The Hebron Historical Society

Immigration and immigrants are hot topics in today’s world. Hebron has witnessed significant “newcomers” on basically 50-year intervals: the 1850’s; the first two decades of the 20th century; the 1950’s; and the 1990’s. Particularly interesting is the international immigrant influx from 1912 to 1920. Their influence is still with us today.

The Pagach family, with their Czechoslovakian background, moved to Hebron in 1912; the Kowalski’s from Poland came in 1918, followed shortly by their cousins, the Pomprowicz’s, in 1920. The Ukrainian Kulynyck family came in 1920. The Italian Barrasso and the Saglio families also came in the early 1920’s. At that same time, Hebron saw Jewish families moving into Hebron, such as the Garbich’s from Argentina and the Turshen’s from Poland. Many of these families and their descendents are still here today.

One family, the Hildings, originally from Sweden, kept exceptionally detailed records of their farm, leaving us with a unique bird’s-eye view of Hebron in the early 20th century. But it was the intermingling of the old and new Hebron that makes the family unique.

Like most immigrants, John and Carolina Hilding started out in New York. Working as a tailor, John longed to return to his Swedish farming roots. Ultimately, the Hildings purchased a farm in Spring Valley, and specialized in honey, chickens and eggs. Four sons (Charles, Samuel, Edward and Albert) and two daughters (Victoria and Stella) went to school and ran the farm as John continued to work in New York, returning to Spring Valley on the weekends.

John and Carolina decided to move to Connecticut in 1909, selling the Spring Valley farm and using the proceeds to purchase a farm in Columbia. Neighbors to the Clifford Robinsons, the Hildings operated a successful grain and dairy operation. The milk was hauled every day by horse and wagon to the Turnerville Depot, where it was taken by train to the New Haven Dairy. Two events shaped the course of Hilding family history while living in Columbia. First, they attended the Hebron Congregational Church, where they were befriended by longtime resident, F. Clarence Bissell. Second, they took their grain to Porter’s Grist Mill, and it was here that one of the sons, Albert, met his future wife, Ethel Helen Porter.

It’s not really known exactly why John and Carolina sold the Columbia farm in 1912 and moved to Pine Bush, New York. Their grandson, Win Hilding (who now lives in Storrs), believes there was a water shortage, which may have played a significant role in their decision. One can’t run a dairy farm without water! Whatever the reason, the Hildings took the $3000 profit from the sale of the Columbia property, and purchased the Pine Bush dairy farm. Milk was now delivered to the Borden Dairy Company, and monthly checks were carefully recorded.

A mere 15 months later, the Hildings decided to return to Connecticut, again for reasons truly unknown. Win Hilding writes, “Bad thunderstorms, poor soil, market problems or nostalgia for their friends in Connecticut made them decide to return.” The decision may have also been influenced by Bissell, their old friend, who offered to sell his 100 acre farm on Church Street for a very reasonable price.

The Bissell property was sold to the “Hilding Brothers” – not their parents – for $3250. Charles, by now a successful shipping broker for the R. F. Downing Company in New York City, conducted the negotiations. Bissell sent Charles a telegram on January 4, 1914: “Will meet you in Hebron Wednesday at three o’clock and complete the trade…bring certified check rather than currency… write me on Monday if this suits your convenience.” Charles then sent a telegram to his brother Sam on January 5th with a simple message: “Bissel [sic] accepts; await letter.”

Sam acted as official agent for the brothers, and on January 7, 1914, signed the sale papers in his elegant, 19th century-style handwriting. He put down $2000 in cash and agreed to a $1250 mortgage over five years at 5% interest. On January 12, Bissell (who was now living in Hartford and serving as Connecticut’s Deputy State Comptroller) wrote to the brothers that he had just moved out all his furniture, and that the current renter would vacate the property by April 1. “We are now having some very blustering cold weather and I think you are wise in not trying to move until later in the season,” he wrote. The three brothers, Sam, Ed and Albert, with parents and sister Victoria in tow, moved into the property in March 1914. Charles remained in New York.

