By: Amanda Charest

​The yacht “America” was an early clipper ship designed for speed. Her first captain, Richard 
Brown was born in Mystic, Connecticut on July 3, 1810. Destined to be a captain, he and four other boys in his town ran away as children to New York. There, the boys pursued their dreams of working on ships. All five became captains and Richard Brown later returned home as an adult, victorious. Being “America’s” captain during her victory in the Queen’s Cup brought him a good deal of fame. ​

​Sadly, the other four boys were all drowned at sea and Captain Brown believed it would be his fate as well. However, that did not keep him from sailing.  During his life, he sailed between 50 and 60 yacht races. He was known for his honesty and intelligence. He died at 75 years old after he was frostbitten while steering a ship into port on a particularly harsh winter night. The frostbite turned into gangrene, and he passed away on June 18th, 1885.
 
Shortly after being built by the New York Yacht Club, “America” sailed to England to participate in the Royal Yacht Club Cup.  The Royal Yacht Club Cup, hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron, marked the first competition between American and English yachts. Racing against a fleet of 15 English counterparts, the America secured victory by a remarkable 18-minute margin, garnering significant attention for the vessel and its captain.
 
Queen Victoria herself boarded the ship for inspection after the victory.  The image below shows her congratulating John Cox Stevens, the ship’s owner.  The win brought a new sense of sportsmanship between the recently formed United States and England.  The win was immortalized in the lithograph by T.G. Dutton and based on a painting by O.W. Brierly.  It was available for purchase on September 5, 1851.   Such a historic win was bound to be a part of Bradley Barnes’s collection. The lithographs were widely produced and collected among maritime enthusiasts.  

​Over the next few years, the ship was used for racing until the start of the Civil War. During the Civil War, “America” was used as a blockade ship and briefly fell to Confederate use under the name Memphis. Not much is known of its Confederate usage. The ship's speed and ability to slip between ports, creeks, and rivers undetected contributed to its reputation as a sort of “flying Dutchman”. In 1862, the wreckage was found in Dunns Creek 70 miles above Jacksonville Florida. The ship was pumped free of water, plugged, and towed away for repair. It had sustained little water damage. After the yacht was repaired, it was returned to service blockading Charleston.    
 
After the war in 1866, “America” was put out of use for 3 years and became a school ship until the fall of 1869.  Having spent over 30 thousand dollars in 4 years the government ordered the ship to be sold at auction in 1873. It was sold to General Benjamin Franklin Butler and was used from 1873-1892 as a recreational ship. In 1874 the ship returned to racing until General Butler's death in 1893. “America” was passed to his son Paul who was uninterested in sailing. Paul passed it to his nephew Butler Ames after the ship sat for 4 years.
 
In 1897 the ship returned to racing briefly before war broke out with Spain. The ship returned to service until 1898 when the war concluded. The ship returned to racing until its last season in 1901. It was then put out of commission and sat idle until 1916 when it was put up for sale. Due to World War One, there was little market for pleasure boats. In 1917, the ship was sold, and its lead was sold for munitions production to aid the war. The decision was made to return the ship to the Naval Academy with the aspiration of preserving it for future museum use. On September 29, 1921 ship was docked at the Royal Naval Academy and was sold for $1.00 to Charles Francis Adams due to a law that the government could only receive property through sale or capture.  “America” remained under its care until 1942 when the ship was scrapped due to damage during a snowstorm.  The shed the boat resided in had collapsed under the weight of the snow. Despite the ship’s tragic demise the adventures and tales of this historic ship live on.  

By: Christina Volpe, Curator 

Estella and John married on September 10, 1867. She was twenty, and he was 33. On the back of Estella and John's Intention of Marriage, her adopted father, John Phinney, wrote: I hereby give my consent to the marriage of my daughter Estella to John J. Barnes. 
 
