Ellington
Historical Society
70
Main Street PO Box 73 Ellington CT 06029
|
|
|
| June Meeting Notice The Ellington Historical Society will hold its annual meeting and potluck supper on Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room at Hall Memorial Library at 93 Main Street. Those with last names beginning with A-M are asked to bring a salad. Those with last names beginning with N-Z are asked to bring a main dish. Hot and cold beverages will be provided. Our traditional strawberry shortcake will be served for dessert. Following the supper, we will hold our annual meeting during which we will elect officers for 2008-2009. A slate of officers will be presented and nominations can also be made from the floor.
News from the President, Tim Fahy Renovations of the historic Pinney House have been put on hold after a meeting of the Ellington Board of Selectmen on May 19th. The town received a $500,000 grant from the Small Town Economic Assistance Program for the restoration of the house. Estimates to restore the house exceeds this amount. The town now has until August 25 to decide how to proceed, after the owner of the property from which the town leases the property, Deer Valley LCC, agreed to the extension. Nellie McKnight Museum open for the season The Nellie McKnight Museum is open for the season on Thursdays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. through the month of September. Stop in and visit. May 10 Event Our event on May 10 which included a bake sale and flea market went off successfully in spite of threats of bad weather. We sold out all of the flea market sites and sold out all of the baked goods too. We had a modest crowd come through the first floor of the museum but the main focus for our visitors was the bake sale. We wish to thank all of our members who baked for the sale-we couldn’t hold this event without your support! Thank you to our bake sale volunteers: Connie Nichols, Pat Clapp, Helen Dahl, Ann Berak, Wendy Peterson, Mary Temple and Nancy Lemek. Thank you to our museum volunteers: Mildred Dimock, Nancy Long, Lynn Fahy, Tim Fahy and Lennie and Don Ellis. Special thanks to Mildred Dimock for calling all of our bakers and to Tena and Dave Lehmann for publicizing the flea market, handling the applications and setting up the field for the event. Dave has also completed caning another chair for the museum and we extend a thank you for his skill and patience in restoring these chairs. The event would not have happened without the efforts of Nancy Long, who coordinated everything. She made dozens of calls, cleaned the building, got the gardens in shape, purchased the supplies and took care of things no one else even thought of. Thank you, Nancy. Local Historians Meeting On Thursday, May 9, Nancy Long and Tim Fahy attended a meeting with local historians at the Somers Historical Society. This group of historians meets twice a year to discuss common concerns and efforts in promoting local history. The meetings move to a different historical society each time so we all benefit from seeing each other’s displays and locations. School Tours Nancy Long and Tim Fahy visited Windermere School on Wednesday, May 28, Center School on Friday, May 30, and Crystal Lake School on Wednesday, June 4. A selection of museum items such as ice tongs, candle molds, popcorn popper, bed warmer, etc. are brought to the schools and a narrative of each item is given. We have found this format encourages the children to focus on a particular item and how it was used in a lifetime very different from today. Fund-raising Ellen Karadimas has sent out letters to local contractors asking if they would be willing to donate items or labor for the upkeep of the Nellie McKnight Museum. Dave Taylor from Preferred Painting Services has completed repairing and painting the walls and trim in the upstairs back hallway of the museum. He and his staff also repaired loose wallpaper throughout the museum. We greatly appreciate his generosity in donating both time and materials for these projects. John Luginbuhl of Nutmeg Stair & Cabinet is going to stabilize the stair railing, and add shelves to two upstairs closets. Garden Tour The Ellington Women’s Club will be holding a garden tour on Saturday June 21 from 10:00-4:00. The museum herb garden, maintained by EWC, is featured on the tour as well as the perennial gardens at the museum. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 the day of the event and are available at Hall Memorial Library, Ellington Agway and the Ellington branch of Rockville Bank.
Meeting Notice The Ellington Historical Society will meet on Friday, April 25, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hall Memorial Library at 93 Main Street where we will attend a program presented by the library, “Great Scot! It’s Andrew Carnegie!” performed by veteran actor Richard Clarke. Clarke is a graduate of Clark University in English and Theatre and has appeared in many productions at regional theaters, as well as on television shows and on film. Free. All are welcome. Carnegie rose from humble beginnings to become “The King of Steel and the richest man in the world. He was called the “greediest little devil that ever lived,” yet gave away billions of dollars building thousands of libraries. He warred with labor yet passionately advocated world peace and counted Mark Twain, Helen Keller and Booker T. Washington as his friends. Thank you to Mary Temple and Tina Fiore for baking for our February meeting. Happy Birthday Windsor The Town of Windsor is celebrating its 375th birthday and Ellington, as one of the “daughter” towns, is included in the celebration! Lynn Fahy and Nancy Long attended a reception at Loomis Chaffee School on March 6 honoring daughter towns and their historical societies. Ellington Historical Society was presented with a commemorative coin made for the 375th anniversary. Visit the 375th website at: www.windsor375.com for updates and information on the year-long celebration. Of special note is a parade and fireworks scheduled for September 27, 2008. Plans are being made by the town and the historical society for our participation in this event. News from the President-Tim Fahy At a recent meeting of the Executive Board, historical society member Ellen Karadimas presented some ideas for fundraising and will be working on raising money for the refurbishment of the Nellie McKnight Museum. News from the Curator-Nancy Long The Nellie McKnight Museum will officially open for the season on Thursday, May 15, 2008. As in past seasons, the museum will be open each Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. through the month of September. The museum will be open on Saturday, May 10, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. during the Fair on the Green and Flea Market on the museum grounds. Our annual bake sale will be held indoors in the dining room on that day also. We hope members will support us as in the past and bake for the sale. Volunteers to staff the bake sale and museum will be needed for this day. Since our April 25 meeting will be part of a program at Hall Memorial Library, please contact Nancy Long if you would like to volunteer or bake. Flea Market Saturday, May 10, 2008 the spring flea market will be held on the museum grounds from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The spaces for exhibitors are 10’ x 10’ and available for a donation of $20.00 from non-members and $15.00 from members. If you are interested in reserving a space, please contact Tena Lehmann. News from the Archivist-Lynn Kloter Fahy Charlotte Lanz has donated some newspaper clippings and photographs, including some of the Hurricane of ’38. I have scanned almost all the photographs that I need for the Arcadia Images of America book, Crystal Lake: Tolland County. I will begin the photo layout soon and write the captions. The book remains on schedule for publication in spring 2009. Research for the book has led to some interesting discoveries. There was a reference in Crystal Lake resident Ella Newell's 1895 diary to her husband Frank cutting alders and taking the logs to Hazard Powder Company in Enfield. I learned that gunpowder is composed of saltpeter, sulphur, and charcoal, and that alder charcoal was preferred. Ellington Historical Society Program, June 2008 Our annual meeting and potluck will be held on Thursday, June 26th at the Hall Memorial Library. The program will be a presentation of a slide program originally created by Nellie McKnight in the 1970s. Lynn Fahy will show these historical slides of Ellington that Shirley Hayden scanned into digital format. Shirley corrected the color and enhanced the images on the faded and deteriorated slides.
