Norwalk Historical Society to host letterboxing treasure hunt

NORWALK -- Samantha Kulish has been letterboxing for years, but it was only recently that she realized her favorite outdoor hobby could serve as a history lesson for area residents.

"Letterboxing has taken me to places that I never knew existed," said Kulish, the educational coordinator at the Norwalk Historical Society. "There are so many places in Norwalk that people don't even about. I thought letterboxing would be a great way to get people outdoors and learn a little history along the way."

Letterboxing is an outdoor treasure hunt whereby participants use clues to find weatherproof boxes that are hidden in publically-accessible places, such as parks and beaches.

The individual letterboxes usually contain a rubber stamp, which finders then use to make an imprint on their personal notebook as proof of having found the box.

A letterbox may also contain a visitor's logbook. Finders may imprint the book with their own personal stamp to show others they have visited.

On Sunday the Norwalk Historical Society will kick off "Historic Letterboxing of Norwalk -- Passport to Fun" at the Town House on Mill Hill, 2 East Wall St., Norwalk.

Guests of Sunday's event, which runs from noon to 4 p.m., can learn about letterboxing, create a personal stamp, and also receive a free letterboxing clue book so they may participate in the activity.

Kulish has hidden 12 letterboxes throughout Norwalk. Each letterbox contains a hand-carved stamp and a logbook, with information on the history of the area where the letterbox was hidden.

"For every spot, you will be learning a little bit about the history of Norwalk," she said. "It makes history fun."

There are letterboxes hidden in Cranbury Park, at Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, inside Calf Pasture Beach and near the Silvermine River. But in order to find them, you'll need the letterboxing clue book.

Kulish has also added an incentive for people to find all 12 letterboxes. The first 10 participants to present their completed logbook by November 1 will receive a secret prize, she said.

"We want people to appreciate Norwalk's history and the significance that it brings," Kulish said. "Through letterboxing, we hope to tell some very important stories about different parts of Norwalk."