Volunteer Profile: Iniya Raja
In this column, we are featuring one of the invaluable volunteers who supplement and complement the work of our paid staff in so many ways. Iniya Raja comes to us from South Windsor High School. [...]
Oral History Spotlight: Victoria Brown
Victoria Brown's deep-rooted connection to Windsor and New England extends for generations. Possessing records dating back to the 1700s, Victoria is one of few fortunate Black individuals who can trace their lineage with ease.
Windsor Stories: Community History Corner
A great way to tell the modern history of this town is to hear from its residents. This column will regularly highlight some of the interviews we have conducted during our centennial and beyond. [...]
Our Mrs. Bethune, Part II: Dr. Ethna Beulah Winston, 1903 -1993
In her life, Dr. Winston was most proud of the assistance she’d been able to give her family, the business courses she’d taught that facilitated people’s getting jobs, and her role in improving the lives of children around the world.
Our Mrs. Bethune: Dr. Ethna Beulah Winston, 1903 -1993
Windsor native Dr. E. Beulah Winston dedicated her life to fostering human understanding and empowering people, especially young African Americans, through inspiration, education, and encouragement.
A Tribute to Bev Garvan
Bev Garvan, one of our very dearest volunteers and friends, passed away last week. Her impact on the Windsor Historical Society cannot be understated. A lifelong Windsor resident, Bev loved this town and its history, and spent countless hours poring over her research.
The Howard Family in Quarantine
Both families who lived in the Society’s two historic houses were involved in a quarantine situation in the late 1700s. Dr. Chaffee ordered the Howard family to be quarantined after Capt. Howard contracted smallpox and spread it to his three sons. The care for all of them fell on the shoulders of Mrs. Ann Howard.
Hannah Hayden’s Work and Family Economy in Frontier New York
Hannah Hayden and her family moved from Windsor to Hartwick, New York in 1806. Her letters back home reveal a willful woman grappling with her new identity in the frontier. Her textile work and the burdens of caring for her brood of children and employees usually took center stage in her letters, while her focus on and longing for material goods and economic success remained subtle yet sharply detailed motifs.
Sarah Rowland Dudley’s Red Cloak
Do you ever wonder how objects end up in museum exhibitions? The cloak on view in our museum gallery arrived at the Society in a box. It had ripped seams, frayed trim, insect damage, and layers of dirt. But in its prime in the early 1800s, the bright red color was a fashion statement and a sign of the owner’s wealth.
Volunteer Profile: Elizabeth Parker
Last week, we lost one of our amazing volunteers, Libby Parker, who anchored our reception desk each Wednesday afternoon well into her nineties. She loved the Town of Windsor and its history with a passion and was truly an involved citizen. To honor her memory, we’re posting a volunteer profile originally published in our newsletter in 2012.