Litchfield enquirer., 1867-05-02
FIFTY YEARS IN SHARON.

nino of life it very naturally turns his thoughts
 backward to the remembrance of names, and the
 recollection of events which are now nunpered
 among the things which are passed away At that
 time. many of the immediate descendants of the
 oreinai nroprietors and settlers of the town were
 among the living, and many of the habits ana eus-
 toms of society, which lad come down from carry
 times were in full practice. The name or Pardee'
 and that of Guy, which had existed in the town
 from the date of it's incorporation, was then borne
 by large number of persons. The former name
 has now become extinct among us, and the iatter
 is borne only by bachelor of the age or 'l, 'ohh
 Cotton Smith, the last of the Puritan Governors o1
 Connecticut, was then in office andmaintalned the
 dignity of his position with all the formalities of
 ancient times riding to church in his coach with
 driver and outrder, and never appearing Ill pubic
 except when dressed in the highest style of the
 officials of those days with his hair we'll furnished
 with pomatum and powder.
 Cyrus Swan, Ansel Sterling, and Chauncey smith
 Esqs, were then the practicing lawyers ot the
 town. The latter was an older brother of Richard
 Smith, Esq, who soon removed to Missouri, where
 he died about 1883. Dr. Samuel Rockwell, John
 W. Smith, and John Sears, were the practlclng phy-
 scians in the old Society; as was Dr. Elmore Ev-
 eritt, in Ellsworth. Dr. Samuel R. Gager, did but
 little business as physician. but he was surgeon
 of large practice and high reputation. The Rev.
 David L. Perry, was the Congregational Minister,
 and remained such till his death in 1885, and was the only settled pastor of any denomination in the
 town. All the above named professional gentle
 men are dead. The Episcopal Church is the only
 house of worship now standing, which was stand ing then, and that was a mere shell, the walls and roof only having been finished, and loose seats placed in the body of the house for the accommo- dation of the worshippers, but it neatly finish ed and furnished within year or two. Since that time six Congregational and Methodist churches have been erected in the town, in the place of a new one in Ellsworth, which was destroyed by fire a short time after it was occupied by the Congregational Society.
 There was then but one mail in week from New York and that was carried on horse back the route being from Bridgeport to Bennington, Vt., and by that route the New York papers were received here There was also weekly mail from Litch- field to Poughkeepsie, N Y. and in that way letters from the East were received by post, and Jason Perkins, of Ellsworth was postrlder, bringing the weekly papers of Saturday, on the next Thursday morning. The only way of getting to New York was by private conveyance to PouShkeepsie, and from thence by sloop down the Hudson River, the journey frequently occupying three four days There no regular stage to Poughkeepsie, till about 1926, when tri-weckly line was established by the late Col. O. E. Chamberlain. Col George King was Post Master from 1902 till 1882, when he was removed under the rule of Gen. Jackson. All the letters received during the week were dcposi- ted in small pigeon hole, in the Post Office case, and of papers there were veryfew. The New York Operator, semi-weekly the principal paper of the city which was taken here, and both numbers of the week were received on the sama day, being Tuesday of the next week after publica- ton. No daily papers were taken till 1640 Rail- roads and teegraphs had no place, even in dreams, and all the newsmongers were compelled to wait till Tuesday, to gratify their cravings for something new.
 There is but one couple surviving, who then sustained joint conjugal relations, and they are Mr. Phlander Abel and his wife, There are but very few people in the town, who had then reached the age of manhood. Of the men who were then na- tive and prominent iii the affairs of the town, but two survive, viz, Samuel E.. Evaritt, and Israel Camp, Esqs. the former at the age of S6, and the latter at that of 85 Ma or Everitt was then Jus tice of the Peacc and held the office till he reached the age of TO- He was for several years Repre- sentative of the town in the General Assembly, and is one of the two remaining members of the Con- venton which formed the constitution of this State in 1918. MT. Camp was Town Clerk and Magistrate for many years. They are both hale and hearty old men, Under the old form of government, the pol itics of the town strongly Federal, but the in of universal suffrage gave the Demo- cratic element so much strength that 1t has since had the ascendancy for full half the time. The population of the town has varied very little in numbers for the last fifty years. It has remained at about 2500. The village which has grown up in the valley has added to it in some measure, but emigration from other parts of the town has bal anced the increase in the valley, and it has changed in the whole but very little since 1790.
 Nearly two hundred dwelling houses have been erected within fifty years, some occupying new le- calites, and many in place of old dwellings, which had gone to decay. The condition of the houses in different parts of the town now indicates very great improvement in matters of taste and thrift.
 The Congregational Meeting House, occupied most conspicuous position on ledge in the town street. the front door being within ten feet of the wagon road through the village. It was of the old fashioned structure of the last century, with deep and high galleries, over two-thirds of the body of the house, with high square boxes for seas so that large portion of the congregation were seated with their heads towards the desk. This building was taken down in 1924, and the brick building occupied by the society as their place of worship, was then erected The Methodist Meet ing House stood mile and half from the village, in Calkinstoc, so called, and occupied for pub lie services till 1336 when it was taken down and at Lime Rock in Salisbury, where it is still in use for religious assemblies The pres ent Methodist Church was erected in 1886. The Methodist Society, in Ellsworth, has been organ ized and the church erected within the period of which speaking. The old Congregational Meeting House in that parish occupied the same site as their present House of worship occupies.
 We have been speaking Of statistics but have said little of men. Those who were influential in con- ducting the affairs of the town and in giving it and responsibility deserve more notice.