Meeting Notice The Ellington Historical Society will meet on Thursday, February 28, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hall Memorial Library at 93 Main Street. The business meeting will be followed by a program by Ms. Angelina DeLuca on Connecticut Itinerant Painters of the 19th Century. Ms. DeLuca is a thirty five year veteran art teacher in the West Hartford School System. She received her BA from Central CT State University and her Masters from the Hartt Art School University of Hartford. She has received two Fulbright scholarships. The public is invited and new members are welcome to join. Refreshments will follow the program. Thank you to Doris Johnson and Ellen Karadimas for the refreshments for our January meeting. The bakers for our February meeting are Tina Fiore and Mary Temple. Storm Cancellations We have arranged to have our storm cancellations announced on WFSB Channel 3. If you have any questions about whether a meeting has been cancelled, please contact Tim Fahy. News from the Archivist-Lynn Fahy Arcadia Publishing has accepted my proposal for a new pictorial history of Ellington. The new book in Arcadia’s Images of America will be titled: Crystal Lake: Tolland County. The finished manuscript and approximately 200 photographs are due at the publisher’s in November, and the scheduled publication date is spring 2009. Shirley Hayden has finished scanning slides from Nellie McKnight’s collection. Shirley corrected the color and enhanced the images on the faded and deteriorated slides, which we hope to present to the society at a future program. This is one of the slides, a photograph of the stone house known as the Millstone on Route 140, Sadds Mill Road. An article in the May 23, 1908 Hartford Courant reveals the origin of the house: “Dr. Everett J. McKnight has bought of George L. McLean a part of the old Dunham Mill Property in Ellington opposite the residence of Carlos Bradley. This property is situated near Dr. McKnight’s boyhood home. The mill canal, along which he traveled to the swimming pond in his boyhood days, now has magnificent elms on either side, making a delightful walk. Dr. McKnight contemplates putting up a bungalow and reconstructing the pond, which will cover several acres of land. The whole, when completed, will make a most attractive summer home.”
January Meeting Notice The Ellington Historical Society will meet on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hall Memorial Library at 93 Main Street. The business meeting will be followed by a program on the history of iron and iron manufacturing by Jim Klopfer. The public is invited and new members are welcome to join. Refreshments will follow the program. Thank you to Connie Nichols and Pat Clapp for the refreshments for our October meeting. The bakers for our January meeting are Doris Johnson and Ellen Karadimas. News from the President Tim Fahy Winter is here and the Museum is closed until May. We closed just in time, as our oil was about gone. At current prices, it would cost $ 935 to fill our tank. Heat doesn’t last long in a house that has no insulation, but we hope that insulating the steam pipes in the basement next year will help. We as a society owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to our Curator, Nancy Long. Because she is such a good project manager, the holiday open house went very smoothly. Not only does she organize everything, she does the scheduling, publicity, shopping, cleaning, decorating, baking, demonstrations, setup, clean-up, and even finds time to make all the school house ornaments that we sell. Thank you Nancy, well done. Holiday Open House The holiday open house was held on Friday evening, November 30 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 1 from 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. for the town wide Winterfest celebration. Friday evening Robert Aborn demonstrated broom-making, David Lehmann caned a chair and Karen Hayes demonstrated weaving on Nellie’s loom. On Saturday, Dave returned to work on his chair and Karen continued weaving dish towels upstairs. Nancy Long demonstrated spinning in the kitchen. Rosemary Toth, a musician from Tolland, entertained both days playing the guitar and singing carols. The museum had a steady stream of visitors both days with the largest crowd coming during the Winterfest hours. A brutally cold day with strong winds on Saturday kept the Winterfest crowd down but those that visited the museum had a good chance to look at the exhibits and chat with the volunteers. News from the Curator, Nancy Long We appreciate the help of our volunteers who cleaned, decorated and staffed the museum. Thank you to Dorothy Manner for decorating the Christmas tree, the red and gold ornaments were pretty in the front parlor. Thank you to Mildred Dimock for her many phone calls to enlist our bakers. We served cookies in several locations in the museum and, for the first time, offered one pound plates of cookies for sale. This proved to be a nice addition to our fundraising and will be something we do again next year. Thank you to our bakers for their work, the variety and quality of the cookies were wonderful! Our table of books and ornaments was moved to the dining room where we had better lighting and more room to display our wares. This was a nice change of venue and will be added to the list for next year as well. Volunteers: Dave Lehmann, Karen Hayes, Debby Wallace, Evelyn & Rudy Luginbuhl, Lennie & Don Ellis, Connie Nichols, Dot Manner, Nancy Lemek, Mildred Dimock, Mary Temple, Tina Fiore, Gerry Gillung, Darlene & Ron Hull, Lynn & Tim Fahy, Nancy & Jim Long. Decorators: Tena Lehmann, Dot Manner, Gerry Gillung, Ellen Karadimas, Tim Fahy, Nancy Long. As always, special thanks to Tim and Lynn Fahy for their tireless efforts for the society and museum. News from the Treasurer, Mary Temple I would like to thank all the members who
helped make the wreath sale a success. A special thank you to Lennie and Don
Ellis for picking up the wreaths for us. The following people were instrumental
in decorating the wreaths: Tina Fiore, Tena Lehmann, Lennie Ellis and Tim Fahy
for running back and forth to the shed for us. A special thank you to Doris
Johnson who helped make some of the red velvet bows. Once again we had a
successful sale and it could not have happened without our many members who
purchased a wreath. A thank you to all of you. News from the Archivist-Lynn Kloter Fahy Biographical Sketches of Ellington Families by Darius Crane, originally published by the Star Printing Co. in 1889, was re-printed by the Higginson Book Co. at the request of the Ellington Historical Society. It is now available on the Higginson web site at http://www.higginsonbooks.com The book number is CT1372, and the price is $9.95 for the paperback and $21.95 for the hardcover. You may also contact the publisher at Higginson Book Company, 148 Washington Street, Salem, MA 01970, Phone: 978-745-7170. The proposal for a pictorial history of Crystal Lake in Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series is at the publisher now. We should know soon if the proposal is accepted, and what the scheduled publication date will be. I am still looking for photos of the Crystal Lake Ballroom and Crystal Lake schools up to around 1960. If anyone has any, please contact me. I will arrange to scan your photos and return them to you. Shirley Hayden has taken on another project for us. She is scanning slides from Nellie McKnight’s collection, which will preserve them and make it possible for us to present a digital slide show. The slides were made in the 1970s and many of the images have faded and deteriorated. Shirley will try to correct and enhance the images, many of which are photos of Ellington’s historic houses. Ellington Historical Society Programs, Spring 2008 Thursday, February 28th —Angie DeLuca will speak on 19th century painters. Friday, April 18th —Andrew Carnegie. Thursday, June 26th -- Annual meeting and potluck. Check our website at http://www.ellingtonhistsoc.org/ and future newsletters for details.
