Windsor Historical Commission

04/12/2026

"TRIBUTE TO WINDSOR FIREMEN" From the January 1959 Progress Newsletter Published in East Windsor by the Progress Club. Editor : Mary Bowman; Business Manager: Louise Tilton and Advertising : Gladys Mongue
Mrs. Lillian Leya
(Note: Mrs. Lillian Leya, a summer resident in Windsor for some years,
in August 1958 had the "privilege" of the first ride in the new Windsor
ambulance after a fall that broke her hip. Later she was moved from
Hillcrest Hospital to the Walter Vincent home in Hinsdale, for the
first convalescent period. Then came the historic journey on September
19 when she was transferred to the home of her daughter, Mrs.
Belason, in Milltown, New Jersey. The drivers were George Sturtevant
and Luman Fuller, and the attendant was Mrs. Bernice Payson. This tribute recalls that trip.:
LILLIAN LEYA WENT TO MILL TOWN IN A BRAND NEW AMBULANCE FROM WINDSOR TOWN.
LILLIAN LEY FELT LIKE A QUEEN
IN THAT BEAUTIFUL AMBULANCE. . . A HEAVENLY DREAM.
WITH HER WAS A FRIEND SO KIND AND SO DEAR ,LOVING,
AND HELPFUL AND FULL OF GOOD CHEER
THE DRIVERS TWO STALWART HANDSOME YOUNG MEN
THE PICK OF THE TOWN WERE THOSE SNAZZY FIREMEN.
SNAPPY DRESSERS I'LL SAY . WITH CUTE RED BOW TIES
THEY ,IN ANY MUSTER WOULD WIN THE FIRST PRIZE.
MOST EXCELLENT DRIVERS THEY WERE FOR SURE
TREATED HER LIKE-A QUEEN ALTHO' SHE WAS POOR,
KIND AND CONSIDERATE EACH MILE OF THE WAY
LILLIAN LEYA HAD A VERY, VERY, NICE DAY.
THANKFUL WAS SHE FOR ALL KINDNESS GIVEN.
SHE PRAYS WINDSOR FIREMEN “ HAVE BLESSINGS FROM HEAVEN !”

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03/01/2026

“Jordanville” AKA East Windsor

Comments written for the Progress February 1962 newsletter by Arthur N. Ball M.D. 1/3/1962 Springfield, Ma.

Back around the year 1890 East Windsor was usually referred to as
"Jordanville”. It was a bustling little center for about 150 people,
mostly farmers. There was the general store, a saw-mill, a whip-butt
factory, a blacksmith shop and a combination cider and scythe-stone
mill. Necessary power for these small industries was furnished by
water wheels. Needless to say , the hum of industry was not heard during
the dry time of year.
The inhabitants of Jordanville were as varied a collection of
people as you could imagine. With few exceptions they were respectable,
industrious and intelligent, but here the similarity ended. Everyone
knew all about his or her neighbors and gossip was one of the chief
topics of conversation. Some were well educated for that time, mostly
from reading the weekly newspaper and a few excellent magazines.
Arguments on various subjects from politics to the best- hitch-ups for
horses, were often long and sometimes bitter, at the nightly assembly
of men at the general store.
As you must know, there was no electricity and no telephone in
East Windsor until after 1890. House-heating was from wood-burning
stoves, and lighting was by kerosene lamps. There was mail delivered six days
a week by the "Stage” from East Cummington to Hinsdale,not Dalton, by
way of "Windsor Hill”. The stage carried passengers, and the driver
did errands in Hinsdale for a small charge. Just about any small item,
including hard liquor, if obtainable in Hinsdale, was delivered by the stage-driver.
Real money was scarce, but people got along pretty well, everyone, even in the village proper, kept at least one cow, and a few hens.
Taxes on a house and small lot were about §5.00. Many "worked out" their taxes by helping with road repairs. There were no direct Federal or State taxes. Prevailing unskilled wages were §1.00 for a ten-hour day.
There was much talk about the late Civil War but no one gave any thought to other wars to come. Tension over world affairs as we know it today, was not thought of in 1890. In many ways the people were better off than we are now, although I very much doubt any of us would
wish to return to the standards of living that prevailed in those
times. Volumes could be written about the people and the goings-on
in Jordanville seventy-two years ago. It is hoped that this thumbnail
sketch will give the younger generation a peep into the past.

02/23/2026

We thought a look back at February 1945 might cheer everyone up!

