This week in history!
From the digital files of The Evening Sentinel, courtesy of The Ansonia Historical Commission.
Note: the summaries are paraphrased from the original Sentinel articles if parts of the original were unreadable.
Dec. 18, 1928
Christmas Party for City’s Kiddies
ANSONIA — The Ansonia Chamber of Commerce, The Ansonia Rotary Club, the Lions Club and the Hoffman Brothers, as has ben the case for the past two years, have banded together this year for the purpose of giving the children of the community their annual Christmas party. This party, which is sure to be a red letter event in the lives of the youngsters, will be held Monday morning December 24 at 9 o’clock at the Capitol and Tremont theaters donated for the occasion by the Hoffman brothers, owners of the playhouses.
New Calendars Out
DERBY — The Home Trust Company is distributing its calendar for 1929 and they are much in demand, having fire alarm lists for Ansonia, Derby and Shelton printed on the back.
Silverware Distributed
DERBY — Today at the Derby Theater, each woman patron received one piece of a 50-piece china dinner set. Each Tuesday, a piece of this beautiful set is to be given to each patron, and today’s big crowd indicated that more than a few plan to secure this free set through regular attendance at the theater.
Church Movies Tomorrow
SEYMOUR — The community motion pictures at the Methodist Episcopal Church Wednesday evening will present “Swim Girl Swim” and “Duck Soup.” Other pictures this month will be “McFadden’s Flats” at the Christmas party Dec. 26 and on Dec. 31st, the last of the year, “The Mark of Zorro,” with Douglas Fairbanks.
Dec. 19. 1928
Policeman’s Ball
ANSONIA — The Ansonia police department will give a ball. The affair will be held at the opera house on Friday evening Dec. 21. It being expected that the auditorium will be packed to capacity as an enjoyable evening is in store for those present. John Noonan’s orchestra has been signed to furnish music from 8 o’clock in the evening until 2 o’clock in the morning.
To Fight Black Bill
ANSONIA — Pinky Silverberg, the flyweight fighter of this city, is in training for an important fight on January 29 at the Commonwealth Sporting Club in New York City. Pinky will come to blows with Black Bill, a formidable boxer, who is a veteran of much experience and has quite a string of victories to his credit.
Christmas Tree Planned for Park
DERBY — Residents on the East Side will be interested in the announcement that another Christmas tree will be located at the East Side terminal park this season, arrangements already being made for it. The tree will be lighted on Christmas Eve and every night during the holiday season.
Record Meeting of School Board
SEYMOUR — What is believed to be a record for brevity was made by the board of education at its regular meeting in the high school last night. The session was opened by Chairman JB Honey at 8 o’clock and was adjourned by 8 45 o’clock. The business transacted in that three quarters of an hour was for the most part routine.
Thursday, Dec. 20, 1928
Furniture Delivery Truck Badly Damaged By Ford
ANSONIA — The Maxwell delivery truck of the Ansonia Furniture Company was pretty well wrecked yesterday afternoon about 3 30 o’clock when it was struck by a Ford delivery car at the intersection of Myrtle avenue and Garden street.
Holiday Vacation begins On Friday
DERBY —The public and parochial schools of the city will close tomorrow for the annual Christmas vacation. The public schools will reopen on January 2.
Helping Santa
SEYMOUR — Isaacson’s through its main store on Main street and its annex on Bank street, feels that it is prepared to attend to every need in Christmas gift line, including silk underwear, silk hosiery, silk umbrellas, silk quilted bathrobes, linens, gloves, pocketbooks and ready-to-wear articles of every description, as well as many novelties.
Dec. 21, 1928
Demand for Pine Cleans out Supply
ANSONIA — The rush for the pine boughs that are being distributed by the Ansonia Water company was so great yesterday that fully 50 people who called for the green branches had their requests unsatisfied. The water company, while it had prepared quite a supply of the branches, was completely cleaned out before the afternoon was over and many visitors had to be told to call again.
Homeless Pig Falls into Clutches of the Police
ANSONIA — A homeless young pig that was turned over to the police late yesterday afternoon was taken this morning to Hillside where it will be given a chance to grow up, unless claimed by the rightful owner. The person who calls and claims the pig will have to prove ownership or the police will later have a pig roast.
Mail Xmas Cards by Dec. 22
DERBY — Postmaster Walter H DeForest wishes once more to call to the attention of Christmas post office patrons that the post office will be closed all day, Dec. 25, and that it will be necessary to have all greetings cards in the mail by noon Saturday, Dec. 22, for local delivery.
Merchants Generous
SEYMOUR — Klaridis Bros., popular Bank street merchants, are showing the same spirit of generosity this year as last by remembering the 700 pupils of Center and Annex schools. Last year they presented each child with a 1 – 2 pound box of the best Bradley-Smith Christmas candy. This year they presented each of the 700 pupils with large, handsome candy canes neatly wrapped. Teachers and janitors were also remembered with handsome boxes of Royal chocolates.
Dec. 22, 1928
Carol Service
ANSONIA — The choir of the First Congregational church will give a Christmas carol candlelight service at 4 o’clock in the afternoon in the church. Special anthems and Christmas carols will be rendered.
Turkey Dance Tonight
ANSONIA —The manager of the weekly dances held at the opera house Saturday has a big surprise in store for the dance fans tonight. A turkey and all the trimmings will be given away as a door prize.
Elks’ Christmas Party Tuesday
DERBY — The annual Christmas festivities conducted by Derby Lodge of Elks will be held on Tuesday, Christmas morning in the Commodore Hull theater, which the management has generously donated for the purpose. Children will be presented with bags of popcorn and candy and members will distribute 45 food baskets with Christmas dinners for needy families in Derby and Shelton.
