This is the third in a planned series ofarticles on Groton in the twentiethcentury. The third decade - the‘twenties’ - from 1920 through 1929is gleaned mainly from The GrotonTown Reports and Mr. Glover’sGroton published by the Society.The editor

TWENTIETH CENTURYGROTON

The Third Decade1920 - 1929

The population of Grotonreported in the 1920 census was 915.

The influenza epidemic thatwas rampant after World War I,continued in Groton in the 1920's.The District Health Officer, ClarenceH. Burr M. D., reported in the 1921Town Report that "Probably no othertown in the State during the last yearwas affected with influenza more thanwas Groton; in many instances wholefamilies were down with the disease;and coming at a time when the roadswere drifted and nearly impassable,from the heaviest snowstorm of theseason, made it difficult to renderrelief in many instances. Volunteerphysicians from Montpelier and Barreassisted Dr. Eastman, during the

GROTON HISTORICAL SOCIETYNewsletter

Volume 14 Issue 4 Fall 2001Groton, Vermont 05046

REVIEW OF GROTON, VERMONTIN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Page 8 GHS Newsletter

OFFICERS

President Richard BrooksVice President Norma HosmerSecretary Diane KreisTreasurer Joan Haskell

CHRISTMAS CONCERTDecember 16, 2001

2 to 4 P.M.MEETING SCHEDULE

(second Tuesday)March through November

10 AM at thePeter Paul House, 253 Scott Hwy.

Groton Historical Society NewsletterJ. W. Benzie, EditorP. O. Box 209Groton, VT 05046-0209

HISTORICAL SOCIETY DIGITAL NEWS

Dick Kreis has scanned images of the postcardcollection and stored them in computer files for safe keepingand ease of viewing. He is now working on the photocollection and eventually many of the Society’s otherdocuments may be scanned and stored digitally for safekeeping and easy retrieval.

Willard Benzie now has 32,997 names and 11,433families listed in the Groton Family Records. These includeGroton families plus some of their ancestors and descendants.Tracy Puffer had Willard present a discussion of familyhistory to her students at Blue Mountain last year and many ofthem completed their family history for the Historical Societyrecords. Some of the information was already in the records,but a lot of additional information is now available to beadded.

Page 2 GHS Newsletter GHS Newsletter Page 7

emergency, and with the town officials thesituation was met in the most ablemanner." There were 129 communicablediseases reported in 1920, including 88cases of influenza, 19 chicken pox, 16measles, 5 mumps and one case ofTyphoid fever . Homes withcommunicable diseases were quarantinedby posting signs to warn visitors not toenter, in an effort to halt or slow the spreadof the disease.

Town officers in the 1920's were:selectmen; Grant M. Vance 8 years, IsaacN. Hall 5, James W. Main 5, Robert J.Miller 3, Orange H. Welch 3, Stephen N.Welch 3, George C. Whitehill 2, and CarlVance one year. Town Clerks wereFranklin M. Page 1920-23, Morris D.Coffrin 1924-28, and P. A. Smith 1929.Treasurers were Ernest F. Clark 1920 -22,Amasa L. Hooper 1923, George N. Clark1924-27, and John Benzie 1928-29. RoadCommissioners were George S. Welch 2years, Calvin Darling 7, and Robert L.Heath one year. Overseers of the Poorwere H. M. Ricker and James W. Main;and librarians were Mrs. N. A. Hadlockand Mrs. J. B. Renfrew.

The twenties were referred to bymany as the "Roaring Twenties". The 'warto end all wars' was over and it was time toget back to enjoying life. Automobileswere becoming more commonplace andrequired better roads. Payments for 'rollingroads' were last recorded in 1927 to HaroldDarling, J. H. Welch, Edmund Welch, andMalcolm Graham. Afterwards, roads thatwere kept open in the winter werepresumably plowed. James Benzie built asnowflyer in the early 20's to use indelivering the mail. He attached an idleraxle to the mid frame of a model T Fordfor half-tracks powered by the rear wheels

(Continued from page 1) and replaced the front wheels with a pairof skis. The snowflyer worked well aslong as the roads were 'rolled' to packthe snow. When the roads were plowedhe removed the skis and replaced thewheels. The half-tracks were alsoremoved when the roads were paved inthe late 20's, to prevent damaging theroad surface, but the model T with it'shigh clearance worked well on the backroads in the spring during "mud season".

Groton High School which wasreopened after WWI in 1919 had its firstgraduating class in 1923. Nine studentsgraduated: Crawford Adams, EdmundCarter, Ross Clark, Alice Dunn, CyrusEastman, Hazel Johnson, DorothyMiller, Donald Morrison, and MiltonRicker. Five students graduated in1924: Kenneth Bailey, Franklin Clark,Della Frost, Rufus Hosmer, andRaymond Ricker. Seven in 1925: Earl"Bart" Eastman, Donald Fifield, JohnFrench, Hattie Hood, Wendall McLam,Edmund Secchari, and Clarence Welch.Nine in 1926: Adeline Daniels,Annabelle Dunn, James Main, DonaldMiller, Duncan Miller, Raymond Page,Lynwood Welch, Beatrice Welch, andJoanna Welch. Seven in 1927: FlorenceCarbee, Carlos Dunn, Martha Emery,Bessie Frost, Lloyd Hosmer, NellieWelch, and Mary Wilson. Twelve in1928: Lawrence Blanchard, LymanBlanchard, Lee Fifield, Fremont Fiske,Kermit Hood, Mildred Hood, ThelmaJohnson, Orabella Main, John Page,Richard Pillsbury, Irma Renfrew, andHarry Welch. And twelve in 1929:Albertine Boomhower, MargaretBlanchard, Ruby Clark, Wendall Crown,Seth Eastman, Vern Frost, Emma James,John Peterson, Alice Ricker, StanleyTaisey, Austin Welch, and Gertrude

FALL FOLIAGE DAYOctober 6, 2001

A light fall rain washed thedust off the brillantly colored leaves inthe morning, but cleared up nicely forthe parade and the rest of the day’sactivities.

McLure’s Alumni Band heldtheir concert in the Methodist Churchand Nathan Puffer delayed hisdemonstration of Post and Beamconstruction until the weather cleared upin late morning.

The Lumberjack Breakfast atthe Methodist Church started the day at7 AM. Food and crafts were availableall around town for the hungry andcurious visitors.

Peter Paul Historical Housewas open for tours by the GrotonHistorical Society and many visitorswere welcomed during the day. RussellButler demonstrated blacksmithing athis post and beam blacksmith shop nextdoor.

The parade was exceptionalthis year with many entries supportingthe patriotic theme in rememberance ofthe victims of the September 11thattacks on the World Trade Center andthe Pentagon.

Groton’s famous Chicken PieSupper was served to 800 hungryvisitors in 4 settings of 200 each.

FALL FOLIAGE DAY wasclosed with the traditional Hymn Sing at8PM in the Methodist Church.

COMMENTS SOUGHT

Additions, corrections, comments andsuggestions to improve the accuracy andcontent of the article reviewing the thirddecade of Groton History in the twentiethcentury will be welcome. Addendumcan be published in future newsletters.

Watch for the review of the fourthdecade - 1930 through 1939. Send anysuggestions for events and people thatshould be included to the GrotonHistorical Society, attention editor.

Volunteers to write reviews of theother decades in the twentieth centurywill be appreciated. If you don’t want towrite the whole article, just send in theinformation about people and events thatyou would like to have included. If youhave an interesting story about peopleand events in and around Groton why notshare it with others interested in thehistory of our town?

NOTICE

OLD & NEW MEMBERS

Annual dues are only $5.00 andthere is no joining fee. Come to thenext meeting and help preserve thehistory of old Groton for the nextgeneration. Anyone not able toattend meetings can send their duesto the Groton Historical Society,P.O. Box 89, Groton, VT 05046.

