Haddam Historical Society  & Thankful Arnold House
News and Events
April 6, 2017

Haddam Residents who served in WW1

 
One hundred years ago, today, the United States entered World War 1, also known as the First World War or the War to End All Wars. The history and facts of this conflict are complex and complicated but our small Connecticut River Valley town played its part by sending men to the front to defend the Allied forces. The photograph shows a memorial of local men who served in the Great War. May we never forget!

Historic Bottle Talk

Bring Your Own (Historic) Bottle
Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 2 pm
Haddam Town Hall/Brainerd Academy
21 Field Park Drive, Haddam, CT
$3 Admission

Join the Haddam Historical Society and antique bottle expert Ed Stanton of Higganum to learn about old and antique bottles. Ed was instrumental in the Thankful Arnold House Museum's archaeological dig in the summer of 2016 and helped identify many of the intact recovered bottles. He will discuss the evolution of bottle manufacturing and show examples of Connecticut bottles made for area businesses. He will talk about what makes a bottle valuable including markings, condition and shapes.

We encourage attendees to bring a bottle you may have dug up in the yard, found washed ashore or plucked from the privy pit.

 
 

Shad Museum Open


The Haddam Shad Museum will be open on Sundays, 10 am to 3 pm, from April 9 to June 11.
 
The museum is the only one of its kind in the United States and displays the history of shad fishing in the Connecticut River since Colonial Days. The museum can also be open by appointment on off hours.  Dr. Joseph Zaientz and museum directors are familiar with both commercial and sport shad fishing and love to share their knowledge with visitors.  The museum is located at 212 Saybrook Road behind the gas station. Admission is free. For additional information call 860-267-0388.



HHS will participate in the Town Wide Tag Sale on April 22 at the Haddam Elementary School. If you have items that you would like to donate, please call the office at 860-345-2400 for drop off times.  Unfortunately ,we cannot accept clothing, electronics and cookware.
 

Outhouse Tour


On Saturday, April 29, 2017 from 1 pm to 5pm the Haddam Historical Society will host a historic outhouse tour of seven area privies in Haddam and Higganum. The self-guided tour will start at the Thankful Arnold House Museum where the newly interpreted four-hole backhouse will be unveiled.  The tour will highlight a variety of "necessaries" including some with a plaster interior, four-holes and even a basement.
 
Outhouses on the tour are found at the John Brainerd House, Levi Ward Tavern, Ezra Kelsey House, Merwin House, Sears-Usher House, Nathan Fuller House and Thankful Arnold House.

Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased the day of the tour at the Thankful Arnold House Museum, 14 Hayden Hill Road where visitors will pick up their maps and visit Thankful's necessary.
For more information please visit www.haddamhistory.org or call 860-345-2400

Tobacco in the Connecticut River Valley

Annual Meeting

Thursday, May 18, 2017
Fire Station #1
Higganum, CT 06441
 
Business Meeting at 6:30
Presentation at 7:00


Brianna Dunlap, former director of the Connecticut Valley Tobacco Museum and author of  Connecticut Valley Tobacco, will talk on how Cigar tobacco runs in the blood of Connecticut River Valley farmers.  She will delve into the surprising history of the region's most iconic crop, all the way back to early Native American uses and the boom of the Civil War. Though fashionable in the 1950s, the popularity of cigars declined a decade later, nearly destroying the region's tobacco industry. A resurgence in the 1990s brought new life to the crop, and the reopening of Cuba in 2015 added a new chapter for cigar tobacco. Her book provides a guide to important tobacco landmarks from East Haddam to Brattleboro, featuring stunning photography from Leonard Hellerman. It is the story of the people-the farmers and field hands-who made tobacco the soul of the valley.

Haddam also had a small but thriving tobacco industry in the late 19th and early 20th century including farms run by the Shailer Family. 

Camp Filley Walk with Rob Butterworth
Saturday, May 20 at 10 am

Following our January program on Camp Filley and Connecticut's CCC program in the 1930's, Rob Butterworth will guide a tour of the former camp now located in Cockaponsett State Forest. Save the date!

THANK YOU ANTIQUES SHOW VOLUNTEERS!
Sylvia Adams
Mark and Jane Aldieri
Myra and Alan Aronow
Charlene Breen
Aydin Caginalp
Jeanne and Jack Calhoun
Tiger  and Yvonne Carlson
Rusty and Diane Clowes
Gail Christie & Mark Stephens
Carl  and Marijean Conrad
Susann and David Costa
Bill Cowan
Kathy Curran and Patrick Pinnell
Marge DeBold
Stephanie Denkowicz
Mel Ellis
Melissa Gibson

Rogene Gillmor
Gloria Gorton
Richard and Sally Haase
Pat Hartman
R. Maureen Hawksley
David Kaplan
Debbie Karpf
Tracy LaComb
Elizabeth and David  Malloy
Prema Manohar
Richard Matregrano
Gerry Matthews
Gail McDowell
Vivienne and Bob McGarry
Dianne McHutchison
Barbara and Russ Miller
Sarah and David Neal
Joanne Nesti
Cindy O'Neill
Russ Pekrul and Lynn Cooper
Melissa Pionzio
Bruce  Ricker
Lorraine Riess
Amy Roper
Bill Schneider
Laura Schneider
Carol and Terry Smith
Emily Smith
Ed and Kathy Stanton
Barbara Stellenwerf
Gail Christie and Mark Stephens
Joe and  Elaine Stephens
Charlotte Stetson
Cindy Sullivan
Donna Torza
Bob Waller




Service Spotlight

2017 Business Members!

Higganum Veterinary Clinic

Middletown Rug & Carpet Cleaning Company
 
Terri's Package Store LLC


Haddam Historical Society, P.O. Box 97, Haddam, CT 06438
860-345-2400
www.haddamhistory.org
contact@haddamhistory.org

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