George H.W. Bush Aircraft: Rod Bengston of the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum in Hawaii

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George Herbert Walker Bush's roots run deep here in Greenwich, Connecticut. 

He epitomized the best in selfless service to America, and he is remembered as one of this nation's 'Greatest Generation.' A consummate patriot, statesman and president, Bush was a decorated veteran who spent three years as a naval aviator flying combat missions during World War II.

On the Wednesday, 23rd of October, 2019 broadcast of Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons, I welcomed Rod Bengston, director of Exhibits, Restoration and Curatorial Services of the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum in Hawaii.

The yellow aircraft pictured here is in the museum; it is the plane that Mr. Bush trained in. Click here also. 

The museum is also restoring the same type of plane Bush crashed in -a plane that survived the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Empire on December 7, 1941.

Please go to this link where you can help support the exhibit honoring President George Herbert Walker Bush's extraordinary legacy at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. Thank you!

Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons aired Wednesday morning, 23rd of October, 2019 on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com right after the top of the hour news at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. 

If you cannot listen to the live broadcast fear not! We have you covered. We'll post links to the archived shows on Facebook and to your email box after the conclusion of the broadcast at 9:30 a.m.

Rock Harpist and Singer Erin Hill

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That's a wrap! My guest on the Wednesday, 9th of October, 2019  broadcast was Rock Harpist and Singer Erin Hill. She is a true original. 

Based out of New York City and Louisville, Kentucky, Erin Hill is redefining what is considered cutting-edge by celebrating a range of styles on the electric harp that includes pop, rock, jazz, country, opera, Celtic/Irish and more. 

She has performed at such venues as The Royal Albert Hall in London, at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and clubs in New York City. Erin Hill won an Independent Music Award for her album Girl Inventor. 

Her songs and albums are available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and elsewhere. I recently attended one of her concerts at Joe's Pub in Manhattan. There was not an empty seat in the house! Learn more at ErinHill.com.

Please click the link to her video on YouTube, 'Giant Mushrooms.’ Mark your calendars for October 30, the night before Halloween!

Rock harpist & singer Erin Hill is known for her arrangements of David Bowie songs on electric harp & vocals, from Space Oddity through Blackstar.

On Halloween Eve, 2019, she brings her Erin Hill: Harp Oddity Show to The Cutting Room in Manhattan, along with her band of drums, pedal steel, and strings.

And in honor of Devil’s Night, the audience is hereby invited to come dressed as your favorite Bowie, should you so desire! $15 ticket. Learn more at erinhill.com.

Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons aired Wednesday morning, 9th of October, 2019 on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com right after the top of the hour news at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. 

If you cannot listen to the live broadcast fear not! We have you covered. We'll post links to the archived shows on Facebook and to your email box after the conclusion of the broadcast at 9:30 a.m.

One Year Anniversary: Scarpelli Family of Cos Cob

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On the Wednesday, 25th of September, 2019 broadcast of Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons, you’ll hear a touching story published in Greenwich Free Press in 2015 about the Scarpelli Family of Cos Cob and their sausage shop on Bible Street.

We also shared news about an upcoming lecture next week at the Greenwich Library about the 1824 visit to Greenwich by the Marquis de Lafayette. Julian Icher -a guest on the May 22 show -is the head of the Lafayette Trail Project. He will be lecturing at the Greenwich Library Meeting Room at 7:00 p.m., October 2. 

This broadcast marks the one-year anniversary of this first-ever radio show on the history of the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut. 

Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons aired Wednesday morning, 25th of September, 2019 on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com right after the top of the hour news at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. 

If you cannot listen to the live broadcast fear not! We have you covered. We'll post links to the archived shows on Facebook and to your email box after the conclusion of the broadcast at 9:30 a.m. 

Sept. 11 Anniversary and Encore with Julien Icher, The Lafayette Trail Project

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For many Americans, the events of Sept. 11, 2001, are impossible to forget. Images of dark plumes of smoke billowing from the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, of people jumping from collapsing buildings, of ash coated survivors, strangers just moments before, comforting each other as they flee from the area will be forever ingrained in our nation's collective consciousness. Cities and towns around the country will pay tribute to the lives lost that day.

