USA > Connecticut > Tolland County > Columbia > The story of Columbia > Part 7
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John Richards, a negro boy, made a name for himself in this area in the '80's. He was one of the best all-round players of his time, and he held
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the home run record for the State of Connecticut when he was in his prime He lived with his family for years in a house that stood where the present home of Mr. and Mrs. F. Stanley Andrews stands.
From 1893 to 1903 the battery for Columbia was W. Richards, Albert Lyman and John Richards. They held the strike-out record for a number of seasons, and the older residents of town can probably recall some exciting games played during that time.
Albert Lyman, a well-known baseball enthusiast in town, taught, in 1896, in the North District School. He took a special interest in building up baseball among the pupils, and his boys' team could trim all the other schools in town. Interest was so keen that even the girls formed a team and played many lively games against the boys. The ball was sometimes hit out into the lake, and often an excited boy fell in as he tried to catch a good hit. Among the names on one of the first girls' teams are some that are familiar today. They were Fannic Lyman (Mrs. Hubert Collins), who played second base; Nellie Squier (Mrs. William Macht), shortstop; Mrs. Louisc Squier Marshall, catcher: Mrs. Eva Squier LaBonte, pitcher: Eva Snow and Lydia Hall, first and third base.
Columbia is still very baseball-minded, and is bringing up a fine crop of future players in its "Little League". Many of these boys are descendants of some of the town's early players.
POSTMASTERS OF COLUMBIA
Date Appointed
Stephen T. Hosmer
Benjamin Hartson
William Osborn
Joseph D. Browning
Henry M. Knight
Isaiah H. Nutting
Chancey K. Hill
Charles A. Post
Lyman C. Clarke
George B. Fuller
Daniel T. Fuller
George B. Fuller
James L. Downer
George B. Fuller William H. Yeomans
February 2, 1816 (Established) February 21, 1839 April 28, 1848 April 18, 1849 September 23, 1850 December 19, 1851 December 28, 1852 September 7, 1857 May 31, 1861 September 27, 1866 November 7, 1866 April 20, 1869 September 9, 1885 April 20, 1889 July 6, 1893
Joseph Hutchins July 3, 1897
Horace W. Porter May 4, 1909 Mrs. Leola W. Beck January 31, 1940 Mrs. Leola W. Beck, President, Connecticut Chapter, National Association of Postmasters of the U. S., June 1949 to June 1950.
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Fire Department
The question of organizing a Fire Department for the Town of Columbia was presented in Town Meeting October 8, 1946. At that time the sum of $3,000 was appropriated toward the beginning of a Fire Department. A committee to study the need and make recommendations to the Town was elected, consisting of Harry Jones, George Yule, Alfred Soracchi and Maurice Leonard.
This committee reported back to the Town Meeting of March 1, 1947, and at that time a Board of Fire Commissioners was formed, consisting of Harry Jones, George Yule, Alfred Soracchi, Maurice Leonard, Newton Smith, and Jerry Shinc.
Subsequently a gift of $500 for the purchase of fire-fighting equipment was received from the now disbanded United Aircraft Club, Plant "L", Willimantic.
Mr. Horace W. Porter, in addition to numerous other gifts, gave a parcel of land to be used as a location for a fire house.
At a meeting held at Yeomans Hall, April 23, 1947, The Columbia Volunteer Fire Department, Incorporated, was organized, with seventy- five charter members.
Officers of the newly-organized department in 1947 were:
President
La Vergne Williams
Secretary E. Malcolm Stannard
Treasurer Francis Savage
Vice-President Lucius Robinson. Jr. Directors Philip Isham Donald Woodward Richard Davis John Forryan
Chief
Deputy Chief
The fire house was built in the summer of 1947, with a majority of volunteer labor. The first fire truck, a 1930 Mack, was purchased in the fall of 1947. This was replaced with a 1948 Ford truck with modern Maxim equipment. In November 1949, a GMC, 2185-gallon capacity tank truck was purchased. In August 1950 a resuscitator was purchased with money which was donated by various organizations and individuals. It is for use in such cases as smoke asphyxiation and drowning, and is available to surrounding towns which do not have this equipment. All of the firemen have been trained to operate it. In 1952, Columbia joined the Mutual Aid System. There is a radio in each truck and during fires the men can be in contact with the fifteen other towns in the system through the central base in Willimantic. The two Columbia trucks can also be in contact with each other.
