Picture Enfield - Then and Now

ENFIELD, CT — Today's installment of this weekly Enfield history series comes courtesy of the Enfield Historical Society, from its 1998 book "Images of America: Enfield Connecticut." It is a picture taken in 1930 of the northern end of Route 5, featuring a pair of long-standing local businesses.

At the far right is the Silhouette Club, where big bands played and numerous wedding receptions and other events took place in the 1930s and 1940s. The hut-like building in front of the large house was the popular Terwilliger State Line Lunch Stand, owned by the family of Ross Terwilliger and known for its delicious hamburgers. Terwilliger's wife, Ruth, was the sister of Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame inductee John Spellman, who won an Olympic gold medal in light heavyweight freestyle wrestling in Paris in 1924, then captured an NFL championship with the Providence Steam Roller in 1928.

Much has changed in the surrounding area in the last 89 years, but the house still remains, minus the lunch stand. The Silhouette location is now home to Bookends, an adult entertainment store. Here is a more contemporary look at the site, courtesy of Google Maps.

Last week's trivia answer:
Last week's trivia question was, "Terry's Island was the location of pivotal meetings of Adventist Christians in 1872 and 1873. By what name is it currently known?" The answer: Kings Island, which contains 120 acres of upland forest in the middle of the Connecticut River along the Suffield-Enfield town line.

(Google Earth)

This week's trivia question:
John Spellman was the first of only two men in history to win both an Olympic gold medal and an NFL championship. The other did it in the 1960s and 1970s. Name him. Post the answer in the comments section below, or on the Enfield Patch Facebook page.

(Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame)