Milford Historical Society 2011 to 2012

Milford Historical Society 2012 to 2013

Committee chairs

suggestions for organizing

operational groups

These are some suggested mini-meetings, more can be added, that can help provide planning guidance. They are spread throughout the year to avoid burning people out. They are paced for each to have optimal timing to allow enough time to get the tasks at hand done when they are most advantageous. Public oriented ones are concentrated during the touring season and behind the scenes work while closed.

• January - INVENTORY - care of items & records.
• March - NOMINATING - slate of officers to be voted upon.
• May - PUBLICITY - coordinate & promote events.
• July - HOLIDAY - December displays.
• September - FUNDRAISING - donations & membership.
• November - MAINTENANCE - repairs & upgrades.

themes for upcoming years

Plans for a year or 2 ahead for upcoming society events.
Involving other organizations helps promote both of us.

• 2012 = War of 1812
• 2013 = founding of Devon at 100
• 2014 = Milford's 375th anniversary
           = George Washington visits 225 years ago
• 2015 = end of the Civil War at 150
           = Town Hall burns down in 1915
• 2016 = current town hall at 100
           = Indians burn Milford plains at 370
• 2017 = The Milford chapter of the Red Cross is formed 2 months before the US enters WWI at 100
           = Doris Gagnon was born
• 2018 = construction of a new two-room school in Woodmont
           = Frank Hanford Stevens was appointed to command the Fire Department
           = U.S. Bureau of Fisheries establishes a lab at Milford Harbor to observe oysters and clams
• 2019 = electric street lights          = VNA at 100
• 2020 = purchase of straw hat company in 1920
• 2021 = Milford Hospital formed in 1921
           = new Washington Bridge in 1921
           = Indians burn Milford plains at 375
• 2022 = Claude Coffin searches for artifacts in 1922 (can be combined with Burnt Plains)
           = Milford's border changes when Orange splits from it in 1822
• 2023 = Milford voters prefer to stay a town in 1923
           = Milford's first newspaper at 250
• 2024 = Jonathan Law at 350
• 2025 = Approximate date that Harry Perry invents the Lobster roll (Restaurant had sign "home of the Lobster Roll" in 1927)
• 2026 = Revolutionary War at 350
• 2027 = Captain Stow cares for smallpox soldiers at 350

Daniel Ortoleva

Refreshments

Barbara Ortoleva

Saturday Docents

Some Saturdays there have been many visitors, some not so many. We still need to have people as docents and store workers to greet and guide any visitors. The houses will be open weekends through Sunday, October 7th. During the Garden Club set-up on Friday, September 21st and the Saturday morning set-up and afternoon presentation from 1pm to 5pm we will need extra docents.

Please call Ardienne Damicis or Marcia Winter if you can help.

MHS Christmas Fair – 2012

We’d like to do a modified Christmas Fair just in the Bryan-Downs House during the Downtown Stroll Friday, December 7th from 5 to 9PM, and Saturday, December 8th from 10AM to 5PM.
Here are some areas in which we need help:

• Bake cookies, breads or pies
• Make crafts or donate new or “gently used” items to sell
• Make a gift basket for a Chinese Auction
• Get a gift certificate from a store, supermarket, or restaurant
• Help with set-up.
• Work Fri. evening or a ½ day Saturday. (probably 2 shifts)
• Help with clean-up
• Give us some other ideas for the fair

• Ardienne Damicis (203) 877-1851
• Barbara Ortoleva (203) 874-0035
• Marcia Winter (203) 878-0814

Call Ardienne Damicis for information

Constant website improvements and testing sought

A writing style guide is being developed to act as a reference for proofreading and to be consistent in all of our correspondence. New posters, signs and newspaper notices using some of those tips have drawn many new visitors to the society's homes than before.

Our ongoing website redesign is up to date but retains a feel consistent with a historic organization. We have some exciting new features under consideration for introduction over the next few months. Expect to see a search button and the ability to adjust the size of the text. Also under consideration are as a way to thank you for being part of the historical community might be adding some fun items on a Society members only log in page. I welcome the challenge of figuring out how something can be done without creating additional issues.

You can help improve the Historical Society's website even if your modern clock is flashing 12:00. Nothing on the internet looks exactly the same to everyone depending on your computer model and it's settings. Is our site easy to use on the different computers you use? Specifics include how easy the site is it to read or to find what you are looking for. Let us know about any suggestions of what you'd like to see. Just visit our website to assist us.

On an unrelated note, any bookmarks for the website will have to be updated after an unrelated issue is resolved in September. The website will notify visitors and send them to the right address when we have control.

There are dozens of services and programs for emailing newsletters. It may be possible for our website to create and send them. Some services would be free for the number we send out but we should look at ease of use or suitability to a small non-profits.
Please share any experience you may have had either using, setting up or receiving any of these newsletter services & the options they offer so we can use this input to choose which particular service is a good match for our needs.

Daniel Ortoleva, webmaster