Manchester Historical Society
Manchester quiz. Can you answer these questions?
Something's missing on the left of the graph. What are the approximate population numbers for each decade listed along the bottom of the graph?
Hint: The first line from the bottom (it's very light gray) and the next lines are even numbers, in equal increments. There are six lines, not counting the exterior (gold) lines.

Scroll down for answers.

Also try the State Historian's trivia quiz. And subscribe (same link) to "Today in CT History."
JIGSAW PUZZLE
Click the image on the left to try the puzzle.
Summer fun at Globe Hollow, about 1925. More: Globe Hollow.
Our open house schedule.
Next Saturday, August 7. Old Manchester Museum is open the first Saturday of the month, 10:00 to 2:00, hosted by Bob Kanehl and Art Pongratz, who can help you with some research, using our collection of town directories. Located at 126 Cedar Street, the former schoolhouse's exhibits include copies of old maps, examples of Cheney silk, Pitkin glass, Spencer rifles, Case water-bottling works items. Museum open May to December. There is a small museum store with local history items: books, maps, Pitkin jewelry items, etc.

Sunday, August 8. Woodbridge Farmstead Woodbridge committee chair Peggy Newton says, "We welcome you to visit, noon to 2:00 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the summer months, Fun and games will be on our schedule, and we’ll be serving scoops of Shady Glen ice cream. Work on our new barn is supposed to start in August, so you can check it out as we build our new welcome center and museum display area." The Farmstead is located at 495 East Middle Turnpike.

Sunday, August 8. Cheney Homestead open the second Sunday of the month, 1:00 to 4:00, hosted by Peter Millett and the Homestead committee. The 1785 Homestead & Keeney Schoolhouse are located at 106 Hartford Road. Tour the house and gardens. Free, donations welcome.

The History Center is still under construction, but the museum store and offices are open Tuesday through Friday 10:00 to 2:00. The center is located in the former Cheney machine shop, 175 Pine Street.
Saluting historic and vintage cars in Manchester at
Cruisin' on Main Street
This Sunday, August 1 from 10:00 to 3:00 in Downtown Manchester. Free. Info: Cruisin' on Main. Rain dates August 8, 15.
New on our website: 1975 town directory
Historians, genealogists, and browsers -- another resource for your searching, the 1975 directory. Thanks, Lynn S., for donating the 647-page book, and thanks, Bob G., for scanning it and making it search-able!
Left, the 1975 directory has this picture of the press-room of The Manchester Evening Herald. Below, title page of the directory.
95 years ago in the Manchester Herald
Four tidbits from the Friday, July 30, 1926 edition of The Herald. Summer fun in Manchester. Note: The Watkins ad says "refrigerators," but we would say ice boxes.
Peruse the entire 7/30/1926 edition here.
Browse all The Heralds here.
July TV show airs at noon and 8:00 p.m. Saturdays throughout this month --"Royal Ice Cream,” a 42-minute television program recorded on Warren Street, the location of this innovative business, interviewing owner Jim Orfitelli. The business was founded in 1926, and has always been in Manchester. 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. The television show is produced by Susan Barlow, directed by Kathryn Wilson, researched by Jill Gelinas, all volunteers of the Manchester Historical Society. You can watch this month's show on the Public Access website "Royal Ice Cream, Manchester's Own Manufacturer." 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, so we will not be able to make new TV shows for a while.
Find us on Facebook!
For frequent photos and tidbits, check out our Facebook page.
Art classes
Ongoing and new offerings. Info: art classes at the History Center. Questions may be directed to Trudy Mitchell. ONGOING: Classical Drawing -- "Learn the art and science of accurate drawing based on traditional 19th-century methods." Six-week sessions on Saturdays from 9:30-12:30.
New: online class: Value Compression in Still Life, August 20, 21, and 22, taught by Tyler Berry
Pictured on right, art studio, lower level of History Center, a 42,000-square-foot building that used to be the Cheney Machine Shop, and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The Center was built beginning in 1895, although this part of the building dates to the early 20th century.
Counting down to Manchester's 200th anniversary year, which begins January 1, 2023: 520 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.
Answers to questions above

The population numbers on the left are 10,000, 20,000, 30,000, and so on, up to 70,000.
Read more on the CT History website, which includes this description of the oldest counting process: "The data collected in the first census included the name of the head of the family and it categorized inhabitants as follows: free white males at least 16 years of age, free white males under 16 years of age, free white females, all other free persons (reported by sex and color), and slaves."
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.
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. .