Housatonic Valley Pomona

It seems agriculture is really on the wane in this state given the closing of local and regional granges. The records of the subordinate or local grange in Gaylordsville were the first to be preserved at the CHS. And now we have the records, 1902-2006, of the regional grange known as the Housatonic Valley Pomona. Granges were an integral part of rural life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They provided social interaction, political lobbying opportunities, and education in new agricultural practices. We are probably all familiar with the Grange fair where individuals competed for the prize of the best vegetable, the best jam or pickles, the best pie, etc. These local, personalized grange fairs are now eclipsed by such behemoths as the fairs in Durham or Woodstock. The CHS is very pleased that it has been able to preserve these records of the state’s very recent past.