HAPPENINGS

Summer is almost over and here, at the society, much has been happening and more is being planned.

C.L.H.O COLLEAGUE CIRCLE MEETING: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2016

We will be hosting the next meeting of the Connecticut League of Historic Organization – Colleague Circle. In this meeting historical societies, history museums and historic sites run only by volunteers will brainstorm and share information abut the challenges they all face and, in some cases, have overcome. Among the issues to be discussed are governance, collections, digitization, and a whole lot more. The meeting will take place at the Research Center.

 

MERIDEN GREEN GRAND OPENING

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 & 10

The Meriden Historical Society will take part in the community-wide event at the opening of the park.

Visit us on Saturday between 8:30 and 4:00 pm. We will be at booth 44 on the Pratt Street side of the Park.

Sincere thanks to Ruth Grandy for loaning her post-card boards for the event.

 

TAG SALE

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17

9:00 am – 1:00 pm. At the Research Center 1090 Hanover in South Meriden.

Following the success of our June tag sale, we will be holding our second (and last for this year) tag sale fund raising event at the Society’s Bernice Morehouse Research Center’s parking lot. Members and non-members are welcome to set up at the sale. The cost is a $15.00 donation to the Society per set-up ($10.00 for members). 

As previously, the Meriden Historical Society will set up its own booth.  We hope to see you there.

 

GROUNDS BEAUTIFICATION: Lesley Carabetta and Diantha Morse have been gardening, weeding, trimming and soon will be planting at both the Research Center and the Andrews Homestead.

Lesley managed to apply a second coat of paint to the rear of the Andrews Homestead. Her next project is a major landscaping. Please call the society (203-639-1913) if you can help. The job includes moving of soil and stones.

Thanks to the City of Meriden’s tree warden for removing the dead tree from the lawn of the Andrews Homestead.

 

CARPENTER DAM REMOVAL

Andrew Piatek served as the Meriden Historical Society’s representative at the removal of Carpenter Dam on the Quinnipiac river. Andy brought back some archaeological relics unearthed at the event.

 

GRANTS: Work has begun on the Annex at the Research Center thanks to a grant from the CUNO Foundation.

 

MERIDEN HEALTH DEPARTMENT WALKING TRAILS

We have teamed up with the Meriden Health Department and Midstate Medical Center and provided points of historic interest to their “Step it Up”, walking and hiking program.

 

CATALOGS DIGITIZATION

Kudos to Paul Butkus who has taken upon himself the enormous task of digitizing our vast collection of catalogs and setting same on a database program. In conjunction, thanks to Lesley Solkoske, who had compiled a list of all catalogues, design books etc. and had labeled the shelves hosting those catalogs. Her work will help facilitate the cataloging of our catalogs.

 

SAVE THE DATE:

EVERY SUNDAY IN OCTOBER AT THE ANDREWS HOMESTEAD

OPEN HOUSE. On display will be MERIDEN RELATED ITEMS FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION OF THE MERIDEN HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

 

THEY CAME FROM ITALY – Italian Immigration to Meriden at the Turn of the Century

THURSDAY OCTOBER 13 6:30 pm at the Meriden Public Library

Stories of immigration to Meriden. The meeting will be led by Christine Pittsley, of the Connecticut State Library.

 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22 – DIGITIZATION – FUND RAISER

Tired of having boxes of photographs, photo albums that take space, VHS tapes with no players, old movies without a projector to screen them?

Here is your chance to convert them into digital documents. Digital Memory Media of East Brunswick, NJ will be at the Research Center to collect your old media and, for a fee, they will convert it to digital form for you in their laboratories. Digital Memory Media will donate a percentage of the fees collected to the Meriden Historical Society.

 

CT IN WORLD WAR I – STORIES AND MEMORABILIA COLLECTION

The Connecticut State Library is collecting stories, images, and memorabilia of World War I and digitizing them. We will be holding a digitization meet sometime later this year. Members and the public are encouraged to bring WWI memorabilia to be digitized on the spot. This can include items and stories. More details to follow.

 

FOR THEIR GENEROSITY

We thank: Bill Glick and Paul Butkus. Special thanks to Frank Chiarenza and the estate of Lester Dequaine for their very generous donations.

 

WE NOTE WITH SORROW

The passing of Lester Dequaine this past June. Lester, a long time member, was a member of the board of directors and a past treasurer of the Society.

Our heartfelt sympathy to our long time member and past president Betty Masterson and her family on the passing of her beloved husband Jim Masterson this past August. Jim was a long time member of the Society and had served on its board of directors.

Both men will be missed and long remembered for their generosity and their dedicated support of the Meriden Historical Society.

