Avon Talks

For more than fifty years, the rolling pastures of Connecticut's Farmington Valley served as the office for Dr. Harry Werner, a legendary veterinarian who’s career bore witness to a profound transformation in American agriculture. With his wife and partner Susan Werner, they navigated the challenges of a 24-7 business through decades of changing country life, watching the profession evolve fr...

Avon Talks welcomes Jeannie Parker, a lifelong resident who shares her memories of Camp Gertrude Bryant, Avon's Girl Scout Camp from 1947-1965. Avon Talks is available on: Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Music Podcast Index Amazon Music Avon Talks is a monthly podcast about Avon, CT's history, landmarks, and current events from the Avon Historical Society and Town of Avon. It is hosted by...

 Avon Talks shines a light on one of Avon’s most active and community-minded organizations: the UNICO Italian American Club. UNICO has a long tradition of service, fellowship, and pride in Italian-American heritage, and the Avon chapter is no exception. From scholarships and charitable giving to local events that bring people together, UNICO plays a meaningful role in the life of our town. Today I...

 Welcome to Avon Talks, I’m your host Jim Pabich. William Faulkner once said “The past is never dead, It’s not even past”….. When we look at recent events we have the benefit of both having lived through them as well as the capability of looking at them through the objective eyes of the future. Today, we’re joined by Avon resident Professor Stephan Bullard, a respected scholar whose book “Covid 19...

The return of AVON TALKS podcast! Step back in time to discover what life was like during Avon’s earliest days. I'm your new host Jim Pabich and my guest is local historian and author Scott Lewis , whose new book Avon Connecticut's First Century, Visionaries and Victims takes readers through the town’s formative years — a period filled with a mix of ambition, hardship, and transformation...

In 1736, Benjamin Franklin founded the Union Fire Company in Philadelphia. This would be the first volunteer fire department of its kind in the United States and laid the foundations for a tradition that continues to be practiced throughout many American towns today. Avon is one such town. The Avon Volunteer Fire Department, with its four stations and almost two-hundred staff, is a completely volu...

Baseball has long been known as America’s favorite pastime. Coincidentally, for many, it also happened to be the only pastime. That was certainly the case for many of those growing up in Avon in the 1950s. With relatively few means of interaction with kids outside any given neighborhood and no formally organized activities, most children in this period resorted to baseball to pass the time. For th...

In August of 1955, Connecticut was hit by one of the worst natural disasters in the state’s modern history. Over the course of one week, two hurricanes – Hurricane Connie and Hurricane Diane – collectively dropped more than two feet of water and raised the Farmington River by over eighteen inches. These two storms, and the subsequent Flood of 1955 that resulted, ended up causing over 680 million d...

In the 15th century, Johannes Guttenburg introduced the printing press to Europe, which not only defined print media’s dominant role for centuries to come, but also fundamentally altered the social, political, and religious structure of the Western World. However, since the turn of the 20th century, the media landscape has, once again, begun to rapidly evolve with the advent of radio, video broadc...

Following victory in World War II, the United States was forced to navigate a precarious transition period as it welcomed its millions of veterans back into society. To accommodate many of these returning soldiers and the subsequent Baby Boom that followed, developers across the country found success in creating standardized suburban housing and lifestyles that heralded an extreme period of nation...

What does the heyday of American industrialization have to do with Avon, CT? The answer is in Lions Club International. In 1917, the Lions Club was first founded in Chicago, Illinois in response to the height of American industrialism where widespread disease, poor living conditions, and endemic child labor ravaged many dense, metropolitan areas. It wouldn’t take long for the club to extend its im...

What is a library? To some, it’s a repository of knowledge for study and research. To others, it’s a place to borrow novels and movies and to get lost in worlds of figment and imagination, or a public space to get work done and access different community resources. In the greater American story, public libraries have been the homes of some of the greatest self-starting entrepreneurs and the cradle...

Join us with Robert Summers, the former Avon Athletic Director and founder of the Avon Athletics program, as we explore the tangential history of Avon athletics with the Avon High School, the development of different sports teams, and the long-term impact it has had on generations of Avon students.  Avon Talks is available on: Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Music Podcast Index Amazon Music Avon Ta...

Join us with Jay Willerup, the current board president of the Friends of Heublein Tower, as we explore the tower’s founding story, introduce its history, discuss some of the notable United States presidents that have graced its halls, and examine its current community impact in the 21st century.  — If you would like to volunteer your time to the Friends of Heublein Tower, contact them at info@frie...

Join us with Art Custer, the head of the History Department at Avon Old Farms as we explore the school’s founding, introduce its history in relation to Avon, and the role the school has had on generations of students from across the nation and world.  Avon Talks is available on: Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Music Podcast Index Amazon Music Find more Avon Talks info on https://avontalks.buzzsprou...

Join us with Brandon Robertson as we introduce the role of the town manager, break down the structure of Avon's local government, and discuss the importance of civic engagement at all levels of government.  Avon Talks is available on: Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Music Podcast Index Amazon Music Find more Avon Talks info on https://www.buzzsprout.com/2024219   Want to learn more about the A...

Join us with Chris Cody and Paul Rotondo as we introduce the Prince Thomas of Savoy Italian social club, its over century long history, and its role within the Avon, Farmington Valley, and Connecticut community.  Avon Talks is available on: Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Music Google Podcasts Podcast Index Amazon Music Find more Avon Talks info on https://www.buzzsprout.com/2024219   Want to learn...

Join us with Imam Safwan Shaikh and Dr. Khamis Abu-Hasaballah as we introduce the Farmington Valley American Muslim Center and its growing role amongst the Farmington Valley community.  To learn more about the FVAMC, visit their website at www.fvamc.org   Want to stay up to date with Avon Talks? Send an email to avontalksahs@gmail.com to join the newsletter For more information on the Avon Histori...

Join us with Cal Miller and Brian Malone as we introduce the foundation and formation of Miller Farms as well as its current pet food business in Oma’s Pride and its charity Miller Farms Cares.  To learn more about Miller Farms, visit their website at omaspride.com or millerfarms.us   Want to stay up to date with Avon Talks? Send an email to avontalksahs@gmail.com to join the newsletter For more i...

Introducing Avon Talks and the Avon Historical Society in Avon, Connecticut with Terri Wilson, president of the Avon Historical Society, and Nora Howard, the current Avon town historian.  Avon Talks is available on: Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Music Podcast Index Amazon Music Avon Talks is a monthly podcast about Avon, CT's history, landmarks, and current events from the Avon Historical So...