Manchester Historical Society View as Webpage

Manchester quiz! Can you answer these questions? Who is this person? What honorary history-related position did she hold? Bonus: On what occasion did this 1968 photo appear in The Manchester Evening Herald? Scroll down to the bottom of this e-newsletter for answers.

Woodbridge Farmstead open house Sunday, July 26, noon to 2:00 p.m. -- Bruce Perry, our antique expert will be displaying his antique tools for farm and kitchen, and will also set up his special feature, a “What is it” table. Refreshments will be served . Pictured below: Bruce Perry, collector.

Pictured above, the 18th-century Woodbridge barn. Thanks, Paul Ofria, for this great summertime picture. Woodbridge open houses continue throughout the summer and early fall on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, from noon to 2:00 p.m. Details and directions. Host Peggy Newton and the Woodbridge committee welcome you to visit the grounds, gardens, barn, and enjoy activities for the whole family. These outdoor events require social distancing and face masks.

Coming up at the Woodbridge Farmstead on Sunday, August 9 -- celebrating the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the anniversary of the 1920 ratification of the 19th amendment -- voting rights for women . Town Historian Susan Barlow will speak at 1:00 p.m. about this anniversary, with a Manchester perspective. Also, there will be a Hat Contest with prizes awarded in categories such as Most Creative and Best Floral Chapeau. Refreshments will be served.

Jigsaw puzzle. Click the image above for the jigsaw puzzle.

Downtown photo & jigsaw puzzle Leon Fallot (1901-1987) took this photo in the 1930s. It was made into postcards. Read this 1969 Herald article about him.

Find us on Facebook !  Recently featured on Facebook, the hydro-electric plant on North Main Street, using the water power of the Hockanum River. World War II veteran and North End resident Richard Witham took this photo in the 1950s. Click the photo on right for a jigsaw puzzle of the photo. Read more about the Hockanum River .

In case you're not a Facebook member, or if you missed a recent puzzle, or would like to try it again, our puzzles are in the Town of Manchester e-newsletter Better Manchester .  NEW! Thanks to Rick Snyder, we have a "new" high school yearbook on our website: Here's the 1973 Somanhis . We recently announced this on our Facebook page.

Globe Hollow reservoir Learn about the creation of Globe Hollow reservoir on our website . Also on our website, read about summer fun at Laurel Park .

Pandemic writers wanted! Please jot down your thoughts about and experiences during the pandemic!

Writers wanted... Think about how life has changed, how we've been negatively affected, what benefits we've noticed. School e-newsletter editor, Jim Farrell, is calling upon us to write a 200-800 word essay, and if it's published in the newsletter, it will also be printed in a hard-bound book to be donated to the Manchester Historical Society and displayed at our museum. More info: Manchester essays wanted. Send contributions to Jim Farrell, communications director of the school district at b11jfarr@mpspride.org."

Old Manchester Museum open house Saturday, August 1, and continuing on the first Saturday of the month, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Hosts Bob Kanehl and Art Pongratz welcome you to visit the exhibits, shop in the museum store, chat about local history. Visit the WWII exhibit, during this 75th anniversary year. Social distancing and face masks required.

Pictured above, the 1859 former Cheney school, 126 Cedar Street. Click the image for more info.

Homestead Open House -- Sunday, August 9, from 1:00 to 4:00, at 106 Hartford Road. Come visit and enjoy the gardens. Talk to our gardeners and docents. Social distancing and face masks required. Click the image at left to learn more about this 1785 house.

History Center Open Open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10:00 to 2:00. Social distancing and face masks required. You can shop at the museum store and take a look at our literature rack and exhibits. If you want to schedule a tour, please phone for an appointment, 860-647-9983.

Click the image above for more info about the History Center, the former Cheney Machine Shop. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

July TV show -- Summertimes Past -- an illustrated history talk, was filmed at the Manchester Senior Center in 2019. You can watch the show on the Public Access website: this month's television show. We'll reminisce about swimming at Salter's Pond and Globe Hollow, and working on tobacco. The show airs at 12:00 noon and 8:00 p.m. on Cox cable channel 15 on Saturdays, and runs on all the Saturdays of the month. The show changes each month. This Channel 15 broadcasts in Manchester, Glastonbury, South Windsor, Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, and Newington. Unfortunately, during the pandemic, the cable TV studio and equipment are unavailable indefinitely, so we will not be able to make new TV shows for a while.

Photo below, Kids roller skate at John Knoll's store on School Street. Note the ice cream sign out front. Another photo of John Knoll's store. You can watch more of our history TV shows online by selecting "Manchester Program Schedule" (the second gray tab) on the local Public Access website -- then on the next screen, type Historical into the search box.

Vivian Ferguson began editing The Herald's From Your Neighbor's Kitchen column in 1968. That's why her picture was in The Herald on October 9, 1968.

Answers to the questions at the top of this e-newsletter: Vivian Firato Ferguson (1925-2017) was Town Historian, and also served on the Town's Board of Directors. She was chairperson for many years of the Cheney Brothers National Historic Landmark District Commission. Read more about Vivian and The Herald cookbooks. Town historians before Vivian were Herb Bengtson and Herb Swanson.

Membership for yourself or -- Consider a gift membership for a friend or loved one. Why join a local historical society, even if you don't live in that town? Some reasons: • support education about the history of the town • support preservation of artifacts and vintage photos • join in advocating for preservation of historic buildings and parks that make Manchester charming. Print this online donation form and mail to 175 Pine Street. Or drop by the History Center, Tuesdays through Fridays from 10:00 to 2:00. Direct questions to 860-647-9983. Additional ways to donate: Employer matching gifts! Direct United Way donations to the Society. Sign in to Amazon via Amazon Smile and have a percentage of your purchases go to the Society. .

OUR MISSION The Manchester Historical Society educates the public about the history of Manchester, Connecticut; collects, preserves, interprets, and exhibits information and artifacts about the town and its diverse population, and advocates for the preservation of significant historic resources. As our properties reopen, social distancing and face masks required at all locations: The History Center, 175 Pine Street, open Tuesday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., except holidays. • The Cheney Homestead, 106 Hartford Road, generally open the second Sunday of the month 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and on special occasions • The Old Manchester Museum, 126 Cedar Street, open the first Saturday of the month from 10:00 to 2:00 p.m.; closed January through April. • The Woodbridge Farmstead grounds and barn, 495 East Middle Turnpike, at Manchester Green, open the second and fourth Sundays, noon to 2:00 p.m. May to October. Manchester Historical Society | www.manchesterhistory.org | 860-647-9983 ‌