USA > Vermont > Windham County > Guilford > Official history of Guilford, Vermont, 1678-1961. With genealogies and biographical sketches > Part 23
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The Selectmen authorized the purchase of Indian pumps, and the men of the town, in an ingenious system of warning, devised by Ralph Boyd, and executed under the supervision of Arnold Clark, Fire Warden, brought their pumps, hose and firefighting skills to al- most any point in the 36-mile square hill town in short order. It was amazing, and it worked, too, a good many times, for forest fires were all too frequent.
The Red Cross, hitherto a somewhat dormant organization, lo- cally, came to life with a bang. Under the consecutive leadership of Mrs. Kenneth Farnum, who ran the business for her husband until she, too, had to say "No", and take over more duties-hers that of Practical Nurse,-Mrs. Perry Squiers, and finally, Mrs. Edward Hough- ton, a very praiseworthy list of accomplishments was performed. Courses of instruction were organized first with Miss Wallace teaching until she too enlisted, and then Miss Tirzah Sweet took over. Miss Ethel Eddy, school superintendent, taught first aid with the two nurses, and 28 men and women got their standard certificates. Mrs. Mildred Salmond, Nursing Supervisor, also helped with an advanced course which a dozen or so more took and passed successfully. Other women, some 30 in number, also took courses in nutrition and home nursing, in an effort to reduce the load on the rural calling of Brat- tleboro doctors and nurses.
There is no way, probably, to know how much knitting was done locally, but all three of the women acting as chairmen-a position usually held by a man-reported almost constant demands for hand work of this type to do. Layettes, and supplies for the local health chest were also arranged through the work of the Red Cross Ladies. A little later in the program came the demand for dressings, and Tues- day night was dressing night for the women of the village for many weeks. One lady, Mrs. Fred Hebden, often walked each way to and from her home-some three miles away to attend the afternoon meet- ings, and frequently returned for the evening session. Mrs. Hebden was also a "Maroon Lady" at the Memorial Hospital in Brattleboro, and her days were filled to overflowing.
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The Two-By-Fours, a group of regulars at the meetings, rolled up with their dressings a very enviable record of some 17,000 dressings in a four-month period, and many more over an unrecorded period of time. They were: Mrs. Ruth LeRay, Mrs. Marion Houghton, Mrs. Edna Zumbruski, Mrs. Florence Haskell, Mrs. Marguerite Evans, Mrs. Elizabeth Pratt, Mrs. Anna Sparks, Mrs. L. K. Boyd and Mrs. Evelyn Clark.
With the close collaboration of the Brattleboro unit, which was the control town for this area, Mr. Boyd and Mrs. Ingram were able to set up a simple but effective means of air raid warning which was copied by other nearby small towns. Mr. Walter Needham, World War I veteran, gave immeasurable help in organizing this work along "strategic" Route 5 where traffic was very heavy. Key men and women all over town were alerted by as little use of the telephone as possible. A blackout warning with road blocks where necessary, and common sense arrangements where more expedient, usually had the sprawling little town in darkness within 15 or 20 minutes after the warning reached the Ingram home from Brattleboro. The last point to be reached was on East Mountain almost at the Massachusetts line. El- wyn Baker, age 12, on his faithful and surefooted pony, and his red- masked flashlight would be halfway up the mountainside to warn the few awake there to douse their lights before the last of the village lights had blinked out, five miles away.
We cannot fail to mention the state patrolman, Leon Ogden, who was roused from his slumbers many a night by Brattleboro officials who needed his piloting around the back roads for explanation of peculiar flashings of light, possible fires, and mysterious goings on. Nor can we omit mention of the wise guidance of Fay Jacobs, local constable, and officer of the National Guard unit in Brattleboro, who acted as head of Guilford's unorganized but far from non-existent Home Guard. It was Mr. Jacobs' calm leadership and steady hand which held in control the expert trigger fingers, and the fightin' mad dispositions when Guilford got its still unexplained parachute scare. A wise saboteur would have taken to his heels or given himself up immediately had he known the keen eyesight and accurate marksman- ship of the men who gathered with their small but deadly arsenal usually reserved for deer season. Nothing happened, and it easily might have, had not Mr. Jacobs kept himself and his followers quite in hand.
A report of the "Dingwall", the airplane lookout station on Green River hill will no doubt be given by Julius Kuech of Brattleboro, who had charge of it. A good many Guilford men kept vigil there with their neighbors from Brattleboro, and to Norman Henry, living on an adjacent farm went much credit for constant supervision at the station. He was "just a boy" then, but his sense of responsibility was adult enough for the all-important demands there.
