The Avon Historical Society Newsletter

It is that time of year again when Mother Nature is planning for a long winter’s rest. We Avonites seem to

revel in the coming of Fall and its’ cooler temperatures, spectacular colors, and flavors of the season. Please

enjoy reading our newsletter perhaps while sipping a hot cider or cocoa after a day of jumping in the leaves.

HEAR YE, HEAR YE….UPCOMING EVENTS!

September 7 - October 31– The Gildo T. Consolini VFW Post 3272 will present an exhibit entitled “Our Service in Vi-

etnam” to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The exhibit will be located outside the History

Room at the Avon Free Public Library. On November 2 at 1pm in the Community Room the Post will provide an exten-

sive display of artifacts and give time for the public to ask questions of local Vietnam vets. Other events are planned.

Visit their website: www.avonvfw.com for more details.

September 21st—AVON DAY-Please stop by our booth where AHS merchandise will be on sale and also view a display

model showcasing the upcoming traveling exhibit titled ‘One Room School Houses in Early Avon’ coming to a school

near you! Newly printed full-color notecards with painted scenes of Avon, by students at Avon High School, will be

available for purchase. Avon Day is held at the field on Thompson Brook school and runs all day. See you there!

November - January 2014—The Sesquicentennial Committee for the Civil War will present “Yankee Ingenuity: Defend-

ing the Union and Inventing the Future” exhibit in the glass display case outside the History Room of the Avon Free

Public Library. This exhibit will feature the inventions created by innovators during and just after the Civil War. See

last page for more information. Guest speakers to be announced and lectures will be held in the Community Room at

the Avon Free Public Library. More details to follow.

November 7th - A talk by Bill Hosley, Terra Firma Northeast, “Silicon Valley of the 19th Century: Rediscovering the Con-

necticut Valley’s Industrial Heritage” in the Community Room at the Avon Free Public Library at 7:00 p.m. Registration

details are forthcoming.

November 14th from 6:00-8:00 p.m.- THE GREAT PHOTO HUNT-The Society is seeking historic photographs to enhance

the collection in the History Room of the Avon Free Public Library. Photos must have a connection to Avon to be donat-

ed. We especially seek photos related to early families, farms, roads, buildings, homes, etc. The event will be in the

History Room of the Library. Refreshments will be served. You donation will add to the story of Avon.

December 3rd at 7:00 p.m.—A talk by Rusty Pinney on the ‘History of Cherry Park’ with specifics on the midget car rac-

ing that took place there from 1946-1950 when up to 12,000 spectators came from far and wide to watch the racers,

many of whom went on to race in the Indianapolis 500! Photos, programs, displays, etc. will be included. The event

will take place in the Community Room of the Avon Free Public Library.

Fall 2013

WORTH NOTING... The Society thanks Avon Eagle Scout Justin Alessio on his project to enhance the Derrin House property with an informational kiosk at the base of Horseguard State Park Scenic Reserve which was purchased in 1964 by the CT State Parks Department of the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. A recent blog entry by a visitor shows the beauty of the area: http://connecticutatoz.tumblr.com/post/55471132852/horse-guard-state-park-scenic-reserve. Stop by the Derrin House and visit the kiosk south of the driveway and hike up the Reserve to see the view! Photo credit: John Forster

The Society is replanting the gardens at the School House #3 (formerly the Living Museum) this Fall, and needs donations of shade perennials. If your flowerbeds are full, a volunteer can come and help dig and deliver them for you. Also, volunteer gardeners are always welcome. If you would like to adopt one of the gardens or help out occasionally by yourself, or with an organized community group, there's an opportunity for community service and fun digging in the dirt. Contact Lesley Mancini, lesley.mancini@gmail.com or 860-655-8011

The c. 1810 Derrin House (249 West Avon Road) and 1865 Pine Grove School House (3 Harris Rd.) are open on Sundays from 2-4 p.m. through the end of September. Please take a few moments to stop by and visit these two properties as they provide a view of life and education in 19th century Avon.

DID YOU KNOW….

There is a Charter Oak Tree descendant in Avon at the Town Hall?

