Canterbury Stories

• Aili Galasyn

  In the 1920's Canterbury had an established Finnish community and Jack and Ida Hakkila moved here from Brooklyn, New York to be with their friends and have their own farm. Before there was electricity and the roof on their house was finished in 1930, Aili (Hakkila) Galasyn was born. She lives in the same house today.

• Alice Bingham Baum

  Have you driven down Bingham Road lately? It is a typical country neighborhood, but in 1914 there was only one house on the road and that belonged to Byron and Ethel Bingham. That same year, Alice Bingham Baum was born.

• Alice Raymond

  Adelard and Angelina LaFramboise met while working in the mills in Providence, RI. In 1916 they came to Canterbury, bought a farm on Route 169 and started a family. Angelina had grown up on a farm in Canada and helped her husband learn about farming. Angelina gave birth to eleven children. The youngest was Alice LaFramboise Raymond.

• Arthur & Helen LeBeau

  If you attended the Dr. Helen Baldwin School in the 1950's, 60's or 70's you probably had a "LeBeau" in your class. Arthur and Helen LeBeau had ten children who all attended school in Canterbury. Do you remember Sharon, Joyce, Christine, Arlene, Richard, Gerald, Annette, Marie, Gail or Theresa?

• Beverly Kettle Pukalo

  Beverly Kettle Pukalo was born in Oneco and moved to Sterling when she was 11 years old.

• Charlie Eastland

  In 1920 Edward and Emma Eastland bought Safford Mills on Tracy Road near the bridge over Kitt Brook. The Eastlunds, with their children Emma, Lucy, Ina, Helen and Charles spent many hours maintaining the mills which were run by waterpower.

• Chris Alliod

  In 1914, James Richard Aloysius Jones and his wife Christina set up a homestead in Canterbury in the area of Bopp Road and Water Street. They had eleven children.

• David Veit

  August and Maria Grab grew up in Wehr-Oeflingen Germany near the Swiss border. They moved to Connecticut and eventually bought a farm in Canterbury in 1919 and had four children, John, Charlie, Annie and Hilda.

• Ed Waskiewicz

  Over a period of time, Canterbury has had several gas stations or filling stations as they were called. The longest lasting gas station/garage/gravel bank in Canterbury is Ed's Garage, which has been in business since 1946.

• Frances Vaclavik

  When I grew up in Canterbury on the far end of North Society Road, I thought everyone had a "mail lady" like we did. What I didn't know, at the time, is that our mail lady was the first woman mail carrier in Connecticut. Her name is Frances Vaclavik.

• Gloria Coombs

  When I was eleven I would often go horseback riding with Linda Bassett. We would ride along Water Street and always rode next door to the Coombs farm. I remember wishing I could ride a horse like Gloria Coombs Scharlack. She was so at ease and comfortable in the saddle.

• John T. Bennett

  John T. Bennett's family has been in Canterbury many years. His maternal Grandfather, A. Hale Bennett (born 1860) (His mother's maiden name was also Bennett), his mother Dorothy Bradford Bennett (born 1892), his paternal Grandfather, Elmer Bennett (born 1863?) and his father Arthur C. Bennett (born 1886). Both of his Grandfathers were veterinarians and his father, Arthur, was quite an entrepreneur.

• Linwood Tracy

  Can you imagine holding the same political office for sixty-three years? We have such a man in Canterbury. He has been a Justice of the Peace since 1938 and his name is Linwood Tracy.

• Lydia Greenstein

  In the 1920's the Erickson family, Eric, Lyti and baby Lydia traveled around Canterbury in their wagon pulled by Harry the horse. It was the family's only transportation and Harry brought the family wherever they needed to go. In 1920 when Lydia was only ten weeks old, the Ericksons moved to Canterbury from New York City. They lived across the street from Lyti's sister, Emma Eastlund, whose family owned the local grist mill on Tracy Road.

• Marguerite Simpson

  Marguerite Simpson was a modern woman and well ahead of her time. She was a wife and mother, held political office involving multiple positions, is a fabulous cook and seamstress, musician and advocate. She has done it all while living in Canterbury.

• Marilyn Burris

  In 1956 Edgar and Hazel Mason moved from West Warwick, Rhode Island to North Society Road in Canterbury so Edgar could start his own dairy farm. They had four children, Carolyn, Marilyn, Edgar III and Sheila. When the move took place Edgar had to milk the cows in West Warwick in the morning, complete the move and then milk the cows at night in Canterbury.

• Priscilla Smith Botti

  Priscilla has held several political positions in Canterbury including Judge of Probate. She is also a talented author. The story to follow was published in the Christian Herald in 1953. It takes place in the 1920's and describes her wagon rides to church that begin in the area of Campbell Drive on Route 169, traveling south and ending at the Newent Congregational Church.

• Rose Yaworski

  Did you know Canterbury once had a hotel on Packer Road in the 20's? Rose Yaworski remembers Packer Hotel just down the street from the Packer Mill. As a child she used to play on the massive porch which encircled the entire building.

• Sally Romanoff

  I remember Sally Romanoff when I was a child as always being friendly and outgoing. I didn't know that she also wore many hats. Besides being a wife and mother, Sally was a grocery storeowner, a representative to Connecticut legislature, a floral designer and an orchid grower.

• The Miller Family

  When I attended Dr. Helen Baldwin School, the students were always arranged alphabetically and I sat next to Joseph Miller all through grade school.