Spring 2015 - Cheshire Historical Society

CHESHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWS
Volume 38, No. 1
PROGRAM
SPRING 2015
SPRING CALENDAR
Sunday, April 12, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Except for holiday weekends, the Cheshire Historical Society
(CHS) Hitchcock-Phillips House (HPH) will be open to the
public every Sunday, 2-4 p.m. from April through the end of
the year. It is also open by appointment on other days. Call
(203) 272-2574 to schedule a visit.
Workshop—Ethnobotany Hands On Workshop
Event is free—reservations are needed
March 16
Monday, March 23, 7:30 p.m.
Talk—Ethnobotany in Cheshire
ERIC NELSON presents
March 23
Ethnobotany in Cheshire
April 12
This is a fascinating talk on
plants found in Cheshire:
edible, medicinal, cordage,
or construction material. The
talk is March 23rd.
A Cordage Making Workshop will be held Sunday
afternoon April 12. Participants will learn how to make
plant fiber cordage through
hands on activities. See related article on Page 10.
Call (203) 250-9350 for
workshop reservations.
April 20
April 26
April 27
May 17
May 18
May 24
June 13
June 15
Monday, April 27, 7:30 p.m.
Italian-American Buffet Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
CHRISTINE PITTSLEY
Presents the Influence of ItalianAmericans on the Cheshire Community
Over five million Italians immigrated to the United
States in the last century, many settling in Cheshire.
They began their lives here in manual roles, working
as laborers, servants, and stone masons. Their influence has left a strong and indelible mark on Cheshire. Christine Pittsley will share this remarkable journey, their influence, contributions and positive
changes made by these many families.
Please come early and join us for a
buffet Italian-themed dinner—this is
a free event and we hope to see you!
June 20
July 3
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Monday
7:30 p.m.
Monday
7:30 p.m.
Board Meeting
Sunday
2:30 p.m.
Monday
7:30 p.m.
Sunday
2:00 p.m.
Monday
6:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
Workshop
and Speaker
Board Meeting
Sunday
2:00 p.m.
Monday
7:30 p.m.
11:00 a.m.
Sunday
“1700 Club” Preservation
Reception
Board Meeting
Saturday
11:00 a.m.
Monday
7:30 p.m.
Saturday
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Conn. Open House Day
Friday
10 a.m.
4th of July Celebration
Bennett Family
Membership Meeting
and Speaker
Author Book Signing
(see page 8)
Membership Meeting
Dinner
Speaker
Memorial Day Parade
Highland School
Board Meeting
Antiques & Collectibles
Sale
IN THIS ISSUE:
Morgan Dent Photo Book Completed
Our Involvement in the StEPs Program
Vietnam War Era Workshop
The Graves of Children at Hillside Cemetery
Honey Pot Creek Creamery Kept Milk Cold
Color in the Lucille Williams Garden
School Children’s Merit Cards from 1830’s
Remembering Edgar Johnson
Warren Van Almkerk’s Last Project
Dog Bane by Eric Nelson
Cheshirepedia is now 501(c)3
2
Cheshire Historical Society News—Spring 2015
From the President: StEPs Program
As you may have seen in the local newspapers and on our
Website, our focus for the next two years is our commitment to
being a better history organization through the StEPs program
(see page 4). Our first challenge is the nuts and bolts part of
ensuring that our Mission, our Vision, and our internal governance policies are in place and accurately reflect who we are.
Later on we’ll have more fun with this as we work on best displaying what we have and making sure our Cheshire Community knows we’re ready and waiting for them to come and be
dazzled.
Read all about it: You’ll want to read about the THREE Eagle
Scout projects going on in our building. You’ll want to save the
dates in your calendar for our upcoming speaker events, workshop, and receptions. These activities work because you come
to them and we are always delighted to see you!
PURPOSE OF THE CHESHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
ARTICLE II Purpose
The purpose of this society is to collect and preserve whatever
may serve to explain or illustrate the archaeology, the art and
literature, the history civil, ecclesiastical or natural - of the
Town of Cheshire. To provide in a suitable manner for their
care, preservation and exhibition, to hold such meetings and
provide and conduct such lectures as may aid in the education
and improvement of the community; to print or furnish such
publications as may be thought desirable; also, to do such other
things as may be proper. To receive, invest and care for any
gifts of money or other property which may be made to the Society. To accomplish the above purposes, the Society will operate and maintain a historic house and museum which will be
open to the public.
Above is from our 1991 Constitution and By-Laws
Mission Statement! Every group has a mission statement.
Well, almost everyone. Our StEPs experience indicates that we
need to add what we do for YOU, for the COMMUNITY, and
from that we can make our Mission Statement. In our Purpose,
we have our “what” and now we need the “why.” This is part of
our challenge as we work in the Mission, Vision, and Governance section of our StEPs process. See Page 4 for more detail.
BOUTIQUE-IN-THE-SHED NEEDS YOUR DONATIONS
Assistant Curator, Kathleen Connolly, continues to organize
and oversee our Boutique-in-the-Shed. The little Society antique shop will be chock full of wonderful collectibles and antiques when the doors open for business in June. But that only
happens because our members have done a little spring cleaning
and found items in their homes that they can donate to the
Boutique. We hope Spring Cleaning hits you hard this year!
Of Special Notes: The Cheshire Historical Society is no
longer able to come to your home to pick up donated items.
We ask that you please bring your items to the Cheshire
Historical Society, 43 Church Drive, on Sundays between
2 p.m. and 4 p.m. If need be, items can be brought to our
back door at any time and left in the outer vestibule. Be
sure to leave us a voice mail at (203) 272-2574 so we can
collect your items, and to leave your name and contact information with your donation.
MEMBERS SHARE / UPCOMING EVENTS
Do you have an event that you’d like to list in our newsletter?
Send to dacalabro@cox.net for consideration.
