Manchester Historical Society
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Manchester quiz. Can you answer these questions?
What place is this? Extra credit: Approximately what date?
Scroll down for answers.
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JIGSAW PUZZLE
Click the image on the left to try the puzzle.
John Knoll picture from 1922. An excursion leaving from Downtown Main Street. More: Trolley.
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80 years ago in The Manchester Evening Herald
In the March 18, 1942 edition of the Manchester Herald, there was a lot of war news, and war-related news, such as how to limit use of fuel needed for the war effort. Read the March 18, 1942 edition. To peruse all our Heralds, see: Index of Heralds.
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At the Cheney Homestead
Volunteers needed:
Historical Garden Club
All welcome to an organizing meeting for new volunteers Saturday, March 19 at 11:00 a.m., 106 Hartford Road. We're seeking volunteers of all levels of experience and interest. We'll have the opportunity to learn, make friends, and experience the historic property. In season, the groups meets Wednesdays 10-1 and Saturdays 12-3. Many hands make light work!
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Invitation from our friends at the Iwo Jima museum, who presented a fabulous program at the Manchester History Center a few years ago --
Sunday, March 20 at 1:00 p.m. a free talk at the Hillstown Grange. Recognizing the 77th anniversary of the battle at Iwo Jima, honoring survivors and those who have passed away. Aaron Elson will talk about his book, and the interviews he conducted with veterans. The Grange is located at 617 Hills Street, East Hartford.
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Census: Manchester's racial changes
This interactive map displays census information from 1900, when Manchester was 100% "white," to 2018, with 14 "tracts" ranging from 28% to 85% "white alone." The census descriptions changed over those years, as explained in the text below the map: "Since categories of race and ethnicity are socially constructed, US Census labels vary over time. For example, 'Native White' and 'Foreign-born White' were combined and generally reported as 'White' by the 1940s, and 'Negro' was replaced by 'Black' in 1980." Example: In 1930, when Manchester's population was 21,973, the census reported that 73% were native-born white, 26.7% were foreign-born white, and 0.2% were Negro.
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Then & Now exhibit
All welcome to the exhibit's grand opening on Saturday, March 26, from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m., at the History Center, 175 Pine Street. The Society received a $4999 grant from Connecticut Humanities (CTH) to create the exhibit, which showcases the history of Manchester from pre-Colonial times to the present, and illustrates Manchester’s contributions to the arts and industry. The exhibit tells the story of how people from around the globe and from diverse backgrounds came to call Manchester home. The goal of this exhibit is to illustrate how Manchester’s past relates to the present day. The Society is grateful to the CTH and our private donors for supporting this professionally designed and installed exhibit. Free. The exhibit will continue to be open to the public during our regular hours: Tuesday through Thursday, from 10:00 to 2:00 in Room 2 at the Manchester History Center.
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Our properties
The Homestead at 106 Hartford Road, Manchester, was donated to the Manchester Historical Society by the Cheney family in 1968 for use as a house museum. It's usually open to the public on the second Sunday of the month and for special programs at other times throughout the year. For old photos and history of the Homestead, built in 1785, visit Cheney Homestead history. The replica Keeney Schoolhouse is on the grounds of the Homestead. Originally built in 1751, the schoolhouse had deteriorated so much that new materials had to be incorporated in the 1976 reconstruction.
The History Center at 175 Pine Street, Manchester, was purchased in 1999. Our offices and many collections are in this building, which is the former Cheney Brothers Machine Shop, a 40,000-square-foot building constructed in several phases beginning in 1895. It's usually open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10:00 to 2:00, but may be closed due to Covid concerns. Phone ahead to make sure we're open 860-647-9983. Visit: photo tour of lower level of History Center.
The Old Manchester Museum at 126 Cedar Street, Manchester, is owned by the Town of Manchester, and the Society has rented it since the 1980s. We store collections there, and open it to the public on the first Saturday of the month, May through December from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It was formerly a school, built in 1859, and moved to this location in 1914. More: Old Manchester Museum.
