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Archiver > CTNEWLON > 1999-10 > 0939027467
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Subject: Re: [CTNEWLON-L] Re I'm back!
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 04:57:47 EDT
In a message dated 10/4/99 2:38:34 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
writes:
<< Subj: [CTNEWLON-L] Re I'm back!
Date: 10/4/99 2:38:34 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: (Marianne J Montgomery)
Reply-to: <A
HREF="mailto:"></A>
To:
Hi Diane, Charlotte, Kathy, Debbie and Pat, etc. etc.
Well, I've been to CT and am back. I just love Connecticut!!! It's so
peaceful and friendly in such a day as we live in today, it's really like
a dream to find so many people who are so friendly!
My friend Persis did the driving. She's been in CT before, and so she
had planned what she wanted to see and where to go. But we started out
in Hartford. We both joined the CT Historical Society. I found out we
can borrow some books; those which have dupllicates and this was good to
remember. We can order a list of the books I think you must be a member
to order this list, but not sure. We stayed there Tues, Wed. Thurs. Fri.
and Sat. Sept. 22-25. If I were able to drive, I'd have used the car on
Fri. or Sat to get to Norwich and see the City Hall and take the guided
tour, and look you up, but we did go Sunday. Everything was closed and of
course, Norwich is being remodelled (so to speak) and there were detours
and to make a long story short, we couldn't get into the restaurants that
were recoommended. It's been so long since I've lived back East, I
forgot about the Sunday laws in some places, and never expected to find
them still in force. But Norwich and surrounding area, including Preston
was lovely, but no research possible, of course, on Sunday. Monday we
were in Westerly, RI
and did some research there. Our Motel was in New London, and we drove
back there Monday night and Tuesday also. Wed. we went to New London
Public Library. There we were able to ask for 6 books at a time.
Someone came in and unlocked the cabinets and we got a lot of questions
answered there. We did look at Hempstead's books there. We both got a
lot of information, which I haven't been able to get typed up yet, since
I just got home last night. Thursday and Friday were back at Hartford to
the CHS for another two days. We concentrated on the Manuscript
Collection there, and I got most of my new leads there. There was so
much on CURTIS, that I wish I had had more time to get to all of it. I
didn't get to the Historical Society in New London because you have to
call to make an appointment. and the Curator there, Alice Sherriff had a
group coming in on Wed. and just couldn't handle walk ins, due to the
small space they have to work with there in the Shaw Mansion. I did get
pictures of the Shaw Mansion (my family) and was happy to get that. My
friend wanted to go back to the Hartford source - CHS. So that's how my
trip was. I left out a lot of details as to what families I was working
on, and that; it would take too much time to tell it all but we never met
anyone at all in CT who was brusque, rude, or unfriendly in any way. We
just couldn't get over that. We ate some great seafood, and other good
food.....motels were clean and the people we dealt with in every place
were very helpful and there was rain only once. AND
the colors were coming out Saturday, as we left for home, on a bright
sunny day, you could see golds, reds, oranges.....lovely combinations of
color also in the hills of Connecticut. How I love this State!!!!
I want to thank the above, and all who offered help and suggestions for
my trip. We really needed more than the 9 "working days" we had there.
There is so much there that you don't find anywhere else on Connecticut
families. I'm still giddy about Connecticut! And those working on
LESTER
will surely get an eyeful at New London, where there is much to learn
about them in Hempstead's Diary and his writings on families. I didn't
know then that a book was available to buy about all his work. I guess
if we'
d gotten over to the Historical Society we'd have unlocked another gold
mine, but Ms. Sherriff was so very kind when I spoke with her on the
phone, and I will surely contact her again, and ask about books for sale.
If I could pass the "eye test" and drive, I could have seen and done much
that I didn't get to see, but that's life.....
I just highly recommend Connecticut for research.....and by all means ask
in every place you go, to see their Manuscript collection, hanging files,
etc. Much of D. L. Jacobus' work on individual families is available in
the M/S collection at CHS. (Connecticut Historical Society). We really
didn't give ourselves as much time as we needed to see everything. My
consolation now is that I can get to the websites to get a LOT of what's
"out there". I'd better close and give somebody else a chance to say
something.......
Love,
Marianne
__________________________________________________________ >>
Thanks Marianne for your recommendations and what worked. I 'm glad you
had a good trip to CT. Last time I visited friends on Long Island (30 years
ago), my grandmother asked me to take pictures of my families graves in CT .
I wish I had spent more time there doing research for her just out of
curiosity and not stuck to the list, but didn't know that I 'd be hooked one
day. You helped me greatly with suggestion about getting very organized and a
game plan.
Cary
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