Listen to the latest Podcast as Avon Talks Host Jim Pabich welcomes Jeannie Parker, a lifelong resident who shares her memories of Camp Gertrude Bryant, Avon's Girl Scout Camp from 1947-1965.

AVON TALKS, hosted by Avon Resident Jim Pabich, features episodes on local history, landmarks, and events, both historic and modern, that shape the community in which we live.

Avon resident and high school attendee Ethan Guo originally 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."

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: info@avonhistoricalsociety.org or leave a detailed message at 860-678-7621.

Thanks for listening!

For more than fifty years, the rolling pastures of Connecticut's Farmington Valley served as the office of Dr. Harry Werner, a legendary veterinarian whose career witnessed a profound transformation in American agriculture.

With his wife and partner, Susan Werner, they navigated the challenges of a 24/7 business through decades of changing country life, watching the profession evolve from an era of clinical intuition to hyper-specialized, high-tech modern medicine.

In this episode, Dr. Werner shares the remarkable, often humorous, and deeply moving stories of a lifetime spent in the stalls—revealing not just how the care of our farm animals has changed, but how a family with strong dedication built a lasting legacy in veterinary care in the Farmington Valley.

AVON TALKS host Jim Pabich talks with Jeannie Parker, a lifelong resident who shares her memories of Avon's Girl Scout Camp Gertrude Bryant, a camp for Avon’s Girl Scouts from 1947-1965. The camp was located near where Avon High School is today. Hundreds of girls spent happy summers at camp learning skills, singing songs, making crafts, and being part of the larger Girl Scout movement in this country, which helped many become very successful women in society.

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 avontalksahs@gmail.com 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.

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 laid the foundations for a tradition that continues to be practiced throughout 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.

Avon Talks is available on:

Find more Avon Talks info on https://avontalks.buzzsprout.com

The next edition of AVON TALKS, the podcast from the Avon Historical Society, is now available via this link.

The next edition of AVON TALKS, the podcast from the Avon Historical Society, is now available via this link.

The public is invited to an in-person presentation entitled “Titanic and Her Sisters” on Monday, May 1 at 2:00 pm in the Community Room of the Avon Free Public Library. This event, sponsored by the Avon Historical Society, will feature historian Philip Vitiello who will open a two-month exhibit, by the same name, in the History Corner of the Library. After the presentation, he will provide details at the exhibit for those interested in learning more about the three ships.

Almost everyone knows the tragic story of the RMS Titanic, on her maiden voyage to New York City on the night of April 14, 1912, hitting an iceberg and sinking with the loss of 1,496 passengers and crew. Few people may realize that the Titanic was the second of three ships built of the ‘Olympic Class’ for the White Star Line to compete for the Atlantic crossing passenger trade.

The stories of Titanic’s older sister ship Olympic and younger sister ship, Britannic are compelling stories of their own. As planned by their owners, when each of the ships was launched, they could claim to be the largest ship in the world. While the Olympic would have an exciting and long career, the youngest sister Britannic, would have a short and tragic end.

This presentation tells the amazing stories of these ships. It covers who built them and why, and what happened to them. Also included are passengers from Connecticut and the amazing life of Violet Constance Jessop, the daughter of Irish immigrants, who would sail on all three ships as a stewardess and as a nurse during WWI, who would survive the sinking of two of them. These Olympic Class Ships had never been seen before, and the likes of them have never been seen since.

A lifelong resident of New Haven, CT, Vitiello attended the University of New Haven and is employed as Director of Marketing for Northeast Food Marketing in Stamford, CT. For over 25 years, he has been a member of the original Titanic Historical Society of Indian Orchard, MA. He is also a Civil War historian, and re-enactor, for 40-plus years studying and visiting civil war eastern theater battlefields. He is Vice President of the Civil War Round Table of South Central Connecticut and Charter Member of “Friends of the Hunley,” the first submarine in world history to sink a ship in combat. Since 1998 he is a charter member of “TIGHAR” The International Group for Historical Aircraft Recovery.

The event is open to the public, free of charge. No RSVP is required. Masks are encouraged, but optional.

PHOTOS ATTACHED ARE PROVIDED BY PHILIP VITIELLO.

“Unearthing History: The Discovery of a 12,500-year-old Paleo-Indian Site along the Farmington River in Avon, CT”

The Avon Historical Society, Avon Free Public Library, and Avon Senior Center are pleased to present a second five-part webinar series entitled “Unearthing History: The Discovery of a 12,500-year-old Paleo-Indian Site along the Farmington River in Avon, CT” beginning on March 10^th  held via Zoom through a link from the Library. It is available free of charge.

Register for the webinars at:  www.avonctlibrary.info

This second series of five lectures are being held in response to the 2018-2019 excavation of a 12,500-year-old (10,000BC) Paleo-Indian site six feet below ground during a CT Department of Transportation construction project of the now completed bridge on Old Farms and Waterville Roads at Route 10 in Avon, CT.  The survey uncovered more than 20,000 artifacts and structures that are characteristic of the Early and Middle Paleo-Indian periods.  The site is named for Brian D. Jones, the late Connecticut State Archaeologist, who led the effort to dig deep based on earlier excavations in the area over the past few decades. As of this writing, this site is considered the oldest archaeological site of its kind in southern New England.

