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Box 212 Monroe, CT 06468
June, 2000 Newsletter We held a one-day session of our Hands-on-History workshop on Saturday, April 15 at the Beardsley House for children in 3rd through 6th grades. We dyed Easter eggs using natural dyes, decorated cookies, painted seasonal ornaments, made butterfly decorations and Swedish heart baskets. Thanks to Millie Ohm, Barbara Waite, Brenda Schultz, and Judy Standerford for helping and special thanks to Nancy Zorena for organizing the day. Here are some pictures taken that day.  
 Our summer Hands-on-History program is scheduled for July 18, 19 and 20, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:30 to 12:00. This program is for children in grades 36. Cost is $50.00 plus a $10.00 materials fee. We will be doing many colonial activities including reverse glass painting, churning butter, spinning wool and dyeing with natural dyes. Call Judy Standerford, 268-5511, to register.  Check out our website for some new pages. Included at www.monroehistoricsociety.org/butterflies.html are instructions for making one of the items that were part of the Hands-on-History workshop in April. These charming decorations are made using coffee filters, clothespins, chenille stems, and food coloring. Millie Ohm led this project.People who have lived in Monroe for a time probably remember when David Merrill, one of Monroes favorite sons and a famous artist, painted a large mural in Masuk High School. During the years of 198081, he completed this first large mural depicting historic and familiar scenes in our town. Since then, David has done other large murals in Southbury and Newtown. A reception was held on the completion of the Masuk mural which was sponsored by the Monroe Historical Society. David dedicated the mural to his second grade teacher and mentor, Bessie Smick. The Historical Society is scheduling another visit to the mural on Sunday, October 15 at Masuk at 2:00 p.m. It is a great opportunity to see the mural again and meet the artist. Plans are being made to have owners of some of David Merrill's work to display them at this time. Our Meetinghouse collectible will be premiered at this event. Watch for more news about this exhibition in future issues. The East Village Meetinghouse continues to be used for weddings by friends of the Society. Mark Inderdohnen was joined in marriage to Reeann Heid on April 30 and Jeff Nielsen married Debbie Shultis on June 3. Congratulations to both couples. We have received several generous donations since the last newsletter. Douglas G. Johnson of Orange, CT, donated open hearth cooking items, childrens chairs, toys and agricultural items . His father farmed the land that the Stevenson Lumber Company now occupies and some of the items donated were used on the farm. Society members Austin and Nancy Ross donated a wooden bread bowl, small glasses, a candle snuffer and a table loom for children. Ed Coffey, Society historian, donated two Windsor chairs that will be used in the keeping room at the Beardsley house. Bob Hurd donated in his mothers name, Mrs. Shirley Hurd, a beautiful Windsor chair that originally came from the Masonic Temple. It is a late 18th century piece that will be part of the Historical Society collection at the Beardsley house. Winnowing tray and any other agricultural implements and tools that could be part of the Monroe Historical Societys Farm Museum. Contact Bob Gondar at 452-0505 to arrange pickup.  Thank you to everyone who volunteered as an Old Schoolhouse greeter this year. They are: Gretchen Davison, Jean Weicker, Judy Standerford, Millie Ohm, Barbara Waite, Christine Ehlers, and Diane Honrath. There were 22 class visits to the schoolhouse. Children from Monroe, Madison, and Bethel spent a day back in time. Thanks to their teachers for planning the day and to our volunteers who waited for them to arrive and spoke about our 1790 one room schoolhouse. We couldn't have provided this service without our volunteers. Many thanks! Cub Scout Pack 262 Bear Den #1 recently cleared an area on the Meetinghouse grounds. They removed an accumulation of brush, dead wood, and cut down saplings near the East Village entrance to the property. Thanks to Michael Zavaglio, Jr., Lucas Pizzagalli, Travis Gill, Richard Goldstein, Chris Buhlmann and leader Michael Zavaglio for the heard work spend on this project. On June 12 the Historical Society was presented with a check for $625 from the Monroe Womens Club. This will be used for a security system at the barn at the Beardsley Homestead. We are accumulating a wonderful collection of farm tools and equipment that will be on display at the barn and it is important that we have security in place to protect this collection. Thank you! In honor of all the work that she has done over the years and in recognition of the fact that we would not have such a wonderful collection if it werent for her the Monroe Historical Society is naming their collection of photographs the Jean Loveland Picture Collection. We have a very large collection of photographs depicting Monroe in many stages of growth since the turn of the century (and some even earlier). Almost all of these were donated to us through Jeans efforts, and she has undertaken over the years the monumental task of cataloging and preserving these Monroe treasures. Our book, Images of AmericaMonroe, Ct. , would not have been possible without this collection. The book was compiled to commemorate Monroes 150th Anniversary in 1998 and almost all of the images included came from this source. Copies of this book are available for $16.99 from the Historical Society. 
At our June board meeting, the Historical Society voted to go ahead with painting the exterior of the Meetinghouse. This will involve removing the old paint, replacing decayed wood, priming, painting caulking and glazing at a cost of over $15,000. We hope to have this work done in the next few months. This is much needed work and the company doing the work specializes in old churches and homes. Any donations to help defray the cost of this project will be welcome. |
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