Current Events
2023 SCHEDULE OF EVENTSAll events take place at the Museum unless otherwise stated. Events are open to the public and free to members and children under twelve, except as noted. Donations from non-members is $5 for regular events.
Upcoming EventsPrevious events in 2023 include the following:
Purchase Tickets & Register for the 60th Anniversary Celebration!Saturday September 23, 2023 7 p.m.
We're turning 60! Join us on Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 7:00 PM to celebrate East Haddam Historical Society & Museum's 60th anniversary!
The festive evening will feature food, refreshments, live music, a silent auction, and a chance to celebrate with old & new friends! There will be many Sponsorship opportunities to support the work of the Museum. Purchase Tickets & Register Here! Ruth Dill Art Show - One Day Only!
Sunday, September 10, 2023, noon - 4 p.m.
Ruth Dill, longtime East Haddam resident artist, will present a retrospective show of her paintings on Sunday, September 10th at the East Haddam Historical Society Museum at 264 Town Street, East Haddam. Among the paintings are portraits of Dotty Dill on the farm, Jim Wynn and Amos Shepard’s home and dogs, Elsie Cone’s father and father-in-law, other local residents, a portrait of a Native American, and another of girls playing ‘jacks.’ The show will be held on Sunday, September 10th only, and will be a celebration of the artist’s work. Members and children under 12 are free. Non-member suggested donation is $5. A Tour of the Goodspeed Opera House
presented by author Janet Lemond
Saturday, September 16, 2023 from 2-3 p.m. Janet Lemond, author of A Tour of the Goodspeed Opera House, will describe the amazing history of the Opera House, its restoration in the 20th century, and will offer a virtual room-by-room tour of some of the 18th century artifacts. Janet has provided Opera House tours since 2018. As a child, she witnessed the deterioration of the Opera House and the restoration to its present-day splendor. Copies of her book will be available for purchase at the event. While you're there, check out our Goodspeed exhibit in the front lobby! Connecticut Summer at the Museum
Historic Buildings of the East Haddam Lower LandingDr. Karl Stofko, Historian
Sunday August 20, 2023 at 2 p.m.
Archaeological Dig of the Dill Farm - CT Summer at the Museum
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Oscar Dill will talk about the archaeological dig that took place on the 350-acre Dill farm, which may be 10,000 years old and the oldest inhabited site in CT. He will present many of the archaeological finds and talk about the first people that might have lived there.
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For Goodness Snakes! - CT Summer at the Museum
Tuesday August 1, 2023 2 - 3 p.m.
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Meet the snakes of East Haddam! Learn what is special about each of our 14 species of snakes, including their habitats and natural history. Live snakes, of course! The program will be presented by a Ranger from Meigs Point Nature Center.
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Mr. Magic - CT Summer at the Museum
Tuesday July 25, 2023 2 - 3 p.m.
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Mr. Magic has been mystifying audiences for 50 years! He’ll be entertaining our guests at the Museum with his marvelous feats of magic, and involves the audience in most of his tricks!
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Bees! - CT Summer at the Museum
Tuesday July 18, 2023 2 - 3 p.m.
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Ali Durham is an “apiarist”, also known as a beekeeper. Ali will share how and why she became a beekeeper, and will provide information about how to take care of bees. She’ll share interesting history about bees along the way!
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Birds of Prey - CT Summer at the Museum
Tuesday July 11, 2023 2 - 3 pm
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A Place Called Hope (APCH) in Killingworth, CT, is a rehabilitation center for sick or injured birds of prey. APCH will bring raptors to this outdoor presentation. Audiences will meet raptors: two day time hunters and two night time hunters. You will learn each bird’s story of survival and ways to lessen conflicts with the wildlife in your very own backyard.
With gratitude to Eight Mile River for a grant to support this program. |
East Haddam: The Epicenter of New England
Wednesday June 21, 2023 7 p.m.
Presented by Dr. Stephen Gencarella
Many places throughout New England can claim to be the home of fascinating legends, yet no other town quite matches East Haddam for its fantastical stories. Professor Stephen Gencarella, a folklorist at UMass Amherst and author of several books on New England folklore, will share how centuries of tales of the Moodus noises—from precolonial times to the present, coupled with seemingly endless tales about the Devil’s Hopyard, ghost stories, historical legends, and remarkable anecdotes about a supernatural black fox -- make East Haddam the epicenter of New England folklore.
Dr. Stephen Gencarella is the author of Spooky Trails and Tall Tales Connecticut: Hiking the State's Legends, Hauntings, and History. He is the resident folklorist for the Connecticut River Museum and lives in Old Lyme, CT.
Presented by Dr. Stephen Gencarella
Many places throughout New England can claim to be the home of fascinating legends, yet no other town quite matches East Haddam for its fantastical stories. Professor Stephen Gencarella, a folklorist at UMass Amherst and author of several books on New England folklore, will share how centuries of tales of the Moodus noises—from precolonial times to the present, coupled with seemingly endless tales about the Devil’s Hopyard, ghost stories, historical legends, and remarkable anecdotes about a supernatural black fox -- make East Haddam the epicenter of New England folklore.