 

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR

CORPORATE MEMBERS

 

NEST EGG AUCTIONS

758 Four Rod Road

Berlin, CT 06037

203-630-1400

THE RECORD JOURNAL

500 S. Broad St,

Meriden CT 06450

203-235-1661

THE REMODELING COMPANY

848 N. Colony Rd

Meriden, CT 06450

203-213-1053

 

 

IN MEMORY OF DOROTHY E. DALY

A dogwood tree and a plaque commemorating Dorothy E. Daly, our Librarian & Archivist who passed away, was dedicated at our May Annual Membership meeting.

Dorothy’s Dogwood tree, commemorative plaque & her family at the Annual Meeting

 

UPCOMING EVENTS – TAG SALE

Saturday June 18 & Saturday September 17   9:00 am – 1:00 pm

We have scheduled 2 tag sale fund raising events this year. The first will be held on Saturday, June 18 and the second on Saturday September 17, with a rain date of the Saturday following each originally scheduled date. The sales will be held at the Society’s Bernice Morehouse Research Center’s parking lot, located at  1090 Hanover in South Meriden. (click on address for map and directions)

Members and non-members are welcome to set up at the sale. The cost is a $15.00 donation to the Society per set-up ($10.00 for members).

As in last year, the Meriden Historical Society will set up its own booth in the shed.  We hope to see you there.

 

MEMBERSHIP:

We welcome Julie Griffin of Meriden CT and Sheila Wolf Sullivan of Hebron, CT.

Memberships in the Meriden Historical Society run January through December. If you have not yet done so, please renew your membership. You may do so on line at http://www.MeridenHistoricalSociety.org/membership/

Or by mailing a check to:

Meriden Historical Society – Membership

P.O.Box 3005

Meriden, CT 06450

 

Membership rates are:

Individual – $15.00 per person yearly

Student – $10.00 per person yearly

Senior (over 65) $10.00 per person yearly

Family – $25.00 yearly

Corporate – $50.00 yearly

Life – $250.00 per person

Senior Life – $125.00 per person

Your dues and your donations help preserve Meriden’s past for future generations.

 

FOR THEIR GENEROSITY

We thank: Anonymous, Sherwin and Ruth Borsuk, Brian Cofrancesco, Robert LaRiviere, Betty and Jim Masterson, Kathy McMahon, Andrew Piatek, and Lesley Solkoske.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

A heartfelt thanks to all of you who have helped make the Meriden Historical Society the vibrant organization it is. Sincere thanks to those who gave us their financial support and to those who brought us physical items both related to Meriden for our collection and items of general interest to be sold as a source of revenue. Thank you to the City of Meriden for the new roof at the Andrews Home. Thank you to the Cuno Foundation. The Foundation’s grant enabled us to repair the  roof at our Bernice Morehouse Research Center and to erect a new signage at the Andrews Home. Thank you to all the volunteers who donate their time and dedicated labor.

Special thanks go to Matthew Jacobs, a student at Middlesex College. Matt joined us every Wednesday this past year. He is now inventorying our collections. To Charleen Atkinson and Lesley Carabetta who are painting the rear doors of the Andrews Home and to Diantha Morse and Lesley Carabetta. The two of them weeded and cleared the grounds of the Research Center. Special thanks go to our Wednesday volunteers: Sharon Deming our image librarian, researcher and genealogist, to Richard Bartholomew and Bob Smith for helping Allen Weathers with his genealogy project. Thank you to Andy Piatek who will be our representative on a project to remove Carpenter’s dam in Meriden. This project is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in partnership with the CT Fund for the Environment and the State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Special thanks to Kathy McMahon who is stepping down as a board member but will continue helping organize the collections.

Thank you to our board members (in alphabetical order)

Sherwin Borsuk (treasurer) , Mary Ellen Brechlin (accession & de-accession advisor), Lesley Carabetta (membership co-chair and grounds beautification), Brian Cofrancesco (programs, social media and designer of our presentations), Martha Colaresi (grants & liaison to the Meriden Arts Council), Charles Kline (research), Diantha Morse (ground beautification), Bruce Rovinsky (tag sale & social media), Stacey Rovinsky (hospitality), Chris Ruel (secretary, organizer of our collections and exhibit consultant/curator), Ray Ruel (house and grounds), Peter Slavinski (past president and security) Lesley Solkoske (Vice president, membership co-chair and librarian), Ron Stempien (advisor to the board), Allen Weathers (curator and director of research) and Laura Winoski (research and genealogy project). I am looking forward to working with all of you.

Ruth Borsuk

 

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR

CORPORATE MEMBERS

Nest Egg Auctions

758 Four Rod Road

Berlin, CT 06037

203-630-1400

The Record Journal

500 S. Broad St,

Meriden CT 06450

203-235-1661

The Remodeling Company

848 N. Colony Rd

Meriden, CT 06450

203-213-1053

 

MAY PROGRAM: MERIDEN THROUGH MAPS : 1690 TO 1896

Tuesday, May 10, 2016 6:30 p.m at the Meriden Public Library, 105 Miller St. Meriden, CT

Join us for a visual presentation of Meriden and its development as seen through 27 historic maps.

