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
In my collection is an interesting book. It’s a small book with hand-painted covers and leather spine. Printed and sold by Thomas M. Pomroy, Windsor, 1812. Washington Benevolent Society From Wikipedia: “The Washington Benevolent Societies (WBS) were grass-roots political clubs set … Continued
On the lawn of Hugging Bear, next to Chester Historical Society, is a magnificent black walnut tree. This tree is over 100 years old. In the fall, hundreds of walnuts drop to the ground with a loud thud. Gray squirrels … Continued
Some will remember Bill and Marjorie Orcutt. The Orcutts were a wealthy family who originally lived where Stone Hearth Inn is. Bill’s grandfather was John C. Orcutt. John C. Orcutt was experimenting with different hybrid corns in the early 1900s. … Continued