2002 Annual dues are due

Groton Teachers - 1920’s

Bailey, Ethel M. 1920-24Beaton, Jessie I. 1920-22Berry, Mary 1928-29Billings, Marion 1925-28Bixby, Olive 1926-29Carter, Margaret 1928-29Carusi, Ogla C. 1921-24Catlin, Louella 1925-27Darling, Nora 1923-28Densmore, Dorothy 1923-25Dunn, Alice 1920-21Dunn, Annabella 1927-29Dunn, Mrs. Arvilla 1923-24Fellows, Lemira 1920-25Foster, Mabel A. 1927-28Frost, Millie 1920-26Frost, Della 1927-29Gadapee, Mildred 1928-29Garvin, J. Stewart 1920-24Garvin, Lillian 1922-29Gibson, Mrs. Charles 1925-26Gilman, Elliot 1927-29Gould, Emily 1927-29Grant, Dorothy 1926-29Greenly, Mabel 1928-29Hanson, Mrs. L. W. 1925-28Heartz, Keziah 1927-29Hood, Mildred 1929Johnson, Page N. 1920-22Johnson, Thelma 1929Katz, Katherine 1922-24Kennedy, Cora C. 1929Lang, Minnie 1925-29Leonard, Nola 1920-21Lord, Alice 1928-29McLam, Winifred 1920-21Parker, Whitney F. 1925-28Peck, Helen 1925-27Perkins, Delta C. 1920-24Quint, Muriel 1928-29Ricker, Mrs. Ida Mae 1921-29Rowe, Leslie R. 1929Samuelson, Carl 1921-23Scott, Florence 1929Shields, Olive 1920-22Shields, Vera 1920-26Smith, R. B. 1925-26Strong, Dorothy 1929Sturtavant, Ralph 1923-24Taylor, Mrs. A. R. 1920-22Tillotson, Nora R. 1929Welch, Lizzie L. 1920-21White, Blanche 1921-26

Continued from page 3)

Music was provided on the field bythe Barre band. The fair closed in theevening with a dance in Vance hall.Half the proceeds were again given tothe William Scott Memorial Fund andthe other half were for purchase ofperment grounds for the fair in futureyears.

Baptist ministers in Groton inthe 1920's were Rev. E. W. Puffer1920, Rev. Morgan 1924, Rev.Watrous 1925, Rev. Christian Peterson1926, and Rev. Hudson in 1929.Methodist ministers were Rev, SteadThornton 1920, Rev. C. D. Pierce1923, Rev. E. W. Mouland 1925, Rev.F. L. Daniels 1927, and Rev Alba M.Markey in 1929. The changes inministers in Groton was even morefrequent than the changes in teachers,reflecting the mood of the people inthe 'roaring 20's'.

The stock market crash in1929 was a major event in the country,state and town. It brought an end tothe 'roaring 20's' and heralded aneconomic change for the comingdecade.

Welch. A total of 61 students graduatedfrom Groton High School in the 1920's.

School Board Directors in the1920's were; A. H. Tellier and Elmer J.Carpenter 5 years, O. C. Frost, EmmaH. Robinson, S. N. Welch, Addie E.Ricker, and Jackson Jones 3 years, G. H.Millis and B. L. Brown 2 years, andHelene White one year. Three directorsserved each year. In 1920 there were199 students enrolled in Groton schoolsat an average cost per pupil of $42.57.Enrollment increased gradually andreached 249 by the end of the decade.Costs also increased averaging $65.59per pupil. The school superintendantwas Leonard D. Smith 1920-22, E. S.Boyd 1922-23, Nelson J. Whitehill 1923-24, and J. Stewart Garvin 1924-30. In1929 the High School had 75 pupils, thegrammer school had 27, intermediate 19,second primary 35, and primary 22.Other schools in town were Westvillewith 30 pupils, South with 13, andPlummer with 9. The Welch schoolclosed after the 1927-28 school year.The school superintendant reported in the1924 Town Report that the GrotonSchool Board "... had pursued the wisecourse of employing only trainedteachers in these schools...". He alsoreported in 1929 that "The Bible is beingread and some good work along the lineof Bible instruction and charactereducation is being given." A total of 54teachers were employed in Grotonschools in the 1920's. (see page 6 for listof teachers). Only 12 of these teacherstaught more than 3 years in the Grotonschools. This turnover of teachersrequired the hiring of up to nine newteachers some years in the 1920's.

