These reprints may interest historians and genealogists. Some have appeared in publications such as the former Manchester Evening Herald, the former Manchester Life, the Journal Inquirer, the former Reminder News, the Manchester Storytellers book (published by the Manchester Historical Society), the Cruisin' on Main tab, and in our own Courier newsletter. To find a particular article...

   . . . Try This . . .  

   . . . Or, Alternatively, This . . .  

   . . . Or Perhaps This . . .  

   . . . Or, Lastly, Check Out . . .  

Note: Due to the size of many of these files, a high-speed connection is recommended, along with patience for the very large files, as they can take several minutes to appear.

• 1823 documentation  of Manchester's incorporation.

• History of Manchester book  This large PDF file contains the 327-page 1924 book, "The History of Manchester, Connecticut," published in honor of Manchester's centennial year (1923). The file takes several moments to download. Written by Mathias Spiess and Percy Bidwell, the book was converted to an electronic file for research use by Dick Spiess, the grandson of one of the authors. The book is a definitive history of the town from pre-historic times to the "modern age" of 1923. As a research aid to the Spiess and Bidwell book, we offer this Index of Names, which was created in 1999 to help in finding people's names.

• 1886 Manchester History from "The Memorial History of Hartford County, Connecticut, 1633-1884"   The history was edited by J. Hammond Trumbull, L.L.D., President of the Connecticut Historical Society, and contains drawings, facsimile signatures, and commentary. This 23-page portion of the full "Memorial History" contains the part about Manchester.

• 1895-98 Alms House records   A 144-page Town of Manchester ledger listing expenses paid, including coal, food, medicine, burial. Handwritten and a LARGE document to open in your browser.

• Old Manchester II...The Storytellers   272-page book compiled and edited by Milton K. Adams, and published by the Manchester Historical Society in 1995. Included are vintage photos from the archives, reprints from The Manchester Evening Herald, first-person stories, and oral history interviews conducted by Society volunteers. Thanks to volunteer Dick Spiess for scanning.

• Homeland Day 1914, Manchester Herald Special Edition - Page 1
• Homeland Day 1914, Manchester Herald Special Edition - Page 2
• Homeland Day 1914, Manchester Herald Special Edition - Page 3
• Homeland Day 1914, Manchester Herald Special Edition - Pages 4-5 (center)
• Homeland Day 1914, Manchester Herald Special Edition - Page 6
• Homeland Day 1914, Manchester Herald Special Edition - Page 7
• Homeland Day 1914, Manchester Herald Special Edition - Page 8   On Saturday, June 13, 1914, the Herald published an 8-page "Special Number," for the Homeland Day in Manchester, a large celebration. Due to the large format, each file has one page, except for the center two pages, which are one document.

• 1888 "Hanks' Manchester Directory" 140-page reference book, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Takes a moment to download. Note that abbreviations are listed on page 33 of the directory, which you can directly access by clicking here (on the right side of the display).

• 1907 Annual Report of Manchester, 84-page booklet with financial listings: town expenses, income; school attendance, progress on road constructions, etc.

• 1913 Manchester Directory, with this introduction: "The HERALD PRINTING COMPANY, now for the first time publisher of the Manchester Directory, presents this issue with apologies, made necessary by its inexperience at this kind of work. We bought the copyright last year from Arthur E. Bowers, who established the Directory, subletting it to various college students from year to year. The actual work of printing the book has heretofore been done in Meriden." Takes a moment to download.

• 1915 Manchester Directory. 232 pages, published by the Herald Printing Company, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Note the Publisher's Announcement on page 3, explaining that the preparation of this directory was "...complicated by the fact that during the past year the streets of Manchester have been renumbered. Hence not one of the entries of the 1914 edition could pass over unchanged into the 1915 directory." Takes a moment to download.

• 1917 Manchester Directory. 126 pages, published by the Herald Printing Company, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Takes a moment to download.
• 1917 Manchester Directory - Comments and Reminiscences.

• 1922 Manchester Directory. 362-page reference book, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Takes a moment to download. Thanks to Doris Burns for lending it, and to Bob Gauthier for scanning.

