STOP FIVE: Warner’s Corner, Thomaston (population 1730) – Warner Lane
High Roads and Low Roads: no direct tours here, so will rely on Google maps to get me from New London to Thomaston, avoiding highways.
Trip Notes: Long – it took me 142 minutes to travel the 70 miles. Many of it was very urban, very Route 9ish (I was on Route 6 for a long time!) There were some pretty big hills. I only stayed for 8 minutes. There were many gas stations and Dunkin Donuts on this trip. (this will become important during tomorrow’s trip)
About Thomaston and A.B. Sillery: The “A” stood for Augustine, which would explain my grandfather calling him “Gus”. In the 1930s census, it described that he lived “Waterbury Street, extending into South Warner Street (#510). Other information found in this census was that he rented and paid $45.00/month. He owned a radio, he was currently 42 years old and 23 years old when he was married. He did not attend school but could read and write, he worked as a tobacco salesman, spoke English, was married to Marian who was 3 years older than him, and they had 3 children – son Clark age 11, daughter Mercedes, age 9 and son Charles, age 7. The children all were attending school. In the 1920’s census, Augustine and Marian lived in New Haven and his job was listed as a traveling tobacco salesman.
In the guide book, Thomaston had a population of 4188. The main industry was the Seth Thomas Clock Company and other industries were automatic machine parts and the manufacture of brass goods.
Notes from letters:
The next set of letters are written by a person named A. B. Sillery, who lives in Warner’s Corner, Thomaston, Connecticut. On the letterhead is artwork of the Edgeworth brand tobacco, and it says, representing Larus and Brother Company, Tobacco Manufacturers, Richmond, Virginia.
The first letter was written on December 23, 1931. It is addressed to my grandfather at 23 Chestnut St. in Cambridge and is typed. It reads: Dear Jason, your letter of the 21st came duly to hand. I am glad to know that you are pleased to join the salesforce in Connecticut, and to work with me. As you know, the territory you are to work in is the best section of this division, and I see no reason why you shouldn’t make good. I will meet you Monday morning January 4 at the Bond Annex in Hartford. In regard to your registration and markers Mr. Hall had already given me the necessary information to make out an application for you and had sent the check to cover the same. Before hearing from you, I had mailed your application to the motor vehicle department, requesting that the registration card be sent to 156 Milk St. in Boston. I mailed your registration application Wednesday, December 23 And your registration card and markers should reach the Boston office early this week. With best wishes for the new year and hoping to see you Monday the fourth in Hartford. I am very truly yours.
February 18, 1932 another letter but this one is hand written instead of typed so it says, “Dear Jason, the motor vehicle department has in some way lost the application cards for registration of the cars in this territory. I was able to obtain all of these but yours today as I didn’t know the year or model. They told me it would be OK for me to fill in and rush off the application and sign it. By the way Capitol bought White Bond cigarettes today. so when you pick up a few of these. With kind regards Jason, Hastily, Sillery.
February 22, 1932 Dear Jason: will meet you Wednesday morning at the Torrington Candy shop at 8:30 on time, hoping you spent a pleasant week and hope and see you on Wednesday. Very truly yours, Sillery
March 7, 1932 Dear Jason, If you haven’t worked Bristol before you receive this letter please meet me at Moe Hills Thursday morning at 8:30 in that city as I will spend the day with you. Hoping to see you there Jason. Very truly yours, A. B. Sillery
March 12, 1932 Dear Jason, I received a telegram from Mr. Chute today that you had better not work Willimantic in the coming week owing to orders being held up for the jobber in that city. In view of this situation, please confine your efforts to Hartford and the surrounding territory, such as Manchester, Rockville, Stafford, Stafford Springs, etc. You have a map of your territory by this time and can govern yourself accordingly. The requisition which I sent in to go to Willimantic will be sent to your Farmington Avenue address as I have requested the Boston office to do so. That includes cob pipes and samples for this month. With kind regards and looking forward to good reports on luxury with the cob pipes. I am very truly yours, A.B. Sillery
Notes from Thomaston
I had a difficult time tracking down where Warner’s Corner was located. Based on the census location, I found Warner’s Lane. Thomaston did have a little downtown area, including what looked to be another refurbished theater, the Thomaston Opera House. Warner’s Lane was a residential street, mainly consisting of Cape style homes. I could not envision that the house that Sillery rented was still there. Getting tired, I wanted to get to the next stop, so I did not look for a coffee shop.
Waiting 