A major flood occurred onNovember 3, 1927. October rainfall was

50 percent above normal so the groundwas saturated when 8 inches of rainfell in a 45 hour period starting onNovember 2. The Governor, John E.Weeks, wrote that this flood was thegreatest disaster in the history of ourbeautiful state. Fertile farmlands wereruined, transportation lines in someareas were completely demoralizedand many businesses were wiped out.It was indeed a hopeless situation tomeet, with winter hovering in theoffing.

Some major fires in Groton inthe 20's were the Coffrin Opera Blockwhich burned in March 1925; theTurning Works in July 1926; andCharlie Rickers farm in May 1929.

Groton Grange 443 held itsfirst Community Fair in 1927 and gavehalf the proceeds to start the WilliamScott Memorial Fund. The next yearthe fair was even larger drawing nearlya thousand people to the Fair Groundsat Clark field. The fair opened with aparade at 10 AM followed with anumber of races; the 3-legged racewon by Green and Tuttle, 100 yardrace for married men won by LorimerPuffer, for single men won by KermitHood, the relay race won by Puffer,Hood and Stanley Taisey. Other sportsincluded horseshoe pitching, boxing,tug-of-war, and a baseball game. In theafternoon speeches were given byGovernor John E. Weeks, A. W.Lawrence Master of the State Grange,L. A. Cooley from the State Dept. ofAgric., and Waldo F. Glover localhistorian. Booths displaying crafts andproduce and livestock pens attractedmuch interest.

(continued on page 6)(

Page 3Page 6 GHS NewsletterGHS Newsletter

Peter Paul HouseHome of the Groton Historical

Society

Page 4 Page 5GHS Newsletter GHS Newsletter

SOME GROTON SCENES IN THE TWENTIES1920 - 1929

Sleighs were used in winter

Roads were plowed in late 20’s

James Benzie’s mail route in ‘mud season’

A. R. Taylor Block

Fixing a flat tire

Pine Street in Littly Italy

Groton Granite Quarry

Float in Grange Fair parade

West Groton School 1927 M. E. Church in West Groton East view of Groton villageGroton Turning Works burned in 1926

Plummer School 1927

Page 4 Page 5GHS Newsletter GHS Newsletter

SOME GROTON SCENES IN THE TWENTIES1920 - 1929

Sleighs were used in winter

Roads were plowed in late 20’s

James Benzie’s mail route in ‘mud season’

A. R. Taylor Block

Fixing a flat tire

Pine Street in Littly Italy

Groton Granite Quarry

Float in Grange Fair parade

West Groton School 1927 M. E. Church in West Groton East view of Groton villageGroton Turning Works burned in 1926

Plummer School 1927

Groton Teachers - 1920’s

Bailey, Ethel M. 1920-24Beaton, Jessie I. 1920-22Berry, Mary 1928-29Billings, Marion 1925-28Bixby, Olive 1926-29Carter, Margaret 1928-29Carusi, Ogla C. 1921-24Catlin, Louella 1925-27Darling, Nora 1923-28Densmore, Dorothy 1923-25Dunn, Alice 1920-21Dunn, Annabella 1927-29Dunn, Mrs. Arvilla 1923-24Fellows, Lemira 1920-25Foster, Mabel A. 1927-28Frost, Millie 1920-26Frost, Della 1927-29Gadapee, Mildred 1928-29Garvin, J. Stewart 1920-24Garvin, Lillian 1922-29Gibson, Mrs. Charles 1925-26Gilman, Elliot 1927-29Gould, Emily 1927-29Grant, Dorothy 1926-29Greenly, Mabel 1928-29Hanson, Mrs. L. W. 1925-28Heartz, Keziah 1927-29Hood, Mildred 1929Johnson, Page N. 1920-22Johnson, Thelma 1929Katz, Katherine 1922-24Kennedy, Cora C. 1929Lang, Minnie 1925-29Leonard, Nola 1920-21Lord, Alice 1928-29McLam, Winifred 1920-21Parker, Whitney F. 1925-28Peck, Helen 1925-27Perkins, Delta C. 1920-24Quint, Muriel 1928-29Ricker, Mrs. Ida Mae 1921-29Rowe, Leslie R. 1929Samuelson, Carl 1921-23Scott, Florence 1929Shields, Olive 1920-22Shields, Vera 1920-26Smith, R. B. 1925-26Strong, Dorothy 1929Sturtavant, Ralph 1923-24Taylor, Mrs. A. R. 1920-22Tillotson, Nora R. 1929Welch, Lizzie L. 1920-21White, Blanche 1921-26

Continued from page 3)

Music was provided on the field bythe Barre band. The fair closed in theevening with a dance in Vance hall.Half the proceeds were again given tothe William Scott Memorial Fund andthe other half were for purchase ofperment grounds for the fair in futureyears.