Broomsquire Robert Aborn demonstrating broom-making at the Holiday Open House Meeting Notice The Ellington Historical Society will meet on Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hall Memorial Library at 93 Main Street. The business meeting will be followed by a program, “Brooms and Brushes,” presented by Robert Aborn. He will demonstrate broom making using techniques that early settlers learned from Native Americans. Broom squire Aborn creates large size floor brooms and small scrubbers by peeling individual wood fibers one at a time from freshly-cut yellow birch. He also makes twig besom and corn brooms. Samples will be on display. Free. The public is invited and new members are welcome to join. Refreshments will follow the program. Thank you to Tim Fahy and Nancy Long for the refreshments for our last meeting. The bakers for the next meeting are Connie Nichols and Pat Clapp. News from the President-Tim Fahy I want to thank Nancy Long for everything she did at the museum this summer. She served as a docent each Thursday afternoon, as well as taking care of the three gardens. She also completed two more Christmas ornaments in the old school series, so those of you who are collectors, can buy them at the open house in December. Storm Cancellations We have arranged to have our storm cancellations announced on WFSB Channel 3. If you have any questions about whether a meeting has been cancelled, please contact Tim Fahy. News from the Curator-Nancy Long The Nellie McKnight Museum recently received some items from the McKnight family for our collection. The items include portraits of Nellie’s great-grand parents Asenath Kimball McKnight (b. 1796) and Horace McKnight (b. 1791), a two panel slate, chalk box, gold case with portraits, tintype, fabric swatch from Asenath McKnight’s wedding gown, oil heater and receipts from the Thompson and McKnight families dated 1830s-1850s. Winterfest One season ends and another begins! Plans are underway for the Holiday Open House the weekend of the town Winterfest 2007, which will be held on Saturday, December 1. This year we will have the museum open on Friday night from 6:00-9:00 P.M. and Saturday during the day beginning at 11:00 and during the Winterfest celebration until 7:00 P.M. Our hours during this weekend will be firmed up at the executive board meeting and a sign up sheet for volunteers and bakers will be passed around at our next meeting. We hope you can join us for this celebration of the holiday season! We had such success with the wreath sale last year that we will be selling wreaths again this year. Details will be forthcoming and we will also pass around a sign-up sheet at the next meeting to reserve wreaths. News from the Archivist-Lynn Kloter Fahy We have just received two hardcover copies of Biographical Sketches of Ellington Families by Darius Crane, originally published by the Star Printing Co. in 1889. This title was re-printed by the Higginson Book Co. at no cost to us. The company did a beautiful job reproducing it. We will keep one copy and place the second copy in the Hall Memorial Library. The book will be available for viewing at the October meeting. It will be available for purchase in paperback, too. Watch the Higginson web site at http://www.higginsonbooks.com Ellington Historical Society Programs, 2007-2008 Society Vice-President Denise Archibald has scheduled the following programs: January 24th —Jim Klopfer will speak on the history of iron and iron manufacturing. February 28th —Angie DeLuca will speak on 19th century painters. Friday, April 18th —Andrew Carnegie. June 26th -- Annual meeting and potluck. Membership Dues Membership dues were due in September. If you have not paid yours yet, please send your dues payment to: Ellington Historical Society, P.O. Box 73, Ellington, CT 06029. Make checks payable to the society. Individual $10.00 -- Family $20.00 -- Senior Individual $8.00 (Over 62) -- Senior Family $15.00 (Over 62) -- Patron $25.00 -- Business $50.00
Sep 2007 top Meeting Notice The Ellington Historical Society will hold its first fall meeting on Thursday, September 27, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hall Memorial Library at 93 Main Street. The business meeting will be followed by an antiques program and appraisal presented by EHS member Stu Magdefrau. He will explain the difference between wholesale and retail value, replacement value, and the subjectivity of appraisals. Attendees can bring 2-3 items for appraisal, with priority given to members. Photos of furniture and a sample drawer are recommended for large pieces. No jewelry, please. Refreshments will follow the program. Free. New members and guests are always welcome. 2007-2008 EHS Officers At our annual meeting and potluck supper on June 28th at the Hall Memorial Library, the following officers were re-elected: President, Tim Fahy; Vice-President, Denise Archibald; Treasurer, Mary Temple; Recording Secretary, Santina Fiore; Corresponding Secretary, Tena Lehmann. Dave Lehmann was elected to the Executive Board, which includes current officers as well as members Mildred Dimock, Jim Stoughton, Don Ellis, Curator Nancy Long, and Archivist Lynn Kloter Fahy. News from the President-Tim Fahy Congratulations to EHS member Len Johnson,
2007 Wall of Honor Recipient. Len has dedicated many years to serving Ellington,
its youth and military veterans, as well as EHS. A formal ceremony was held on
Saturday September 8th at the site of the wall in Arbor Park on Main St. In March, I received a letter from Jim Gage, who is on the ad hoc committee working with the consulting firm Planimetrics. Ellington is working on the draft of a Plan of Conservation and Development. The entire draft is in Draft Booklet 3 on the town's web site . Towns may establish historic districts and historic properties for which exterior architectural changes are reviewed by local preservation commissions. An excerpt from p. 19 of Booklet 3 describes Historic Districts:
In order to exercise
regulatory control over the architectural integrity of historic The State Historic Preservation staff meets with local communities which are considering establishing local historic districts to provide information and guidance. On Tuesday evening June 26th at the Hall Memorial Library, architectural historian Mary Donohue of the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism History Division provided information pertaining to the establishment of historic districts.Pinney House Update—In August, the Town of Ellington signed a lease with Eric Santini, Jr. of Deer Valley LLC to lease the Pinney House for 99 years at a cost pf $1 per year. The town plans to restore the Revolutionary War-era house built by Lt. Eleazer Pinney.News from the Curator-Nancy Long This summer season has been a quiet one with fewer visitors than last year but we have kept ourselves busy with museum work. The garden memorial to Nancy Way has been completed with a birdbath and the engraving of a stone with her name and dates. The stone and engraving were donated by Nancy’s friends at Rockville Monuments. We hope you will stop in at the garden and see the birdbath and stone. The closet in the museum kitchen has been cleaned and painted and now houses a display of china and cookbooks. The mix of items found in the closet was surprising and yielded some lovely additions to the china cabinets as well as the discovery of a car vase from the 1920s! Hall Memorial Library Exhibit A new exhibit is on display at Hall Memorial Library. While viewing a photograph of a local group of Camp Fire Girls recently donated by the Schlude family, the curator remembered seeing the same costume in the museum attic. The Camp Fire Girl costume belonged to Frances McKnight, who was a younger sister of Nellie. The group’s banner is also on view as well as the beads from Frances’ necklace and a brief history of the organization. It is truly amazing that these fabric items have survived almost a hundred years and we are grateful for this little piece of Ellington history. Donations Items donated to the museum since the first of the year include:
A sign-up sheet will be passed around at our meeting for people to bake and hostess our meetings this year. We hope you will be able to help us out with our refreshments! News from the Archivist-Lynn Kloter Fahy Arrangements have been made for the re-printing of Biographical Sketches of Ellington Families by Darius Crane, originally published by the Star Printing Co. in Hartford in 1889. When we receive the reprints, we will place a copy in the Hall Memorial Library and make paperback copies available for purchase. I will be preparing a book proposal for the Arcadia Publishing Co. to write a pictorial history of the Crystal Lake community. Most photos of Crystal Lake are still in private collections. If anyone has photos of people, places, or activities in the Crystal Lake section of town circa 1850-1950, I would like to borrow and scan them. The originals will be returned to you, unless you want to donate them to the Ellington Historical Society. The digitization of these photos will ensure that the images will be preserved for future generations. The owners of the photos would be asked to sign a release, since, in order to comply with U.S. copyright law, Arcadia requires that we have permission to publish. Please call me. Signed copies of Images of America: Ellington, a photographic history by Lynn Kloter Fahy, are available by mail. Cost of the book is $19.99 and proceeds benefit EHS. To order a signed copy by mail, send a check for $23.50 (includes shipping) made payable to The Ellington Historical Society to the society at P.O. Box 73, Ellington, CT 06029. Please specify if you would like a special inscription on your copy. Ellington Historical Society Programs, 2007-2008 Society Vice-President Denise Archibald has tentatively scheduled the following programs: October 25th —TBA. January 24th —Jim Klopfer will speak on the history of iron and iron manufacturing. February 28th —Angie DeLuca will speak on 19th century painters. Friday, April 18th —Andrew Carnegie. June 26th -- Annual meeting and potluck. Check our website at future newsletters for details. Membership Dues It’s that time again! Membership dues are “due” in September and we have enclosed a form to fill out and include with your dues payment. ****************************************************************************** Ellington Historical Society Membership Dues Class of Membership ________ Individual $10.00 ________ Senior Individual $8.00 (Over 62) ________ Family $20.00 ________ Senior Family $15.00 (Over 62) (Check one) ________ Patron $25.00 ________ Business $50.00 Name ________________________________________________ Mailing Address ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Telephone Number ________________________________________________ *E-mail address ________________________________________________ Make check payable to: Ellington Historical Society Mail this form and payment to:
Ellington Historical Society * If you would like to receive your EHS newsletter by e-mail as a Microsoft Word file instead of “snail mail,” please include your e-mail address. June Meeting Notice The Ellington Historical Society will hold its annual meeting and potluck supper on Thursday, June 28, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room at Hall Memorial Library at 93 Main Street. Those with last names beginning with A-M are asked to bring a main dish. Those with last names beginning with N-Z are asked to bring a salad. Hot and cold beverages will be provided. Our traditional strawberry shortcake will be served for dessert. Following the supper, we will hold our annual meeting during which we will elect officers for 2007-2008. The nominating committee will present a slate of officers and nominations can also be made from the floor. Special Meeting Notice: Historic District Information Meeting On Tuesday evening June 26th at 7 p.m. at the Hall Memorial Library, 93 Main St., Ellington, architectural historian Mary Donohue of the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism History Division will provide information pertaining to the establishment of historic districts. Towns may establish historic districts and historic properties for which exterior architectural changes are reviewed by local preservation commissions. The State Historic Preservation staff meets with local communities which are considering establishing local historic districts to provide information and guidance. The meeting will provide information needed to determine if a historic district of this kind would meet historic preservation needs relative to proposed revisions to the Ellington Town Charter. It is sponsored by the Ellington Historical Society.
Main Street, Ellington, circa 1891 Member News Welcome to our newest members: Arnold Benjamin, DVM, and Myrtle Benjamin. News from the President-Tim Fahy Pinney House update: At a special town meeting at the Ellington Town Hall on Tuesday, May 21st, PASSED BY A PAPER BALLOT OF 38-30 -- 1. To consider entering into a lease agreement with Deer Valley, LLC to lease the Pinney House, located at 82-84 Pinney Street in Ellington, for 99 years at the annual rental rate of one dollar ($1.00). PASSED BY A VOICE VOTE: -- 2. To consider the acceptance and expenditure of a $500,000 grant from the State Department of Economic and Community Development for the restoration of the Pinney House. Thanks to all who attended and to those on the Friends of the Pinney House committee who have worked for four years on the campaign to preserve and restore the house. News from the Curator-Nancy Long The Nellie McKnight Museum is open for the season on Thursdays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. through the month of September. Stop in and visit. Bake Sale/Tag Sale/Open House The sun was shining on Saturday May 12 for the Fair on the Green and our museum bake sale and tag sale. The bake sale started out inside, just in case Mother Nature had one last trick up her sleeve, but quickly moved outside on the front lawn so the crowd on the green could see what wonderful goodies we had for sale. Thank you to our bakers and volunteers who staffed the bake sale booth. We also appreciate the multitude of phone calls made by Mildred Dimock to summon our bakers. The bakers were: Karyn Kloter, Connie Nichols, Pat Szemplinski, Pat Clapp, Mary Temple, Tina Fiore, Anna Johnston, Joan Landers, Sandy Koch, Nadene Lake, Tim Fahy, Hilary Brady, Mildred Dimock, Shirley Hayden, Ann Berak, Gerry Gillung, Wendy Peterson, Denise Archibald, Charlene Carson-Hyde, Herman & Helen Dahl, Marge Dawson, Pat Dimock, Lennie Ellis, Ann Gage, Penny Gates, Carol Hagopian, Deborah Hoffman, Doris Johnson, Ellen Karadimus, Nancy Lemek, Jamy Magdefrau, Helen Mazewski, Libby McCarthy, Pam Moriarty, Joan Moser, Mary Okolo, Ruth Helme, Barbara Paluska, Esther Shoup, Nancy Long, and Evelyn Luginbuhl. The volunteers for Nellie’s Pantry were: Pat Szemplinski, Pat Clapp, Connie Nichols, Gerry Gillung, Nadene Lake, Mary Temple, Tina Fiore and Tim Fahy. The museum enjoyed a steady crowd of visitors. We thank our volunteers who staffed the museum and welcomed guests to Nellie’s home. Our loyal group of house cleaners is to be complimented for their work: Tena Lehmann, Tina Fiore, Anna Johnston and Nancy Long. A special thank you is extended to Tena and Dave Lehmann. Tena kept the news of our tag sale in the local papers and both Tena and Dave set-up the tag sale booths and arrive early Saturday morning to sign in