Branford, We've Had a Good Run

Well, Branford Patch, we've had a good run. I started this column the week that Branford Patch launched. It's gone through several changes from those first articles about Branford's neighborhoods, like this one about Pine Orchard, to the Question and Answer structure that led to stumpers like the Double Beach Oak Tree, to my attempts to stump Branford readers with obscure photos. Patch readers know a lot about Branford history, and they've been an amazing resource for this column – as has the James Blackstone Memorial Library and the Branford Historical Society.

As Branford Patch continues to grow and change, several regular columns have had to be phased out, and I'm delighted that "The Town with Five Main Streets" has hung in there as long as it has. Sadly, the time has come to move on. Though this is my final column, I'm not saying goodbye – I'm a Patch reader, too, and I'm sure I'll be around, posting non-history articles to the site, or maybe jumping on for a blog if I find some interesting tidbit in my own writing and research to share.

So, though I'll say farewell, I'll encourage folks to keep in touch via the Growing up in Branford group on Facebook, where there are always amazing old photos being posted, and where I had plenty of insider sources. To keep alive your interest in local history, stay in touch with (or join!) the Branford Historical Society, and attend Friends of the Blackstone Library lectures (or join that worthy organization as well). There are many, many opportunities to learn about Branford – and I'm glad to have had the chance to connect with so many of them.

If you want to keep track of me, well, I'm out and about the Internet with my other pursuits. While not writing history articles, I've been busy working on games, like my December-released interactive novel, downloadable for your mobile device, Choice of Kung Fu. I'm also the author of two fantasy novels (with a third that will hopefully be funded via this kickstarter) and a contributor to several anthologies, so if that type of fiction is up your alley, please do check me out. I also write semi-regularly about mythology and writing on my home blog at Virgil and Beatrice.

Thanks to everyone who's written me about the column over the years. You've been such a great help – and such a source of fun – for me. Long live this town of ours, five Main Streets and all.