Four children survived her: Wilfred Barnes of Torrington, Albert Barnes of Waterbury, and Dana and Addie Barnes, living with their mother when she passed. Estella's influence extended far beyond the walls of the home she built with James. In the 1890s, she actively developed Southington's suffrage efforts. The twenty-sixth annual Women's Suffrage Convention was held in Southington's Town Hall and attended by many delegates, with members from each local level organization in attendance. Photographs of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony tied together by a bit of yellow ribbon were passed out as souvenirs. Estella was head of the courtesies committee and gave the welcome address at the convention in late October 1895. ​

Early women's rights movements in the 19th encompassed many issues beyond suffrage, including education access and expansion. Recognizing that education was essential for women's empowerment and societal advancement, activists advocated for establishing grammar schools and kindergartens accessible to all children, regardless of gender. Kindergartens, pioneered by German educator Friedrich Froebel in the early 19th century, emerged as spaces where young children, including girls, could engage in structured play and early learning experiences, laying the foundation for their intellectual and social development. The establishment of grammar schools provided formal education pathways for girls beyond basic literacy, offering instruction in subjects traditionally reserved for boys, such as mathematics and science. The Equal Rights Club of Southington met in 1895 and 1896 to discuss such matters hosted several times at the Barnes home on South Main Street. ​

Estella emerged as a female suffrage trailblazer, becoming the first woman elected as a lecturer of the State Grange in February 1896. The Connecticut State Grange is a local organization within the larger National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, a fraternal organization founded in the United States in 1867 to promote the interests of rural communities and agriculture. The Connecticut State Grange provides support, resources, and advocacy for its member Granges, which are community-based chapters typically located in rural areas that very much included Southington at the time. These local ranges often engage in agricultural education, community service, and social events. ​

Beyond her activism, Estella was a custodian of history, delving into genealogy books and actively involved in the annual Barnes family reunion. Her intellectual curiosity knew no bounds, and she engaged in scholarly pursuits with zeal and passion. Estella's home was a sanctuary for learning and growth, where her children flourished under her guidance.
 
In reflection, the life of Estella H. Barnes serves as a testament to her resilience, compassion, and unwavering commitment to Southington, a place that defined her character. As we bid farewell to this remarkable woman, let us carry forward her spirit of curiosity, compassion, and dedication to a future where equality, opportunity, and justice flourish for all.

There are many love stories that have played out in both the Bradley and Barnes families. Out of all of the love stories, Alice Bradley and Norman Barnes have the most intriguing one. What started out as a forbidden courtship, eventually turned into an enduring love.
Alice Bradley was born on October 22, 1849 to Amon Bradley and Sylvia Barnes. She had an older brother named Franklin and a little sister named Emma. She grew up in what is now known as the Barnes Museum. The Bradley family was one of the most wealthy and influential families in town. Amon had his hand in many of the manufacturing industries in town as well as real estate. His wife Sylvia came from a wealthy family.

The Bradley family ended up approving of their wedding but not before Amon decided to take Norman under his wing. In order to marry Alice, Amon wanted Norman to be able to provide her with the lifestyle she has always been accustomed to. According to Alice’s diary, Norman did work as a clerk and a teacher around 1863.
​
“My carte devisees came today.  I had a dozen.  Norman Barnes came to board with us today as he has commenced to be the clerk in the store. “ – April 27, 1863 – From the Diary of Alice Bradley Barnes

It wasn’t until 1870 that he left behind the world of teaching permanently. His experience under Amon empowered Norman to go on to explore other business ventures including becoming sectary and treasurer of Atwater Manufacturing company for almost 30 years.
Around 1869, Norman got Alice a diamond ring. She mentions that they were getting it engraved. On Christmas eve, he gifted her the ring.
“Norm gave me a very pretty little diamond ring.” – December 24, 1869 
 Alice and Norman got married on October 9, 1873 at the First Congregational Church in Southington, CT. They share an anniversary with Amon and Sylvia.

“Today is my wedding day, and pleasant it is, and I am so thankful too. I have a great many flowers given my friends and neighbors, and a nice lot of bridal gifts, many more than I mentioned, in this book. I gave Norm a nice gold watch; he gave me an elegant pair of heavy gold chain bracelets. “ - October 9, 1873 – From the Diary of Alice Bradley Barnes.

After their wedding, they went on a honeymoon to New York. They stayed at the Sturtevant House Hotel on Broadway. They saw "Fanchon the Cricket" at Booth's Theatre. They also spent time with friends and attended a fair in Brooklyn. Their honeymoon lasted five days.
After marriage, Norman and Alice lived with her parents for the next 10 years. During the 19th century, it was very common to live in a multi-generational household as family was seen as the center of everything. By then Norman was accepted and became very close with the Bradley family. Even after they moved, they made it a point to visit Alice’s parents every day.

