Stamford History Real Time

Cove (Holly) Pond Federal Funds Request in 1935

With the Federal Stimulus Package in the news this week, here is a look back to 1935, courtesy Whitman Bailey:

Drawing of Cove Pond as Mayor Phillips Would Like to
See it Improved With the Aid of Federal Funds

 

Download complete newspaper clipping of September 12, 1935

Alas, it seems to have come to nothing as this Google Earth view shows … no island …

(Reference file Bailey 182.jpg)

Society closed today

Due to inclement weather, the Society is closed Wednesday, January 28.

January Photo Selection of the Month: High Ridge in the Snow

In this consistently frigid and somewhat snowy winter, what else to show but snow photos …

Photo Selection of the Month: January 2009

Sometime last year we were given scans of photos of the High Ridge/Trinity Pass area as part of the Jones Collection.  The donors, Janet Jones Outerbridge and Audrey Jones Dean, grew up near the corner of Trinity Pass and High Ridge Road and later lived in the Jones homestead on High Ridge Road near the New York State border.  They were the daughters of Cortland and Helen Jones, and the grand-daughters of Elbert and Abbie Jones, owners the Jones's Store.  This general store at the corner of High Ridge and Trinity Pass was built in 1860/61 by Smith Jones, and the business was sold to Elbert Jones in 1890.  He bought the store property in 1904.  Elbert celebrated 50 years of being in business in 1940. 

On the CD, there were a number of snow photos from various snow storms, some with dates, most without.  The biggest storm within the time frame was the Blizzard of December 26, 1947 – sometimes compared to the Blizzard of 1888. This is what it looked like downtown.

Our thanks to Margaret Bowen for helping identifying locations.

If readers have photos of major storms such as 1947, we would be pleased to add scans of their photos to our collection.   history@stamfordhistory.org

Robert D. Towne (1918-2008)

It is with sadness that we report the passing of Bob Towne, longtime volunteer at The Stamford Historical Society.  Bob was a resident of the Stamford and Darien area for 82 years. He graduated from Stamford High School in 1934 and from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY in 1938 with a degree in industrial engineering.  Before his retirement, he was president of the W.L. Towne Advertising Agency in New York City.

Bob was a mainstay of the society's Marcus Research Library, compiling and creating research material, and assisting the public on a weekly basis, often going beyond the call.  This writer remembers him fondly, not only as a great source of information for her website projects, but from many friendly chats.  Although "retired" from the library, he still attended the monthly meetings of the Library Committee until shortly before his death.  He was the recipient of the Virginia T. Davis, Stamford Historical Society, Distinguished Service Award, and a past member of the Board of Directors, where he served as treasurer.

Picture of the Day

Courtesy Stamfordite Dave Kush
more

January Whitman Bailey Selection: A tough choice! Snow & work or ice & fun?

So here is one of each:

Work first … after a snow storm early January of 1931.  Whitman Bailey waxes eloquently:

"Old Waterside Harbor is indeed a fascinating spot at any season of the year, but it is at its best when its contrasts are heightened by the effects of snow."

View of recent snow squall at Waterside Harbor

Complete Newspaper Clipping of January 10, 1931

where is Waterside?

… and now the fun:

Friday Visit to the Society

This is my first attempt to add information to this blog, or any blog for that matter.  Irene Hahn, our Webmaster for this blog and for our website, has always done the updates and she trusts enough to let me try.  So as I begin I find that I cannot even remember how to sign in!  Can’t even find my notes!  This is a terrible start so I will have to complete my comments and go with hat in hand to Irene and whine and beg for her help again!  So, for better or worse ...

I stopped into the Society on Friday to visit with Ron Marcus, our Librarian and “resident historian”.  I drove up and was happy to see that the place was hopping.  Viking Construction was on site and was busy replacing the windows of “this old house”.  It may not be well known that our building is owned by the city of Stamford.  The Society was chartered by the city to be the caretakers of Stamford History.  The building was built in 1914 and was an active school until it was no longer able to serve that purpose.  The site was the new home of the Society.  Unfortunately , after all these years it was still using the original boilers (burrrrrr that boiler was getting old and like all old things not running like it used to) and the windows were literally screaming when the wind blew.  Pity anyone that had to work there in there in the winter.  Now that I think of it, I wonder if we should add the boiler to our collection.  After all, it will be an official antique in another couple of years.  I have a feeling that would be given a big NO.  

Atlases available for review at the Marcus Research Library

Recently, we posted a notice that the 1879 Atlas of Stamford, G.M. Hopkins is available for review and research in the Marcus Research Library.

The following is a list of all available atlases in the library:

Happy New Year!

Stamford History Real Time wishes its readers a Healthy and Happy New Year!