By Florence Goodman

Snow didn't put a damper on our Patriots' Day History Scavenger Hunt that was held on Saturday, April 12.th It was a huge success and enjoyed by over thirty participants. A special thank you to everyone that braved the cold. We were overjoyed that students from the Art Club at Wolcott High School designed maps for the event and one was chosen to be used on the tee-shirts that were given out to the first 30 people that registered. This is an event that we look forward to planning again next year. Thank you to Pat's IGA, Walsh's Market and Thomaston Savings Bank for supporting this event.

The Wolcott Historical Society always welcomes any historic information and or materials pertaining to Wolcott for our museums or website and we love to share it with our residents. 2025 has been a great year for historic information and artifacts donated to the Society 's museums. This month I'd like to share some of these additions and their importance to our local history.

Deb DuBois is a long-time member of the Society, and her family roots run deep into our local history. Deb grew up on Nichols Road in the old Nichols Homestead not far from the stone schoolhouse and her great-grandparents, Claude V. and Nellie Thomas Badger lived right next to that old schoolhouse. Claude owned a large amount of property in the area and Badger Road bears his name. Claude was very active in local and state politics serving three terms in the state legislature: one as senator, two as representative. When he ran successfully for the Senate in 1939, he became the first state senator elected from Wolcott in 84 years. He also served many years in our town government. He was a judge in the Wolcott Town Court for two years, deputy judge for two years, tax collector for eight years, and treasurer for sixteen years. Deb recently donated two dresses to our museum. They were made by her great-grandmother Nellie Badger. The black dress was made for Nellie's daughter, Mildred and the cranberry-colored dress she made for herself. Both dresses were worn at the Governor's Ball. Deb has also donated some old photographs and a 1967 Sunday Republican Magazine newspaper article about Claude Badger. Another interesting donation was a copy of a letter written during the Civil War by William Dyson, Deb's third great grandfather. The letter was written by him from his hospital bed while he was recuperating from injuries sustained during the War. The letter from William Dyson was written to his eldest daughter, Anna Eliza, (mother of Nellie Thomas Badger), when she was about 9 years old. The Dyson's started out in Waterbury, moved to Winsted, and later in life, came back to Waterbury. It is believed that the letter was written while the family was in Winsted. He was a cutler, by trade, when he immigrated from Sheffield, England. He worked in the factories in Waterville, near the railroad tracks along the river, before partnering with a group of cutlers and opening a factory in Litchfield. He is buried in Fort Hill Cemetery in Waterville. 

In January we received a variety of old tools from Veronica and Earl Snyder of Nichols Road. These tools belonged to Earl's father and grandfather, and we have added them to our already outstanding collection of tools from local homesteads. Along with the tool collection, they also donated an old mantle clock, an iron and two mirrors. We truly appreciate these great additions to the Stone Schoolhouse Museum collection.

February brought several surprises. The first was an email from Paul Hitchcock informing me that he had some original Hitchcock family photos that he wanted to donate to the Museum. There were photos of Shelton Hitchcock, Elmore Hitchcock, George Hitchcock, Julia Frisbie Hitchcock and possibly Mary F. Hitchcock (his grandmother who lived near Hitchcock Lake). He also included a genealogy of the Hitchcock family. We are working on a way to display this great history at the museum.

Another February donation was from Alan Russell. Alan grew up in Wolcott, but has lived in Zionville, Pennsylvania for most of his adult life. He has spent years working on Wolcott history and his family's genealogy, sharing his information on his blog called "Russell Ramblings." Alan sent the Wolcott Historical Society an original program from the play, "Little Women." This play was put on by the Concord Players which was celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Louisa May Alcott (1832-1932). Alan was intrigued by this play because his research had shown him that Louisa May Alcott was his third cousin, but with further research he realized that most people involved with the play were also related to him. The play was first performed in Buffalo, NY and later, on the Broadway stage. If you want to find out more about this play, check out https://ramblinrussells.blogspot.com. We love this addition to our Alcott family history. Just a reminder, Amos Bronson Alcott was born and raised on Spindle Hill, but his daughter, Louisa May was not born in our town.

One last donation was in April from Roberta Leonard. She felt that the perfect place for her Aunt Beatrice's Chippendale-style desk should be in the museum. This desk is an example of Colonial Revival furniture of the 1920s and 1930s. It has a slant front, paw feet and when opened the interior is filled with many small storage compartments. Roberta's mother, Loretta and aunt attended the stone schoolhouse in the 1920s. Loretta Nigro graduated from 8th grade in 1929, and her sister Beatrice graduated in 1934. We also have Beatrice's diploma, and Loretta's spelling award displayed at the museum, as well as their father's handmade bookcase, so the desk is the finishing touch to this family's stone schoolhouse history.

Lastly, I received a correction to information about the Rufus and Edgar Norton farm article that I wrote back in April of 2010. The email was from Cheryl Paden, the granddaughter of Edgar and Arline Norton. In my article I stated that the two men were not related, but that was incorrect. They were brothers and the sons of Ziba and Miriam Frisbie Norton. I will make that correction to my farm article and have it corrected on our website.

Stop by our museums and enjoy a little bit of local history!! On Saturday, June 14th our museums will be open for CT Open House Day from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. Our Center School History Museum is located near the Green at 154 Center Street and our Stone Schoolhouse Museum is located at 155 Nichols Road. We look forward to seeing everyone. We will also have plants on sale at each location from our gardeners that participate in our yearly garden tour. They will be reasonably priced, and all donations will benefit repairs to the Stone Schoolhouse Museum. Remember if you want to visit our museums at any time, please call me at 203-879-9818.

(Information for this article was taken from The Sunday Republican Magazine, Waterbury, Conn, Feb. 12, 1967, "Happy Memories;" an interview with Deb DuBois 2025; and Alan Russel's blog - Russells Ramblings)

(L to R) Karen Soccodato (art teacher), Stacy Perrone-Petta, Sophia Wyner, Ali Curci, Aedan Rapboy and Flo Goodman. Sophia Wyner's map was chosen for to be put on the T-Shirts.

Two dresses made Nellie Badger that were worn at the Governor's Ball.

Aunt Beatrice's Chippendale-style desk.

Tools belonging to Earl Snyder's father and grandfather.

An original program from the play, Little Women.

Inside the program for the playLittle Women

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