Like all the immigrant families coming into Hebron, the Hilding brothers were hard workers. Sam and Ed were the apparent workhorses; Albert was not only hard-working, he was the record keeper and perhaps the genius behind the farm’s success. The interest payments were faithfully sent to Bissell every June and December, as outlined in the sale papers. Sam sent one payment, but Albert made all the others.

The first major task for the brothers was building a new dairy barn, a milk house, and an ice house, jobs that took them almost a year. Chestnut timbers from the Buell saw mill in Gilead were hauled by wagon, and concrete floors were poured. By February 1915, the brothers were back in the dairy business, once again selling milk to the New Haven Dairy Company, although it was no longer a happy business arrangement. Albert kept daily farm records, recording weather conditions, output of the cows and chickens, and payments made to laborers.

Albert, still enamored with the beautiful and vivacious Ethel Porter, married her in 1917. Ethel and her aunt, Ida (who ultimately married Dr. Charles Douglas), were among the most popular women in town. Ethel and Albert’s marriage, in many ways, was a perfect match. Ethel brought out the best in the quiet, serious Albert, and Albert brought deep love and commitment to Ethel. With Ethel at his side, Albert became an integral part of the Hebron community, especially the Hebron Library Board of Directors and the Hebron Congregational Church, organizations he served for 50 years. Ethel remained active in the Original Hebron Women’s Club, the Congregational Church and performed for local community theatre. Their three children, Winthrop, Alberta, and Lois, were the light of their parents’ lives.

If you look at the Hilding homestead (now the parsonage for Church of the Holy Family), it appears to be two homes, joined together by a center ell. Albert, Ethel and the children occupied the northern part of the home; John, Carolina, Sam, Ed, and Victoria occupied the southern part. The home was filled with people, but the layout of the house offered privacy and a living arrangement that worked well.

It was the egg and chicken business that ultimately made the Hilding farm successful. Why? “Monopolistic practices” by the big dairies led to very low profit levels (2 cents per quart) and milk production quotas. The brothers were early leaders in attempts to unionize other Connecticut dairy farmers, and were blacklisted by New Haven Dairy for six years. Right after this, Albert became a postal carrier for the Amston post office to supplement the family’s income, a position he held for 34 years. He became a local folk hero for delivering mail on the day that the 1938 hurricane devastated Hebron.

With the advent of electricity, and using incubators purchased from Montgomery Ward, the brothers soon realized that the profit was in selling chicks. They ended the dairy business ended permanently in 1943. Two years later, the brothers had expanded the chicken coops to two stories, with a capacity of 2000 laying hens. The chicken and egg business continued successfully until the farm was finally sold to Harry Megson in 1965.

John and Carolina died at the homestead and are buried in Hebron. Ed, Sam, and Victoria never married; their life was the farm. Charles eventually purchased a home on Church Street (now owned by the Haydon family), just north of his brothers, and was a frequent visitor to Hebron. The surviving Hilding family members, Sam, Ed, Albert and Ethel and their children, then moved to new homes on Chestnut Hill Road, land that had once been owned by Ethel’s father, Henry Clinton Porter.

The Hilding farm is referred to today as the “Johnson” property, a site purchased by the Town of Hebron a year ago for open space and recreation purposes. But for over 50 years, three brothers worked the land and became an integral and welcome part of our community. What an example they have set for us, the 21st century wave of “newcomers.”

Almost every American community in post-World War II America underwent tremendous change in the 1950's, and Hebron was no exception. John Edmund Horton, whose family has lived in this small rural town for generations, was a major influence in that decade. His service to our community has defined much of the Hebron we know today.

The Horton family can trace its roots in Hebron back to January 6, 1768, when Ezekiel Horton purchased 71 ½ acres of land from Samuel Gilbert and began farming. Many wonder how the Horton family came to live in the Governor John Peters House. Governor Peters, a confirmed bachelor, bequeathed the house to his sister, Mary, who ultimately married a member of the Welles family. Their son, John Welles, eventually sold the house in 1882 to Daniel Gott and his wife Henriette Brown. The Gotts had two daughters: Marion and Marietta. Marietta married John Luther Horton, and it was through this union that the Peters House came into the possession of the Horton family.