Woodbridge Farmstead at 495 East Middle Turnpike, at Manchester Green, is a charming combination of vintage buildings and a bucolic landscape. The farmhouse dates from 1830. The Woodbridge Farm and Meadowbrook Dairy once encompassed many acres at Manchester Green. Today, the house and grounds are owned by the Manchester Historical Society – a gift from the late Raymond and Thelma Carr Woodbridge, who gave the property in 1998, reserving a life use. The farmstead is open for free tours and programs on the second and fourth Sundays of the warmer months, from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.
Silk Vault Building at 110 Elm Street, Manchester, was purchased by the Society in 2017. A unique building, constructed in 1920. More: Silk Vault. The vault is rented out, and isn't open to the public.
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For frequent photos and tidbits, check out our Facebook page.
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High school yearbooks
Enjoy the large collection of Somanhis (South Manchester High School) yearbooks on our website. In addition to photos of the graduating seniors, these books have ads for local businesses, photos of school activities, and sometimes poetry and prose by the students. Thanking our volunteers, especially Bob Gauthier, Noreen Cullen, Jim Hall, Joshua Pruden, Dick Jenkins, Susan Barlow.
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Special request for hospitality for a visiting art teacher
Can you provide free lodging for an artist? He will be in Manchester teaching the weekend of May 13. Contact Trudy Mitchell if you can provide a bedroom and private bath. The artist will take care of his own meals.
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Counting down to Manchester's 200th anniversary year, which begins January 1, 2023: 289 days.
The Manchester Historical Society is planning exciting activities for the Town's year-long bicentennial celebration. Check out the activities of the 1923 celebration, documented in this booklet on our website.
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Answers to quiz
The "No Lounging" sign is on the depot of the South Manchester Railroad. The sign says, "Lounging in or about this station is strictly prohibited." It is a snippet from the larger photo. There's another snippet, below right, and the whole photo, circa 1900, in the center below. Read more about the railroad here.
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March TV show airs at noon and 8:00 p.m. Saturdays throughout this month --"Parachutist Adeline Gray and her Jump into Fame,” a 46-minute television show about Adeline Gray (1917-1975) presented by Jim Reuter, describing Adeline's life and times as well as parachute history. Adeline began parachute jumping in 1935, was Connecticut's first true skydiver, jumping from 8,000 to 10,000 feet, free-falling to 1500 feet before opening her parachute. Jim is an engineer who retired from Pioneer Parachute after 52 years. Adeline was nationally famous for being the first person to test-jump a parachute made from nylon rather than silk, which she did in June, 1942. Pioneer Parachute began in the Cheney mills in the 1930s when parachutes were made from silk. The show airs at 12:00 noon and at 8:00 p.m. on Cox cable channel 15 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. You can watch this month's show on the Public Access website "Parachutist Adeline Gray" show. You can watch some of our previous shows by selecting "Manchester Program Schedule" (the second tab) on the local Public Access website and on the next screen, type Historical into the search box.
Unfortunately, during the pandemic, the cable TV studio and equipment are unavailable to the public, so we will not be able to make new TV shows for a while.
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Art classes
Kids and adults -- ongoing and new offerings. Info: art classes at the History Center. Questions may be directed to Trudy Mitchell.
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Pandemic writers wanted!
Please jot down your thoughts about
-- and experiences during -- the pandemic!
Please share your Manchester COVID reflection! Details about contributing... 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 [email protected]."
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This e-newsletter is available free to members and friends of the Manchester Historical Society. Please feel free to tell any history buffs to subscribe for themselves via the red rectangle on our home page. Let me know if any problem subscribing. Your e-newsletter editor and Town Historian, Susan Barlow.
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MISSION of the Society
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.
We are following CDC and CT Governor Lamont's COVID guidelines regarding social distancing and face masks.
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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. .
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