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

 

 

 

 

 

 

MARCH PROGRAM: 

IT HAPPENED IN CONNECTICUT

Tuesday, March 10, 2015 6:30 p.m at the Meriden Public Library, 105 Miller St. Meriden, CT

Join former CT State Troubadour, Mike Kachuba as he sings about the lesser known people and events that shaped Connecticut history.  Hear about Goody Bassett, the witch of Stratford, The Leatherman, Jack Arabus and other heroes and villains.  Mike will demonstrate a wide variety of stringed instruments such as the hammered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, guitar and more in this educational and very entertaining program.

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

 

AT THE ANDREWS HOMESTEAD

This just in: The city has decided to convert the oil burner at the Andrews Homestead into gas. That should help us save money on heating cost.

 

A NEW STORAGE SPACE AT THE RESEARCH CENTER

Thanks to a generous grant from the Meriden Foundation, we added a beautiful barn-red shed. The new shed will serve as a safe, all weather venue for our May through October second-Saturday-of-the-month tag-sale/Flea Market fund raiser.

Our New Tag Sale/Flee Market Shed (Photo by Chris Ruel)

 

WE WELCOME Paul S Butkus of Meriden CT and Bill Glick of Meriden CT as new members of the Meriden Historical Society.

 

SINCERE THANKS to Stacia Morehouse, John Fowler, Robert LaRiviere and Sherwin Borsuk for their very generous dontions to the Society.

Special thanks to Bruce Rovinsky for installing a small hot water heater at the research center, to Chris Ruel for dealing with the leak from the ceiling at the research center and to Peter Slavinski for being there when emergency oil supply had to be delivered to the homestead.

 

MEMBERSHIP IN THE MIDSTATE CHAMBER OF COMERCE

The Meriden Historical Society is now a member of the Midstate Chamber of Commerce. Sincere thanks to Sherwin Borsuk for donating the funds so that we could join this important organization.

 

 

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