The Welles-Gott-Horton connection is more significant than just the Peters House ownership. In 1835, John Welles' daughter, Clarinda, had married William H. Horton, establishing the blood lines between the Peters and the Horton families.

Interestingly, Marietta Gott Horton was a teacher at the Gull Schoolhouse, and her love of teaching would influence future generations of Hortons in a very significant way. After John Luther died at a relatively young age, Marietta went to live with her sister, Marion, in what is today known as the "Horton House" on Marjorie Circle, eventually inheriting the house when Marion died. The Governor Peters House became the home of John Luther and Marietta's son, Edmund, as he continued the Horton farm operations.

In 1912, Edmund married Sarah ("Sadie") Doyle, and the next generation of Horton farmers would soon be born. The Hortons started a tradition of community service to Hebron that is still rooted in the Horton family today. Edmund served as First Selectman, and Sadie, in 1925, welcomed a group of women into their home, forming the Young Women's Club of Hebron, an organization dedicated to charitable activities and literary discussions. Today, the YWCH is known as the "Original Hebron Women's Club," and members continue to support local charitable activities.

Three children, John, Robert, and Betty, were born from Ed and Sadie's union. Growing up in one of the most impressive homes in Hebron did not exempt the children from daily farm chores. They attended Center School, and John was especially excited to get the job of starting the morning fire at school, which paid 10¢ a day. Like most Hebron children, his post 8th-grade education was at Windham High School, and like many children of Hebron farmers, he attended Connecticut Agricultural College (now University of Connecticut). One of the highlights of John's college days was when he and his buddies took a car trip to Florida. There, he bought a baby alligator, put it into a glass tank, and roped the tank to the car's running board for the trip home to Connecticut. Everything was going great - until Sadie placed the tank on a hot radiator, just trying to get it out of the way while she cleaned her son's room. John was crushed to learn of the alligator's demise!

John graduated from college in 1939, the same year his mother died of cancer. Six years later, when Edmund died in 1945, John and Robert were determined that the farming operation continue. They expanded the farm, acquiring property off Croach Road in Amston for pasturing cattle and other small parcels in the Kinney Road area. The farm now included property south of Route 66 (across from Ted's IGA), bounded on the south by Kinney Road, and all the way west to Church Street. When Betty entered the Sisters of Mercy, a teaching order of the Catholic Church, she renounced all her worldly belongings, including her inherited portion of the Horton farm, which then reverted back to her brothers.

John and Robert lived together in the Peters House as they farmed the properties, even after they married. John married Vivian LaJoie in 1945, and Robert married Doris Rigby in 1951. John won election as a Selectman in 1951 (a position he held until 1959), following in his father's footsteps. A particular honor was bestowed on the Horton Brothers Farm in 1951 when they were voted to host the Connecticut Farm Field Day. Over 25,000 people attended the weekend event, where farm equipment and new farming techniques were demonstrated. One of the things they demonstrated at that event was how to bury old stone walls, and if you look at the property across from Hebron Elementary School today, you will notice that half of the stone wall is missing. That's because the other half was buried as part of the demonstration!

John worked hard, especially in the dairy side of the business. He'd get up at 4:00 a.m. to do the morning milking, then come in around 8:00 for a gigantic breakfast prepared by Vivian. Then it would be back to work until 5:00 or 6:00 at night, whenever he had completed the evening milking. He also was an avid gardener, and in addition to the Horton's dairy products, they were also locally known for their excellent produce. Robert also worked hard, but by 1954, decided that he wanted to leave farming and pursue a career in teaching. An agreement was soon reached. A huge auction was held, and the farm equipment and livestock were sold. The proceeds of the auction were given to Robert, and John kept the land and the Peters House. Robert and Doris were also received a small house, located just east of where today's CITGO station can be found, where they soon relocated.

