Una Clingan, Colebrook photographer

In the interview with Wilbur and Nellie Mills published earlier, reference was made to Una Clingan, who took a photo of the young couple riding in their buggy. In a taped interview in 1979 with the late Grace Seymour, she spoke extensively of Una. Here is that interview:

“The Clingans used to own the house where the Robert Googins live now. [This is 368 Sandy Brook Road today.] Una Clingan, their daughter and my friend, was born in Winsted on Brook Street, the first house back of the package store now. She was quite young when they moved up here, because she remembered that the Birch Mill was still standing, over by the bridge beyond their house. [This is the first bridge after leaving Route 8.]

“Mr. Clingan worked in the Gilbert Clock Shop, the only place I remember him working. He was an elderly man and he was a very well-read person, and could talk very well. Mrs. Clingan was a beautiful lady. She was kind and friendly and always glad to see you.

“Una had finished school before I went. She probably had John Moore as her teacher. His last year of teaching was the year before I went to school. I remember going to the last day of school when he was there and a great big wooden or paste board pail there full of little hard candies, and oh, I thought that was the most candy I ever would see! He used to sit with his feet up on the desk and fall asleep! The children used to tell about it. I remember him well, of course, he lived across the street from here. [That would be 294 Colebrook River Road today.] He was with Hattie and Homer Deming at times. He died in 1923.

“Una Clingan helped in the post office when it was across the street in the Homer Deming home. At that time the mail came from Winsted to Riverton, to Robertsville, to Colebrook River, to New Boston and ended in Montville. That was the driver’s route. The first thing that I remember they used horses, but later they had cars, of course. In fact, I guess one of the first [Stanley] Steamer automobiles in this area was owned by Charles Slater and used to carry the mail for a while. It used to stop across the street over there, make a funny noise and then it started on again. It was sort of bus-like. It carried eight or 10 people.

“Una Clingan started taking pictures apparently as soon as she was able to use a camera. I remember her camera — she always had to put the old black cloth over her head when she took pictures. She didn’t use any other kind of camera until after she went up to Alaska. She used to go all around the area to take pictures. I remember going to Hartland with her — she took pictures of an old schoolhouse there — of course it’s gone now. She also went to the parsonage and took pictures of the minister and his family that day that I was with her. She did it for a business. She sold them. I guess she got 5 cents apiece for the pictures on post cards.

“Una did several paintings, too, after she went to Alaska. I don’t think she ever did any before she went up there. She picked it up by herself. She went to Alaska each time her four grandchildren were born. She flew up there. She was in the Philippines during the war with her husband and two children. She traveled a great deal for a country girl.

“Her son was a teacher in ‘Ol Miss,’ the place down in Mississippi where the governor stood across the doorway and wouldn’t let Julian Bond into the room. Her son left after that. He didn’t agree with the governor, I guess. He went up to a college in North or South Carolina; far as I know he is still there. I’ve only seen him once. He came here with his mother. His name is Robert Rands.

“Una and I used to go up that mountain behind Clingan’s house; we called it Clingan’s Cobble. We could see down Route 8, see the traffic and it was a pretty sight. We could look up Sandy Brook for quite a ways, see the brook and a few houses. I guess I went up there all alone sometimes, but I wouldn’t dare go up there now. It’s so very steep — a very rocky place. I don’t know who owns it now.

“The Clingans went to Wealthia, Virginia March 20, 1913, when they left here, but then moved to Maryland later. We went down to visit them in about 1920. The Browns were the next occupants of the Clingan house.

“Una Clingan sold her films when she left to Frank DeMars, who had an art store in Winsted near Colt’s Store on the west side of Main Street. So many pictures of this area that we have today are the ones Una Clingan took while she lived here. We should be grateful to her.�

Bob Grigg is the town historian in Colebrook.