This time of year, Westerly Library & Wilcox Park is resplendent with dahlias in a gorgeous array of colors! We are fortunate to have lovely bouquets at most of our public desks for all to enjoy, and the park is a feast for the eyes. Dahlias begin blooming in midsummer and continue until the first fall frost. The heaviest blooming period for most growers is this month, September, a lovely time of year to enjoy a stroll through Wilcox Park.
Did you know that over 100 years ago, Westerly was home to one of the most well-known dahlia growers in the United States? George L. Stillman, who lived at 25 Granite Street, sold 300 varieties of dahlias, and he kept gardens at 23 Granite Street, 19 Newton Avenue, and Beach Street, as well as converting the family farm to a dahlia farm. George was born on the Stillman farm off Potter Hill Road in 1856.
The farm had been in the family since the first George Stillman arrived in Westerly in 1695. As a youth, George worked with his father, manufacturing wagons and carriages. In 1875, George and his brother moved the business to Coggswell Street and it continued there until 1910.
Eventually, the Stillman Carriage Co. also made bicycles — the Westerly Library has a velocipede made by some of George’s relatives on display on the second floor. George’s fame, however, was as a grower and perfecter of dahlias.
He became internationally known as a dahlia expert, and he was one of the leading exhibitors for many years at the International Flower Show in New York City, winning many medals and prizes. George Stillman was an incorporator and one of the three founders of the American Dahlia Society in 1914. George produced a beautiful 60-page catalog each year, with a colored image on the front and detailed instructions on how to grow dahlias inside, as well as photos of the many varieties he developed.
He may have been most well-known for his cactus dahlia, a type he created, which ultimately consisted of at least 30 varieties. George L. Stillman died in October 1938 at the age of 82 and was buried beside his wife in River Bend Cemetery.
For me, whenever I see the lovely dahlias, I flash back to a different Westerly, where multiple areas in our small downtown area were filled with gardens of hundreds of different sorts of dahlias, and I say a silent thank you to George Stillman for such a beautiful legacy. Top Requested Books 1. “The Women” by Kristin Hannah 2.
“The Wedding People” by Alison Espach 3. “All the Colors of the Dark” by Chris Whitaker 4. “Sandwich” by Catherine Newman 5.
“Swan Song” by Elin Hilderbrand 6. “The God of the Woods” by Liz Moore 7. “By Any Other Name” by Jodi Picoult 8.
“Funny Story” by Emily Henry 9. “The Housemaid is Watching” by Freida McFadden 10. “The Cliffs” by Courtney Sullivan Top Requested DVDs 1.
“The Fall Guy” 2. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” 3. “The Boy and the Heron” 4.
“IF” 5. “Inside Out 2” 6. “Late Night with the Devil” 7.
“Wicked Little Letters” 8. “The Watchers” 9. “The Fabulous Four” 10.
“Civil War” This Week MONDAY — 9 a.m.-8 p.
m, Kids Take and Make – Grab a bag of supplies from the Makerspace. One per child, please, while supplies last; 2-4 p.m.
, Sewers in Stitches – Bring your supplies and practice your yarn art skills with others; 4-5 p.m., STEAM Engine – Kids in grade 1-3 can use problem-solving skills to imagine, explore, tinker, build, code, play, and design; 4-5 p.
m., Tween Crafternoon – Join us for a weekly gathering to share snacks, laughs, and a love of crafts; 5:30-7:30 p.m.
, Monday Night Movie – Enjoy a free screening of this new movie starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. Visit our website for more details. TUESDAY — 1-4 p.
m., Community Resource Advocate – Visit our volunteer Community Resource Advocate, who can help connect you with local services/resources; 1:30-3 p.m.
, Tween D&D Homeschool Group – Space is limited; 1:30-3 p.m., Teen D&D Homeschool Group – For students in grades 7-12.
Space is limited; 3:30-5/5-6:30, Tween Dungeons and Dragons – This program is for ages 8-12; 4-5:30 p.m., Teen Dungeons and Dragons – This program is for grades 7-12; 5:30-7:30 p.
m., Knit and Crochet Group – A friendly yarn craft club; 6-7:30 p.m.
, Mostly Fiction Book Club – This month we’ll be discussing “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride. New members always welcome! WEDNESDAY — 10-10:30 a.m.
, Storytime – A weekly storytime; 1-2 p.m., Tech Social – Each meeting, we’ll start with a guiding topic and then have time for questions and discussion.
This program will take place on Zoom AND in person, but pre-registration is required; 4-5 p.m., Pride Club – Hang out with other LGBTQIA2+ teens and allies; 4:30-6:00 p.
m., Tween Dungeons and Dragons – This program is for ages 8-12; 6-7:30 p.m.
, Cookbook Club – We’ll be talking about “Cooking in Real Life” by Lidey Heuk while enjoying recipes we’ve prepared! Contact [email protected] to register; 6-7:30 p.m.
, Napatree Hawk Watch: 30 years of Identifying & Counting Migrating Hawks – Local raptor specialist Joseph Zbyrowski presents a lecture and PowerPoint presentation about a about a multi-year survey of hawk migration at Napatree Point. THURSDAY — The library will open at 1:00 p.m.
due to staff development. 4-5 p.m.
, Tween Alliance for Acceptance – Join us in the Tween space to hang out, chat about books, play games, and appreciate all of our differences; 4-5 p.m., Teen Crafternoon – Enjoy weekly crafting activities and snacks; 5:30-7:30 p.
m., Chess Club – Players of all skill levels are welcome. FRIDAY — 10-11 a.
m., Project Outreach Veterans Assistance – Members of organization are on site to aid veterans in navigating available benefits and other services. SATURDAY — 9 a.
m.-12 p.m.
, URI Master Gardener Kiosk – Get research-based answers to all of your gardening questions; 10:15-11 a.m., Zumba in the Park – Enjoy a free Zumba workout class by the fountain in Wilcox Park, presented by 401fitness Studio; 1-2 p.
m., Sensory Saturday – This kids program is designed to be open play with different sensory items to stimulate the senses; 2-9 p.m.
, Music in the Park | Next Up Festival – Don’t miss this family-friendly music festival centered around the historic bandstand in Wilcox Park. Bring a picnic as well as a lawn chair and blanket and be prepared to be blown away! Nina Wright is a reference and local history librarian at the Westerly Library & Wilcox Park..
