Picture Enfield - Then And Now

ENFIELD, CT — Today's throwback photo takes us back to a fabulous book of photographs entitled Images of America: Enfield Connecticut, compiled for the Enfield Historical Society by Michael K. Miller and first published in 1998. The book consists of pictures from the 1880s through the 1950s.

Here we look at 92 Prospect Street in Thompsonville more than a century ago, when it was home to the G.H. Bushnell Press Company's iron foundry (at left) and the New England Glass Burial Case Co. The Bushnell Co. was founded in 1887, and manufactured heavy machinery in town until moving in 1922.

Glass caskets were briefly a rage in the early part of the 20th century. However, the craze quickly died out (pun fully intended), and most manufacturers were out of business by the mid-1920s.

The buildings shown are still in use today by the Kelly Fradet Lumber Co. Here is a more contemporary look at some of the property, taken by me on a recent crisp autumn afternoon.

Last week's trivia answer:
Last week's trivia question was, "Who handed my son Alex his diploma upon his graduation from Enfield High School in 2017?" The answer: Tina LeBlanc, who holds the distinction of being the longest-tenured current member of the Enfield Board of Education, having served continuously since 2011. Jennifer Bruyette was the first person to post the correct answer.

This week's trivia question:
What do Beach, Deland, Lafayette, Orlando, Revere and Tampa avenues all have in common? Post the answer in the comments section below, or on the Enfield Patch Facebook page.

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