The rest of 1954 was a very busy year for John Horton. He leased the Horton land to local farmers, including Ned Ellis, Alan Hills, and brothers Doug and Wilbur Porter, who primarily grew corn. A longtime Republican, he was elected to the Connecticut Legislature (back then, there were representatives from every Connecticut town) where he took an active part in the Agricultural Committee. He also took a job with CL&P as a "Farm Sales Representative," traveling around Connecticut, visiting farms, and making recommendations to farmers on how they could electrify their farms. By now, John and Vivian were also the proud parents of three sons, Gregory, Gary and James (all of whom ultimately became teachers.)

John was particularly concerned when the State of Connecticut decided to put Route 66 through the center of Hebron's Green. He lobbied, unsuccessfully, for the road to be placed north of where it is today, bypassing the Green area. Because of this troubling experience, he founded and became chairman of Hebron's Planning and Zoning Commission in 1959.

Interestingly, John also became a Trustee of the Douglas Library in 1950, a position he held until 1970. The family remembers that Emory Taylor would call frequently, reminding John of Trustee meetings and other Library events. In 1957, he served as Chairman of the first library building expansion project, which added a large room and basement on the south side of the original 1898 building. Forty years later, his son, Gary, served as Chairman of the library's 1997 building expansion project. Hebron residents today can thank this father-son duo for the work they did in giving us the Douglas Library we enjoy today.

John passed away on March 6, 1992, at the age of 75. Though quiet in his later years, he had already left his definitive mark on Hebron.

The Hebron Historical Society sincerely thanks Assistant Town Clerk Ann Hughes for the extensive research she conducted on vital statistics and land records data used in this article.

His name isn’t really “Izzy,” you know. Some remember that he was officially “Ira Charles Turshen.” But even that isn’t true….his birth name was Isidore. Wanting an American name, he purposely changed it to “Ira,” but for some reason, he remained “Izzy” to everyone, and he is still “Izzy” today in Hebron’s rich folklore. Reprinted from June 2006 edition of Hebron Marlborough Life.

Longtime residents remember Izzy well, and easily recount his many contributions to Hebron during his lifetime. They also admit they know little about Izzy’s pre-Hebron years.

Izzy was born in a small shtetl in Nesvig, in the province of Minsk, Russia, the son of Abraham and Marsha Turshen. Even Izzy never knew his birth date because of the lack of records, but his 8th grade certificate would indicate he was born in 1899 or 1900. Abraham came to America shortly thereafter, leaving behind his wife, Izzy, and two daughters, Dorothy and Bella. Working hard in the garment industry, he was able to bring his family to the States four years later.

Abe was all about work, and that message was delivered early to his children. Izzy worked hard, but he was also an accomplished athlete, as well as a burgeoning artist and architect, which Abe just couldn’t understand. Izzy remembered a time when he didn’t show up for work, opting to play baseball instead. Abe went looking for him and found him on the fields, just as Izzy was up to bat. When Izzy hit the ball, Abe thought he was running away from him. So he chased him all around the diamond, never realizing that his son had just hit a home run!

It was a tumultuous relationship; ultimately Izzy ran away from home at 15. Two life-changing events occurred during his time away: he found work on a Colchester farm, and came to love rural Connecticut, and he contacted malaria, and lost most of his hair. From that time on, no one ever saw Izzy without a hat, something that is well-remembered today. “Dad would wear his hat until he went to bed at night; when we went to the movies, he would keep it on until the lights went down,” remembers his daughter, Marsha Turshen DuBeau.

After a stint working on the trains selling snacks, Izzy returned to New York, where he ultimately met and married Sophie Gross. They followed in the path of their Jewish parents, and opened a floor covering and used furniture business, settling in Brooklyn. But the call to rural Connecticut was still in Izzy’s heart, and when he read in 1924 that a grain business was for sale in Amston, he jumped at the chance.

As happened with many commercial buildings at that time, the Turshen’s mill burned down in 1927, smoldering for weeks because of the stored gain and the fact that it was a wooden building. Izzy’s creative mind took over, and he rebuilt the factory himself using brick. The building included what would become Izzy’s signature trademark, a circular window. Once completed, it became one of the most successful operations in all of Hebron, primarily due to its proximity to the Turnerville Train Depot and the hard work the Turshens put into the enterprise.