Baptist ministers in Groton inthe 1920's were Rev. E. W. Puffer1920, Rev. Morgan 1924, Rev.Watrous 1925, Rev. Christian Peterson1926, and Rev. Hudson in 1929.Methodist ministers were Rev, SteadThornton 1920, Rev. C. D. Pierce1923, Rev. E. W. Mouland 1925, Rev.F. L. Daniels 1927, and Rev Alba M.Markey in 1929. The changes inministers in Groton was even morefrequent than the changes in teachers,reflecting the mood of the people inthe 'roaring 20's'.

The stock market crash in1929 was a major event in the country,state and town. It brought an end tothe 'roaring 20's' and heralded aneconomic change for the comingdecade.

Welch. A total of 61 students graduatedfrom Groton High School in the 1920's.

School Board Directors in the1920's were; A. H. Tellier and Elmer J.Carpenter 5 years, O. C. Frost, EmmaH. Robinson, S. N. Welch, Addie E.Ricker, and Jackson Jones 3 years, G. H.Millis and B. L. Brown 2 years, andHelene White one year. Three directorsserved each year. In 1920 there were199 students enrolled in Groton schoolsat an average cost per pupil of $42.57.Enrollment increased gradually andreached 249 by the end of the decade.Costs also increased averaging $65.59per pupil. The school superintendantwas Leonard D. Smith 1920-22, E. S.Boyd 1922-23, Nelson J. Whitehill 1923-24, and J. Stewart Garvin 1924-30. In1929 the High School had 75 pupils, thegrammer school had 27, intermediate 19,second primary 35, and primary 22.Other schools in town were Westvillewith 30 pupils, South with 13, andPlummer with 9. The Welch schoolclosed after the 1927-28 school year.The school superintendant reported in the1924 Town Report that the GrotonSchool Board "... had pursued the wisecourse of employing only trainedteachers in these schools...". He alsoreported in 1929 that "The Bible is beingread and some good work along the lineof Bible instruction and charactereducation is being given." A total of 54teachers were employed in Grotonschools in the 1920's. (see page 6 for listof teachers). Only 12 of these teacherstaught more than 3 years in the Grotonschools. This turnover of teachersrequired the hiring of up to nine newteachers some years in the 1920's.

A major flood occurred onNovember 3, 1927. October rainfall was

50 percent above normal so the groundwas saturated when 8 inches of rainfell in a 45 hour period starting onNovember 2. The Governor, John E.Weeks, wrote that this flood was thegreatest disaster in the history of ourbeautiful state. Fertile farmlands wereruined, transportation lines in someareas were completely demoralizedand many businesses were wiped out.It was indeed a hopeless situation tomeet, with winter hovering in theoffing.

Some major fires in Groton inthe 20's were the Coffrin Opera Blockwhich burned in March 1925; theTurning Works in July 1926; andCharlie Rickers farm in May 1929.

Groton Grange 443 held itsfirst Community Fair in 1927 and gavehalf the proceeds to start the WilliamScott Memorial Fund. The next yearthe fair was even larger drawing nearlya thousand people to the Fair Groundsat Clark field. The fair opened with aparade at 10 AM followed with anumber of races; the 3-legged racewon by Green and Tuttle, 100 yardrace for married men won by LorimerPuffer, for single men won by KermitHood, the relay race won by Puffer,Hood and Stanley Taisey. Other sportsincluded horseshoe pitching, boxing,tug-of-war, and a baseball game. In theafternoon speeches were given byGovernor John E. Weeks, A. W.Lawrence Master of the State Grange,L. A. Cooley from the State Dept. ofAgric., and Waldo F. Glover localhistorian. Booths displaying crafts andproduce and livestock pens attractedmuch interest.

