By Florence Goodman

"Our Past Inspires Our Future" reminds me of why I write my monthly articles of local history. Last month at the Lion's Wolcott Country Fair we showcased "Depression Glass" and some of its history. This month I'd like to share the history of these remarkable treasures as well as life in Wolcott during that time.

Depression glass was produced in the United States from the mid-1920s to the 1940s to replace the expensive cut crystal glass. After the stock market crash of 1929 unemployment rose dramatically and by 1933, millions of Americans were jobless. Family incomes were cut almost in half, and it took the economy ten years to recover. During those ten years there was only enough money for necessities. The glassmaking companies needed to keep their workers producing glass and mass production allowed this to happen. Machines turned out almost 1000 pieces a day. This new cheaper glassware was sold to movie houses, grocery stores and gas stations and used as rewards or free gifts for loyal customers. This encouraged customers to return to their stores, and it was even given out in oatmeal boxes.

This Depression glass was produced in a wide range of colors for kitchenware as well as decorative pieces such as candle sticks, cigarette boxes, ashtrays and serving pieces. It served as a burst of fresh air during these tough times, and every family had their share of it. Despite its humble beginnings, years later Depression glass became sought after by collectors for many years. These beautifully colored pieces were filled with a variety of memories and served as a way of keeping its history alive.

The 1930s in Wolcott found many residents farming to survive, which was not an easy task since the land was not ideal for growing crops. Some farmers raised cattle, dairy cows, poultry, ducks and pigs mainly to feed their families. There were also many dairy farms in town. Almost all these farmers had full time jobs in Waterbury or other surrounding towns, but during the depression with job loss these farms kept food on their tables. It also allowed them to barter with other farmers for necessities. Not many houses were built during this time, and most people were living on family farms. Few homes had electric power, so water came from a hand pump in the kitchen sink or in the backyard. Toilets were in a small unheated structure out behind the house; they were known as privies or outhouses. Houses were cold in the winter months due to lack of insulation and drafts. Homes were heated mainly with a kitchen stove thus the kitchen was the gathering place in the home. There you would always find a pot of soup on the stove along with a teakettle, which provided hot water as needed.

Memories from Clarence Atwood stated that, "clothes were washed in a wash boiler heated on the stove and passed thru a hand-powered wringer and hung outside on a clothesline to dry. In winter they freeze dried. Clothes were ironed using a heavy flat iron, heated on top of the stove. Since the stove was always hot, socks and shoes dried beneath it and the house cat usually slept there. In summer it was usually warm in the kitchen and meals were sometimes served in the breezeway, which connected the kitchen to the woodshed. A usual chore for small boys was to keep the wood box beside the stove, filled with various sizes of wood from kindling to start the fire, to chunks, which kept the fire thru the night. Part of a young girls training was to learn how to regulate the drafts on the stove to keep the stove burning at the right temperature. Another chore was to keep the water bucket full on a shelf beside the sink. A dipper hung nearby to get water out of the pail to fill the teakettle or fill a glass for drinking."

There were two paved roads in town: Meriden Road and Wolcott Road. Wolcott Road started at the Waterbury town line and ended at Center Street. It did not continue up "Minor Hill" to Bristol until after 1935. Meriden Road never changed, except when the trolley tracks from the Green Line Trolley (1914-1927) were taken out. The Green Line ran from the Waterbury Center up East Main Street to Meriden Road and down into Marion, CT. Hitchcock Lake was a great summer destination when the trolley was running. Other roads throughout town were dirt or gravel. The town owned a grader which was pulled by horse teams that were rented from local farmers. Roads were graded after the mud dried up and before winter set in. The few cars of the day had high clearance chassis because the ruts in the road were always a mystery. Snow was another matter since the town did not have a snowplow until 1936.

Woodchopping and ice harvesting were also important industries in town. The demand for cut wood from the Waterbury brass mills was great. Enterprising young men bought tracts of woodland cheap and then cut, cleared and sold the wood to the mills. Since most of the town had no commercial power, many homes had a springhouse where food could be kept cool. Some families had ice boxes where a large chunk of ice placed in the box kept things cold. There were several ice ponds with ice houses in town. There was a commercial icehouse on Wilson's Pond on Central Avenue and Moroz's icehouse on Wolcott Road opposite Nichols Road. There was also an icehouse on Ranson Hall Road run by Mr. James Bergin of Sunny Hill Farm. Chipped ice was also used along with saw dust to keep the milk cool until it was delivered.

There were five one room schoolhouses in the town during the 1930s which served students from first to eighth grades. Teachers were hired yearly and usually boarded with a nearby family. They walked to school arriving early to start the fire and prepare for the day's work. Classes were held in small groups, by grade level. Midmorning recess helped to wear off youthful energy and lunch was one hour which meant you ate fast to get outside for games. The schools were found in neighborhoods, so students walked to and from school. There was Center School located on Center Street, which now houses one of our museums, West School found on Spindle Hill Road, Woodtick School also called the Stone School on Nichols Road, which is our other museum, North School located on North Street and South School on Lewis Avenue.

The 1920 census showed the population of Wolcott having 719 residents. By 1930 it had risen to 972 and by 1940 it had almost doubled to 1765. Living in Wolcott during those depression years was not easy, but with a small house and some land to grow crops and raise livestock residents were able to survive the struggles of those hard times. Depression glass served as a reminder that life was not easy during those times, but there is still a "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow. That pot of gold was the beautiful, mass-produced glass that can still be found in many homes today.

(Some of the information for this article was taken from Memories of the 1930s by Clarence Atwood; Wikipedia article on "Depression Glass.")

Green Depression glass bowl owned by Deb DuBois.

Red Depression glass platter owned by Deb DuBois.

Kitchen sink hand pump found at the Stone Schoolhouse Museum.

Flat iron found at the Stone Schoolhouse Museum.

Green Line crossing over Meriden Road at the top of the mountain.

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