Did you know that Avon has a descendant of the original Charter Oak tree which held Connecticut’s Royal Charter of 1662 when it was attempted to be removed by an emissary of King James II in 1687? Avon’s tree, located on the property of the Avon Town Hall at the public parking lot, is now well recorded by Matt Katz (aka crocostimpy) who has been filming all the Charter Oak descendants in Connecticut for his You Tube “Charter Oak Project.” You can view Avon’s tree video at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zXN6DR6dsk Thanks to Matt for crediting the Society for locating the tree for him to film through re-search of historic newspaper articles and personal recollections of a longtime Avon resident who worked at the Town Hall.

In 1965, during the last Connecticut State Constitutional Convention, a 3rd descendant of the original Charter Oak was offered to all 169 towns in the state. Only 84 towns took the offer. State Representative Joseph Alsop of Avon accepted it but had no where to plant it initially. So it was put in the care of a local tree nursery and cared for in a pot. When the new Town Hall was situated in its’ present location, Mr. Alsop was the driving force to get it planted there. Next time you are at the complex, stop for a moment in the parking lot and notice the tall white oak tree by the walkway and look down to read the plaque dedicating this special gift to the town. Photo credit: Terri Wilson

State Tree of Connec cut—White Oak—Cons tu onal Conven on July 1, 1965 Avon Town Hall Complex

THE HISTORY CORNER…

“Haying” at Sunrise Farm

As the summer draws to a close, several farmers in the valley are still baling hay. Perhaps you’ll wax poetic about

the “good old days” and revel in the smell of the freshly cut hay. The “good old days” were good, but far from easy. They

were filled with back-breaking manual labor, long hours and hot, sweaty, dusty, dirty work. In the earliest day, all the hay-

ing was done by hand. The process of “haying” today is done with numerous, modern, mechanized pieces of farm equip-

ment, reducing time needed to harvest the hay crop. The work involved, however, is no more glamorous. Mother Nature

has thrown a curve with this year’s weather. Yes, the rain produced a good crop but some fields were too wet for the heavy

equipment. Once the soil is dry, you need at least two good, hot, dry, sunny days in a row to get in each section of hay. If

it rains on the hay that is already down, it begins to affect the quality so farmers care fully listen to the weatherman. This

year the weather has set the farmers behind schedule. Hay is mowed with a “haybine”, a

“discbine” or sickle bar mower. The haybine seen in the photo cuts the hay into swaths

and at the same time splits the stems to speed drying. Next, some farmers go over the

field with a “conditioner” to further assist the drying process. The third piece of equipment,

the “tedder,” and “kicks” the hay over so more air gets to it to aid drying. The field is usu-

ally teddered twice. If it rains on the cut hay, it will be teddered many more times. Then,

a “side-delivery rake” is used to rake the dried hay into “windrows”. The actual “baling” in-

volves several men. One man drives the tractor pulling the “baler”. The baler pulls the hay

in the windrow into the machine and inside the baler the hay is pressed into rectangular bales where the mechanical

“knotters” tie the bale with twine to hold it together. The weight of the bales can be adjusted, some weighing 40-45 pounds.

As the bales exit the back of the baler, one or two men on a flat hay wagon hitched to the back of the baler, remove the

bales and stack them on the wagon. The men need to be surefooted as the ground under the wagon frequently is uneven

and they could easily fall off the wagon. For that same reason, the bales must be stacked carefully to insure the load won’t

tip over in the field or on the way to the barn. Lastly, the bales are unloaded and restacked in the hot barn. Once the first

cutting of hay is done, a second crop or “cutting” will be ready in August or September, provided the weather cooperates.

Much of farming depends on the whims of Mother Nature and farmers either develop patience or may opt for another occu-

pation. So, when you pass a corn field, hay field or vegetable crop in the Farmington Valley, hopefully, you will have a great-

er appreciation for the effort that brings food to farm animals, pets and to your family’s dinner table.

Local Man with a Famous Connection

Charles Stilwell was the brother of Mary Stilwell who was married to Thomas Alva Edison. The Stilwells origi-

nally hailed from the Essex County area of New Jersey. Mary was only 16 years old and working in the teletype office at the

Edison Laboratory complex when Edison noticed her. It was a whirlwind romance and they were married at Christmas in

1871 and then had three children.

