Meriden Historical Society

Mid Week Mystery

Not much of a mystery as to what you are looking at, which by the way if you come to tour the Andrews Homestead, you get to see the history of Meriden through modern times replete with the fashions, like this topper, that were sported in earlier times.

But the question is, what modern phrase found its origin in hats similar to this?

The Homestead is open the third Saturday of every month from 11-3.

Mid Week Mystery
What well known building in Meriden was at the epicenter of the abolitionist movement in the 1800s and was actually attacked and its doors broken down while holding an abolitionist meeting in the 1830s?

Mid Week Mystery
In Meriden the Dominican Republic and Ecuador are the top countries for Latin American immigration to our city. The Ecuadorian population in Meriden has grown significantly in recent years. The community expresses its cultural identity primarily through local family-owned businesses, authentic dining, and participation in broader statewide Latin American events. You can taste authentic traditional dishes (such as empanadas, bolones, and ceviche) at local spots like Tradiciones Ecuatorianas (448 Center St) and Sabor De Mi Tierra Deli and Juice Bar (744 Murdock Ave). Families, such as the prominent local Saguay family, have expanded Ecuadorian entrepreneurship in the area.

Dominicans make up one of the largest and most dynamic Latino groups in Connecticut. While many dedicated Dominican markets and salons are concentrated in nearby cities like Hartford and Waterbury, Meriden’s local scene features distinct Dominican flavor. Local favorite Sazon Con Fuego (82 W Main St) is highly celebrated for bringing Dominican-style street food to the area, specifically their famous Chimi Burgers and garlic-onion seasoned meats.

THIS WEEK AT THE MUSEUM
Of course all of our exhibits are open to the public and this Saturday is CT Open House, which means free admission for non-members. Come check us out. Complete the scavenger hunts for prizes..

Figure it out Friday
There's a little debate about this one, I'm anxious to hear what you have to say. The longest piece is 9" long.

Oddly enough this is an early telegraph machine. The receiver dial was printed with letters (A-Z) and digits. When the transmitter handle moved to a letter, the receiver's needle rotated in synchronization to that same letter. Operators did not need to interpret dots and dashes like Morse Code.
The receiver utilized a spring-driven clockwork mechanism. Every electrical impulse sent from the transmitter released the gears, allowing the needle to advance one position, often using 25-26 slots on the dial. While slower than Morse Code, this system allowed unskilled operators to read messages immediately.

Beginning in 1850, submarine telegraph cables allowed for the first rapid communication between people on different continents. The telegraph's nearly-instant transmission of messages across continents – and between continents – had widespread social and economic impacts. The electric telegraph led to Guglielmo Marconi's invention of wireless telegraphy, the first means of radiowave telecommunication, which he began in 1894.

In the early 20th century, manual operation of telegraph machines was slowly replaced by teleprinter networks. Increasing use of the telephone pushed telegraphy into only a few specialist uses; its use by the general public dwindled to greetings for special occasions. The rise of the Internet and email in the 1990s largely made dedicated telegraphy networks obsolete.

Chart from https://www.hebronhawkeye.com/entertainment/2023/01/18/the-evolution-of-long-distance-communication/

The statistics bear out the article's premise..
1900. 7% to 8%. At the turn of the century, divorce was rare and often considered socially taboo. Data from the National Center for Family & Marriage Research indicates that less than 1% of ever-married women were currently divorced in 1900. However, when looking at total marital disruptions, roughly 7.7% of marriages from this era eventually ended in legal divorce, with many others resulting in informal separations.
1930: ~16% to 17%. By 1930, the ratio of divorces to marriages had increased to approximately 1 divorce for every 6 marriages. Research suggests that while the annual crude divorce rate was still low (about 1.7 per 1,000 people), the cumulative percentage of marriages from this cohort destined to end in divorce rose to approximately 16-17%.
2025: ~39% to 42% (Current projections for 2025 suggest that approximately 41% of first marriages will end in divorce. This is a decline from the often-cited "50%" statistic, which peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Census Bureau confirms this downward trend in recent decades.

Mid Week Mystery
From what country do the largest number of Latino born immigrants to Meriden come from? I provided a map that lists all the countries.

And the answer to last week is James D. Bergen of Bergen Glass. The company, which operated during its first six years as Bergen and Niland, had its headquarters in Meriden, CT. It is said that James D. Bergen learned the cut-glass business in New York City and Brooklyn and at the Mt. Washington and New England Glass Companies. His company was sold to William B. Bartley about 1913, and Bergen died in 1919, after being associated with the Bergen Cut Glass Company of St. Louis, MO for a few years. A simplified version of the logo below was sometimes acid-etched on the company’s glassware, but an illustration of it is not available at the present time. There was a Bergen factory in Stourbridge, England in addition to three in the United States: Meriden, CT and Brooklyn and Port Jarvis, NY.

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to my weekly engagement list! 🎉

Sherwin Borsuk, Jim Lamoureux, Zack Pietrantonio, Lesley Solkoske, Josh Dummitt, Martha Colaresi