• 1927 Manchester Directory. 464-page reference book, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Takes a moment to download. Thanks to Bob Gauthier for scanning for the website.

• 1934 Manchester Directory. 418-page search-able reference book published by Price & Lee, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Takes a moment to download. Thanks to Bob Gauthier for scanning for the website. <

• 1946 Manchester Directory. 716-page search-able reference book, published by Price and Lee, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Takes a moment to download. Thanks to Bob Gauthier for scanning for the website.

• Manchester Annual Report 1966-1967. 48-page booklet with photos and listings of prior year's activities, departments, town officials, expenditures, etc. Special feature: comparisons with 1927, for example, on page 28, "In 1926-27, the Town did not operate any public water supply system or any sanitary sewer system. It was not until a half a decade later that water and sewer systems were purchased from Cheney Brothers." Thanks to Bob Hetzel for donating and to Bob Gauthier for scanning for the website.

• 1966 Manchester Directory. 1072-page search-able reference book, published by Price and Lee, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Takes a moment to download. Thanks to Bob Gauthier for scanning for the website.

• 1969 Chamber of Commerce Booklet. 60-page booklet about Manchester with text, photos, and advertisements. Thanks to Bob Hetzel for this publication, and to Susan Barlow for scanning it. Takes a moment to download.

• 1973 Sesquicentennial Booklet. 150th anniversary celebration booklet with history, commentary, photos, ads, and in the center of the book a list of the metal plaques placed at historic buildings and properties during Manchester's sesquicentennial celebration. Thanks to Vivian Ferguson for this little treasure and thanks to Bob Gauthier for scanning for the website.

• 1975 Manchester Directory. 647-page search-able reference book, published by Price and Lee, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Takes a moment to download. Thanks to Bob Gauthier for scanning for the website.

• 1978 "Manchester Fire Department 90th Anniversary." Booklet with history and photos for the Eighth Utilities District volunteer fire department. Thanks to Bob Hetzel for donating and to Bob Gauthier for scanning for the website.

• "Yesterday and Today" 1978-1979 Annual Report Town of Manchester. 40-page booklet with photos and listings of prior year's activities, departments, expenditures, etc. A mini-history of the previous year, including, on page 26, "...the Town is planning to initiate a '911' system as a method of calling for emergency services." Thanks to Bob Hetzel for donating and to Bob Gauthier for scanning for the website.

• History of Bikes and biking in Manchester, by Anna McGuire, an article that originally appeared in a 1966 Manchester Evening Herald, and was reprinted in our "Storytellers" book.

• Bee Register, 1919-1989 Ledger, listing beekeepers, their addresses, number of colonies, number of hives and date paid ($0.25 per hive). Many familiar town names are listed as keeping bees. Thanks to Noreen Cullen and Bob Gauthier for bringing this in digital format to our website.

• Buckland Times Newsletters. Susan Way has given us permission to post these newsletters about the Buckland section of Manchester on our website.
• Buckland Times Newsletters: Memories. Memories and reminiscences from readers of the Buckland Times reprints.

• Burr Nursery, 1968   Burr Nursery four-page reprint from the April 1968 "Connecticut Industry" magazine. While lacking concrete information such as where the business was located and number of employees, still the pictures and history make it interesting. Burr Nursery was in the North End of Manchester, and had "plantations" for growing trees in other towns in Connecticut.

• Center Congregational Church history, booklet published in 1880 upon the church's 100th anniversary.

• "Descent of the Founders of the Cheney Silk Industry" by Dorothy Cheney Dorothy Cheney, 07/12/1880 to 01/30/1971, wrote "Descent of the Founders of the Cheney Silk Industry," and privately published 150 copies in 1960. Dorothy also wrote "Memories, 1917-1919," about her experiences volunteering in hospitals in France during World War I (see below. She and her twin sister, Marjory, were daughters of Frank Woodbridge Cheney and Mary Bushnell Cheney. The February 1, 1971 obituary in the New York Times says, "Miss Cheney was a trustee of the Connecticut Junior Republic and the Visiting Nurse Association of Manchester and an honorary member of the 16th Connecticut Volunteer Regiment (Civil War). In World War I she served with the American Red Cross in Beauvais, France." A March 30, 1916 article in The Hartford Courant notes that Dorothy Cheney was on the committee for an April 4 "tea and sale of fancy articles" at Tinker Hall, sponsoring an address by Emily Pierson, "under the auspices of the Equal Franchise League."