This presentation was put together by its presenter Robert Smith, and edited by Brian Cofrancesco. Both are member volunteers of the Meriden Historical Society. The program is free and is co-sponsored by the Meriden Public Library. Refreshments will be served.

 

2016 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING: SOCIAL, ANNUAL REPORTS, VOTING IN OF A NEW BOARD & LIGHT SUPPER  Our Annual Membership meeting will be held   Thursday, May 12, 2016 at 6:00 pm at our Bernice Morehouse Research Center, 1090 Hanover Avenue in South Meriden.

Your presence does make a difference. Meet your fellow members including the Society’s officers and directors, listen to the annual reports, vote in a new board (list of new board members under NOMINATING – see below), enjoy a light supper, schmooze and socialize

 

AT THE ANDREWS HOMESTEAD:

MADE IN MERIDEN – THE UNIQUE AND UNUSUAL YOU WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN OF.   Every Sunday in May 11:00 am – 3:00 pm.

Our volunteers have done it again – They have mounted a collection of lesser known items manufactured in Meriden. These items reflect familiar and obscure Meriden manufacturing companies and some of their both familiar and, now obscure products. We’d love to see you at the Homestead and hear you exclaim: “This was made in Meriden?!”

Admission is free – donations are always appreciated.

Visitors who donate $10.00 or more at the opening day of the exhibit will receive, while supply lasts, a free ticket to the May 7^th Nest Egg Auctions First Historical Societies Appraisal Event, good for an appraisal of 2 items.

 

FIRST ANNUAL CONNECTICUT HISTORICAL APPRAISAL DAY

Saturday, May 7^th , 2016 at Nest egg Auctions, 758 Four Rod Rd., Berlin, CT 06037

In a gesture to local Historical Societies, Nest Egg Auctions will hold its First Annual Historical Societies Appraisal Day. The event is a fund raiser for local historical societies. Ticket holders can bring 2 items to be appraised with no charge for the appraisals. Tickets are available from participating historical societies. You can get your ticket by dropping off at the Meriden Historical Society’s Research Center on Wednesday May 4^th between 1:30 and 4:00 and making a $10 donation, or by making the same amount donation at the opening of our MADE IN MERIDEN – THE UNIQUE AND UNUSUAL YOU WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN OF exhibit Sunday, May 1^st 11:00 – 3:00 at the Andrews Homestead, 424 W. Main St. Meriden.

 

NOMINATING COMMITTEE

This year’s Nominating Committee comprised of Stacey and Bruce Rovinsky, Neda Weathers and Ruth and Sherwin Borsuk presents the following slate of officers & directors for the following year:

OFFICERS:

Ruth Borsuk – President

Lesley Solkoske – V. President

Chris Ruel – Secretary

Sherwin Borsuk – Treasurer

Peter Slavinski – Immediate Past President

Allen Weathers – Curator

DIRECTORS:

Mary Ellen Brechlin

Lesley Carabetta

Brian Cofrancesco

Martha Colaresi

Charles Kline

Diantha Morse

Bruce Rovinsky

Stacey Rovinsky

Ray Ruel

Laura Winoski

Ron Stempien, as an advisor to the board.

 

MEMBERSHIP:

We welcome our new members: Suzanne and Bruce Burchsted of Meriden, Carmen DeMoro of Meriden, Salman Hamid of Hamden and Jennifer Perusier of Meriden.

 

FOR THEIR GENEROUS DONATIONS TO THE SOCIETY we wish to thank Martha Colaresi and Alice Maigs.

 

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR

CORPORATE MEMBERS

Nest Egg Auctions

758 Four Rod Road

Berlin, CT 06037

203-630-1400

The Record Journal

500 S. Broad St, Meriden CT 06450

203-235-1661

The Remodeling Company

848 N. Colony Rd

Meriden, CT 06450

203-213-1053

 

APRIL PROGRAM:

A BRIEF HISTORY OF MERIDEN / What Meriden Made – Made Meriden

Join us for a visual presentation of the history of Meriden, starting with Colonial times and ending almost in the Present. The presentation pays tribute to the companies that operated in Meriden and gained our city an important place on the global industrial manufacturing map.

This PowerPoint presentation was put together by and will be presented by the volunteers of the Meriden Historical Society. The program is free – refreshments will be served.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016 6:30 p.m at the Meriden Public Library, 105 Miller St. Meriden, CT

 

IN THE NEWS:

INTERNATIONAL SILVER featured in CONNECTICUT EXPLORED MAGAZINE

In an article titled International Silver Company Shines Once More, Patricia F Singer has done an incredible job featuring International Silver Company. Ms. Singer’s illustrated article covers the history of the company .

The article ends with a beautiful recognition of the volunteers of the Meriden Historical Society: “Patricia F. Singer is a former journalist for the World Bank in Washington, D.C. She has written about International Silver for Silver Magazine. She’s greatly indebted to the Meriden Historical Society volunteers for their help with this article.”

 

AT THE ANDREWS HOMESTEAD

Thanks to Brian Cofranccesco, Kathy McMahon and Chris Ruel we now have a Scavenger Hunt Program at the Andrew’s Homestead. We tested it with St Joseph’s School Seventh grade of Ms. Kelly. This program proved to be a huge success. More educational visits are planned.

As of April, our dedicated crew will be assembling and putting together our May exhibit titled: MADE IN MERIDEN – THE UNIQUE AND UNUSUAL YOU WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN OF.

 

ONE-TIME-ONLY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We are reaching out to our membership for help on three projects.

These are one-time-only types of things that someone out there might have the expertise or inclination to do:

One is the re-conditioning of a Meriden Fire Alarm box (see image) The paint falls off every time you touch it so it would really need a complete overhaul. It still has the working mechanism inside and we would like to put it on display.

The other project would be to paint the two new doors which the city had installed at the Andrews Homestead when they replaced the windows a few years back. Since then, the doors are showing signs of water damage and need a good coat of paint.

The third project concerns a few areas on the house siding, that can be reached without a ladder, that have begun to peel. These would have to be sanded and repainted. This could be in conjunction with the doors or separately.

We would supply any necessary materials or reimburse any money spent as long as there is a receipt for our records.

 If you think you’d like to help out, please call The Society at 203-693-1913 or e-mail us at MeridenHistoricalSociety@gmail.com and we will make arrangements. Thank you.

 

MEMBERSHIP: We welcome our new members: Diane Lukonis of Cheshire CT and Judy Laczek of Southington CT

 

DAFFODIL FESTIVAL TAG SALE

The Meriden Historical Society will have a table at the Daffodil Festival Tag Sale Saturday, 4/23/16. If you’d like to volunteer for this event please contact the Society at: MeridenHistoricalSociety@gmail.com or by calling 203-639-1319.

 

CONNECTICUT HISTORICAL SOCIETIES APPRAISAL DAY FUND RAISER EVENT

Saturday, May 7^th, 2016

758 Rour Rod Road, Berlin CT 06037

In a gesture to local Historical Societies, Nest Egg Auctions will hold its First Annual Historical Societies Appraisal Day. The event is a fund raiser for local historical societies. Ticket holders can bring 2 items to be appraised with no charge for the appraisals. The cost of a ticket is $30.00 donation payable to the Meriden Historical Society or any other participating historical society. For more information go to http://nesteggauctions.com/auction/connecticut-historical-appraisal-day/  To buy a ticket, e-mail us at MeridenHistoricalSociety@gmail.com or call Sherwin Borsuk at 203-237-8042

 

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR

CORPORATE MEMBERS

Nest Egg Auctions

758 Four Rod Road

Berlin, CT 06037

203-630-1400

The Record Journal

500 S. Broad St, Meriden CT 06450

203-235-1661

The Remodeling Company

848 N. Colony Rd

Meriden, CT 06450

203-213-105

 

MARCH PROGRAM:

THE NOT SO GOOD LIFE OF THE COLONIAL GOODWIFE

Tuesday, March 8, 2016 6:30 p.m at the Meriden Public Library, 105 Miller St. Meriden, CT

 

Discover what life was really like for New England’s colonial women in the spheres of birth, death, sex and birth control, childcare, sickness, and medicine.

In 2011, Velya Jancz-Urban and her family bought a foreclosed 1770 farmhouse in Woodbury, Connecticut, unaware of what the house would reveal. Behind the walls, surprises and secrets waited to be exposed. This became the spark for the novel, Acquiescence. While researching her novel, Velya became obsessed (in a good way) with colonial women.

Her entertainingly informative presentation, “The Not-So-Good Life of the Colonial Goodwife,” not only makes audience members laugh and grimace, but it also honors our foremothers. It’s not about quilting bees and spinning wheels; rather it’s an interactive presentation about the little-known issues faced by New England’s colonial women.

See:  www.colonialgoodwife.com  Or this Amazon link for Acquiescence:

Velya Jancz-Urban is a teacher, author of a number of books on a variety of topics, former Brazilian dairy farm owner, expert on New England’s colonial women, and inhabitant of a 1770 house she claims is haunted.

 This program is free and open to the public. It is co sponsored with the Meriden Public Library. Refreshments will be served.

 

AT THE ANDREWS HOMESTEAD

Be prepared to be amazed! Our May exhibit at the Homestead will showcase lesser known manufacuring companies and businesses who called Meriden their home. While the International Silver, Bradley and Hubbard, Manning Bowman, Handel, Wave Crest, Miller and Parker Companies will still be there, the emphasis will be on the smaller companies, the ones that made amazing things for which they have not received the same buzz as the aforementioned.

There have been some changes made in the upstairs rooms at the Andrews Homestead in preparation for our May exhibit (see above.) With the interest that schools have been showing in learning about Meriden, we will be using the rooms as teaching tools to give an idea of life in the late 19^th and early 20^th century. There will also be changes In some areas downstairs. Meantime, the ouotside of the house has been completed with the addition of copper gutters with leaf guards. The gas fired heat is up and running. The city has done a great job on our museum so please come and visit in May.

On a different note – the old tree in front of the Homestead lost yet another branch, taking out our telephone line in the process. Kudos to Monitor Controls for alerting us of the problem, to Ray and Chris Ruel who went down in bad weather to investigate and confirm the problem and to Frontier Communications for hooking us back up in a speedy fashion.

 

AT THE RESEARCH CENTER

Our volunteers continue to help in the never-ending geneaogy project headed by Allen Weathers.

Heavy snow and consequent plowing brought down the white fence at the Research Center. Sincere thanks to our member Rob LaRivierre of the Remodeling Company who came in and repaired/re-erected the fence.

 

MEMBERSHIP

Lesley Solkoske and Lesley Carabetta, our membership co-chairpersons, sent out renewal notices in early January.

We wish to thank all who have already responded so quickly to the 2016 membership drive.

If you have not yet done so, please send in your dues – your payments and donations keeps us going.

We’d like to take this opportunity to welcome our new members: Judy Laczek and Diane Lukonis.

 

FOR THEIR GENEROSITY

Sincere thanks to the following donors:

John Arndt, Agnes Baur, Frank Chiarenza, Ruth Ann C. Davis, John Fowler, Nancy Gluck, Lorraine Hancock, Margaret S. Jenkins, Stacia Morehouse, Diantha Morse, Janet Pestey, Robert B. Siegler and to Joan M. Munger for her donation in Memrory of Leon Bartholomew

 

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR

CORPORATE MEMBERS

 

Nest Egg Auctions

758 Four Rod Road

Berlin, CT 06037

203-630-1400

The Record Journal

11 Crown St, Meriden CT 06450

203-235-1661

The Remodeling Company

848 N. Colony Rd

Meriden, CT 06450

203-213-1053

NOVEMBER PROGRAM: OUT OF REACH: THE DAY HARTFORD HOSPITAL BURNED Tuesday, November 17, 2015 6:30 p.m at the Meriden Public Library, 105 Miller St. Meriden, CT

This program is free and open to the public. It is co sponsored with the Meriden Public Library. Refreshments will be served

Mark Granato, a Pulitzer Prize-nominated author, will give a talk on his historical novel about the fire at Hartford Hospital. This inspiring novel is written from the testimony of veterans who fought the December 1961 blaze.

“The fire monster was finally dead. It was finished with Hartford Hospital, having done all it could to create a nightmare that an entire City (sic) would remember for decades to come, a lurid dream that would haunt 16 families forever, a trauma that even hardened veteran firefighters would carry with them all the days of their lives.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AT THE ANDREWS HOMESTEAD

Silver Table Setting – our October exhibit, is over. Roughly 100 people came to the Andrews Homestead to view the beautiful table settings.

Tea Table Setting

a tea table setting

Young and old, all had a great time as attested to by this photo of a young man who got to try on the top hat as well as the applied mustache and to use the mustache cup that came with it.

 

cups with a mustache guard kept mustaches dry

4 lucky winners were drawn out of the carte de visite depository. They received a free one year membership in the Meriden Historical Society as well as a Meriden Historical Society mug, pen , “An American Heritage: A Book About the International Silver Company” and a membership certificate.

Carla LaFlamme and her new membership awards

IN RECOGNITION OF OUR VOLUNTEERS

The heart and soul of the Meriden Historical Society is its core of volunteers.

The following non board members have invested their time in order to make the society a better place. Whether polishing silver, archiving, researching genealogy, doing yard and garden work, helping set up the tag sale, or forming new committees to help expand the society’s horizons, we owe our thanks to Charlene Atkinson, Richard Bartholomew, Paul Butkus, Sharon Deming, Jan Fontanella, Jan Franco, Leeanne Harvey, Paul Magnotta, Diantha Morse, Karen Redican-Taglieri, Bill Siegel, Bob Smith, Neda Weathers and Syl Winslow. We thank them all for their tireless and selfless contribution to the society.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS:

Art and Shanda Geary, Nicholas Harlow, Evelyn Hatkin, Carla LaFlamme, Paul Magnotta and Karen Redican-Taglieri.

 

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS

 

Nest Egg Auctions

http://nesteggauctions.com

758 Four Rod Road

Berlin, CT 06037

203-630-1400

 

The Record Journal

http://myrecordjournal.com/

11 Crown St, Meriden CT 06450

203-235-1661

 

The Remodeling Company

848 N. Colony Rd

Meriden, CT 06450

203-213-1053

 

1^st OCTOBER PROGRAM: Tuesday, October 6th, 2015 6:30 p.m at the Meriden Public Library 105 Miller St. Meriden, CT

The Meriden Historical Society proudly presents:

Among the items left to the Meriden Historical Society by the International Silver Company were a number of slide presentations, complete with text. Over this summer we have scanned one of those presentations and converted it to a PowerPoint presentation. This program is free and open to the general public. Refreshments will be served

 

 

2^nd OCTOBER PROGRAM Tuesday, October 20th, 2015 6:30 p.m at the Meriden Public Library 105 Miller St. Meriden, CT

 BRASS VALLEY: THE FALL OF AN AMERICAN INDUSTRY

Emery Roth II, author of “Brass Valley, The Fall of an American Industry,” will present a poignant, richly illustrated talk on the legendary history of the Naugatuck River Valley’s brass industry, which began in 1802. Brass parts then became indispensable in the age of steam and electricity. As the industry grew across the Brass Valley, mill towns along the river developed into thriving cultural centers. Roth ponders the waning of the industry and its legacy, as well.

This program is co-sponsored by the Meriden Public Library. It is free and open to the general public. Refreshments will be served

 

 

OCTOBER SPECIAL EXHIBIT AND OPEN HOUSE AT THE ANDREW’S HOMESTEAD

12:00 pm – 4:00 pm every Sunday in October 424 West Main St., Meriden, CT

“The new machine age and ease of plating gave the manufacturers of silverplated wares the ability to literally flood the market with every form and design of useful and ornamental objects for the dining table, dressing table, and hotel and restaurant trade. It was an age of obsessions with table settings, silver, food and huge floral arrangements for homes of the new middle class.” (Molly Griffith, Silver Magazine, Jan-Feb 1984).

On display are useful and ornamental silver items made in Meriden for the dining table, dressing table, child’s table and tea table.

Also on display is a film made for International Silver and titled “How to Set a Table.”

The Exhibit is free – donations are welcome.

 

 

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR

CORPORATE MEMBERS

Nest Egg Auctions

758 Four Rod Road

Berlin, CT 06037

203-630-1400

The Record Journal

11 Crown St,

Meriden, CT 06450

203-235-1661

The Remodeling Company

848 N. Colony Rd

Meriden, CT 06450

203-213-1053

 

SEPTEMBER PROGRAM: Tuesday, September 8th, 2015 6:30 p.m at the Meriden Public Library 105 Miller St. Meriden, CT

Just in time for Hurricane Season, author Emery McCarthy Earls will discuss his new book: TWISTED SISTERS: HOW FOUR SUPERSTORMS FOREVER CHANGED THE NORTHEAST IN 1954 & 1955

“Devastating winds, pounding waves, record tidal surges and floods of nearly Biblical proportions. This was the Twisted Sisters” the four named storms, Carol, Edna, Connie, and Diane – that hammered New England and the Northeast, all in a period of just 12 months” so reads the back of Mr. Emery McCarthy Earls new book. The book recounts the story of those four storms and their impact on the Northeast.

 

TAG SALE: THE LAST 2 TAG SALES OF THE SEASON September 12^th and October 10^th, with a rain date of the Saturday following each originally scheduled date. The sales are held at the Society’s Bernice Morehouse Research Center’s parking lot, located at the corner of 1090 Hanover in South Meriden. Members and non-members are welcome to set up at the sale. The cost is a $15.00 donation to the Society per set-up ($10.00 for members).

 

OCTOBER SPECIAL EXHIBIT AND OPEN HOUSE AT THE ANDREW’S HOMESTEAD

12:00 pm – 4:00 pm every Sunday in October 424 West Main St., Meriden SILVER TABLE SETTINGS. The new “machine age and ease of plating gave the manufacturers of silverplated wares the ability to literally flood the market with every form and design of useful and ornamental objects for the dining table, dressing table, and hotel and restaurant trade. It was an age of obsessions with table settings, silver, food and huge floral arrangements for homes of the new middle class.” (Molly Griffith, Silver Magazine, Jan-Feb 1984).

On display are useful and ornamental silver items made in Meriden for the dining table, dressing table, child’s table and tea table.

