It has become my tradition even if we no longer have newsboys tell this tale again. Have a wonderful 2019 and I hope to see you all at many of the events that we have here in Norwich.

“The News-Boys Address, To the Patrons of the Norwich Courier” was originally printed on the New Years Day front page, above the fold as “The News-Boys Address To the patrons of the Norwich Courier, On the Commencement of the Year 1810.” I hope you enjoy it.

“The News-Boys Address, To the Patrons of the Norwich Courier”

On the commencement of the year 1810.

Each week your News-boy fondly tries

To please his friends with fresh supplies

Of news, derive’d from ev’ry quarter,

 

Both here at home and ‘cross the water;

Fondly hoping by this measure,

To gain your cash and win your favor,

Sometimes he tells of dismal wars

 

That fill the world with horrid jars,

That raise your pity and your fears,

And from the timid exort tears;

With prospects of a lasting peace.

 

Sometimes your fortunes seem all made,

With news of unembargo’d trade,

And while your fancy fills your treasures,

By news receiv’d of peaceful measures,

 

And while your minds are all perplex’d

In counting chickens’fore they’re hatch’d,

Then all at once your hopes prove frail

By news received by the mail,

 

That tho’ embargoes have no force,

They’re supplied by non-Intercourse.

 

Sometimes he tells of actions done,

By those who govern here at home,

Relates you speeches often made,

In Congress ‘bout restricted trade.

 

Sometimes to spend a leisure hour,

Of duels fought by men in power;

Sometimes of deaths to make you sad,

And then with weddings to make you glad.

 

Sometimes old women he doth fright,

With fiery meteors seen at night,

And earthquakes too tho’ still not near,

Yet they affect their minds with fear.

 

Of the relieves the farmer’s care

When he can hear of his stray mare,

And if the yearling chance to stray,

Or boys indented run away,

 

Or if a thief a horse should take,

Or men in bus’ness chance to break;

Or should you wish new goods to buy,

Or old, or cheap, or wet or dry –

 

Or should a stranger wish to find

A Barber suited to his mind,

One who could cut, and brush and shave

The honest, witty and knave,

 

All, all you learn from me your friend,

Who on your favor still depend.

 

I might a long time yet go on,

And greatly lengthen out my song,

By telling things you hear from me,

And thus perhaps increase my fee.

 

But as I’ve not a miser’s heart,

Permit me from you to depart,

By wishing all my friends much cheer,

Throughout this new, and ev’ry year.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email me at berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs

Mohegan Park sits right above my home and is near and dear to my heart so I got a little excited when I read in the May 16, 1896 Norwich Evening Record an article called, The Park Project. The article began with the usual report of minutes being read and approved, declining membership, treasury balance all way too familiar and very boring. Then I read the report of Richard H. Nelson, chairman of the committee on municipal art, who read the following report in regard to the proposed city park:
The committee have devoted a great deal of time to the consideration of matters connected with the proposed city park and are able to report some measure of progress.
In the issue of the Norwich Record of January 11, 1896, a map of the proposed park was published together with so much detailed information concerning the character of the land, that the committee feel it unnecessary to repeat those published statements. It may suffice to say that the efforts of the committee have been directed toward securing for park purposes about 200 acres of land centering around Spalding’s Pond, and easily accessible from North Washington Street, Greeneville and from the proposed Rockwell avenue on the south side.
The owners of this property have, for the most part, responded generously to the quests of the committee for the donation of their land. A committee on roads that was laid on the table at a previous meeting should be acted upon definitely. If the acceptance of the report on parks means the approval of the building of the Rockwell Road I want to go on record as opposed to the building of the road.
The meeting did not seem willing to call the road report from the table. A short discussion in regard to parks followed and then this resolution prevailed:
Resolved, That the Board of Trade expresses its thanks to those citizens who have so generously offered to donate their lands for a public park, and that the board hopes to see the consummation of the plans, which are being made to secure this public benefit to the city.
Some good natured desultory discussion followed and the meeting was adjourned at 10 o’clock.
But all of that was just the beginning. The Washington Street entrance was opened to travel in 1911 while the driveways joining Washington and Rockwell streets were not finished until 1912.

Thank you John A. Rockwell, Charles Bard, Edward Harland and J. Hunt Smith, Henry R. and Mary B. Bond, W. H. Allen, trustee of the will of Charles Spaulding, Fanny Louise and Edith Mary Bliss, Mary W. Reynolds, William H. Bushnell and Dr. L. W. Bacon and children.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs

Daily from December 23 thru 25, 1953 the readers of the Norwich Bulletin learned the story of Cindy, the little Mohegan Park deer. This is the slightly abbreviated version.

