page 8 ghs newsletter groton historical society...

.A chicken barbecue was served

to more than 270 people at Blue

Mountain Union School by the GrotonVolunteer Fire Department.

Visiting with classmates andteachers resumed at the CommunityBuilding after eating. Music was providedby Danny Gandin’s bamd.

ormer students of Groton HighSchool, met for a reunion on June

24th. Festivities began at 10 AMwith a Band Concert by McLure’sAlumni Band at the Groton

Bandstand.

The Peter Paul House at 253Scott Hwy, home of the GrotonHistorical Society, was open forvisitors and the Groton CommunityBuilding at 314 Scott Hwy was alsoopen for classmates to meet and visit.

GROTON HISTORICAL SOCIETYNewsletter

Volume 13 Issue 2 Summer 2000Groton, Vermont 05046

ALL CLASS REUNION A BIG SUCCESS

Page 8 GHS Newsletter

This sign greets visitors entering Groton on US 302 from the east

Groton Historical SocietyJ. W. Benzie, editorP. O. Box 209Groton, VT 05046-0209

GHS Newsletter GHS Newsletter Page 7

Highlights from Minutes of recent Meetings

May

There were 6 members present.A motion to pay $30 dues to the

State Historical Society passed.Dale Brown reported that fixing

the back stairs in the garage is notpossible and suggested using the roomover the garage for storage. Motion toaccept Dale’s recommendation passed.

Dale read his writings from hisinterviews with Russell Page about hisexperiences in World War II. Russellgrew up in the Square Front Garage andmanufactured Page Chains.

Deane Page was contacted byDelores Ham from Sheffield forinformation to use in a book she iswriting on the towns in CaledoniaCounty.

Deane also reported that allGroton residents are to meet in front ofthe Community Building on SaturdayJune 3rd at 10 AM to pose for a TownPicture that will be hung in the newCaledonia County Courthouse.

June

There were 9 members present.Richard Brooks announced that

the Vermont Historical Society haspurchased the Spaulding Graded Schoolin Barre for their use.

Diane Kreis and Richard Brooksvolunteered to be guides for the openhouse during the all class reunion on June24th.

Volunteers to host the openhouses on Sunday afternoons in July andAugust are; Bing Page, Deane Page,

Betty Dudley, Richard Brooks, RuthPutnam, Josephine French, DianeKreis, Karl and Norma Kepler.

Richard Brooks reported thathe has investigated purchasing sunblocking shades for 13 windows in thePeter Paul House. The shades areneeded to protect pictures, documentsand other items sensitive to damagefrom bright sunlight.

The Town picture was taken inJune and the town will get a copy.Plans are to have a copy made todisplay at the Groton HistoricalSociety.

July

There were 7 memberspresent.

Josephine French gave theTreasurer’s Report showing a balanceon hand on June 30, 2000 of$25,556.98, including $4,026.18 in thechecking account. Some additionalbills from the all-class reunion areexpected.

Richard Brooks reported thatthe cost of sun blocking shades in theHunter Douglas Shade Catalogue are$72 a window. Other windowcoverings or ways to protect items inthe house from sun damage will beinvestigated. Election of Officersresulted in a motion to reelect the 1999slate of officers, which was secondedand passed unamiously:

President Richard BrooksVice Pres Norma HosmerSecretary Diane Kreis

Treasurer Josephine French

Correspondence was read fromMr. Clark regarding Pvt. WilliamScott’s I.D. Tags that he found near thebattle field in Virginia, where WilliamScott was killed. Although he is an avidcollector of Civil War artifacts, he iswilling to part with his find to theGroton Historical Society. SecretaryDiane Kreis answered his letterexplaining that our Society does collecthistorical artifacts related to Grotonfamilies, but almost everything isdonated. Further investigation revealedthat the government did not issue I.D.Tags to Civil War soldiers, butsometimes local vendors sold themoutside Army Camps. The Society isawaiting a reply from Mr. Clark.

Other correspondance aboutfamily histories included inquiries fromHenry Low in Lubbock, Texas, whowanted information on the Low familynames in our files. He sent a $50donation to the Society. H o p eTillman from Woburn, MA wantedinformation on the Taisey names.

Thanks were extended toJosephine French for donations ofpictures, 1959 Fall Foliage pins, andmany other articles during this pastmonth. Other donations included ascrap book of Groton Memorbiliacollected by the Puffer brothers;Gordon, Eugene and Harold. Thescrapbook was really enjoyed byvisitors during the open house on June24th.

The Groton Directory was notcompleted in time for the all-classreunion, but is expected to be ready intime for Fall Foliage day Oct. 7th.

Highlights continued from p. 2

There are 47 members on theroles this year. This is a significantincrease from recent years. Althoughtotal membership is up, many aresupporting members only and are notable to participate in meetings and otheractivities of the Society.

