It’s summertime in Connecticut and time for many of us to get out of the house and enjoy nature.

A favorite for many is Peoples State Forest located in Barkhamsted, CT. Did you know there’s a Grange connection to this beautiful place?

The Connecticut State Grange warmly invites members, friends, and community supporters to a special, long-anticipated event—the dedication of The Grange Plot plaque in Peoples State Forest. Join us on Sunday, August 24, at 3:30 PM at the site located in the 300 block of Park Road in Barkhamsted. The site is approximately 700 feet east of the intersection of Park Road and Slade Road.

Following the dedication, a catered dinner sponsored by the Connecticut State Grange will be held at Riverton Grange Hall.

Everyone who attends this event will receive a commemorative keychain. 

In honor of the event, we have produced limited edition t-shirts. The shirts will be dark green with a cream print on the front. Be sure to get yours at the event. We will have any remaining shirts available at State Session but cannot guarantee your size will be available.

To help us accommodate everyone comfortably, kindly confirm your attendance by August 15. To RSVP, contact CT State Grange Secretary Todd Gelineau at secretary@ctstategrange.org or call (860) 307-1522.

We look forward to celebrating this important milestone with you!

A Historic Beginning

In 1930, the Connecticut State Grange generously donated funds to the Connecticut Forest and Park Association to purchase 20 acres of land for what was then a newly established Peoples State Forest. In those days, groups donating 20 or more acres could name their tract of land. A call was made to local Granges to contribute toward this meaningful project. Granges donated a total of $484. A diagram of the land was then created, noting the tract’s proximity to the highway.

At the June 17, 1930, Executive Committee meeting, the State Grange Treasurer proposed increasing the donation to a rounded $500—a motion that was swiftly approved. Subsequently, the Committee directed Chair Allen B. Cook to take the necessary steps to designate the land as the "Grange Plot." Efforts were also made to prepare the area, including a planned clean-up day to clear brush near the parking area, ensuring it could be enjoyed and accessed by members.

Celebrating Our Legacy

The significance of The Grange Plot was celebrated again on July 11, 1976, during the Connecticut State Grange Bicentennial Celebration. Held right at the site, the event was led by State Master (President) Frank Prelli. Special guests included National Grange Master (President) John Scott and his wife Dorothy, who traveled to join the festivities. The celebration featured a field-day-style picnic, the unveiling of the Bicentennial Quilt, and the dedication of a Norway Spruce tree, complete with a commemorative plaque marking the planting.

Rediscovery and Recognition

Since the Bicentennial, the exact location of The Grange’s land had been lost to history—until recent years. Thanks to the diligent research of Grange member Janet Haller, along with the efforts of CT State Grange Lecturer Dave Roberts and an archivist from the Barkhamsted Historical Society, the site was rediscovered. With approval from the State of Connecticut, the land was officially reinstated as "The Grange Plot."
To honor this important chapter in Grange and conservation history, the Town of Barkhamsted installed a large commemorative boulder at the site and plaque funded by many Connecticut State Grange members in 2023.

Join Us for the Dedication

This ceremony will celebrate the Grange’s enduring commitment to public lands and honor those whose efforts helped shape the forest we cherish today. Following the dedication, a hosted dinner sponsored by the Connecticut State Grange will be held at Riverton Grange Hall, located at 17 Riverton Road (Route 20), Riverton—just minutes from the site.

Please RSVP

Please confirm your attendance by August 15. Contact CT State Grange Secretary Todd Gelineau - Secretary@CTStateGrange.org or call (860) 307-1522.

For More Information

For additional details about the Dedication Ceremony, you may contact CT State Grange Lecturer Dave Roberts at lecturer@ctstategrange.org, granbydavidroberts@gmail.com, or (860) 469-5067.

The Details ...

Lida Ives wrote about Peoples Forest and the Grange connection to it in her 1953 book “The Grange in Connecticut":

"At the 45th Annual Session of the Connecticut State Grange held in January 1930, the following resolution was accepted and adopted: “Brother Albert W. Lillibridge, Chairman of the Legislative Committee, offered a favorable report on a resolution pertaining to the Peoples Forest. Report accepted and the resolution adopted and placed in the hands of the Executive Committee for action.

