1. Suffield had its share of enslaved people. According to the 1774 Census for the Colony of Connecticut, there were 37 who were enslaved at that time. The Witness Stones Project in Suffield, thanks to Bill Sullivan, honors and recognizes these individuals. So far, how many Witness Stones have been placed in town?
a. Two
b. Seven
c. Five
2. On December 15, 1814, 26 Federalist delegates from across New England met at the Old State House in Hartford for a convention. After the convention report was released, the Federalist Party essentially collapsed within two years. What was the convention about?
a. The Federalists wanted no atheists or anti-religious persons to serve in Congress.
b. They chose Daniel Webster to be the Federalist candidate for the 1816 election.
c. Sick of war, the Federalists discussed leaving the United States.
3. In 1889, Eli Clinton Terry purchased a site for a dam and water rights on the Farmington River on Rainbow Road in Poquonock, just south of what is now Bradley International Airport. He was the grandson of Eli Terry, the well-known Connecticut clockmaker. What was Eli Clinton Terry planning to do?
a. Build a hydro-electric plant.
b. Build a factory to make watches.
c. Build a reservoir.
4. Previous to Eli Clinton Terry’s purchase of the Farmington River dam site, the same location was the scene of one of Connecticut’s greatest stock swindles. What happened?
a. A promoter “discovered” gold nuggets in the water and sold stock in a newly discovered gold mine.
b. A promoter drilled holes in riverbank rocks filling them with several barrels of crude oil and sold stock in a “newly discovered” oil well.
c. A promoter sold stock in a yet-to-be built nudist hydrotherapy facility. Hydrotherapy was a fad at the time.
5. The Green Book was a guidebook for Black travelers published in response to racial discrimination in the pre-Civil Rights era. Did Connecticut have safe sites for the Black traveler? Yes or No.
6. Ebenezer Devotion, the second minister of the 1st Congregational Church, died suddenly in 1741. Which well-known person served as an interim minister?
a. Sylvester Graham
b. Cotton Mather
c. Jonathan Edwards
7. When a person was called a “bloomer”, what did they do?
a. They grew flowers.
b. They sewed underwear.
c. They were iron makers.
8. Oliver Phelps, who bought and enlarged a house on South Main Street, now known as the Phelps Hatheway House, was considered to be the largest land holder in the country during his lifetime due to his investment in the Western Reserve lands. He was a founder and large stockholder in the Hartford National Bank and Trust Company and served in the U.S. Congress. Where did he die?
a. In his Suffield bed.
b. In debtor’s prison.
c. In Suffield, Ohio, part of the Western Reserve.
9. Which two names were used for the amusement park which became Six Flags located in Agawam?
a. Sunrise Park
b. Gallup’s Grove
c. Riverside Park
10. What statement below is not correct about the park mentioned above?
a. The park was closed many years during the Great Depression.
b. Hersheypark owned it before it was bought by Six Flags.
c. There was a drive-in movie theater and a bowling alley at the park.
Answers:
1. c. Five. The Suffield Witness Stones mark the lives of Tamer Smith, located near the sidewalk between the Kent Memorial Library and the Veterans Memorial Park; Titus Kent, located by the Kent Legare Library on High Street; Lewis and Barbara Butler, located near the sidewalk in front of the Phelps Hatheway House; and Old Ti, whose stone will be placed by the Memorial Garden in the Old Center Cemetery.
2. c. Sick of the War of 1812, the Federalists discussed leaving the United States. At almost the exact time the convention’s report was released, America had won the War of 1812. Enemies of the Federalists branded them as traitors for wanting to abandon the country.
3. a. Terry was planning to build a hydro-electric plant to deliver electricity to Hartford. It was built and was the first one in the United States to deliver power over a long distance. In this case, the distance was 10.8 miles.
4. b. A promoter drilled holes in the riverbank rocks filling them with several barrels of crude oil. The promoter sold several thousands of dollars of stock and then absconded for parts unknown.
5. Yes, Connecticut had 128 sites, but none in Suffield. Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island were the other New England states which had listings.
6. c. Jonathan Edwards. He was a leading minister in “the First Great Awakening” of religious fervor.
7. c. They were iron makers. In early Suffield, the first iron works was erected near Boston Neck Road in 1700. The second was built near South Street in 1721. A third iron works was built in 1722. All were in operation until about 1770.
8. b. In debtor’s prison. Due to many reasons including changing money values on mortgages held on the tracts of land, a depressed economy and inaccurate land surveys, he became impoverished.
9. b. Gallup’s Grove and c. Riverside Park were previous names for the park.
10. b. Hersheypark owned it before Six Flags bought it.