J B Williams, Glastonbury's Soap Man LbNA #7813
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Add Location| Owner: | CraftWoman  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Apr 9, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Glastonbury |
| County: | Hartford |
| State: | Connecticut |
| Boxes: | 2 |
| Found by: | Traveln Turtle |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Oct 16, 2015 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Oct 25, 2015 |
Location: J. B. Williams Park, Glastonbury, Connecticut
Difficulty: Easy walk. Please note that a pace is one step.
Time Needed: Approx. 40 minutes, including stamping in.
HISTORY:
In the mid 1800’s, a man named J. B. Williams created a formula for shaving soap. A couple years later, he and his brother, William S. Williams, formed what is believed to be the first commercial soap manufacturing business in the world. The company was called the J. B. Williams Company. Besides shaving soap, their company also was known to have made ink and shoe blacking. Among the many products that the company produced, were two well known products, ‘Lectric Shave and Aqua Velva. The business was sold in 1957 to former owners who renamed the company to Glastonbury Toiletries. They continued operation into the 1970’s. Today,'Lectric Shave and Aqua Velva are currently owned and marketed by Combe Incorporated in White Plains, New York. Their website is http://www.combe.com/.
DIRECTIONS:
Coming from Route 2 East, take Neipsic Road (exit 9). At end of the ramp, take a left. J. B. Williams Park will be on your left.
Coming from Route 2 West, take Route 83 (exit 10). At end of the ramp, take a right. Just after the bridge, bear right. At first stop sign, turn left onto Neipsic Road. At the next stop sign, turn left, which continues on Neipsic Road. J. B. Williams Park will be on your right.
FINDING THE AQUA VELVA LETTERBOX:
From the parking lot, go through the main gate (there will be a welcome sign here). Following the sign for Upper Pond, go up the wide dirt path (the park’s fire road). At the crest of the first hill, you will see lower pond on your right. Continue following the fire road. Soon, you will see a wooden staircase going down into the woods on your right. Take the staircase down the hill and cross over the two wooden bridges. At the end of the second bridge, walk straight ahead to a “T” where there is a large tree with many roots. Bear left up the hill to another “T” where there is a large pine tree. Turn right at the “T” and follow the path. You will cross over lots of tree roots and a small stream (or dry stream bed if not running). Immediately on your left, you will see a large 15 foot tree stump. One half of the broken tree is on the ground on your left. The other half is broken off on the ground past the stump. Continue along the path and you will immediately see the remains of two fallen trees that have been cut away from the trail. On your right you will see pieces of the tree cut into 4 foot pieces.Go about 60 paces and stop at the tree on your right which is broken off about 40 feet up and has almost no bark remaining on it. Directly to your left, going up the hill, is a large fallen pine tree. At its tip is another fallen pine tree going up the hill in line with the first one. Follow the fallen trees up the hill to the tip of the second one. Then, just a little more than arms length away on your right are two fallen branches in the shape of a “V”. Hidden under the white birch branches is the Aqua Velva Letterbox.
FINDING THE ‘LECTRIC SHAVE LETTERBOX:
Go back the way you came, crossing over the fallen trees and eventually, the two wooden bridges. Go back up the wooden staircase, and continue on the fire road. Soon you will see upper pond on your right. Continue on the fire road and you will come to a curve to the left where there is an outhouse. Continue on the fire road up the hill. At the crest, you will see a bench on your right to sit and relax. Continuing on the fire road down the hill, you will see two wide paths, one on your left and one on your right, directly across from each other heading into the woods. You are getting close to the second letterbox. Do not take either of these paths. Go about 90 to 95 paces more on the fire road. As you are counting the paces, you will be approaching and stopping at a large oak tree on the right which is almost in the fire road. At this oak tree is a narrow path. Take this narrow path. Soon you will see a medium sized fallen tree on your left a little into the woods. You will also start to see some houses ahead of you. Walking a little further on the path, you will approach a chain link fence with gate. Just before you get to the gate, take the path heading to your left. Looking on your left as you walk, locate a tree with a large elbow. Roughly 30 paces past this tree, you will see twin hemlock trees on your left very close to each other. Your prize is hidden behind the second hemlock tree, nestled in the “V” of two fallen branches. Go back the way you came and return to the fire road.
