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| Our History Room Volunteers - CLICK to enlarge |
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Al Gorman History Room
at Miller Library - Top Floor
Regular Hours: Tuesday 10 AM to 2 PM
The Al Gorman History Room is closed until further notice.
We will do our best to address all inquiries given our temporary inability to access all of our resources.
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Sept. 21, 2020
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82 Years Ago!
The Great New England Hurricane of 1938
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Shortly after the September 21, 1938 hurricane, Leslie H. Tyler compiled a booklet of 177 photos and illustrations, The New England Hurricane (© October 1938 - Leslie H. Tyler). Four photos of Hamden's damage were taken by professional news photogtrapher, I.A. Sneiderman. CLICK HERE or on the photo at right.
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At around 4 p.m. on Thursday, August 27th, an EF1 tornado ripped through northern and central Hamden on its way from Bethany to North Haven, where it achieved its greatest strength before fizzling out at the Long Island Sound coastline.
With estimated wind speeds exceeding 100 mph, and traveling about 60 mph, the tornado was on the ground for a total of only ten minutes from when it formed in Bethany until it broke up in North Haven.
Damage was not as extensive as the tornadoes that hit Hamden 1989 and 2018, but significant structural damage occurred in several areas.
Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director Gary Merwede had been coordinating and preparing Hamden’s ongoing response, in conjunction with Mayor Leng, since before the storm arrived earlier Thursday afternoon and now throughout the recovery.
Mayor Leng stated, "Our Town was hit very hard today, and there was a lot of damage, but I'm very thankful that we do not believe there were any major injuries. Our residents can count on the fact that our Public Safety and first responder crews will be all-hands-on-deck and working through the night, and then as long as it takes to make our streets safe."
Chief Merwede provided the website with the following official report on the tornado from the National Weather Service:
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
1046 PM EDT FRI AUG 28 2020
EF1 Tornado Confirmed from Bethany to North Haven, Connecticut
START LOCATION: Bethany in New Haven County
END LOCATION: North Haven in New Haven County
DATE: 08/27/2020
ESTIMATED TIME: 3:53 p.m. to 4:03 p.m.
MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED MAX. WIND SPEED: 110 mph
MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH: 500 yards
PATH LENGTH: 11.1 miles
BEGINNING LAT/LON: 41.448, -72.992
ENDING LAT/LON: 41.349, -72.828
FATALITIES: None
INJURIES: None
SUMMARY
Based on a National Weather Service damage survey done in conjunction with the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management, Homeland Security, and local Connecticut town emergency managements, it has been determined that a strong EF1 tornado, with a maximum wind speed of 110 mph tracked southeast from Bethany to North Haven.
The tornado first touched down in a forested area to the southeast of Judd Hill Road in Bethany. The tornado tracked southeast over primarily forested areas from Amity Road, to Munson Road towards Litchfield Turnpike, creating a path of damage about 75 yards wide, with hardwood tree damage consistent with wind speeds of 80 to 90 mph.
The path of the storm widened to around 300 yards as the tornado tracked southeast towards Lake Bethany. Structural damage, including significant roof damage to several homes, and snapped hardwood trees, indicated wind speeds of around 100 mph in this area.
The tornado path continued southeast for another four miles to near the town center of Hamden, Connecticut, with tree and structural damage indicative of wind speeds of 70 to 80 mph. The intensity picked up significantly as the tornado approached the center of Hamden, as evidence by extensive damage to numerous buildings, including the flat roof of a two-story building at 1 Evergreen Avenue, across from the Hamden Government Center, being torn apart.
Wind speeds are estimated to be around 100 mph based on the damage to these buildings, bent metal fencing around the Government Center, and uprooted and snapped trees.
The tornado reached maximum strength and width from this point on as it continued southeast across the Wilbur Cross Parkway (Rt. 15), Interstate 91, and down to the intersection of Arrowdale and Thompson Street in North Haven.
Tremendous hardwood tree damage and structural damage was indicative of wind speeds of 110 mph and an expanded width of 500 yards. It is at this point that the tornado appears to have dissipated with its destructive straight-line winds fanning out to the coast.
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| S Q U I S H ! ! ! |
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A tree demolished this Ford Taurus wagon parked in a Bear Path Road driveway, just missing the home of longtime Hamden Historical Society member and history room researcher Gil Spencer and hs wife Helen, who now will be looking for another car. Fortunately, there were no injuries on Bear Path Road or, according to the NWS summary, nowhere else along the tornado's route.
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Burton A. Talmadge
1929 - 2020
We are saddened to report the recent passing of Burton Talmadge Sr., 91, lifelong Hamden reisdent and longtime member of the Hamden Historical Society.
From The New Haven Register: Burton A. Talmadge, 91, husband of the late Margaret Ann Chamberlain Talmadge passed away August 21, 2020 after a brief illness.
Burt was born in New Haven on February 8, 1929, a son of the late Arthur L. and Helen Riley Talmadge, and was a lifelong Hamden resident. He proudly served in the US Army from 1951-1952 and was the President of A.L. Talmadge, Inc. for 60 years. He also was a member of the Hamden B.P.O.E. Elks Lodge #2224.
He is survived by his sons, Burton (Chip) Talmadge, Jr. and his wife Kimberley of Hamden, Thomas A.Talmadge and his wife Chaoum of Hamden, and Richard S. Talmadge and his wife Sharon of Bronxville, NY; and his grandchildren, Brandon, Mason, Kaden, Nathaniel, Kathryn, and Elizabeth Talmadge. He is also survived by a brother, George H. Talmadge of Hamden. He was predeceased by a brother, Arthur R. Talmadge, and a sister, Barbara J. Talmadge.
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75 Years Ago
the World Celebrated VJ-Day
Wednesday, August 15, 1945
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| New Haven Journal-Courier, Wednesday, August 15, 1945 - CLICK TO ENLARGE |
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| New Haven Evening Register, Wednesday, August 15, 1945 - CLICK TO ENLARGE |
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Hamden's Military Honor Roll
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| July 1943 - CLICK TO ENLARGE |
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(Above) - Hamden's Military Honor Roll as was in July 1943
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(Below) - Hamden's Military Honor Roll as was in July 1945.
Note how much larger it became in those two years.
The Honor Roll was situated on Dixwell Avenue, just south of the Town Hall, where Miller Library would be built in 1951 and where the Town Hall parking garage is today. It was dismantled around 1951 and the individual panels were stored in a public works garage on Norwood Avenue, just in from Whitney Avenue. No one today seems to know whatever happened to the panels.
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| July 1943 - CLICK TO ENLARGE |
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Hamden's 72 Fallen in the Second World War
These names of Hamden's sons lost in World War II are carved
on the granite walls of Hamden's Memorial Town Hall.
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During the current COVID-19 emergency, we are offering the link below to the Hamden Fire Retirees' website, which is maintaining links to current updates on the COVID virus coming from official government sources.
Links to Current Government COVID-19 Notifications
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Our Collections
Searching our collections
The History Room houses over 100 distinct document collections, cataloged and preserved, to meet the research needs and interests of the community. The Library has many texts on state, regional and local history, volumes of agency and government publications, directories of services, and several historical society publications. Regional and town maps from 1854, grave-site directories, family and personal narratives, Bibles, diaries and ledgers from the early families in Hamden complement the document collections and shed additional light on the history of Hamden.
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Among the collections:
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- The Mount Carmel Ecclesiastical Society
- The Whitneyville Congregational Church
- The Sleeping Giant Park Association Archives
- The Hamden Chamber of Commerce
- The Webb Family Papers
- The Rachel Hartley Files
- The Thornton Wilder Papers
- The Leather Man Collection
- The Rectory School Records
- Golden Bells Archives
- The Farmington Canal Records
- Hamden: Our Architectural Heritage
- The Hamden Historical Society Archives
- Hamden Historic Districts Collection
- Hamden Schools and Board of Education Records
- Mount Carmel Free Public Library and Hamden Public Library Archives
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| Check out our current Summer 2020 Newsletter |
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Hamden-North Haven League of Women Voters
Hamden Historical Society Archivist Kathy Lindbeck reports receiving a donation of files (1940s - 1970s) from the League of Women Voters - Hamden/ North Haven Chapter. She writes, "Can’t wait to take a closer look . . . "
The files fill a banker’s box. Size wise it’s a little over a cubic foot of material, containing meeting minutes, flyers, newsletters, membership lists, annual reports, and project specific files. This is a particularly appropriate donation given the current political season.
