The Cheshire Historical Society
Hitchcock Phillips House
43 Church Drive
Cheshire, Connecticut 06410 USA

Telephone: 203-272-2574

A LISTING OF SOME OF OUR PAST PRESENTATIONS AT THE CHESHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

PRESENTATIONS IN 2009:

Held on Monday, March 23, 7:30 PM "Thoughts on Cheshire's Future" Sheldon Dill and Gerald Sitko After so many programs looking to the past, the Cheshire Historical Society will take a new direction at the March meeting. Sheldon Dill, executive director at the Cheshire Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Cheshire Town Council, and Cheshire Economic Development Coordinator, Gerald Sitko, will share their "Thoughts on Cheshire's Future."

Held on Monday, April 27, 7:30 PM "The Congregational Church in the Colonial Period Henry McNulty Annual Meeting - Member Reception Henry McNulty, former historian at the First Congregational Church, will talk about the church's role in Cheshire during the Colonial Period. Henry is a former editor of the Hartford Courant and currently operates his own communications business. The April program will be preceded by the annual business meeting and election of officers and directors. A member reception in the dining room will follow

PRESENTATIONS IN 2008:

Held on November 24, 2008 Membership Meeting & Speaker "The Great War"

The program commemorated the 90th anniversary of the end of the Great War, also known as World War I. The featured speaker, Meriden native Ron Turcott, is a collector of military materials from both world wars of the early 20th century. He is well known to the Cheshire community from his programs at the Senior Center. Turcott used a variety of resources from his collection to enhance his presentation on "The Great War." His memorabilia from the era consists of military clothing and head gear, an weapons. Turcott used a "show and tell" approach to explain the importance of these items to the military conflict.

Held on September 22, 2008 "THE WAVERLY INN SINCE 1896" presented by Louis A. Ricciuti

"Chicken or Lobster Dinner $1 For Reservations - Telephone Cheshire 344!"
              - from 1935 advertisement

Mr. Ricciuti was three years old in 1937 when his father, Louis D. Ricciuti, a New York lawyer, and his mother, Edythe moved their family to Cheshire to help her brother, Rocco Diorio, manage the Waverly Inn. What a wonderful speaker! And the Meeting Room was filled to capacity with standing room only! Exibit Room Display features Waverly Inn memorabilia - please come by and take a look! Click Here for photos of the evening

Held on April 28, 2008 "What's In A Name?" Speaker: Ann Moriarty, Archivist at Cheshire Academy

For her talk following the Annual Meeting, Cheshire Academy Archivist Ann Moriarty has chosen the intriguing title, "What's in a Name?" The Academy has had many names in its 200-plus year history. Ann will review them all and discuss how a name can affect the school and its relationship to the community.

Held on March 24, 2008, "Coins of the American Revolution" Speaker: Gene Gandelman

Numismatist Gene Gandelman of Cheshire present an historical look back at coinage in the American Colonies during the Revolution and the decades before and after 1776. During the United States Bicentennial in 1976, Gene produced detailed replicas of the 1776 Continental Dollar coin and three "state-designed" pattern coins never put into circulation. Gene began his interest in coins in 1954, at age eight, when Wheaties cereal included foreign coins in their packages. Gene retains the knowledge of more than 200 years of United States Coinage.

Photos from our Summer 2008 Antiques & Collectibles Sales Click here for more information

Click for photos from our Antiques & Collectibles Sales: 2008

Click here for photos from our Fourth Annual Connecticut Open House 2008

PRESENTATIONS IN 2007:

Speaker from April 23, 2007
CHESHIRE'S CIVIL WAR HERO - ADMIRAL ANDREW HULL FOOTE

JOHN WHITE, local author, educator, and Cheshire Historical Society member, will discuss thelife of Chesihre's Civil War hero, Admiral Andrew Hull Foote. John has been interested in Admiral Foote since, as a high school studen, he first saw the names "Lincoln" and "Foote" on the Civil War monument on the green. His interest was further piqued last spring when he portrayed the admiral in the "Walk Back in Time" historical reenactment sponsored by the Society and the Cheshire Historic District Commission.

Speaker from March 26, 2007

"Dear Sarah... Words, Life, and Love during the Civil War from the 20th Connecticut" by

Carolyn Ivanoff, Historian and Assistant Principal at Shelton High School, will talk about her experiences transcribing and researching letters written by Friend Smith, a Civil War soldier from Derby. Ivanoff, who was named Civil War Preservationist Teacher of the Year in 2003 by the Civil War Preservationist Trust, will accompany her talk with a PowerPoint presentation. She will focus on how to go about finding information and how to research your own Civil War soldier. Friend Smith served with the 20th Regiment Connecticut Volunteers, Company B, which was considered "the Derby Company." Ivanoff holds a degree from Sacred Heart University, a MA degree from the University of Bridgeport, and a sixth-year degree in school administration from Southern Connecticut State University.

November 28, 2006 - Harold R. Kramer and THE LORE AND HISTORY OF TELEGRAPHY
Photos from Harold R. Kramer's Website

Cheshire resident, Harold is a collector of telegraph keys and telegraphy instruments and spoke about the history of the telegraph, beginning with Samuel Morse's first transmission in 1844, and how the invention, the Internet of its day, overnight moved mankind into a new era.

PRESENTATIONS IN 2005

PRESENTATIONS IN 2004

September 27, 2004 - Robert Cawood presented CHESHIRE'S EARLY POSTAL SERVICE

Stamp expert Robert Cawood, a longtime member of the Cheshire Philatelic Society gave a brief history of Cheshire's early postal service, inculding the Brooksvale Post Office, and showed samples of the Philatelic Society's excellent collection of Cheshire poastal cancellations.

October 25, 2004 - J. Paul Loether presented HISTORIC PRESERVATION UPDATE

J. Paul Loether is acting director of the State Historic Preservation Office and deputy director of the Historic Preservationa nd Museaum Division of the newly formed Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism (CCCT). An excellent speaker, he advied the Cheshire Historic District Study Committee on the process to establisht he Cornwall Avenue / Town Center and South Brooksvale Road historic districts. He spoke about the mission of the new CCCT and historic preservation activities in Connecticut.

November 22, 2004 - presentation ERI WOODBURY AND THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR

While moving files this summer, we were thrilled to discover Eri Woodbury's Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor. The medal has been "missing" since our 1972 move to the Hitchcock-Phillips House. Plans are to put it on display, starting on Veterans' Day, and to devote the November program to both Woodbury's life and a history of the Congressional Medal of Honor. We have more information on this at our website. And more information about Eri Woodbury from the website THE MIGHTY SCOURGE.

Events and meetings are held at the Hitchcock-Phillips House, 43 Church Drive Cheshire, CT unless noted otherwise.

Call 203-272-2574 or e-mail for more information.

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