STOUGHTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOUNDED 1895

Volume III, Number 9  - October 1972

OUR FIRST ORDER of business at the September meeting was to vote to change the annual meeting date from January to the regular meeting date in May. The vote was a nearly unanimous decision. Now the officers and trustees will have all the summer months in which to prepare plans for the next season.

BIDS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED for the plastering and painting of the walls and ceilings of the main floor of the Lucius Clapp Memorial and we expect work to begin shortly. Also, we have made a purchase of two show cases for use in the Clapp Room; and another purchase of two dozen new chairs for the Jones Room. These last two purchases were made with funds made available to us through the kindness and generosity of the family and friends of Mrs. Coburn (Evelyn) Owen who died quite unexpectedly late in August. The cases are properly marked as being presented in memory of Mrs. Owen. The donors have been made aware of our appreciation along with our sympathy.

PLEASE NOTE that our meetings continue to begin at 7:30 P.M. on the third Monday. An error in the local paper prompted a few inquiries last month. If there is to be any change in the future it will be announced in the Newsletter. In spite of the mixup most of the membership was present at the usual time. . . an indication of increased interest.

HOSPITALITY HOSTESSES in September were Betty Waal, Jeanette Hill and Eleanor Meserve. Home-made cookies are always a treat and these ladies provided an ample supply to go with the delicious locally-made soft drinks from South Easton.

WE WELCOMED the presence of one guest, Mrs. Mary Moody, of Stoughton... and hope she will join us more often.

HAROLD M. DROWN, long time member of our Society and of the Historical Commission; and a member of the Sons of Union Veterans for 55 years, passed from this troubled world on September 22 after a long Illness. Mr. Drown will long be remembered by us all and especially those of us who heard him deliver the Memorial Day Gettysburg Address for 25 consecutive years. Our sincere sympathies go out to his family.

DONATIONS have come from Past President Carl L. Smith, Miss Beatrice Monk, Nicholas J. Haggerty and Conrad Derosier, Marie Sheehan, Doris Soper, Henry Herbowy, Carl LaCivita, the W.P. Tilden estate through Helen Hammond of Pembroke, and from Mr. and Mrs. Edward Podgurski. Along with the gifts has come a National flag which has been flown over the Capitol and was presented by Congressman Burke.

OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS are being celebrated by Howard Hansen, Linda Innes, Edith Hinckley, Mrs. A. R. Lambert, Donald Hill, Natalie Fee, Ruth White, Leonard Whitten...sharing the month with such as Rutherford B. Hayes, Chester A. Arthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower, "Teddy Roosevelt" and John Adams.

WE WOULD like to acknowledge the assistance volunteered by two Boy Scout leaders, Marc McDonnell and Gary Reddington, when we needed more manpower in moving the recently-acquired show cases. They have, also, volunteered further help when it may be required in the future. These two young men may well open the door to others in the new generation. Others putting their shoulders to the wheel on that Saturday afternoon were Ed Podgurski, Ronald Snow, Bob Benson and son Bob.

THE BUILDING FUND has already received a few donations from individuals and the Building Committee is truly grateful for them as it has enabled them to make a start at refinishing the interior of the Clapp Memorial. More HELP is needed, not only financially, but physically. Besides workers for necessary chores:, we need people for filing and folks with typing ability to copy some of the stored manuscripts so that they may be brought out from "under a bushel" and made more legible...for display in our museum area.

REMEMBER...the MAINE...the ALAMO...BIRTHDAY BAGS!

STEVE ADAMSON, a fairly new member and already quite active, presented an extremely interesting informal talk on William Billings, 18th century composer (and tanner...in order to pay the bills); and offered a recorded sampling of the music of Billings. This was an unusual touch in our programming and met with much favor. Billings was rather a prolific writer of choral Church music and produced six books which were published for him by Paul Revere. In spite of this great productivity, William Billings died a pauper in an unmarked grave. We are especially thankful to Mr. Adamson for appearing at our meeting; he was suffering considerable back pains and might-have cancelled.

ON OCTOBER 16 we will present Mr. Edwin White of the Simpson Spring Company and of the Easton Historical Society. His subject title: "The First Hundred Years are......." Bring a friend, perhaps a new member...but come and enjoy of pleasant evening.

THE AMERICAN ELM was adopted as the Official State Tree, March 21, 1941. When growing in the forest it often attains a height of 120 feet, but in the open it is wide-spreading and of lesser height.

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