Mary’s brother, Charles, was living in New Brunswick, New Jersey in the early 1900s. His occupation from the census

was listed as a ‘sawyer.’ Charles also became employed by Edison working in his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. Un-

fortunately there was an industrial accident, in the pursuit of the invention of the electric light bulb, and Charles was blinded

for life.

Years later Charles and his family moved to Avon, Connecticut and they were long time members of the West Avon

Congregational Church. A high price was paid by Mr. Stilwell with the loss of his sight for the creation of the light bulb to

give the rest of the world light in the darkness.

Photo credit: Historic Buildings of Connecticut

THE HISTORY CORNER...

Photo credit: Steve Conner

The Gildo T. Consolini Memorial Bridge - A Story in Honor of Veteran’s Day

When you enter the town of Avon heading west from the base of Avon Mountain Road, you will pass over the

Farmington River via the Gildo T. Consolini Memorial Bridge. You may wonder who was this man and why did he

dserve the honor of having the bridge dedicated to his memory. Wonder no more for here is his inspiring story.

Gildo Trento Consolini was born in Avon on December 19, 1916, the son of Michael and Onesta Consolini. He

lived on Old Farms Road and was educated at Towpath School in Avon and graduated from Simsbury High School. He

worked for the Department of Transportation as did his father. As a young man, he was very active in playing baseball

in town and was a valued player. He loved baseball and developed lasting friendships through the sport.

In March 1941 Gildo and two other Avon men, one a close friend, were drafted into the armed services. These

men were sent to Camp Wheeler in Macon, Georgia for basic training for the infantry. They trained for 18 months and

were eventually ordered to the West Coast. Guildo and his company arrived at Fort Ord, California on September 10,

1941. A short time later, Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese….the day that did ‘live in infamy’*, December 7,

1941. Soon after, Gildo and his friend, Raymond Zacchera from Avon, were shipped out on a troop transport ship on a

three week voyage to Auckland, New Zealand. Their mission was to counter a possible enemy threat from the Japa-

nese for control of the Guadalcanal. Troops were moved under the cover of darkness to the Russell Islands and then

Rendova to dig in to defend the canal. The troops endured Japanese planes dropping bombs relentlessly and there

were bullet strafing runs across the islands to limit troop movements. Their orders were to capture Bibolo Hill and take

out the ‘pill boxes’ (hidden machine guns manned by the Japanese) that could pick off soldiers as they landed on the

beach by landing craft. When Gildo and his friend Ray, along with 192 other men advanced during enemy fire, a bomb

shell landed ‘less than 5 feet away killing Gildo and spraying Ray’s back with shrapnel and coral,’ according to Ray’s

recollections upon his return. Ray Zacchera returned home plagued not only by a lifetime of pain from his injuries, but

from the loss of his friend Gildo.

News of the death of 26 year old Gildo T. Consolini traveled quickly to Avon as well as of the wounding of his

friend. The town was literally shell-shocked. He was the first man to die on a foreign field of battle. Hence, the bridge

was named in his honor in September of 2010 as follows: Substitute House Bill No. 6540, Public Act No. 11-256 d by

the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly in Sec. 27 Bridge number 06521 on Route 44 in Avon

shall be designated the "Corporal Gildo T. Consolini Memorial Bridge."

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #3272 in Avon is named in recognition of Gildo T. Consolini as well. Per-

haps the next time you drive over the Gildo T. Consolini Memorial Bridge, you will utter a quiet thank you for his sacri-

fice and remember all those who have gone before, who serve now, and to those who will answer the call to duty

whenever a threat arises in the future.

*Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States

AROUND TOWN...

The pass-through at Cold Spring Farm in the

Good Old Days

The Thompson family lived, loved, and laughed at

Cold Spring Farm on the corner of West Avon and Harris Roads. One special memory,

a Thompson relative recalled, was the pass through between the kitchen and the dining room. The kitchen

was decidedly small even though generations of Thompson women turned out memorable meals with not a

lot of counter space.

