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Haddam Historical Society 

Thankful Arnold House Museum

April 26, 2022

News and Events

SAVE THE DATE

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We Want Your Stuff

TAG SALE

May 21, 2022

8 am to 2 pm

Thankful Arnold House Museum, 14 Hayden Hill Road, Haddam

The Haddam Historical Society and Thankful Arnold House Museum will participate in the Haddam Town Wide Tag Sale on Saturday, May 21, 2022

from 8 am to 2 pm. 


We are accepting donations starting on Monday, May 16 at the museum, so start looking around and set aside items for this important fundraiser. We are not accepting: Children’s toys (unless vintage), electronics, clothes, very large items including furniture.

Volunteers needed for set up on

Thursday, May 19 from 1 to 5

 Friday, May 20 from 1 to 5


 If you would like to volunteer at the Tag Sale for a three -hour shift please call Lisa at 860-345-2400 or email director@haddamhistory.org


Saturday, May 21-8 to 11 am

Saturday, May 21-11 am to 2 pm

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SHAD MUSEUM

Shad Museum, 212 Saybrook Road, Higganum, CT

OPEN on Sundays until June 12, 2022, 10 am to 3 pm.


*May 15 Shad demonstration and paint a shad ornament*

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Spring Stitches in the Garden

Sunday, June 12, 2022

1 pm to 3 pm

Thankful Arnold House Museum, 14 Hayden Hill Road, Haddam

30th Annual Knitting Circle

Do you have a knitting or needlework project that has been sitting around waiting for you to finish it? Join Beth Hartke to work on that neglected piece or start a new one and enjoy the company of others with NO modern-day intrusions. Registration is required, since space is limited. Admission is free. Although we will be outside, all Covid-19 precautions will take place including masks and social distancing.

 

No Rain date

 

For further information call Lisa at Haddam Historical Society 860-345-2400 or contact@haddamhistory.org.

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Camp


The Haddam Historical Society is excited to announce the return of its annual summer program, “A Week in the Life of an Early American Child,” offered for girls and boys ages 8-12. This year the program will take place Monday, June 20 – Friday, June 24, 2022

1:30 PM to 4:30 PM


Students will travel back in time to the year 1830 and spend the week with Mrs. Thankful Arnold and her family. All activities take place at the Thankful Arnold House Museum in Haddam, and they include caring for farm animals, crafting with wool and tin, making butter, baking, playing with Colonial toys and games, and even dancing! The fee is $139 for the five days with all materials and snacks included. Some scholarship funding is available.


For more information and registration, go to www.haddamhistory.org. For questions regarding the program or scholarship information, contact Sarah Neal, Education Coordinator, The Haddam Historical Society, at education@haddamhistory.org or call

860 345-2400.


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Shoe Exhibit


Board member Jody Wintsch (pictured) has put together a wonderful exhibit on early shoe making in Haddam which includes local shoe makers Jonathan and Simeon Dickinson. The display is currently in the lobby of Brainerd Memorial Library. Stop by and take a look. 

Higganum House Featured!


Ken Staffey of @housestories_ along with Tim Kearns of @Handpainted_woodsigns and Deb Cohen of @thefrontdoorproject will be hosting an instagram live Q&A event at my house on May 18th, 8-9pm.


It will be broadcast to over 100k on instagram. The topic will be to "Gain insight on how to unlock the historical value in your property, whether that is for personal satisfaction, preparing to buy or sell a property or generate an income from their historic properties, ie. AirBnB, farming, agri-tourism etc."


Date: May 18, 2022, 8 - 9pm

 

May 18 Live Q&A event with Deb Cohen @thefrontdoorproject, Ken Staffey @housestories_ , Mike Karam, @mikekaram and host Tim Kearns @handpainted_woodsigns  


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We are looking for someone with a heavy-duty trimmer to cut down the carex "Ice Dance", which is the variegated grass-like plant that is in various locations in the weedy back borders. Please contact Deb Rutter at dgrutter@hotmail.com or Lisa Malloy at director@haddamhistory.org

"You Have Been Poisoned"


The Brainerd Store-Russell Inn at Rock Landing in Haddam Neck has both a prosperous and nefarious past. Charles Russell converted the house to an Inn in the mid-19th century and hosted passengers on the steamboats traveling between Hartford and New York. It was a well-known spot and popular with travelers.


In October 1888 Mrs. Serena Russell, Captain Russell’s widow, was living in the large house alone and hired a local boy, Alfred Rich, age 17 to do odd jobs around the property. Newspapers report that one day Rich made a pot of tea for Mrs. Russell laced with Paris Green with the intention of poisoning and then robbing her. Unfortunately, he used too much poison and she vomited it up violently immediately. The doctor was called and although there were lingering effects, she survived. Paris Green was a highly toxic poison that was used as an insecticide and pesticide, as well as, a green pigment.


Rich was eventually caught, arrested and jailed in Haddam. During his trial family members noted that he had been seriously ill at age 14 of typhoid fever and was never the same afterward. His lawyer used the insanity defense. He was found guilty and sentenced to ten years in prison.  One wonders however……did Mrs. Russell notice that her tea was bright green and if so, why did she drink it?


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