(continued on page 6)(

Page 3Page 6 GHS NewsletterGHS Newsletter

Peter Paul HouseHome of the Groton Historical

Society

Page 2 GHS Newsletter GHS Newsletter Page 7

emergency, and with the town officials thesituation was met in the most ablemanner." There were 129 communicablediseases reported in 1920, including 88cases of influenza, 19 chicken pox, 16measles, 5 mumps and one case ofTyphoid fever . Homes withcommunicable diseases were quarantinedby posting signs to warn visitors not toenter, in an effort to halt or slow the spreadof the disease.

Town officers in the 1920's were:selectmen; Grant M. Vance 8 years, IsaacN. Hall 5, James W. Main 5, Robert J.Miller 3, Orange H. Welch 3, Stephen N.Welch 3, George C. Whitehill 2, and CarlVance one year. Town Clerks wereFranklin M. Page 1920-23, Morris D.Coffrin 1924-28, and P. A. Smith 1929.Treasurers were Ernest F. Clark 1920 -22,Amasa L. Hooper 1923, George N. Clark1924-27, and John Benzie 1928-29. RoadCommissioners were George S. Welch 2years, Calvin Darling 7, and Robert L.Heath one year. Overseers of the Poorwere H. M. Ricker and James W. Main;and librarians were Mrs. N. A. Hadlockand Mrs. J. B. Renfrew.

The twenties were referred to bymany as the "Roaring Twenties". The 'warto end all wars' was over and it was time toget back to enjoying life. Automobileswere becoming more commonplace andrequired better roads. Payments for 'rollingroads' were last recorded in 1927 to HaroldDarling, J. H. Welch, Edmund Welch, andMalcolm Graham. Afterwards, roads thatwere kept open in the winter werepresumably plowed. James Benzie built asnowflyer in the early 20's to use indelivering the mail. He attached an idleraxle to the mid frame of a model T Fordfor half-tracks powered by the rear wheels

(Continued from page 1) and replaced the front wheels with a pairof skis. The snowflyer worked well aslong as the roads were 'rolled' to packthe snow. When the roads were plowedhe removed the skis and replaced thewheels. The half-tracks were alsoremoved when the roads were paved inthe late 20's, to prevent damaging theroad surface, but the model T with it'shigh clearance worked well on the backroads in the spring during "mud season".

Groton High School which wasreopened after WWI in 1919 had its firstgraduating class in 1923. Nine studentsgraduated: Crawford Adams, EdmundCarter, Ross Clark, Alice Dunn, CyrusEastman, Hazel Johnson, DorothyMiller, Donald Morrison, and MiltonRicker. Five students graduated in1924: Kenneth Bailey, Franklin Clark,Della Frost, Rufus Hosmer, andRaymond Ricker. Seven in 1925: Earl"Bart" Eastman, Donald Fifield, JohnFrench, Hattie Hood, Wendall McLam,Edmund Secchari, and Clarence Welch.Nine in 1926: Adeline Daniels,Annabelle Dunn, James Main, DonaldMiller, Duncan Miller, Raymond Page,Lynwood Welch, Beatrice Welch, andJoanna Welch. Seven in 1927: FlorenceCarbee, Carlos Dunn, Martha Emery,Bessie Frost, Lloyd Hosmer, NellieWelch, and Mary Wilson. Twelve in1928: Lawrence Blanchard, LymanBlanchard, Lee Fifield, Fremont Fiske,Kermit Hood, Mildred Hood, ThelmaJohnson, Orabella Main, John Page,Richard Pillsbury, Irma Renfrew, andHarry Welch. And twelve in 1929:Albertine Boomhower, MargaretBlanchard, Ruby Clark, Wendall Crown,Seth Eastman, Vern Frost, Emma James,John Peterson, Alice Ricker, StanleyTaisey, Austin Welch, and Gertrude

FALL FOLIAGE DAYOctober 6, 2001

A light fall rain washed thedust off the brillantly colored leaves inthe morning, but cleared up nicely forthe parade and the rest of the day’sactivities.