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The Green River Air Warning Post in charge of Chief Observer Julius Kuech was first housed in the former information booth. In the fall of 1942 the observation tower was built on land of Miner Thompson and Frank Henry. Under Edwin W. Culver each of the 96 men connected with the post had some part in its construction. The men were very faithful but in bad weather and especially near the close of the post, Frank Henry assistant observer and his family had to put in many extra hours. At the close of the service all observers were given medals with the hours of service specified. As Raymond left to enter the armed service he received "only" 500 hours credit, Norman (11-year-old) 1000 hours, Mrs. Jennie Henry 1500 hours and Frank Henry 2500. That family can still spot a plane in their sleep!
It seems to be impossible to list the names of those who aided in doing the soliciting for the drives for funds during this period. The town clerk does report, and wish it to be recorded, that all drives were well over subscribed, whether the demands were of local or foreign interest.
Many questions of those days have never been answered; many hearts and bodies will never be quite the same again, even though the injuries were not sustained on the field of military service. Yet when the people of the town gathered, on a 4th of July morning, to dedicate a bronze plaque listing the names of military personnel-with its few but heart-breaking gold stars-there were many standing respectfully nearby who might have said justifiably, "My name will not appear upon this granite boulder from the hills of this little town I have long loved; no one pausing to read and remember this list many years from now will find my name on the Roll of Honor between the little library and Hosea Ballou's marker before the Universalist Church in Guilford Center-and I would not have it otherwise,-but I-I, too, did my part, and I shall remember, and be glad."
MRS. HELEN INGRAM
Guilford Honor Roll Reads: Proudly We Pay Tribute to Those from Our Town Who Answered the Call to the Colors in World War II.
Justin J. Aldrich
Ernest R. Boyd
Richard M. Allen
Florence E. Bullock
Raymond F. Ashworth
*Perley C. Canedy
David J. Baker
Ralph E. Canedy
Robert S. Baker
Rodney J. Clark
Eric G. W. Barradale
Roger N. Fairbank
Harry F. Beebe
Kenneth C. Fisher
Roland A. Fisher
Louis A. Bethancourt Clifford B. Boyd
Wayne L. Fisher
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Official History of Guilford
Jedediah Franklin
Doris C. Lynde
Lawrence E. Franklin
Edward M. Marynuk
Frederick E. Gaines
Walter J. Marynuk
Robert E. Gaines
Charles Nebelski
Eugene V. Gates
Joe A. Nebelski
Harold R. Greenleaf
John R. Nebelski
Kenneth G. Greenleaf
Shirley F. Needham
Walter C. Greenleaf
Harold A. Nelson
Walter L. Harrington
Henry W. Nelson, Jr.
Dwight T. Henry
Charles M. Ogden
Frank E. Henry, Jr.
Lawrence H. Pratt
Gilford A. Henry
Theodore F. Pratt
Milo C. Henry
Dulcid L. Renaud
Clifford P. Higley
*Raymond A. Renaud Romao W. Renaud Alfred A. Silk
Margaret H. Jennison
Sanford A. Smith, Jr.
Frederick H. Johnson
Louis W. Spears
Martha S. Johnson
Jason W. Squiers
Oscar B. Johnson, Jr.
*Lawrence P. Squiers Stephen Tkaczyk
Robert O. Johnson
Robert H. Jordan
Edward Walendy
Robert M. Kenny
Frank Walendy
Warren H. Lathe
Henry C. Walker, Jr.
Erwin H. Lee
Wayne M. Walker
* Died in Service
The Guilford Volunteer Fire Department was organized July 15, 1949. The Town was canvassed and within 6 months there were 74 members. The membership fee was $25 but many gave more.
The first annual meeting was held the first Wednesday of August 1949. The officers elected were:
Pres. C. K. Farnum Directors
V. P. Emery Evans
Treas. Fay Jacobs
Sec. Clifford Baker
Auditor Arvine Boyd
Auditor William Fitch
C. K. Farnum for 1 yr. Fay Jacobs for 1 yr. Homer Thomas for 1 yr. Otis Sibley for 2 yrs.
Ernest Starkey for 2 yrs.
Joseph Borkowski for 3 yrs. Earl Clark for 3 yrs.
By-laws written by Richard Gale were adopted. From then on things began to move in the direction of fire-fighting equipment.
