Saturday, December 30, 2017
GRANVILLE TOWN PLAN, 1794
For Granville historians, here is a link to Digital Commonwealth's copy of a 1794 surveyor's map of Granville. The map is hand drawn and a little hard to read so use the "enlarge" function to get a close up look. You can also download a copy if you wish. CLICK HERE
NCCHP RECEIVES NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES PRESERVATION GRANT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DECEMBER 30, 2017
Noble & Cooley Center for Historic Preservation (NCCHP)
Media Contact: Elizabeth Smith, 860-830-1244, ecjsmith@comcast.net
Granville, MA: The Noble & Cooley Center for Historic Preservation (NCCHP) is pleased to announce that it has been selected by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to receive a 2018 Preservation Assistance Grant. The grant is one of 253 supported projects countrywide, 12 of which are in Massachusetts.
NCCHP's grant will be used to assess and preserve the unique and comprehensive collection of 19th century documents, records and books located at the NCCHP museum in Granville. With well over 100 years of material the collection paints a complete picture of life in the Pioneer Valley as the industrial revolution transformed American society.
"We are grateful to the NEH for selecting NCCHP," said Matt Jones, NCCHP President. "Our mission is to tell the story of Yankee ingenuity in the Pioneer Valley, and we depend heavily on our archives to tell that story in the actual words of the people who came before us. The NEH grant will help preserve this important history for generations to come."
The NEH grant will also bring preservation experts to Granville to provide training in archival preservation techniques. These sessions will be offered to other non-profit preservation organizations in the area. Further details will be announced later in 2018.
CLICK HERE to link to the NEH press release.
About the Noble & Cooley Center for Historic Preservation: NCCHP is a non-profit museum located at 42 Water Street in Granville, MA. Additional information is available at www.ncchp.org
About the National Endowment for the Humanities: Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the NEH supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the NEH and its programs is available at www.neh.gov
Noble & Cooley Center for Historic Preservation (NCCHP)
Media Contact: Elizabeth Smith, 860-830-1244, ecjsmith@comcast.net
Grant will support Preservation of 19th Century Historical Archives
Granville, MA: The Noble & Cooley Center for Historic Preservation (NCCHP) is pleased to announce that it has been selected by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to receive a 2018 Preservation Assistance Grant. The grant is one of 253 supported projects countrywide, 12 of which are in Massachusetts.
NCCHP's grant will be used to assess and preserve the unique and comprehensive collection of 19th century documents, records and books located at the NCCHP museum in Granville. With well over 100 years of material the collection paints a complete picture of life in the Pioneer Valley as the industrial revolution transformed American society.
"We are grateful to the NEH for selecting NCCHP," said Matt Jones, NCCHP President. "Our mission is to tell the story of Yankee ingenuity in the Pioneer Valley, and we depend heavily on our archives to tell that story in the actual words of the people who came before us. The NEH grant will help preserve this important history for generations to come."
The NEH grant will also bring preservation experts to Granville to provide training in archival preservation techniques. These sessions will be offered to other non-profit preservation organizations in the area. Further details will be announced later in 2018.
CLICK HERE to link to the NEH press release.
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About the Noble & Cooley Center for Historic Preservation: NCCHP is a non-profit museum located at 42 Water Street in Granville, MA. Additional information is available at www.ncchp.org
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Tucked In For The Winter
Although many old toy drums have been moved to better storage conditions in Building 15, there are still many to go! Throughout the move process it seemed as though the remaining drums were multiplying via some mysterious property inherent in Building 14. We tried leaving money up there but alas the mysterious multiplying force only seems to work on dusty old drums.
Due to the unpredictability of 100+ year old roofs the remaining drums have been covered and tucked in for the winter, protecting them from dust, any possible roof issues, and shielding them from further light fading.
Thanks Zachary and Kyle Cahill for volunteering their time in 2017. With their help we were able to complete the shelves in Building 15. In the Spring of 2018 we will begin again!
Due to the unpredictability of 100+ year old roofs the remaining drums have been covered and tucked in for the winter, protecting them from dust, any possible roof issues, and shielding them from further light fading.
Thanks Zachary and Kyle Cahill for volunteering their time in 2017. With their help we were able to complete the shelves in Building 15. In the Spring of 2018 we will begin again!
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| Click on the image for a larger version (NCCHP photo) |
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Christmas, Toy Drums and The Great Depression
The Noble & Cooley company has survived the challenges of many economic upheavals since it's founding in 1854, whether from wars, recessions or changes in trade policy. Few economic events have tested the country as much as The Great Depression which essentially began with the stock market crash of 1929 and lasted until the beginning of World War II.