Cindy was born in the woods of Stafford Springs, and could hardly walk when she was found by a hunter who gave her shelter. After four months the state game wardens decided Mohegan Park here in Norwich with its deer enclosure was the best place for her to live.

The Park made a few minor preparations for her arrival in a big green park truck and was taken right to the deer enclosure where she immediately made herself at home.

But Cindy was soon to become the loneliest deer that ever came to the park. Mother nature has some strange ways. The rest of the deer in the park did not like Cindy. She was already four months old and the rest of the deer just couldn’t accept her as one of their own.

Cindy was quickly named the “Little Outcast” by the park staff and regular visitors. She spent all her time alone with no one to eat or play with. At feeding time all the deer were in high spirits, running and jumping and chasing one another.

When a dinner bell was rung all the deer ceased their play and formed a line in back of Litchy, who is the leader of the deer at the park. Litchy’s hometown was Litchfield, CT and he had been the king of the deer for five years. The deer respected Litchy and always let him begin eating first. The morning menu was hard green apples, raisin bread and grain. The deer munched on the apples and grain, eating the raisin bread last.

While little Cindy watched from a perch on top of a tree stump, a park employee explained to observers that if Cindy had come to the park when she was first born, one of the other deer would have taken care of her until she became full grown. But Cindy was four months old so Litchy, told the other deer not to associate with her and would stop them if they did.

The next day the deer had just finished eating when Cindy was spotted standing on her favorite tree stump waiting patiently and sadly for the rest of the deer to finish eating. When the last deer had finished Cindy approached the eating area very cautiously. There was nothing but a few crumbs of jelly bread left but the park superintendent immediately saw to it that the little outcast received a fresh portion.

Cindy looked up as if she was crying. Her white, fluffy tail was up in the air; her eyes were big and shiny bright; her nose, not like Rudolph’s was shiny black; her feet were the daintiest ever seen on a little deer and her face was the prettiest of any deer at the park. She seemed awfully sad though. When she finished eating she slowly raised her head as if to say thank you to the park employee who gave her the jelly bread.

The park superintendent then gave Cindy a very special treat of ginger bread, which is the deer’s favorite dessert at the park. Soon Litchy appeared on the scene and nodded his head for the rest of the deer to come in a hurry to get some of the ginger bread.

Cindy had most of it and the little that was left Litchy quickly snatched from her, and swallowed in a hurry, before standing on his hind feet and galloping off into the woods; with the rest of the deer following close behind him. It was time to play games and Litchy was starting them off.

For the rest of the morning the deer played games and for the first time in months, Cindy showed signs of being happy again.

She watched the deer playing their games, and every few minutes would try to join in, but Litchy would quickly stop her. When a little boy put his arm out to her, she licked his hand, before running off into the woods with Billy the goat who would play with Cindy when he was not playing with the rest of the deer.

Occasionally Litchy would even stop Billy from associating with Cindy, but for a few days he did not interfere.

Cindy seemed to watch for visitors with little paper bags in hopes of some gingerbread. She would leave a group of children who were petting her to come over to eat the gingerbread before hurrying back to the children for more petting.

Cindy, was the best friend the children had in the park. She let them scratch her head, tickle her behind the ears and then lick their hands to show her appreciation. Litchy just watched the children but never stopped her from playing with them.

On Christmas eve Cindy was not seen with the other deer out playing in the moonlight. There was even concern something had happened to her when she didn’t come when called, but with a little closer inspection there was Cindy.

She was standing so still she looked like a statue. She was trying to show off something around her neck. She was wearing a beautiful wreath of laurel, red berries and pine cones.

High on the wire fence enclosure was a sign that had not been there earlier that day.

“Cindy, the little outcast deer, has been appointed by me as the official greeter to children and representative of all the deer in this park, this 25th day of December, 1953, Signed, Santa Claus and his helpers.”

Merry Christmas to all!

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs.

While away I visited a teeny, tiny, little town that revived my Christmas spirit. I sorta lost my spirit when I saw the downtown lights were dim and missing swatches of light and the parade had to change its route because people were only at the start of the route where people were being dropped off and at the end of the route to be picked up. The local stores didn’t have a decorating contest. Homes don’t decorate. People just install blow up decorations that may or may not have any connection to one another, other than they were on sale at a local big box store. So let me tell you about the festival I attended.

Norwich, CT can do something similar. We have most of the components and maybe even a few more. We, as a community, as a city need to get our holiday spirit back.

In the other town, on the first day of the two day event Santa arrived atop a fire truck at 5PM. Norwich could do that.
5 – 7 PM Santa hears childrens wishes and Sparky, the Fire Dog hands out goodies.

A local rescue squad and Grange members make candle holders. Norwich could do that.
There were tours of museums with a man singing original songs. Norwich could do that. Maybe tours of City Hall with the First State Troubador?