Thirty six of the 47 memberslive in Groton. About a third of them areactive and do participate in mostmeetings and other activities.

WANTED

NEW MEMBERS

Annual dues are only $5.00 andthere is no joining fee. Come to thenext meeting and help preserve thehistory of old Groton for the nextgeneration. Anyone not able toattend meetings can send their duesto the Groton Historical Society,P.O. Box 89, Groton, VT 05046.

continued on p. 7

MEMBERSHIP REPORT

GHS Newsletter GHS Newsletter

Family Histories in Demand

roton connections are being sought byfamily members from many parts of the

country. At the present time the GrotonHistorical Society has a record of 31,515names in their files. The names includeboth ancestors and descendants of peoplewho live or once lived in Groton. The listof people and their family connections arebeing added to whenever information isreceived at the Historical Society.

The current directory of Grotonresidents that is being assembled by theHistorical Society has many names that arenot included in the present list of Grotonfamilies. Many families now living inGroton are reluctant to submit their familyhistories because they consider themselvesnewcomers. Everyone is encouraged tosubmit their family records, so the historyof Groton will be as complete as we canmake it.

Anyone who wants a copy of theirancestors or a copy of the descendants ofan earlier ancestor that is in our records,can obtain one at a cost of $2 plus 25 centsa page. The entire database is alsoavailable on a CD ROM at a cost of $10.

Since the database is being added to andcontinues to expand, CD’s are notproduced until ordered so they will be asup to date as possible.

An effort is being made to addpictures of the people in our database.Some pictures are already included,mostly of my family. Occasionallypeople are not pleased with the pictures ofthemselves that we have available. Youare encouraged to submit your favoritephoto of yourself so you will be pleasedwith the picture recorded with your namein the family records at the GrotonHistorical Society. Pictures of some ofthe early Groton citizens are hard to find.There are some at the Peter Paul House inneed of identification. If you find anypictures of your ancestors at the House,please identify them for the GrotonHistorical Society.

The Family History Records arenever complete. We are continuouslyadding to them and finding family tiesbetween people already in the database.

visiting at the Groton Community Building

Danny Gandin

The good old school days were revisited at theCommunity Building next door to the site ofthe Groton Village School. Even rememberingthe prom (some of the younger ones danced)and some even remembered the playground.


Lyle Edwards, Melvin Benzie andLeslie Edwards

listening to McLure’s Alumni Band concert

Barbara Mitchell, BettyWebster and Charles Frost

Bing Page and Josephine French

Thelma Belyea, Janet & Harold Puffer, Huck Taylor

Listening to McLure’s Alumni Band concert

GROTON ALL-CLASSREUNION ON JUNE 24, 2000


Family Histories in Demand

roton connections are being sought byfamily members from many parts of the

country. At the present time the GrotonHistorical Society has a record of 31,515names in their files. The names includeboth ancestors and descendants of peoplewho live or once lived in Groton. The listof people and their family connections arebeing added to whenever information isreceived at the Historical Society.

The current directory of Grotonresidents that is being assembled by theHistorical Society has many names that arenot included in the present list of Grotonfamilies. Many families now living inGroton are reluctant to submit their familyhistories because they consider themselvesnewcomers. Everyone is encouraged tosubmit their family records, so the historyof Groton will be as complete as we canmake it.

Anyone who wants a copy of theirancestors or a copy of the descendants ofan earlier ancestor that is in our records,can obtain one at a cost of $2 plus 25 centsa page. The entire database is alsoavailable on a CD ROM at a cost of $10.

Since the database is being added to andcontinues to expand, CD’s are notproduced until ordered so they will be asup to date as possible.

An effort is being made to addpictures of the people in our database.Some pictures are already included,mostly of my family. Occasionallypeople are not pleased with the pictures ofthemselves that we have available. Youare encouraged to submit your favoritephoto of yourself so you will be pleasedwith the picture recorded with your namein the family records at the GrotonHistorical Society. Pictures of some ofthe early Groton citizens are hard to find.There are some at the Peter Paul House inneed of identification. If you find anypictures of your ancestors at the House,please identify them for the GrotonHistorical Society.

The Family History Records arenever complete. We are continuouslyadding to them and finding family tiesbetween people already in the database.

visiting at the Groton Community Building

Danny Gandin

The good old school days were revisited at theCommunity Building next door to the site ofthe Groton Village School. Even rememberingthe prom (some of the younger ones danced)and some even remembered the playground.


Highlights from Minutes of recent Meetings

May

There were 6 members present.A motion to pay $30 dues to the

State Historical Society passed.Dale Brown reported that fixing

the back stairs in the garage is notpossible and suggested using the roomover the garage for storage. Motion toaccept Dale’s recommendation passed.

Dale read his writings from hisinterviews with Russell Page about hisexperiences in World War II. Russellgrew up in the Square Front Garage andmanufactured Page Chains.