02/14/2026

A diary of the Jacobs Farm on East Windsor Rd. written from 1919 to about 1928, reveals transactions and the day to day life and livelyhood on a Windsor Farm during that period.
Richard Jacobs 1 came to East Windsor from NY state. His son, Richard Jr. built the Jacobs farm on East Windsor Rd. about 1875. Oscar D. , son of Richard Jr. married Eliza Hathaway from Adams and ran the farm.
Oscar and Eliza had three children, Belle, Lila and Middleton.
Middleton married Mildred Berry and had five children.
Oscar and Middleton and their families worked the farm and made entries into this diary . Current resident, Richard Jacobs donated the primary copy of this diary to the Windsor Historical Commission.
What I want to point out in this narrative is the diversity of products produced over the years on this farm and probably the other farms here in Windsor when a farm could be prosperous without the farmer having to get a factory job to supplement their income.
The Jacobs farm produced apples, cider, potatoes, wheat, oats, lumber, milk, cream, eggs, maple syrup, ferns, lambs, cabbage, beets, turnips, sausage, pigs,and blueberries among other things
Some produce was traded to the general stores and hotel in East Windsor during this period.
East Windsor was a very prosperous community during this period thanks to Charles Ball and other factory owners in town.
Some of the Jacobs trees, was drawn to the Ball lumber mill, sawn into beams and moved to the locations where the Ball bridges were to be installed and used as bases and supports for the bridges.
There was even a Ball bridge installed across Alder Meadows Brook on the Jacobs Farm.
More on the history of the Jacobs farm in the future.

02/02/2026

The first in an occasional series looking at Windsor's experience of the America Revolution, from the February issue of Windsor Now & Then!

11/09/2025

Thanks to Dave Melle, Kevin Green, and Colin Harrington for joining WHC members Deb Balmuth and Susan Phillips to make SERIOUS progress on the Ball Bridge weed-suppression project. And huge thanks to Dicken Crane for a generous donation of wood chips, delivered right to the site! Perfect weather, great crew...We hope to fit in one more work session before winter gets serious, but are thrilled with today's results!

11/06/2025

We are looking for few volunteers for Saturday 11/8 at 11am to shovel wood chips onto the Charlie Ball bridge behind the Historic House.
If you can help us out a shovel and / or a wheel barrow is required.
Thank you in advance.

11/02/2025

Windsor Historical Commission sponsored Windsor Barns Tour hosted by Jack Sobon local barn historian and timber frame expert.

10/31/2025

Sunday to-do:
1) Turn clocks back 1 hour
2)Join the Barn Tour with timber framer Jack Sobon—meet at 1pm at parking lot on Route 9 across from Windsor church

10/30/2025

You NEVER KNOW what you'll find in a closed chest upstairs in the Windsor Historical Museum! Happy Halloween, everyone!

10/26/2025

LITTLE RED SCHOOL HOUSES DISPOSED OF IN WINDSOR - FIVE
"BULWARKS OF THE NATION" SOLD CHEAP BY AUCTIONEER.
(From an old newspaper clipping - date unknown)
The Little Red School House ceased to exist in Windsor yesterday when five old one-room school buildings fell under the auctioneer’s hammer. The buyers were few and the bidding was slow, the highest price paid being only $50.The children of Windsor will be carried to a central building on Windsor Hill.(Now the town offices )
During the last ten years, as the population has dwindled, one school after another has been closed until recently only one one-room school is in use. This is at Windsor Bush.
The unoccupied schools have fallen to pieces rapidly and at a recent town meeting it was voted to sell the buildings before the expense of repairing them became greater than the value of the buildings themselves.
The auction sale was advertised for July 15, but at that time it was discovered that there was some doubt as to the legality of the title to the land upon which they stood as the town could find no deeds to substantiate their claims to it. Consequently the sale was postponed until yesterday when it was announced that the land would revert back to the original owners and only the buildings would be sold.
The Shaw School on the back road-from Windsor Hill to East Windsor was sold to Alvin Shaw for $50. Mr. Shaw’s farm surrounds this property and it was stated that originally the piece of land was donated to the town for a church, which was later turned into a schoolhouse and that it was agreed that when the town was through with the land, it would revert back to the original estate .
Charles Ball bought the Hardscrabble School in East Windsor for'$35. This building stands on property claimed as part of Mr. Ball’s farm. ( Later Elmer Snow Sr. bought the property and now our house stands on the old Hardscrabble School site ) Glenn Roy. The Old Number Nine School near the McCormack place was sold to Joseph McCormack for $35. This land, was originally a part of the McCormack farm. Will Estes bought the North Woods School for $40 and will move it from the property later, and Robert Phillips bought the Hemlock Hill School, on the road back of Patterson’s cider mill. This school which was in a bad state of repairs sold for $18. The building on Windsor Hill, which is in good condition and which stands on land for which the town holds a deed, was not sold, as the town made no provision for selling the land. The buildings being all that were mentioned in the warrant.

The picture below is courtesy of Bob Welz,Jr. and is the Whitmarsh School that was on Flintstone Rd. Bob has told the history of this school previously.