They had a tour of a historic area led by a member of the historic society with music by members of the high schools chorus. How about a tour of our own Church Street? Glebe House has a great holiday story!

The Boy Scout Troop handed out tiny cups of cocoa and handed out LED candles to children 3 – 12 for the parade. Norwich scouts could do that.

A local bank sponsored stilt-walkers, jugglers and hula hoopers. Norwich even has a resident fire breather just hoping to be asked to perform.

5 pm One of the funeral homes sponsored a church with 19th century holiday music supplied by a school chorus. Norwich has churches with great acoustics and I am certain there must be a school chorus or two in the city.

6 pm was a vocal ensemble with holiday jazz music at a different location.
A dance school staged a street show with performers 3 to 18. Norwich has dance schools.

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm saw fire spinners on a particular street and a kooky childrens band entertained with kazoos available for the children to join in with.

7:15 pm – saw a high school marching band play for the street decorations lighting. Phenomenal! This I don’t think Norwich could do. The power company arranges for the overhead street decorations to come on as the band marches down the street. Everyone knows its time for the lights because the street gets dark. I thought it was a power failure but the excitement was electric. Even the shops dimmed their lights. The decoration lights came on as the band played beneath. Didn’t take long but the effect was breathtaking. Then people gathered behind the band with their LED candles and walked to the Town Hall for the Lighting Ceremony, a performance by another High School, a few words from Santa, the countdown and lighting. But wait! There is more!

Until 10 pm there was an acoustic duo performance, refreshments with adult beverages for sale.

Day Two Began at Noon

Santa arrived on another fire truck and leads a walk thru another historic district. Selfies with Santa were
hosted by a Girl Scout Troop for the price of a non perishable food item to be donated to the local food pantry. I just saw a Girl Scout Troop sell cookies at Stop & Shop.

Stations were set up with help from a Webelo Pack to make packages of Reindeer Food to take home sponsored by a local Agway. Our Norwich Agway sponsors Santa with your pet photos and has great bird feeding supplies.

An art gallery featured a high school guitar ensemble. Does Norwich have any students that play guitar? How about the Tech Schools or 3 Rivers?

A donation please Trolley provided transportation between various venues. Their website had specifics for locations, times, events, trolley stops, sponsors, links and more.

In various areas kids were invited to bounce away excess energy at Big and Little Moonwalks while parents were urged to rest. There was also touch a fire truck and learn what emergency services are available in your town display.

An 18th Century House had a fireplace cooking demonstration and tasting when available.

Circus performers wandered around an historic district.

Cups of a specialty soup were available from one of the markets.

Kids were invited to a make a special craft at one of the shops.

12 Noon – 1 The Rotary sponsored a High School Choir at a local restaurant. Norwich has the Senior Citizen Choir, numerous church choirs, and more. Perhaps one of them?

1 – 2 pm had a Childrens Theatre Chorus singing at another restaurant.

1:30 was a juggling and balloon show with tricks fun and audience participation with a post show session for kids to learn to make their own balloon animal. Norwich has at least two great clowns!

3 pm was a choreographed vaudeville style circus show with workshops afterwards teaching juggling, hula hoop tricks and flag spinning. Does anyone else recall the Fire-ettes and when NFA had a marching band with flags?

1 – 3 Gingerbread cookie decorating workshop at the library followed by story-telling. Some were old favorites and some were new stories written by local authors.

Adult ornament making workshop at a local church.

Hand bell ringing lessons at a local church.

6-8 pm
Community Bon Fire sponsored by fire cadets, Veterans Associations and Middle and High School student associations.

In town parking was a challenge but Norwich has well placed parking garages and parking lots if people and businesses were willing to cooperate with one another for events. Just because you can do something does not always mean you should do it. Being kind will not come back to bite you.
I know this seems like a lot. A lot of coordination. A lot of participation. But look at it carefully. Its really just tiny groups focused on one or two things and creating a much larger event. Norwich could do something similar. It did not happen for this town overnight. It took many years of practice and growth. Norwich residents just need a chance to breathe, regroup, imagine, smile and focus on the spirit of the season. Together we can make the holidays happen for us all!

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs

In the November 18, 1897 Norwich Bulletin I found a lengthy article about Noteworthy Trees – Recalled by Norwich Citizen Who Has Demonstrated His Interest as an Arborist. His name was J H. Brand, 165 Rockwell Street, Norwich.

I am not going to quote the entire article but I had never heard some of the details of our city or the story of ‘Peter’s Oak.’ How true and accurate the stories are I cannot say, but I found the stories entertaining and I hope you do too.

Near the Cobb farm in Norwich are two sassafras trees, one having a circumference of seven feet and a height of 40, and the other measuring seven feet five inches around and about 45 high. For sassafras trees this is unusual in this portion of the country and there are few that can compare with them. Another of about the same size was recently cut down near the same place, and a somewhat smaller one, about 30 feet high and five and a half feet in girth, near Kramer & Henderson’s ice pond at Greenville.

