A Grand Memorial Day Parade

1

A Grand Memorial Day Parade Society Honors
Veterans, Women
June 2009
By Carol Bressor
Geisslers parking lot was brimming with adults,
children, horses and riders, tractors pulling
farm trailers, and antique cars all awash in
shades of red, white and blue. It was Monday, May
25, time for Granbys annual Memorial Day Parade.
As usual, the historical societys entry was
popular, drawing smiles and enthusiastic clapping
from the crowds lining the parade route.
To celebrate the historical societys 50th
anniversary of incorporation, anniversary events
coordinators Corinne Dickerson, Lorraine Dewey
and Carol Bressor decided to honor veterans from
the Korean, Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraq
conflicts as part of SBHSs entry.  A small but
representative and enthusiastic group of veterans
and historical society members led the entry. The
group included Paul Dewey, Brian Whiton, Roy
Johnson, Roger Hayes and Jane Ann Pease. The
society banner was carried by Charlie Dickson and
Bob Schrepf. The event coordinators also decided
to honor women in history. Riding on the float
and dressed according to the representative
historic periods were Betsy Ross, portrayed by
Lorraine Dewey Florence Nightingale, portrayed
by Corinne Dickerson Susan B. Anthony, portrayed
by Carol Bressor and Ella Grasso, portrayed by
Ruth Robinson. Bernie Merli drove one of his John
Deere tractors pulling the float. Don Reke drove
another tractor from Merlis vast collection.
Wayne Madore drove a 1939 Farmall tractor he
received from his father-in-law in Wisconsin and
restored. Roger Young drove his restored 1929
Model T Ford as part of the societys entry with
George Tuffin riding shotgun.
This years honorary parade marshal was SBHSs
own Richard Ayer.  During the ceremony held at
the Center Cemetery, the American Legion Post
honored Dick with the Legions Meritorious
Service Medal, the Legions highest award to
non-active servicemen, for his many years of
service to community organizations such as 60
years of service to the Lost Acres Fire
Department and the First Congregational Church.
At the SBHS,  Dick and his wife, Grace, were
long-time membership co-chairs and Thursday
morning volunteers. Dick also was on the parking
committee of the societys twice-a-year flea
markets.  In addition to SBHS activities, Dick
recently retired as treasurer for the First
Congregational Church and has sung in the
churchs choir and with the Farmington Valley
Chorale for many years. (more photos on page
9)
1
2
A Letter From The President

