40. Killingly Historical Society Museum

Killingly Softly With Randomness
Danielson section of Killingly
(Google Map Location)
February 2, 2008

mq40a.jpgQuick question for you locals: Where’s Danielson? Where’s Killingly? Trick question… Apparently, Danielson is actually not a real town, but rather a Borough of Killingly. So even though all the highway signs say Danielson, and we always hear about the police troop D out of Danielson, Danielson is a mere borough, which doesn’t even count towards CT’s 169 towns. This is not to be confused with the Killingly villages of Attawaugan, Ballouville, Dayville, East Killingly, Rogers, and South Killingly. Confused? Bored? Well, then you must make the trek out to the Quiet Corner to visit the Killingly Historical Society Museum, which is, of course, in Danielson.

Ahem.

EdHill and I made the trek out to the northeast corner of the state to find this little museum. And when I say little… I mean teensy. 40 museums into this project and this is the smallest thus far. The smallest and… the most random. That said, the lovely women we spoke with certainly made up for any lack of material here.

mq40b.jpgSince no one purposely visits this part of the state, and CTMQ has no plans to be back in town, I guess I should give the quick history of this place. From the museum brochure:

“Sawmills and gristmills… waterways… Killingly grew up as a collection of small mill villages… In 1836, Killingly was considered the greatest cotton manufacturing town in Connecticut, and in the 1920′s as “Curtaintown, USA.”

Okay, I must interject. Really?! “Curtaintown?” Oof. Anyway, “Several figures of national importance were born in Killingly. Mary Kies, first woman in the US to receive a patent. The founder of Tiffany’s in New York, Charles Tiffany.” So it wasn’t really “several,” but two. Since you’re dying to know, Kies invented a process for weaving straw with silk or thread, and the museum offered up a portrait and a fairly in depth essay.

mq40c.jpgBefore moving on to the rest of the museum, allow me to set the scene. Downtown Killingly looks sort of like it got stuck in 1957 but yet, it populated by distinctly 21st century disaffected youth. The Historical Society building is a handsome brick affair, at the far end of Main Street. Once inside, the museum is on the left, the library is on the right. It all seems rather thrown together, but that only adds to its charm.

The museum can be experienced in 10 minutes or so. And it is random. It pays tribute to some people you have surely never heard of – and never will again. I think we agree that Ms. Kies above deserves a display… but how about Ida Bailey Allen? Born here in Danielson, she then moved to Worcester, but that doesn’t matter. For Ida Bailey Allen became food editor of Good Housekeeping as well as the President and founder of the National Radio Home-Makers Club. Take that, real cities!

mq40e.jpgThis first room was the “Robert Allen Spence Museum” and I cannot determine who Robert Allen Spence was, so at least Ida Bailey Allen has that. But trumping them both is none other than Larruping Lou Brouillard, who rated a whole display case. But since you’re all familiar with Lou, I’ll just move it along.

What? You’re not? Oh… well, he’s wicked famous here in Killingly/Danielson because he was born in Quebec and became famous and lived in Boston. Errr, because he grew up for a few years here I guess – and later became world boxing champion in both the welterweight and middleweight classes. This was all back in the 1930′s and he was relatively famous for beating up a couple of Hitler’s Aryan Nazi boys that decade.

mq40f.jpgBuried elsewhere, the town here is still proud of their tenuous ties – says the display: “Lou Brouillard was named posthumously to the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the 2006 class. What a tribute to a Danielson boy!” Indeed.

The rest of the little museum only got weirder. Therein displays include: Old town banknotes from 1852 next to a violin display next to an old parking meter next to some dresses next to some textiles next to an old chair next to a cast iron cannon from about 1800 next to an 1890 corn cutter next to thing about the local semi-pro football team that lasted a year or two half a century ago…

mq40h.jpgFootball? Yes, this town loves it’s football. There was also a display about the high school team but then the big one: A tribute to none other than Eric Laakso! THE Eric Laakso! His entire pro career was with the Miami Dolphins where he played various positions on the offensive line in from 1978-84. Continuing my theme, this is from the pro football database website: High School: Killingly (Danielson, CT). You see? Nobody knows.

We moved over to the Natalie L. Coolidge Museum portion of the museum. No idea who she is [*See comment section below!] either, except that she wrote this fascinating article about local brick production. The second room really contained nothing other than an old authentic flag, a tiny multimedia area, two women so intent on their research that they didn’t notice two out-of-towners taking picture of odd things, and a bunch of books.

Not content to call it a day, I thanked the woman in the back room and did it… I asked the question that I’ve had for every Connecticut historian I’ve ever met: “What the heck is up with the town/village/borough/section thing in this state?! Am I in Danielson or Killingly?! WHYYYYY?!!”

mq40g.jpgWhat followed was a twenty-five minute explanation that really only served to confuse more. It’s hopeless. It’s maddening. It’s confounding – but in the end, it’s also quaint and historic and unique I guess. The woman (and the others who chimed in to add their two cents) was fun to talk to. She’s a Ron Paul supporter and when I suggested how great it would be if he became president and each town could go back to having its own currency that doesn’t exchange with every other town, her face lit up and she said “Yes!”

And that was our cue to exit. If I’m never back in Killingly, have a happy Tercentennial this summer and may an actual real famous person be born there soon.

mq40i.jpg
Stacks and stacks of the 19th century original copies of the Windham Country Transcript. Unprotected, uncovered, free for Ed to sneeze on.

…………………………………………………….

Back to Top

Cost: Free
Hours: Wednesday and Saturday – 10 to 4
Food & Drink? Some authentic dive bars nearby
Children? Sure, it’s over before they know it
You’ll like it if: You are the world’s biggest Kies, Laakso, or Brouillard fan
You won’t like it if: You were planning on spending the day here
Freebies: none

For the Curious

Museum website
Killingly history
Mary Kies, Patent pioneer
Lou Brouillard obituary
Ron Corderre: future museum subject!

6 responses to “40. Killingly Historical Society Museum”

  1. Natalie's Daughter says:

    Natalie Coolidge is a well known figure in the town of Killingly, borough of Danielson, county of Windham. Her contributions to this precious community are endless. The Historical Society is grateful for her use of the English language and knowledge in documenting the town’s history. Many of the articles and write-ups you have commented on came from her pen. Her continual efforts to document and share various tidbits of historical facts is greatly appreciated by the town folk. Thank you for your visual depictions of the Killingly Historical Society Museum and your witty commentary. If you visit again make sure you ask for Natalie’s recent contributions.

  2. Heather says:

    I was wondering if you could help or point me in the direction of some one who could I live in either danilson or killing on the line I cam never remember in an old house from the 1800 that used to belong to the town dr i was told and would like to find out more any sugestions?

  3. Amanda says:

    wow i can tell what kind of people you are. not every town is like LA or NY booming and always alive. i grew up in danielson for 17 years of my life and dont regret any of it . it made me the person i am today a strong independent mother, there will always be bad areas in every state and my town does have its ups and downs but for the most part alot of our kids that live here are probably 20 times smarter then your average child in any other state, and there that way because they are exposed to the real world. i think if you shelter kids so much, they wont be ready when its time to deal with reality.

  4. Steve says:

    “…are probably 20 times smarter then your average child in any other state, and there that way” … I love it.

    Amanda, I appreciate your hometown pride. I love all 169 towns in CT equally. Except for Bozrah. I hate Bozrah.

    And my wife is from New Britain, so really, if she turned out alright, you Quiet Corner folks are doing just fine. And it’s “they’re.”

  5. Darin Keech says:

    Ok ok I’m convinced. I have to see the Museum! Acually, I’m looking for 19th and 20th century photo’s of the Keech family. There are civil war veterans, main st. shop owners, town clerks and some trouble makers. I’m sure there must be some photos in the archives.

  6. Cal Buckley says:

    Well guess I can update your post since the last comment was in 2011.
    As all other Historic Societies it is run by Volunteers with a desire to maintain local history, the reason for the unprotected Transcripts is a need for funds like other small Local HS the money we do get pays to maintain the building, and priorities so If you can send a donation you will help us afford the items to preserve the paper, even though we have a large microfiche collection of the newspaper. Oh by the way I never heard of you, maybe someday you might be a local celebrity that makes a difference in your local place. anyways you can see us on Facebook /killinglyhistoricalsociety?rf=389941397778135

    Also to Darin, if you have not stopped down yet, I am sure the Keech family hhas the history, any relation to Keech’s department store from long ago, I think I have some info in my private collection, and I am sure if you talk to Natalie, Marilyn, and myself, we can help you.

Leave a Comment

The Out Campaign: Scarlet Letter of Atheism