The present firemen are a group of enthusiastic men who raise a good part of the funds needed for the purchase of modern equipment. An appro-
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priation is given each year by the Town of Columbia. At Christmas time two or three of the men take a trip to Vermont and bring back a truck load of trees to sell. Another money-making project was the sale of cider from apples they had picked and hauled to a cider mill in the fire truck. Newspapers and magazines are also collected regularly and sold. The department has purchased a tract of land opposite the fire house, and has built, entirely with volunteer labor, a fair ground named "Newton B. Smith Field" in honor of one of their deceased members who was keenly interested in the Fire Department in the early days of its organization. Here they plan to hold annual fairs to help defray the cost of running an up-to-date department which can best serve the town and surrounding areas in cases of emergency.
Extinguishing fires and raising money are not their only activities. For the past few years, the firemen have invited all the children in town to be their guests at a Hallowe'en party. Prizes are awarded for games and costumes, and refreshments and candy are given to each youngster. During Fire Prevention Week each year, a poster contest among the school children is sponsored by the firemen. A winner is selected from each class and prizes are awarded.
A very unusual event occurred in November 1952. Many a fireman's wife looked skeptical when her husband returned home one Sunday and announced that he had been out chasing a monkey. It was not a fable, however. Joc, a pet monkey belonging to Norman Batchelder, had jumped out of a window when his master was trying to remove banana skins from the cage. The firemen were called and tried all kinds of ruses to catch Joe. They pumped 3,000 gallons of water in his direction, emptying the fire truck three times. They sawed branches out from under him, only to have Joc swing safely to another trec. He managed to keep more or less in sight but out of reach for about a week, and then he made a sad mistake. He was spotted scampering into a barn owned by Miss Anna Lindholm. All efforts to lure him with food and another monkey imported from Bristol were to no avail. After more than an hour of scuttling in and out of windows and across rafters to elude the other monkey and various human beings playing Tarzan, Joe got himself cornered up by the ridge pole. His hind legs were snagged by a chain, and after taking a bite out of his rescuer and chattering a good deal, he was taken home by his master and put into a new cage.
It was the custom in early days to let the collection of taxes to the lowest bidder. One local resident can remember a story told of one bidder who, having made the successful low bid, remarked that he would have bid the job off for nothing to have the satisfaction of collecting the tax from one of his neighbors.
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Community Service in Peacetime
Not only in emergencies, but in meeting day by day needs of a modern community, Columbia people have been generous and effective.
The Women's Auxiliary of the Windham Community Memorial Hos- pital has had an actively working group in Columbia since the hospital was opened. In financial campaigns for building funds and running expenses, Columbia has responded liberally. Each year thousands of surgical dress- ings, garments and other needed articles have been made, and on donation days quantities of garden produce, home-canned foods, groceries and magazines have been contributed. From time to time as there was need, old linen, picture puzzles and knitted lap robes have been sent.
In recent years, service has been given by Columbia women as recep- tionists and in the coffee shop at the hospital, and, in their assigned month, home-baked foods have been sent daily to the coffee shop to be sold. The work of making special surgical dressings goes on, with an average of one thousand a month turned in.
When the "community circle" in front of the hospital was prepared for the planting of shrubbery, each of the towns served by the hospital con- tributed soil, and that from Columbia was taken from the Congregational Church grounds. Thus a part of Columbia joined with its neighbors in this inter-town project, but more important is the way Columbia people have rallied to carry on the work.
Columbia makes a good showing and has many enthusiastic workers in the many drives which come up annually to support national organiza- tions doing health and welfare work, such as the polio, heart disease, cancer and tuberculosis funds, and appeals in behalf of the crippled. Another important service is that of blood donors, who give regularly to the Red Cross Blood Bank or give blood to individuals in emergencies.
Many persons could be named in connection with these services to the community, but no attempt can be made to include them all. They have the satisfaction of knowing that they have made a worthwhile contribution to the well-being of their neighbors, whether they be near-by or far away.
Not too many years ago, there used to be a long row of horse sheds standing with their backs to the present property of Howard Rice, along what is now a road beside Yeomans Hall. Each of these stalls was privately owned, including the land on which it stood, and here the people would leave their horses and buggies while they attended church. Some residents can remember seeing them all covered with circus posters.