BOY STUFF NEEDED - Thomas Mulholland is looking for
any and all items that could be found in a boy’s dormitory
room during the period of 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950’s, and
1960’s. He needs all kinds of stuff so if you have anything
that could work in a school dorm setting from 1969 or earlier, please contact Thomas at tem2017@live.com.
WANTED – CHESHIRE HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY
PHOTOS (print or digital) – Frank Ilnicki wants to create a
website of Cheshire hockey photos and he’s looking for contributions of team photos, old “official” team pictures from earlier
years, to possibly add to the high school athletics website. If
you have any of your old hockey photos or photos of your kids,
please contact Frank at fpilnicki@comcast.net or phone (203)
272-2768.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Call the Society if you can help
with our StEPs Program. Diane will thank you a million times!
(203) 250-9350.
BITE ROAD - Wiese Road was originally known as Bite Road. Looking for
anyone who has an old map or documents
to verify this. Leave a message at (203)
272-5937.
EXHIBIT ITEM LOAN NEEDED - Do
you have anything that speaks to your
Italian-American heritage? The Cheshire
Historical Society is very pleased to have
Christine Pittsley talk about the impact of Italian-Americans on
our Cheshire Community. We are putting together an exhibit
case of items from the “Old Country” and hope you might have
photos, stories, or treasures that we can borrow for the exhibit.
Contact Diane at (203) 250-9350 or the Society at (203) 2722574 if you have something we can put on display.
WHITE GLOVE PARTY - Call for volunteers to help with
archiving on Tuesdays, possible weekday evenings, or Sunday
afternoons. We need help to carefully put historic documents in
plastic sleeves. Call (203) 272-2574 to be part of our “White
Glove Party!”
NOVEMBER SPEAKER NEEDED - Do you have the gift of
gab and want to share something of historic significance? We
have our November 23rd Speaker date open. Contact Diane
with your interest: (203) 250-9350
WRITERS NEEDED - The Society needs volunteer help with
Publicity Releases. Can be done at home and can fit your
schedule. If you want to describe our activities to the local media, please contact the Society.
CLOTHING RACKS - We
are renovating our Costume
& Textile room and need
commercial quality clothing
racks, also any fabric clothing
storage bags. If you can donate any items such as this
call (203) 272-2574.
Don’t Forget Donations to
Our Boutique-in-the-Shed!
Cheshire Historical Society News—Spring 2015
ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN - St. Bridget’s Students play
the Beethoven Golden-Toned Parlor Organ?
We have a reed organ in our Meeting Room. This is also
called a parlor organ, pump organ, cabinet organ, or cottage
organ. It was made by the Beethoven Organ Company (est.
1880) in Washington, N.J. It generates sound by using free
metal reeds. These organs were cheaper and more portable than
pipe organs and were widely used in smaller churches and in
private homes in the late 19th Century. This organ is probably
early 1900s. The donor was Robert Sansonetti of Cheshire and
his late wife Dorothy. The Sanonettis got this organ from Our
Lady of Hope Mission, West Barnstable, Mass. when the mission purchased a new organ. It resided in their Vista Terrace
living room for years. Bob describes the mission as “a little
chapel for Portuguese fishermen.” If you come to the Society,
you can take a closer look and you’ll see a dowel on each side
of the keyboard where a candle stand was originally attached .
St. Bridget’s School came to a school tour on October 30,
2014. We are always impressed by these sturdy students because they walk to the Society from their school. Because they
have music backgrounds, these
students took some
time out to use the
reed organ. It does
not use electricity.
It has foot pedals
that need to be
pumped with
about the same
vigor as riding a
bicycle.
The students in this photo are Celeste Cobaugh, Ella Paul, John
Strell, Geena Montano, and Charlotte Taddei.
June Hale
worked the
foot pedals
on our reed
organ at the
Society
Christmas
Party.
Volunteers Are Needed for Sunday
Visiting Hours. Consider an hour or
two on a Sunday Afternoon at the
HPH. Call (203) 272-2574
3
MORGAN DENT’S
PHOTO BOOK
BECOMES A REALITY
In November 2012, Morgan Dent walked into the
HPH with her camera. Morgan spent over a year taking
photos. She estimates that
she took several thousand
photos. We are very proud to
announce that Morgan’s
photographs are now compiled into an impressive
book, self-published (for the
time being) by the Society,
and available for viewing in our Parlor. The book provides an
in-depth history of items on display. Each of Morgan’s photos
was annotated by Curator Mary Ellen Kania. The photo book is
nearly 400 pages. Morgan is completing her first year at Lesley
University in Cambridge, Mass. Morgan said, “I am currently
studying photography to get my BFA. I am very much still using my camera. Last semester I was in the darkroom for all of
my courses. I am learning how to process and develop film
which was an awesome experience. This semester I will be focusing on digital photography but I will probably still keep doing film as a hobby.”
We hope you can stop
by and see Morgan’s
photographs. Morgan
put a lot of volunteer
time into this project.
Our best wishes to this
very talented young
woman.
Photo of Morgan Dent
by Joey Jones, 2014.
JUBE ROAD - A DIGITAL JOURNEY THROUGH
LOCAL CHESHIRE HISTORY
www.juberoad.com
If you haven’t already visited Jube Road, take some time to
explore Christine Pittsley’s blog. She writes: “Welcome to Jube
Road, my blog about local history, genealogy, community and
technology.
I am a genealogist, researcher, historian, map geek and technophile. In the course of my day job, research and ramblings, I
come across long forgotten tidbits of local knowledge.”
