lebanon and Windham. I should like to know if there is another such tree in the state [of Connecticut].
I am fairly certain that tree is no longer but has another tree taken its place and has an interesting distribution of its fruit or even its leaves?
Do you know of an interesting tree in Connecticut? Where is it? Who owns it? Why is it interesting?
Inquiring minds want to know!
When you read the old newspapers the most amazing tidbits turn up. In the case of Delegates Named Sixty Years Ago from the November 8, 1897 Norwich Bulletin it was the editors note placed at the end of the article I became most interested in so I am going to lead off with that paragraph while I wonder where the later referenced letter is today. I am hoping it remains safely stored. I also hope that the spirit of the men listed, so willing to take a chance on the future of Norwich will awaken in today’s residents.
(It is a fact worth recalling that the first stroke of the spade on this road was at Greeneville in the same year, 1835, on November 18, and that the road was completed so that trains ran the whole distance in March 1840. The Connecticut and Massachusetts companies who had received charters for that portion of the road which lay in their respective states were united by an act of the legislature in 1836, the whole capital amounting to $1,700,000.
The length of the road from the steamboat landing in Norwich to the station in Worcester is 58 9-10 miles, 18 miles of which are in Massachusetts.- Ed )
The lead of the article is about the Citizens who brought about the building of the Norwich to Worcester Railroad.
An interesting document in possession of the daughters of the late George B. Ripley is the first circular letter sent out with reference to the proposed railroad between this city and Worcester, Massachusetts.
This circular reads as follows:
Norwich, April 27, 1835
Sir – At a meeting of the citizens of this town interested in the proposed railroad from this place to Worcester, Mass., held at the Town Hall, on Wednesday evening, the 22nd inst., J. G. W. Trumbull, Esq., was called to the chair, and L. F. S. Foster appointed secretary.
On motion. Resolved, That a delegation be sent from thi town to attend the railroad convention to be held at Worcester on the 2nd of July next. Resolved, That Messers, Calvin Goddard, Nathaniel Shipman, Dwight Ripley, William P. Greene, John L. Boswell, Charles P. Huntington, Elisha Tracy, Samuel Tyler, John Breed, Asa Child, William C. Gilman, John A. Rockwell, Thomas Robinson, Charles W. Rockwell, William Williams, Jr, Jedediah Huntington, George L. Perkins, Amos H. Hubbard, J. G. W. Trumbull, Jacob W. Kinney, Charles Coit, John T. Adams, Edward Whiting, Samuel Story, Gordon Chapman, Joseph Backus, Enoch C. Chapman, James Spalding, Andrew J. Clark, L. F. S. Foster, Erastus Coit, George B. Ripley, William P. Eaton, Simeon Thomas, Leonard Perkins, Gurdon A. Jones, James L. Ripley, and Gordon Pendleton, compose the committee of delegation to said convention.
The secretary of the meeting was instructed to notify the gentlemen delegates of their appointment, and respectfully to request their attendance at Worcester at the time specified. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Lafayette S. Foster.
George B. Ripley, Esq.
By the way, 1897 – 60 years = 1837 and 2018 – 1837 = 181 years ago.