• [World War I] "Memories" by Dorothy Cheney   Dorothy Cheney wrote this small but very personal and interesting book about her experiences, along with her twin sister Marjory, while serving overseas with the Red Cross during World War I. Among other things, Dorothy was mentioned for bravery at the time of the bombardment of the American Hospital at Beauvais in 1918.
• Notes on Dorothy Cheney's "Memories" book by Susan Barlow   Notes of Dorothy Cheney's "Memories" book written down by Susan Barlow while reading the memoir. These will give you a flavor of the content of the book itself, since the title doesn't provide an obvious connection to its subject matter.
• Reflections on Dorothy Cheney's "Memories" book   Comments and observations from people who have read Dorothy Cheney's book on her memories of service as a nurse in France during World War I.
• Dorothy Cheney Attains Fame On Field of Battle   Article from the Hartford Courant, dated June 9, 1918, concerning Miss Cheney's activities under fire at Beauvais.

• "Gamut of Life" poetry book   by Mary Pierson Cheney (1874-1949), written in the early- to mid-20th century and privately published in 1948. Mary and her husband, Horace Bushnell Cheney, had five children.

• Reminiscences of Ednah Dow Cheney (born Littlehale).   Autobiography of Ednah Dow Littlehale Cheney, wife and biographer of Seth Cheney. Published in 1902, it contains portraits of Seth Wells and Margaret S. Cheney, as well as portraits of the author herself. This Google book was scanned from one in the library of Radcliffe College.

• Memoir of Margaret Swan Cheney (1855-1882), by Ednah Dow Littlehale Cheney   A long out-of-print memoir, written by her mother.

• "Memoir of Seth W. Cheney, Artist", by Ednah Dow Littlehale Cheney   A long out-of-print memoir, now located online at Google Books.
• Drawing by Seth W. Cheney   of his niece Rosalie Goodman.

• "Memoir of John Cheney, engraver", by Ednah Dow Littlehale Cheney   A long out-of-print memoir, also by Ednah Dow Littlehale Cheney, and now also located online at Google Books.

• "The Making of an Artist: John Cheney, Engraver,"   14-page essay by Mark Sutcliffe (1963-2007), with illustrations and bibliography.

• Catalogue of the Engraved and Lithographed Work of John Cheney and Seth Cheney   On Google books, scanned from the original catalogue at Harvard. The book was published in 1891 and includes listings of their works and the books with their illustrations, as well as names of their portrait subjects.

• Cheney Letters "The Letters of Mary Bushnell Cheney and Frank Woodbridge Cheney"   compiled and edited by Eileen R. Learned and dedicated to Horace Bushnell Learned. Privately published as a 285-page spiral-bound booklet in 1988, and reprinted here with family permission. Includes photos and genealogical and biographical notes. Thanks to volunteers David Beal and Bob Gauthier for scanning and indexing.

• "A Short Description of Silk and Silk Manufacture, Cheney Silks"   a 16-page booklet, describing history, economics, cultivation of the silk worms, and all processes of manufacture. Circa 1910.

• "A Glossary of Silk Terms"   This 85-page 1915 Cheney brothers publication is available on Google books and offers a wealth of information about the silk business: the terminology of silk, a short history, its origin, culture, and manufacture.

• Cheney Brothers 40-50 Year Employees   Photo taken May 13, 1924, with individuals identified.

• Cheney Brothers handbook for employees   1924 booklet with some illustrations and a map of the silk mills, machine shop, boarding houses and other buildings.

• "An Industrial Experiment in South Manchester"   An article about the Cheney silk manufacturing enterprise, published in the November 1872 Harper's magazine. It describes the manufacture of silk products in the Cheney mills, as well as the Cheneys' interest in workers' health, working conditions and housing, and the schools and entertainment opportunities they provided, in contrast to conditions found in other industrial enterprises of the era.
(Note: Harper's magazine began publishing in 1850 and continues to the present day. More about Harper's can be found in Wikipedia at Harper's Magazine.)

