Busy, busy night

Wow, I haven't had this much action in awhile. I have some on-going genealogy queries that are keeping me on my toes.

I did get a question today, that allowed me to utilize my old phonebooks. Yes, you heard me right! Don't you know me by now?

I have, in my office, Greenwich-Schuylerville phonebooks covering the years 1966-1974, 1976-1986, 2001-2002. I'm not sure why I don't have the 1975-76 phonebook. It would be nice to have the full 20 year span. If anyone has a copy they would like to donate, I would greatly appreciate it... but ONLY if they are Greenwich specific.



Front cover of the 1966-67 NY Telephone phonebook

 I remember these. Was this a princess style phone?

back cover of the Greenwich-Schuylerville edition

If you lived in Greenwich in 1966, you could call Greenwich & Schuylerville just by dialing the number as we would today. To call Saratoga Springs, Argyle, or Cambridge, et al you had to dial "0" and speak with the operator.

In 1966 you had to dial "0" for the operator

 I'm hoping most of the people reading this know what a rotary dial is, otherwise you will not understand this part of the "How to Dial" section of the 1966-67 phonebook!

Don't mix-up your 1 & i or your O & 0!

At least by 1966 the exchange was 692. In 1958 it was still MY2.

What's in a (Baby) Name? The Boy Edition Part 2

On with my baby name project. Meanings for the popular boy names are as follows...

The Brits have 10 of the 20(ish) most popular boy names in Greenwich 1881-1913, so here we go

English
William- strong-willed warrior
Frank- free or truthful
Robert- bright fame
Edward- wealthy guardian
Harry- diminutive of Harold- army ruler (also dem. or Henry- see German)
Walter- (also) army ruler
Albert- noble & bright
Fred- peace ruler
Clarence- British title
Lewis- famed warrior

Shocking that there are so many war/ military references.

Next the Germans weigh in...
Charles- freeman
Henry- ruler of the home
Willie- diminutive of William- strong-willed warrior (Why not English?)
Louis- famed warrior (same as English spelling)

Hebrew
John- God is gracious
James- supplanter (What! I looked it up- one who wrongfully seizes & holds the place of another- Hmm)
Joseph- God will increase

Greek
George- farmer
Thomas- twin

Scottish
Donald- world leader
Kenneth- handsome

Latin
Paul- small

Welsh
Arthur- bear

Aside from the meaning of James, nothing was overly surprising. I'll compile the odd ones and have them up soon.

Thanks as always to http://www.babynames.com/

My favorite Kim Gannon song...



Kim Gannon publicity shot circa 1945

If you've lived in Greenwich for any length of time, you probably know that resident James Kimball "Kim" Gannon (1900-1974) was the lyricist to "I'll Be Home For Christmas". He wrote the song with Walter Kent during World War II. It happens to be one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs, along with "Silent Night", "What Child Is This", and "Carol of the Bells". However, it is not my favorite Kim Gannon song.

In 1948 Melody Time was released by Walt Disney Studios. In it was a 17 minute short about the legend of John Chapman called "Johnny Appleseed". There are three songs in the short; "The Pioneer Song", "The Apple Song", and my favorite, "The Lord Is Good To Me". All of these songs were written by Kim Gannon & Walter Kent.



I think it is perfect for this time of year, when the apple trees are heavy with fruit, and the trees are turning amber, gold and scarlet. So, here it is. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Lyrics by Kim Gannon and Walter Kent

"The Lord's Been Good To Me"

The Lord is good to me

And so I thank the Lord

For giving me the things I need

The sun and rain and an apple seed

Yes He's been good to me.

I owe the Lord so much

For everything I need

I'm certain if it weren't for Him There'd be no apples on this limb He's been good to me Oh here I am 'Neath the blue, blue sky

A'doin' as I please

Singing with my feathered friends

Or with the bees

I wake up every day

As happy as can be

Because I know that with His care

My apple trees will still be there

Oh, the Lord is good to me

For more information: http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1948/johnnyappleseed.html

Susan B. will come home to Battenville for one night only...

I was going to write about something completely different tonight, but my love of all things Susan B. Anthony will usurp just about anything. (& I am completely bummed that I can't go!)

Actor, director, writer, and educator Sally Matson, will portray Susan B. Anthony at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at the Stoopes Hotel. The Stoopes Hotel is the old red building to the east of Susan B. Anthony's Childhood Home on Route 29 in Battenville. It is a great old building, recently restored. (Parking can be a problem so you may want to carpool & get there early.) The program is sponsored by the Washington County Historical Society and the NorthStar Historical Project.

I hope Claudia Blackler doesn't mind, but I am going to quote a bit from her article in The Greenwich Journal and Salem Press this week...

[Susan B. Anthony] used innovative methods to promote her message: the new platen jobber printer, the telegram, the typewriter, and her own newspaper. She and her colleagues worked to advance women. She put up the last necessary $2,000 from her own life insurance policy to be sure that women were admitted into the University of Rochester; she imagined what women could be. In 1905 she said, "I firmly believe that some day a woman will be elected President of the United States."^

Not in 2012 Susan. Sarah Palin just announced she will not run for president in 2012, and Michele Bachmann is currently tied for 5th place with Newt Gingrich.* Now back to Claudia...

Miss Anthony was an agent for the New York State Anti-Slavery Society and she worked in Kansas during the fight for abolition. As the foremost leader of the women's rights movement in the late 19th Century, she canvassed New York state petitioning for women's property rights and wage reform.

On behalf of woman suffrage, she spoke in one hundred cities a year, year after year, arranging all details by letter and telegram.^

I wanna go! Can someone record the performance for me? (I guess I'll stop whining now.)


^  Blackler, Claudia. "Susan B. Anthony- the Invincible: Famous Activist Will 'Come to Life' October 19." Greenwich Journal and Salem Press [Greenwich, NY] 6 October 2011, 1st edition: 1.

* http://www.mnstatenews.com/capitol-headlines/1-capitol/246-romney-leads-latest-poll-bachmann-falls-to-fifth.html