Winter 1994 Annabell Remembers 1928, The Fall The leaves on the trees are turning their magnificent colors of red, orange, and yellow and last night we had our first frost. The local papers are just full of the new fashions. Reads in Bridgeport has street dresses with double pleats and godets for only $49.50. Crepe-de-Chine slips can be purchased from $2.95 to $4.95. The latest accessories for Fall are toned down from the garish styles of the Spring. Tinted pearls or good cream pearls in a single or double strand are a must. Wooden beads, in conjunction with silver and gold beads, and cut glass beads are all good. Kerchiefs are very popular this Fall, one side plane, the other with a print. Belts are a must for the fashion scene with the fur belt being the latest accessory. Plain gloves and simple hosiery complete the look. Men's Fall hats with narrow snap brims can be purchased for $3.00 to $5.00. Men's Fall suits can be purchased for $35.00 right down in Norwalk at Rogers and Stevens. On the social scene, Miss Mary E Coley entertained at a dinner party on Tuesday Afternoon at the Westport Tavern. Her guests included Mr. & Mrs. Clinton Welch, Miss Esther Raymon and Mrs. Herbert Bates of Ridgefield. James Daugherty will exhibit water colors, book illustrations and etchings at Sunwise Turn Bookshop, 53 East 44th St., New York City, from October 1-15. Mrs. Alice Maruchess and her daughter have returned to New York City after spending the summer at Cobb's Mill. Mr. N.K. Morris of New York is spending some time at Cobb's Mill while he paints some surrounding scenery. Wallace Arnold of Toltec Camp has returned from a month's trip and Charles P. Morehouse is ill with a very bad cold. I hope he improves quickly. Back to contents.

Ice Houses by Karin Giannitti When we fill our glasses with ice cubes on hot summer days, and enjoy a dish of ice cream or a cold glass of milk, we seldom think of the marvelous invention - the refrigerator. The luxury of ice in the summer that we take so much for granted dates back to ice-stores built in Mesopotamia 4,000 years ago, and wine being chilled by snow from ancient Greeks. This luxury, however, was a rarity until the 17th century when primitive refrigeration became fashionable. The British were the first to construct a building for ice storage. These houses consisted of massive semi-subterranean brick vaults built mostly by the rich. By the end of the 18th century, ice cream had become a well-known treat, and the quantity of ice needed gave rise to a demand for imported ice. The Americans, who were already involved in the use of ice, became heavily involved in ice trading and put their stamp of ingenuity to ice storage at home. We moved from the massive buildings of the British to a simpler every-home-can-have-one, insulated sheds and boxes. Ice harvesting was originally done by farmers using crude equipment such as axes and cross-cut hand saws. There were ice depots in some cities and towns supplied by the farmers, but transportation was woefully inadequate. Ice was generally sold to consumers as irregularly shaped fragments in bushel baskets. In rural areas, ice houses were owned by individual farmers or cooperatively by a few families living close together. More often than not, the house was located next to a stream or pond. Commercial ice harvesting took place during the months of January, February and March. The thickness varied from six inches in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Southern New York State, up to 15"-30" thick in Maine. The ice was cleaned if there was snow cover, and then planed if it was rough. Holes were drilled to determine the thickness and, once the best spot was selected, the field was marked off in squares using a narrow blade drawn by horses and steered by plow handles. The ice cutter, or ice-plow was used next. The plow was designed to cut about two thirds the depth of the ice. The sheet of about twelve blocks would then be channeled from the field to the ice house. These sheets were either pulled by a team of horses, or poled along by an ice cutter using a "hook." When the sheet arrived at the house, it would be separated and packed away in layers with cracks between the layers. This allowed for melting and prevented the cakes from freezing into one solid block. After the house was filled, the top of the ice was covered with straw, hay or sawdust. Melting still ranged from 25% - 50% during the summer. The whole process to fill a large house (25,000 tons) would require a minimum of one hundred men and ten to twelve horse teams. The harvest usually took fifteen to thirty days. The early to mid 1800s saw the invention of the ice box - a wooden box, usually oak, approximately 25" x 40', lined with zinc. The top of the box lifted up and a large block of ice was placed inside. The inherent quality of cold air falling, kept articles cold in the box below, accessible through a door on the front. Technology continued to grow and by the early 1900s the "Iceless Ice Box" was becoming the newest rage. A cooling element, purchased separately, was placed in the refrigerator and attached to an electric current. This would allow the refrigerator to maintain a constant cold temperature. In an article in the Westport Herald from February, 1924, these new coolers were declared, by the few who owned them, to be the "final word in household efficiency." Back to contents.

150 Years Old, Emmanuel Episcopal Church In 1995, the Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Lyons Plains will celebrate it's 150th birthday. The Honorable George Guidera has been kind enough to pass on considerable information to us and we will be running a series of articles chronicling the church's long, and sometimes, controversial history. From the early 1600s this area of Fairfield, Easton, and Weston was over-seen by parishes, with the church being the central focus. In the Fall of 1787 Weston became a town and in March of 1788, the parishes joined into one Episcopal Society with the central meeting place of Northfairfield (later to become Easton). The history of the Church has been given to us in the form of a letter penned by Bradford Winston in Easton on January 14, 1846 to Charles Hawley Esq., in Stamford. The letter/history was in response to a suit brought by Hanford Nichols and Edmond 0. Sturges, of Weston, who were contesting the Church Organization and the location of the new building. Older members of the society wanted the Church to be located in Northfairfield, whereas, newer members, in particular Mr. Nichols, demanded the Church be close to Norfield Parish on a plain near his home. Financial considerations were given against the re-location. For example, the will of Adin Jackson gave $200 to the Society in 1814 specifically designated that the annual interest be used to pay the taxes of the poor and to support a Clergyman in Northfairfield. Monies from fairs which raised almost $1,700 were hanging in the balance. On the 18th of November, 1844 the following warning was put up for a Society's meeting, through the entreaties of Hanford Nichols. "The members of the Episcopal Society in Weston are hereby notified and warned to meet at the Church in said Society on Saturday the 23rd day of November, 1844 at 2 o'clock afternoon for the purpose of deciding on a location for the building of a new Church in said Town and to make additions or alterations in the building Committee and do and transact such other business as may be thought proper regarding the building of said Church." The meeting was adjourned from the 23rd to the 30th of November at which time it was voted that a committee of 2 or more Clergymen be appointed to examine and fix upon a location where a new Church ought to be built for the benefit of the Episcopal Society in Weston. It was voted that the Reverend William C. Mead of Norwalk and Reverend Bull of Westport be the committee and to call in a third person if they could not agree. It was also voted that the meeting be adjourned to Saturday the 7th day of December to hear and decide upon the report. However, as the 7th was a very "stormy day," no report was made, and no one attended the meeting. Therefore, the meeting died. Back to contents.

"Woodie" Cowan - Cartoonist and First Selectman With the advent of the Model A and the Railroad coming though Westport in the late 20's and early 30's, Weston became a quiet and peaceful retreat for many writers, musicians and artists who were tired of the bustle and bustle of New York City. One such person was Woodson Cowan, cartoonist. Wood, or Woodie, as he was commonly called was born in Iowa in 1889. (His roots are memorialized in a book by Mr. Cowan entitled "Iowa Cracker Barrel"). He went to Chicago to attend the Art Institute. Upon graduation, he combined his talents as a talented musician and a cartoonist, into a traveling vaudeville act appearing with such stars as Eddie Cantor and George Jessel. His desire to do newspaper work finally landed him a job with a Chicago newspaper. He was assigned to take a photograph of a woman in a sensational trial, but sketched her instead, thus becoming the newspaper's artist. Mr. Cowan then traveled to New Orleans where he became a political cartoonist. He came to Washington where he created "Auto Bugs and Buggies," "Them were the Days," and "Vivian the Vamp." He moved to New York and took over "Our Boarding House" starring Major Hoople created by Gene Ahern. In 1928 Woodie and his wife, Francis, bought a 59 acre farm which he named "Belly - Acres." The house was a typical unadorned farm house with a large barn in which he later lived. The property was located on Godfrey Road West across from what is now Mountain View Drive. As a resident of Weston, Mr. Cowan not only presided over "Major Hoople," but he became involved in local politics. He served two terms in the Connecticut legislature, 1953-1957. One of his best known proposals in the State legislature was the "Birth & Girth" tax. Under his proposal, all Connecticut citizens over 21 would be taxed $2.00 every birthday, with extra tax levied on those who were taller, or fatter, or had bigger feet because they used more space. Mr. Cowan ran for First Selectman in Weston and won an upset election. He won the election on the issue of schools - whether they should be expounded adjacent to the Weston Center, or moved to River Road and placed on the Coley property which was for sale at the time. He served one term in this office. Woodie Cowan was considered one of the "new breed" who came to Weston in search of tranquillity from city life. Instead of passing through, he gave of himself to the community and helped to make Weston the town it is now. Back to contents.