In the past I have written about mourning covers. They are a black-bordered envelope announcing someone close had died. Below are two mourning notecards I found interesting. Ira Colby was an attorney in Claremont. Dec. 29, 1926 postmark … Continued
Below is more of Ed Kendall’s 1958 Springfield Reporter story about Chester Soapstone. The previous article ended with, “The drivers had many hair raising moments driving down this hill with their heavy loads…” “Two of these drivers stand out in … Continued
In the early to mid-19th century, here in New England, many firearms were individually built by highly skilled craftsmen. Artemas Leonard of Saxtons River was one such craftsman. His shop was on North Street in Saxtons River. He produced percussion … Continued
In the 1950s, Ed Kendall had a column in the Springfield Reporter. Below are excerpts from Ed’s Jan. 29, 1958, column. It is far too long to include in its entirety. “On July 10, 1885, the Chester Steam Power Co. … Continued
It was 1985. I was at an estate auction in Weathersfield, an old farmhouse out on a dirt road. The auctioneer was Bill Smith of Plainfield, N.H. Bill was one of the top auctioneers in New England. There were three … Continued
Here is an interesting letter in the Chester Historical Society collection. This letter is an eyewitness account of life in the old West. I transcribed it years ago. The connection to Ethan Allen I found interesting. Many Confederate soldiers went … Continued
I grew up on High Street in Chester in the 1950s and 60s. The wooden swinging bridge on School Street was the shortest route to downtown Chester from High Street. All of us kids used it. One summer day, 60 … Continued
If there was just one photo of old Chester that everyone would recognize, this would be it. I have seen dozens of photos of this landmark, taken from many different angles, over many decades. I was looking at the photo … Continued
Nov. 3-4, 1927, the State of Vermont was visited by a drastic flood. In late 1927, “Floodtide of 1927” was published. Below is the Springfield section. From the introduction “Nature never smiled more kindly on good little old Vermont … Continued
Here’s an interesting 18th century Chester document. I have done my best to transcribe it as written. Written in old English, the letter “s” is written as an “f.” Until is written as “untill.” A few words I was unsure … Continued