Oral+Histories

In the 1980's, a collaborative oral history project sponsored by the Pomfret Public Library and the Pomfret Historical Society resulted in cassette tape interviews with people in the area born between the late 1800's and about 1915. These interviews were transcribed into document form and are available at the Pomfret Public Library to be used there. The library is hoping one day to have the original tapes digitized. The names of those interviewed are listed below in no particular order, interview dates are in parentheses:


 * Eva Jane Prior (November 5, 1983) – born in 1911 in Abington
 * Gladys Barlow (August 19, 1983) – Rectory School Teacher 1950 - 1975
 * Edwin Fisher (December 15, 1986) – Born in 1906, was a dairy farmer, milkman & assessor.
 * John Bigelow (June 16, 1983) – Headmaster Rectory School
 * Benjamin Grosvenor (January 24, 1985) –
 * Phillip James (May 3, 1983) – Pomfret Landing School Teacher 1947-1949, 1st Asst. Principal at PCS in 1949
 * James Mayo (Marcy 17, 1984) – Born 1906 in Pomfret, had 13 children
 * Hope Matthewson (March 17, 1984) – lived at Fox Hill Farm (5th house built on that site)
 * Rosalie Fellows (August 2, 1983) – Moved to Pomfret in 1947, Grosvenor Rd.
 * Beatrice Arnold (May 9, 1986) – Route 97 in Abington (Mashamoquet Farm)
 * Sarah Pederson (June 15, 1984) – Private duty nurse in Pomfret and surrounding towns
 * Mae Cotter (June 16, 1984) – Born in Pomfret 1897 waitress at Ben Grosvenor Inn & at Pomfret Prep
 * Robert Pritchard (June 13, 1986)- Pomfret attorney, Father was First Selectman
 * Edward Peppin (March 24, 1984) – Moved to Pomfret in 1928 to manage Gwyn Carig Farm owned by the Duchess of Talleyrand. Was First Selectman in town for 12 years.
 * Claire Nelson (May 1987) – Born in 1904 in Quebec Square in Danielson, waitress at Pomfret School
 * Clarence Griggs (March 17, 1984) – Born in 1905 in Abington (Rich’s Farm??)
 * Dorothy Horton (February 2. 1987) – Born in 1901, descendent of Higgenbotham’s - was a teacher in Hartford
 * Howard Baker (August 20, 1983) – Born in 1901, gardener
 * Priscilla Moss (August 13, 1983) – librarian at Pomfret Public Library
 * Earl & Oliver Marcy (June 14, 1987) - Blacksmith

More recently, Nancy Weiss and Jim Goodwin have collaborated on another oral history project and have published stories and photos based on these interviews in the __Pomfret__ __Times​__. These stories are available ?????

Nancy Weiss has graciously offered to assist classroom teachers in teaching oral history techniques to students as a possible Pomfret 300th class project. Send an e-mail to nelson@pomfret.ctschool.net if you are interested in contacting Nancy.