Thank you Hamden-North Haven LWV!
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George Henry Durrie
Among the great treasures of the New Haven Museum collection are the works of New Haven artist George Henry Durrie (1820-1863). As a young man, Durrie studied with Nathaniel Jocelyn and supported himself painting portraits. An advertisement in the 1843 New Haven City Directory touted Durrie as an artist who “… would be pleased to wait upon those who may be desirous of obtaining faithful and correct likenesses.”
Durrie later became known as a landscape painter. He created numerous views of local landmarks and idyllic rural scenes often set in autumn or winter. The New York firm Currier & Ives, which produced lithographic prints of these paintings in the late nineteenth century, further popularized Durrie's work.
In 1841, George Henry Durrie married Sarah Perkins. The couple settled in New Haven and raised three children, George, Benjamin and Mary. Sadly, Durrie died in 1863 at only 43 years old. His art and personal papers, however, live on in the New Haven Museum collection.
See this exhibit at the New Haven Museum, 114 Whitney Avenue, New Haven 06510
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Betty Ann Affleck Osgood
1937 - 2020
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We regret to report the passing on July 4th of Betty Ann (Affleck) Osgood, 83, of Hamden. She was the beloved wife of the late John Pallas Osgood. Born in Flushing, NY on June 21, 1937, Betty was the daughter of the late Richard and Dorothy (Bowne) Affleck. She graduated from Hamden High School and worked in customer service for AAA for more than 20 years.
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Betty was a very active member of Mt. Carmel Congregational Church as well as a volunteer at the Jonathan Dickerman House in Hamden.
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Betty is survived by her children Elizabeth Osgood of Hamden and Tim Osgood and his wife Karen Lupi of Hamden; granddaughter Amanda Osgood; brother Richard Affleck and his wife Aldona of Annandale, VA; and sister-in-law Martha (Osgood) Bryan of Ketchikan, AK. She is also survived by her nephew Richard Affleck; niece Lisa Phillips; and several cousins.
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Please keep Betty's family in your thoughts and prayers.
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70 Years Ago!
July 4, 1950
Horrible Lightning Tragedy on West Shepard Avenue
On the Fourth of July 1950, a freak lightning strike killed three and injured several others outside the 65 West Shepard Avenue home of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard A. Dorman, where the organizational meeting of the Mix District Volunteer Fire Co. No. 7 had taken place in November 1924.
The occasion was a gathering of family members and friends to celebrate the birthday of the Dormans' son, Leonard E. Dorman, 20, who was among the injured. The younger Dorman had been a member of Mix District Volunteer Fire Co 7 on Shepard Avenue since 1945. Also among the injured was the late Frank Warner, then 26, also a member of Co. 7. He reported that there was no indication of storm activity in the area. The lightning strike was totally unexpected.
The Hamden Fire Department responded under the command of Capt. Everett Doherty. According to details provided in the Hamden Chronicle article below, a chain hanging from a nearby tree conducted the fatal electrical charge.
This was one of Hamden's earliest mass casualty incidents on record. Police, fire and ambulance personnel worked valiantly to render assistance to the survivors. Rev. Joseph Peters of the Mt. Carmel Congregational Church also responded to render spiritual support to the surviving family members. Three months later, Rev. Peters and Fr. Bernard Miller, assistant pastor at St. Rita's Church, would be appointed the first two chaplains of the Hamden Fire Department.
In the years that followed, this tragic incident was often cited in local warnings for people to avoid standing beneath trees during electrical storms.
