March 2024
In this issue, we highlight:
  • March 10th - Civil War Letters of Abner Smith
  • March 17th - Pysanky Egg-Dyeing Workshop
  • March 23rd - Cemetery Troopers to Museum
Join us for The Civil War Letters of Abner Smith
Presented by Claire Smith
Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 2:00 PM
Ackley, Bingham, Brainard, Chapman, Cone, Deming, Gates, Silliman, Ventres, Davison, and others -- these were the friends of Abner C. Smith, one of East Haddam/Moodus’s Civil War soldiers. He wrote over 100 hundred letters to his wife and children during his time in the Civil War. 

Presenter Claire Smith’s husband is a direct descendant of Abner C. Smith. Claire will describe Abner's military life and the daily experiences of his family back home during the war. Claire Smith compiled and annotated the letters in The Civil War Letters of Abner C. Smith, and is an active researcher and writer for the Westbrook Historical Society.
 
Date: Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 2:00 PM
Location: East Haddam Historical Society & Museum, 264 Town Street, East Haddam, CT

Free to members and children 12 and under; suggested donation of $5.00 for non-members. For information call 860-873-3944 or email museum@easthaddamhistory.org.  
RESERVE YOUR SPOT -- REGISTER NOW!
Session 1 is almost full!
Pysanky Wax Resist Egg Dyeing Workshop - March 17, 2024

Join us for this popular annual event! Learn how to make beautifully decorated Ukrainian eggs in this hands-on workshop, presented by Sharon Leonard. She will guide you through the process of planning a design, dyeing and waxing multiple times, and polishing the wax-resist jewel-like egg. 

Register for one of 2 sessions: 10:00 - 12:00 or 1:00 - 3:00. The workshop fee is $40. All materials are provided. Each session is limited to 20 people and fills up fast!

VFW 3336 Cemetery Committee Fundraiser
Saturday, March 23rd at 2:00 PM

The VFW Post 3336's Cemetery Committee, now known as 'Cemetery Troopers', needs funding to purchase a newer trailer to haul restoration equipment from site to site. They need to purchase more supplies and upgrade their tools and equipment. East Haddam Lions' Club will match your contribution dollar for dollar. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the VFW.

The troopers have cleaned more than 100 stones, reset over 50 leaning or sunken stones, and repaired 27 broken monuments.

Cemetery Committee members will offer a presentation with photos of their gravestone restoration efforts and will share stories about some of the veterans buried in those graves. Light refreshments will be provided after the presentation.

Date: Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 2:00 PM
Location: East Haddam Historical Society & Museum, 264 Town St., East Haddam
Free for members and children 12 and under.
Renew Your Membership and Support East Haddam History!

Some of our upcoming events for 2024 include:
  • Installation of a seismometer donated by Yale University
  • The Civil War Letters of Abner Smith, East Haddam resident, March 10
  • Cemetery Troopers, March 23
  • Junk in the Trunk tag sale, May 18
  • Roundtable discussion about the Founding Settler Families of East Haddam
  • Annual Mysteries of East Haddam talk by Dr. Karl Stofko
  • Octoberfest celebration
  • The summer Natural History Series, and so much more!

Benefits include free admission to most events, news of Museum activities and exhibits, and knowing you are among those preserving East Haddam's history. We invite you to renew your membership for 2024 or join as a new member. You can renew on our website or by mail. Together we will keep East Haddam's stories alive!

To renew membership online, click here.

To print the membership letter, click here.
The Museum is open by appointment!
Call 860-873-3944 or email museum@easthaddamhistory.org
to schedule a time to visit, tour, or conduct research!