News and history from your museums September, 2008 Issue

Calendars Sort through the day’s mail and you could easily find at least one calendar in an advertisement or charitable donation solicitation. Or, visit a local business and you might be given a complementary calendar to remind you to return and shop there again. Calendars have long been inexpensive and effective advertising tools. The recently-donated 1968 Smyth Farm Dairy calendar shown below uses two very cute children to get your attention, and inside has different recipes and dairy-related helpful information for each month to keep your interest throughout the year.

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Enfield Historical Society Fall 2008 Calendar of Events

Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008

Pony Rides – 2:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. at the Old Town Hall Museum. Sherry Whitmore from Rocky Acres Farm will bring her two ponies, Gypsy and Daisy, to this special family event. Gypsy is a pinto and Daisy is an appaloosa. Both are gentle and love to give children FREE pony rides! As an extra special treat, the "Balloon Man" Jim Piekos will entertain children and adults with his wonderful balloon creations. Hilarious headwear, colorful creations and clever combinations will make this a very special afternoon. Rain date September 28.

Monday, Sept. 22, 2008

Mark Twain and his Hartford Home – 7:00 P.M. at the Enfield American Baptist Church. Craig Hotchkiss, Education Programs Manager for The Mark Twain House & Museum will present a video and talk about Mark Twain and his most interesting home in Hartford. Samuel Clemens built his beautiful house that is reminiscent of a steamboat and spent many years there as family man, involved citizen, inventor, entrepreneur, and world-famous author. Today his home is a museum everyone should visit and support. Please note the new meeting location!

Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008

Antique Cars – 1:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. at the Old Town Hall Museum. Antique and classic cars fill the lawn at the Old Town Hall for this annual fall event. We never know what cars we will have, but you will almost certainly see a Model T or two, as well as cars of the 1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s, and maybe an antique tractor. Antique trucks and motorcycles are also welcome. Come enjoy the show, or—better yet—bring your antique vehicle and join the show! Rain date October 12.

Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008

Antique Engines – 1:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. at the Old Town Hall Museum. Members of the Scantic Valley Antique Engine Club will display and operate antique "hit and miss" engines. These early engines replaced the steam engines, animals and humans that formerly powered many machines, including pumps, farm equipment, and even washing machines. The designs of these engines are amazing. Come watch and listen to these survivors of a time gone by. Rain date October 26.

Monday, Oct. 27, 2008

Acts of God: Natural Disasters in Connecticut – 7:00 P.M. at the Enfield American Baptist Church. Enfield native Richard C. Malley, Director of Collections Access at the Connecticut Historical Society, will present a program on the natural disasters that have struck our state. You are invited to bring your mementos of the 1955 flood or 1938 hurricane, which are just two of the many disasters that the people of Connecticut have survived. Did they also face fires, earthquakes, plagues, or worse? Come to this meeting to find out. Please note the new meeting location!

Monday, Nov. 24, 2008

All to the Tune of a Hickory Stick: A Look at Education in the One Room Schoolhouse – 7:00 P.M. at the Enfield American Baptist Church. Dennis Picard, director of Storrowton Village Museum, returns with another interesting and educational program. Our Wallop School Museum was one of this country’s thousands of one room schoolhouses. Quaint or perhaps even primitive are words that visitors might use to describe it. But what was attending a one room schoolhouse really like and just how good an education did students receive in such a small facility? Come to the November meeting to find out. Please note the new meeting location!

Programs are subject to change. Check www.enfieldcthistory.org or area newspapers for schedule and program changes and other event announcements. To find out if a meeting is cancelled due to weather tune to WTIC AM 1080 radio or watch WFSB channel 3.

New Location for Our Meetings Please Read !!!

We have a new location for our regular Monday night meetings. Starting September 22 our meetings will be held at the Enfield American Baptist Church located at 129 Post Office Road in Enfield. This new location has great, lighted parking and easy, level access from the parking lot. And it is only a few minutes drive from the Old Town Hall museum.

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Museum Season Ends Soon! Sunday, October 26 is the last regular operating day for the Old Town Hall and Martha Parsons House museums in 2008. The last Wallop School open house of the season has also been held. We hope that you visited all three of our fine museums this season. Remember, our museums are available year-round for private tours for individuals and groups, but not all exhibits may be available during the winter months. We will be assembling new exhibits in the coming months, which means we will take down others to make room for the new ones, so be sure to visit before we close for the season if you don’t want to miss anything!

A Ghost Story

With Halloween approaching it is a good time for a ghost story, or at least a story involving spirits of the dead. The story that follows was first published in the Hartford Times in January of 1868. Within days it was reprinted in several other publications, including The New York Times on January 5th and even Scientific American on January 25th.

The Last Pirate treasure Delusion– A Descendant of “Old Put” said to be

Digging for $5,000,000 Under Spiritual Direction.

Correspondence of the Hartford Times.

HAZARDVILLE, CONN., Wednesday Jan. 1.

