Windsor celebrates its bicentennial with games, music, and history – Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel

WINDSOR At 99, Joyce Benner is the oldest resident of Windsor and has lived in the town her whole life. At almost 1 month old, Charles Haiss is the towns youngest life-long resident.

The pair were given plaques with those recognitions Saturday during the Windsor Bicentennial event. Elwin Hussey, who turns 99 next month, was a close second for being the oldest, so he also was awarded a plaque.

Nancy Seakers, who at 87 said she is the young one of the bunch, asked her friend Hussey if he was born in Windsor. He said he was born at the hospital down the street, but has remained in the town his whole life. His family started Husseys General Store, a staple of the town, the same year Elwin was born.

It just came automatically, I dont have a feeling about it, Hussey said as being nearly the oldest person in town.

The history of the town was celebrated in full at the event, with members of the towns historical society dressed up to celebrate the year Windsor became a town in 1822.

Before it was called Windsor, the town had a number of different names. It was first called Pinhook, because of a hook in the Sheepscot River, located where Cooper Mills is. Then, it was called Malta, for the Malta War, and for a short amount of time, it was even called Gerry. In 1822, it became Windsor.

Lori Spaulding, dressed up in a floor length skirt and bonnet on her head, made chickens noodle soup, cornbread and pie with the stove of the house that was built in 1803 in town. The house was originally built across the street, Spaulding said, but was moved to the current fairgrounds.

Spaulding said with the Windsor Historical Society, she dresses up and reenacts 1800s living every year for the Windsor Fair, held over Labor Day weekend. She sets up in a house on site and nearby is a one-room schoolhouse, another house, a saw mill and a blacksmith shop, all in their original early 1800s conditions.

I love that people come and learn about the house, they come all through it and then the younger kids will ask where the bathroom is, said Spaulding, who explained they use the questions as a learning opportunity to discuss outhouses and what it was like to live back then. The house she sets up in is not insulated and not currently lived in.

Saturdays event also featured games all morning and afternoon, though Haskell said she wanted the games to have an old-time feel to them.

Set up across the fair grounds were three-legged races, the pan toss and an egg walk. Children could also try their luck searching for coins in a sawdust patch and exchange them for prizes. There was a horse-drawn carriage for people to ride, too.

Haskell said the town plans to bury a time capsule on Sept. 3 during this years Windsor Fair. Haskell said different groups representing the Windsor Volunteer Fire Department, Windsor Elementary School, the local church and others can all contribute something to bury.

By noon, Haskell guessed more than 150 people had already come to the event, with more likely to filter in and out throughout the day. Later in the day there would be bingo games using lima beans for counters that Haskell hand sorted for the games.

The event is scheduled to conclude at 9 p.m. with fireworks, but first will offer a movie for children and a dance in the street for the adults.

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Windsor celebrates its bicentennial with games, music, and history - Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel