Winter, 2005
Forty Original Cartoons on Display November 5, 2005 – January 6, 2006
Cartoons from The New Yorker Magazine might not be what most Sharon residents expect from the Sharon Historical Society, but at the new SHS exhibit, Cartoons in Context, each individual drawing offers an insight into our collective past.
Featuring forty original cartoons by New Yorker cartoonists Jack Zeigler, Peter Steiner (both Sharon residents), Michael Maslin and Liza Donnelly, this exhibit infuses a bit of humor and levity into our lives as the days get shorter and colder.
As Peter Steiner says so aptly in his introduction to the exhibit, “The New Yorker is certainly one of the most important periodical publications of twentieth America and one of the best and most thorough chronicles we have of what our recent past has been all about. And nothing in the magazine gives a clearer snapshot than the cartoons do of who we Americans are. Each cartoon captures a brief but telling moment in cross section—the language, the mores, the fashions, the culture—often in such perfect clarity that no further analysis is either necessary or possible.”
“One of our primary goals at the museum is to make what we do—good history—relevant. These cartoons are like the tastiest historical appetizers. They whet your appetite and send you back for more—more history, more discussion of the past, more “do you remembers”,” says museum director Liz Shapiro. “Come and see these cartoons. It’s a unique opportunity.”
The exhibit will be on display at the Historical Society until January 6th. Museum hours are Tuesday-Friday, 1-4 pm. Call for special weekend and holiday hours.
Cemetery Walk a Great Success
An overcast sky and an eerie light set the perfect ambiance for a stroll through the Sharon Burying Ground on Friday, October 28th. A steady stream of visitors listened while Temperance Smith, Elizabeth and Julia Canfield, Mary Wood, Sarah Juckett and Anne Sherman Hoyt spoke about their lives—both everyday and extraordinary. Among the topics that were discussed were the plight of orphans, women’s education, the smallpox epidemics, love, marriage and friendship. Kudos goes to staff members Marge McAvoy and Janet Nickson, as well as volunteers Meg Szalewicz, Linda Swenson, Bettie Snyder, Lancy Downs, who portrayed these women with such grace, style and sensitivity. Thanks also to all those volunteers—Brian Kenny, Jenny Hansell, Trish Hochstetter, Woody Hochswender, Charlie Hepner, Peter Reyelt, and Ed Kirby—who led visitors between the gravestones, adding commentary and context to the ladies’ narratives. Thanks also to the Sharon Center School eighth grade for the loan of Corey and Tahlia to serve donuts and cider to the hungry crowds.
Work will begin shortly on next year’s program, theme to be determined. If you are interested in participating, call or send an e-mail to Janet Nickson at SHS 364-5688 or director@sharonhist.org.
Local
History Meets SCS First, Fourth Grades
Janet Nickson, Liz Shapiro and Ed Kirby were all part of the team of museum
educators to “hit the road” (literally) with students at the Sharon Center
School in October and November. First graders visited the Historical Society
on Friday, October 21rst. While at the museum, the classes focused on looking
and learning about the built environment, exploring the parts of a building
in the way that kids typically learn the part of the body. While at the museum,
each student had the opportunity to design their own “house”, using a template
of a Federal style structure and adding windows, doors, porches, and even
cupolas and fences! The first grade museum curricula is designed to prepare
students for on-going school studies about Sharon, past and present, and to
encourage architectural literacy.
Fourth grade students received an in-depth tour of Sharon Green led by Liz Shapiro and Janet Nickson, followed two weeks later by a guided bus tour of Sharon’s early industrial history sites, led by Ed Kirby. In all, the fourth grade students experienced almost 7 hours of history programming all of which is offered free of charge to teachers at Sharon Center School. Fourth grade teachers Heather Mathews and Mark Pastre are committed to incorporating local history learning into their curricula—already squeezed to the max by national education requirements. “I’ve personally learned a lot about Sharon, there’s always a new piece of information or scholarship,” said Mr. Pastre, “and the museum staff does a great job of keeping the kids engaged and learning.”
The Sharon Historical Society has a long-term program goal of offering an integrated curriculum of history learning to all grade levels at the Sharon Center School, beginning with the kindergarten and working up to the eighth grade. “We’re trying to develop and package our materials based on the needs of the SCS teachers. It’s very exciting to make the local connection to the curriculum and see students progress in the breadth and depth of their learning,” says Janet Nickson, program coordinator for the SHS. “We’re excited about the difference we can make.”
Farmers Who Fought for Freedom and Risked All
Local history is alive and well, and making an impact across the United States. Brian S. Barrett, an author and historian from Waukesha, Wisconsin, is descended from a Revolutionary War soldier, Eleazer Barrett, who fought with the Berkshire County Militia. Recently, while researching his ancestor, Mr. Barrett discovered that Eleazer Miller’s company was part of a larger contingent that included Major Ebenezer Gay’s detachment. As often happens, one piece of research led to another, and voila! The following article describes the adventures of the Sharon Militia during July, 1776. This article is particularly interesting to those of us at the Sharon Historical Society because it represents the first new scholarship on Ebenezer Gay’s military career in over fifty years. As stewards of the Gay-Hoyt House, home to the Sharon Historical Society, any further information on the man who was the original owner and builder—yes, steward—of this house at 18 Main Street, is definitely of interest.
"These (farmers) are the men who in the future will replenish this huge continent, even to its utmost unknown limits, and render this new-found part of the world… the happiest, the most potent as well as the most populous of any."
J. Hector St. John de Cre’vecoeur, 1781
Introduction
During the RevolutionaryWar, the militia of Sharon, Connecticut was responsible for protecting food and weapons that were stored within the district. The caretakers of these stores were the Selectmen, one of whom was Major Ebenezer Gay. Major Gay was in charge of the local detachment of Colonel Charles Burrell’s 14th Connecticut Militia Regiment. In the summer of 1776, the Selectmen of Sharon initiated important offensive measures to defend their stores. Their reasons were that 8000 British troops landed on Staten Island and were preparing to attack, more than 100 ships lay anchored in the New York harbor and closer to home, Tories were becoming aggressive and this worried local residents. Even before the British landed, rumors were widespread that the enemy would soon control the entire Hudson River Valley and then invade the new England colonies. The British army needed flour, fresh meat, produce and fruit and the farming community of Sharon had what they needed.
There were several places in the lower Hudson River Valley where Tories were prevalent. The area known as the Nine Partners patent in Dutchess County was such a place. Is was said that men from this area formed a regiment and joined the King’s army. These Tories were a looming threat to Sharon officials whose community was within striking distance.
Late in June of 1776, the New York Provincial Convention (NYPC) received a report from a concerned Dutchess County Committee of Safety about “...sundry disaffected and dangerous persons...who greatly disturb the peace...and will most probably take up arms…” This Committee, seated at Poughkeepsie, requested that one hundred men be sent to protect the area from Tories. It was important that nothing interfere with the construction of the much-needed warships being built there. New York officials agreed to form two companies, but when the creation of these companies stalled, officials at Poughkeepsie called upon the militia from the town of Sharon for help. The Sharon men not only responded to this call, they also followed orders from General Washington and even provided services at Peekskill at the request of the NYPC.
This article is about a fifteen-day trek by Sharon’s farmers into Dutchess and Westchester Counties and their efforts to restrain Tories and defend freedom during July 1776.
The Alarm From Dutchess County
The all-important harvest in the town of Sharon was abruptly interrupted when militiamen were ordered to apprehend renegade Tories in the Nine Partners Patent. As shown in Figure 1, this hotbed was adjacent to Litchfield County and in the backyard of the town of Sharon.
Most often, an alarm at this time of year was brief because farmer soldiers could afford only short absences. Barley and wheat fields were nearly ready for harvest and all could be lost if their grain rotted on the stalk. Therefore, the timing of this alarm was risky. The subsistence farmer of this period had to pay a blacksmith, his minister, a weaver, perhaps a tailor and various other shopkeepers. He was judged by the straightness of his furrows, right angle fences and heaps of pitched stones. He typically worked fifty or more acres, most of which was pasture and grain. He applied his labor to raise oats, peas, barley, wheat and corn. He probably had an orchard, garden, a wood framed house and substantial barn. Every year he butchered 1500-2000 pounds of pork and 1200 pounds of beef. His family’s survival was based on a successful harvest without which they would undergo severe hardships. He had little time for reading and many didn’t know how. The Sharon farmers hoped their militia service would be short and none of the grain would be lost. Dutchess County needed trustworthy men to quell what they termed a troublesome insurrection. It was thought that rampaging Tories planned to destroy ships at Poughkeepsie and steal supplies for the invading British army. Dutchess County officials apparently had faith in the Sharon farmers and relied on them to keep Tories in check.
With many Litchfield County men already serving in Colonel Burrell’s Regiment in Canada, the western border near Nine Partners was vulnerable. The Sharon detachment was probably the largest group closest to this trouble spot. The prospect of an assault on the stores of Sharon was enough for the selectmen and Major Ebenezer Gay to muster the remaining men. Taking these men from their farms must have strained the community. No records were found to show when the men actually marched, but it was probably after General Washington read the Declaration of Independence to his army in New York City on July 9. News of the declaration would have provoked Dutchess County Tories into action and it was likely the Sharon men reacted early on Friday, July 10. Some accounts estimated that Gay’s detachment numbered between 300 and 500 men. This formidable group reduced the Tory threat, but produced an equally important threat: the loss of crops.
Major Gay’s immediate goal would have been to rendezvous and plan strategy with Poughkeepsie officials. Records show that they met near Bloom’s Mill on the East branch of Wappinger Creek on July 11. As shown in Figure 2, the most direct route to this place was a road going west from Sharon that crossed a north-south road between Salisbury and Danbury about two miles from the border. After crossing the Taconic Mountains, the men marched southwest over downhill sloping hilly terrain to present day Millbrook. Another two mile march northwest placed them at Bloom’s Mill. Unlike British regulars, militiamen traveled light and many were without muskets and ammunition. As a rule, only one-fourth to one half of the men carried muskets. The entire trip probably took all day and the men probably billeted on farms near Bloom’s Mill.
Upon arrival, Major Gay would have learned that Tories had gathered in small groups and attacked and confiscated weapons from “the friends of liberty” the night before. It was said that Tories even broke into the meeting chambers of the Committee of Safety and threatened them. After a night’s rest, the detachment traveled about four miles south to a location known as Carpenters. As shown in Figure 2, this place was near Pittsbury (Washington Hollow). Apparently, they found between 150-200 Tories in a meadow, practicing maneuvers, and when the militia fired on them, the Tories broke rank and retreated. The Sharon detachment probably remained near Poughkeepsie for several days and may have skirmished with more Tories in this area.
According to Egbert Benson, Chairman of the Dutchess Committee of Safety, the Connecticut Militia pursued and captured 30-40 of the enemy. If those captured were the leaders, then this operation was successful. It was reported the prisoners were kept in confinement. On July 12, Mr. Benson advised officials at Litchfield the Dutchess County jails were full. It was a custom that prisoners paid the jailer for their upkeep. In a letter to Litchfield, Connecticut officials, Mr. Benson reported that he was sending eight prisoners to them and four more at another time, per advice of John Canfield, Esq. Benson indicated that all prisoners but one could support themselves and pledged that Dutchess County would reimburse expenses for him. Apparently, those found armed were the ones that were sent to Litchfield. It was said that the most dangerous of them were sent to Exeter, New Hampshire, or the mines at Simsbury, Connecticut. It was also reported that the prisoners confessed to an agreement with the British to destroy two frigates under construction at Poughkeepsie. In a s separate letter, Mr. Benson recommended paying the bills of the Connecticut men who helped capture Tories because, “..our warmest friends will in many instances be sufferers, as the troops were obliged to quarter themselves wherever it was most convenient.”
General Washington’s Orders
While the men from Sharon were hunting Tories in DutchesCounty, five British ships sailed around patriot gun batteries in New York City and headed up the Hudson River. This prompted General George Washington to focus on a place called Anthony’s Nose that was located near a mountain pass at Peekskill on the east side of Hudson’s River and west of the Albany Post Road.
Washington, who once said the militia could no more be depended upon than a broken staff, desperately needed them now. So, he notified officials from Dutchess and Litchfield Counties to march their troops immediately to secure the pass at Anthony’s Nose. This area was probably a three-day march from Carpenter’s in Dutchess County. Washington was rightly concerned that British warships endeavored to capture this strategic pass that was once described as “...a hill to the north of Peekskill so situated, with a road winding along the side of it, that ten men on top, by rolling stones, could prevent as many (as a) thousand from passing...nothing more need be done than to keep great quantities of stones at different places where the troops must pass…” It was likely that Washington’s staging area included this site along with Forts Constitution and Montgomery, the village of Peekskill and the area along the Albany Post Road. It was unlikely an arsenal of stones was included.
During the evening of July 12, while the militia from Sharon remained in Dutchess County, the enemy’s ships weighed anchor about twenty miles south of Anthony’s Nose in the Haverstraw Bay. Two days later, however, these ships sailed up the Hudson into the wind and anchored just below Anthony’s Nose, near Verplank’s Point. Unfortunately, the Dutchess and Litchfield Militia that Washington previously ordered to the area had not yet arrived.
An anxious General George Clinton, then in command at the pass, wrote Egbert Benson at Poughkeepsie, “...how necessary it is for the militia to be under arms and ready to march to our aid.” Mr. Benson still worried about the insurgent Tories in his district and, just as desperate for troops as General Washington, passed the buck to Colonel Joshua Portor, his counterpart in Litchfield County. Portor’s regiment, already depleted, relayed the plea to General John Fellows in Sheffield, Massachusetts, advising him, “...British ships and tenders passed up the North River to take possession of forts in highlands and ravage the country.” Shocked by this news, Fellows ordered out one third of the Berkshire County Militia.
Apparently, the NYPC was less concerned about the ships than military commanders. In a letter dated July 13th, to Lt. Colonel Hammond, it was stated, “There is no great reason to apprehend that any considerable incursions into the country will be made by parties from the ships...it would not be expedient for great numbers of the militia to leave their farms at this busy season of the year.” Consequently, the men of the Westchester County Militia, who were defending the eastern shore of the Hudson between the Croton River and Peekskill, viewed this as an opportunity to leave. Apparently, their harvest took precedence over guard duties.
In an effort to correct an obvious weakness, the NYPC ordered that 150 men be sent immediately to relieve any remaining Westchester militiamen. An angry letter from the NYPC to Westchester’s Lt. Colonel Hammond dated July 15th, stated, “We are surprised to find that any of the men under your command at Tarry Town, have left their stations without permission…”. It was unlikely that any of the 150 men ordered out by the NYPC ever arrived.
Pressed by the stress of the harvest and unruly insurgents, Dutchess County officials likewise experienced difficulty in mustering men. Egbert Benson openly expressed the inadequacies of his militia, lack of arms and deserters who “...lurked in the woods, and were the occasion of the late insurrection.” Amid the demands of the season, he concluded, “Our all is at stake, I am not convinced that the least expensive mode of warfare is by suffering the whole body of farmers to be called out and harassed upon every occasion.” In spite of his distress, he ordered out the men he could muster.
On July 15th, Joseph Travis, a local merchant who owned a dock and three warehouses on Peekskill Creek, wrote New York officials and requested men to guard valuable stores there. Much like the concerns of Sharon officials, Mr. Travis’ feared that the British would seize his merchandise.
While the quantity of type of supplies being stored at Travis’s is unknown, it was likely there was food and rum, and other supplies desperately needed by Washington’s Army in New York City. The merchandise at Travis’ dock and the unguarded shoreline were most surely noticed by local Tories, as well as sailors with spyglasses on nearby British ships.
On July 16th, one of the ships sailed away from its formation toward the west shore of the Hudson, apparently to probe patriot defenses. The ship passed by the Dunderberg (Bear Mt.) before being turned back by a well-aimed cannon in Ft. Montgomery. The Sharon men, who were marching toward Peekskill at the time, probably learned that patriots in the area celebrated the damage to the ship.
At last, on the morning of July 17th, New York officials learned that much-needed new England troops were only six to eight miles away. Colonel Pierre Van Courlandt later wrote to the NYPC from Ft. Constitution, “About three o’clock Major Ebenezer Gay, of Sharon, came in with two hundred and sixty men.” If this count was correct, Gay’s detachment was smaller than it was at Carpenter’s. Apparently, some of his men who previously quieted the Tory uprising there had returned to their farms. This much-awaited militia detachment was in itself a respectable deterrent, but before the day ended, General Fellows from Sheffield and General Ten Broeck from
Poughkeepsie joined Major Gay. It was said that about 600 men congregated in the staging area. Van Courtlandt advised New York officials that he remained at Peekskill to, “...provide for them (the 600 militiamen) and fix their stations.” This probably meant that he arranged to feed and house the men and pasture their horses. Sixty miles from home, in the vicinity of Anthony’s Nose, Major Gay’s men bedded down on the east shore of the Hudson, under the observation of HMS Rose and Phoenix and three smaller ships.
The next day, the Sharon farmers guarded the shores and blocked the path of British troops with thoughts of coming ashore. From a distance, this deterrent was formidable, but up close, there were unseen deficiencies. Colonel Pierre Van Courtlandt and Captain Zephaniah Platt Jr. learned that many of the New England men needed weapons and ammunition. Unfortunately, with Washington’s Army in New York City, there were shortages of everything. The unexpected demands of the militia men and their animals were more than anyone anticipated, but New York officials were obliged to accommodate them.