THE RETURN TRIP:
Continue on the fire road to the parking lot, as you have traveled ¾ of the way around the park already.
Difficulty: Easy walk. Please note that a pace is one step.
Time Needed: Approx. 40 minutes, including stamping in.
HISTORY:
In the mid 1800’s, a man named J. B. Williams created a formula for shaving soap. A couple years later, he and his brother, William S. Williams, formed what is believed to be the first commercial soap manufacturing business in the world. The company was called the J. B. Williams Company. Besides shaving soap, their company also was known to have made ink and shoe blacking. Among the many products that the company produced, were two well known products, ‘Lectric Shave and Aqua Velva. The business was sold in 1957 to former owners who renamed the company to Glastonbury Toiletries. They continued operation into the 1970’s. Today,'Lectric Shave and Aqua Velva are currently owned and marketed by Combe Incorporated in White Plains, New York. Their website is http://www.combe.com/.
DIRECTIONS:
Coming from Route 2 East, take Neipsic Road (exit 9). At end of the ramp, take a left. J. B. Williams Park will be on your left.
Coming from Route 2 West, take Route 83 (exit 10). At end of the ramp, take a right. Just after the bridge, bear right. At first stop sign, turn left onto Neipsic Road. At the next stop sign, turn left, which continues on Neipsic Road. J. B. Williams Park will be on your right.
FINDING THE AQUA VELVA LETTERBOX:
From the parking lot, go through the main gate (there will be a welcome sign here). Following the sign for Upper Pond, go up the wide dirt path (the park’s fire road). At the crest of the first hill, you will see lower pond on your right. Continue following the fire road. Soon, you will see a wooden staircase going down into the woods on your right. Take the staircase down the hill and cross over the two wooden bridges. At the end of the second bridge, walk straight ahead to a “T” where there is a large tree with many roots. Bear left up the hill to another “T” where there is a large pine tree. Turn right at the “T” and follow the path. You will cross over lots of tree roots and a small stream (or dry stream bed if not running). Immediately on your left, you will see a large 15 foot tree stump. One half of the broken tree is on the ground on your left. The other half is broken off on the ground past the stump. Continue along the path and you will immediately see the remains of two fallen trees that have been cut away from the trail. On your right you will see pieces of the tree cut into 4 foot pieces.Go about 60 paces and stop at the tree on your right which is broken off about 40 feet up and has almost no bark remaining on it. Directly to your left, going up the hill, is a large fallen pine tree. At its tip is another fallen pine tree going up the hill in line with the first one. Follow the fallen trees up the hill to the tip of the second one. Then, just a little more than arms length away on your right are two fallen branches in the shape of a “V”. Hidden under the white birch branches is the Aqua Velva Letterbox.
FINDING THE ‘LECTRIC SHAVE LETTERBOX:
Go back the way you came, crossing over the fallen trees and eventually, the two wooden bridges. Go back up the wooden staircase, and continue on the fire road. Soon you will see upper pond on your right. Continue on the fire road and you will come to a curve to the left where there is an outhouse. Continue on the fire road up the hill. At the crest, you will see a bench on your right to sit and relax. Continuing on the fire road down the hill, you will see two wide paths, one on your left and one on your right, directly across from each other heading into the woods. You are getting close to the second letterbox. Do not take either of these paths. Go about 90 to 95 paces more on the fire road. As you are counting the paces, you will be approaching and stopping at a large oak tree on the right which is almost in the fire road. At this oak tree is a narrow path. Take this narrow path. Soon you will see a medium sized fallen tree on your left a little into the woods. You will also start to see some houses ahead of you. Walking a little further on the path, you will approach a chain link fence with gate. Just before you get to the gate, take the path heading to your left. Looking on your left as you walk, locate a tree with a large elbow. Roughly 30 paces past this tree, you will see twin hemlock trees on your left very close to each other. Your prize is hidden behind the second hemlock tree, nestled in the “V” of two fallen branches. Go back the way you came and return to the fire road.
THE RETURN TRIP:
Continue on the fire road to the parking lot, as you have traveled ¾ of the way around the park already.