4
Cheshire Historical Society News—Spring 2015
THE SOCIETY PARTICPATES IN StEPs
The Cheshire Historical Society has been selected to
participate in StEPs-CT – a statewide, 26-month integrated program of professional development for smaller
cultural organizations. The program is based on the national Standards and Excellence Program for History Organizations (StEPs). Since its debut in 2009, StEPs has
helped 585 institutions nationwide, including 27 in Connecticut. The Cheshire Historical Society was one of 23 organizations
recently accepted into the 2015-2017 program after a competitive application process. Support and training comes via curriculum based workshops, coaching from a
dedicated mentor, and access to a Connecticut Humanities grant fund earmarked
for initiatives related to achieving StEPsCT program standards. Over the course of
the program, the Cheshire Historical Society will work to achieve certificates in six
areas of museum practice. StEPs-CT is a
program of Connecticut Humanities and
the Connecticut League of History Organizations, in partnership with the Connecticut
Historical Society, based on a curriculum
of best practices developed by the American Association for State and Local History. This is the second offering of the
StEPs-CT program. From 2012-14, two dozen Connecticut organizations completed the program. They received
some $45,000 in grants and earned 116 StEPs certificates
– more than 40% of the total certificates earned by all
participating organizations nationwide. Connecticut’s program was the first to integrate the national StEPs curriculum and is viewed as a model for similar programs across
the country, according to Scott Wands, manager of grants
and programs at Connecticut Humanities. Lois Van Almkerk and Marshall Robinson, Directors at the Cheshire
Historical Society, attended the opening two-day workshop along with Diane Calabro, Society President on
January 20-21st, held at the Connecticut Historical Society
in Hartford. Diane Calabro reflected that there is a lot of
work ahead to align with these best practices. “We do
most everything we’re supposed to do, but this program
organizes our efforts and will point out where and how
we can be excellent. It is good work and it will have great
results, I’m sure!” Calabro stressed that the Cheshire Historical Society exists for our community. Lois Van Almkerk agreed, “Anything we can do to better serve Cheshire is worth our time to do it.” Marshall Robinson sees
this as a project that will engage the entire Board at the
Society as well as many of their membership. “It’s a great
opportunity for our members to do something meaningful
right here and right now. Anyone that’s been thinking
about joining the Society should know this is the ideal
time to do so.”
Other institutions participating in StEPs-CT are AveryCopp House, Colchester Historical Society, Connecticut
Valley Tobacco Historical Society, Cornwall Historical
Society, Danbury Railway Museum, Deep River Historical Society, Denison Society, Dudley Foundation, Essex
Historical Society, Groton Public Library, Guilford Keeping Society, Naugatuck Historical
Society, New Britain Industrial
Museum, New London County
Historical Society, Newtown Historical Society, Salisbury Association Historical Society, SmithHarris House (Niantic), Stonington Historical Society, Wallingford Historic Preservation Trust,
Wilton Historical Society, Weston Historical Society, Westport
Historical Society, and Wood
Memorial Library.
Connecticut Humanities, a nonprofit affiliate of the National
Endowment for the Humanities,
provides opportunities to explore
history, literature and the vibrant
culture that make our state, cities,
and towns attractive places to live
and work. Learn more by visiting
www.cthumanities.org. The Connecticut League of History Organizations (CLHO) builds connections between
those who preserve and share the stories and objects of
our past. Learn more by visiting www.clho.org. The
Cheshire Historical Society was founded in 1951 and is
made up of old and new residents of Cheshire with the
purpose of collecting and preserving whatever may serve
to explain or illustrate the archaeology, the art and literature, the history – civil, ecclesiastical or natural – of the
Town of Cheshire. Visit www.cheshirehistory.org for
more information.
Diane Calabro, Marshall Robinson (both in photo above),
and Lois Van Almkerk attended the first StEPs session in
January at the Connecticut Historical Society.
The Cheshire Historical Society welcomes
new members! Please tell a friend to join!
Cheshire Historical Society News—Spring 2015
Three Eagle Scout Projects
EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT NO. 1 - NEARLY 50 YEARS
LATER WE CAN HOPE TO USE THE SPACE!
Quentin Arai has big hopes for a little space. Our second floor
has an Assistant Master’s Kitchenette that remained an unusable and finally forgotten space in the HPH. Quentin plans to
take this small space and convert it to a hotel office space and
an area that can be home to our House & Grounds Committee.
A hotel office is a term for an office area that anyone can use.
This could be a space that a visitor can use for research, to set
up a laptop, to have a quiet area away from the hustle and bustle of the Society. We’ll also have a dedicated area for all the
tools and seasonal items that our H&G Committee has to put
their hands on. Good luck Quentin!
(Below Left) Original “mod” daisy pattern, decaying kitchen
fixtures and electric yellow and blue
painted walls made this forgotten
space seem destined never to be used.
(Below) Phase I in the remodeling
process.
EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT NO. 2 - NEEDED REPAIRS
TO THE SHED AREA AND A HEALING GARDEN
Harrison Dent assessed our Shed area and found it lacking.
The Shed is used for our Boutique-in-the-Shed during warmer
months and is admirably organized by Kathleen Connelly. Harrison is addressing some cracked window panes and glazing
needs. He’s repairing an entry way step and doing some fence
repairs, as well as other needed maintenance. He will also create a new Healing Garden behind the Shed, adding new interest
to an area that is generally overlooked by our visitors.
Harrison has overcome some substantial obstacles to date. He
presented his concept to the Society Board of Directors.
There was some question and answer and then the expected
approval. THEN Harrison had to approach the Historic District Commission for a Certificate of Appropriateness. The
HDC offered many suggestions and wished him well with
the project.
Well done,
Harrison!
(Left) Photo of
Shed by Inge
Venus. The
lower right corner of this photo
will be the location
of the new Healing
Garden
5
EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT NO. 3 - IT TAKES A
STUDENT TO MAKE A STUDENT ROOM!
The Cheshire Historical Society’s third floor Dormitory
Room 10 is about to be converted to its early 20th Century look
as a student bedroom and will become a new museum display at
the Hitchcock-Phillips House.