WHEREAS: The state forestry department is doing valuable economic and demonstrative work, and

WHEREAS: The Peoples Forest, so-called, in Barkhamsted, is being purchased with funds donated by individuals and associations, and more land is desirable and available.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Connecticut State Grange appropriate the sum of one hundered ($100) dollars for this purpose.”

In the Executive Committee minutes of January 16, 1930, we find that Chairman Allen Cook was instructed to request the State Forest and Park Association to use the appropriation of the State Grange in one plot so that it may be known as the State Grange plot…

In the February 17, 1930 Executive Committee minutes we find the following: “As an appropriation was made to aid in the purchase and development of a State Forest more generally known as the Peoples Forest and owing to the nature of the organization, it developed that the $100 thus appropriated appeared to be rather small and consequently inadequate to purchase a plot worthy of bearing the name of our organization, therefore, the State Master and Chairman Cook were directed to formulate a letter to go to Pomona and Subordinate Granges asking small contributions to the above fund….

Clipping from the
Meriden Record Journal
July 10, 1930

Brother Cook later reported that $484 was available toward a plot in the People’s Forest and presented a diagram of twenty acres located near the highway. Upon motion of Brother Welton, it was voted to direct Brother Cook to take the required action to have the section referred to, designated as the “Grange Plot.”

Upon motion duly seconded it was voted to authorize the drawing of an order on the Treasurer for $16.00 to complete a fund of $500 to pay for the plot with the anticipation that the $16 would be collected to reimburse the treasury. Brother Welton was granted permission to invite some of the good brothers in his part of the State to meet him at the plot referred to and clear some of the brush near the parking space."

Fast Forward to 1976...

The Connecticut State Grange hosted its Bicentennial Event at the Grange Plot in 1976. A copy of the Bicentennial program found by Cheshire Grange member Janet Haller helped us in locating the piece of land know as the "Grange Plot." This was written in the program:

"Peoples State Forest is located in the Town of Barkhamsted, and it drives its name from the fact that more than four hundred individuals and organizations contributed to the drive for funds by the Connecticut Forest & Park Association.  It was established in 1923, and was gradually enlarged as the opportunity for purchase of additional land was afforded and the funds available.  In 1930 the Connecticut State Grange completed a drive for funds, and the sum of $500 was given to the Connecticut Park and Forest Commission for the purchase of land.

Two farms were purchased that year, but from what information we could find, it is evident that the plot of land purchased by our gift was the King Farm which comprised about twenty acres in the northwest section of People’s Forest.

Thus it is appropriate in this bicentennial year, that we should meet at People’s State Forest, and dedicate a tree as a memorial of this event."

2023: The Grange Plot is Found

When working on the Connecticut State Grange History Book Project, Terri Fassio, Connecticut State Grange Co-Director of Public Relations, began reasearching the location of the missing "Grange Plot." In doing so, she reached out to Dave Roberts, Connecticut State Grange Lecturer for assistance. Dave writes the following:

"For decades, I had heard stories about the mysterious “The Grange Plot” located somewhere within Peoples State Forest in Barkhamsted.  For me, I think of East River Road and Mathies Grove picnic area as Peoples State Forest.  What I forget is that Peoples State Forest has over 3,000 acres and covers a substantial portion of land in the Town of Barkhamsted."

Starting with only the information from the Lida Ives book and the program from the Bicentennial, Dave began working with Jim Lussier from the Barkhamsted Historical Society to locate the piece of land. Dave writes:

"From further research by Jim Lussier, the King Farm was located on Park Road and annotated as parcel C-43. ... The land was purchased as part of Peoples State Forest in 1930."

In June 2023, Dave Roberts, along with Judy Doyle from Granby Grange and members of the Barkhamsted Historical Society journeyed to see the property. They could not find any old marker or the tree that was dedicated in 1976, though the plot was overgrown. Dave writes:

"So, the mystery has been solved and now we know where the “Grange Plot” is located - about 1/10th of a mile south of the intersection of Park Road and Slade Road in Barkhamsted.  Kudos to Jim Lussier and the Barkhamsted Historical Society for helping solve this mystery!"

Above:
Dave Roberts and Jim Lussier