Monday, August 31, 2009

Seth Thomas, Richard Russo, CT, and the Great Utopian Zucchini

Well here is a circle of several posts.

I recently mentioned the Great Utopian Zucchini's selfless efforts to raise money for the restoration of the clock ("After nearly a century of chiming the hours, our old Seth Thomas clock tower...has fallen silent.".) down in New Harmony, Indiana.

I noticed that the clock (sharp, eh?) was a Seth Thomas...(In 1813 a man named Seth Thomas came to the hollow to manufacture clocks. By 1856 Thomas was labeling his clocks with "Thomas Town." He helped route the Naugatuck railroad through Plymouth Hollow, linking us with the brass center at Waterbury.)

There is also a clock in Thomaston, Maine:


Town Clock With Flowers


I now remember that I had previously conjectured on the matter of Richard Russo's choice of Thomaston for a locale in "Bridge of Sighs."

I was ignorant until I recently went to Maine that Thomaston is nearby Mr. Russo's abode Down East.

I must have been wrong in that Thomaston conjecture.

I have some train photos from Thomaston, CT back there, and they round out the mistake nicely. (I do enjoy that Old Naugie and the RMNE working train museum):






Some Grand Trunk and their railroad here (this last with Grand Funk music reference.)

2 comments:

alfred said...

Grand Funk Railroad?
you mean Mark Farner's wild, shirtless lyrics, the bong-rattling bass of Mel Schacher,and the competent drum work of Don Brewer?

mc said...

Hell Yes!