Also on display is a film made for International Silver and titled “How to Set a Table.”

The Exhibit is free – donations are welcome.

REPAIRS TO THE ANDREWS HOMESTEAD: The City does it in Style!

Over the past two months the City of Meriden, our landlord, put much work into the Andrews Homestead. The rear entrance platform was replaced and is now safe to walk on. The attached storage shed was dismantaled and rebuilt, the small rear chimney was taken apart and rebuilt, the central chimney was repointed, the roof was re-done and the oil tank was removed. We will now be heating with gas. We wish to thank the City of Meriden for its commitment to the preservation of the Andrews Homestead.

The Andrews homestead is one of the oldest buildings in Meriden. It was built around 1760 by the Tory Samuel Andrews III.
St. Andrews Church saw its beginnings in the homestead. The congregation held its services in the Homestead’s parlor during the Revolutionary War. Services were held at the homestead up till 1811.
(For more information about the history of the Andrews Homestead, please visit our web site:https://meridenhistoricalsociety.org/the-andrews-homestead/ )

A HEARFELT WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS: Charleen Atkinson of Meriden CT, Kathleen A. Braheney of Saddle River NJ, Leanne Harvey of Meriden CT, Jim and Meredith Hazlett of Meriden CT, Charles Kline of Southington CT, Elizabeth Kortum of Wellingron FL, Timothy F. Slamon of Boothwyn PA, Victoria M. Stuart of Cheshire CT, and Colleen Tencza of Meriden CT.

SINCERE THANKS to Agnes Baur, Martha Colaresi, Nancy Gluck, Margaret S. Jenkins, Jim Lamoureux, Alice Meigs, Diantha Morse, Norman F. Ness, Janet Pestey, Andrew Piatek, Clark Robison and Susan Young for their generous donations to the Society.

Special thanks to Charles Kline for his recent donation of Spanish American War roll plaques to the Society, and to Paula Korcun, granddaughter of Walter Korcun of the Meriden Police. Ms. Korcun was in town to clear her mother’s estate and chose to donate items of Meriden’s history to the Society. Sincere thanks to Nadine Britton, the co-executor of the Genevieve Bohan Thalberg estate who likewise donated photographs and other items related to Meriden’s history from the estate.

 

 

 

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR

CORPORATE MEMBERS

 

Nest Egg Auctions

758 Four Rod Road

Berlin, CT 06037

203-630-1400

The Record Journal

11 Crown St, Meriden CT 06450

203-235-1661

The Remodeling Company

848 N. Colony Rd

Meriden, CT 06450

203-213-1053

 MAY PROGRAM:

Tuesday, May 12, 2015 6:30 p.m at the Meriden Public Library

SPEAKING ILL OF THE DEAD: JERKS IN CONNECTICUT HISTORY 

Presented by author Ray Bendici.

A “delightfully wicked look at the badly behaved characters who shaped the history of Connecticut through their deeds and misdeeds.”

To quote Mr. Bendici: ”Consider this smorgasbord: a colorful counterfeiter, a Native American sachem, an accused witch, a legendary showman, a vindictive minister, an iconic manufacturer, a transplanted Russian count, a wise guy mobster, a corporate con man, a mad bomber, the nation’s most infamous traitor, and a God. (Well, a self proclaimed God anyway.)”

This program is co-sponsored with the Meriden Public Library and is free to the public. Refreshments will be served.

MAY SPECIAL EXHIBIT AND OPEN HOUSE AT THE ANDREW’S HOMESTEAD IS SUSPENDED:

For reasons beyond our control, the May Open House and Special Exhibit is suspended. We hope to be able to reschedule and open the Homestead Sundays in October.

 

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING PIZZA, POP, SALADS AND DESSERT

6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, 2015 at the Society’s Bernice Morehouse Research Center 1090 Hanover Ave, South Meriden.

A fun get together of the membership. Come see what is on display at the Research center, vote for your directors and officers (nominations from the floor are welcome), find out about the achievements of the Society through the annual reports of its directors and partake in the now traditional Pizza supper.

This meeting is opened to members and their guests only.

 

NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT:

The nominating committee, co-chaired by Stacey Rovinsky and Neda weathers respectfully submitted the following list of proposed directors and officers for the following year:

OFFICERS:

Ruth Borsuk – President
Lesley Solkoske – Vice President
Christina Ruel – Secretary
Sherwin Borsuk – Treasurer
Allen Weathers – Curator
Peter Slavinski – Immediate Past President

DIRECTORS:

Mary Ellen Brechlin
Leslie Carabetta
Martha Colaresi
Brian CoFrancesco
Kathy McMahon
Bruce Rovinsky
Stacey Rovinsky
Ray Ruel
Ron Stempien
Laura Winoski

 

TAG SALE

In our continuing effort to raise funds, we will, once again, hold a monthly Tag Sale starting in May and continuing through the summer months. The dates are May 9^th, June 13^th, July 11^th, August 8^th, September 12^th and October 10^th with a rain date of the Saturday following each originally scheduled date. The sales will be held at the Society’s Bernice Morehouse Research Center’s parking lot, located at the corner of 1090 Hanover Ave and Hanover Road, across from the Four Corners Restaurant in South Meriden. Members and non-members are welcome to set up at the sale. The cost is a $15.00 ($10.00 for members) donation to the Society per set-up.

Donations of items to the sale, such as decorative items, collectibles, paintings, photos, jewelry or small household items in working condition, can be dropped off at the Society’s Research center located at 1090 Hanover Ave, South Meriden, on any Wednesday between 2:00 and 4:30 pm. To arrange for a pick-up, donors can call 203-639-1913. Please leave a message. We’ll get back to you.

 

SINCERE THANKS

to Doe Bartlett, Janis Franco, Kathy & Don McMahon, Chris & Ray Ruel, and Ellen C. Sheehan for their contribution in memory of Dorothy Daly; to Joan Munger for her contribution in memory of Leon Bartholomew; to John Arndt, Daniel Busa, Frank Chiarenza, Lester Dequaine, Loraine Hancock, Greg Hugo, Jim & Betty Masterson, Lesley Solkoske and to Betty Wieland for their generous donations to the Society.

 

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS

 

NEST EGG AUCTIONS

30 Research Parkway, Meriden CT 06450

203-630-1400

 

THE RECORD JOURNAL

11 Crown St, Meriden CT 06450

203-235-1661

 

THE REMODELING COMPANY

848 N. Colony Rd

Meriden, CT 06450

203-213-1053

APRIL PROGRAM:

Tuesday, April 14, 2015 6:30 p.m at the Meriden Public Library 105 Miller St. Meriden, CT

RESCUE OF THE BOUNTY: DISASTER AND SURVIVAL IN SUPERSTORM SANDY

Why would a seasoned skipper sail an aging ship near the path of an approaching monster hurricane?

Co-author Michael Tougias (pronounced ‘toe-gis”- hard “g”) will explore The harrowing story of the sinking and rescue of Bounty—the tall ship used in the classic 1962 movie Mutiny on the Bounty—which was caught in the path of Hurricane Sandy with sixteen aboard.

This program is co-sponsored with the Meriden Public Library and is free to the public. Refreshments will be served.

MEMBERSHIP:

It is that time of the year again. The Meriden Historical Society’s fiscal year spans January through December. Membership renewal letters will be forthcoming in the mail. The rates will remain the same as last year.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE:

President Peter Slavinski has set a nominating committee chaired by Mrs. Margaret Myers. The committee will be calling members of the Society asking them to serve on the board. We need you! We need new people to help run the organization. Pleas say YES and join the board.

VOLUNTEERS SIGN-IN SHEETS:

Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. Our volunteers dedicate endless hours to help research, compile programs, file, computerize and archive. They clean up, fix and fundraise, put up exhibits, act as docents and present programs to the community at large.

At a request of the board, we have set up a volunteer sign in sheet in which each volunteer is requested to sign in and out and describe his/her activity for that period. Signing in and out includes board members and committee chairs who come in to do their “job”.

The sign–in sheet will help us keep track of members and volunteers and ensure that their work can be noted and acknowledged.

 WE NOTE WITH SORROW:

the passing of Dorothy Daly, a long time life members of the Meriden Historical Society. Soft spoken and smiling, Dorothy set up our image library and was a tireless volunteer worker for the Society.

Donations in memory of Dorothy may be made to the Meriden Historical Society. As soon as the snow melts and the ground can be worked, a dogwood tree will be planted at the research center in memory of Dorothy.

Donations in memory of Dorothy may be made to the Meriden Historical Society.

                                                                                Dorothy Daly at her Research Center desk

 

WE NOTE WITH SORROW:

the passing of Siro Toffolon. Mr. Toffolon had served as the Society’s president. We gratefully acknowledge his leadership.

SINCERE THANKS

to Diantha Morse for her recent donation of articles to the Society, to Chris and Ray Ruel for their donation of various Manning Bowman items, and to Linda Cioffi for her generous donation to the general fund.

 

 

IN RECOGNITION OF OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS 

 

NEST EGG AUCTIONS

http://nesteggauctions.com

30 Research Parkway, Meriden CT 06450

203-630-1400

THE RECORD JOURNAL

http://myrecordjournal.com/

11 Crown St, Meriden CT 06450

203-235-1661

Rob Lariviere - THE REMODELING COMPANY

848 N. Colony Rd

Meriden, CT 06450

203-213-1053