MHS Newsletter 1023

History Quiz:

1. Besides Victrolas, one of the Atlas Plywood Company’s major contracts was providing
containers for shipping:
a. Tea b. Munitions

c. Car parts d. Paper

2. Where was Route 105A?

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE ALWAYS OPEN

This year's membership drive remains open. Our numbers have partially rebounded, and new members are up. You can renew / join online anytime. THANK YOU!

We’ve had several questions about our membership process recently. Over the close to 20 years I’ve been involved, memberships have ranged from about 100 to 220. We strive for as many as we can get in part because of the revenue, but also to foster a wide base of citizen support and involvement.
We operate on a calendar year and normally send out about 500 solicitation letters every March. There is no minimum dues donation amount. Our average donation is about $60 and our median donation is $50.

If a member owns a business and wishes to be listed as such they just need to let us know. Normally if we receive a business check we will count it as a business membership. Current business members are listed on our web site, in our quarterly newsletters, on a plaque at Pratt Hall, and are acknowledged at our Annual Meeting. Some members join as both individual/family members, and business members.

If we haven’t heard back from recent members we usually send a reminder around the end of July, either via email or letter. As an example, 46 members from 2022 had not renewed by Aug 1st of this year.

Membership dues are the lifeblood of our organization and pay for our operating expenses (e.g. upkeep of our properties, water/electric/heating, insurance) and for our programs (e.g. archives, newsletters, Memorial Day, scholarships, speakers, concerts, holiday events). We do not receive direct financial support from the Town. We do not have paid staff although we do pay $50/month to our clock winder Quasimodo (aka Kevin Scheffler).

Marijke Dollois has been our membership guru as long as I can remember and does a marvelous job managing our membership data base. I can’t imagine trying to do this without her expertise and wisdom.

If you have questions or concerns please drop us a line. As always, thank you for your support,

EDWARD SMITH ORGAN PLAYS AGAIN

Until recently there were only two operating organs in Vermont made by Montgomery's Edward Smith. A third derelict organ at the "Meeting House on the Green" in East Fairfield was restored over the last year and was recently featured in concert, the first time it has been played in over a hundred years. It has over 200 pipes, all tuned by hand, and over 2,000 parts not counting screws and nuts and bolts. Stephan Conrady restored the organ and played it for an appreciative audience in August.

He said he considered his project 98% complete but they also needed to get an electric blower. The hand operated bellows and a shop vacuum, rigged on it's blower setting, just couldn't generate enough air, specially for those low notes.

The Meeting House organizers have raised over $5,000 to date for the project and hope to raise an additional $7,000 for the blower and the rest of the work.

2023 FARMERS MARKET WRAP UP

LATEST EBAY FIND

Hutchins Mill c1890

EVENTS FOR REMAINDER OF 2023...

October 8th: "1800 and Froze to Death": presentation by Howard Coffin. 1816 has long been known as the year without summer. Vermonters still call it “1800 and Froze to Death,” a year of frosts every month, dark skies, and mysterious lights that caused a widespread belief that a higher power was displeased. 2:00 p.m. at Pratt Hall in partnership with the "Friends of the Library".

December 10th MES CRAFT SALE: The Society will have a booth at this year's show.

December 16th, 11:00 - 2:00pm. HOLIDAY HAPPINESS: We're planning to have horse drawn wagon rides and the Hall will be open with a return to traditional activities that includes Santa arriving aboard a Montgomery firetruck.

December 17th, 5:00pm. CANDLES AND CAROLS: Traditional caroling and other silliness.

MONTGOMERY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Last Board meeting Steve Hays regaled us with the Montgomery Center Junior High School song (we hope to record him and post it online). It raised the question, where in the Center was the Junior High? We have two diplomas that show it was in operation in1930 and 1942 and think it may have been converted to the Center elementary school after WWII. Any information would be appreciated.

PRATT HALL HOSTS COMMUNITY EVENTS

Friends and family gathered in Pratt Hall in late August to celebrate the life of Jay Adams. Tales were told of a life lived well and many acts of kindness.

The Hall will also be the venue for the Young Writers Contest and Pizza Party sponsored by the Friends of the Library in late October. Each young writer reads their creations to the audience and judges, then tops off the evening with free pizza!

PHOTO FROM THE PAST

Do you know what / where this building is? See the bottom for the answer.

CONDOLENCES

Since our last newsletter we've received word that longtime members Dee Pratt and Elaine Bruckner passed away. Our condolences to their families and friends.

THIS QUARTER IN MONTGOMERY AREA HISTORY

    October: 1827 Planning begins to construct an Episcopal Church.

    November: 1952 Crescent Theater sold to house Grange Post #548.

    December: 1959 Hubert and Caroline Daberer open the Carinthia Inn in former home of CT Hall. Now The Inn.

HISTORY QUIZ ANSWERS

1. a. Tea. Shippers of tea from India to Europe became a major user of Atlas Plywood cases.

2. Route 105 A was a new segment of what is now just Route 105, built after WWII. It connected Richford to Newport. Previously that route required crossing into Canada. The new segment allowed travel entirely in the U.S.

PHOTO FROM THE PAST ANSWER

The building was the home of Carlos Parker, co-owner of the Village store with his brother Natt. It became the home of the Montgomery Schoolhouse Toy Factory and is now in private ownership.