Alice and Norman were both extroverts who loved going to socials and had a love of performing. Often times, Alice’s little sister Emma would tag along. Alice was one of the founders of the Clotho society which started out as a community fundraising club and eventually turned into a drama club which Norman and Alice acted in.  Around 1882, Alice and Norman had a house build across the Southington town green where they moved shortly before Alice gave birth to their son Bradley on January 27, 1883.

When Bradley was old enough to write a diary, he spoke of his everyday life with his parents. Every birthday, she and Norman would deposit roughly $50 into an account for Bradley. That is worth around $1600 today. When he was younger, they would bake and pick fruit together. Alice and Norman passed along their love of theater to Bradley often attending local plays and concerts at their church and town hall. According to his diary, he performed during the Christmas exercises although they were small parts.
​
Unfortunately, Alice died 1897 after a months long respiratory illness. She was only married to Norman for 24 years and Bradley was only 14. Both Norman and Bradley were stricken with grief. Bradley’s grades slipped and Norman constantly worried about him. Norman would mention Alice in his letters to Bradley expressing how beautiful she was and how she would love the location he was visiting. He also worried that Bradley would get sick like her and would end his letters saying “don’t get sick.” Norman never remarried.  Alice and Norman’s legacy lived on in their son Bradley. It was due to Bradley’s passion for preserving his families history and artifacts that we are able to tell the love story of Alice and Norman generations later.

​Labor Day, a holiday now synonymous with barbecues and relaxation, has a rich history that dates back to the late 19th century. Its origins trace back to the labor movement's fight for fair working conditions, hours, and wages. The Barnes Museum takes you on a journey to the early days of Labor Day, providing a glimpse into the struggles and triumphs that paved the way for the holiday we celebrate today. Thanks to the Central Labor Union's visionary plans, the inaugural Labor Day holiday occurred on September 5, 1882, in New York City. A mere year later, on September 5, 1883, the Central Labor Union once again brought the nation together to celebrate the principles of labor rights and workers' dignity.

​During these times, the Southington Cutlery Company became a focal point of labor tensions in this area. In July 1880, the company employees initiated a strike due to a decision by the directors to deduct 10% from their pay. This was a clear demonstration of workers' collective determination to protect their rights.

By 1882, the Southington Cutlery Company transitioned into making razors, experiencing a surge in production and busier times than ever. The company's dedication to evolving its products mirrored the evolving spirit of the labor movement.

The year 1886 marked both expansion and strife for the company. The company represented the epitome of labor's vitality, with over a hundred men employed in their knife department, including grinders and finishers. However, in November of that year, a hundred men from the knife department went on strike in response to another 10% wage reduction. This significant strike, organized by the Knights of Labor, showcased the unity and determination of the workers. The Knights of Labor was a prominent labor organization in the 1870s. By July 1886, Connecticut boasted nearly 12,000 Knights of Labor members spread across 118 local assemblies. Among them were women textile workers in the eastern Connecticut mills, adding a dimension of gender equality to the labor movement. The influence of the Knights even extended to the state's legislative arena, with 37 Knights of Labor members in the 1885-86 legislative session.

However, 1886 would be a turning point for the Knights of Labor in Connecticut. The Knights of Labor's national reputation took a hit when they were accused of being linked to the Haymarket Riot on May 4 in Chicago—an event marked by labor-related protests that turned violent, casting a shadow over the organization's standing. In Connecticut, the local assemblies encountered challenges in rallying support for members' strikes, such as those at the Derby Silver Co., the Southington Cutlery Co., and the P. & F. Corbin Co. in New Britain. Despite their efforts, these local assemblies leaned towards negotiation over confrontation with anti-union owners. This stance led to a decline in the Knights' membership in Connecticut from 12,000 to 5,622.

On November 23, 1886, some striking employees of the wood screw shop at the Southington Cutlery Company began to return to work, indicating a turning point in the labor conflict. The beginning of 1887 saw further tensions as the company considered repurposing the knife shop and paused knife production until wage disputes were settled.

On January 22, 1887, the strikers, led by the Knights of Labor, marched to the Southington cutlery knife shop and collected their tools, a symbolic gesture of their unity and resolve.

The strike continued for twelve weeks, eventually concluding in February 1887. While some strikers grew disheartened about achieving the desired pay increase, several men agreed to return to work as a collective entity, demonstrating the strength of solidarity. The company's declaration that certain leaders would not be able to return to work there underscored the lasting impact of this labor movement.