Last week Leila Hawken, Lorraine Dewey, her
daughter Janet Eke, and myself attended the
Annual Meeting of the Connecticut League of
Historic Organizations which was held in
Hartford. The subject of the days talks was
Sustainability What? Why? How? and was about
historical societies such as the Salmon Brook
Historical Society. The subject was prompted by a
technical leaflet published by The Americn
Association for State and Local History titled
How Sustainable is Your Historic House Museum?
From a national perspective, we are part of a
large group all facing the same issues of how to
sustain our organizations. In the Summer, 2009
issue of Connecticut Genealogy News, incoming
President of the Connecticut Society of
Genealogists, Inc (CSG), Edward W. Strickland II
writes During the coming year, I hope CSG can
look at our past and determine what was good and
deserving of preservation. By the same token I
hope we can look to the future and grow to meet
the challenges of the twenty first century.It is
essential that CSG develop a greater visibility,
not only in the genealogical community but in the
community in which we live. We need to
understand who we are, what our story is, and
make sure that it connects with today. We need to
have a presence, through our website, online. We
need to show our value to the community and
integrate with it. We are a business. We need to
have a plan. Everything we do has a cost in hours
of work by volunteers or dollars. We need to
develop 3 year, 5 year, and 10 year plans with
objectives we want to accomplish to move the
Society forward.. All this will involve a lot of
work but if they are accomplished the Society
should be in good shape to stay viable for many
years.
Charlie Dickson
Please Pay Your Dues Have you renewed your
membership in the Salmon Brook Historical Society
for the calendar year 2009? Please take a
moment and look at the mailing label on this
newsletter. On the upper right corner it will
tell you the last time you paid dues to the
society. This essential revenue helps us pay for
the important work of the society and defrays
some of the increase in postal, electric and fuel
expenses. We have attempted to keep the
dues at a reasonable level. If you havent
renewed for this year or owe back dues, please
send us a check. Your continued support is
welcome and appreciated. To those of you who have
already paid your dues, many thanks. Send
your name and address with a check made payable
to Salmon Brook Historical Society and send to
the society at 208 Salmon Brook Street, P.O. Box
840, Granby, CT. 06035
STUDENT 3.00 INDIVIDUAL
15.00 FAMILY/GROUP 20.00 SUSTAINING
30.00 LIFE MEMBERSHIP 300.00
2
2
3
The Society has been very fortunate in
receiving donations from three old Granby
families The distinguished Maltbie family,
whose ancestors include Judge William Mills
Maltbie, former Chief Justice of the Connecticut
Supreme Court Case family items from descendant
Doris Ahrens and many donations from the Hayes
family. The Hayes and Case families have been in
Granby for eight generations. (See Recent
Donations column for details.) The committee
planning the celebration of Granbys 225th
anniversary asked me to consider making a DVD
based on the history tour I provide for new
teachers every year. It would include views of
present-day Granby and old photographs from our
archives. The committee would sell it as a
fundraiser for the celebration. The project is
still in the planning stages at this point.Eva
Dewey, our former curator, was my teacher, my
mentor and my friend. Her son, Paul, and his
wife, Lorraine, volunteer as tour guides.
Lorraine is also a member of the Societys Board
of Directors and organizes all of the summer tour
guides. Their daughter (Evas granddaughter),
Janet Dewey Eke, is volunteering as my assistant
every Wednesday morning, learning to do
genealogical and archival research. How cool is
that? Working with the Senior Center oral
history project, I recently interviewed a
102-year-old woman in a Westfield nursing home.
Miriam Ring Adams taught school in the Legion
Hall building in 1927. The Hall was built as a
Universalist Church, then was used as a two-room
school, and finally was sold to the American
Legion. Mrs. Adams remembered skating on
Manitook, square dancing in the Community Hall
(now South Church Fellowship Hall) and being
courted by David Devnew. She boarded with Ed and
Ada Goddard on Salmon Brook Street. She
mentioned that two of her students were sewn
into their long underwear in fall and it was not
removed until spring. Her Granby memories are
now preserved forever. The gravestone
photographers are still at work taking digital
pictures of every gravestone in Granby. The most
difficult part is the documentation to go with
the photos. My heartfelt thanks to this group of
very dedicated volunteers. A student from CCSU,
doing a project on Granby gravestones, visited
our library recently. A genealogy researcher
from Minnesota is coming in early June. The
Tuesday volunteers have completed the
reorganization of our newspaper collection, maps
and calendars. All are now in acid free boxes,
with contents listed and cataloged. We are
nearly finished with the magazine collection and
they are looking forward to the next project.
All of our photos will be placed in archival
plastic envelopes. This is a group that enjoys
conversation and laughter while accomplishing a
lot of work. They are friends as well as
volunteers and I thank them for being there.
Archivist Report
by Carol Laun
3
4
The Travels of a Milk Wagon by Carol Laun
The Society was recently offered an old
horse-drawn milk delivery wagon by Bill Walsh, a
representative of the Town Farm in Simsbury. He
said it came from the Holt family in Granby.
Both Dave Laun and Charlie Dickson went to see it
and take photographs. It needed a lot of work,
but it had possibilities. Research of the Holt
family showed that although the Holts had lived
in Granby since the 1940s, the wagon was never
used here. Their family dairy business was
located in Newington. Dave suggested that Bill
Walsh contact the Newington Historical Society to
see if they wanted it, because that is where it
belonged. If they rejected the wagon, we would
take it and preserve it as an example of a
delivery wagon. Newington was delighted at the
offer and accepted the wagon sight unseen. Dave
sent them copies of the research, his photographs
and a drawing he made of how the wagon would look
when it was restored (see illustration). This
is historical preservation at its finest. Three
different organizations were involved, all
working together for the best result. And the
milk wagon will go home to Newington.
Recent Donations to the Salmon Brook Historical
Society
The Hayes family donated a lovely hand-made
autograph book from the 1840s, with a cover of
hand-printed wallpaper. It belonged to Evaline
Clark Hayes and contains many Granby and Hartland
names. Also, photos, daguerrotypes, advertising
items, an 1891 calendar, two clear glass oil
lamps and a fine selection of books with Hayes
family inscriptions. There are some delightful
childrens books and others from the early 1800s.

Doris Ahrens generously gave us the following
Case family items her grandmothers autograph
album from the 1880s (Clara Bell Griffin Case),
two partial account books from her grandfather,
carpenter Mahlon Case, books, a picture of the
Griffin homestead, a colorful childs bowling
game, sad irons and 25 diaries kept by Mahlon
Case from the late 1870s to the early 1900s. The
diaries are an archival treasure, painting a
picture of the daily life of a carpenter and
farmer in 19th century Granby. Doris also
allowed us to have Peter Dinella copy some of her
family photos. From the Maltbie family we
received several books, including a small 1784
book called A Calendar of Nature, Designed for
the Instruction and Entertainment of Young
Persons. In addition, an early kiddie car, a
tricycle, a toy or salesmans sample walnut
dropleaf table, blown three-mold amberina
decanter, Toby jugs, needle sharpener in the
shape of an acorn, clear flint glass cup plate,
pewter plate, shaving mug and several pieces of
vaseline depression glass. The Maltbie and Hayes
families also gave generously to our Flea Market.
Thank you to all of our donors.
 
4
5
A Board Members View
Granby Stories the World Over by Brian C.
Whiton I never lost sight of Granby, though Ive
long lived beyond its borders. Some of you will
remember my mother, Vanya Whiton, a career
teacher in Granby. In my travels through the
military I was kept informed about Granby news
both by my parents and by my mothers many
students. I have met her students in all 50
states, 3 Canadian provinces and 7 foreign
countries. Each had a Granby story to tell. I
met one of them in Granby, Colorado, where I had
stopped to see if there was any mail misdirected
to me. My link was never broken. That being
the case, when Dave Laun recruited me for the
board of directors of the Salmon Brook Historical
Society, it seemed like a good way to give back a
bit of what I gained from living in Granby for 21
years. Ill have you know, it wasnt easy
attending school in a system where your mother
knew instantly any difficulty that might befall
you. At SBHS, I like to think I bring stability
to the board, while lending a hand on several
committees. I really enjoyed working on the
Preservation Barn committee. Im now working on
the committee overseeing the replacement of our
heating system in the houses, as well as
developing a disaster plan. Ive been both a
civil engineer and a mechanical designer in my
life, a couple of skills that have been handy at
our historical society. I am a member of the
Society for the Preservation of Old Mills as well
as the Society for Industrial Archeology. Im a
railroad history buff, and a model railroader,
the latter being tilted heavily to historical
preservation. Ive participated in or worked
closely with dozens of historical societies.
Ours stands out from the crowd. It really is one
of the best. The collection is truly wonderful.
Of course, I enjoy the barn collection the best.
I expect to see our preservation efforts
continue with a high level of quality and
authenticity. I am honored to be a part of it.
CAP Grant Assessors VisitOn April 28th and 29th
two visitors arrived, one to start looking at the
physical and structural aspects of the Rowe and
Enders Houses and the other to make
recommendations on the care of our collections.
It was an interesting two days. Several board
members and volunteers stopped by to see what was
going on and ask questions. The collections
report should be completed by mid-summer. The
house reports will take a bit longer.
( L-R Paul Willis, Charlie Dickson, Kathleen
Craughwell-Varda, and Carol Bressor)
5
6

