The Avon Historical Society is pleased to be bringing you Podcasts entitled AVON TALKS, which feature episodes relating to local history, landmarks, and events, both historic and modern, that shape the community in which we live.

Avon resident Ethan Guo created AVON TALKS in 2023.  He planned to share Avon's history in an entertaining and immersive way, engaging historians, professionals, and residents by inviting them to share new perspectives through intriguing stories that provoke thoughtful conversations. According to Guo, “History is an integral part of any community. To me, Avon Talks is a way to further connect the Avon community through shared narratives and stories of the people and places around town."

Ethan, now a college student, has since passed the baton to our new Host, Jim Pabich.  Welcome Jim!

AVON TALKS podcasts are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube Music, Google Podcasts, Podcast Index and Amazon Music. The Avon Historical Society is the sole owner of the rights to the programming, and all guests’ comments are their own and not necessarily those of the Society.  Anyone wishing to suggest a podcast subject for any of the four themes is encouraged to contact the Society at: [email protected] or leave a detailed message at 860-678-7621.

Thanks for listening!

Avon Talks shines a light on one of Avon’s most active and community-minded organizations: the UNICO Italian American Club. UNICO has a long tradition of service, fellowship, and pride in Italian-American heritage, and the Avon chapter is no exception. From scholarships and charitable giving to local events that bring people together, UNICO plays a meaningful role in our town's life. Today, I’m joined by the chapter’s officers, who will share the history behind the organization, the work they do here in the Farmington Valley, and how they continue to keep Italian culture and community service thriving in Avon.

From Host, Jim Pabich, "William Faulkner once said, 'The past is never dead, it’s not even past”

When we look at recent events, we have the benefit of both having lived through them as well as the capability of looking at them through the objective eyes of the future.

Today, we’re joined by Avon resident Professor Stephan Bullard, a respected scholar whose book “Covid 19: The First Six Months” traces the daily advances and setbacks as they happened.

In this conversation, he brings a clear, grounded perspective on how the crisis unfolded in places like Avon, how it reshaped life across the country, and what its ripple effects look like worldwide.

Whether you lived through it on the front lines or felt its weight in quieter ways, Professor Bullard helps us understand what truly happened, what we learned, and how those lessons continue to shape our future.

Step back in time to discover what life was like during Avon’s earliest days. Our new host, Jim Pabich, is joined by local historian and author Scott Lewis, whose new book, Avon Connecticut's First Century: Visionaries and Victims, takes readers through the town’s formative years — a period marked by a mix of ambition, hardship, and transformation. The book is available for sale on our website.

Scott’s stories bring to life the local families who laid the foundation for the town we know today and the national figures who crossed their paths. We’ll talk about what inspired him to write this history, the surprising discoveries he made along the way, and why understanding Avon’s past helps us appreciate the community we live in now.

In 1736, Benjamin Franklin founded the Union Fire Company in Philadelphia. This would be the first volunteer fire department of its kind in the United States and would lay the foundations for a tradition practiced in many American towns today. Avon is one such town. The Avon Volunteer Fire Department, with its four stations and almost two-hundred staff, is a completely volunteer-based organization that has been serving the town’s needs for over half-a-century.

Joining us for this episode to discuss the history and development of the Avon Volunteer Fire Department are fire chief Bruce Appell and board member James DiPace.

In August of 1955, Connecticut was hit by one of the worst natural disasters in the state’s modern history. Over the course of one week, two hurricanes – Hurricane Connie and Hurricane Diane – collectively dropped more than two feet of water and raised the Farmington River by over eighteen inches. These two storms, and the subsequent Flood of 1955 that resulted, ended up causing over 680 million dollars worth of damage across the Eastern Seaboard, with 350 million dollars of that being dealt to Connecticut alone. In response to these damages, Governor Ribicoff declared a state of emergency, requested federal assistance from President Eisenhower, and activated the state’s National Guard. By the end of the Flood of 1955, 87 Connecticut residents had perished, 668 dwellings were destroyed, and over 200 dams suffered partial or total failure.

Avon, located adjacent to the Farmington River, was not able to escape the impact of the hurricane, suffering extreme damage to its public infrastructure, farms, and houses.

For this episode, we are joined by Janet Carville of The Pickin' Patch Farm who, being a lifelong resident of Avon, was able to experience the Flood of 1955 first-hand.

In the 15th century, Johannes Guttenburg introduced the printing press to Europe, which not only defined print media’s dominant role for centuries to come, but also fundamentally altered the social, political, and religious structure of the Western World. However, since the turn of the 20th century, the media landscape has, once again, begun to rapidly evolve with the advent of radio, video broadcasting, and, eventually, the internet. This revolutionary change would not escape Avon.