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Leisure Time Activities for Youth
The youth organizations of which Columbia may well be proud today are a tribute to the unselfish adult leadership that has dedicated itself to the principles of each group. The founders of each organization have had one common objective. Simply stated, cach has sought to direct the leisure time of young people into constructive activities. The Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cubs, Brownies, Explorers, Mariners, 4-H Clubs, YMCA, and the Recreation Council are providing for the leisure time needs of its youth, that they may become better American citizens.
Columbia records do not show affiliation of groups here in national organizations for youth until the beginning of the twentieth century. Per- haps the oldest on record, primarily a religious and social group, was the Christian Endeavor Society. In the 1920's a boys' club enjoyed a few years of popularity. In 1931 there was formed here a troop of Boy Scouts of America, which flourished for a few years and was then disbanded.
Today, national organizations are well-represented in Columbia. The Girl Scout troop was organized in 1938. As the troop prospered and filled a need in the community, younger girls were organized in the junior branch, the Brownies. The Mariners, a Senior Girl Scout unit. was organized soon after. A revived Boy Scout troop came into being in 1940. Following the pattern of all active scouting organizations, it was expanded to include junior and senior units, the Cubs and Explorers. During this same period the 4-H Club was formed, with many active club units. Each troop, pack and club has served to provide valuable creative and recreational oppor- tunities for Columbia children.
In 1946, a number of adults met to discuss recreation for the youth of Columbia. It was the feeling of these people that there were problems in the use of leisure time by the young people. Since guidance of youth is in part a community responsibility, the meeting decided to invite each organization in Columbia to represent itself on a council to direct recrea- tional activities. Thus the Columbia Recreation Council was formed, joining hundreds of municipal and volunteer groups across the country in the National Recreation Association. It immediately embarked upon a planned program of social and athletic activity.
The objective of a year-'round program began with weekly square dances for teenagers and young adults. In cooperation with the American Red Cross, trained leadership began swimming instruction, which at the time of this writing was starting its eighth year. One of the first recognized needs for boys was a baseball team. This soon grew to three groups, meeting each week during the summer for instruction and games. Two inter- community leagues with neighboring towns participating were encouraged in their formation by the Council. With strong leadership, league pennants
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have been won by Columbia each year. The early financial needs of the Council were met by two anonymous annual gifts and the proceeds of two Fourth of July clambakes. For five successive years, Independence Day was celebrated by parades organized by the Council. Each Memorial Day a planned observance of the community's contribution to the freedom of the country has been carried out. At Christmas there have been parties for children, and community carol sings at the outdoor tree.
The program for the winter months sought to fill a need for indoor and outdoor physical activity. Yeomans Hall became the scene of calis- thenics, tumbling and gymnastics for the grammar school group cach week, and in recent years this program has been expanded to include swimming, bowling and basketball for the upper grades, in cooperation with the Willi- mantic YMCA. Outdoors, occasional hikes and ski events were held.
In 1951, a small lake frontage became available for the exclusive use of the townspeople. The Recreation Council, seeking further to fulfill its objectives, leased the property from the town. Here the swimming classes have been held, and beach facilities have been provided, with financial assistance from the town. A small membership fee gives cach resident access to a lakeside picnic area. bath houses, playground equipment and lifeguard service.
Many varied activities in the community have been sponsored by the Council. Rhythm classes for first graders were formed: a formal dance has been held each spring; basketball backboards were erected on the school grounds: a class of instruction in photography was offered; adult classes in swimming were held: there have been two hobby shows and a youth talent night.
Evan Kullgren, long a professional youth leader, called the first meeting which led to the formation of the Council. Those who were active in the Council's first year, and have served continuously during the succeeding years, are Stanley Field, Wilbur Fletcher, Philip Isham, Jean Natsch, Wilbur Smith, Ruth Soracchi, Eleanor Tuttle, Leona Wolmer and Ralph Wolmer. Many other men and women have also given of their time and skills to carry on the program, and some who started in the youth groups are now among the adult leaders.
No community can ignore a single need of its young people. Religious, academic, physical and social cducation must receive its proper share of community concern and support. As cach national and local youth group achieves its goals, so does each child participating become a better citizen of the town and nation. It is to these boys and girls that this volume is dedicated.
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Bibliography
Catalogue of the Members of the Congregational Church in Columbia, Conn., Norwich: Manning, Platt & Co., 1860.
