Indian & Colonial Research Center in Danger of Closing

Writing in theday.com, a Connecticut web site, David Collins warns that the Indian & Colonial Research Center in Old Mystic, Connecticut, is in danger of closing. Funds and volunteers are both hard to find these days.

Built around the original papers and works of the late Eva Lutz Butler, the collection is as interesting as it is varied, from an impressive collection of local arrowheads, some many thousands of years old, to a genealogical library so complete it's been established as a Connecticut Registered Genealogical Research Center.

There are also rich catalogues of historic photographs, thorough land records and maps for local towns, examples of pottery and baskets made by the region's American Indians, and even a cannonball from the Battle of Stonington.

You can read more about this situation at http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=448fa34e-4fb8-45c6-b836-5b3485fc5f4e.

The Indian & Colonial Research Center's web site is at http://www.theicrc.org.

Comments

[John Ralls]

theday.com is the website of The New London Day, one of three newspapers in that area (the other two being the Norwich Bulletin and the Westerly Sun).

Having lived in Norwich and Stonington for most of the 1980s and having visited several times since, and having never heard of the Indian & Colonial Research Center, I imagine that they have a major publicity problem. Perhaps a story in The Day will help. Failing that, perhaps they should integrate with the Pequot Museum up the road in Ledyard.

[Gloria Waldron Hukle]

I've visited the Pequot Museum but I also never knew of the Indian and Colonial Research Center. Joining with the Pequot Museum is a very good suggestion (posted by Mr. Ralls) It is difficult enough to find financial support for historical sites or the arts in solid economic times. I find it sadly interesting that millions can be found to turn the wheels of a national political campaign, yet narry a dime to remember the New England people who contributed to the foundation of the platform both the Democrats and the Repulicans now stand. Over a hundred years ago a New York historian speaking of Manhattan wrote that someday the world would wake to the vein of heroism which we now tread underfoot, but will be richly worth unfolding to the light. A thought to consider.
Gloria Waldron Hukle

[Jinny Angelis]

I was disappointed to see that there was a charge to read the article. The 7 day free subscription is only valid in their distribution area. The Indian & Colonial Research Center's web site itself does say that the google search is faster than searching their catalog on the site.

I imagine there could be any number of resources that would be of value if we only knew of their existence. I think we all get in the habit of using certain sites and don't reach out enough to find other resources that might have the information we are seeking.

[kathy]

Elliby - Sioux Indian name. Scout with the Buffalo Soldiers. Do you have any information?