Eastern Student of Conducting Undergraduate Research for Honors Thesis

2014 Oct 8

Participating in undergraduate research expands the academic experience for students at Eastern Connecticut State University. The benefits of working closely with a faculty member and exploring research techniques help students to enhance their understanding and knowledge; clarify their academic, career, and personal interests; and learn valuable skills in communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and time management.

For of , , working on her thesis project under the direction of an Eastern faculty member has truly been a hands-on experience. 's major is ; she is also pursuing minors in writing, anthropology and art history.

is conducting research on the founding and religious transitions of Gay City, Connecticut, a section in the secluded corner of Bolton, Hebron and Glastonbury that is now Gay City State Park. In 1796, an iterant minister named Elijah Andrus led approximately about 25 families from the Hartford and Glastonbury area to found the settlement. The congregation did not participate in the Congregationalist, Methodist, or any other known or established religious sects of the time, and the families that made up the village withdrew from society and avoided contact with surrounding towns. Folklore has it that the settlement developed its own character and practices which included (according to legend) serving alcohol at their religious services.

"I became interested in the topic after my thesis advisor, History Professor Barbara Tucker, mentioned it to me as we discussed haunted and abandoned sites in Connecticut. Abandoned places have always fascinated me as a historian," said Tuller. "The religious beliefs of Elijah Andrus and his 'flock' are in shadow; historians have relied heavily on old folktales rather than historical facts. Through an investigation of the primary source material, I hope to uncover what actually happened in Gay City."

To complete her research, Tuller read books about legends and folklore in Connecticut, which gave a rough outline of the founding of the village. She also interviewed the town historian of Bolton, hiked the trails at Gay City State Park and uncovered the foundations of homes that once stood in the settlement, visited gravesites in local cemeteries and dove into the town histories of Bolton and Hebron by researching some of the individuals and families associated with the hamlet. Other primary resources Tuller utilized included church records, an index of Connecticut tombstone inscriptions, and the resources at the Connecticut State Library in Hartford and in the Center for Connecticut Studies at Eastern.

Tuller, who will complete her research thesis and graduate in May, hopes to pursue a graduate program with plans to become an archeologist.