The combination of ripe crops, confused orders and reinforcements from Connecticut and Massachusetts probably enabled the Westchester County men to abandon their posts two days earlier. As the New England men covered for them, the crops became foremost in the minds of Sharon militiamen. Major Gay was challenged to rationalize the predicament of his men in the face of the opportunistic Westchester farmers who left. But the orders were clear and Sharon’s men dutifully followed them, for the time being.
On July 18th, amidst lightning, thunder and light rain, Captain Hyde Parker, HMS Phoenix, ordered Captain James Wallace, HMS Rose, a tender, to sail from Haverstraw Bay to Peekskill. HMS Rose was an intimidating warship. It was 108 feet long and had twenty nine-pound cannons on the upper deck. The tender was a smaller schooner, more maneuverable and had smaller cannons mounted on her deck. These two ships set out to sink patriot vessels that were moored in the Peekskill harbor, but when Captain Wallace arrived, he discovered “...a large Body of Rebels entrenched upon heights directly over them…” and he quickly changed his plans. It was possible that the Sharon men were part of the force that discouraged Captain Wallace from attacking. The probable location of Sharon’s men on the shore is shown in Figure 4.
At ten o’clock in the morning on July 18th, patriot officers held a Council of War at Ft. Montgomery. Its purpose was to form a general plan of defense for both sides of the Hudson. In attendance were Captain Zephaniah Platt, Colonels Pierre Van Courtlandt and James Clinton, and Generals George Clinton, Petrus Ten Broek and John Fellows. While the outcome of the Council was not fully documented, it concluded that there were enough men guarding the shores and even more were expected to arrive soon.
That evening, on board HMS Rose, Captain Wallace turned his attention to the west side of the river where a British sloop ran aground earlier that day. He recorded in the Ship’s Log, “...we was fir’d at by a Number of Rebels (who were) arm’d, (and) fir’d several shot at them.” Apparently, militiamen on the shore were stationed a safe distance from the ship’s cannon, because no casualties were reported.
On July 18th, Captain Simeon Smith signed a receipt for eighteen guns in Sharon while Major Gay and his men waited for the British to make their next move at Peekskill. At both locations, the Sharon men prepared to defend their freedom.
Sharon’s Farmers Return Home
New England officers, anxious to release their men for the harvest, petitioned New York officials for leave. Captain Zephaniah Platt, apparently mindful of complaints from the dispirited New England troops, advised his superiors on July 21rst that the men who came to Peekskill on horseback had no money to get home. New York officials responded favorably to Captain Platt and ordered him, “...to provide for horses as well as the men and at their discretion make provision for them...or give them a reasonable allowance on their return.” New York officials were anxious to accommodate their New England friends, should their services be needed again. Although these officials intended to pay the militia’s expenses, no record was found that showed they were actually paid.
The forces guarding the area were depleted once more when the Dutchess County Militia regrettably packed up and left Ft. Constitution, “...it is supposed to raise their men…”. Like the Westchester Militia, it was more likely these men left to harvest their crops. Apparently, their sympathetic commanders looked the other way as more New York men drifted off.
On July 22nd, after the Council of War met again, Colonel Van Courtlandt and Captain Platt advised New York officials that, “...three hundred men would be sufficient to guard the east side of Hudson’s River, from Anthony’s Nose to Croton (River); but as all troops belonging to this State are withdrawn, the whole draught has fallen on the (remaining) new England forces, who have agreed to stay until Sat(urday) next….” The tone of this message suggested New York officials felt the threat of an invasion had subsided. But with the departure of the New England forces only five days away, New York officials quickly ordered that a regiment of Levies be immediately drafted from the Westchester and Dutchess County militia. On July 23rd, amidst a dispute over the assignment of officers to command the Levies, the formation of this unit stalled.
When New York officials and the Council of War pronounced that a large force of militia at Peekskill was unnecessary, Major Gay’s detachment of about 260 men set out from the shores of Haverstraw Bay toward home. Departing on July 23rd, they probably returned home two or three days later. While General Clinton was upset because the Connecticut men left without notifying him, Major Gay’s decision was reasonable, given the circumstances.
Conclusion
During the summer of 1776, Sharon’s farmer soldiers were away much longer than expected. The full extent of their mission was vague when they marched away from their farms and ripening crops as ordered. As subsistence farmers, they depended on their crops for survival. Each day away increased their risk of devastating losses. Regardless, the Sharon men followed orders and remained at their posts, even while their counterparts from New York marched off.
