Litchfield enquirer., 1880-06-24
The Watertown Centennial

The Watertown Centennial Celebration, of Thursday last, was great success The crowd is estimated at twelve thousand, the largest number of people ever assembled in that quiet town. Numbers came by train still more, by teams of every description; and the streets of the village were soon 80 crowded as to make it difficult to drive from one part of the village to auother. Two Waterbury mil itary companies were present. The Thomas ton and Waterbury Brass bands, and the Putnam Phalanx, drum corps, glee clubs, tSc, were also in attendance
 The President of the Day was the Hon. Leman w. Cutler, for many years State Comp trollcr. After prayer by the Rev James Stoddard, Judge William F. Curtis, an emi- nent New York lawyer, q native of Water town and a son of the late Judge Holbrook Curtis, made the opening ad,iress He l spoke chiefly of the lawyers of Watertown, giving many interesting "reminiscences, and closing with feeling reference to the kind ness extended to me and mine which makes the very sight of these hills dear to me-"
 Hon. F. j. hlngsbury, of Waterbury, fol lowed with an interesting historical address. Little was done towards a permanent settle ment of Watertown, it seems, till about 172O, some forty years after the settlement of Waterbury. In 173S an ecclesiastical society was set off from Waterbury called Westbury and in 1780, Westbury and Northbury were incorporated into town, and annexed to Litchield county. By about 1810," says | MT. Kiugsbury, ''the new town might fairly>be said to have outstripped the old. * From 1910 to 1880, Watertown as comr er- cial center was place of more importance than Waterbury, and there are many people still living who we'll remember when Water bury people came to Watertown to do their shopping, much as Watertown goes to Water bury now. *." So long as agriculture was the principal interest of the state the young town steadily gained on the old onc in wealth, enterprise and importance. With the competition of Western agriculture, and the starting up of the manufactures, how ever, the tide turned again, and Waterbury proved the more attractive place of the two From that time Watertown has stood still while Waterbury has become one of the most important places in the state
 l After an interlude of glee singing, Dr. Richardson, former pastor of the Watertown Episcopal Church. gave an interesting sketch of the rise and progress of Episcopacy in Watertown. Its first clergyman of that de- nomination was the Rev. James Scovill who began his ministry in 1759; their first church was built in 1764. MT. Scovill left the coun- try at the Revolution, and took up his resi- dence ID New Brunswick. One of his sons re. mained in Waterbury and was the progenitor of the family now so prominent in that place. Dr. Richardson referred to the ministers who had followedin charge of that parish refer ring particularly to Dr. Holcomb, so long rec tor of the Watertown church and to Dr. Lew. is, but recently removed by death.
 Dr. Woodruff, of Thomaston (formerly Northbury and us such part of Walertown), followed with brief sketches of some of the prominent ulen of that locality. He was fol- lowed by Gov. Andrews, from the American report of whose speech we make the following | extract:
 When was asked to make speech this afternoon it was stipulated that 1 should not be called until all the family speeches were 1 made. l wish to say in behalf of those of us who do not live in Watertown, that we think you have done a good deal or bragging te- day. Qaughter.) But when it comes to cen tennial anniversaries in our towns we will beat you at your own game. (Renewed laugh ter.) Seriously speaking it is no light thing to greet the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of a place. Think what was going on in 1780-war with Great Britain, Jonathan Trumbull governor. Connecticut struggling undeveloped colony. That summer Wash | ington journeyed from his head-uuarters to