Great excitement exists among the Spiritualists in Scitico and Hazardville. One of the greatest spirit developments of the age, they believe, is about to occur–revealing to mortal man the hidden wealth and treasure which for three centuries has quietly rested in the earth, on the premises of Mr. THOMAS BARRETT, in the village of Scitico. The circumstances are as follows: A. D. PUTNAM, a lineal descendant of the revolutionary hero, who says he has recently been sent here from the State of California through the influence of the spirit of BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, has vigorously set to work three sets of men, night and day, paying at the rate of $3 per day, in digging a subterranean passage which he claims to lead to a cave under a large hill, which hill is close to the bank of the Scantic River, a little west of the Scitico stockinet factory, where the spirit of Benjamin Franklin assures him he will find valuables in the shape of diamonds and bars of gold to the amount of five millions of dollars (!) which was deposited by Spanish pirates three centuries ago, who after being hotly pursued burned their ships at or near the mouth of the Connecticut River, taking their small boats and coming up the Connecticut, being closely followed. They took the Scantic as far as Scitico Falls, calculating on taking an overland route to Massachusetts Bay, but being attacked by the Indians, and two of their number being

killed, they deposited their booty in what was called a natural cave at the time, covering the mouth of the cave with stones. Mr. PUTNAM says he shall enter the cave if filled with wolves, angels or devils; and if he is as successful in dragging from this subeterranean vault the five millions as his great grandfather was in unearthing a she wolf, clairvoyant mediums will be above par in this place. There are a large number of persons visiting the spot daily, from far and near. Strangers and those coming from a distance will be furnished with a guide to the spot by calling at the shoe-store of Mr. THOMAS BARRETT, the owner of the land. The disposition to be made of the gold is as follows: Mr BARRETT, the owner of the land, has one-fifth; the Governor of the State one-fifth, to be used for educational purposes; a gentleman in Boston one-fifth, to be used for the Catholic Society, as the Spaniards were Catholics; one-fifth to the spiritual medium, and one-fifth to Mr. PUTNAM.

Spiritualism was very popular at the time this article was published and spiritual mediums were taken seriously by a great many people. In fact, communication with spirits was often treated as a scientific pursuit. Whether or not A. D. Putnam believed he was communicating with the spirit of Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Barrett believed Putnam’s claims will likely never be known. But, given that no treasure was ever found it is not hard to imagine that the only profits made were from the pockets of those who came to see the digging and needed food, lodging, and souvenirs!

Historical Society Quiz – Answers

Last issue’s mystery object is the bellows from the Enfield Shakers’ blacksmith shop. It was used to pump air into the forge to raise the temperature of the fire enough to heat iron white hot. The bellows is made of wood, leather, and iron and still has its original red paint. It is about five feet long and it takes three people to move it! You can see it in the basement of the Old Town Hall museum.

The Historical Society Quiz regular column is going on hiatus for a while to make room for other features. Readers who enjoy the challenge of a historic mystery or identifying a “whatsit” should not despair, however, as we will continue to pose many questions in our other articles and want to hear your answers!

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But did you know... With a historic Presidential election just weeks away, this is a good time for a few facts about one of Enfield’s more famous candidates of the past. Did you know that Augustus G. Hazard, founder of the Hazard Powder Company, once ran for Lieutenant Governor? An original paper flyer promoting the Democratic Ticket on which Colonel Hazard ran is shown below. Unfortunately, the flyer was damaged years ago and–even worse–repaired with tape, so has acid burns in several places including Hazard’s name. (Readers – a piece of advice for you: never, ever use tape to repair old photographs or papers! Similarly, never laminate old photographs or papers. The glues in tape and laminating sheets are very destructive and the damage usually cannot be reversed!)

The Democratic Ticket that featured Colonel Hazard was nominated at the Democratic convention held in New Haven on February 6, 1861 The Gubernatorial candidate was selected first. Two informal ballots, followed by one official ballot were required to select James C. Loomis of Bridgeport. Interestingly, Colonel Hazard received a handful of votes in the first informal ballot. The Hartford Courant reported that once the gubernatorial candidate was selected: A motion to take a formal ballot for Lieutenant Governor was made, when several gentlemen proceeded to express their preferences for candidates.

Mr. Hazard’s name was mentioned, and Mr. West of Stafford supported him in a few remarks. With Mr. Hazard on the ticket, Mr. West believed the democracy would triumph. If they did, the democracy of Bridgeport, of Middletown, of New Haven and of all parts of the State, would assemble at Hazardville and use Hazard’s powder. “Not to shoot down our Southern brethren, but to send up a long, a loud, a prolonged, an everlasting, an eternal peal of joy” about it. This looks as if Hazard was to be in the powder business for a long time. Something was said about a compromise by celebrating somewhere from three to five hundred years, but the everlasting peal was agreed to, and Mr. Hazard was nominated for Lieutenant governor, receiving 247 of the 309 votes cast.

The convention was held just as the Civil War was about to break out. States were seceding and Fort Sumter was about be fired upon. President Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, was preparing to go to war to keep the country whole. The Democrats, including Connecticut’s, were more supportive of those Southern states that felt their rights were being trampled by the federal government. In a speech after his nomination, Loomis likely doomed his party’s ticket by saying: Gentlemen,–I have been accustomed form my youth to look on the Government of the United States as the best Government ever devised by man. I have looked on it as one calculated to endure–that it would withstand the shock of ages. But lo! In the brief space of three months, the stars and stripes that have floated in every breeze–the most glorious banner that ever was unfurled–attracting the notice if not the admiration of the world–has been trampled in the dust as an unclean thing. Proud and powerful States that united with us against the British crown, and who fought and bled with us, and joined us in the formation of our unparalleled Government have suddenly withdrawn from us (I will not say without reason,) to form a government, and the consequences threaten civil war. At such a time, Gentlemen, it is not for us to seek to perpetuate platforms. This is not the time for political tricks. This is the time when every man should be for his country–for his common land.

Needless to say, the Republicans seized upon “I will not say without reason” and mercilessly attacked Loomis–who stood by his six words–and the Democrats in daily editorials and speeches. When the official results were published on April 20, 1861, Loomis lost to incumbent William A Buckingham by 2,026 votes, 43,012 to 40, 986. Loomis actually won in Hartford and New Haven counties. It was a much closer margin than might be expected from an abolitionist state. Hazard faired slightly better, losing by 1,657 votes, 42,776 to 41,119 to Benjamin Douglas.

The next Democratic convention was held in February of 1862. The same ticket was nominated, except for Augustus Hazard, who declined the nomination. Perhaps he was too busy supplying gunpowder to the Union Army and Navy by that time. The result was the same. Republican Governor Buckingham remained in office until 1866. A Democratic candidate would not win until 1867.

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Carpet Mill Questions Answered Last issue we printed questions from Society member Wally Bridge about the Bigelow Sanford Carpet Company. Following are some answers.

Regarding the question of whether or not Sherman tank turrets or turret parts were made at Bigelow, we did not find any records of their manufacture in Thompsonville, nor did any of our readers report any memory of them. Records do show that canvas turret covers were among the many canvas war materials manufactured at the plant. Parts with “classified” uses were made at the plant, so it is possible that some of those parts made their way into Sherman tank turrets.

As to the mill being “either the country’s or the world’s largest” we don’t have an answer to that question, but reader Ruth Maylott remembers her father saying that the tapestry building on Pleasant Street was the longest open (no interior walls) building, at least in the United States. “You could see from end to end.” The postcard below shows the tapestry building and describes it as 1,000 feet long, or about one fifth of a mile.

The second part of Wally Bridge’s question–did the mill run for a mile in the northerly direction–can be answered by looking at the postcard below. The long building on the right is the previously-mentioned 1,000 foot long tapestry mill. As it runs almost the entire length of the mill in the north-south direction, we can see that the mill was far less than one mile long.

Visit Us The Old Town Hall Museum 1294 Enfield Street Enfield, CT 06082 860.745.1729 Sundays May thru October 2:00 – 4:30 P.M. The Martha Parsons House Museum 1387 Enfield Street Enfield, CT 06082 860.745.6064 Sundays May thru October 2:00 – 4:30 P.M. The Wallop School Museum 1 Wallop School Road Enfield, CT 06082 Check our calendar for open house dates On the Web: www.enfieldcthistory.org Contact Us The Enfield Historical Society, Inc. P.O. Box 586 Enfield, CT 06083

E-mail: MKM-OF-ENFCT@att.net Join Us Be a part of the Enfield Historical Society! To join, send your name(s), address, telephone number, e-mail address, and desired membership type to: Enfield Historical Society Membership, P.O. Box 586, Enfield, CT 06083. Include a check or money order payable to “Enfield Historical Society” for the membership amount for your requested membership type from the list below. Please print clearly. Everyone is welcome!

Individual...........$10.00 Supporting...... $100.00 Family*..............$15.00 Life**............... $250.00 Contributing ......$20.00 Corporate ....... $200.00 Sustaining.........$40.00 Benefactor...... $500.00 * Family memberships include children under 21. ** Life memberships are for individuals only. The Enfield Historical Society Newsletter is just one benefit of joining, and is published in February, May, September, and November. Questions, requests, and suggestions about its content should be sent to:

Enfield Historical Society Newsletter 31 Bridge Lane Enfield, CT 06082 E-mail: MKM-OF-ENFCT@att.net 860.745.3835

Copyright © 2008 by the Enfield Historical Society, Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the Enfield Historical Society, Inc.

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Calendars (continued from front page)

Advertising calendar themes ranged widely. The Leete Company 1936 calendar below has a strongly religious theme in keeping with the “Seasons Greetings” message on it and with the company’s funeral directing business. The Amos D Bridge’s Sons 1942 calendar at right has a western expansion theme, with its steamboat and stagecoach. Perhaps the subtle connections between the horses and the company’s feed and grain business and between the steamboat and the coal and coke business were intentional.

The illustrations on some calendars seem to have no relationship to the business being advertised. The ever-popular covered bridge illustration appeared on innumerable calendars over the years. Was it’s use on the 1941 Bridge Insurance Agency calendar at right a clever play on the agency’s name? Or was it intended to give the viewer a feeling of calm and security, feelings that a good insurance agency should give its customers?