Can you imagine the flavor of farm fresh produce and meats that transitioned from one room to the

other to eager hands to place upon the table? Envision the whole Thompson family gathered around the

dining room table as each successive side-dish and course passes the wood trimmed surround to the festive-

ly decorated Thanksgiving table. Perhaps Tom Turkey was too big to fit through the pass through and had

to take the bypass via the kitchen door!

Although the farm is no longer known by it’s original name, Thompson descendants fondly remember

the fine meals, jovial conversation, and love of family as cherished memories of Cold Spring Farm as they

’pass through’ Avon today. Photo credit: Recollections of Cold Spring Farm, Linda C. Shea

SPOTLIGHT ON….

..our own Society president, Terri Wilson (above), for her interest in helping to save a valuable piece of Amer-

ican and Connecticut history. How? Terri works in the south end of Hartford and has noticed for many years

the deterioration of the ‘Forlorn Soldier’ statue that has been standing, since 1968, next to the I-91 overpass

on Airport Road away from view, but in plain sight. She became concerned last summer when a staging area

of large equipment and trucks surrounded the statue. She brought her concerns to Dr. Matthew Warshauer,

professor of history at CCSU and co-chairman of the state’s 150th Commemoration of the Civil War. Dr. War-

shauer (above) and his students immediately researched the statue and within three days learned that it be-

longed to the Peter Kelly family in Hartford. They also learned that this statue, possibly the oldest civil war

statue of a soldier in the country, was created by James Batterson who owned New England Granite Works in

Hartford and later founded Travelers Insurance Company. The Forlorn Soldier, for he has no face and hands

due to decay and vandalism, was made around 1870 and depicts a Union soldier at parade rest. Years later

the Kelly family, who bought the land it stood on in downtown Harford, moved the statue to its current loca-

tion and still own it today. After talking with Mr. Kelly, Dr. Warshauer was able to secure the necessary

funds from him, and Travelers Insurance Company, to have the statue removed, conserved and donated to

the state of Connecticut. It will be formally installed in the State Capitol building on September 17th, the

151st anniversary of the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day in American history. Photo credit: Terri Wilson

ABIGAIL’S ACORN-Y FALL IDEA

In a small rural village known as Avon lived Abigail Fieldmouse in the Pine Grove School, a one-room

schoolhouse, where she made her nest under the wooden floorboards. It was a quite comfortable abode

with her cozy bed made of straw, leaves, and bits and pieces of rags that she found. She had a half walnut

shell as a wash basin for her face and paws, a shard of broken mirror glass to look into when she brushed

her whiskers, and a small chest of drawers for her clothing made from small boxes.

The coming of Fall was an exciting time of the year for Abigail. The crisp, cool air now signaled her

that winter would soon be here and she needed to ready her house for the long, cold months ahead. The

school will be closed in winter so she needs to make her nest extra warm and have plenty of food stored up.

But alas, the days now were sunny and bright and Abigail felt more like playing than working. She knew she

would feel guilty if she did no work, so she thought about combining the two. How could she have fun and

yet be productive? Hmmm. Then, it struck her. She thought of a way to store food for winter and have fun

at the same time. Her plan was ingenious-especially for a little brown mouse!

Her idea was much like the board game of the future known as “Mousetrap” by Milton Bradley-except

for the trap part! If you know of the game, you know that the steel marble runs through a series of obsta-

cles until it triggers the trap to catch the mouse. Abigail’s plan was to set up a similar contraption but to

gather acorns instead! But she would need help. Abigail set to writing, on mousey letterhead stationary of

course, little notes to her woodland friends. The notes were delivered by air mail by a friend Robin, Robin.

Her nearby friends were glad to help because even in the early farming days of Avon’s past, neighbor helped

neighbor. Her plan called for some supplies: the school teacher’s sun parasol and some long string, a funnel,

a milk pail and lots of rhubarb from the garden. Rhubarb is a vegetable that looks a lot like celery but is a

deep red color on the ends. The friends collected each of these items for the plan from the nearby farm and

rolled or pulled them together across the dirt road to the school house. They were laughing and playing all

along the way. What fun! The idea was to hoist the open, upside-down parasol tied with the string up over

the limb of the nearby oak tree standing right outside the school. One of Abigail’s squirrel friends, Seth,

clutched the string in his mouth and ran it up the tree. Her other woodland friends, Heathcliff the chipmunk,

Perfume the skunk, and her little bunny friend Button helped. They all pulled the string to raise the parasol

up under the branches of the old oak tree. Abigail had gnawed a small hole in the parasol near the tip. Di-

rectly under the parasol was a funnel over a milk bucket with a rusted out hole in the side and it was

propped up on a rock that created an incline. Next the rhubarb was laid end to end leading right up to the

edge of the school house. This is where there is a small opening that Abigail uses as a door to go in and out

to get to her nest.