As we bask in the joy of Labor Day, let's not forget the resilience of those who came before us, the champions of workers' rights who navigated through challenging times to lay the foundation for the dignified workplace we enjoy today. The Southington Cutlery Company's labor struggles are a testament to the enduring spirit of unity we commemorate on this special day.

Written by Nadia D.

It has been said over the years that Valentine's Day is a "Hallmark Holiday" due to the myth that it was invented to sell greeting cards. However, Valentine's Day doesn't have commercial or even romantic origins. Everything from the roots to Valentine's Day's commercialization is a tale. We need to go back to the beginning as we unwind this tale.  
 
What are the origins of Valentine's Day?
The holiday was believed to be inspired by a pagan festival called Lupercalia that dates back as far back as the Roman Empire. The festival celebrated fertility on February 15th. It may seem romantic, but the festival was a bit morbid. A goat and a dog would be sacrificed in the same cave where the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus were believed to be born. The men would then run naked around the city, slapping women with the hides of these animals. This part of the ritual was said to promote fertility for a year. Then there was a matchmaking lottery system that would pair couples together for a year. 

​Regarding mass-producing Valentines, two conflicting yet intersecting stories originate in Grafton and Worcester, MA. Since there is little historical evidence about who mass-produced Valentine's Day Cards first, we can only guess based on each account. The ambiguity stems from the book "A History of Valentines" by Ruth Webb Lee. In her 1952 book, she solely credits Esther Howland as the person who first mass-produced Valentines. 

​Esther Howland was known as the "Mother of American Valentines." She was born in 1828 in Worcester, MA, to her parents, Southworth and Esther Howland. In 1847, she graduated from Mount Holyoke College and was an aspiring entrepreneur. She received a beautiful English Valentine during the same year and was instantly fascinated by it. She devised an idea to form a business to sell these types of Valentines in America. 
Her father owned an S.A. Howland & Sons store that sold books and stationery. Esther asked him for supplies such as thick paper, lace, illustrations, etc., to make a few prototype Valentine's Day cards. She created these three-dimensional cards using lace, embossed envelopes, and pictures to make a collage. Inside, she would paste a small piece of paper with a four-line verse as the message. She gave her brother about a dozen prototype Valentines and then convinced him to try to sell the Valentines during his business travels around Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire. She thought she would only get a total of between $100 and $200 orders. Her brother brought back $5,000 worth of orders to her surprise. 

​Her new business was an instant success, and she decided to expand. She took over the third floor of her home and started off hiring four ladies who recently graduated with her. She was said to pay her employees well above average. They started an assembly line to mass produce English-inspired Valentines. Each woman would have a specific section to work on and then pass it to the next lady to add another section. In the end, there was a complete Valentine which would be around 75 cents each. Some of her more intricate cards cost about $35 during that time. When Esther sold off her business in 1881, she made $100,000 per year. That equates to just under $3,000,000 today! 

​While Esther is almost solely credited with starting the first company that mass-produced Valentines, there is a different account. In 1809, Jotham Taft was born in Grafton, Ma. Like Southworth Howland, he also sold stationery. He and his wife vacationed in Germany in 1839 and brought back Valentine's cards. Taft started mass-producing Valentine's Day cards around 1840 through the New England Village Company. He is known as the "Father of American Valentines." 

​What is interesting is the fact that Esther and Jotham knew each other. Both of their families were friends and he may have been the one to mail her the English Valentine back in 1847. He is also believed to have been her mentor and taught her how to make Valentines. Jotham's son Edward went into business with Esther Howland in 1879. Together they formed the New England Valentine Company. 
Meanwhile, in Worcester, Sumner Whitney and his wife opened a stationery store in 1858 and sold their Valentine's Day cards. When Sumner died in 1861, his younger brothers Edward and George Whitney took over the business. They named it "Whitney Valentine Company. It is believed that George worked for Esther Howland, making Valentines before then. If it wasn't for their maker's stamps, Esther Howland and George Whitney's Valentine's cards would be indistinguishable. 