That holds true in Greenwich. I shared some retrospective thoughts about what's happening in Greenwich and in New York as we mark the anniversary of the 911 attacks on the Wednesday, September 11, 2019 broadcast of Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons, starting after the 9:00 a.m. news on Radio 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere. 

We also featured an encore conversation with Julien Icher of the Lafayette Trail Project- he's coming to Greenwich next month. Details pending. 

Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons aired Wednesday morning, 11th of September, 2019 on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com right after the top of the hour news at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. 

If you cannot listen to the live broadcast fear not! We have you covered. We'll post links to the archived shows on Facebook and to your email box after the conclusion of the broadcast at 9:30 a.m. 

HMT ROHNA DISASTER & GREENWICH CONNECTION: August 28, 2019

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When readers of the Rochester Times-Union received their Thursday evening, June 14, 1945 editions they and Americans across the nation read news of the greatest single transport disaster during World War II -and its details were kept classified for decades. 

It would be many years before family members and the public would learn details about the mysterious circumstances of the Rohna disaster. 

In the darkness of the night and in bad weather the British troops ship HMT Rohna sank after a 30 minute enemy air attack on November 26, 1943 off the coast of Algeria. 

Of the 1,981 U.S. Navy personnel aboard 1,015 were lost -including one who called Greenwich, Connecticut home. He grew up in Round Hill, a member of the Moore family. 

This is from the Greenwich News & Graphic, dated October 31, 1924: "One of the features of the day was the appearance of Master John Campbell Moore, the three-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Moore, attired in full Highland costume, carrying a miniature set of bagpipes. The little fellow marched about the grounds playing with the band and his performance was lost amusing and greatly enjoyed." 

Sadly, he died in the attack on the HMT Rohna during World War II. My guests believe that the family here in Greenwich never knew what happened to him -or why because it was classified.

Joining Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead in the 1490 WGCH studios are Greenwich resident and author Catherine Ladnier and John Dolin and Joe Webber of West Haven, Connecticut.

The Moore Family home still stands tall and dignified at 420 Round Hill Road. 

You've heard of Mooreland Road, haven't you? Before it was subdivided and developed this estate played host to the original Round Hill Scottish Highland Games in Greenwich before going off to Yale Farms in North Greenwich, then Stamford and today in Norwalk every July. 

Had young John Campbell Moore survived the Rohna disaster he would have been the uncle to actress Glenn Close. 

I am willing to bet that many of you have never heard about the Rohna, the worst sea disaster in American history. 

Please take a few moments to visit Ladnier's web site, DearEva.org to learn about her plays and her upcoming appearance on the 31st of August at the Halls Veterans Museum, Tennessee. 

Also, learn more by visiting the web site of the Rohna Survivors Memorial Association.

Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons will air this coming Wednesday morning, August 28, 2019 on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com right after the top of the hour news at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. If you cannot listen to the live broadcast fear not! We have you covered. We'll post links to the archived shows on Facebook and to your email box after the conclusion of the broadcast at 9:30 a.m.

Pastor Dong Hyun Choi of the First United Methodist Church of Greenwich

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Methodist Christians have been present in Greenwich since the late-18th century. 

With me on the Wednesday, July 31, 2019 broadcast in the studios of Radio 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut and WGCH.com anywhere via live audio streaming was Pastor Dong Hyun Choi of the United Methodist Church of Greenwich. 

Pastor Choi and his family are originally from Korea. In Greenwich's 379+ years of ongoing history, Pastor Choi is the first Asian American/Korean American to be the senior clergy of any church in the town. 

You'll hear about Pastor Choi and his family, how they came to Greenwich, what they like most -and an introduction to both Korean language and culture. We'll feature all that and more as the show unfolds. 

Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons is hosted by Jeffrey Bingham Mead, a direct descendant of the founders of Greenwich, Connecticut in the 17th century. The show airs every-other Wednesday morning starting 9:00 am on Radio 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com.

Happy Greenwich 379th Founders Day! Linda Heald Joins us from Boston

The Feake Ferris House, Oldest House in Greenwich, Connecticut
Photo Credit: Greenwich Historical Society. 