A white oak formerly stood on Starr Street, about a half mile east of Hubbard’s corners. The tree had a hollow in the trunk large enough to admit a man. This tree was damaged by a storm about two years ago [1895?], and cut down.

In a small clearing about one-eighth of a mile east of the corner of Rockwell and Orchard Streets, Norwich, stands a white oak, the girth of which, at about one foot from the ground is eleven feet two inches. On one side, this tree has been charred and hacked to a height of ten feet, leaving only about three feet of one side side covered with bark, and the tree is fast dying, many of the larger limbs being already dead. The girth of this tree before it was charred must have been 14 or 15 feet.

At a distance of 150 feet to the westward is a square formed of earth and stones, marking the site of “Peter’s Hut.” A hut formerly stood there, and was occupied by an Indian, who led a hermit life. It is related that he was in the habit of declaring that that no man should ever cut down or burn the oak tree until Peter was gone, and the tree remains a monument to this man; but will soon be gone, unless something takes place to prevent it. The height of this tree is only fifty-five feet.

J. H. Brand closes his article with the disclaimer, “Although the trees I have enumerated are not remarkable for their immense size, they are peculiar, and therefore worthy of notice. May we not hear of more peculiar trees?”

Stories about our Norwich, CT neighborhoods are important. The stories make our communities different and interesting. Pointing at a place and saying a business once stood there, or a family once lived there is not enough. As neighbors and walk guides we need to be able to relate the stories of the lives, that walked our paths. Please feel free to share these blogs and don’t hesitate to research them further.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs

When was the last time there was talk of airships in Norwich, CT? In the Norwich Bulletin of November 17, 1897 there was a great article about New Flying Machine To Be Tried Here. A Jersey City Inventor would be experimenting with an airship in Norwich.

Can you imagine? Little Norwich, CT was a place where people brought things to test out. To improve upon and to market. If the product did well in Norwich, CT it would do well anywhere!

Lambert S. Nirdlinger of Jersey City, who has become so well known in connection with air ships, is in Norwich, and had planned to make a flight on his air-ship early this morning from the roof of the Del-Hoff soon after the Bulletin went to press. His intention was to fly out over the buildings toward Laurel Hill about a thousand feet, reverse and return to his starting point.
Mr. Nirdlinger’s flying machine, which is packed so as to be easily carried by hand, consists of a huge pair of wings, above which is an aero-plane. Between and beneath the wings is a bicycle frame on which the operator sits, and a small gasoline engine with two bicycle wheels acting as fly-wheels. The action is like the flying condor, the huge South American bird. Each time the huge wings come down the flyer soars upward 16 to 18 feet and eight times as far laterally. The machine travels about sixteen miles an hour.
These facts concern the small machine which Mr. Nirdlinger has in Norwich. A five-horse-power engine is being constructed for him by Maxim, the famous inventor and with this an air-ship built on this principle could be used for the coast defense work. It could carry two people and travel out over the ocean a hundred miles to drop shells which could annihilate an incoming fleet.
If the experimenter succeeds in flying against the wind, which hitherto has been the difficulty with air-ships, the machine will be taken to Washington by Lieut. John Gurney, U.S.A., of the signal corps, who accompanies him.
Mr. Nirdlinger has been associated with Messrs. Edison, Eddy and Lamson, but each has different ideas regarding flying and each hopes to first perfect his air-ship.
The box kite, which Mr. Nirdlinger flew Tuesday afternoon above Union Square to try the air currents, attracted much attention.
He has had dealings with the Cuban Junta and at one time made plans to blow up the City of Havana by means of bombs dropped from kites, but the Cubans had not perseverance enough to carry it through.

I did not find the follow up article, so I don’t know if he succeeded or not.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs

The November 3, 1897 Norwich Bulletin had an article asking a question, and I would like to ask it in the present time of December 2018. The article was called the Curious Apple Tree and it was about a tree that distributed fruit in two counties and in three towns.

L.P. Ayer of Franklin writes The Bulletin: Having noticed the articles in the Bulletin from time to time in regard to big trees, perhaps someone will be interested in this. Milo Sharp of Lebanon owns an apple tree growing in the town of Franklin from which the apples fall in two counties – Windham and New London – and in three towns – Franklin, Lebanon and Windham. I should like to know if there is another such tree in the state [of Connecticut].

I am fairly certain that tree is no longer but has another tree taken its place and has an interesting distribution of its fruit or even its leaves?

Do you know of an interesting tree in Connecticut? Where is it? Who owns it? Why is it interesting?
Inquiring minds want to know!

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs