We Love the Valley: Volunteers Keep History Alive

Marion O’Keefe and Audrey Andrews sat down at a long table at the Seymour Historical Society recently, and spread out hundreds of photos of soldiers. 

The photos were given to the historical society years ago for a presentation on Seymour residents who served in the armed forces during World War II

O’Keefe and Andrews decided to catalog the pictures in several binders, in alphabetical order, so descendants of the soldiers can come search for the pictures. 

The binders — thick with such photos — show the service Valley residents gave to their country. But they also illustrate the dedication many Valley residents have to keeping such memories of the past alive.

O’Keefe and Andrews are two of several volunteers at the Seymour Historical Society doing just that. 

Similar efforts are ongoing in other Valley communities. 

In Oxford, the historical society collects old photos for display at events like the Oxford Peach Festival, a celebration of the town’s agricultural roots. 

Derby and Ansonia have an active historical society, with events ranging from cemetery tours to dinners cooked on an open hearth in a historical home. 

Derby Historical Society volunteers have gone as far as dressing up in historical garb and walking the city’s streets for donations and support.

Efforts to remember the past extend beyond the historical societies.

In Ansonia, volunteers have worked for several years to restore a historical fountain at the Ansonia Public Library. 

Take a step into Seccombe’s Men’s Shop on Ansonia’s Main Street, and you will see a collection of Valley artifacts on display — from old fire helmets to milk jugs. 

And who can forget the Jansen brothers in Shelton, who collect Valley artifacts from all eras. 

Chad Jansen brought one of those artifacts — a record audio documentary from the Flood of 1955 — to the Valley Indy office this past summer. Click here to see the story where we listen to the record with Chad. 

Others have thought to share their pieces of Valley history with the Valley Indy staff.

Most recently, reader George Spader brought in old foam printing plates from the Evening Sentinel in 1964 and 1965, which had been used as insulation in his friend’s house.

While we at the Valley Independent Sentinel focus on the current happenings in the Valley, it’s nice to know others are focusing on the past. 

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