Curious Historian

Walt Kelley was not born in Bridgeport.  He was born in Philadelphia, but he moved to Bridgeport in 1902.  Yet it seems that Bridgeport was the birthplace of Walt Kelly’s art. Kelly first started drawing, like other kids, but blossomed in art as a student in Harding High School.  He drew for the high school yearbook and also wrote poetry. 

Kelly began to work for the Bridgeport Post and later said, “I was the world’s worst reporter.”  He began drawing cartoons for the Post, drawing P.T. Barnum comic strips.  As a reporter he covered the Welfare Department during the Great Depression.

Kelly moved to California to work at Disney studios.  While working there he started developing a swampland series on his own time.  He moved back to the East Coast to work for the New York Star.  While there, Kelly created had his first “Pogo the Possum” comic strip.  In 1949, the Star newspaper folded, and Kelly moved to Darien and raised a family.  His comic strip Pogo became known for its political and controversial content.  Kelly continued his comic strip, becoming very famous during the 1970′s during the environmental movement for “We Have Met the Enemy and he is Us.”  Walt Kelly died 1973.

Dear Everyone:

You never write anymore!  Putting that stamp on the envelope is a lost art…ending the wonderful world of World War II letters, Civil War letters, letters from home, or letters from lovers.

Does writing a blog replace this?  I don’t believe it is the same.  Don’t we get excited to actually get an old fashioned letter in the mail?

If we don’t keep writing letters, there will be no more mail.  So…write a letter today!  Writing a letter on the weekend can do four things:   1. We can remember to physically write, 2. Can keep the post office in business, 3. remember how to use a pen and handwriting, and,  4. make the person we send the letter to…well..Happy!

I will write at least one letter to a member of my family or a friend every Sunday.  Why don’t we all try this! This is a tradition that can’t be lost.

Today…a letter to my sister or my mother!  Who will you write…?

Yours truly,

Mary

If you are becoming interested in tracing your family tree, you can start right here at the Bridgeport Public Library.  Our History Center has tools for every researcher.  And not just Bridgeport families…I’m originally from Detroit, yet I have been able to figure out my ancestors from sources right here in this library.

We have a subscription to Ancestry.com.  You don’t have to pay a cent.  We can help you get started.  Or we can help you continue your family research.  And you don’t have to be computer saavy, we can give you tips to get started.

The first step in a family tree is write down everything you know about your family.  You start with yourself.  Then you write your  parents name.  Then your grandparents, and so on. 

We have had patrons who have come in to research who only know one grandparent.  Or only their mother’s name.  We can still help.

If your family started out in Australia, or Italy, Botswana or Tahiti, we can still help you trace your roots. 

To get started with some tools, I encourage you to come into to the
Bridgeport History Center at the Bridgeport Public Library.  We are open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 until 5 pm.

We also have a genealogy Roundtable group that meets on the Third Thursday of every month at 12:30.  Beginners and all levels are invited.  We can help!  Sources are free

Immigrants to Bridgeport, Warner Corset workers

..come to the Bridgeport History Center at the Bridgeport Public Library and start your own History!

Our address is 925  Broad Street, Bridgeport Connecticut.  We can be reached at (203) 576-7417

Once you take your first step into Genealogy…you wil be HOOKED!