Dr. Stephen Gencarella is the author of Spooky Trails and Tall Tales Connecticut: Hiking the State's Legends, Hauntings, and History. He is the resident folklorist for the Connecticut River Museum and lives in Old Lyme, CT.
"Junk in the Trunk” Tag Sale & Plant Sale
Saturday May 20, 2023 8 a.m. - 12 noon
Tag sale in partnership with the East Haddam Garden Club Plant Sale. To reserve a tag sale space, call 860-873-3944.
The Vanished Port: Slave Trade on the Connecticut River
Wednesday May 17, 2023 7 p.m.
"The Vanished Port: Slave Trade on the Connecticut River," presented by Erik Hesselberg. Erik was president of the Middlesex County Historical Society and developed the award-winning exhibit “A Vanished Port,” on the Connecticut River’s ties to the slave economy of the Caribbean islands. Back by popular demand, Erik recently spoke at the Museum about his book "Night Boat to New York: Steamboats on the Connecticut, 1815–1931."
"The Vanished Port: Slave Trade on the Connecticut River," presented by Erik Hesselberg. Erik was president of the Middlesex County Historical Society and developed the award-winning exhibit “A Vanished Port,” on the Connecticut River’s ties to the slave economy of the Caribbean islands. Back by popular demand, Erik recently spoke at the Museum about his book "Night Boat to New York: Steamboats on the Connecticut, 1815–1931."
Exploring Black and Indigenous Connecticut Maritime Experiences
with Dr. Akeia deBarros Gomes
Sunday April 16, 2023, 3 p.m.
The East Haddam Historical Society is pleased to present Dr. Akeia deBarros Gomes, Senior Curator of Maritime Social Histories at the Mystic Seaport Museum. Akeia will explore African and Indigenous maritime skills and worldviews before “America.” She will share stories from local Indigenous and Black perspectives to demonstrate how Africans, African Americans and Indigenous peoples contributed to maritime New England, including the Connecticut River area.
In her previous position, Akeia was the Curator of Social History at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. She was raised in Newport, RI, and received a Ph.D. and M.A. in Anthropology with a focus in Archaeology from the University of Connecticut.
Akeia became interested in archaeology at the age of 8. She says, “I feel like everyone wanted to be an archaeologist growing up, but I never grew out of it.” Dr. de Barros Gomes has engaged in archaeological fieldwork on the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Reservation in Mashantucket, CT; in the US Virgin Islands and in Newport, RI. She has engaged in Anthropological fieldwork in the US Virgin Islands, in Benin, and in New Orleans.
In her previous position, Akeia was the Curator of Social History at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. She was raised in Newport, RI, and received a Ph.D. and M.A. in Anthropology with a focus in Archaeology from the University of Connecticut.
Akeia became interested in archaeology at the age of 8. She says, “I feel like everyone wanted to be an archaeologist growing up, but I never grew out of it.” Dr. de Barros Gomes has engaged in archaeological fieldwork on the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Reservation in Mashantucket, CT; in the US Virgin Islands and in Newport, RI. She has engaged in Anthropological fieldwork in the US Virgin Islands, in Benin, and in New Orleans.
Pysanky Wax-Resist Egg Dyeing Workshop
Saturday March 25, 2023 Two sessions: 10 a.m. - 12 noon, and 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
"Pysanky Wax-Resist Egg Dyeing Workshop," presented by Sharon Leonard. Learn how to make beautifully decorated Ukrainian eggs in this hands-on workshop. Sign up for either 10 a.m. - 12 noon, or 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. Sharon will guide you through the process of planning a design, dyeing and waxing multiple times, and polishing the wax-resist jewel-like egg. Materials will be provided. Due to the popularity of this workshop, registration is required. The workshop fee is $40. Appropriate for ages 8 - adults. Register here!
Reflections on the Wangunk Tribe and the Original Caretakers
Sunday March 19, 2023 3 p.m.
"Reflections on the Wangunk Tribe and the Original Caretakers," presented by Gary O’Neill, an educator, potter, elder, and last in the line of surviving members of the Wangunk tribe to remain in Connecticut. He will describe how the Wangunks survived in the face of racism and violent erasure, the state of indigenous peoples today, and the importance of preserving his community’s history. Through photos and family records, Mr. O’Neill will illustrate his genetic lineage from the Jonathan Palmer line of Red Oaks living in the eastern Connecticut area.
"Reflections on the Wangunk Tribe and the Original Caretakers," presented by Gary O’Neill, an educator, potter, elder, and last in the line of surviving members of the Wangunk tribe to remain in Connecticut. He will describe how the Wangunks survived in the face of racism and violent erasure, the state of indigenous peoples today, and the importance of preserving his community’s history. Through photos and family records, Mr. O’Neill will illustrate his genetic lineage from the Jonathan Palmer line of Red Oaks living in the eastern Connecticut area.