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Thursday, July 18 is Founders Day in Greenwich, Connecticut -379 years ago! 

My guest on Talk of the Town is Linda Heald. A resident of Jamaica Plain in Boston, Massachusetts, Linda Heald is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution who has extensively researched and documented her ancestry. 

In June she visited Greenwich in part to photograph the gravestones of her ancestors. One ancestor’s stone -Clarissa Sackett- had fallen and was overturned with its inscription facing downward. The other -Dr. Elisha Belcher- was no where to be found. 

When news of this reached my email box I knew that Linda Heald needed to be on the show -and that we needed to find the gravestones of these ancestors. 

And find them we did! For the first time in decades both Clarissa Sackett’s and Dr. Elisha Belcher’s gravestones can be seen again. 

The Gravestone of Dr. Elisha Belcher, New Burial Ground Cemetery, Greenwich, Connecticut. 

The Dr. Elisha Belcher Family Home, Circa 1745, Round Hill Road. Photo Credit: Jeffrey Bingham Mead

The Gravestone of Clarissa Sackett, New Burial Ground Association Cemetery, Greenwich, Connecticut. 

Justus Sackett House, 42 Patterson Avenue, Greenwich, Connecticut. 

I want to thank Christopher Shields, archivist, and Nola Taylor of the Greenwich Historical Society -as well as Andrew Melillo of the Acacia Lodge No. 86 Greenwich Free Masons for your valuable support and efforts. 

Thank you, Linda Heald, for your sponsorship of the Wednesday, July 17 Founders Day broadcast of Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons on Radio 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere.

Linda mentioned that she is a recent member of the DAR, or Daughters of the American Revolution -which is over 125 years old, founded in 1890. It is a non-profit organization that can be found online at www.DAR.org. It is a fantastic web site where you can find your local chapter and see if one of your ancestors served in the American Revolution.

Greenwich has the Putnam Hill DAR Chapter with monthly meetings on the fourth Thursday of the month resuming after the summer in September. 

The objectives of the organization are threefold:

• HISTORICAL -to perpetuate the memory and spirit of the men and women who achieved American independence;
• EDUCATIONAL -to carry out the injunction of President Washington in his farewell address to the American people, “to promote the general diffusion of knowledge,” and;
• PATRIOTIC -to cherish, maintain and extend the institutions of American freedom, to foster true patriotism and love of country, and to aid in securing for mankind all the blessings of liberty. 

Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons broadcasts from the studios of 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut and anywhere via audio-streaming on WGCH.com. Jeffrey Bingham Mead, a descendant of the 17th century founders of Greenwich, is your host. Tune in at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. 

Can’t listen in real-time? All shows are freely available and archived on Podcasts.com via a special channel. You can also find archived shows on SoundCloud. 

Listen on your time, anytime from anywhere.

Please support Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons through our GoFundMe Campaign. 

Special Broadcast: Happy July 4! Celebrations of American Independence

Photo credit: Greenwich Time

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Today's broadcast was sponsored by Judy Goss, manager of the You Know You're From Greenwich Ct If Facebook Group. 

Thank you, Judy! 

Happy Fourth of July, 2019! 

For generations, Greenwich and neighboring communities have been celebrating our precious freedoms and Independence Day every Fourth of July. 

Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead, a descendant of the 17th century founders of Greenwich, Connecticut featured historical vignettes of how citizens throughout the ages saluted and celebrated the red, white and blue. 

We featured a special 3rd of July, 2019 broadcast of Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons on Radio 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA and WGCH.com via live audio-streaming anywhere around the world, thanks to the miracle of modern technology. 

Greenwich's far-flung expats around the nation and the world can tune in online via WGCH.com and connect at home. 

Can't listen in real time? Fear not -we have you covered! Just go to the links above to our archived channels on SoundCloud and Podcasts.com. 

You can also get links sent to your email box by joining our email list. Send us a note to GreenwichATownForAllSeasons@gmail.com anytime. 

Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons relies on citizen-support to keep the show on the air. Please go to our GoFundMe campaign and contribute what you can. Thank you! 