​Edward left Whitney Valentine Company in 1868. Now the sole owner, George continued a highly successful business and decided to expand. In 1881, he bought out 10 Valentine's card companies, including New England Valentine Company. He now sold Victorian Valentines and cards for holidays such as Christmas and New Year's. His Valentine's Day cards slowly evolved into what we see as modern-day greeting cards. Valentine's cards were now made using machinery rather than an assembly line. It was now more cost-effective to forgo the intricate 3-D effect of Victorian Valentines. Upon his death in 1915, his son Warren took over the company. Whitney's son, also named George," eventually took over until the company's demise during WWII. Unfortunately, with paper shortages and the rise of other greeting card businesses, Whitney Valentine Company could no longer sustain itself and liquidated. 

​The business of greeting cards is still thriving today, with aisles of cards displayed at the local grocery store. With today's technology, greeting cards can even be sent by email. The craft of mass-produced handmade greeting cards may no longer exist, but the sentiment is the same. These Valentine's day cards are a gift to let someone know you are thinking of them. 

By: Nadia Dillon, Outreach Coordinator & Preservationist at The Barnes Museum 

By: Nadia Dillon

The tradition of putting up and decorating Christmas trees dates back to the 16th century in Germany. Trees were originally decorated with lighted candles, fruit, and nuts. This slowly began to change in 1846 when a gentleman named Hans Griener began to make glass ornaments at a Glassworks Factory in Lauscha, Germany. He is a descendant of a gentleman also named Hans Griener who opened up the glassworks factory back in 1597. The original glass ornaments were shaped to look like fruits and nuts. The ornaments were made by using blown glass and putting it into a mold. The inside of the ornaments had mercury and tin in them to make them shine. When the dangers of mercury became known, sugar water, and silver replaced it. The outside of the ornament was painstakingly hand-painted and decorated ornately.  

Before the war, Max Eckhardt used to import Christmas ornaments to the US to sell them. Anticipating the imminent shortage of glass, Eckhardt created a company called Shiny Bright that would sell US-made glass ornaments. He, along with Bill Thompson who was a representative of Woolworth’s Department store, negotiated with Corning Glass Works in New York to mass produce the glass ornaments. Before making ornaments, Corning Glass Works manufactured lightbulbs. In 1939, Corning Glassworks began to experiment with making glass ornament “blanks” that used the same machines that made lightbulbs. The ornaments were made by pouring hot glass in molds on a conveyer belt. Puffs of air would then be blown into the glass to create its shape and hollow interior. When continuing along the conveyer belt, the ornaments would then get a silver coating inside to give them their signature shine.
Corning Glass Works ended up adding 500 jobs to the factory and producing over 40 million US-made glass ornament “blanks.” Shiny Brite would then go on to paint and decorate the ornaments and distribute them to stores all over the United States. In 1939, F.W. Woolworth ended up purchasing 200,000 glass ornaments to sell at their store. Many stores around the United States began to follow and Shiny Brite ornaments were now sold nationwide

Shiny Brite ornaments were simple and a stark deviation from the ornate German glass ornaments. Shiny Brite ornaments came in many colors including pink, blue, red, and green. A common design with the ornaments was thick stripes that would come in many colors. Due to the shortage of metal, some of the ornaments had cardboard tops. The ornaments were mostly round but there were some oblong shapes also. Due to the ban on silver nitrate, Corning Glass Works could no longer put a silver coating inside the ornaments. To make up for this, tinsel was added inside some of the glass ornaments to capture the shine.
Ornaments were either sold individually or in box sets. Each ornament was sold for as little as 10 cents which would be approximately between $1.50 to $2.00 today. The boxes carried sets of between 6 and 12 ornaments. Each box boasted that the ornaments were American-made. Many boxes even had a photo of Santa Clause shaking hands with Uncle Sam.

​Consumers grew to love Shiny Brite ornaments due to their simplicity, low cost, and being made in America. They could no longer justify importing the more ornate and expensive glass ornaments from Germany. Shiny Brite ornaments were still popular in the 50s and 60s and carry nostalgia for much of the baby boomer generation. By the 70s, the production of Shiny Brite ornaments stopped, and are now a collector’s item that we are very lucky to have on display this Holiday season.

Andrew Upson was born in Southington, Connecticut on May 18, 1825. He graduated from Yale College in 1849 (It became Yale University in 1887). On April 15, 1850, he married Elizabeth Gridley. The Upson family ran a successful farm in the Plantsville area in Southington. Elizabeth and Andrew had four children: Ida Maria, Francis Root, William Calkins, and Mary Brooks. On July 21, 1862, Upson enlisted as a 1st Lieutenant in Company E of the 20th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. He died on February 19, 1864, in Tracy City, Tennessee. While he was away from home, he wrote his family and friends often, accounting for daily life as a Union soldier and his unique perspective of daily happenings during the Civil War. 

