Abel Putnam Jr.
I wrote an article a couple years ago about Abel Putnam Jr. of Chester. Putnam was an inventor of a new style Civil War button. That article is included in my new book, “Local History Vol 2.” Below is a … Continued
Ron Patch
Introducing Russ Warner
Russ Warner was born in Andover in 1834. He died in Ludlow in 1909. The photo with this article is Russ Warner and was taken circa 1908. It is from Ted Spaulding. This photo is a close-up from a larger … Continued
The Baked Bean Belt
Below is a March 1925 Carpenter’s Store newspaper clipping from Mary Harris’s scrapbook. In the 1920s Carpenter’s Store published a small newspaper. Carpenter’s was located where Meditrina Wine & Cheese is today. “Teacup Sherman” was Tecumseh Sherman, an American Indian. … Continued
Vermont justice
It’s probably 20 years since Hessie told me a story about Ernie Duprey. When I was a kid, Ernie lived where the brick bank is today on Main Street in Chester. I remember walking by his house. He always had … Continued
Hardscrabble living
In the past I’ve written some about antique photography. The subject of this article is the “Stereo-view.” A “stereo,” as we call them in the trade, is two identical photos side by side and mounted on a stiff cardboard mount. … Continued
The inventor
As we’ve sorted and archived Ted Spaulding’s collection of Chester artifacts, we’ve made some interesting discoveries. Below is an example. Franklin Wilkinson Franklin Wilkinson was a close friend of Ted’s grandfather, William Ryland “W.R.” Spaulding. W.R. invested with Franklin’s … Continued
The barbershop
In the 1960s, Chester had two barbers. Jake Howe Jake Howe lived in the house next to the People’s United Bank. In the front of his house is where Jake cut hair. Jake had a barber pole out front on … Continued
The intersection
Here I give the history of the old Jiffy Mart location in Chester. In the 1869 Beers Atlas of Windsor County, I see a “Boot Shop” at this location. This would be Chester Boot Company. At the historical society, we … Continued
Snow fleas
When I was young, in the 1950s and early 1960s, our winters were much more severe than those we have today. Bitter cold could last a week or more. This could be 30 below or colder. Many days the high … Continued
Please be seated
In the old days, everyone had a privy. Whether you lived in the city or country, a privy of some sort is what you had. A privy was also called an outhouse or backhouse. While they come in many forms, … Continued