Town Land, Waters, and History Are Linked
Do look up, down, and all around for town stories in plain sight
The East Haddam Land Trust and East Haddam Historical Society have collaborated on a series of mini-documentaries that draw the connections between land preservation and local history.
The "Saving Land, Saving History" project comprises three videos on local land preserves (Hammond Mill, Patrell, and Bernstein) and two more profiling the land trust and the historical society.. The videos feature interviews with local historians and conservationists, beautiful new drone and earthbound footage, and historical photo archives.
"Saving Land, Saving HIstory" was awarded the 2021 Excellence in Conservation Award from the CT Land Conservation Council and the 2021 Award of Merit from the CT League of History Organizations.
Burning Down the Coops
Town farm goes up in smoke
The North Moodus farm that Max and Issy Simon started in 1935 became one of the largest family-owned egg farms in the state. 55,000 Rhode Island Reds provided eggs that were distributed throughout the region to resorts, restaurants, grocery stores, and bakeries.
Family egg farms fell victim to corporate farming and industrial cage-plant operations starting in the 1960s. Max and Joyce Simon's Joymax Poultry was one of the last family-owned egg providers in the state. Buts its days were numbered. In 2000, spectators, friends, family, and several airplanes buzzing overhead all watched as the poultry farm's huge chicken coop came down in a blazing show of glory.
Lessons learned at Bury Brothers
Brothers Joe and Julian Bury produced freshly cut meat products from their humble barn store with a quality and authenticity available nowhere else,.
The brothers ran the front and back of the shop with the help of a changing crew of teenagers, who could see the Bury's barn right behind the high school.
Drone shot by Frank DiNardi