The “Unearthing History” webinar series will continue to explore many of the aspects of life and work on this continent over 12,500 years ago.  Experts in the field of early genetics, ice age animals, Paleo-Indian foodways and trade routes, and ancient DNA will provide background and help in understanding the rich nature of this site.  The Society, Library, and Senior Center, with cooperation from the Town of Avon, have taken the lead to provide educational events for the public on all aspects of the site for as long as the analysis takes to develop.  They thank the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Committee for financial support of this year-long series.

According to Dr. Lucianne Lavin of the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, CT, site of a slightly later Paleo-Indian site, the last Ice Age in this region began to melt away about 17,500BP (Before the Present).  As it receded, a lush new land was exposed that provided for animal life to return about 13,500BP in the form of tundra-grazing animals such as mastodons, mammoths, horses, giant beaver, caribou, and more.  The ancient communities of the Paleo-Indians are thought to have begun to arrive in the northeast after that time in search of those animals for food. They were the first settlers of what is now Connecticut and southern New England.  (Connecticut’s Indigenous Peoples, by Lucianne Lavin, 2013, Yale University Press)

The first webinar entitled “What Genetics Teaches Us About the Peopling of North America” will be held on Thursday, March 10 at 7:00 pm.  It will be presented by Dr. Jennifer Raff, an anthropological geneticist at the Univ. of Kansas.  She studies the genomes of contemporary humans and their ancestors for insights into prehistory with a focus on the initial peopling of North America. The presentation is based on her May 2021 Scientific American cover story “Journey into the Americas” and her new book, Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas being released Feb. 2022.

The second webinar entitled “Ice Age Animals of New England” will be held on Thursday, April 7 at 7:00 pm.  It will be presented by Dr. Sarah Sportman, Connecticut State Archaeologist & Dr. Nathaniel Kitchel, Dept. of Anthropology, Dartmouth.  They will present the Pope Mastodon (found in Farmington on the grounds of Hill-Stead Museum) and the Mount Holly (VT) Mammoth, among other animals of the Ice Age.

The third webinar entitled “Paleo-Indian Foodways with Trade & Network Exchange” will be held on Thursday, May 12 at 7:00 pm.  It will be presented by Dr. Jonathan Lothrop, Curator of Archaeology, The New York State Museum. His focus is on the Pleistocene (Ice Age) into the Holocene period where Natives colonized 11,000-8,000BC.  His research is on their technology, settlement, and subsistence. He is a consultant on the Brian D. Jones site analysis.

The fourth webinar entitled, “aDNA – Ancient DNA” will be held in September, a date to be announced. It will be presented by Christina Balentine and Samantha Archer, Ph.D. candidates & research scholars at UCONN Dept. of Anthropology. They will present a broad spectrum overview on how & where aDNA is found and how it is analyzed.

The fifth webinar entitled “Update on the Scientific Analysis of the Brian D. Jones site in Avon, CT Since its Discovery in 2019” will be held on Thursday, October 13 at 7:00 pm.  Held during Connecticut Archaeology Month, it will feature Dr. David Leslie, Senior Prehistoric Archaeologist of Archeological and Historical Services (AHS), Storrs, CT. He will provide an update on the site in Avon as AHS begins the fifth year of analysis of the artifacts and structures found there.

Partners in this series include the Farmington River Watershed Association, Institute of American Indian Studies, Washington, CT, and the Avon Land Trust.  Special thanks to a planning committee of experts for assisting with developing this ongoing series:  Dr. David Leslie, Archaeological and Historical Services; Marc Banks, Ph.D., LLC, Archaeologist; Nancy Najarian, Institute of Native American Studies; Beckie Sahl, Farmington River Watershed Association; Howard Wright, Renbrook School Science Department Head.  Representing the three creating organizations are Terri Wilson, Avon Historical Society; Tina Panik, Avon Free Public Library; Jennifer Bennett, Avon Senior Center.

Click here to download a pdf of this press release

The 5^th webinar in the series “Update on the Brian D. Jones Site in Avon & other Paleo sites in Connecticut,” will be held on Thursday, October 7th at 7:00 pm. 

This webinar will be presented by Dr. David Leslie, Senior Archaeologist at Archaeological and Historical Services, Inc., Storrs, CT and Dr. Zachary (Zac) Singer, Research Archaeologist, Maryland Historical Trust.

Dr. Singer will present the excavations at the Templeton Paleo-Indian site in western Connecticut and Dr. Leslie will provide an update on the Brian D. Jones Paleo-Indian site in Avon as they begin their fourth year of analysis of the artifacts found there.

Note: this event will run for 90 minutes with Q&A to follow. October is Connecticut Archaeology Month!

Registration is through the Avon Free Library website: www.avonctlibrary.info

Click here to download a pdf of this news release

The 4^th webinar in the series “Unearthing History: The Discovery of a 12,500-year-old Paleo-Indian site along the Farmington River in Avon, CT,” will be held on Thursday, September 9 at 7:00 pm. 

The presenter is Dr. Lucianne Lavin, Director of Research and Collections, Institute of American Indian Studies Museum located in Washington, CT. The title of her talk is “Connecticut Native American Communities, Past, and Present.”  She will elaborate on the long and rich history of CT’s Indigenous communities with a focus on the Paleo-Indians who worked at the Avon site for many years.

She is the author of Connecticut’s Indigenous Peoples – What Archaeology, History, and Oral Traditions Teach Us About Their Communities and Cultures, 2013, Yale University Press.  The book was funded by a grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford.

Registration is through the Avon Free Library website: www.avonctlibrary.info

Click here to download a pdf of this news release