History Subcommittee
Proposed Events
Dale Plummer, Chair
SOLDIERS
THROUGH HISTORY
Join us on Chelsea Parade the weekend of June 19th, 2009 to see
reenactors with period uniforms and equipment as they demonstrate lifestyles of
days past. Visit soldiers from the
French & Indian War, Revolutionary War, Civil War, Spanish American War,
WWI, WWII, Korean War and
Vietnam
.
VIGNETTES OF NORWICH
Become immersed in the 350-year
history of
Norwich
. Time-travel through the streets and through the years to several sites
where you will interact in scenes that bring the rich history of
Norwich
to life. But remember......Life is not always what we expect......So
be prepared for some surprises!
HISTORIC
TALKS
Norwich
Stories – Local
residents will take you back into yesteryear with personal stories about growing
up in
Norwich
.
Norwich
Governors – Black
Governors were slaves or freemen elected by their peers between 1749 and 1856 to
represent their community;
Norwich
had three of them: Ira Tosset, Sam’l Huntington and Boston Trowtrow.
Locals in period dress will reenact dialogue of the Black Governors.
David Ruggles – Graham Russell Hodges,
professor of history at
Colgate
University
, is the author of Root and Branch: African Americans in
New York
and
East Jersey
, 1613-1863. He is writing a
biography of David Ruggles and we’re hoping he’ll give a talk on the
importance of this notable individual.
THE
VICTORIAN LADY
While
dressing in actual vintage and authentically reproduced undergarments, clothing
and accessories, Kandie Carle adds humor, history and intriguing anecdotes about
fashion, home life and etiquette of men and women during the 1890’s Gilded
Age. The VICTORIAN LADY program
brings to light some of the differences as well as some of the similarities
between us and our victorian ancestors. A visual delight resplendent with wit
and grace it is a refreshing view of a magnificent era in history!
This program will be free to the public and will attract interest from
people from age 10 to 100
TOUR – POINTS OF INTEREST
Rest
your feet and enjoy a bus tour highlighting points-of-interest in the
Norwich
area including Meetinghouse Rock, all of
Norwich
’s squares (e.g.
Franklin
, Union), greens (
Chelsea
, Little Plain, Norwichtown, etc.), Indian Leap,
Yantic
Falls
and much more!
TOUR
– CEMETERIES
Find
out about notable Civil War heroes as well as
Norwich
millionaires by joining Vic Butsch and David Oat on two very interesting
cemetery tours.
TOUR
– MOHEGAN PARK/SPAULDING POND
Join
Dale Plummer, Norwich Historian, as he takes you through the history of
Mohegan
Park
and Spaulding Pond.
TOUR
–
NORWICH
PUBLIC UTILITIES
NPU
will provide an informative tour on the history of the utility.
TOUR
– PONEMAH MILL
Learn about the
extraordinary history of Ponemah Mill and Taftville.
TOUR
– GUN FACTORY
Join the Guns of Norwich as
they guide you through the important history of
Norwich
gun factories.
TOUR
– FALLS MILLS
Take
a walk with Dale Plummer, Norwich Historian, on the Heritage Trail starting from
the bottom and rising up to the gorgeous Yantic Falls and Falls Mills.
TOUR
– NORWICHTOWN
Discover the history and
architecture of old Norwichtown by attending a walking tour of the oldest
settlement in Norwich
.
TOUR
– ROSE GARDEN
Norwich
,
the “
Rose
City
”, has a gorgeous rose garden that you need to know more about!
TOUR
–
CHELSEA
GARDENS
Chelsea
Gardens
is an important initiative that consists of 80 of the 400 acres of prime,
natural land in
Norwich
’s historic
Mohegan
Park
. The mission is to create a tourist
destination drawing a significant number of visitors to world-class, year-round,
self-supporting botanical gardens. View
the plans and walk the landscape of this spectacular destination!
TOUR
– MUSEUMS
There
are many notable museums in
Norwich
including the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Children of the
American Revolution, Backus House, Leffingwell House and
Slater
Museum
. Visit these landmarks for more
information on what makes up
Norwich
history.
TOUR
–
HOME
GARDENS
The
21st century is not void of garden enthusiasts!
Visit flower gardens presented by
Norwich
residents to experience a flavor of the beauty of gardening as it compliments
our beautiful architecture.
TOUR
– ROSE CITY RENAISSANCE
Tour the wonderful offerings
of downtown and learn about plans for preservation and restoration.
TOUR
– MILLIONAIRE’S ROW
Broadway
consists of the most beautiful and architecturally interesting homes of
Norwich
and surrounding areas! Walk with
Dale Plummer to find out more about the history of the owners of these homes as
well as the architectural highlights.
NORWICH
MEMORABILIA SHOW in the Wauregan Ballroom
The
Guns of Norwich will host a special memorabilia show that will feature
historical displays, a sale and swap meet, appraisals and book signings by local
authors. Towns that made up the
original
Nine Miles Square
(Bozrah, Franklin,
Lisbon
, Griswold,
Norwich
, Sprague and
Preston
) plan to contribute. This event
will be held in the beautifully
restored Wauregan Ballroom on Saturday, June 27th, 2009 from 10:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Be sure to stop by
as you enjoy Harbor Day and the tall ships in the downtown!
TIME
CAPSULE
Wouldn’t
it be fun to create a time capsule to represent how we lived in 2009, to be
opened at the 400th anniversary celebration and beyond?
The capsule might include an iPod, low-rise jeans, blue tooth cell phone,
car navigation system or maybe even the recipes of innovative dishes and
martinis. Also included can be
current magazines, newspapers and popular local restaurant menus.
NORWICH
SEMISEPTCENTENNIAL QUILT
To
mark this important celebration, area quilters will create a “millennium”
quilt
to represent
Norwich
landmarks and notable individuals. Although
the style of this quilt will be very innovative, incorporating old and new
sewing/embroidering/embellishment techniques, it will capture the essence,
atmosphere and nostalgia of Norwich history.
If
you are interested in joining the planning committee
and/or
volunteering for any specific events during the Semiseptcentennial,
please
contact Dianne Brown at
diannebrown@diannebrown.com