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| The Hamden Chronicle, July 6, 1950 (Courtesy of the Hamden Historical Society) |
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Capt. Everett Doherty started his career on the Hamden Fire Department in late 1927. He retired in 1966 at the rank of deputy chief. Lt. Paul Leddy was appointed in November 1941. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1949, captain in 1951 and named battalion chief in 1954. In November 1960, B/C Leddy was appointed Chief of the Department, a position in which he served until his 1984 retirement.
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Lt. James Strain was appointed in 1942, became a lieutenant in 1949, captain in 1954 and deputy chief in 1961. He retired in 1973. Firefighter Francis "Chalkie" Leddy was appointed in 1946, was promoted to lieutenant in 1956, captain in 1964 and deputy chief in 1970. He retired in 1986.
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Firefighter Fred Fletcher was appointed in 1946 and retired in 1980. Firefighter Dan O'Connell joined the department in 1948 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1963. He retired in 1986. Co. 5 volunteer firefighter Joe Rahl joined the department as a career member in 1956. Joe served 33 more years before his retirement in late 1989. Joe, who turned 95 last year just before he passed away, was the last surviving member of the crew mentioned in the 1950 article. He was a member of the Hamden Fire Retirees Association.
This article courtesy of the Hamden Fire Retirees Association's website - www.hamdenfireretirees.org
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Society Honors 3 on 1st Anniversary of Door-Tree Felling
Tuesday, June 30 - Three people who provided crucial assistance to the Society following the destruction of the Door-Tree last summer were each presented with a Door-Tree commnemorative pen meticulously crafted from the wood of the tree. Pictures and story.
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| One of five commemorative pens crafted by Dave Landino from the wood of the Door-Tree |
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More History of Hamden Street Names
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| Who is this guy? |
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| How about this one? |
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| This dude? |
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Paul Saubestre has done it again with another installment about Hamden street names.
CLICK HERE to find out the street name connection to these three gentlemen,
as well to other individuals and events - all related to major conflcts.
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In April 1638, David Atwater Sr. was one of the original settlers in New Haven and was given a house lot there. But in 1646 he chose to build two miles as the crow flies, into the wilderness of what is now Hamden. Hamden Historical Society Researcher Anthony Griego has been researching the origins of this brick Dutch gambrel roof style house, gone since 1905, in the area later called East Farms/Cedar Hill.
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Progress being made on Talmadge Cider Mill Barn rebuild.
May 20th: Framework going up
June 3rd: Rafters in place
June 12th: Roof decking
June 16th: Siding going up!
June 24th: Siding is up
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| CLICK on the image to see the progress of rebuilding the Cider Mill |
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| Bob Zoni and his crew have been busy rebuilding the Talmadge Cider Mill Barn that was nearly destroyed by the 2018 tornado. Following this past winter, and a wet and chilly spring, Bob & Co. started assembling the framework of the barn on May 20th. Check out the progress by clicking here.
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Since the end of World War I, many Hamden streets have been named to honor those Hamden servicemen who have died while serving during wars and other armed conflicts.
In conjunction with Memorial Day Weekend 2020, and continuing his website series on the origins of Hamden street names, Hamden Historical Society Researcher Paul Saubestre is focusing on those Hamden servicemen for whom streets were named in the Sebec Street neighborhood in eastern Hamden.
CLICK HERE for Paul's military profiles on each of these Hamden men from the information available. As with all of Hamden's other fallen servicemen, we hope their sacrifices will always be remembered.
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| Former Mayor Carusone earlier this year |
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In his 84 years, former Hamden Mayor John Carusone has cultivated friendships with many of his fellow Hamdenites, not only in the political arena, where he maintained warm relationships with members in both political parties, but also [if you'll pardon] the sports arena as well, which is one of Carusone's greatest passions.
Last month with Memorial Day 2020 approaching, former Hamden Mayor John Carusone wrote to Municipal Historian Dave Johnson and reflected on several of his friends and acquaintances who died in military service during three different wars.
In "Remembering Hamden's Fallen," Johnson presents Carusone's recollections of these fellow Hamdenites, with photos and facts about these brave souls who gave their last full measure of devotion to their country - our country.
Carusone's vivid memories of young Private Edward Duel are perhaps the most poignant. Like so many of the others, this was a young man with a very promising future, who answered his country's call and lost his life only days after his 20th birthday. CLICK HERE!
