Volume 16, Number 36
www.plainvillecitizen.com
Plainville bus tour takes passengers back in time
Thursday, October 10, 2019
BEDEVILED AGAIN
By Devin Leith-Yessian The Citizen
On Saturday, Oct. 5 guided bus tours rolled through Plainville, stopping at historical sites around town; some which still stand, and others which have been lost to time. “This town’s got so much history people don’t know about,” said Nancy Eberhardt, president of the Plainville Historical Society, before one of the tour buses left the Town Hall parking. A sign marks the childhood home of Charles Norton, a prominent 19th century inventor, stands in place of the house at 109 East Main St. in Plainville. Photos by Devin Leith-Yessian, The Citizen
Alternating between a trolley-style bus Dattco donated for the day and the Senior Center’s shuttle, the hour-long tours made more than a dozen stops in town. The unique event drew some 100 participants. The first stop, just down the road at 109 East Main St., was the home of the parents of Charles Norton, the inventor for whom the local park is named. As the bus eased to the side of the road, Eberhardt spoke about how Norton’s parents are believed to have maintained a stop on the Underground Railroad for African Americans escaping slavery.
J. Timothy's Taverne has been in place since the late 1700s, when it operated as an inn for stagecoach riders.
The impact the African American community had on Plainville could be seen at Governor’s Island. The triangular plot of land between Whiting Street, East Street and South Avenue was once See Tour, A9
Plainville High School’s Nora Couture battles an E.O. Smith player for possession on Thursday, Oct. 3. The host Blue Devils came up short that day, 4-1. Heading into this week, Plainville owned a record of 1-7. Photo by Patrick Matthews, For The Citizen
Grand Re-Opening Celebration 2 WHITING ST PLAINVILLE 860-719-6260 AWARDKB.COM
Join us October 18 th 5-7 pm For our Ribbon Cutting with Raffles & Wings from SLIDERS Running specials through November Complimentary In-Home Design Consult & Measure R222429