the tag sale vendors. As if their day wasn’t long enough, the Lehmanns volunteered in the museum! Thank you for your help Tena and Dave. Other museum volunteers were Mildred Dimock, Debbie Wallace, Don and Lennie Ellis, Ruth Helme, and Helen Mazewski. Nancy Long, and Tim and Lynn Fahy were there for the entire day. Museum Gardens The Tussie Mussie volunteers from the Ellington Women’s Club have cleaned up and planted annual herbs to the herb garden. Dennis Pitney of Pitney Farms on Pinney Street donated the herbs to the garden and we appreciate his support. A memorial birdbath to honor Nancy Way has been purchased for the museum perennial garden. The garden paths have been reconfigured to accommodate the placement of the birdbath and the flower beds spruced up by Nancy Long. Please stop by and see the birdbath and enjoy this pretty and peaceful garden. Mildred Dimock did a seasonal clean-up on the garden by the shed and we appreciate her continued help in the museum gardens. School Tours The school tours took place the first week of June. Nancy Long and Tim Fahy visited Center School and Windermere School on June 5 and Crystal Lake School at the Town Hall on June 8. A selection of museum items for viewing and discussion were brought to each school group. This format has proved very enjoyable for both the museum staff and school children who are encouraged to come and visit the museum during their summer vacation. Hall Memorial Library Exhibit A new display featuring the history of the Ellington Parish Train-Band Ancient Fifes and Drums has been installed at Hall Memorial Library. This group was formed in November 1974 to commemorate the original Train-Band that existed during 1774-1775 in Ellington. Featured is a uniform from the 1974 group, awards and pictures of the many events they attended. News from the Archivist-Lynn Kloter Fahy Mildred Dimock’s and Debby Wallace’s binders, filled with copies of both historic photos and contemporary photos of houses from the Ellington Assessor’s Online Database, will be available for viewing at the June 28th potluck meeting. Mildred and Debby matched the photos with Nellie McKnight’s research on historic houses in Ellington. Also on display will be a photo album donated to the society by Stephanie and Wesley Schlude. It is filled with wonderful original historic photos of Ellington houses. The album was restored by Lynn Fahy, who replaced the pages with acid-free paper and attached the photos with acid-free corners in their original order. Lynn was able to re-use the original album covers. Another project on historic houses is being done by member Shirley Hayden. Shirley is photographing historic houses in Ellington and the streets she has done include Maple, Main, Sadds Mill, Crane, Abbott, Crystal Lake, South, West Shore, West, Berr, Tomoka, and Pinnacle. April Meeting Notice The Ellington Historical Society will meet on Thursday, April 26, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hall Memorial Library at 93 Main Street. The business meeting will be followed by a program about the history of Swiss Cleaners, presented by Eric Kloter. Established in 1913 by Henry Kloter, the company was awarded the 2003 Connecticut Family Business of the Year Award by the UConn School of Business. The public is invited and new members are welcome to join. Refreshments will follow the program. The bakers for the April meeting are Lennie Ellis, Sharon Czyz, and Doris Johnson. Thank you to Hilary Brady, Tina Fiore and Mary Temple for the February meeting refreshments.
Member News Ellington Historical Society Executive Board member Jim Stoughton was guest speaker at the spring meeting of the Descendants of the Founders of Ancient Windsor held at the First Congregational Church in East Windsor on Saturday, March 24th. His subject was William Stoughton, the “hanging” judge of the Salem witchcraft trials, a program he had presented before the Ellington Historical Society. News from the President-Tim Fahy On April 28th, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, an Academic Fair and Anniversary Celebration will be held at Crystal Lake School in recognition of 50 years of service to the community. Our Historical Society has been invited to partake in the celebration. We will display various items from our museum as well as demonstrate some old time skills. Nancy Long will spin wool into thread, and Dave Lehmann will cane a chair. Anyone wishing to help with our display can contact Tim Fahy. News from the Curator-Nancy Long The Nellie McKnight Museum will officially open for the season on Thursday, May 17, 2007. As in past seasons, the museum will be open each Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. through the month of September. The museum will be open on Saturday, May 12, 2006 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. during the Fair on the Green and Flea Market on the museum grounds. We will need volunteers to staff the museum that day. A sign-up sheet will be passed at the April 26 meeting but you can also call Nancy Long if you would like to help. Our annual bake sale will be held indoors in the dining room. We hope members will support us as in the past and bake for the sale. A sign-up sheet will be passed at the April 26 meeting but you can also call Nancy Long if you would like to bake. Hall Memorial Library Exhibit A new display featuring the history of the Ellington Parish Train-Band Ancient Fifes and Drums has been installed at Hall Memorial Library. This group was formed in November 1974 to commemorate the original Train-Band that existed during 1774-1775 in Ellington. Featured is a uniform from the 1974 group, awards and pictures of the many events they attended. Flea Market Saturday, May 12, 2007 the spring flea market will be held on the museum grounds from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The spaces for exhibitors are 10’ x 10’ and available for a donation of $20.00 from non-members and $15.00 from members. If you are interested in reserving a space, please contact Tena Lehmann. News from the Archivist-Lynn Kloter Fahy Mildred Dimock and Debby Wallace have completed the organization of Nellie McKnight’s research on historic houses in Ellington. They matched the research with historic and contemporary photographs of the houses and filed the pages in archival sleeves in 3-ring binders. This project took an incredible amount of time and effort, and we shall be forever grateful to Mildred and Debby. We hope to make this valuable reference source easily accessible for those seeking information about these houses. For now, contact Lynn Fahy for information. Ellington Historical Society Programs, Spring 2007 June 28, 2007 -- Annual meeting, election of officers, and potluck supper February Meeting Notice The Ellington Historical Society will meet on Thursday, February 22, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hall Memorial Library at 93 Main Street. The business meeting will be followed by a slide program and talk about Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford by Irene McHugh. Cedar Hill is a notable example of the development of the 19th century American rural park-like cemetery. Its natural habitat of ponds, woodlands, and meadows is unique in New England cemetery design and provides a natural habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. Many famous people are buried in the cemetery in graves marked by beautiful and unusual monuments designed by prominent artists and architects. The public is invited and new members are welcome to join. Refreshments will follow the program. The bakers for the February meeting are Hilary Brady, Tina Fiore and Mary Temple. Thank you Connie Nichols, Debbie Wallace and Pat Clapp for the January meeting refreshments.
