West Hartford’s ‘Thursday Throwback’

Test your knowledge of West Hartford history with this ‘Thursday Throwback,’ courtesy of the Noah Webster House and West Hartford Historical Society.

By Ronni Newton

It’s Throwback Thursday (#tbt), and time to take a look back into West Hartford’s past to either stir up some memories, reflect on how much things have changed, or both. And if you have no idea, we love the photo captions, too!

Courtesy Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society

Last week’s photo was somewhat easy to identify, and it brought back memories for many readers who recalled visiting the businesses that were shown in the photo (at right and in larger version below).

“Every Saturday, my friend and I would walk to Dougherty’s. At the ripe old age of ten, it was our Big Outing. We always wanted to correct the spelling of Ye Olde Greeting Card Shoppe next door,” commented Dianne Rechel.

The photo triggered a lot of memories for Connie Reder, who commented: “The original Ye Olde Greeting Shoppe holds a special place in my heart. In 1957 we moved to a new house my late father Michael Curcio built on Howland Road (which was still unpaved back then!) I was excited when a family with three kids moved into the newly built house next door. Their last name was Tonucci and the father owned Ye Olde Greeting Shoppe! ‘Mr. and Mrs. T’ and the whole family would become dear friends of ours. I loved that store and all the fun and pretty things they sold. They had a bow-making machine that made gorgeous fluffy bows when you fed the ribbon in. My sister and I both had our wedding invitations engraved there (back in the day when copper plate engraving was the only way to go). Now with the Shoppe gone, and Bennett’s too, we are relegated to CVS…just not the same!”

There were also several comments on Facebook, including from Lisa Petersen who was the first to fully identify the location: “This is Farmington Ave. in West Hartford Center. The driveway in the picture is now the walkway next to Cosi (where Dougherty Drug used to be).”

Chris Graham Prendergast, Rob Rowlson, and Amy Frey all agreed about the location. And thanks, Kate Byroade, we love this feature, too!

Courtesy Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society

Who can provide some information about this week’s image, shown at right and in larger size below?

Obviously it’s a Hall baseball team, but can anyone identify the coach, or any of the players? How about the year it was taken? Can anyone pinpoint the exact location?

Please share your thoughts and memories below. Captions are probably not needed this week, but of course are always welcome.

Thank you to the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society for providing us with the images. For more information about the organization, visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org.

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