We are sponsoring a Black History Month event on Sunday, February 28 at 3:00 p.m. -- a virtual tour of items from Connecticut Historical Society's collection representing a spectrum of the Black experience in Connecticut. The event is free. You MUST register in advance by clicking https://www.eventbrite.com/e/140920299409. When you've registered, you'll receive an email with information on how to attend the online event.

Where is this scene? What parade is taking place? Extra credit: What year is the parade?

Another quirky puzzle from a 1931 Manchester Herald.

Notice that the puzzle's title is Stickers, but, when you scroll down for the answer, it says Stickler Solution. Is it a Sticker or a Stickler? Part of the fun!

Scroll down to see the answer to the puzzle.

To browse all the years (that we have) of The Herald, see the news calendar.

This ad ran in The Herald on February 19, 1951. Notice, among other things, that the hubby is smoking a pipe -- back in the 1950s, there was plenty of smoking! It wasn't until January 11, 1964 that the U.S. Surgeon General released a famous report on Smoking and Health. It concluded, based on more than 7,000 articles relating to smoking and disease in the biomedical literature, that "cigarette smoking is • a cause of lung cancer and laryngeal cancer in men, • a probable cause of lung cancer in women • the most important cause of chronic bronchitis." More on the Surgeon General's report: CDC website.

The Herald ran two front-page articles related to the Surgeon General's report. From the Monday, January 13, 1964 Herald: • “John F. Tarrant of the State [of Connecticut] Tax Department said he does not expect ‘any serious effect’ on the $23 million a year in revenues from the state cigarette tax. Tarrant, who noted sales of cigarettes in Connecticut have been increasing at an annual rate of three to five per cent, said reports on smoking have not had any effect in the past. ‘Oh, cigarette purchases go down a little, but then they bounce back again after the scare is over,’ he said.” Also • George Allen, president of the Tobacco Institute, said that “the surgeon general’s report would get careful study – and that it was not the last chapter in the cigarette story. He called for more research.”

More about vintage newspapers.

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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.

Pictured on right, our 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: 681 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.

February 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 Historical Society member Jim Reuter, an engineer who retired from Pioneer Parachute after 52 years. He describes 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. 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 right on your computer, right now, via the Public Access website "Parachutist Adeline Gray" show.

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.

Please jot down your thoughts about

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]."

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. .