Now do you see what Abigail’s plan was? Her a-corn-y idea was that as the oak tree dropped it’s

acorns, they would fall into the parasol, go out the hole, fall into the funnel, and roll out onto the curved

trough of the rhubarb, and then roll right into the school house for her winter food supply. Clever Abigail!

And lucky Abigail for having such good friends to play with and create memories with in the fanciful

oldendays of Avon’s little Pine Grove School House. - The End

Sneak Peek for Winter Newsletter: Abigail gets stuck out on the ice of a pond! Oh my!

KID’S PAGE

Unscramble these Fall holidays:

G I T K S H A N V N I G __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

N E V A T E R S Y A D __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

W O H A L E N E L __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

U L C O M B S U A Y D __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Do you know what the first day of Fall will be this year? __________Hint: Use a calendar!

COLORING-Use your prettiest Fall colors!

Challenge Question: What orange vegetable do we see this time of year that can be used for

pie, eating the seeds, and carving? ________________ Hint: There is a drawing of it on this very page!

Name a drink that can be served hot or cold and is made from a red fruit that grows on trees in

the orchard. __________ __________ Hint: You can make your own or buy it at the grocery store.

TAKE NOTE….

A four-part lecture series will be presented by the Civil War Com-mittee of the Avon Historical Society. Details soon will be an-nounced with dates and locations.

“Yankee Ingenuity: Defending the Union and Inventing the Future.”

The 19th Century was a time of enormous economic growth for Connecticut. Along the way creative innovations by Connecticut citizens both saved the Union and created the basis for our state’s current prosperity. These achievements often can be credited to innovators and inventors in their teens and twenties. The Avon Historical Society will pay tribute to these achievements and show how today’s young innovators are seizing opportunities in a series of events and exhibits titled, “Yankee Ingenuity: Defending the Union and Inventing the Future.” Speakers from the National Park Service, Mystic Seaport and area companies will help us understand the historical context that allows our area to earn the title of the “Silicon Valley of the 19th Century.” Exhibits will connect 19th century business such as Avon’s own Civil War-era manufacturer of safety fuses to today’s explosive business and the original Pratt & Whitney founded by two young apprentices to supply the Union to today’s engine manufacturer. Today’s innovation activities such as the Connecticut Invention Con-vention and Avon’s successful FIRST Robotics team, the ÜberBots, will also be highlighted. The ex-hibits will be on display outside the Marian Hunter History Room at the Avon Free Public Library from November 2013 through January 2014. The events will be held in the Community Room of the Avon Free Public Library and other sites to be announced. As of this writing, “Yankee Ingenuity” is partly sponsored by a grant from the Ensign-Bickford Foundation and Avon Public Schools. - Norm Sondheimer, Avon Historical Society

Kid’s Page Answers: Word Scramble– Thanksgiving, Veterans Day, Halloween,

Columbus Day

Answers to questions: August 22, 2013; apple cider; pumpkin

Avon Historical Society

P.O. Box 448, Avon, CT 06001

ahs.mail.1830@sbcglobal.net

www.avonhistoricalsociety.org

The Mission of the Avon Historical Society, founded in 1974, is to iden fy, collect, preserve, u lize,

publish, display and promote the history and heritage of Avon.

2012-2013

Officers: Terri Wilson, President

Pam Fahey, Vice President

Helaine Bertsch, Secretary

Satvinder Mayall. Treasurer

Trustees: Glenn Lawrence, Samantha Klaburner, Carolyn McGra<an, Elisabeth Neff, Sebas an Saraceno, Anne Savo,

Kate Stoll, Lenoard Tolisano, Eric Throndson, Peter Wright, Sue Zielenbach