Welcome to our news and history blog!

Welcome to our news and history blog!

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Objects (Letter to the Editor, Milo Mead, June 17, 1899)

Source: Greenwich Graphic: Saturday, June 17, 1899.




Editor of the Graphic:

New Lebanon, June 13. – In the last issue of the Greenwich News it is stated, among other things, under the caption of "Improvements at Hawthorne," that “he will also build a sidewalk.” There is, or was, a Milo in Ireland, and some persons have talked about naming their children Milo Mead, but they have not made their appearance yet. There is no other Milo Mead but the one who lives at the east side of the New Lebanon, near the Long Island Sound, and he has not agreed with the selectmen, or any individual, "to build a sidewalk." 


MILO MEAD

The Name 'New Lebanon' (Letter to the Editor,1899)

Source: Greenwich Graphic. December 16, 1899. Page 1.



THE NAME NEW LEBANON 
Mr. Milo Mead Tells about a Deed and Refutes Some Misstatements. 

Editor of the Greenwich Graphic:

DEAR SIR – The Greenwich News of the 8th of December says: "The western part of the town known to the United States Government as Hawthorne:" How is it that the Government knows it by that name? Probably by the influence of one dollar bills paid to some of the officers of the Government to have that name adopted. Probably not a baker's dozen of the inhabitants of this village were in favor of that name. The government knows very little of this a village only by reputation, certainly it is not by the general business that is done under that name. There is not a store or blacksmith’s shop, or shoe maker’s shop, or market, excepting one and that is unoccupied in the village that does business under the sign Hawthorne.

The News says: "That the name excites his wrath (meaning myself) as much as a red rag does a bull.” If a bull could laugh and talk he might refer with a grin about the going for a red rag seven years after date, eastern time. “I am not in it” claims this singular paper.

In the News of November 24th among the real estate transfers was this item. “Milo Mead to William Boal, lot on southerly side of Delavan Avenue,” this with the exception of the word Hawthorne the News says was copied from the warrantee (he made a mistake in spelling) it should have been warranty deed. The News says that I kept the deed, and that deed was drawn March 8th 1892 and recorded November 11th, 1899, and the paper says it does not know what my idea was in holding this deed back so long before having it recorded. Here the News evidently grins and thinks that it has scored a point against me. I did not hold the deed back, it was handed to the buyer of the ground within ten minutes after the money was paid. Perhaps it would be pertinent, to suggest to the editor of that Greenwich paper, the propriety of changing the name from the Greenwich News to the Greenwich History, news is what has lately happened, history is an account of what happened years ago. 

Near the beginning of the article he says I have an exclusive name for the for the place, and that I dislike both other names. That does not follow of course. A man may like three persons, but he may like one of them better than the other two. The sovereigns of Europe have names enough to nearly reach across this page.

“The Fire Company there” (the article further says) “refused to apply that name (New Lebanon it means) to the organization even though a bribe was offered them in the shape of a building lot.” That is not exactly correct. Seventy-five dollars was offered to the company by three persons, which the “Greenwich History” would call a bribe. The company was organized and incorporated under the name of the “New Lebanon Fire Company,” but afterwards the name was changed to “Protection Fire Company.” The Editor of the “History” seems not to know in his writing and his talk the difference between a bribe and a prize. This is what the > Webster’s Dictionary says about a bribe, (part of the definition) “a price or reward with a view to pervert the judgment or corrupt the conduct of a judge, witness of other person or persons to some act contrary to what he knows to be the truth, justice or rectitude.” The editor of the “History” probably knows what the word bribe means, it is probably used by him for effect, not because there is an propriety in its use in respect to Belle Haven Avenue and the New Lebanon Fire Company. 


MILO MEAD

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Mrs. Solomon Stoddard Mead (Mary Sands), North Greenwich.


Caroline Mills Smith Mead's Real Estate Developments in Cos Cob


In the June 11, 1910 announcement of Caroline Mills Smith Mead's funeral it was mentioned that: 

Mrs. Mead owned a large acreage of Cos Cob property, and although advanced in years was deeply interested in building up that part of the town, opening up her land into desirable building lots, handsome cottages having been built on many, Mrs. Mead's wish being that only a good class of houses be constructed, and the attractive section known as Mead Circle, which has so rapidly built up the past few years, was a part of her holdings. 

A recent trip to the Greenwich Town Clerk's office reaped a reward in the form of maps of Caroline's subdivisions and and developments in Cos Cob:







Thursday, October 8, 2015

Obituary: Agnes Smith (Milo Mead, 1900)

Source: Greenwich Graphic. January 13, 1900. Page 1.


Died at Milo Mead's
NEW LEBANON, CONN., JAN. 10, 1900
AGNES I. SMITH


Agnes I. Smith died at the residence of writer Jan. 5th, aged 60 years. She was born in the North of Ireland and came to this country in a sailing vessel when she was about eighteen years of age. The vessel was several weeks in making the passage and came near being lost.

She attended Mrs. Deacon Mead three and a half years and has since been employed in my home where she would have been, if she had lived until the 31st of March next, twenty-seven years.


She was taken sick with pneumonia years ago and after she recovered from it, her constitution was enfeebled and she became liable to an attack of asthma, from the effects of which, she suffered much sickness and distress.

She was rather an exceptional person in fidelity and ability to manage house hold affairs, she had the esteem of many neighbors. She was a member of the Second Congregational Church of Greenwich.

MILO MEAD


Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Death of Elkanah Mead (1894)

Source: Greenwich Graphic. April 21, 1894. Page 1.


Mr. Elkanah Mead, who died at his home in Stanwich on Thursday of last week, aged 76 years, was an old resident of Greenwich, and had always taken a deep interest in the welfare of the town. For three years he was selectmen, and was at one time captain of a Greenwich company of the Fourth regiment. He had been a member of the second congregational church for fifty-five years, and a deacon in the church for twenty-four years and was a prominent worker in the cause. 


He was universally respected and looked upon as a straightforward, earnest and Christian man. The funeral services were held on Monday, and there was a large attendance. Rev. Russell T Hall conducted the services, and there was appropriate singing by the quartette.