• Cheney Brothers WWII award booklet   1942 illustrated program for an event at the State Theatre in which the Army-Navy "E" award was given to Cheneys for war work.

• Church of the Nazarene, part of the booklet published in 1998 upon the church's 100th anniversary.

• Circus Fire Reminiscences; interviews with survivors of the July 6, 1944 circus fire in Hartford; the booklet was published by Manchester Public Library during a "One Book, One Village" project in 2008. Thanks to participants, volunteers, and library staff for these interviews.

• Communists arrested January 1920, article about "Reds" arrested in Manchester.

• "Genealogy Notes of Driggs, Williams, and Keeney Families" and "Additional Genealogy Notes, including Wickham mansion information"   Excerpts from "Then and Now," a 1966 addendum to "The Genealogy of Alfred Waldo Driggs and Alice May Williams" of East Hartford. These pages contain photos of houses on North Main Street in Manchester, as well as information on the Keeney family and the first railroad to go through Manchester. Thank you to Susan Way for sending these pages. Both books have been given to the Raymond Memorial Library in East Hartford, CT. Susan Way says, "There are several mentions and small pictures of that stretch of North Main Street west of the Hockanum River."

• Emanuel Lutheran Church, booklet published in 1931 upon the church's 50th anniversary, when its name was Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Emanuel Church.
• Emanuel Lutheran Church, booklet published in 1956 upon the church's 75th anniversary.
• Emanuel Lutheran Church, booklet published in 1981 upon the church's 100th anniversary.

• Manchester High School history 1893 to 1943.

• W. H. Jones Memoir   William H. Jones (1812-1903) was born and grew up in the Buckland section of Manchester. The Manchester Herald published a summary of his memoir in 1912, with several sub-headings: "Pioneer Silk Manufacturer. Enterprises in Buckland and Manchester From Recollections at the Age of Eighty-nine -- Buckland in Stage Coach Days -- Helped Build North Congregational Church -- The Silk Worm Craze and Manufacture of Silk Thread -- Fortune Lost by War."

• "Direct Current Incandescent Lighting" published by Mather Electric   This 48-page book, published by the Mather Electric Company, describes the Mather incandescent electric lighting system. The actual publication date is uncertain but probably precedes 1893. It is profusely illustrated and provides a glimpse into the early days of electric lighting and power generation.

• North End Bandstand Concert described in a 1926 News Article transcribed from The Hartford Courant July 4, 1926.

• Paper mills of Manchester, part of a series by the Manchester Historical Society's Public Information Committee, reprinted from The Manchester Evening Herald, circa 1969.

• Saint James and Saint Bridget churches, history and pictures in this 8-page 1897 article in the Sacred Heart Review.

• History of Saint James Church, booklet published in 1999 upon the church's 125th anniversary.

• Salvation Army History: South Manchester Corps History 1887-1937   A 15-page document with photos and notes, posted online by David Miller. In Manchester, the Corps encountered opposition, but pursued its mission of saving souls.

• Salvation Army visitor Elizabeth Wilson (1881-1979) in this December 11, 1959 Manchester Herald newspaper article. Thanks to the Richardson family for this clipping.

• "The Silk Industry in America"   A 71-page 1901 document, "The Silk Industry in America, as represented to the United States Industrial Commission," comprises testimony about the U.S. silk industry. Starting on page 726 (the reproduction begins at page number 667), you can read the interview with Frank Woodbridge Cheney, treasurer of Cheney Brothers. The original document is in the collection of the University of Michigan, and the online version is available at Google Books.

• "The Silk Industry of the World"   A 68-page 1904 booklet, "The Silk Industry of the World at the Opening of the Twentieth Century" by Franklin S. Allen, this was originally an article for the Encyclopedia Americana, and also printed as this booklet by The Silk Association of America for its members. The booklet describes the growth and industrialization of silk manufacture, with an emphasis on the modern practices of the time.