Hyal W. Howe
Winston R. Jacobs
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Official History of Guilford
On Aug. 24, 1949 the 1945 Chevrolet truck was purchased for $525.00. The 28th a Hale high pressure portable pump, 800 ft. of 11/8" forestry hose, 200 ft. of 11/2" hose with nozzles and fittings were bought. In October 1949 a 550 gal. tank was purchased from Allen Oil Co. of Brattleboro to be mounted on the truck. Strangers were sometimes surprised to see a truck seemingly pumping oil on a fire!
The truck was kept for a time at Joe Borkowski's and in the spring of 1950 it was moved to the yard at Broad Brook Garage. In June that year a 32 ft. extension ladder was purchased. They had it on the truck about a month when they were on call and a low hanging branch caught it and ruined it. This was soon replaced.
In 1950 a temporary garage was built for the truck at C. K. Far- num's and the truck was put in this garage Feb. 8, 1951. From 1949 to 1953, and since, the truck, high pressure pump and equipment which had been purchased from time to time proved to be worth its weight in gold. So on Aug. 13, 1953 a portable volume pump was purchased with several fittings and in 1954 they added a much needed amount of hose, 500 ft. of 21/2" hose and 1000 ft. of 11/2".
The department was incorporated in 1955. They also purchased a parcel of land from Herbert and Helen Ingram, which is the site of our present fire station. In July 1956 the construction of a 65 x 32 cement block building was started. December 1, 1957 found the equip- ment in the new building. The downstairs is used for trucks and equipment, while the upstairs has a kitchen and room for suppers, meetings or other gatherings. All labor on this building was volunteer.
On Aug. 9th, 1956 the first of a series of fires was reported, the work of a fire bug. He was stopped on Sept. 8, but by then he had already set and ruined five places. The busiest night was Sept. 6 when two calls came in, three hours apart. By then the townspeople were patrolling the roads with the police.
February 1960 a 1200 gallon tank truck with 250 G.P.M. pump was purchased. Guilford was the fifth town in the Tri-State group to have a tank truck of over 1000 gallons. The Tri-State Mutual Aid comprises forty-five towns with government air reconnaissance at no cost to the town or department. The main money-making projects of the fire department are the annual chicken barbecue at the Guilford Fair, the chicken pie suppers in the fall and the sugar-on-snow suppers in the spring.
The presidents of the Guilford Fire Department have been:
C. K. Farnum '49-'54
Robert Henry Sr. '55-'56
Ernest Starkey '54-'55 Earl Clark '56-present '61
The first fire chief was Minor Zumbruski followed in 1952 by Lawrence Hill, Ernest Starkey 1954-56 and Bernard LaRock 1956 to
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the present. Other men who have held office are Edward Houghton, George Houghton, Gunnar Holmes, Warren Franklin, Ray Gates and Reed Anthony. After his health made it impossible to be active in the department, C. Kenneth Farnum was made an honorary director.
The cost of the fire house to date is $5,482.16 not counting the many hundreds of hours of free labor.
Guilford Recreation Club: In the late spring of 1949 a few boys were playing an after-supper ball game when one was hit in the eye by a baseball. The injury was quite severe and trips to Boston for treatment costly. A benefit ball game was played and helped defray some of the expense. This game was the germ for Whittemore Park with Bill Searles and Leon Ogden prime movers for a Recreation Club.
On August 22, 1949 an organizational meeting of the Guilford Recreation Club was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Clark with twenty-eight people present. Bert Whittemore attended the meeting and offered to deed the club about fifteen acres of land, containing a maple grove for a picnic area and an alder swamp for a baseball field. His one request was that the project be called Whitte- more Park. Joe Borkowski, owner of land abutting Whittemore's also donated a strategic quarter-acre or so needed for the infield.
About two hundred men actually worked on the project with as many as fifty being on the job at one time. Donations of about seven hundred dollars were received from those who could not contribute labor.
The swamp needed filling, three hundred cubic yards being used. Then a bothersome ledge cropped up in the outfield. It was drilled and twenty-five dollars worth of dynamite flattened that obstacle. Draining was still needed, the ball field required blasting seven hun- dred feet of ditch. Then came the grading. On one busy week-end nine trucks carted in eleven hundred cubic yards of dirt. The town bulldozer then went into action and the club had its ball park-in the rough at least, for a cash outlay of $312.24!
A membership fee of $1 was received from two hundred Guilford families. Dances were held at the Grange Hall, netting another one hundred dollars.
In 1950 a team was organized with Leon Ogden as manager, Charles Ogden and Richard Tracy as coaches. The first game was played on the fourth of July. During the playing season the picnic grove acquired tables, made from donated lumber, and fireplaces, built at a cost of $34.40 all of which was for materials.
