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MEMBERSHIP MEETING NOVEMBER 9, 1999 7:30 P.M.
COMMUNITY CENTER. Come and smell the roses. Our speaker will be Donna
Fuss, the Rosarian, who will present her program "A Park For All Seasons: The
History and Use of Hartford's Elizabeth Park" , the story of the oldest municipal
park in the country. MEMBERS MAKE DONATION TO
THE SOCIETY. We have been informed by our Treasurer Bill Westervelt that
we are in receipt of a gift in the name of the Griffin and Seymour families from Roger and
Shirley Young and Kenneth Seymour, Jr.. The proceeds are from a recent tag sale held by
them. This generous donation is testimony to the support the Society has in the community
in its efforts to protect and preserve our heritage. We thank them for their gift and
assure them it will be put to good use in the time ahead. Other benefactors are reminded
that they may make tax deductible bequests or gifts to the Society and may, if they
choose, earmark them for specific activities: preservation, education, a society home,
publications, acquisition etc. or to the general fund.
Y2K HISTORIC POSTCARD CALENDARS NOW AVAILABLE.
Thanks to the great effort by former President Richard Rumohr who searched far
and wide for a dozen unique historic views of East Granby from around the turn of the last
century; we have now available a collectible Year 2000 Calendar. This
is a limited edition and will be sold at the very reasonable rate of only $6.00 each. The Year
2000 Calendars may be ordered by mail (P.O. Box 188) or from any member of the
Society; or purchased at the Town Clerks Office at Town Hall, at the Library and at
several businesses in town. This is the Society's primary fundraiser this year and we hope
members will support and promote it by ordering several calendars and giving them
to their relatives as Christmas gifts.
EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETS WITH LIBRARIAN. On
Saturday October 13 the East Granby Public Library played host to the Executive Board of
the Historical Society at an orientation session designed to foster communication and
cooperation between the library and the Historical Society. Historian/Librarian Bette
Guinan did an excellent job of presenting to the Board samples of the diverse materials
stored in the Alice Newman Local History Room of the present library. The organization of
the collection and the top quality preservation efforts to date are largely the result of
Bette's dedication as Librarian and Town Historian. She reassured Board members that the
Society's materials loaned over the years are well identified and catalogued.We thank her
for putting on such a fine presentation. Plans for the new East Granby Public Library
include a larger research and storage facility for the local history collection and will
be one of which the town can be proud.
MEMBERSHIP DUES ARE NOW DUE ... SEND IN ASAP. Your
1999-2000 Membership dues: $10.00 for individuals; $15.00 for family and $200 for
lifetime; were due by October 30th. Please send in your check today if you have not done
so already. Be sure to complete the application form and indicate the committee
you would like to work on. Our membership is now over one hundred and growing and your
dues pays for some of our expenses. Send your check to P.O. Box 188 along with your order
for Year 2000 Calendars. Don't forget our authentic Model of a Concord Stage
Coach is also available for only $20.00 per kit. The Concord Coach Kit makes a
special family project and will make a great old 'fashioned' Chrismas gift. Order both
today. (they will also be on sale at the meeting).
SOCIETY PLANNED YEAR WELL UNDER WAY. The
Historical Society has many projects underway including the study of the Viets House
on North Main St.. Vice President Les Boynton is leading this investigation into the costs
of restoration and the possible utilization of the white house as a seasonal museum. A
presentation was recently made to the Board of Selectman indicating that the Historical
Society would be receptive to a partnership with the town to preserve this historic
building and the remaining barns. Computer Cataloguing of the Society's diverse,
but, scattered collection is continuing under former Curator Ruth Westervelt. Historic
Document Indexing Project is also under way thanks to volunteer Bette Ann Hayden who
has begun indexing the 1869 County Map by Tilden and Baker and the 1870 Agricultural
Census. Other volunteers are needed to help index additional historic records. Our new Web
Site Development effort, now under the leadership of Chairman Michael Patitucci
needs help with text and ideas for illustrations (he may be contacted at
mjpl@worldnet.att.net). We hope this will become a solid method of marketing fundraisers
and a way of promoting East Granby History. The Barn Book will soon be ready for
the printer. Plans are underway for a Past Presidents' Round Table to develop
guidelines for a 'Society building policy' and ideas for the upcoming 25th Anniversary of
the Society in 2001. Volunteers are still needed for our Newsletter, or to serve as
Host/Hostess for a future membership meeting or for the Accessions Committee
(and how to save East Granby's heritage from being auctioned off before we have a chance
to bid on it). Finally, the Concord Stagecoach (@1849) Restoration Committee needs
volunteers. This entails on-going research and planning and making restoration/repairs to
the coach.
Contact President Tom Howard today (658-0232) if you can give just a few hours a month
to any of these worthwhile efforts.
EAST GRANBY WORLD WAR ONE ROSTER. Our historic
insert on the next page is from the Connecticut Adjutant General's Roster of Men and
Women in the Armed Forces in World War One. It makes interesting reading once the
reader gets through the military abbreviations: AEF (Amer.Expeditionary Force), Dis
(disabled), Bt (Battalian), Dep (Depot), En (Enlisted), Br (Birth), * (Died), etc. Some
very interesting information shows up including the place of birth of the enlistee and
their WWI assignment.
Tom Howard, President.
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