Membership News Dorothy Hartmann, charter member of the Ellington Historical Society, passed away in January. We send our condolences to Dorothy’s family and have donated a book in her memory to Hall Memorial Library. News from the President-Tim Fahy The work on the brick and slate chimney cap
and the removal of the overgrown Norway spruce in front of the Nellie McKnight
Museum has been completed. With this necessary maintenance done, the museum
should be in good shape in the Spring, and we are proceeding with plans to place
a bird bath in the flower garden in memory of Nancy Way. The display case in Hall Memorial Library has a wonderful exhibit of nutmeg graters from the collection of Jim Klopfer. Our January program by Mr. Klopfer was a delightful introduction to the history and variety of nutmeg graters. We are grateful to Mr. Klopfer for his generous loan of the graters for the showcase and hope you take the time to enjoy the display. A new member, Shirley Hayden, has done some work on two photograph portraits in the museum. The photos were very faded and Shirley copied them and digitally enhanced the images so they are once more recognizable. The original photographs will be kept in the archives and we will now display the copies. Shirley has also made some copies of photographs of Ellington from the collection in Hall Memorial library and added color to the pictures. How nice to see old Ellington in living color! Thank you Shirley for your work on the photographs. News from the Archivist-Lynn Kloter Fahy Sincere thanks to Mildred Dimock and Hilary Brady who finished the transcription of the Nancy Sikes Porter 1851-52 missionary letters from Gabon that were found in the Nellie McKnight Museum. Thanks also to Mildred and to Debby Wallace, who are organizing Nellie McKnight’s research on historical houses in Ellington. They are matching the research with historic and contemporary photographs of the houses and filing the pages in archival sleeves in 3-ring binders. This will be a valuable reference source for those seeking information about these houses. Dan Waskiewicz, owner of Crystal Blueprint & Stationery in downtown Rockville, has offered to sell our Images of America: Ellington pictorial history in his store. We supply the books, which we purchase at the author’s discount, and Dan gives us $19.99 for each book sold. The proceeds generated by the sales of the book benefit the Ellington Historical Society and the Nellie McKnight Museum. Thanks, Dan! The Hall Memorial Library continues to sell signed-by-the author copies of Ellington for us, too. Or, to order a copy by mail directly from the society, send a check for $22.00 (includes shipping) payable to EHS to: Ellington Historical Society, PO Box 73, Ellington CT 06029. Storm Cancellations We have arranged to have our storm cancellations announced on WFSB Channel 3. If you have any questions about whether a meeting has been cancelled, please contact Tim Fahy. Ellington Historical Society Programs, Spring 2007 Society Vice-President Denise Archibald and the program committee have scheduled the following programs: April 26, 2007 – Program on the history of
the Swiss Laundry, presented by Eric Kloter. January Meeting Notice The Ellington Historical Society will meet on Thursday, January 25, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hall Memorial Library at 93 Main Street. The business meeting will be followed by a program by Jim Klopfer, “The Grater History of Nutmegs.” The public is invited and new members are welcome to join. Refreshments will follow the program. For more information, call Tim Fahy. In conjunction with the January program, Mr. Klopfer has placed an exhibit of nutmeg graters dating from 1690 to modern times, as well as nutmeg ephemera, in the Hall Memorial Library. It will be on view from January 13th through February 28th. For more than 30 years, he has carefully researched the development and production of nutmeg graters. He has completed onsite industrial genealogical study regarding more than 250 American and English patented nutmeg graters and has designed a protocol useful in distinguishing pre-antebellum American silver nutmeg graters. Debby Wallace, Pat Clapp and Connie Nichols are in charge of refreshments for the meeting. Storm Cancellations We have arranged to have our storm cancellations announced on WFSB Channel 3. If you have any questions about whether a meeting has been cancelled, please contact Tim Fahy. Holiday Open House and Winterfest In keeping with a recent tradition, the holiday open house was held on Friday evening, December 1, Saturday, December 2, from 2-7:00 p.m. for Winterfest, and Sunday, December 3, from 11-5:00 p.m. Friday evening brought torrential rains and strong winds but the power did not fail at Nellie’s house! We were treated to a demonstration of broom-making by Robert Aborn. Saturday, Dave Lehmann worked on chair caning in the kitchen while Mildred Dimock strung popcorn and cranberries for decorating. This year Dave made samples of the step-by-step process of caning the chair so we could all understand just how this craft works. The Wesleyan Church choir came and sang some seasonal favorites for visitors. Sunday Dave Lehmann continued caning and we were visited by the Ellington Cub Scout pack. Rosemary Toth, a musician from Tolland, came all three days and played the guitar and sang Christmas carols. Nancy Long demonstrated weaving and spinning all three days, and was helped with the weaving on Friday night by Karen Hayes. Membership News We welcome our newest member, L. James McKnight of East Longmeadow, MA. Jim is a nephew of Nellie McKnight. News from the President-Tim Fahy While the Christmas open house was a financial success, I was disappointed with the number of people who visited our museum, especially because our members worked so hard to decorate it attractively. The Christmas tree this year was dedicated in memory of past vice president Nancy Way. The tree was decorated with all the bird nests from Nancy’s collection. Each nest contained colorful eggs and birds. A poster created by Nancy Long showcased pictures of Nancy Way in action at the museum, as well as a written tribute to her. I want to take this opportunity to thank our Curator, Nancy Long, for all she did to make our event a success. Not only did she coordinate all aspects of our event, make calls for volunteers, clean, decorate, un-decorate, buy supplies, make ice molds, wash and iron tablecloths each day, weave, spin (on a wheel and literally), make the coffee and punch, take out the trash, and anything else that needed doing; she is also responsible for making the dozens of Christmas ornaments that we sell. This year the ornaments depicted four more of the original Ellington schools. The museum is now closed for the winter………………if it ever comes. News from the Curator-Nancy Long This year for a new fundraiser we sold Christmas wreaths. Members decorated the wreaths in the museum basement and then displayed them in the shed. Pre-sale reservations were so popular we had less than a dozen wreaths actually for sale the weekend of the open house. Thank you to all who worked so hard on this endeavor to make it a success. A special thank you to Don and Lennie Ellis who arranged for the wreaths, delivered them to the museum, and made dozens of calls to members to sell the wreaths, and to Mary Temple who made all the wreath bows and supplied the decorations for them. We also raffled off two dish towels that Nancy Long made on Nellie’s loom. The winner was Judy Manfre of Ellington. We appreciate the help of our members who cleaned, decorated and staffed the museum. Our bakers supplied us with a wonderful variety of cookies( we have the best cookies of all the venues) and, as always, we appreciate their whole-hearted support. Thanks to Mildred Dimock who called all our bakers. Special thanks to Lynn & Tim Fahy for their efforts for the museum. Tim participates in every part of the open house from decorating to cleaning up and then closing down the museum for the season. Lynn spent three days staffing our book and ornament table and continues to do daily research of Ellington history. We have new curtain valances in the front and back parlor thanks to Tina Fiore. The addition of the valances calls attention to the windows and add a touch of color to brighten the rooms. Thank you Tina for your work. We recently had two items donated to the museum. Frank Stone donated a book titled The First Christmas which belonged to his grandmother Doris Clark Arens who recently passed away. John Wraight donated a metal Ellington sign from the railroad depot at the corner of Pinney Street and Frog Hollow Road. News from the Archivist-Lynn Kloter Fahy Thanks to Robert Aborn for his recent donation of a 1902-03 Price & Lee Directory that includes Ellington and the 1914 Ellington Selectmen’s report. Tim and I recently went to the Connecticut Historical Society, where I obtained a copy of an 1862 diary of a student at Edward Hall's Family School for Boys and an 1854 advertisement for the school. These documents describe daily activities at the school. I sent copies to Seiichi Narita, the archivist at the Mitsubishi Corporation in Tokyo, because he wanted to know what the school would have been like when Yanosuke Iwasaki attended the school in Ellington in 1871-72. This is the first time that I have found a first-hand account. During the 1862 school year, student Redsecker Young from Pennsylvania tells of the marriage of Edward Hall, a widower, to a Mrs. Simonds. One interesting account is of a debate about whether women over the age of 30 are a burden to society! I also made copies of letters that I found in the Nellie McKnight Museum that were written by Nancy Sikes Porter in 1851-1852. Nancy and her husband Rollin Porter were missionaries to Gabon, Africa, and these letters have proven to be a rare find. They both died in Gabon in 1852, probably of malaria, and their graves are in Libreville, Gabon. Mr. Porter became a member of the Ellington Congregational Church in 1843. I gave copies to Mildred Dimock, church historian, and to one of our new members, Hilary Brady, a descendant of Nancy Sikes’ younger brother Charles. I also sent copies to a woman who is currently working as a missionary in Gabon, and to a historian of Colonial Gabon who is a professor at Middle Tennessee State University. He is going to place a copy in the Gabonese National Archives and the Presbyterian Historical Society to make them available to other historians for research. Ellington Historical Society Programs, Spring 2007 Society Vice-President Denise Archibald and the program committee have scheduled the following programs: February 22, 2007 -- Slide show and talk by Irene McHugh about Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford April 26, 2007 -- Field trip to be announced June 28, 2007 -- Annual meeting, election of officers, and potluck supper Meeting Notice The Ellington Historical Society will hold its October meeting on Thursday, October 26, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room at Hall Memorial Library at 93 Main Street. The business meeting will be followed by antiques appraisals by Scott and Jessica Lipscomb of A Family Heirloom. Appraisals will be limited to members of the society, who are invited to bring one or two antique items. New members and the public are welcome to attend the meeting and program. Refreshments will be served. There was a very good turnout for our September program. One of our members, Chrystal Skinner Montgomery of Weare, NH, presented a program entitled "The Proper Sphere of Woman." We took a trip back in time to the year 1867 and heard Mary Hinds and two of her neighbors in Livermore, Maine talk about their lives on a New England farm. They talked as they sat in the Hinds’ parlor with their needles and thread and piecin’. Thanks so much to Chrystal as Mary Hinds, to Denise Archibald, who played Jerusha, and to Nancy Long, who played Hepzibah. Thank you to Tim Fahy, Nancy Long and Sue Phillips for the refreshments for our last meeting. The bakers for the next meeting are Karyn Kloter, Joan Landers and Anna Johnston. Membership News We welcome our newest members, Shirley Hayden and Thomas Sherman of West Newton, MA. We had several responses to our request in last month’s newsletter for those members who would like to receive our newsletter by e-mail instead of “snail mail.” This has two advantages. You will receive your newsletter a day or two before the mailed ones arrive, and it saves the society postage. Contact Lynn Fahy if you wish to be added to the e-mail list. Storm Cancellations We have arranged to have our storm cancellations announced on WFSB Channel 3. If you have any questions about whether a meeting has been cancelled, please contact Tim Fahy. News from the President-Tim Fahy Donations to the Ellington Historical Society, made in the name of Nancy Way, will be used in the following way. To honor her love of birds and flowers, a bird bath will be placed in the flower garden and the remainder of the money will be put toward the restoration of the upstairs room that Nancy often worked on. As all home owners understand, maintenance is an ongoing obligation. Our museum is no exception. Because our furnace only runs a couple of weeks a year, rain and snow coming down the chimney doesn’t dry quickly and is rusting the exhaust pipe in the basement as well the boiler. We are having a brick and slate cap installed to rectify this problem and preserve the look of the house. The Norway spruce in front of the house has grown too big and is causing damage to the house as well as being the best lighting rod in the area. It will be removed soon. News from the Curator-Nancy Long One season ends and another begins! Plans are underway for the Holiday Open House the weekend of the town Winterfest 2006, which will be held on Saturday, December 2, from 4:00-7:00. Last year we had the museum open on Friday night, Saturday during Winterfest and again on Sunday afternoon. Our hours during this weekend will be firmed up at the executive board meeting and a sign up sheet for volunteers and bakers will be passed around at our meeting. We hope you can join us for this celebration of the holiday season! The display case in the Hall Memorial Library has a display of new items. "What Is It?" features some less common items from museum collection and visitors are invited to guess what they are......and the answers are on the back of the display case! News from the Archivist-Lynn Fahy I have received several requests recently for information about historic houses in Ellington. One source of information about old houses is Nellie McKnight’s research. The society has the rough drafts in which she jotted notes from her research at Town Hall. Some of these were later typed into a more readable format. Houses which were identified by the name of the owners, such as “The Wilkinson Place,” were not easily recognized by me, but I have been helped by Marge Dawson’s notes and by Mildred Dimock, Debbie Wallace, and Mark Hoffman to match street names and numbers to the houses. We also have a copy of the nomination form for houses which are in the National Register of Historic Places “Ellington Center Historic District,” which includes Berr Avenue, Main Street from #70 to #123, and Maple Street from #47 to #156. For these houses, we have the address, the historic name, the date of construction, and a brief description of the architecture. Another interesting document is the Harriet Delano Fowler notebook. Mrs. Fowler of Holyoke, Mass., whose mother was a Hall, wrote notes concerning the history of Ellington, including her memories of several houses and their owners. Written in 1900, the notebook was found in her home and donated to the town in 1946. Notes were subsequently made in the book about the owners or occupants in 1963 and 1967. A delightful original handwritten manuscript also in the museum’s collection is “Old Houses in Ellington and Matters Germane” by Fannie E. Barber, dated September 16, 1933. It was written for Marshall Charter, Town Clerk. She described houses as she walked around town: “From there going east was the Daniel Grover store -- a friend to all the children when he met them with his candy wagon which was painted green and looked more like a bus … every child in town loved him and he did them.” If you would like information on a house on which we may have information in the above mentioned sources, contact Lynn Kloter Fahy, Archivist. Ellington Historical Society Programs, 2006-2007 Society Vice-President Denise Archibald and the program committee have scheduled the following programs: January 25, 2007 -- History of nutmeg graters in America by Jim Klopfer. Klopfer will also present a display of graters at the Hall Memorial Library. February 22, 2007 -- Slide show and talk by Irene McHugh about Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford April 26, 2007 -- Field trip to be announced June 28, 2007 -- Annual meeting, election of officers, and potluck supper. Membership Dues Membership dues were due in September. Thanks to all who renewed their memberships. If you have yet to renew yours, we have enclosed a form to fill out and include with your dues payment. ****************************************************************************** Ellington Historical Society Membership Dues
Class of Membership
________ Individual $10.00
Name ________________________________________________
Telephone Number ________________________________________________ Make check payable to: Ellington Historical Society Mail this form and payment to:
Meeting Notice The Ellington Historical Society will hold its first fall meeting on Thursday, September 28, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room at Hall Memorial Library at 93 Main Street. The business meeting will be followed a program entitled "The Proper Sphere of Woman." We will take a trip back in time to the year 1867 where we will listen to Mary Hinds and two of her neighbors in Livermore, Maine talk about their lives on a New England farm. As they sit on the farmhouse porch with their needles and thread and piecin’, talk turns to charity and neighborliness, religion, marriage, and more. These true stories will give us an idea of the life of a 19th century woman. Refreshments will follow the program. Old and new members and guests are welcome. 2006-2007 EHS Officers At our annual meeting and potluck supper on June 22nd at the Hall Memorial Library, the following officers were elected: President, Tim Fahy; Vice-President, Denise Archibald; Treasurer, Mary Temple; Recording Secretary, Santina Fiore; Corresponding Secretary, Tena Lehmann. Elected to the Executive Board were: Don Ellis and Anna Johnston, who joined current board members Mildred Dimock, Jim Stoughton, Curator Nancy Long, and Archivist Lynn Fahy. Membership News We welcome our newest members: Hilary Brady of Ellington; Gerard and Catherine Fahy of Fairfax City, VA., and Eleanor Werle of Simsbury. Former Ellington Historical Society Vice-President Nancy O. Way passed away on July 27th . She was an active member for many years. We remember the beautifully decorated Christmas trees she created for the museum, as well as her flower gardening and yard work. We send our condolences to her husband, Keith. The society has received over $1,000 in memorial donations, and the executive board will consider how best to honor Nancy’s memory. We have begun sending our newsletter by e-mail instead of “snail mail” to those members who request it. To be added to the e-mail list, contact Lynn Fahy. Storm Cancellations We have arranged to have our storm cancellations announced on WFSB Channel 3. If you have any questions about a meeting being held, please contact Tim Fahy or Nancy Long. News from the President-Tim Fahy As we embark on another year, I ask for your ideas, and your energy. Keeping the Nellie McKnight Museum insured, and in good repair, requires money and volunteers. Last year the “Ellington” book kept us afloat but this year will be a new challenge. We are always interested in new ideas to raise money, especially if the idea is accompanied by the help to accomplish it. News from the Curator-Nancy Long We are happy to report that we have had many guests visit the Nellie McKnight Museum this summer. The simple signboard in front of the building stating our open hours brought in so many people! Some guests commented that they always wondered what was in the house or said they had always meant to stop in and had not taken the time. To all of our guests we say “thank you” for taking the time to visit Nellie’s home. We invited all of our guests to come back for Winterfest and the holiday open house. Thank you to EHS President Tim Fahy for his time spent each Thursday at the museum. For the first time, we have frequently had two concurrent tours running on busy days! Thank you also to Mary Temple and Denise Archibald for their visits and support on Thursdays. Mildred Dimock has been our “garden angel” this season. Thank you Mildred for your careful grooming of the gardens and yard. Many items have been added to our collection this season: Ellen Karadimas-Child’s rocker A sign-up sheet will be passed around at our meeting for people to bake and hostess our meetings this year. We hope you will be able to help us out with our refreshments! News from the Archivist-Lynn Fahy Recent donations to the museum archives: Gertrude Hoyt, Manchester-1922 Ellington
Grammar School graduation program A copy of the Dimock genealogy will be made and donated to the Hall Memorial Library where it will accessible to researchers during the library’s regular business hours. Signed copies of Images of America: Ellington, a photographic history by Lynn Kloter Fahy, are available at the Nellie McKnight Museum on Thursdays from 1-4 P.M. through October and at the Hall Memorial Library. Cost of the book is $19.99 and proceeds benefit EHS. To order a signed copy by mail, send a check for $23.50 (includes shipping) made payable to The Ellington Historical Society to the society at P.O. Box 73, Ellington, CT 06029. Please specify if you would like a special inscription on your copy. Upcoming Events The Connecticut Society of Genealogists is having an all-day family history seminar on Saturday, October 21st at the Courtyard Marriott in Cromwell. Cost is $50, or $40 for the early bird special price for registrations by September 30th. Topics include advanced genealogical search tips for your computer, writing your family history, Ellis Island search forms, and the 1910-1930 censuses. Call 860-569-0002 or visit www.ctfamilyhistory.com on the web. Ellington Historical Society Programs, 2006-2007 Society Vice-President Denise Archibald and the program committee have tentatively scheduled the following programs: 1) Slide show and talk on Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford; 2) History of nutmeg graters in America; 3) Antiques appraisal; 4) Field trip to be announced; 5) Annual meeting and potluck in June. Check our website at http://www.ellingtonhistsoc.org/ and future newsletters for details. Membership Dues It’s that time again! Membership dues are “due” in September. Meeting Notice The Ellington Historical Society will hold its annual meeting and potluck supper on Thursday, June 22, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room at Hall Memorial Library at 93 Main Street. Those with last names beginning with A-M are asked to bring a salad. Those with last names beginning with N-Z are asked to bring a main dish. Hot and cold beverages will be provided. Our traditional strawberry shortcake will be served for dessert. Following the supper, we will hold our annual meeting during which we will elect officers for 2006-2007. The nominating committee will present a slate of officers and nominations can also be made from the floor. Members are invited to suggest topics to discuss or memories to share about Ellington and its history. Annual Message from the President-Tim Fahy As I write this letter, and we prepare for the idle summer months, summer seems like an illusion. The rain is once again settling in for most of the week. Let it not dampen our spirits as we hope for strawberries for our pot luck supper. A recap of our year is in order. Holding our meetings in the library proved to be very successful. We were able to attract some people who would not have come otherwise. Thanks to Sue Phillips and her library staff for providing us with such a comfortable new home. Thanks to Nancy Way and her program committee for some very entertaining speakers. The rain held off just long enough to hold our May tag sale. The Christmas open house was very successful. Mildred Dimock made the Wall of Honor. Congratulations, Mildred. The “Ellington” book, Author Lynn Kloter Fahy, was published in October and made enough money to keep us in business for another year. Pinney House According to the Hartford Courant, $500,000 will be made available by the State of Connecticut, to move and restore the Pinney house. Thanks To: The staff of the Hall Memorial Library for not only hosting our meetings, but for acting as a point of sale for our books so that we got the most bang for our buck. Lynn Fahy, our Archivist for all the work, and time, that went into writing the “Ellington “ book. Nancy Long, for her display cases, the garden care, staffing the museum all summer, school visits, decorating at Christmas, and especially for coordinating all of our events. Dave and Tena Lehman who are always there when asked. Mildred Dimock who gets us the bakers we need, and makes those delicious short cakes. All of you who have helped us with staffing at our events, or baked, or cleaned the museum, or helped in the garden, or baked for a meeting, or just contributed a good idea. News from the Curator-Nancy Long Flea Market/Open House May 13 Once again we were faced with a weather challenge but our prior experience helped us recoup as much of this day as we could. The bake sale was set up inside in the dining room and the baked goods were sold out by 1:00. The bake sale drew in many people who said they never knew what was in the house or that it was a museum! This indoor bake sale is being considered as a permanent arrangement. The sale of tag sale areas was down from previous years most likely due to the threat of poor weather. Vendors were invited back the following weekend and several took advantage of the offer. |