Port Chester NY History Day! Norm Davis, Manager of the Port Chester NY Historical Archive Group on Facebook Joins Us

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On the Wednesday, 19th of June 2019 broadcast of the Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons Show starting 9:00 a.m. on Radio 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live audio streaming I am welcoming Norm Davis back to the show. 

I just flew in from many months away in Hawaii. I'll have strong coffee in hand since I'm jet-lagged to the max! Tune in via the links to SoundCloud and Podcasts.com to hear how I did. 

You may remember Norm appearing on the show in October, 2018 when we learned about a wayward gravestone of a Mead family ancestor he found in his Port Chester home. Thankfully, we were able to repatriate Rachel Mead's gravestone to its proper place in the cemetery next to Greenwich's iconic Second Congregational Church. 

Thanks to social media platforms such as Facebook people are connecting to their history and to each other as never before. Norm Davis is the manager of the Port Chester NY Historical Archive. Since being added to its 1250+ members, my horizons have been broadened -and I'm certain that yours will be, too. Greenwich's neighbor to the west in New York State has a remarkable history that deserves our attention. Please join! Consider yourself invited.

As time permits we'll learn about how Greenwich people became "whisker conscious" in the days coming up to Founders Day in 1956. Greenwich citizens and others all the way across North America were jolted out of their beds on autumn morning in 1935. There's more! What we don't cover today will be featured on our upcoming special 3rd of July 2019 Independence Day broadcast. 

You can also get links sent to your email box by joining our email list. Send us a note to GreenwichATownForAllSeasons@gmail.com anytime. 


Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons relies on citizen-support to keep the show on the air. Please go to our GoFundMe campaign and contribute what you can. Thank you! 

Today's broadcast of Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons was made possible by the generous support of Norm Davis Architect, a New York-based multidisciplinary architectural firm with experience throughout the Metro-New York region. 

Why should you hire Norm Davis to be your architect? Your dreams coupled with the professional expertise Norm Davis brings to your project comes on-time and within budget. 

Want more? Custom houses. Residential alterations. Commercial and industrial development. 

Whether you simply looking to enlarge your home or business on-budget or create a showpiece, Norm Davis Architect will blend your ideas with its imagination to make a truly unique and satisfying final product. Free consultations! 

Learn more at NormDavisArchitect.com. Call 24 hours, seven days a week at 718.479.6500 or during regular office hours at 718.225.0040, or email ndarch@earthlink.net anytime. 

75th Anniversary D-Day; Helen Keller in Port Chester, 1913; Burying Hill; Hester Bush Mead; Port Chester NY Historical Archive and More!

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Welcome to the Wednesday, 5th of June 2019 broadcast of the Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons Show starting 9:00 a.m. on Radio 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com anywhere via live audio streaming.

We live in an imperfect world -just in case you did not know. I had a guest lined up for tomorrow's show, but truth be told he had to cancel out at the last minute due to circumstances beyond his control. 

What's an historian and show host to do? Wing it! And that's precisely what's in store.

You'll hear about a remarkable talk at the Retired Men's Association commemorating the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Invasion. Mr. Bob Wylie spoke at the First Presbyterian Church starting 11:00 a.m. The public was invited to attend.

Did you know that Helen Keller lectured in Port Chester, New York in November, 1913? Tickets were priced at 75 cents! She caused quite a sensation. 

Speaking of Port Chester, you'll hear about a unique and insightful history group here in Facebook I recommend joining: the Port Chester NY Historical Archive administered by Norm Davis.

We'll cast our gaze to Hester Bush Mead -both to her gravestone in Union Cemetery and a watercolor of one of our ancestral homes attributed to her.

And finally, we'll head north to Round Hill where I grew up to an ancient cemetery known as Burying Hill replete with mysteries and history.

Can't listen in real time? That's okay; I've got you covered with show archives on Podcasts.com and SoundCloud.

This show is supported at this time through community contributions through a campaign on GoFundMe. Thank you for your support!

We invite businesses to advertise on the show. Contact us at GreenwichATownForAllSeasons@gmail.com.

Tune in to our next broadcast on Wednesday morning, June 19, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Thank you for listening.