Whitney Castle, Side-wheel Steamer Wrecked, E.C. Converse’s Daughter Shot, Milo Mead Not Amused and More!

 

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO PODCASTS.COM

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO SOUNDCLOUD

This podcast is made possible by Site Design Associates; the Long Island Sound Institute (LISI), the Ambassador Museum United States of America, Kevin M. J. O'Connor of Jeffrey Matthews Wealth Management, and listeners like you everywhere on the Atlantic Learning Consortium Network!

It's the 10th of January, 2023. Welcome!

On Greenwich in the Gilded Age, our journey will take us to Whitney Castle on Byram Shore (since demolished-with tremendous difficulty), thanks to the Junior League of Greenwich and its book The Great Estates Greenwich, Connecticut 1880-1930. 

Originally built for Frederick C. Whitney and his family, the estate was acquired by Fred Hirshhorn in 1922. “It would take the Hirshhorn family to bring the estate to life,” and so indeed they did. 

On The Judge’s Corner, Judge Frederick A. Hubbard penned ‘Depression and Christmas Business at the Post Office-Those Round Stones Being Found Under Greenwich Avenue-Why There Is a Bend in the Avenue’s Upper End.’ in January, 1932. 

On Greenwich Life As It Is -And Was a century ago, you’ll hear about the Connecticut legislature over the years, and about important acts affecting the Town of Greenwich in early 1923. 

We’ll go back in history to the years 1880, 1881 and 1882 as found in Greenwich Before 2000: A Chronology of the Town of Greenwich 1640-1999.

I’ll share yet another New Year story, this one from 1929 set at the famed Pickwick Arms Hotel. 

In September, 1903 the side-wheel steamer S.E. Spring was wrecked on rocks 200 feet from Commodore E.C. Benedict’s mansion at Indian Harbor, not far from Mead's Point. 

On Crimes and Misdemeanors, you’ll hear about the shooting by a masked intruder of Mrs. Antoinette C. Morell, daughter of E.C. Converse of the United States Steel Corporation and owner of Conyers Manor in 1905. 

On a much lighter note, eccentric Milo Mead -the "Sage of New Lebanon”- was fooled by picnickers of the Independent Citizens Association in 1904. This story was so amusing it was published as a special to the New York Times. You’ll learn how, and why. 

There’s lots to see, to do, and to learn about the history of the Town of Greenwich.

I'm Jeffrey Bingham Mead, your host! You’ve come to the right place to learn about the history of the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut, one of America's most interesting and extraordinary communities.  

We’ll have all this -and more- as our history continues to unfold. 

Our next show is scheduled for Tuesday, January 17, 2023.