BRISTOL HISTORICAL SOCIETY FALL NEWSLETTER Vol. 2; Issue 3 – September, 2017 – November, 2017
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK
When the summer newsletter was going to Press, I indicated that the water trough that was once in Jean Bradley’s yard and before that in the center of Forestville had finally arrived at the Bristol Historical Society’s building. It has been installed and is now filled with fall chrysanthemums. Some of you may not know that the trough www.bristolhistoricalsociety.org has a “Letterman Connection”. (See photos inside). P.O. Box 1393 / 98 Summer Street Bristol, CT. 06011-1393/860-583-6309 Please read this newsletter to find out about ALL the great events happening this ------Fall at BHS! Saturday, September 16th is our 11th Annual Evening on the Hill Auction President: rd st Mike Saman – not to be missed! The 3 Thursday Program dates are September 21 and First Vice President: November 16th – great programs too! And what everyone can’t wait for – the Andrea Kapchensky Christmas Fair this year will be on December 2nd! There are many more events Second Vice President: Tom La Porte happening like the Witch’s Dungeon every weekend in October and the Annual Recording Secretary: Winter Wonderland held after Christmas. More information on all-of-these, in Mary Houle addition to Coloring Craze 1st Anniversary Party can be found in this newsletter! Treasurer: Bernard O’Keefe Nothing physical yet has happened in our large room. At our last Board Meeting
rd BOARD MEMBERS: held on August 23 , the board unanimously approved to purchase a new carpet for Bob Adamczyk our Assembly Room, Foyer, Gallery, Principal’s Office and the Center Hall. This Lisa Bell Maya Bringe includes the rug, matting material, removal of flooring materials, and various Carol Denehy thicknesses of plywood for repairing and leveling the floors in the various rooms. Cortlandt Hull Steve Vastola We are still working with other contractors on quotes and ideas. In mid-September Tom Vaughn a new handicap accessible rear door will have been installed. Our Winter Newsletter Eleanor Wilson Noreen Zurell will have more details. In January and February the BHS building will see limited activity. The programs for those months are normally held outside of the BHS BOARD LIAISONS: Memorial Military Museum building. Tom La Porte Bristol Tramps Reunion Committee The Bristol Historical Society is a ‘living history book’ of Bristol’s past. We would like John Lodovico American Clock & Watch Museum to grow and preserve this treasure. We have a grand building in which to grow. Don Muller Forestville Village Association Mike Saman, President Marguerite Peterson Bristol Sports Hall of Fame Bob Kalat
Grant Writer: Ellen Zoppo-Sassu SAVE THE DATE!! TH Newsletter Editor: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 ; 5:30PM!! Noreen Zurell 11TH ANNUAL EVENING ON THE HILL AUCTION!
Silent Auction begins at 5:30PM! Live Auction begins at 7:00PM! Advanced Tickets: $12.00 / At the Door: $15.00 Advanced tickets can be purchased at BHS on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm.
Please join us for wine, soft beverages and finger foods at 5:30pm during the Silent
Auction. This year we welcome back professional auctioneer Paul Stansel, who keeps the live auction fast-paced, enjoyable, and entertaining!! Pg.1
Please join us for the eleventh annual Evening on the Hill Auction, September 16th! This is always an exciting evening! Doors open for the silent auction, finger foods, wine and soft beverages at 5:30pm. At 7:00pm the live auction begins. Professional auctioneer Paul Stansel keeps us entertained as a varied group of items are auctioned off to support the Historical Society, with a break for coffee and dessert. This year’s items include antiques, furniture, baseball bats, glassware, framed images of Bristol buildings and maps, rugs, vintage tools, and maybe an item or two that is alleged to ward off evil spirits!
We are still accepting donations for the auction! Please call Steve (860)944-6567 or Maya (860)896-4894 to discuss the appropriateness of the item or items you might want to donate. Tickets for the event are available now at the Society on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm and are $12.00 for advanced, or you may purchase them that evening at the door for $15.00 each.
Come and support the Historical Society by attending this enjoyable event!! Spend time with other members and supporters of this great Society and perhaps take home a wonderful treasure!
Maya Bringe, Co’Chairman
PHOTOS OF JEAN BRADLEY’S TROUGH
Formerly located in
Forestville Center,
south of East Main
St. and Central St.
