Following in Historic Footsteps: 1993

by Jeffrey Bingham Mead
Greenwich Time. Looking Back (first monthly column): May 9, 1993

Jeffrey Bingham Mead, emerging from climbing the interior of the steeple of the
Second Congregational Church of Greenwich, August 2014. 

Editor's Note: This is the first of the monthly series of columns by Jeffrey Bingham Mead, a free-lane writer and direct descendant of one of the town's founding families. He grew up in backcountry Greenwich and is a member of the Historical Society of the Town of Greenwich.

Today marks a new beginning for me. Thanks to you, I have been given the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of others is a regularly featured Greenwich history columnist.

Other prominent historians have preceded me in the local newspapers. Judge Frederick Hubbard, author of Other Days in Greenwich, recounted the past in The Judges Corner and Greenwich – Life As It Was. Whitman Bailey crowned his stories with classical pen drawings. Most recently, Warren Lewin entertained readers with Times Past until his death in 1990.

Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich. August, 2014. 

Ten years ago, Greenwich Time opened the door that allowed me to write about local history. My expressed wish all along has been to popularize the heritage of this town, ponder items from yesteryear, promote the preservation of historic sites and explore the deep recesses of long ago.

Heritage and aptitude have been kind to me. Studying, teaching, speaking about and penning history have been experiences that I think have brought out the best in me, and as a result, I love my work. My vocation propels me to investigate the nooks and crannies of our culture and rediscover the traditional character of a New England town that I hold near and dear to my heart.

Dingletown Community Church. October, 2014. 

Sounds simple, right? It isn't always. Coupled with years of practice and experience, I undertake to succeed in achieving such laudable features as brevity, clearness of thought, accuracy and excellence. Historian and Francis Parkman stated many years ago: 

"The narrator must seek to imbue himself with the life and spirit of the time. He must study events in all their bearings, near and far, in the character, habits and manner of those who took part in them. He must be, as it were, a sharer or spectator of the action he describes."

Veterans Day, Greenwich Avenue. November 11, 2014

The traditional Town of Greenwich is a fine community with many blessings. While I think it sometimes takes itself too seriously, it remains a friendly and hospitable place. This is especially true in the hearts of its people, both past and present. A town is what it is according to what its inhabitants make of it. Without the perspective of history, we are devoid of explanations, memory and continuity.

John Banks House, Banksville. November, 2014. 

True, there are some today looking for fairy tales – you won't find them here in this column. We've had our share of ups and downs -folks in both the olden and new days stubbed their toes from time to time, and admittedly a few did some eccentric things, too. You'll be reading about that and much more.

As your narrator, I will be your guide through the passageways of time and place, sharing with you the essence of Greenwich throughout its history. You, the readers of Greenwich Time, have been faithful and loyal over these past 10 years, and I thank you for it. Your appreciation has not and will not to be forgotten.

Mill Street, Byram. August, 2014. 

Understanding our heritage grants us confidence and sadness of mind. With that, we are better prepared to steer the course of time and history. For me, the dividends of this trek has been bountiful and enriching. I hope you will deem it so, too.