It starts weeks before the date when people
start to bring items to the Society for
consignment to our booth. Each item has to be
evaluated and priced. Most of the items were
offered for sale in the booth on the 16th. Less
common items may be researched on the internet
for better pricing and to take advantage of
todays electronic world. Some items are selected
for sale through other avenues. Ruth and Ronald
Robinson, by use of the internet, have been very
helpful in maximizing value returned to the
Society for items sold.Our thanks and
appreciation to the many people who make this
event possible. The early  workers, Dave Laun,
Mike Flynn, Jim Allen, Jeff Bliss and Karen Chase
who arrive about 6 a.m. to get the coffee going
and the cook area set up, get items out of
storage that will be sold that day, and place the
vendors. Around 730 Bill Vibert and the parking
crew start to show up. The ladies who will work
in the Societys consignment booth start coming
in around 830 a.m. Meanwhile the coffee and
donuts are quickly disappearing and the only real
question is when will the first hotdog be sold.
Spring Flea Market
Saturday May 16th started bright and sunny with
the prospect of a great day, but as the morning
passed, the sky became overcast. By mid-afternoon
a brief sprinkle discouraged the less hardy, but
overall the event was a good time for buyers and
vendors.
Annual Meeting 2009
The event began with specialty hors
doeuvres contributed by several members and a
great fruit punch concocted by member Bob
Schrepf. The dinner, prepared and served by
members of the Methodist Church, won high
praise. A brief business meeting heard the
Treasurers annual report, news of the Society,
and elected officers and board members to new
terms. To hearty applause, Carol Bressor
(in photo with President Charlie Dickson) was
awarded the Ethel Linnell Award for 2009 for
outstanding long-term service to the Society and
devotion to the Societys work. Although her
term of service as Vice President has ended, she
indicated that she plans to continue her work on
specialized projects. Featured speaker for
the evening was Carole Olson of Southwick, MA, an
expert in the history and workings of early
lamps, from whale oil through kerosene. A number
of lamps from her collection provided visuals for
her talk.
(Charlie Dickson and Carol Bressor)
The Societys Annual Dinner Meeting, held on
April 16, drew more than 50 members to enjoy a
delicious meal and fellowship at the West Granby
United Methodist Church.
By Leila Hawken
6
7
Thank you to Ruth and Ronald Robinson for the
extraordinary work they are doing for the Flea
Market. Ruth not only organizes and prices items
for the Society sales room, but picks out
important collectibles with an unerring eye for
quality. Ronald lists these items on eBay, and
the sales significantly increase our profits.
They have been quietly doing this for years and
deserve our praise and appreciation.
SUMMER TOURS AT THE SOCIETY A tour of the
Salmon Brook Historical Society is a must if you
have out-of-town guests to amuse on a Sunday
afternoon, or if you are just interested in
seeing what new old objects are on display this
year. Summer tours of the Societys houses will
commence on Sunday, June 7 and continue each
Sunday through September 27. Hours are from
200 400 PM. For more information or
any questions, contact Lorraine Dewey at 653-3376.
Wanted Photographers to help complete our
gravestone photography project. Volunteers have
been taking digital pictures documentation,
which of every gravestone in Granby along with
will be placed on a searchable CD or DVD. We
need some help with a section of the Center
Cemetery and with the Lee Cemetery in North
Granby. We have people who will teach you how
to photograph gravestones and set up the
documentation. Please call Carol Laun at
653-3965.
2nd Grade Tour
Kearns School second-grade children prepare to
board their buses following their tour
They are pictured in front of the old one-room
Cooley Road schoolhouse with schoolmaster
Christopher Riley in charge. About 170
second-grade students from Kearns School visited
the Society houses and barns on May 28 and 29.
Accompanied by their teachers and a few parents,
they learned about the history of the Abijah Rowe
house and the typical lifestyle of that early
family. Society volunteers provided lively
narration as they showed and demonstrated items
on display. Children even had a chance to write
with quill pens and to play with early manual
toys.
7
8
THE FRUGAL GRANBY GREEN
By Leila Hawken Some residents recall stories of
the Granby Green at the 10/202/189 intersection
being a place where early 19th-century residents
would deposit objects that had gone past their
usefulness on the chance that another resident
might find a use. Now, in the 21st-century, the
idea of Granby Green emerges again, this time as
an idea.

• Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do
  without. That old New England saying resonated
  with folks who lived through the Great
  Depression. Hearing their stories, I can add
  that a tinge of pleasure goes along with actually
  using the last drop of something, or using a tool
  until it is really worn out. I really had a use
  for it when I bought it and that use continued to
  the very end, or maybe I have adapted an object
  to a more useful purpose. Good feeling.
• The Town of Granby is instituting a new
  program for curbside pickup. The colorful
  brochure delivered in May urges residents toward
  greater efforts in recycling, composting, and
  remaining conscious of the waste stream. Today,
  we are told to grocery shop in the same way that
  our grandmothers shopped cook the way they
  cooked. More from scratch, less prepared. Stick
  to the perimeter of your supermarket where the
  fresh things are displayed. The scraps from
  fresh fruits and vegetables can become compost to
  provide valuable, free nutrients for your garden
  soil.
• The Salmon Brook Historical Society is
  joining in this effort by offering suggestions
  for living today in the way that your forebears
  did. Some old ideas can be new again. My
  grandparents would save soap ends in a small wire
  basket and swish them into wash water to made
  suds for various cleaning/laundry purposes.
• We invite your suggestions about finding
  new uses for items that today might have flowed
  directly into the household waste stream For
  example, the Public Works brochure tells us that
  if we have no use for our old blue recycling bin,
  we can return it to the Public Works Facility at
  52 North Granby Road. But, we can also keep the
  bin and use it for some purpose. We would like
  to hear your uses.
• Example Use your bin as an in-ground planter
  if you want to control the spread of a particular
  plant in your garden. It will be out of sight
  and be serving a purpose.
• If you have an old idea or two that can
  help reduce the waste stream, or if you are using
  an old item for a new purpose, perhaps an idea
  borrowed from your grandparents, send it to us,
  and well include it in our newsletter. Let us
  know if you want us to print your name or
  attribute the idea to one of your ancestors.
  Send ideas to the following email address
  Leila.hawken_at_snet.net or mail to Leila Hawken,
  P. O. Box 3, West Granby, CT 06090.

8
9
Warming Up For Winter by Dave Laun
Based on many factors including price and
technical competence of the contractors, the
committee chose a single propane hot water boiler
to be located in the Enders basement and vented
through a side wall. Air handlers (heat exchanger
with a fan) are attached to existing ductwork in
each of the houses and connected to the furnace
by insulated supply and return lines. The
present propane tank located behind the
Preservation Barn will be replaced with a larger
tank and connected to the Enders House boiler.
Beacon Mechanical Service was selected to install
the heating system and State Line Oil will
install the propane delivery system. Mike Flynn
volunteered to do the trench excavation for the
propane line with the Society paying for
materials. Installation will be done this
summer.My thanks to the furnace committee for
their time, dedication and expertise.
After 40 years of service, the furnaces in the
Rowe and Enders houses are approaching antique
status and need to be replaced. The furnaces
are rusty, inefficient and the chimneys have
poor draft and leak exhaust into the houses. A
furnace committee was appointed and first met in
May, 2008 to study and recommend a heating system
that would be more efficient, cleaner and safer
than the present system. The committee consisted
of Dave Laun, chairman, Brian Whiton, John Horr,
Mike Flynn and Charlie Dickson. The committee
considered three different systems, met with four
contractors and received bids by February, 2009.

Granby Gardeners.. Do you have a lovingly cared
for Garden? Or know of one? If so the SBHS
Garden Committee would love to know about
it! Plans are beginning for the Second Biennial
A Summer Garden Tour June 12 and 13, 2010 Call
Karen Chase (653-5059) with your suggestions,
questions, or if you would like to volunteer.
PARADE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
9
10
Salmon Brook Historical Society 208 Salmon
Brook Street Granby, Connecticut
06035 860-653-9713 Or go to www.salmonbrookhisto
rical.org HoursTuesday 900 to
Noon Genealogical Archival Research Thursday
900 to Noon Thursday Morning Group

• June 2009 Issue
• SBHS Newsletter Publishing Committee
• Liela Hawken, Charlie Dickson and Bob Schrepf
• Layout Ken Kuhl
• Photography Bob Schrepf, Kathleen Eke and Karen
  Chase

• Calendar of Events
• Summer Tours
• Fall Engine Show
• Fall Flea Market

The Salmon Brook Historical Society PO Box
840 Granby, Connecticut 06035