Izzy and Sophie soon became integral parts of the Hebron Jewish community, primarily because they had been educated in America and spoke fluent English. Because of their store, which served residents in Columbia, Lebanon, Gilead and Amston, they also soon became friends with many of Hebron’s longest residents, including the Hildings, the Hills, the Porters, the Hortons, and the Cobbs. They were also friends to many tramps, which were common in Depression days. “Mom would always give them food. But she was also kept a fireplace poker at the ready, just in case there was trouble,” says daughter Lotti Turshen Morris.

Sophie was an Orthodox Jew, but Marsha describes her family’s approach to religion as “pragmatic orthodoxy.” The family kept kosher, and the family housekeeper, Mrs. Sarah Rathbun, learned to cook kosher food (sneaking in New England pastries any time she could.) But the store also operated on Saturdays, the Jewish Sabbath. On occasion, Izzy would take his children to Swift’s in Willimantic to buy goods for the store, yet also eat a ham sandwich from the luncheonette next door, warning his children “Don’t let your mother know!”

Izzy took it upon himself to publish a newsletter called The Amston Poster. On December 15, 1935, he proudly announced that he had joined the IGA. His newsletters were always welcomed for a number of reasons; he included updates on the volunteer fire department, environmental issues in town, updates on road improvements, births and deaths, and sports news. Izzy was actively pursuing another of his passions – baseball – and managing Hebron’s famous teams. “There are two religions in town,” Izzy would tell his son Richard “Dick” Turshen. “Sunday morning everyone goes to Church, and Sunday afternoon everyone goes to the baseball game.” Ballplayers were usually transported to the games on Izzy’s truck.

As time went on, Izzy became known as a good listener and advisor. Many, especially young people, sought his advice. The Turshen children remember their home was visited almost daily by someone seeking Izzy’s advice. He was also known for using humor to deliver his seasoned advice. “Dad would go to town meetings, and when things got heated, he would tell a joke and get everyone laughing. Then he would offer his opinion, and people would listen,” says Lotti. Dick adds, “Sometimes those jokes were a bit off-color, which had people laughing even more.”

Perhaps Izzy’s greatest accomplishment, in his own eyes, was building Hebron’s synagogue, which today is considered one of Connecticut’s crown architectural jewels. People had been meeting in private homes for Sabbath services for decades, and the need for a building was publicized as early as 1935. A building committee was formed, although Izzy was not particularly happy with their findings. He wanted a structure that would last for generations; the building committee felt they had to live within their limited budget. According to Dick, “My father told them, ‘Let me design and build the synagogue; I’ll make up the difference for any cost overruns.’” The congregation agreed, and Izzy was off and running. He gathered old bricks from collapsed buildings, and Dick became the “straw boss,” directing his sisters and other children who chipped off the concrete from the old bricks for a penny each.

Izzy personally built the synagogue, using the recycled bricks on the north, west and south sides (those walls have now been stuccoed over and painted white.) The entrance on the east side was built with new bricks, an Art Deco design that included Izzy’s signature circular window. He handmade the Star of David stained glass window using, of course, scrap glass he had collected. “Dad was a natural artist and architect, but he was brought up in a time when pursing his dreams wasn’t possible. The synagogue gave him an opportunity to show his talents,” said Marsha. The Agudas Achim Synagogue of the United Brethren of Hebron was officially dedicated on September 14, 1941.

World War II began shortly thereafter, and Izzy answered the call to lead Hebron’s War Council. He soon became known for his daily rounds through the neighborhoods, seeking rubber and scrap metal for the war effort. His truck was decorated with signs urging Hitler and Hirohito to hurry on down to the dark side. Local children would pile onto the truck, wanting to help. Indeed, says Marsha, Izzy kept a Crisco can in his bedroom; every day he would pick up anything from the ground that was metallic, and at night, deposit the material into the can. It was Izzy’s truck that hauled Hebron’s war canon to the depository as a contribution to the effort. When the war was over, people missed seeing Izzy’s truck making the rounds.