Collins, Hubert P., The Columbia Congregational Church Historic Paper, 1952. The 150th Anniversary of the Organization of the Congregational Church in Columbia, Connecticut. Pamphlet, Hartford: Case, Lockwood & Co., 1867. Vol. 2, Church Meetings 1737-1745 & Vol. 3, Society Meetings 1724-1822, Columbia Cong. Church Records 1722-1917, Photostat Copy, Hartford: Connecticut State Library, 1924.
Vol. 4, Society Meetings 1823-1880, Columbia Cong. Church Records 1722-1917. Photostat Copy, Hartford: Connecticut State Library, 1924.
Vol. 6, Vital Records 1829-1917, Columbia Cong. Church Records, Photostat Copy, Hartford: Connecticut State Library, 1924.
Armstrong, Rev. Robert G., D.D., Historic Lebanon, 1950. Cole, J. R., History of Tolland County, W. W. Preston & Co., New York, 1888. Connecticut Register, 1815.
Connecticut Register, 1865.
Connecticut State Register and Manual, 1899.
Connecticut State Register and Manual, 1901.
Old Inns of Connecticut, edited by Marian D. Terry, The Prospect Press, Hartford, Conn., 1937.
The Columbia Volunteer Fire Department, Incorporated: 1952. Pamphlet.
Report of the British War Relief Group, August 1940-July 1945. Pamphlet. Saxton B. Little Free Library Association, Minutes.
Acknowledgments
A project of this kind, especially when undertaken by a totally inex- perienced group, could not have been successfully accomplished without help all along the way. We have met with full cooperation and grcat enthus- iasm by those we are naming here. Our sincere thanks:
. .. to those who gave facts and recollections out of their store of memories : Harriet Porter Davenport, Marion Holmes Hayden, Philip Isham, Evan Kullgren, Horace Little, Lyndon Little, Albert E. Lyman, Enid Hawkins Matticc, Marion McCorkell, George Merritt, Elizabeth H. Natsch, Ethel Powell, Lillian P. Ricc, Clair Robinson, Jennie L. Robinson, Roland Smith, Junic Squier, "Tres" Tucker, Lois Clarke;
... to those who loaned the originals of pictures: Dr. Robert Armstrong, George W. Bedford, Helen H. Clarke, May Cobb, Edith L. Isham, Amelia Kozelka, Horace Little, Lyndon Little, Albert E. Lyman, Vera C. Lyman, George Merritt, Laura C. Robinson, Junie Squier, Madison Woodward; . .. to Laura C. Robinson and Hubert P. Collins, for maps ;
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.. to Miss Sarah Abel, Town Clerk of Lebanon, who helped us find and interpret the ancient records of Lebanon Crank days:
... to Hubert P. Collins, Town Clerk of Columbia, who knew where to find the recorded items of most historical interest, and who checked our work for accuracy in the proof-reading stage:
.
. to those who loaned printed material: Anne Dix Hunt, Clayton Hunt,
Philip Isham, Laura C. Robinson, Madison Woodward:
. to Eleanor H. Tuttle, whose timely and accurate news accounts were the basis of much of our information on history-making events of the last few years ;
... to the Reverend John Honan and Ruth Soracchi, for the story of St. Columba's Chapel ;
... to Saul Caroline and Joseph Tashlik, for the article on Congregation Agudath Achim;
... to Raymond Lyman, Legionnaire, for writing the piece on veterans in the "Service to Nation" article, and for the information on cemeteries; . .. to Marion Squier, who has held many Grange offices, for Grange material :
. to Ralph E. Wolmer, recreation leader extraordinary, for the article . . on leisure time activities:
. to Philip Isham and George Peters, the safecrackers, by whose in- ..
genuity the ancient safe containing photostatic copies of church records finally yielded its contents:
. .
to James Horyzska, agile climber, whose ascent into the belfry resulted
in our knowing the exact inscription on the church bell:
to Dr. Robert Armstrong of Lebanon, who, having successfully com- pleted a similar project, gave us helpful advice on business angles :
... to Guild members Jane Mckeon, Elinor Hansen, Carol Ladd, Ethel Lusky, Harriet Lyman, Marie Simpson, and Sona Wyman, the subscription committee, and to Henry Wyman, who mimcographed their letters;
. and finally, to the Women's Guild, without whose backing this project . could not have been attempted.
The Compilers,
Leola W. Beck
Pauline H. Burnham
Anne L. Card
Jean L. Natsch
Jean I. Peters
Sara K. Robinson, Chairman
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