A Tragic Toast to Christmas - wood alcohol deaths of 1919 in Chicopee, Mass.

More than 100 people died of a companionable drink in several towns and cities in New England on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 1919, nearly half of them in the city of Chicopee, Massachusetts. How this came to happen, and even how it came to be forgotten are both intriguing aspects to the tragedy.

The story of the grisly incident of unknowingly ingesting poisonous wood alcohol and how it played out in one New England city might stand as a microcosm of the conflict created between the legal production and sale of alcohol, those who would prohibit it, and those who would do anything to profit from it, not only in the years up to 1919, but in the tumultuous decade that followed.

Have a look at my new book, A Tragic Toast to Christmas -- The Infamous Wood Alcohol Deaths of 1919 in Chicopee, Massachusetts.

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Jacqueline T. Lynch is the author of The Ames Manufacturing Company of Chicopee, Massachusetts - A Northern Factory Town's Perspective on the Civil War;   

Comedy and Tragedy on the Mountain: 70 Years of Summer Theatre on Mt. Tom, Holyoke, Massachusetts;

 States of Mind: New England, 

A Tragic Toast to Christmas -- The Infamous Wood Alcohol Deaths of 1919 in Chicopee, Mass.; as well as books on classic films and several novels.  Her Double V Mysteries series is set in New England in the early 1950s.  TO JOIN HER READERS' GROUP - follow this link for a free book as a thank-you for joining.

Poet Jack Hayes' new work -- PRAYER WIND

Jack Hayes' recent volume of poetry, one of an ambitious three-volume project, is being published by Askance Publishing.  Prayer Wind is the first title, and is available at the Askance website, and also at Amazon and Kobo.

Here's the lovely description on the Askance website:

"Written through four difficult years, the poems reflect not only Jack’s personal journey but the hugely challenging times in which we all found ourselves. His words also reflect the cycle of the year and the pulse of nature with their inevitable highs and lows. Playful, deeply reflective, sad and joyful – Prayer Wind is all these and more.

"These are poems not to be hurried but to be read at leisure, to be savoured." 

Two earlier collections of poetry were featured on this blog previously, called The Spring Ghazals here, and The Days of Wine and Roses here.  Jack is a native Vermonter, now living in Oregon.  Read more about his journey here.  His voice is original, authentic, spiritual, contemplative, and bold.  Please have a look at the links here to get your copy of Prayer Wind.

Amherst Railway Society annual Railroad Hobby Show

photo by J.T. Lynch

This coming weekend, Saturday, January 27th and Sunday, January 28th, the annual Railroad Hobby Show hosted by the Amherst Railway Society comes to the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts.  

It is the largest model railroad trade show in the United States, and a very enjoyable event not only for model railroad enthusiasts, but for anyone with a nostalgic bent of mind.  There's four buildings of train layouts, miniature worlds of exquisite detail.  Come have a look.

 

Learn more about the show here.

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Jacqueline T. Lynch is the author of The Ames Manufacturing Company of Chicopee, Massachusetts - A Northern Factory Town's Perspective on the Civil War;   

Comedy and Tragedy on the Mountain: 70 Years of Summer Theatre on Mt. Tom,  Holyoke, Massachusetts;

 States of Mind: New England; as well as books on classic films and several novels.  Her Double V Mysteries series is set in New England in the early 1950s.  TO JOIN HER READERS' GROUP - follow this link for a free book as a thank-you for joining.