One of the more common questions posed by visitors during NCCHP museum tours is, "How did Noble & Cooley manage to survive the Depression years?" Because the tour is usually given by a direct descendant of company co-founder James Cooley, the answer is as much family history as it is company history.
In fact Noble & Cooley did well during the Depression, at least compared to the majority of companies. Christmas had a lot to do with that survival. Parents had very little money to spend on gifts. For many even one gift required a serious sacrifice. There were few social safety nets so "doing without" meant exactly that, right down to the basics of life. At the beginning of the Depression many banks were not part of the Federal Reserve system so when the banking crisis struck people could suddenly find themselves broke. There was no Federal unemployment protection until 1935 so when your job disappeared, your income went to zero. Unemployment exceeded 20% and for those who were not already unemployed there was constant fear that they would be next. It is unimaginable by today's standards.
The result was that if parents could afford that one gift they wanted it to be something large but inexpensive. They wanted something that would make a big impression when it was wrapped and sitting under the Christmas tree. A toy drum offered the perfect solution. Big, inexpensive, flashy. Not to mention interactive. Kids would be able to make big noise with their new drum! What healthier statement can one make than to happily bang on a toy drum in the face of the gloomy economic conditions and family stresses that surrounded children in the 1930's.
And that's the story of how Noble & Cooley survived the Great Depression. For better or worse the days of giving toy drums for Christmas are pretty much a matter for the history books but N&C still makes a limited number of toy drums at the factory in Granville and there are still kids who enjoy them as gifts. There will always be "future drummers" and those who just want to grin and bang on a drum. As for The Great Depression, we are thankful for "The Greatest Generation" who lived through that time and whose strength and character shaped the best aspects of the world we live in.
For a 1938 photo and list of Noble & Cooley employees CLICK HERE.
One of the more common questions posed by visitors during NCCHP museum tours is, "How did Noble & Cooley manage to survive the Depression years?" Because the tour is usually given by a direct descendant of company co-founder James Cooley, the answer is as much family history as it is company history.
In fact Noble & Cooley did well during the Depression, at least compared to the majority of companies. Christmas had a lot to do with that survival. Parents had very little money to spend on gifts. For many even one gift required a serious sacrifice. There were few social safety nets so "doing without" meant exactly that, right down to the basics of life. At the beginning of the Depression many banks were not part of the Federal Reserve system so when the banking crisis struck people could suddenly find themselves broke. There was no Federal unemployment protection until 1935 so when your job disappeared, your income went to zero. Unemployment exceeded 20% and for those who were not already unemployed there was constant fear that they would be next. It is unimaginable by today's standards.
The result was that if parents could afford that one gift they wanted it to be something large but inexpensive. They wanted something that would make a big impression when it was wrapped and sitting under the Christmas tree. A toy drum offered the perfect solution. Big, inexpensive, flashy. Not to mention interactive. Kids would be able to make big noise with their new drum! What healthier statement can one make than to happily bang on a toy drum in the face of the gloomy economic conditions and family stresses that surrounded children in the 1930's.
And that's the story of how Noble & Cooley survived the Great Depression. For better or worse the days of giving toy drums for Christmas are pretty much a matter for the history books but N&C still makes a limited number of toy drums at the factory in Granville and there are still kids who enjoy them as gifts. There will always be "future drummers" and those who just want to grin and bang on a drum. As for The Great Depression, we are thankful for "The Greatest Generation" who lived through that time and whose strength and character shaped the best aspects of the world we live in.
For a 1938 photo and list of Noble & Cooley employees CLICK HERE.
Thursday, December 7, 2017
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION: GRANVILLE COLLECTION
Did you know....?
That the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) has digitized many records and images of Granville buildings and places? Currently there are 174 Granville places listed, with downloadable images associated with most of them.
You can access the MHC "MACRIS" database by CLICKING HERE and following the steps outlined on their web site.
Did you also know....?
That the project to digitize images in the Granville Library Historical Room is up to nearly 500 images? There are many to go, but to see progress to date CLICK HERE.
That the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) has digitized many records and images of Granville buildings and places? Currently there are 174 Granville places listed, with downloadable images associated with most of them.
You can access the MHC "MACRIS" database by CLICKING HERE and following the steps outlined on their web site.
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| Benson's Store, West Granville (Massachusetts Historical Commission photo) |
That the project to digitize images in the Granville Library Historical Room is up to nearly 500 images? There are many to go, but to see progress to date CLICK HERE.
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