Deane Page was contacted byDelores Ham from Sheffield forinformation to use in a book she iswriting on the towns in CaledoniaCounty.

Deane also reported that allGroton residents are to meet in front ofthe Community Building on SaturdayJune 3rd at 10 AM to pose for a TownPicture that will be hung in the newCaledonia County Courthouse.

June

There were 9 members present.Richard Brooks announced that

the Vermont Historical Society haspurchased the Spaulding Graded Schoolin Barre for their use.

Diane Kreis and Richard Brooksvolunteered to be guides for the openhouse during the all class reunion on June24th.

Volunteers to host the openhouses on Sunday afternoons in July andAugust are; Bing Page, Deane Page,

Betty Dudley, Richard Brooks, RuthPutnam, Josephine French, DianeKreis, Karl and Norma Kepler.

Richard Brooks reported thathe has investigated purchasing sunblocking shades for 13 windows in thePeter Paul House. The shades areneeded to protect pictures, documentsand other items sensitive to damagefrom bright sunlight.

The Town picture was taken inJune and the town will get a copy.Plans are to have a copy made todisplay at the Groton HistoricalSociety.

July

There were 7 memberspresent.

Josephine French gave theTreasurer’s Report showing a balanceon hand on June 30, 2000 of$25,556.98, including $4,026.18 in thechecking account. Some additionalbills from the all-class reunion areexpected.

Richard Brooks reported thatthe cost of sun blocking shades in theHunter Douglas Shade Catalogue are$72 a window. Other windowcoverings or ways to protect items inthe house from sun damage will beinvestigated. Election of Officersresulted in a motion to reelect the 1999slate of officers, which was secondedand passed unamiously:

President Richard BrooksVice Pres Norma HosmerSecretary Diane Kreis

Treasurer Josephine French

Correspondence was read fromMr. Clark regarding Pvt. WilliamScott’s I.D. Tags that he found near thebattle field in Virginia, where WilliamScott was killed. Although he is an avidcollector of Civil War artifacts, he iswilling to part with his find to theGroton Historical Society. SecretaryDiane Kreis answered his letterexplaining that our Society does collecthistorical artifacts related to Grotonfamilies, but almost everything isdonated. Further investigation revealedthat the government did not issue I.D.Tags to Civil War soldiers, butsometimes local vendors sold themoutside Army Camps. The Society isawaiting a reply from Mr. Clark.

Other correspondance aboutfamily histories included inquiries fromHenry Low in Lubbock, Texas, whowanted information on the Low familynames in our files. He sent a $50donation to the Society. H o p eTillman from Woburn, MA wantedinformation on the Taisey names.

Thanks were extended toJosephine French for donations ofpictures, 1959 Fall Foliage pins, andmany other articles during this pastmonth. Other donations included ascrap book of Groton Memorbiliacollected by the Puffer brothers;Gordon, Eugene and Harold. Thescrapbook was really enjoyed byvisitors during the open house on June24th.

The Groton Directory was notcompleted in time for the all-classreunion, but is expected to be ready intime for Fall Foliage day Oct. 7th.

Highlights continued from p. 2

There are 47 members on theroles this year. This is a significantincrease from recent years. Althoughtotal membership is up, many aresupporting members only and are notable to participate in meetings and otheractivities of the Society.

Thirty six of the 47 memberslive in Groton. About a third of them areactive and do participate in mostmeetings and other activities.

WANTED

NEW MEMBERS

Annual dues are only $5.00 andthere is no joining fee. Come to thenext meeting and help preserve thehistory of old Groton for the nextgeneration. Anyone not able toattend meetings can send their duesto the Groton Historical Society,P.O. Box 89, Groton, VT 05046.

continued on p. 7

MEMBERSHIP REPORT

.A chicken barbecue was served

to more than 270 people at Blue

Mountain Union School by the GrotonVolunteer Fire Department.

Visiting with classmates andteachers resumed at the CommunityBuilding after eating. Music was providedby Danny Gandin’s bamd.

ormer students of Groton HighSchool, met for a reunion on June

24th. Festivities began at 10 AMwith a Band Concert by McLure’sAlumni Band at the Groton

Bandstand.

The Peter Paul House at 253Scott Hwy, home of the GrotonHistorical Society, was open forvisitors and the Groton CommunityBuilding at 314 Scott Hwy was alsoopen for classmates to meet and visit.

GROTON HISTORICAL SOCIETYNewsletter

Volume 13 Issue 2 Summer 2000Groton, Vermont 05046

ALL CLASS REUNION A BIG SUCCESS

GHS Newsletter

This sign greets visitors entering Groton on US 302 from the east

Groton Historical SocietyJ. W. Benzie, editorP. O. Box 209Groton, VT 05046-0209

page 8 ghs newsletter groton historical society...

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