Archaeologists Dig East Haddam
East Haddam Historical Society & Museum Event with Dr. Sarah Sportman, Connecticut State Archaeologist
Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at 7:00 pm
Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at 7:00 pm
Excavating at Two Wrasslin' Cats
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Dr. Sarah Sportman, Connecticut State Archaeologist
Connecticut’s newest Paleoindian site, the Two Wrasslin’ Cats Site, was identified in 2020. Avocational archaeologist Mark Clymer was drinking coffee in the backyard of the Two Wrasslin’ Cats coffee shop in East Haddam, when he looked down and spotted a piece of stone tool-making debris on the ground. This discovery initiated a series of small archaeological investigations on the coffee shop grounds, led by the Office of State Archaeology with Mark Clymer and volunteer excavators. The excavations uncovered artifacts that reflect a typical Paleoindian toolkit, including rebased fluted points, endscrapers, gravers, and channel flake fragments, all of which are were made on high quality stone materials from New York.
The first inhabitants of our region, known to archaeologists as Paleoindians, arrived in what is now Connecticut at the end of the last ice age (10,000-13,000 years ago). They were hunter-gatherers who moved seasonally across the landscape, probably following the paths of migrating animals. Archaeological sites from this time period are relatively rare, and each new find adds important information to our growing body of knowledge about the first peoples to live in what is now Connecticut.
The archaeological research at the Two Wrasslin’ Cats Site is part of a growing list of recent and ongoing projects at Paleoindian sites in Connecticut. The information collected from this project, as well as recent excavations at the Brian D. Jones Site in Avon and the Templeton Site in Washington, shed new light on Paleoindian lifeways in what is now southern New England. The Two Cats Site is also an important public archaeology project. The location of the excavations, in the back yard of an active coffee shop, provides the opportunity for the public to interact with the archaeologists while they work, ask questions, see artifacts, and witness the archaeological research process.
Dr. Sportman’s presentation will be held at the East Haddam Historical Society & Museum, 264 Town Street, East Haddam, CT. For more information call 860-873-3944.
The first inhabitants of our region, known to archaeologists as Paleoindians, arrived in what is now Connecticut at the end of the last ice age (10,000-13,000 years ago). They were hunter-gatherers who moved seasonally across the landscape, probably following the paths of migrating animals. Archaeological sites from this time period are relatively rare, and each new find adds important information to our growing body of knowledge about the first peoples to live in what is now Connecticut.
The archaeological research at the Two Wrasslin’ Cats Site is part of a growing list of recent and ongoing projects at Paleoindian sites in Connecticut. The information collected from this project, as well as recent excavations at the Brian D. Jones Site in Avon and the Templeton Site in Washington, shed new light on Paleoindian lifeways in what is now southern New England. The Two Cats Site is also an important public archaeology project. The location of the excavations, in the back yard of an active coffee shop, provides the opportunity for the public to interact with the archaeologists while they work, ask questions, see artifacts, and witness the archaeological research process.
Dr. Sportman’s presentation will be held at the East Haddam Historical Society & Museum, 264 Town Street, East Haddam, CT. For more information call 860-873-3944.
Alzheimer's and Dementia - You are not Alone!
Sundays at 2 p.m. on February 26, March 26, April 23, and May 21
The East Haddam Library System & the East Haddam Historical Society & Museum are co-sponsoring a four part series of programs discussing Alzheimer’s and Dementia, presented by Kristopher Sortwell, MSW, CBIS.
The East Haddam Library System & the East Haddam Historical Society & Museum are co-sponsoring a four part series of programs discussing Alzheimer’s and Dementia, presented by Kristopher Sortwell, MSW, CBIS.
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Start the new year enjoying the benefits of Yoga at the Museum!
Mondays, 7pm, January 2nd - January 30th. Continues through April! $60 for 5 classes, $50 for 4 classes or $15 drop-in per class Taught by experienced practitioner Erin Day, this Yoga class offers ease, increased self-awareness, flexibility, and strength with a combination of slow, fluid movements within the postures. You are encouraged to listen to your body and trust what you know is the right action for you. The classes will include Yoga postures, meditation and breathwork, and Yoga teachings for your life. Practicing together as a community is just the beginning as we experience the peace and liberation that is accessible through Yoga. The class is appropriate for all levels. Erin Day is an experienced Yoga mentor, herbalist, greenspirit practitioner and owner of Ten Summit Yoga & Earth Based Wellness. Erin loves to witness others thrive as they are supported in community and compassion. Enjoy the benefits of yoga in this large, comfortable space at the Museum. The class is appropriate for all levels, and no previous experience is required. To sign up, or if you have questions, please contact Erin at 860-262-0248 or tensummitst@gmail.com. |
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Read about past events from the last few years ...
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