*All programs are held at the Windsor Historical Society unless noted otherwise.

 

 

May 10       6:30 PM – 7:15 PM  Graveyard Tour

                  7:30 PM – 8:30 PM  Illustrated Lecture: Monumental Genius:  James G. Batterson, The Civil War and

                                                the Making of Monuments

Born in Bloomfield (then Windsor) in 1823, James G. Batterson today is best known  as the founder of Traveler’s Insurance Company.  He was first and foremost a gravestone and monument maker who parlayed his political connections into commissions for the most important war memorials and monuments in the country.   Join historian Bill Hosley for fascinating insights into the life of a famous Windsor native, and an armchair tour of the Civil War memorials he built.  Come at 6:30 to view some Batterson gravestones in Palisado Cemetery; illustrated lecture begins at 7:30.  Cost: $6 adults, $5 seniors and students, WHS members $4.  688-3813 for more information.

 

May 24       7:00 PM--8:30 PM

Rally ‘Round the Flag, Boys.  Prepare for Memorial Day with historian Madelyn Shaw who will illustrate how national flags symbolized the emotional nature of the Civil War.  Shaw will speak about battle flags, and show how flag-inspired aprons, bed quilts, and other textiles revealed their makers’ feelings about the conflict and the flags they served.   Cost: $6 adults, $5 seniors and students, WHS members $4.  688-3813 for more information.

 

June 6       12 noon – 1 PM

Bob Steele’s Century.  A lunch and learn program at Windsor Historical Society.  Radio Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Steele was well known to millions in Southern New England as the morning voice of WTIC for half a century. Known for dry humor and his “word of the day”, Steele brightened mornings and delivered music, news, weather, and features from 1943 to 1991.  He left voluminous scrapbooks, photographs, diaries, cartoons, drawings, and yes, his jokes.  This presentation by Bob’s son, Phil Steele will give you the chance to see the man behind the microphone -- and learn a little area history too!  Cost: $6 adults, $5 seniors and students, WHS members $4.  688-3813 for more information.

 

June 12       7 PM – 8 PM   

Collection Connection: Dining in Style.  Calling all collectors, American antiques lovers, and everyone interested in historic foods and foodways to Windsor Historical Society! Join Curator Christina Vida as she shows highlights from Windsor Historical Society’s collection of ceramics, silver and glassware, plus recent archaeological evidence recovered from the Society’s Strong House.  Artifacts from the 18^th through 20^th centuries will be shown.  This is the second in a series of programs on the wide-ranging objects in the Society’s collections. COST: $6 adults, $5 seniors and students, $4 members. 860-688-3813 for more information.

 

July 14       10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Enjoy the Windsor Garden Club and the Windsor Historical Society’s fifth annual Windsor Garden Tour.  A selection of beautiful, restful, and inspirational gardens will be on view.  At each of the gardens, experienced gardeners will be on hand to share insights and gardening tips. Tickets are available at the Windsor Historical Society and from Garden Club members. COST:  $10.00 in advance, $15 day of event.  860-688-3813 or visit windsorhistoricalsociety.org. 

 

July 17       7 PM – 8:30 PM

Genealogy series:  20, 19, 18… Countdown to Genealogy Success, Part 1: The 1940 Federal Census at the Windsor Historical Society. Professional genealogist Laura Prescott will speak about the newly-released 1940 Census. Learn what the census reveals about your relatives and perhaps even yourself! Taken at the brink of World War II, many of those enumerated in this census lived through the Great Depression and would soon participate in the next great war. While many of the questions are familiar to researchers from other censuses, a few are unique and will add insights to our family data. Cost for the three part series is $25; session cost is $10, WHS members $9. 860-688-3813 for more information.

 

July 24       7 PM – 8:30 PM

Genealogy series:  20, 19, 18… Countdown to Genealogy Success, Part 2: African American Resources at the Windsor Historical Society.   Joseph Carvalho III, author and former Executive Director of the Springfield Museums, has recently revised his Black Families in Hampden County, Massachusetts 1650-1865, published in 2011 by NEHGS. The book presents genealogical, bio­graphical, and historical information about Afri­can American individuals and families who lived in the area now known as Hampden County in western Massachusetts. For this session Carvalho will discuss the range of 17^th, 18^th, and 19^th-century genealogical research sources including useful repositories, publications, government documents, and databases. Because this topic is so broad, attendees are encouraged to bring specific questions, so that Mr. Carvalho can tailor his presentation to the particular research interests and needs of those attending.  Cost for the three part series is $25; session cost is $10, WHS members $9. 860-688-3813 for more information.

 

July 31       7 PM – 8:30 PM

Genealogy series:  20, 19, 18… Countdown to Genealogy Success, Part 3: 18^th-Century Diaries Come to Life at the Windsor Historical Society. Nora Howard, Avon Town Historian, and author of Catc’d on Fire: The Journals of Rufus Hawley, Avon, Connecticut will conclude the series with a talk on her ten-year project to research Rufus Hawley’s life. Howard used a wide variety of 18^th-century resources to enlighten and enrich the brief entries Hawley recorded in 33 yearly journals. While many entries illustrate the routine of daily life, events of joy, disappointment, chaos, and sorrow emerge unexpectedly and research around these rich nuggets of details produce insight into the life and times of this Connecticut resident. Cost for the three part series is $25; session cost is $10, WHS members $9. 860-688-3813 for more information.