McLure’s Alumni Band heldtheir concert in the Methodist Churchand Nathan Puffer delayed hisdemonstration of Post and Beamconstruction until the weather cleared upin late morning.

The Lumberjack Breakfast atthe Methodist Church started the day at7 AM. Food and crafts were availableall around town for the hungry andcurious visitors.

Peter Paul Historical Housewas open for tours by the GrotonHistorical Society and many visitorswere welcomed during the day. RussellButler demonstrated blacksmithing athis post and beam blacksmith shop nextdoor.

The parade was exceptionalthis year with many entries supportingthe patriotic theme in rememberance ofthe victims of the September 11thattacks on the World Trade Center andthe Pentagon.

Groton’s famous Chicken PieSupper was served to 800 hungryvisitors in 4 settings of 200 each.

FALL FOLIAGE DAY wasclosed with the traditional Hymn Sing at8PM in the Methodist Church.

COMMENTS SOUGHT

Additions, corrections, comments andsuggestions to improve the accuracy andcontent of the article reviewing the thirddecade of Groton History in the twentiethcentury will be welcome. Addendumcan be published in future newsletters.

Watch for the review of the fourthdecade - 1930 through 1939. Send anysuggestions for events and people thatshould be included to the GrotonHistorical Society, attention editor.

Volunteers to write reviews of theother decades in the twentieth centurywill be appreciated. If you don’t want towrite the whole article, just send in theinformation about people and events thatyou would like to have included. If youhave an interesting story about peopleand events in and around Groton why notshare it with others interested in thehistory of our town?

NOTICE

OLD & NEW MEMBERS

Annual dues are only $5.00 andthere is no joining fee. Come to thenext meeting and help preserve thehistory of old Groton for the nextgeneration. Anyone not able toattend meetings can send their duesto the Groton Historical Society,P.O. Box 89, Groton, VT 05046.

2002 Annual dues are due

This is the third in a planned series ofarticles on Groton in the twentiethcentury. The third decade - the‘twenties’ - from 1920 through 1929is gleaned mainly from The GrotonTown Reports and Mr. Glover’sGroton published by the Society.The editor

TWENTIETH CENTURYGROTON

The Third Decade1920 - 1929

The population of Grotonreported in the 1920 census was 915.

The influenza epidemic thatwas rampant after World War I,continued in Groton in the 1920's.The District Health Officer, ClarenceH. Burr M. D., reported in the 1921Town Report that "Probably no othertown in the State during the last yearwas affected with influenza more thanwas Groton; in many instances wholefamilies were down with the disease;and coming at a time when the roadswere drifted and nearly impassable,from the heaviest snowstorm of theseason, made it difficult to renderrelief in many instances. Volunteerphysicians from Montpelier and Barreassisted Dr. Eastman, during the

GROTON HISTORICAL SOCIETYNewsletter

Volume 14 Issue 4 Fall 2001Groton, Vermont 05046

REVIEW OF GROTON, VERMONTIN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Page 8 GHS Newsletter

OFFICERS

President Richard BrooksVice President Norma HosmerSecretary Diane KreisTreasurer Joan Haskell

CHRISTMAS CONCERTDecember 16, 2001

2 to 4 P.M.MEETING SCHEDULE

(second Tuesday)March through November

10 AM at thePeter Paul House, 253 Scott Hwy.

Groton Historical Society NewsletterJ. W. Benzie, EditorP. O. Box 209Groton, VT 05046-0209

HISTORICAL SOCIETY DIGITAL NEWS

Dick Kreis has scanned images of the postcardcollection and stored them in computer files for safe keepingand ease of viewing. He is now working on the photocollection and eventually many of the Society’s otherdocuments may be scanned and stored digitally for safekeeping and easy retrieval.

Willard Benzie now has 32,997 names and 11,433families listed in the Groton Family Records. These includeGroton families plus some of their ancestors and descendants.Tracy Puffer had Willard present a discussion of familyhistory to her students at Blue Mountain last year and many ofthem completed their family history for the Historical Societyrecords. Some of the information was already in the records,but a lot of additional information is now available to beadded.