Izzy sold the store following his first heart attack in 1946. Sophie became the Amston Postmaster the following year. Izzy died on January 19, 1950, following a second heart attack. The stalwart Sophie learned to drive and lived an independent life, continuing as Postmaster until her own death in October 1958, the result of an automobile accident on the Merritt Parkway.

All three of Izzy and Sophie’s children today gratefully remember the values their parents taught them. “We have so much respect for our father and mother, and we know their ideas, standards, and feelings about how you treat people have been the greatest gift they could have ever given us,” said Lotti.

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In My Daughter's Eyes:  Ira Turshen's Early Life in America

One of the exciting aspects of historical research is discovering "new" documents, especially when you think the story's already been told. Such is the case with Ira Turshen, one of Hebron's most popular and colorful residents in the mid-20th century.

An original document detailing Izzy's life from the time he sailed into the New York City harbor until he moved to Hebron can be found in the Town of Hebron's official scrapbook, pages 353-358. It was written by his daughter, Lotti Turshen Morris, who now lives in Vermont. An edited version of this original document was printed in the March 2007 edition of The Hebronian.  Read more...

The United States witnessed significant population growth at the start of the 20th century as immigrants fled tumultuous Europe and headed towards America in hopes of a new life.  The vast majority of these immigrants landed in New York City, and from there, spread throughout the country. 

Connecticut’s vast farming lands were especially attractive to the newcomers, and soon the state, and Hebron, were welcoming new families.  Numerous Eastern Europeans (and some Northern Europeans) settled in central Hebron and Turnerville (Amston).  Interestingly, Southern Europeans (predominately Italians) chose to live in the northern part of Hebron.  Nestled between the Foote, Hills and Ellis farms, Italians soon dominated almost all of North Street, from Hebron all the way to Bolton, and the area became affectionately known as “Little Italy.”

Thanks to the memories, pictures and records of Rena Borsotti Zachmann and her husband Joe, we learn much about life in Hebron’s Italian community.  Other Italian families who settled in the area were the Saglios, Barrassos, Gambolatis, Negroes, Fracchias, Cordanis, and Peracchios.

In 1920, Emilio and Maria Borsotti, and their two adult sons, Severino and Peter, all of whom had been born in Italy, decided to make Hebron their home. (Their daughters, Esterina and Maria, who had also been born in Italy, decided to stay in New York.) The Borsottis bought the property located at 128 North Street from Theresa Gambolati for $9000.  The purchase consisted of a large farmhouse, which, at that time, had a large, distinctive front porch.  According to legend, the house had once been owned by Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy under President Abraham Lincoln.  The purchase also included a 192-acre farm, a barn and silo, and all the livestock and tools.  The vast majority of the land was on North Street, although there also a smaller parcel on Gilead Street, just south of Foote Hills Farm.

Italian was spoken in the home, as it was in almost all of the Italian homes, and it became the job of the children to teach their parents English.  But the language barrier was overcome, and Emilio was soon hard at work, establishing a successful dairy farm and orchard.  Like most of the other Italian families, the Borsottis also grew vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower and strawberries.  The Borsottis were frequent customers of Elton Buell, whose mill operation had become famous for the crates it manufactured for shipping cauliflower throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts.

In 1925, Severino married Italian-born Irma Pattarini, who had met her future husband while visiting her sister in Manchester.  They moved in with Emilio, Maria and Peter, and all five adults worked hard on the farm.  After Peter married Anna Reale, Emilio and Maria decided to move into an apartment across the street, and leave the farming operations to their two sons and their families, who continued living in the house.

It was an exciting time in Hebron.  New farming and dairy technologies were beginning to be introduced, and other inventions began to become commonplace in town.  The Borsotti brothers, in addition to their farming duties, were also hired to dig all the holes for the first telephone poles along North Street. 

Irma gave birth to George in 1927, and to Rena in 1928.  The two children walked down North Street to the White School (located at the intersections of today’s Route 94 and 85), where they attended grades 1 through 8.  There were no buses for that particular school route.  At the White School, they formed friendships with their classmates, such as the Links and Foote children, whose families had lived in Hebron for generations.