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Virginia Kaercher Zukunft (1921-2020)
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We regret to report that Virginia Kaercher Zukunft, 98, one-time Secretary of the Hamden Historical Society, passed away peacefully on May 1, 2020 at The Connecticut Hospice in Branford, CT.
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Take the Hamden COVID-19 Survey
| What have you been doing since we were all told to "Stay Home and Stay Safe?" Become a part of Hamden history. Take our COVID-19 Survey.
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Lois Casey (1929-2020)
| We are deeply saddened to report the recent passing of Lois Casey, 90, a longtime and dedicated member and Docent with the Hamden Historical Society.
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| Over 45% of the deaths of American servicemen in World War I were due to the Spanish Influenza. One of Hamden's sons, Antonio Cardo, was one of them.
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| Paul Saubestre's well-researched article illustrates how Hamden's population, neighborhoods, and demographics have changed over the last 230 years. Enjoy!
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| Before he and his wife relocated to their new home near Buffalo NY, Mr. Leonard Corwin, formerly of Patterson Road, recently presented the Hamden Historical Society with three pieces of antique furniture from the Corwin family.
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| Hamden Historical Society Researcher Paul Saubestre is researching the origins of Hamden's street names. In conjunction with the recent Presidents Day holiday, Paul investigated the origins of those streets with the same names as former U.S. presidents.
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| Hamden Historian David Johnson chonicles the story of the senseless 2019 destruction of Hamden's "Door-Tree," the ensuing world-wide news coverage, and how the vandal was caught. Links to related articles included.
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by Julie Hulten
| Julie Hulten, a Wallingford school system retiree, has been one of our history room volunteer researchers for several years. For a post-graduate course, Julie recently completed a thoroughly researched outline of Hamden history that encapsulates nearly three-hundred years of Hamden history highlights. Enjoy this great read!
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by Sam Gurwit
| The history of the Hamden Plaza and its infamous "Ghost Parking Lot" are featured in Sam Gurwitt's excellent article in the recent online edition of the New Haven Independent.
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by Paul Saubestre
| Paul Saubestre's research provides insights into the origins and the present locations of the surviving highway Milestones. All but one of Hamden's milestones have survived along Whitney Avenue - same for Hartford Turnpike.
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Mystery of the Elm City Skeletons
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In a book borrowed from a friend years ago, local historian and Hamden Historical Society researcher Anthony Griego first learned of four skeletons disinterred from what had been the cemetery at the former St. John's Roman Catholic Church, adjacent to what is now Yale-New Haven Hospital. Reporter Liz Teitz interviewed Tony for a September 9, 2019 article in The New Haven Register, which sheds some light on the mystery surrounding those four skeletons - one of them resulting from a judicial hanging.
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| Hamden Historical Society researcher Paul Saubestre has created a wonderful and informative 170-year animated timeline of the development of what is now Spring Glen.
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| A couple of Hamden churches, a firehouse, the floor above a hardware store, and even the building that housed Hamden's first telephone exchange, are among the former locations of Hamden's earliest public libraries. Check out Dave Johnson's tour of Hamden's libraries from the turn of the last century to the present.
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| The late Henry and Lyndell Betzner lived on Maher Avenue. Mrs. Betzner was an avid tag sale attendee. When the Betzner's daughters held their own tag sale years later, some of Mrs. Betzner's Whitneyville memorabilia was included. A couple of the items were purchased by Stan Troski, which he generously donated to the HHS last year. Check it out.
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Revisiting Hamden (2019)
by Shayla Colon, Quinnipiac University Student
| In April 2019, Quinnipiac University junior Shayla Colon and fellow student Joe Torgerson visited the Al Gorman History Room at Miller Library to conduct research for Ms. Colon's project, "Revisiting Hamden." From vintage photos and interviews with longtime Hamdenites, Ms. Colon has painted a portrait of a town that has evolved from the tiny agrarian community of colonial times to a vibrant municipality of more than 60,000 individuals, perhaps on the verge of "cityhood."
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