Mention the word “Yankees” in this day and age and most Connecticut residents think of baseball.
There are some people, however, for whom the term Yankee conjures thoughts of Civil War battlefields, hardtack, and hardship.
On Saturday, Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Company G, Fourteenth Regiment of the Connecticut Volunteer Infantry will set up camp, drill, and offer demonstrations at the Shelton History Center, 70 Ripton Road.
Members of the 14th Regiment are from all over Connecticut and have traveled to participate in reenactments at Gettysburg, Antietam, and various battlegrounds in Virginia.
Mike Kalweit, a Shelton resident, joined the group in 2002, following a lifelong interest in the Civil War that was sparked by the centennial commemorations of that conflict that took place in 1961.
Another member of the group, Irving Moy, portrays Corporal Joseph Pierce who was a Meriden resident and the highest ranking Chinese soldier to have fought in the Civil War.
Several members of the Shelton Historical Society will be in period appropriate attire and there will be several items from the 1860’s on display in the Brownson House on the Shelton History Center property. Children will be able to sample popular games of the time and refreshments will be available. In addition, the Shelton Historical Society will celebrate the 40th year of its founding by offering visitors anniversary cake.
Shelton Historical Society, formerly named Huntington Historical Society, was formed in 1969 in order to preserve elements of local history. Today the Shelton History Center, located less than a mile from Huntington Green, is home to the Society’s archives and library, material culture collections, and six buildings including the circa 1822 Brownson House, the 1860’s Wilson Barn and a permanent exhibit, the 1872 Trap Fall School, a carriage barn housing horse-drawn vehicles and two small outbuildings.
The area’s students learn how local history meshes with national history from one of several curriculum-based school programs. Community members may take advantage of programs held on various topics throughout the year or by joining Shelton Reading Circle, held monthly.
Researchers may make appointments to study objects or documentation pertaining to their subject of interest.
Admission for the day’s festivities on September 12 is $5.00 per person, or a maximum $15.00 per family. For more information or directions, visit www.sheltonhistoricalsociety.org.