Thomas Mulholland is determined to make his mark on the
Cheshire Historical Society. Last year, this Cheshire High
School sophomore helped organize and did the research for the
Society’s first “Spirits Alive” Cemetery Tour at historic Hillside Cemetery. Currently Thomas is bringing student life back
to the Hitchcock-Phillips House — about sixty years back,
when the then “Phillips House” was a dormitory for the Cheshire Academy. Thomas is working on his Eagle Scout project
and is converting a storage room in the Society’s attic to its
former status as Dormitory Room 10. This conversion involves
liaison with the Cheshire Academy to learn how the room
looked and who lived there. Thomas is procuring donations of
items from the various decades that the dormitory was in use
(1930s through 1960s). Thomas is focusing on the mid-1950s
for his project but will accept donations from any other decade.
Painting and carpentry repair is needed. “I found that some of
the walls had messages and graffiti written by the students that
lived in that room. I am carefully painting around this writing
and I plan to cover these spots with Plexiglas so people can see
what the students were writing. One student wrote in a closet
wall, ‘I hate this place!’ so it is interesting to see what they
were thinking!” The Society located one of the original desks
in their own inventory from the Episcopal Academy (the original name of the Cheshire Academy) along with a certificate,
both pieces dating from the 1860s. These items will also be
displayed in Dormitory Room 10.
“We are thrilled that Thomas would consider this for his Eagle Scout project,” said the President of the Society, Diane
Calabro. “I admit that this has always been my dream to restore
this room and to have this recognition of the time the Cheshire
Academy owned this building. We have a number of Academy
alumni who come to visit, including men who lived in this
room. Having another museum room to display to the public is
a great opportunity for us.” Thomas plans to make the room
look just like it did in the 1950s. Later on, the Society will take
other decade-specific items and change the room out periodically to give visitors a different sense of the student room from
decade to decade.
Thomas is looking for
additional donations of
items that would be typical for a high school student to have brought to
this dorm such as textbooks, bestselling novels
or records of that time,
political buttons, posters,
yearbooks, student clothing, or furniture. Thomas
can be reached by email:
tem2017@live.com
Photo: Thomas Mulholland (right), with Tommy Ruszczyk
(left). The Scouts are painting and doing carpentry repairs in
Room 10.
6
Cheshire Historical Society News—Spring 2015
VIETNAM ERA
WORKSHOP Ralph Zingarella
Supports Our Veterans
The Cheshire Historical
Society had a Vietnam War
Era Workshop and Speaker
presentation in November
2014 to recognize and
honor Vietnam War Veterans. Retired Cheshire High
School Teacher, Ralph Zingarella spent several evenings at the Society providing a multimedia presentation that included music, film clips, and history of this time
period. Many Veterans attended these workshops and they provided descriptions of their own experiences. Zingarella explained that he is not a veteran. He is passionate in his support
for our war veterans. He said that there was no consideration
given to our troops when they came home from Vietnam. There
was no consideration given to their re-entry into society. One
veteran described being on a battlefield in Southeast Asia and
then a week later, sitting at Yale at a football game, his tour of
duty over. No one considered what the war experience had done
to these very young men. They came home and they were expected to fit in as if nothing had happened in their lives. Zingarella said there are two words that should never go together:
homeless and veteran.
MARTY CANNATA WENT BACK TO VIETNAM
He decided to return to Vietnam. He planned this trip for over
a year. He found the military coordinates of the battles he had
fought in. He matched this up to longitudinal coordinates. He
then worked out his journey on paper. He got airline tickets
and flew back to Vietnam in January 2013, arriving after the
monsoon season. He wore a backpack and walked, using his
cell phone to triangulate where he was and keeping to his
planned route. His phone also sent signals back home where his
wife could be sure he was where he was supposed to be. As a
non-resident of the country, he was not allowed to operate a
vehicle (the time, length of visit requirements, and paperwork
involved in getting a Vietnam drivers license make this difficult). He hired drivers for only a few locations that were really
too far to reach on foot. It’s very different now. In 1969 and
1970, he’d see people working in rice paddies. It was a land of
farmers and fishermen. Now technology is everywhere. Kids
walk around with the same cell phones that we see in the USA.
Many people realized
that he was a soldier
who had returned to
their country. And then
Marty came home and
made a DVD— something he had never done
before —of his experiences, his memories,
and his tribute to his
friends who didn’t all
come home.
Ralph Zingarella (photo left) said, "The reverence that the military is given today is due to Vietnam. We are not going to make
the same mistake as we did in Vietnam."
Zingarella and The Historical Society plan to make Vietnam
War Era workshop an annual event for Veterans Day.
MARTY CANNATA SHARES HIS JOURNEY
CHESHIRE SOLDIER RETURNS TO VIETNAM
Marty Cannata (below) came to the Cheshire Historical
Society on a sunny Tuesday morning in October. He carried a red gym bag with things for our Vietnam War Era
display case. Marty unzipped the bag and removed items
from a time that changed his life. Marty graduated from
Cheshire High School in 1968. He enlisted in the Marines
because it was the right thing to do for himself and for our
country. Marty
was a Marine, in
Vietnam.
Pretty beat up
boots. Marty Cannata wore this pair
of boots (lower
right of photo) for
only five months in
Vietnam’s rugged
terrain of rice paddies, jungles and
mountains.
Photo Above: Helen Cluney, Marty’s best friend’s
mother, gave these religious scapulars to him when he
left the US. Marty received a deck of playing cards on
his flight into Vietnam. He saved the Ace of Spades,
wearing this first in his vest and then in his helmet.
Later, his godson, Navy Seal Nick Cluney (Helen’s
grandson) served in Afghanistan. Nick took the same
Ace of Spades card and scapulars with him, wearing
them in his vest. These have now been to two wars.
Map showing
where Marty
Cannata traveled
in Vietnam.