New location at BHS,
Center St. side.
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WELCOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS!
Four new Board Members were recently added to the Board of Directors for 2017-2018. They included Bob Adamczyk, Maya Bringe, Carol Denehy and Noreen Zurell. Welcome!!
BHS 3RD THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST PRESENTS “BRISTOL’S PARTICIPTION IN THE BATTLE OF SEICHEPREY” 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF WW1 7:00PM Presented by The Military Museum
While the small town of Bristol, Connecticut was quiet in the wee hours of April 20, 1918, the most shocking time in its military history was beginning 3,600 miles away in the ruined town of Seicheprey, France. As Bristol slept, its men who were part of the Yankee Division’s 102nd Infantry were deafened by a massive, unrelenting German bombardment. Those green troops were about to make history by participating in the first significant engagement fought by the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. What followed was vicious hand to hand fighting with 3,200 attacking German storm troopers in the trenches, in the woods, and in the village. When the fighting ceased, 18 Bristol men from Company D were wounded, almost two dozen were captured, and a total of 8 Bristol men died, all within just 24 hours. Timothy Denehy from the Memorial Military Museum will share memorable stories of some of those men. Artifacts from the WWI exhibit in The Jack Denehy Gallery will be passed among the audience. Refreshments will be served and donations are gratefully accepted. Carol Denehy, Chairman
SAVE THE DATE!!
The 2nd Anniversary of the Adult Coloring Craze Party at the Bristol Historical Society will be on Friday, September 22, 2017! If you have never attended our monthly social, we provide the wine and cheese and you bring your friends and relatives! This social provides an opportunity to make new friends and share the common interest in coloring. In the past two years’ we have not seen a duplicate coloring book! We look forward to meeting you! Maybe you attended our very first social back in September of 2015 and never returned. We hope you will reconsider joining us on our 2nd anniversary celebration. There will be door prizes! Admission is still only $5.00. We ask for pre-registration. Requests can be mailed to Color Craze c/o BHS; P.O. Box 1393; Bristol, CT. 06011-1393 or by calling 860-583-6309. Walk-ins are always welcome!
Ellie Wilson, Program Chairman
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WITCH’S DUNGEON CLASSIC MOVIE MUSEUM, SEPT. & OCT. EVENTS
The 2017 season is a busy one! The Movie listings can be found in the Events Listing on Pg. 6.
Friday Sept. 15th thru Sunday Sept. 17th we will have a major Witch’s Dungeon display in the Connecticut Building at “The Big “E” in West Springfield, Ma.
Friday Sept. 22nd as part of the MUM Festival ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN along with classic cartoons of THE MUNSTERS will be shown outdoors on Memorial Boulevard at the Tennis Court. Please bring your own lawn chairs and blankets. This is a FREE event.
Friday Sept. 29th marks the opening night for the 51st consecutive season of THE WITCH’S DUNGEON CLASSIC MOVIE MUSEUM at The Bristol Historical Society. Open every weekend, Friday thru Sunday evenings 7-10pm. Halloween weekend it will be open from Friday Oct. 27th thru to Tuesday Oct. 31st. Our Special guest on Saturday October 21st will be Victoria Price – Vincent Price’s daughter.
Monday, Oct. 8th Special Columbus Day Children’s Event! Open 1pm to 5pm. This is a FREE event.
Thursday, Oct. 12th 7PM ‘HOLLYWOOD MOVIE MAGIC’ Part 1. Very visual presentation by film historians Cortlandt Hull and Robert Adamczyk as they explore the origins of film from the turn of the century to the early 1940’s. Segments shown on film as well as video. Bring your cameras as original movie props will be on display. Refreshments will be served. Cost is FREE to BHS members, $5.00 to non-members.
Thursday, Oct. 26th 7PM ‘HOLLYWOOD MOVIE MAGIC’ Part 2. Presented by film historians Cortlandt Hull and Bob Adamczyk. They will concentrate on various film techniques including 3-D and wide screen formats from 1940’s to the present. Cortlandt will talk about the technological advances made, illustrated by segments shown on film as well as video. How the film industry was involved with World War II and how film theaters were affected by the advent of television in the 1950’s. Bring your cameras as original movie props will be on display. Refreshments will be served. Cost if FREE to BHS members, $5.00 to non-members.