In the first few days of the mission, Major Gay’s detachment helped suppress hundreds of rambunctious Tories and probably saved Sharon’s community stores. By any measure, they improved security in the area. This achievement, however, was eclipsed by General Washington’s order to guard an important pass near Anthony’s Nose. The Sharon farmers obediently complied with Washington’s orders and stretched their enlistment at the risk of their crops. When New York officials conscripted them to guard Continental Army stores at Peekskill, they graciously extended their enlistment again. Each of these assignments increased their term of duty and their risks, but the Sharon men willingly accepted them. Sharon’s men, like many others, were eventually rewarded with freedom and independence and hopefully, a bountiful harvest.
Note: During 1777, Major Ebenezer Gay was promoted to Lt. Colonel when Joshua Portor was commissioned a Colonel of the 14th Connecticut Militia Regiment. Colonel Portor was the superintendent of the Salisbury furnace, which manufactured cannon and shot for the Continental Army.
The association between Major Gay and Joshua Portor apparently went beyond militia activities. On April 16, 1776, an invoice for 60 pounds sterling, for pork, indicated that Major Gay provided food for the men working at the Salisbury furnace.
References
1. The Writings of George Washington From Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799, John C. Fitzpatrick, Editor, 1931-44.
2. American Archives, Force, Peter, Journal of the Provincial Convention of New York, Peter Force, ed., 1843.
3. Correspondence of the Van Courtlandt family of Courtland Manor 1748-1800, Jacob Judd, ed. Vol. 2, Sleepy Hollow Restoration, Tarrytown, NY, 1976-81.
4. Journals of the Provincial Congress, Provincial Convention, Committee of Safety and Council of Safety of the State of NY. 1775-1776-1777, Vol. I, T. Weed, Printer to the State. 1842.
5. Extracts from the Journal of HMS Rose, Captain James Wallace, Naval Documents of The American Revolution, Volume 5: American Theatre: May 9, 1776– July 31, 1776. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
6. Public Papers of George Clinton, Vol. I, 1899.
7. Narratives of the Revolution in New York, New York Historical Society, “The Struggle for the Hudson...July 12– August 18, 1776, Richard J. Koke”, 1975.
8. Extracts from the Journal of HMS Phoenix, Captain Hyde Parker, Jr., Naval Documents of The American Revolution, Volume 5: American Theatre: May 9, 1776-July 31, 1776. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1970.
9. Letters from an American Farmer, J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur, 1983.
Connecticut Humanities Council Supports SHS Iron Film Project
The Sharon Historical Society has been awarded a grant of nearly $5000 to complete the first phase of a documentary film project on the Northwest Corner’s historic iron industry. Directed by Redding, Connecticut filmmaker John E. Maher, phase one of the film consists of extensive research and interviews with Ed Kirby, noted author and expert in the field of iron history. Mr. Maher’s extensive resume includes projects for ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, as well as National Geographic Explorer, BBC Television, MTV, CNN, ESPN, Turner Sports and Lifetime. Recently, Mr. Maher, in his role as principal of JEM Films, completed a film documentary for the Redding Historical Society entitled, Margaret Wixted: An Historian’s Perspective.
The initial phase of the film will be shot in Sharon resident, and noted blacksmith, WilliamTrowbridge’s forge. “The story of the iron industry in Connecticut is so visual, so compelling, that William’s forge seemed a natural background for shooting Ed’s interview,” said Mr. Maher, “This film, tentatively entitled Visions of Iron, will be a companion piece to Mr. Kirby’s written work, something that will spark people to read the book and then get out there on the iron trail to see the history and think deeply about the subject. We want to see a human face by the light of the great furnaces and tell the tale cleanly and visually. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work on this project.”
Phase One of the film project has been generously funded by a $5000 grant from the Connecticut Humanities Council, the same organization that served as a primary funding source for the book, Echoes of Iron in Connecticut’s Northwest Corner. Initial filming will take place on November 11. Following phase one, the Phase II goal is to produce a thirty to forty minute documentary history of the iron industry in the Northwest Corner. The completed documentary will be available for purchase to the general public, used in the Connecticut public school system, and in selected sites within the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area. Fund raising for Phase II will begin shortly. If you are interested in playing a role in the future of this project, please contact Liz Shapiro at the Historical Society at (860) 364-5688 or e-mail to director@sharonhist.org.
We really can’t say enough. Thank you for your help.