Cheshire Historical Society News—Spring 2015
THE GRAVES OF CHILDREN AT
HILLSIDE CEMETERY
By Dr. Robert Chesanow
The state of medical practice in Cheshire in the 18th and well
into the 19th Centuries may be fairly characterized as relatively
strong in the description of patients, of their symptoms, and
also of their findings on the limited physical examinations of
those times. As to what caused illness, and therefore to supplying ideas for both their prevention and treatment, the notions
recorded in contemporary medical textbooks and other publications ranged from the pathetically inadequate to the utterly
laughable. As something of a generality, it may be said that
physicians at the time relied more heavily on Aristotelian logic
than on careful experimentation. It made perfect sense that to
get rid of whatever evil was responsible for the sickness to
bleed the patient until the evil was removed. Night air was believed somehow to be responsible for illness. Indeed, when
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams on one occasion were traveling together, these two brilliant, well-educated men argued
vigorously over whether the window of their room at the inn
should or should not be left open at night! Careful experimentation into the causes of illness had to wait for the work of,
among others, Louis Pasteur (1860s to 1890s), with his proof of
the germ theory of disease, and to Robert Koch (1875 to
1890s), for the discovery of the bacillus which caused tuberculosis. For this and other discoveries in bacteriology, Koch was
awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1905.
As you enter the Hillside Cemetery, the area to the right of
the driveway up to the flagpole contains Sections A through E.
The following data are extracted from the Hillside Cemetery
Records, a compilation done in the 1930s as a WPA project
aimed at extrapolating child mortality figures from 1710
through the 1920s. This area holds approximately 800 graves.
Of these, nearly 200 are the graves of children, those under age
20 years. Indeed, 129 of these graves, or 68 per cent of all the
children buried in these sections, are of children who died anywhere from early infancy to age 5 years. It is a fact that until
the immediate post-Second World War period, with the
wide availability of penicillin, the leading cause of death in
these United States was infectious diseases. Thus for these
youngest children it is likely that they died of viral illnesses
such as smallpox and poliomyelitis, or bacterial infections such
as typhoid or diphtheria. For older children, tuberculosis was a
prevalent cause of death. For those 18- and 19-year olds, some
died in wars of those times. There is reason to believe that actual child mortality in Cheshire may be higher than these figures indicate, since many families may have chosen burial in
one of the churchyard cemeteries, or on their own property. In
the more than 200 years covered by the WPA Hillside Cemetery Project, the relatively small fraction of the total Cheshire
population represented in this study nevertheless contained 78
infants (that is, children under one
year of age) and 104 children (those
aged 2 to 20 years). It is likely that
for all of the Hillside Cemetery,
there is at least one child death for
every year of the history of this
cemetery.
These data are summarized in the
chart (right).
7
SPIRITS ALIVE! CEMETERY TOUR
THE TOUR WAS THE PERFECT COMBINATION OF
INTERESTING STORIES AND FUN
“My husband and I along with two of our friends attended
Saturday’s 7:40 Spirits Alive tour. We had a wonderful time.
The candles and the lanterns set an eerie atmosphere. The
Spirits/Actors were fantastic. With great costumes, they spoke
loudly and clearly. The tour was a perfect combination of interesting stories and fun. While I am sure the evening required
a lot of work to put together, I do hope this will be a yearly
event! Thanks for a fun outing. “
Sincerely, Patty Van Fleet
The Cheshire Historical Society would like to thank all the
volunteers that made this event a success, and Hillside Cemetery Association for allowing us use of the cemetery.
Actors and Spirit
Guides above. Joyce
Mulholland and Angela Jannetty right
Regarding child mortality, it would be of great interest to research the genealogy of all the children buried in Hillside
Cemetery. Today we
have easy access to extensive data bases of genealogy, census
records, death certificates, and more, not available to the WPA
researchers who compiled the original Hillside Cemetery Records back in the 1930's. The clustering of some deaths within
a period of a few weeks would suggest an epidemic of illnesses
such as typhoid or diphtheria. The deaths of several children
who died at the same age in the same family might be due to a
congenital or genetic condition. Did a preponderance of the
child deaths occur in one section of Cheshire? The personal
stories of each of these children would enlighten us about
an important part of the history of our
town, and would reach us down over
the centuries, far from their sad little
graves.
8
Cheshire Historical Society News—Spring 2015
In his new book about the British Raid on Danbury in April
of 1777, Stephen Darley includes:
• Rosters of 56 different companies with 1026 officers and
men from 35 towns in CT and
NY
• Personal accounts of participants—letters, memoirs, journals, and pension applications
• Lives of five unsung patriot
officers
• Life and career of General
David Wooster who was killed
during the raid
• Ten men killed at Battle of Ridgefield
• Three previously unknown express riders
“Through painstaking and diligent research of pension records
and other primary resources, he has identified the names of
nearly eleven hundred American combatants… Darley’s book
rightly focuses a spotlight on this important but overlooked engagement, and the brave men and women who fought in it.”
~ Michael P. Gabriel, Kutztown University
Stephen Darley has a law degree from George Washington University. This is his third book exploring the battles fought by the
Northern Army in the first three years of the Revolutionary War.
Visit his website at www.darleybooks.com.
Mr. Darley did some of his research at the Society. We now have
a copy of his book for our library, a wonderful addition.
Are there descendants of some of the Cheshire men who
were in Cook’s company still in the Cheshire area?
Please let us know.
Stephen Darley will be at the
Cheshire Historical Society on
Sunday afternoon, April 26 from
2 p.m. to 4 p.m. for a presentation
and book signing.
MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
We are grateful to have received Memorial Contributions for
Warren Van Almkerk
from:
Doris Black of Cheshire
Bob and Mary Humpage of Cheshire
Ruth Ellen Hunt of Bethel, CT
Mary Ellen & Ed Kania of Cheshire
Patricia Van Almkerk of Naples, FL
Paul Van Almkerk of Ipswich, MA
Linda & Richard Varrato of Meriden
Ray & Ellie Verner of Cheshire
Adolph & Eleanor Vesentin of Cheshire
Barbara Welton of Cheshire
In Memoriam
Curator Emeritus, Joseph Edgar Beadle Johnson, 96, passed
away on January 27, 2015
Robert Cawood’s father, Albert E. Cawood, 100, passed
away December 29, 2014 in Clearwater, FL.
