A grainy newspaper item from 1966 when Mr. Austin Taylor Phelon celebrated his 100th birthday with family. Mr. Phelon was born in Granville on November 29, 1866, not long after the Civil War ended in 1865. He died just short of his 101st birthday on October 27, 1967 and is buried at Pine Hill Cemetery in Westfield.

This item was posted on the Granville-Tolland Facebook community page on May 19, 2023 and brought the following comments:

CPG: "Wonderful to see this photo of my great-great uncle Austin on his 100th birthday! My great-great grandmother Jennie, also born in Granville, lived to within weeks of her 100th (she was born in 1859 before the Civil War). When we were kids, my brother Bill Phelon, who restored the 1741 red gambrel Daniel Rose House (W. Granville) and I used to visit her across the brook from my grandfather’s farm (after the reservoir was built in Granville), where, as a child, I remember 'Austin' [my grandfather’s older brother named after their uncle (in the photo) or his son Austin W.] and Phelon cousins stopped by in the 1960s and talked about Granville, Westfield and their family’s farms."

LK: "What wonderful memories of visiting this family/farm!"

MKC: "I remember Walter - always so friendly. Met Russell on several occasions too but … a stern man."

KG: "I see my mom and younger brother on the right! Great."

JWA: "And notice that back in that day she wasn't Jenny Maceyka, she was Mrs. Emil Maceyka. Thank goodness times have changed!"

PJ: "Curious if the picture was taken at the old farm, kinda looks like it?"

DK: "Yes, behind them is the kitchen sink."

Ya gotta love crowd-sourcing Granville-style!


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Grange building on Granby Road. The building was to the right of the library and is now gone.]]>