Victoria Price
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COLLECTIONS COMMITTEE UPDATE
We are pleased to announce the addition of the following items!
• An old ledger from Muzzy’s Store • Oil paintings on canvas of the Bristol Public Works (paintings are on walls of the new Library Research Room) • Smith Corona typewriter (portable) also on display in the new Library Research Room. • Vintage seeder and many other items which are displayed in the General Store exhibit • Genealogies of the Ives & Bartholomew families • Bound volumes of the New Departure News • Several framed pictures of Bristol scenes • 1940 wooden tennis racket • Several items of clothing for our linen collection Bob Adamczyk, Co-Chairman
LIBRARY RESEARCH ROOM OPEN!
Our new Library Research Room is open on Wednesday’s and Saturday’s, 10am to 2pm. Some of our holdings include: The New Departure News High School and Elementary School Yearbooks Bristol Cookbooks Bristol History Books Scrapbooks Numerous photographs and notebooks
Come and check it out!! Ellie Wilson, Co-Chairman
LOOKING FOR A FEW VOLUNTEERS!!
The New General Store is looking for volunteers to man the store and help with maintaining the Collections. If you are interested and have the time to help with the store, please contact BHS at 860-583-6309.
MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
Membership renewals were mailed out July 1st for the year ending June 30, 2018. Did you get yours? Many great things will be happening in the next year and you will want to be part of it. Your renewal is important to us. It helps BHS bring new programs to you as well as continually updating the building. You too are also important to BHS. Come volunteer!! As a member, you have the opportunity to help with the programs as well as attend for free. We need everyone’s contribution, both time and money. We are sure you will find this an enjoyable and rewarding experience! If you received yours and didn’t renew, please re-consider! Follow-up postcards will go out to those who haven’t renewed as yet.
Noreen Zurell, Chairman
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EVENTS AND PROGRAMS SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, 2017
9/1 Friday Movie: “THE WEREWOLF OF LONDON” plus “THE WOLF MAN” stars (Bela Lugosi, Henry Hull, Warner Oland & Lon Chaney, Jr.); 7PM 9/2 Saturday Movie: “THE WEREWOLF OF LONDON” plus “THE WOLF MAN” stars (Bela Lugosi, Henry Hull, Warner Oland & Lon Chaney, Jr.); 1PM & 7PM 9/8 Friday Movie:“THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES”&“DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN” stars Vincent Price; 7PM 9/9 Saturday Movie:“THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES”&“DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN” stars Vincent Price; 1PM&7PM 9/16 Saturday 11th Annual Evening on the Hill Auction, 5:30PM 9/21 Thursday “Bristol’s Participation in the Battle of Seicheprey” – 100th Anniversary of WWI; 7PM A Third Thursday Program presented by the Military Museum 9/22 Friday 2nd Anniversary Celebration w/door prizes! Adult Coloring Craze Party, 7-9PM $5 pre-paid Reg.
OCTOBER WITCH’S DUNGEON WILL BE OPEN EVERY FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY DURING THE ENTIRE MONTH OF OCTOBER. HOURS FOR THESE NIGHTS ARE 7PM TO 10PM. FOR ADDITIONAL WITCH’S DUNGEON EVENTS PLEASE SEE SEPARATE LISTING ON PG.4. All other BHS events will return in November.
NOVEMBER
11/11 Saturday Dances of WWI with Kandi Carle, 2PM. Co-hosted with the Military Museum 11/16 Thursday A Third Thursday Program. “Styles of Architecture” hosted by Steve Vastola, 7PM 11/17 Friday Adult Coloring Craze Party, 7-9pm $5.00 pre-paid Registration 11/24 Friday Movie: “KING KONG” starring Fay Wray, Bruce Cabot and Robert Armstrong; 7PM 11/25 Saturday Movie: “KING KONG” starring Fay Wray, Bruce Cabot and Robert Armstrong; 1PM & 7PM
Eleanor Wilson, Chairman
SAVE THE DATE!!! CHRISTMAS FAIR IS COMING!