Beloved wife of Ralph T. Rowland, Bernice Cannizzo
Rowland, 89, passed away on October 30, 2014.
Assistant Curator, Warren Van Almkerk, 89, beloved
brother of Lois Van Almkerk and friend of Bob Demers,
passed away on December 28, 2014
The House & Grounds team
noticed that a doll in the Textile Room was in tatters.
Warren Van Almkerk restored the doll this past Fall. As the
doll explains in her own words:
“I am a doll that lives at the Society. No one recalls my origins nor
who might have donated me. I’m sure I was a beloved dolly, I am
very sure of that. Years pass and while time may heal many
things, it is not kind to dolls. This summer found me a dreadful
mess with my clothing in tatters and so worse for wear. Warren
Van Almkerk, Assistant Curator to the Society for decades and
one of the original members of this Society, took me in. I was delivered almost in pieces and inelegantly transported on an old plastic paint tray. Warren took his time and recreated me. He cleaned
me up. He washed and tidied up my hair. He stitched a new body
for me. He made pantaloons and slips, and lovely new shoes for
my little feet. Warren designed and dressed me in this beautiful
red gown with lace trim, much nicer than anything I have ever
had. Now I am home! I came home for the Christmas holidays. I
am sure I am the envy of all the other dollies here! But the kind
man that repaired me, well, he is gone now. He went to a better
place. He was a good man and I am his final project. I know his
hands have repaired and maintained so many things at the Society
for so many, many years. I will miss Warren very much.”
Photos above: Warren Van Almkerk, Doll before and after.
Cheshire Historical Society News—Spring 2015
Town Center History App is Now
Available! Google Play or Apple
Try it out! Free Phone App will tell you
the history of Cheshire Town Center!
THE CREAMERY ON HONEY POT BROOK:
HOW DID THEY KEEP THE MILK COLD?
By Captain Edward Holtzman
One of the older roads of Cheshire is Creamery Road, running from Wolf Hill Road to the old Turnpike, now Route 10
or Highland Avenue. The thoughtful might suspect that the
name commemorates a former dairy operation. They would
be correct. On the Meeting Room wall of the Cheshire Historical Society is a large 1865 map that confirms the suspicion. A fading script marks a spot south of Creamery Road
and on the east bank of Honey Pot Brook as a "Creamery."
This fall, when the leaves have fallen, the location will appear
as a square of dark water a few yards south into the woods.
The walls of the creamery are gone, but the adventurous may
still find a masonry floor by probing the silt under the water.
In the days before mechanical refrigeration, dairies and
creameries used the natural cooling of
springs and streams to keep the milk and
cream from spoiling. Milk cans were
placed on masonry floors, over which
flowed the cool water. Our ancestors
were very clever in using the gifts of
nature. In modern terms, they were
"Green."
Author’s Note: Does anyone know the
origin of the name Honey Pot? Certainly
not Milne. Might be an interesting article if there is a story attached.
SAVE THE DATE
SUNDAY OCTOBER 4TH
DING! DING! DING! GOES THE TROLLEY!
PLANS FOR THE 2015 HISTORIC TROLLEY TOUR
By Pat Vita
The Cheshire Historical Society is
pleased to announce that we will
again offer our Historic Trolley Tour
in the Fall.
Our trolley ride will begin at the
Hitchcock-Phillips House and then
continue to the South Brooksvale
Historic District. The trolley tour
narration is in development.
Dr. Robert Chesanow
Our Town Historian, Jeanné
narrated three back-to-back
Chesanow, is researching the
tours on September 28, 2014 for
area.
the Cheshire Street History
Reservations can be made by Tour. It was a long day! People
phoning the Society.
who went on the tour said it was
an outstanding experience.
9
Do you live in an old house?
Do you have stories to share about
your old house?
If so, you’ll want to come to our
Old House Reception
on Sunday, May 17th 2—4 p.m.
Call Diane Calabro at
(203) 250-9350
for a reservation
2015 CHESHIREPEDIA UPDATE
By John Fournier
Cheshirepedia has been making strides to get its website up
and ready for launch. First, the website is now in the expert
hands of Jim Barbour (Cheshire HS Class of '84) and Baltimore
Consulting. Just a bit more tweaking is being done. In order to
make the file of photos and other images searchable in depth
the Cheshirepedia staff is going through thousands of photos
and adding captions and descriptions to them. We want the
people using the website to find it quick and convenient to locate just the images they are looking for. In addition, the writers of the articles for the website should be able to hyperlink
with ease to those images which go with their texts.
Second, we now have achieved the status with the IRS of a
501(c)3 charitable organization. Besides exemption from certain sales taxes involved in making purchases for Cheshirepedia, all contributions to the organization are deductible from the
donors' federal income taxes as charitable contributions.
And finally, the directors and editors went to school on
crowd sourcing: We learned how to put together an effective
video and supplementary documentation for a Kickstarter venture. We raised more than the money we had set for our target,
and in the process got to meet many of our interested - and interesting donors.
Thanks to everyone who made 2014 a success for
Cheshirepedia!
For this year we are still looking for anyone who wants to get
involved with the website to help write articles, do research or
volunteer their time at any community service events we will
participate at in the coming year. Cheshirepedia plans to have a
Plant Sale this coming May and will have a booth at the Cheshire Historical Society’s 43rd Antiques & Collectibles Sale in
June.
AND—we still need articles and any interesting archival or
historical photos that may be of interest to the public. Please
contact us at cheshirepedia@gmail.com for more information or
if you have any questions or suggestions.