​Historically, 1862 was the last year that Thanksgiving was celebrated on varying dates in the Northern states. To promote cultural unity between the North and South, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that the Thanksgiving of 1863 would be held on the last Thursday of every November. The Northern states celebrated their first federally recognized Thanksgiving in 1863, while the Southern states observed the federal holiday only in the years following the Civil War. 

The following year President Abraham Lincoln made a proclamation declaring the last Thursday in November be observed as Thanksgiving. Another attempt at unifying a mourning nation - whose losses at the battle of Gettysburg in July of 1863 had surpassed 50,000 lives.

"I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, …to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving... And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him …, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union."

With the war still carrying on, Captain Upson wrote a Thanksgiving blessing to his family once again. Reporting from Fort Harker near Stevenson, Alabama (pictured right) the Captain had been stationed there for some time and wrote home to his wife often. Fort Harker was vital during the campaign against the confederate General Braxton Bragg in Chattanooga Tennessee in July of 1863 and the small town of Stevenson also served as a refugee camp and hospital following the battle. Occupation of the rail town ensured that the Union had control of supply lines in southeastern Tennessee and northeastern Alabama. In other letters that we will not be sampling here today – Captain Upson described seeing the refugees and their small children. He describes seeing former enslaved African Americans eager to fight with the Union. Several of the sentiments he has developed from being around and in the camp are conveyed to his children in the letter below.  ​

Unfortunately, Captain Upson would not be so blessed as to make it to the next Thanksgiving Supper with his family. Less than two months after he wrote this letter he died after succumbing to two gunshot wounds sustained during an ambush by Confederate soldiers on Tracy, City Tennessee. Captain Upson was there with Company B of Connecticut’s 20th Regiment to defend the rail line in Tracy City. The captain had been by the train depot with ten of his men when the ambush occurred. He was shot and captured with his men and after four hours was released. During his time recovering in the days following the incident Captain Upson continued to write home to his family. Word of mouth and local reporting indicated the Captain was feeling better. Several days later he died and on February 29, 1864, his body returned to Southington for burial and is interred within Quinnipiac Cemetery. 

The Barnes Museum has the honor of housing the Captain Andrew Upson Civil War Letters and Diaries within the archival collection. The collection is open for scholarly research and select items belonging to Captain Upson remain on display. To learn more about him or his grand daughter Leila Upson Barnes's legacy contact us today! 

By: Nadia Dillon

In 1884, Frank R. Upson and William C. Upson opened the firm Upson Bros where they were partners. They opened Upson Brothers dry good store on 15 Center Street in Southington. Unfortunately there was also a fire that originated in the store on in January of 1885. Their entire stock was lost. The fire spread to the other stores in the building accumulating approximately $18,000 in losses. With inflation, today that number would equate to  around $612,000. The Upson Bro's alone had $7,000 in loses which would be around $238,000 today. One firefighter was injured.
Luckily the building still remained and the brothers were eventually able to replenish their stock. Frank used to go to New York city about once a month to buy new stock.  

​Millions of Irish immigrants came to America in the nineteenth century seeking reprieve from centuries of economic and political turmoil in their homeland. These immigrants grew their families and businesses while contributing and assimilating to a changing American industrial economy that was not always welcoming. Irish immigrants were amongst the first to come to America working as domestic servants, seeking financial success in factories, and building local businesses; many following the same settlement patterns that the Yankee settlers before them had taken. By 1840 there were more than seventy-eight thousand Irish immigrants in America and by 1850 this number rose to be more than ninety thousand. 
      Connecticut’s first Irish-supported newspaper the Catholic Press began production in 1829. It is here that we learn about one of Southington’s earliest Irish American residents: ​