During World War II, Peter took a job with Pratt & Whitney, and he and his family moved to the apartment complex across the street where Emilio and Maria still lived.  The Borsotti farming operations were left solely in Severino and Irma’s hands. Although Rena and George both attended Windham High School, they helped their parents with the farm when not in school.

About this time that New York-born Joseph Zachmann appeared in Hebron.  Joe, a spirited young man, had enlisted in the Navy at age 17 and served on two different ships, the U.S.S. Biscayne and the U.S.S. Warren, both troop transport ships based in the Pacific theatre.  He had seen much during World War II, including Japanese kamikaze pilots that hit a nearby ship in which all but 10 sailors were killed. 

Returning to New York, Joe enrolled at Newtown High School to finish his last year of schooling.  The program required that he complete two summers as a farming apprentice.  He successfully applied for an apprenticeship at the Hills’ dairy farm, where he lived in the main house with Homer and Catherine, and their children Wilbur, Allan, Mary and Beverly. 

Joe became particularly friendly with George Borsotti, and soon noticed Rena at baseball games.  One day he told George, “Tell your sister I want to take her to the movies tonight.”  That night, he picked up Rena, and they went to the movies in Manchester, followed by dinner at Shady Glen. 

The couple dated for almost two years, and Irma frequently invited Joe for some of her delicious meals.  They went to many barn and square dances, especially those at the Gilead Grange; dancing was quite popular in those days.  “Everybody dressed up for the dances; the boys always wore suits and ties,” recalls Rena.  On September 1, 1951, the couple married at St. James Catholic Church in Manchester.  The occasion was especially significant for Joe.  Father Vito Mistretta, a Catholic priest who had befriended Joe during his early Navy years, flew to Connecticut to perform the ceremony.

Joe was working as a civil servant in the Bronx, so Rena gave up her job with the Department of Agriculture in Hartford, and moved to New York.  Adjusting to the fourth floor 3-room apartment was difficult.  Nine months after daughter Mary was born in 1954, Joe decided that he wanted to raise his family in Connecticut.  “New York was no place to raise children; they couldn’t play anywhere without by chased and I didn’t want that,” said Joe.  Rena was delighted!

With no job, the Zachmanns returned to Hebron, living in a house on Foote Hills Farm for $25 a month.  Joe ultimately took a job driving a milk tanker, and became a familiar face at the Hebron dairy farms.  Two more daughters were born, Jean in 1956 and JoAnn in 1960.  The Zachmanns also helped with the Borsotti farm operations, and moved in with Irma after Severino died in 1957. 

The farm proved too much to handle after Severino’s death, and the land was rented out.  Irma deeded two acres of land from the Gilead farming parcel to Joe and Rena, where they spent the next two years building their house.  On the night they moved in, they brought Irma with them.   

Many of the Italian farming operations along North Street began winding down operations about this time. Ultimately, the Borsotti farm was sold to the Neumans, and later sold to the MacDonalds.  There was a large fire at the house in 1977, and the Moss family ultimately bought the property.  Today, it is owned by the late Betsy Foote Osborn.

After their daughters graduated from RHAM High School, Rena took a job at the Pratt & Whitney Research Library.  Irma continued to be active in the Hebron community, and in 1997, the first year the contest was held, was named “Maple Fest Queen.”  Joe and Rena still have her “key to the city,” a piece of blue packaging ribbon with a car key attached!  Irma lived with the Zachmanns until her death in 1997.

Joe retired in 1992; Rena retired in 1994.  Today, when not traveling or gardening, Rena works at the polls and Joe continues to cut wood for his entire family.  Their three daughters all reside in Hebron.  Italian traditions remain strong with the family.

Why did Italian families choose to settle in the north side of Hebron?  Joe believes it is because of the terrain in Gilead.  “The land is so much like the land in Italy, especially the rolling hills where they had had their orchards.  It was a gentle reminder of the country they left behind when they started their new lives in America.”

All photos courtesy of Joseph and Rena Borsotti Zachmann.