10
Cheshire Historical Society News—Spring 2015
REMEMBERING
JOSEPH EDGAR BEADLE
JOHNSON
By Lois Van Almkerk
Edgar Johnson (1918-2015) was an
important part of our Society, a beloved member, and was our Curator
from 1987 until 2004. He was our
Curator Emeritus for the past decade.
Edgar was a private person, knowledgeable and an expert on
most things. He was dedicated to the Society.
(Photo of Edgar from our 2004 Christmas Party)
A CONTINUOUS SPECTRUM OF COLOR FROM
EARLY SPRING TO EARLY SUMMER IN THE
LUCILLE WILLIAMS MEMORIAL GARDEN
By Inge Venus
Patience is not a virtue inherent in many a true gardener, so
what better way to get a head start than embellish a drab looking area with pansies and some potted tulips – heralding the
renewal of the gardening season and our spirits that lay dormant
for far too long.
And this is what the Cheshire Garden Club does with the crucible in the herb wheel of our courtyard garden behind the
Hitchcock-Phillips house, known as the Lucille Williams Memorial Garden. But before long the azalea shrubs and rhododendrons planted adjacent to the staircase will burst into vibrant
bloom, while across the now emerging herb garden peonies and
shrub roses easily hold their own with profusely blooming pink
roses and red peonies. And not to be outdone, just a couple of
weeks later is the large hydrangea planted just outside the entrance to the garden, showing off huge blossoms of brilliant
blue color.
Submitted by Inge Venus, Civics and Parks Chair
Cheshire Garden Club, February 8, 2015
Indian Hemp Dogbane: A Local Plant
With an Interesting History
By Eric Nelson
Indian Hemp Dogbane (Apocynum cannibinum) is a plant
species found in Cheshire that was used by Native Americans as
medicine and as material for making thread, twine and rope.
A. cannibinum is a native perennial 3-5 feet tall with paired
oval to lance-shaped leaves 2-4 inches long and with terminal greenish-white 5-lobed bell-shaped flowers. Its long narrow
curved seed pods are arranged in pairs. In winter, the flower
stalks and seed pods are a reddish-brown color. The seeds inside the pods are attached to white flossy tufts much like
those of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and are dispersed by the wind after the pods have opened. Like milkweed,
the live plant exudes a white latex-like sap when it is damaged. The plant typically grows near woodland borders, along
paths, in clearings or in disturbed waste places like ditches and
is often found fairly close to wetlands. Its natural range extends
throughout the continental United States (except Alaska) and in
Southern Canada.
Since the live plant is toxic for dogs and other animals to ingest, the genus name Apocynum is an approprate latinized Greek
term for "Go away dog!" The species name cannibinum means
"hemp-like." The plant has several other common names including dogbane, milkweed, honeybloom, bitter root, black
hemp, hemp dogbane, lechuguilla, westernwall, Canadian hemp
and Indian psycic. A. cannibinum is not the same "Indian
Hemp" as marijuana (Cannibis sativa).
Wherever, Indian Hemp Dogbane was found, early Native
Americans used the strong fibers from its dead flower stalks for
making cordage (thread, twine and rope). A. cannibinum bark
fibers are stronger than those of any other herbaceous plant,
including those of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca),
Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica), and Wood Nettle (Laportea
canadensis), which were also used for making cordage. In fact,
a single strip of bark removed from a dead flower stalk is about
as strong as modern light-test fishing line.
The cordage itself was used for making several items including baskets, pouches, twined bags, snares, nets, fishing line,
quilts, linings, bowstrings and as lashing for shelter poles.
The use of A. cannibinum in New England and throughout its
growing range in North America was well documented by early
European explorers and settlers who attested to the durability of
the plant's fibers.
The live plant is highly toxic and contains the cardiac glycoside apocymarine which causes cardiac arrest if ingested. Children should not play with the milky-juiced stalks. Some people
can get skin rash from contact with the sap. The dead plant
parts are dry and are perfectly safe to handle.
Indian Hemp Dogbane can be found in several places in
Cheshire: along the east edge of the Farmington Canal Heritage
Trail between Lilac Court and South Brooksvale Road, the
Boulder Knoll Community Farm, Cheshire Park (edge of the
lake, east side of the park), Darcy Elementary School yard, and
at the entrance of Roaring Brook Park.
Eric Nelson is a local naturalist with a bachelor’s degree in
biology from Southern Connecticut State University. He has
studied and taught early Native American survival skills for
several years.
Cheshire Historical Society News—Spring 2015
REWARD OF MERIT CARDS FOUND BEHIND THE
VICTORY POSTER IN 2ND FL. INDUSTRY ROOM
By Colleen Fitzgerald
As a Cheshire Historical Society Board member and a history
teacher, it goes without saying
that I love history. I love the
mystery and discovery involved
in history. I also love the personal connection we each have
with history; how we are all
influenced by past events. I
became a teacher to share this
passion with my students. However I became a
Cheshire Historical Society
board member to be involved in
some of Cheshire’s mysteries.
I found myself involved in
one of these Cheshire mysteries by accident recently. One
Sunday afternoon I was doing a routine inventory of the Industry & Gun Room on the second floor. While studying the
room I noticed a 1918 U.S. Food Administration Poster,
“Sow the seeds of Victory” from WWI. While I have walked
into this room many times, for some reason, the poster stood
out to me that day. As I picked up the poster I noticed another odd piece of paper attached to its back. I turned over
the poster and found that the back had a number of papers
glued to it. Confused but also excited I took the poster to
Kathleen Connelly, our Assistant Curator. We both strained
our eyes to read the words printed on these papers and realized that these were Rewards of Merit given to students by
their teachers for their good behavior.
I was surprised as well as excited. Kathleen and I spent a
number of minutes reading each one. Written were remarks
from the teacher explaining the good deeds the student did to
achieve the Reward of Merit. As we read, we saw the many
behaviors students were rewarded for.
I was interested in these Rewards of Merit and also very
curious about them and the people mentioned in them. Who
were these teachers and students? What was school like for
them? Why were these Rewards of Merit placed on the back
of this poster? I felt the excitement of a new mystery beginning. While
I may not be
able to answer all of
these questions, I at
least have
found another connection to the
past. While
these schoolteachers and
students lived hundreds of years ago in the 1800s, their words
remain relevant. I am glad these pieces of history have survived and that I had the opportunity to study them.
11
Photos: WWI Poster (left), Merit Cards were glued on the back
of the poster (lower left), detail shows “Coming From School”
card (below, is about half actual size)
The Reward of Merit Card above, COMING FROM
SCHOOL, has this writing: The bearer Mr. Alfred Dicker
receives this as a token of the praise he merits for his
faithfulness and good behavior in school from his teachers. Note that the artist’s mark on the lower right of the
drawing is “N. Jocelin Sc. 1813.”
Our 43rd Annual Antiques &
Collectibles Sale is Saturday
June 20th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
By Lois Van Almkerk
The Society is planning our 43rd Antiques & Collectibles Sale.
The date is Saturday June 20th. We are hoping for another
fine day for the Antiques & Collectibles Sale
June 20th! Call me for details: (203) 272-5937
SEEKING VENDORS
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Warm thanks to the following members who
made special contributions in addition to
their 2015 dues payments.
Major Contributors
Juline Beier, Sausalito, California
Sally Bowman, Cheshire
Robert and Ann Fennelly, Cheshire
Mary B. Hobler-Hyson, Cheshire
12
Cheshire Historical Society News—Spring 2015
CURATOR NOTES
By Mary Ellen Kania
In January, we received copies of new books from two authors who visited the Society for research in 2014. Heroes for
all Times, Connecticut Civil War Soldiers Tell Their Stories
(Wesleyan University Press, 2015) by Dione Longley and Buck
Zaidel is a volume of historic photos and first-person accounts
from Connecticut soldiers. It contains two excerpts from the
Titus Moss letters on life in winter camp in 1863 and a reproduction of the CDV photograph of Daniel Lee Jewett, assistant
surgeon in the 20th Regiment Connecticut Volunteers, from the
Nettie Smith Collection.
The second book, Call to Arms: The Patriot Militia in the
1777 British Raid on Danbury, was a gift from author Stephen
Darley (see page 8).
Books donated by members include a 1909 booklet “The
Old Crown Point Road – Its Place in History,” that contains a
section on Elias Hall, then of New Cheshire, New Haven
County, who traveled the road about 1759, donated by Charles
Dimmick. Also Hardluck Ironclad by Edwin C. Bearss
(Lousiana State University Press, 1996), donated by Ted Holtzman. The book contains many references to Cheshire’s Andrew C. Foote and the Battle at Fort Donelson, where Admr.
Foote received the wounds that later led to his death.
A copy of his 2014 unpublished manuscript America’s Moveable Feasts: The Heart and Soul of our National Holidays was
a gift from the Rev. Boardman W. Kathan.
Cheshire Historical Society
P.O. Box 281, 43 Church Drive
Cheshire, Connecticut 06410
Society Officers
President
Diane Calabro
Vice President
Art Sides
Secretaries
Shirley Brady
Wesli Dymoke
Jaime McCormick
Treasurer
Ed Kania
Board of Directors
Robert Cawood
Colleen Fitzgerald
Robert Larkin
Clare Leake
Cara Luciani
Marshall Robinson
José Rodriguez
Lois Van Almkerk
Pat Vita-Garber
Student Liaison & Facebook
Stephen Mulholland
Curator Team
Mary Ellen Kania
Kathleen Connolly
Marshall Robinson
Webmaster & Newsletter
Diane Calabro
House & Grounds Chairman
David Calabro
The Thanksgiving proclamation by Connecticut Governor
Samuel A. Foote, which hangs in the Meeting Room, is prominently mentioned in the chapter on the Thanksgiving holiday.
Donations of memorabilia from old Cheshire include a
“new” yellow polishing cloth for silver imprinted with
“Gregman’s Jewelers, Church Plaza, Cheshire, Conn,” from
the 1950s and a map of Meriden, Cheshire, Wallingford, c.
1960, from First Federal Savings & Loan, donated by Ralph
Edson. Two 2.5” x 4” note pads, leather-bound with “Cheshire
Furniture Shop, Cheshire, Conn.” imprinted in gold, were donated by John Purtill. John also donated a hand-carved, two
piece part from a spinning wheel. It is a fine example of Cheshire craftsmanship and has a label showing it was exhibited in
1955 during the celebration of Cheshire’s 175th anniversary.
With funds from the Acquisition Fund, we purchased a letter
written in 1793 by Rufus Hitchcock, who built the HitchcockPhillips House. Although the Society has several documents
with Hitchcock’s signature as Town Clerk, this is the first
complete letter in his own hand in our collection.
E-MAILS FOR HISTORY QUESTIONS
Town Historian: cheshirehistorian@cox.net
Historical Society: cheshirehistorical@gmail.com
Curator: maryellenkania@cox.net
CHS President: dacalabro@cox.net
Cheshirepedia: cheshirepedia@gmail.com
Spring 2015
Use this QR code to quickly
visit our CHS website.
LIKE us on FACEBOOK!
Visit our Website
www.cheshirehistory.org
Telephone:
(203) 272-2574
E-mail:
cheshirehistorical@gmail.com
Speaker Meetings are on Monday Evenings at 7:30 p.m.
at THE CHESHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Monday March 23 Ethnobotany by Eric Nelson
Monday April 27 Italian Americans in Cheshire
by Christine Pittsley
Sunday April 12 Ethnobotany Workshop by Eric Nelson
Sunday April 26 Call To Arms Book Signing