Peter Dayle died August 7, 1829; the Catholic Press was used at the time to communicate deaths, arrivals, and post missing person descriptions to reunite families separated during their travels. Letting readers know that he passed was the best chance for someone to know how and where he passed away. In the archives of Connecticut’s church records, Peter’s death is noted as drowning, and next to his name he is referred to as a “foreigner”. While it is unclear how or why Peter found himself in Southington in 1829 – it is likely Peter and his family were fleeing persecution from the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Irish Catholics were persecuted during this time and young Peter would have only been thirteen years old. 
       ​Southington’s Irish American community is tied to The Barnes Museum in several ways. Living on the Amon Bradley homestead in the 1860 Census was an Irish woman named Hannah Deady (1827-1888), then age 35, and working as a servant in the household. In 1860 Amon Bradley was 48 and employed as a merchant with a personal estate value of $30,000. Also listed living on the homestead in 1860 were Amon’s wife Sylvia age 42, and their children Franklin age 17, Alice age 10, Emma age 2, and cousin Henry R. Bradley, a local attorney practicing in the town of Southington. Eldest daughter Alice writes in her diaries about Hannah and some of the duties she carried out during her time working on the homestead; these included preparing cider or jam with the family, cleaning rooms, and occasionally going to clean houses owned and rented out by Amon Bradley. 

​The article pictured names brothers William and John Deady as bearers at her funeral. A twenty-year-old William Deady arrived in America on May 27, 1850, on the ship Atlas at New York harbor. Traveling with him was his younger nineteen-year-old brother John Deady their older sister Hannah, then age twenty-three. William and John worked, lived, and raised their families in Southington throughout the 1860s, 1870s, and 1880s. John Deady was for a time highly respected as “baggage master at the Southington Depot”. William worked for Peck, Stow & Wilcox not too far from his home on Bristol Street where he and his wife Mary McCall raised their six children, their youngest son named John after his uncle John. 

Alice Bradley’s diaries reveal that throughout the 1860s, 1870s, and 1880s the family’s hiring preference for house labor assistance were Irish American women. Though the 1870 census does not list any servants as working in the household Alice’s diary mentions a girl named Maggie Daly coming to work with the family in 1871. On the 1880 Census, the Amon Bradley homestead (future home to The Barnes Museum) lists Sarah Deegan then age 17, as living and working for the household as a servant. Sarah Deegan was the daughter of Edward and Sarah Deegan, Irish natives that migrated to America in 1855 at the ages of 17 and 18 respectively. On the 1860 Census, the growing Deegan family is living in Southington with Edward working as a machinist. Ten years later in 1870, Edward and Sarah list five children living in the household and attending local schools. Edward’s occupation on the 1870 Census is molder, likely molding cutlery at the nearby Southington Cutlery Company. Unfortunately, this budding Irish American household was devastated in 1878 when Edward Deegan died leaving his widow and their five children to find work and thrive in their new homeland on their own. 
            This is why Edward’s youngest daughter Sarah is working at the Amon Bradley household in 1880 at the age of 17. Her mother also assisted with the Bradley house chores. In May of 1879, Alice wrote in her diary that “Mrs. Deegan cleaned my room today quite well”. Nearly all the Deegan children were employed and working in a Southington factory in 1880. Sarah’s older sister Catherine then age 22 lists her occupation as “packs hardware”; Mary age 19 lists her occupation as the same. Eldest son Thomas Deegan lists his occupation as “iron molder” and their two youngest boys James age 10 and William age 5 are thankfully unemployed and attending school. Alice Bradley noted that on January 7, 1880 “young Sarah Deegan came last night to live with us”. Alice appears to have been fond of Sarah and mentions here a few times throughout 1880 noting moments making cupcakes together and on Christmas, she wrote that she gave “Sarah Deegan a silk handkerchief.” 

​Throughout the mid to late 1800s many Irish American women in America performed domestic labor and housework to support themselves and raise their families in their new homeland. Especially during the first wave of migration following the 1840s this labor was often all that was available to “foreigners” as noted on Peter Dayle’s church record. Eventually by the turn of the century Irish American laborers were in high demand at local factories with records indicating a strong Irish American workforce at Peck, Stow & Wilcox, Southington Cutlery Company, and Atwater Manufacturing Company. As the Bradley family grew to eventually become the Bradley Barnes household that remains as The Barnes Museum today, Bradley Barnes did not hold his grandfather’s favoritism in hiring Irish American women as servants. Often the Census indicates these positions were held by German or Lithuanian American women. However, the impact that Hannah Deady and Sarah Deegan had during their time here remains in the records of the household that we continue to preserve today, and we celebrate them, their labor, and their strength on this St. Patrick’s Day.