That fall Mr. Clarence Holden offered a plot of land 200 feet by 300 feet for a swimming pool. Spring of 1951 saw the work on the dam
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Official History of Guilford
begun. This was more expensive than the ball field, the cost being $852.95. Mr. Serkin came to the aid of the club, presenting a concert at the Universalist Church at Guilford Center for the benefit of the Recreation Club and Broad Brook Grange, each organization receiv- ing over $400.
The first annual meeting was held May 9, 1952 and the following officers elected: President, William A. Searles; Vice President, Richard Cobb; Secretary, Alicia B. Ogden; Treasurer, Bertha C. Tier; execu- tive committee, Robert Gaines, Richard Allen and Clayton Baker. Three trustees were appointed to serve for an indefinite period, Louis Quinn, Bert Whittemore and Arvine Boyd.
The club was now organized, with a ball field and picnic area both at Whittemore Park, and Holden Community Swimming Pool not far away. A successful project completed for all Guilford to enjoy, thanks to many willing hands and lots of community spirit.
Received from
BERTHA C. TIER, ALICIA B. OGDEN
The Central School Planning Committee made their report to the towns people on November 15, 1956. As instructed by the voters at the 1956 Meeting of the Guilford School District, the Central School Planning Committee made (in part) this report.
John R. Holbrook was selected as the architect to prepare prelimi- nary studies and recommendations for Guilford and after six months of careful study, the Committee was convinced that it had preliminary plans which most nearly solved the educational problems, with posi- bilities of economical expansion if and when necessary.
It was the sincere intent of the Committee that each citizen of Guilford be completely informed of the plans and recommendations and that all voters have ample opportunity to study and discuss them prior to making any decision at a School District Meeting.
The proposed general specifications and type of construction were given as follows: Floor area ... 11,720 square feet; cubic content . . . 143,558 cubic feet; foundation-reinforced concrete slab on gravel fill; exterior walls-water-struck brick with cinder block backing; in- terior walls-exposed cinder blocks, painted; corridors-exposed cinder block, painted above tile wainscot; windows-glass block upper panel, with clear glass vision-strip at eye level; south windows to have clear glass throughout, with shelter-roof overhang to eliminate glare; ceil- ings-acoustical tile; flooring-vinyl-asbestos floor tile (no waxing re- quired); roofing -- built-up pitch and gravel, with prefabricated, light- refracting, glass-block, skylights where needed; heating and ventilating -oil-fired boiler supplying forced-air heat from unit ventilators which automatically draw fresh air into the building as required and each
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Official History of Guilford
unit separately temperature-controlled in individual classrooms; light- ing-either fluorescent or incandescent, to provide a minimum of thirty foot-candles in all rooms; general-the most modern features of this design are the individual entrances, exits, toilets for the lower grades; conventional corridor space, which normally is little used, is thus converted into valuable activity and teaching area in addition to the regular seating space; experience with other new schools indicates that there is no loss of class mobility to the multi-purpose room for assemblies, music, exercise in bad weather, or hot lunches, which are served from a modern kitchen with the multi-purpose room acting as a cafeteria; space in upper-grade classrooms has also been divided into seating area and activity space, with individual sinks and work or project counters.
In estimating actual building costs, allowance has been made for probable price increase at the time of bidding, so that in the near future the proposed estimates should be ample to cover everything. Naturally, the longer the building is delayed the higher the cost is likely to be. Total estimated cost . . $165,000.00. 25% State Aid
$41,250.00. Balance in Bank . $8,205.00. Net Cost to Guilford $115,545.00.
The cost of a new Central School as recommended by these plans can be interpreted in the dollars and cents more than you are paying now. 1. If you own property appraised at $500.00 the new building would cost you $5.65 a year more than this year's tax, or 47¢ a month. 2. If you own property appraised at $1,000.00 the new building would cost you $11.30 a year more than this year's tax or 94¢ a month. 3. If you own property appraised at $2,000.00 the new building would cost you $22.60 a year more than this year's tax, or $1.88 a month.
It was the opinion of the majority of the Committee that these plans and general specifications would provide the best and most for the money in Guilford. Thus, the Committee believed that it had completed the task assigned to it three years ago. The final decision to build a new Central Elementary School rests entirely with the voters of the School District. However, as to the type of school, the Com- mittee firmly believes that these plans are the best for Guilford. The Committee: Charles Beals, Jean Campbell, Harvey Cutting, Emery C. Evans, Robert Gaines, Clara L. Henry, John G. Kristensen, Clara E. Lynde, Otis A Sibley.