The 11th Annual Christmas Fair is slated for Saturday, December 2nd from 10am until 4pm. Please mark your calendars and plan on attending as the fair has lots to offer!
Visitors can browse through 20 crafter/vendor booths, purchase some delicacies at our Bake Sale and visit our Christmas Boutique where gently-used Christmas items are offered for sale. It’s a great way to immerse yourself in the spirit of the holidays, and do some early Christmas shopping as well. We hope to see you there!
There are still crafter/vendor spaces available. If you or someone you know would be interested in a booth, please contact Mary Houle at (860)582-7784 or [email protected].
Lastly, most are not thinking Christmas thoughts this time of the year, however, summer can be an ideal time to clean out that basement or attic area. Our Christmas Boutique would be a great way to recycle those items that you no longer want and someone else can enjoy. Donations can be dropped off at the Bristol Historical Society during our regular open hours on Wednesday and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm. If you have unwieldy items or boxes that need pick-up, please call me at the telephone number listed above. Your generosity is appreciated!
Mary Houle, Chairman
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FORESTVILLE HISTORY SERIES AT F.N. MANROSS MEMORIAL LIBRARY
Past President of BHS, Tom Dickau, in collaboration with the F.N. Manross Memorial Library in Forestville will be presenting a series of six monthly multimedia presentations focused on the development and history of “The Village” of Forestville. The series is titled, “THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF “THE VILLAGE” OF FORESTVILLE AND ITS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE BRISTOL COMMUNITY”.
The interconnectedness of events and circumstances from the early colonial days up to “The Flood of 1955” will be explored.
The first program will be on Saturday, September 30th at 1:00pm at the Manross Library. All programs are FREE!
BRISTOL HISTORICAL SOCIETY GIFT SHOP
When you come to the Historical Society for events, don’t forget to patronize our Gift Shop! It’s open during all events. Our Bristol-themed merchandise is both educational and meaningful. Who knows – you might find a birthday or holiday gift for someone special!
Mary Houle, Chairman
32nd ANNUAL POSTCARD SHOW – A GREAT SUCCESS!
The 32nd Annual Postcard Show was a great success both financially and as an attraction and destination. This event was started at the Terry Homestead by Pete and Marion Maronn. With the many volunteers that joined in, all the museums, the newly renovated library and newly created general store were able to be open and displayed. This certainly enhanced the postcard show and also brought new people to our facility. BHS is certainly looking forward to doing the same thing next year!
A big Thank You goes out to Ellie Wilson, Cortlandt Hull, Lidia Jasinski, Mary Houle, Mary Stokosa, Bob Montgomery(Sports Hall of Fame), Carol Denehy and Mike Thomas(Memorial Military Museum), Harley and Ruth Graime, Rita Elliott, Bob Adamczyk, and John Bartucca from the Witch’s Dungeon.
Tom Dickau, Chairman
SAVE THE DATE!!!
The 3rd Annual Winter Wonderland will be held on Wednesday, December 27th from 11am to 4pm at the Bristol Historical Society. With approximately twenty vendors with interactive children activities, this event has attracted several hundred children and parents during its first two years. Sponsored through grant donations, this winter vacation activity is free to all who attend. Over forty volunteers from BHS engage in this activity with most scheduled to return for their third season. Stay tuned – more information will be in the next newsletter!
Tom Dickau, Chairman
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TO MY DEAR FRIENDS AT THE BRISTOL HISTORICAL SOCIETY
My family and I want to extend our sincere sense of appreciation to all the many members of BHS that extended their love and fondness for Donna, after she passed away on August 11th. Thanks for the beautiful display of flowers and honoring her on the web page and face book pages. BHS truly lost “an angel that walked on earth”. I am so grateful for your friendship towards her and my family and what the adult coloring craze did for her in her final two years. This became a source of comfort to her, not only at the monthly meetings, but also at home. We sometimes don’t realize how a simple activity that BHS sponsored impacted so deeply into an individual’s confidence and comfort. I will always cherish this thought as our family moves forward. During this difficult time it is so wonderful to have your memories and continued support. Donna now stands with Our Lord in perfect peace, total happiness and without pain. From my heart, God bless each and every one of you.
Tom, for the Dickau and Schissler families
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