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03/14/2017 12:00 AMEver wonder how historical societies piece together the stories of small towns? Come see for yourself on Sunday, March 26, when the Deep River Historical Society holds an informal coffee house to invite people to share their memories and stories of Winthrop.
“I’m interested in the settlement of the area,” said Cindi Stannard, treasurer and trustee of the historical society, who will be hosting the event. “We hope to discover some of the undocumented history of the town.
“There was a lot of industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s,” Stannard continued. “There were several mills—you can still see the foundations of them if you walk through the woods. The historical society had slides of that period which we are going to show. There was the school before Deep River Elementary School, the gas station, the Winthrop Institute for Young Ladies, and much more.
“A lot of people have lived here for a long time,” said Stannard. “We want to see if people have more photographs or information.”
The historical society will show about 25 slides from the early 1900s, and will also record the stories of several members of the community. The open discussion is meant to collect as much information as possible and establish new connections to the community. A more formal presentation will be held on Thursday, April 27 at 7 p.m., which will also mark the beginning of series of programs on Winthrop.
“We’re lucky, a lot of the original houses are still standing,” said Stannard. “Many have not changed and the founders’ homes can still be recognized. You can see old foundations. There was once a cranberry bog here, too.”
Winthrop was always a part of Deep River, and has been settled since the 1630s. Both areas were a part of the original Saybrook Colony; Deep River incorporated under its current name in the mid-1900s.
The Deep River Historical Society coffee hour will take place at 2 p.m. at Winthrop Baptist Church on Sunday, March 26, and is expected to last about an hour. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call Cindi Stannard at 860-526-3301.