School Directors' Report: The board of school directors believes that the following information will be of interest to the voters of the Guilford School District:
New Elementary School.
Now that the construction of the Guilford Central School is com-
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plete we can say with certainty that in all matters the plans and desires of the district in regard to it have been fulfilled to the highest degree. Here are a few examples of what we mean:
1. The school was built in record time, having been voted in December of 1956 and opened for operation in September of 1957. This is somewhat of a record.
2. The building cost less than anticipated, the bid of $141,000.00 being several thousand dollars less than the estimated cost.
3. Rupert Spencer, Director of Administration of the State De- partment of Education, at the time of his final inspection of the building, declared that our school had the best final inspection results of any of the 90 or more schools he has inspected to date.
4. By borrowing money for construction in anticipation of bonds and delaying the issue of the bonds themselves we were able to reduce our bond interest rate from what would surely have been 4.10% early in 1957 to 3.75% in January of 1958.
These accomplishments are the result of the work of many people in the district, starting with the School Planning Committee and in- cluding our architect, John Holbrok; our contractor, Howard Z. O'Bryan and his superintendent, Howard Brooks; and our Clerk of the Works, Otis Sibley.
The only remaining work to be done at the school is the black- topping of an area in front and to the west of the building to be used for parking. This black-topping will substantially reduce the wear on the school floors now resulting from the tracking of dirt into the building and will also reduce the cost and labor involved in mainte- nance and repair. It will also substantially ease the parking difficulty of the sort encountered on the evening of the recent school Christmas Program. Fortunately we believe we will have enough of a balance left over in our school construction budget to do this job without ask- ing the town for more money.
All things considered, the district can be proud of its accomplish- ments in the last year and can be assured that for many years the school facilities in Guilford will be as good or superior to those offered in any town of comparable size in Vermont.
The Parent-Teacher Society has long been recognized for its in- terest in promoting a good understanding between parents and teach- ers and, from its earliest beginning, such an organization could be found in each of Guilford's small district schools. Listed under various names as, "The Parents' Club," "The Wellman School Club," and others, these groups worked hard to improve school buildings and equipment and engineered a scrap drive during the World War. By their efforts several schools were "Standardized."
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Under the present centralized system interested parents from all parts of town work together for the best interests of Guilford's chil- dren.
In its school system, Guilford has been very fortunate in having had many excellent teachers. Outstanding among them are Miss Jean Campbell and Mrs. Edith Quinn who served the town for more than 40 years. Upon their retirement, the town's people tendered each of them a reception in appreciation of their services.
MRS. FAY JACOBS
The Franklin Barbecue August 1957: When a remarkable calf was born, weighing 175 pounds on the Warren Franklin Farm in Guilford on East Mountain everyone asked what was to be done with him. Warren, whose twin sons Alfred & Wilfred were serving in the United States Army at the time, did reply "Going to barbecue him when the boys come home."
By the time the boys were out of service "Samson" had gained until his last weight before the barbecue was a whopping 2600 pounds. A cement-block pit with hut lined with aluminum was erected and the roasting was begun supervised by Russell Deane of Bernardston. A crane was used to lift the meat. "Samson" turned on the 18-foot spit, hitched to a tractor power take-off, for 64 hours over a charcoal fire (cost of charcoal $120.)
Sightseers began coming on Thursday and early Sunday the road onto the hill was lined with ticket holders, 1400 strong. In addition to the beef the dinner guests consumed potato salad made of "500 bushels of potatoes and 50 bushels of onions," just slightly exaggerated, according to the girls who peeled them. They were also served 3,000 rolls and 3,000 ears of sweet corn. The dinner was washed down with 2,000 bottles of soft drink.
Some other items purchased for the meal were, 60 pounds of butter, 10 gallons catsup, 20 cloves garlic, 5 gallons cooking oil, 3 gallons salad dressing, 2 pounds pepper, not all used, and $150 worth of ice cream. 15 pounds of coffee made quite a number of cups.
Hundreds of letters were received from people who had read about the big party. "Life" was there and the barbecue was written about in the servicemen's paper "Stars and Stripes." The letters came from behind the Iron Curtain and as far away as Korea. Crank letters also were received and some from folk who thought it cruel. Lest some readers still be uninformed, "Samson" was not driven into a hot oven and the door closed nor was he dropped into boiling water like a lobster. He was humanely killed and cooked without being cut into small bits.
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