Joining us to discuss the rapidly transforming landscape of print publishing and media digitization in Avon and the Farmington Valley is Bruce Deckert, the founder and editor-in-chief of Today Publishing.

Following victory in World War II, the United States was forced to navigate a precarious transition period as it welcomed its millions of veterans back into society. To accommodate many of these returning soldiers and the subsequent Baby Boom that followed, developers across the country found success in creating standardized suburban housing and lifestyles that heralded an extreme period of national uniformity in the 1950s. However, American life would not stay stagnant for long. By the 1960s, the Hippie Movement fought against this uniformity for an era of creative expression and individualism, amongst other goals, like never before. Avon would feel the results of these efforts as it welcomed the Farmington Valley Art Center in 1974.

Joining us to discuss the visionary history of this center and its impact on Avon and Valley life are Carol Kaplan, the current Executive Director of the center, and Melissa Meredith, a current member of the board of directors.

What does the heyday of American industrialization have to do with Avon, CT? The answer is in Lions Club International. In 1917, the Lions Club was first founded in Chicago, Illinois in response to the height of American industrialism where widespread disease, poor living conditions, and endemic child labor ravaged many dense, metropolitan areas. It wouldn’t take long for the club to extend its impact throughout the United States and across the world, eventually playing a crucial role in forming the NGO section of the, then, newly established United Nations in 1945. The Lions first formally made their presence felt here, in Avon, CT, in 1951, and have since then become a cornerstone of charitable social service within the community.

To talk more about this journey with us is Heidi Zacchera, the president of the Avon Lions Club since 2004.

What is a library? To some, it’s a repository of knowledge for study and research. To others, it’s a place to borrow novels and movies and to get lost in worlds of figment and imagination, or a public space to get work done and access different community resources. In the greater American story, public libraries have been the homes of some of the greatest self-starting entrepreneurs and the cradle for world-changing academic research and literature. In this episode, we are going to explore the development of one specific public library nestled right here in Avon, Connecticut. The Avon Free Public Library has had a long history, from being transplanted across the town to developing an evolving identity as the needs of libraries and information literacy have changed with the digital age.

Joining us today is Glenn Grube, the director of AFPL and Cal Miller of Miller Farms. Thank you both so much for being here with us today.

Join us with Robert Summers, the former Avon Athletic Director and founder of the Avon Athletics program, as we explore the tangential history of Avon athletics with the Avon High School, the development of different sports teams, and the long-term impact it has had on generations of Avon students.

The first podcast of 2024 is with Jay Willerup, the (then) current board president of the Friends of Heublein Tower, as we explore the tower’s founding story, introduce its history, discuss some of the notable United States presidents that have graced its halls, and examine its current community impact in the 21st century.

The final December podcast of 2023 features a discussion with Art Custer, the head of the History Department at Avon Old Farms as we explore the school’s founding, introduce its history in relation to Avon, and the role the school has had on generations of students from across the nation and world.

Join us for the November 2023 podcast with Avon Town Manager Brandon Robertson as we introduce the role of the town manager, break down the structure of Avon's local government, and discuss the importance of civic engagement at all levels of government.

The October 2023 edition of AVON TALKS, the podcast, focuses on Prince Thomas of Savoy. Join us with Chris Cody and Paul Rotondo as we introduce the Prince Thomas of Savoy Italian social club, its over-century-long history, and its role within the Avon, Farmington Valley, and Connecticut communities.

The September 2023 podcast featured Imam Safwan Shaikh and Dr. Khamis Abu-Hasaballah, who introduced us to the Farmington Valley American Muslim Center and its growing role in the Farmington Valley community.

To learn more about the FVAMC, visit their website at www.fvamc.org

Join us with Cal Miller and Brian Malone as we introduce the foundation and formation of Miller Farms as well as its current pet food business in Oma’s Pride and its charity Miller Farms Cares. To learn more about Miller Farms, visit their website at Oma's Pride or Miller Farms Cares.

The first themed podcast launched on July 4, 2023, featuring Nora Howard, Avon Town Historian, and Terri Wilson, president of Avon Historical Society. They spoke about the launch of AVON TALKS as a new educational medium to share stories and events from Avon, CT’s long history.

Want to stay up to date with Avon Talks? Send an email to [email protected] to join the newsletter.

Or, for more information, Terri Wilson, President, 860-798-0918

The AVON TALKS logo is courtesy of Priscilla Tonkin Marshall and is her own design. Given with permission.