• "The Story of Silk and Cheney Silk"   Written by H.H. Manchester, and scanned for the Albert R. Mann Library at Cornell University Library, Ithaca, NY, Copyright 1916 by Cheney Brothers. An illustrated history of silk production in ancient times through the vast Cheney Mill operation.

• "The Miracle Workers"   A Cheney recruiting booklet to attract workers to the mills.

• Series of 1922-1932 era Cheney Brothers Newsletters produced by Cheney Brothers for its employees.



• SOMANHIS HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOKS And Barnard / Bennet Junior High School Yearbooks. Thanks to our Manchester Historical Society volunteers who undertook the project of obtaining and scanning these books for the free use of the public. Noting with thanks especially the major work of Noreen Cullen and Robert Gauthier, along with all who donated or lent books.


• South Manchester Railroad Map   Many thanks to Joe Gibilisco who sent us this map, dated November 1932, of the Right-of-Way and Track Map of the South Manchester Railroad.

• Biography of Christopher Miner Spencer   Spencer's life is described in this reprint from the 1886 "Hollister Family of America" genealogy compiled by Lafayette Wallace Case, M.D. The original is at the Connecticut State Library. See also the Spencer reprints in the listing above, written by the late Richard Tambling.

• 1923 Centennial March   In 1923, Manchester went all out for its 100-year anniversary. Harold A. Turkington wrote this Centennial March, which was for sale at Kemp's Music House for sixty cents.

• 1923 Manchester Centennial Booklet   A booklet printed in 1923 for Manchester's centennial, the 100th anniversary of its incorporation as a town. This 124-page publication contains the program of activities for the week-long celebration, photos of schools and churches, and advertisements for local businesses. Due to its size, the booklet may take some time to load on your computer. Some notes have been added, of commentary and correction. Thank you to the Case-Jacobson family for donating this vintage booklet to the Historical Society, and to Town Clerk Joe Camposeo for providing a photocopied version which expedited the scanning process.

• 1963 Manchester Schools   List of Manchester schools and principals from a 1963-1964 Jaycees booklet, "Town Guide, Manchester, Connecticut."

• State Theatre brochure: Grand Opera Fall Series, 1960   This 8x10.25" brochure is printed in an unusual way, with a folded front cover (like a door) that opens to reveal the eight operas featured in the Opera Series. The back cover is an ad for Potterton's which sold TVs, radios, and "Hi Fidelity" stereo. The State Theatre was located Downtown on Main Street, near the corner of Bissell. The Full Gospel Interdenominational Church is now located in the building.

• Tobacco Growing article transcribed from The Manchester Herald special Homeland Day edition, June 13, 1914.

• Dedication Brochure for Waddell School   The four-page program for the October 4, 1953 dedication of Waddell School, brought to our attention by Cari Waddell Cieri, the granddaughter of George Waddell, for whom the school was named.

• Whiton Memorial Dedication   Dedication program at the opening of the Manchester Public Library Whiton Memorial Library on May 10, 1932.

• Woodland Park   sports meet results -- the competition was held at Woodland Park, a race track on Woodland Street, June 16, 1896. More about Racing at Woodland Park.

• World War I casualties -- 599-page research project prepared by the Genealogy Group of the Manchester Historical Society; includes military records on Manchester's WWI dead.

• World War I ticket to 9/15/1917 event "sending off" Manchester draftees and enlistees. Events included a parade, a program in the park, and a banquet.

• World War I veteran Sergeant Auguste Grosjean shares letter from General John Pershing at an automobile show in Manchester.

• World War I Welcome Home Day   32-page souvenir booklet listing events on May 17, 1919 -- dedication of the Army & Navy Club on Main St., speeches, a parade, supper, dancing, fireworks. The booklet lists those who died in the World War, those who served, War Bureau and committee members, and efforts on the homefront through the Red Cross, sales of war bonds, etc. The booklet celebrates the establishment of Manchester Memorial Hospital.

• "World War II History of Manchester   by Archie Kilpatrick, published 1946, describing Manchester's contributions to the war effort, with photos, lists of veterans, etc.

• World War II History of Manchester - Reflections