Morning journal and courier., 1889-09-06
OLD sTRATFORD.
It's Historical Interest-lts Early CIVIL History The Distinguished Dr. Gnuaual I0hnaOn.

Hts Hist0rical Interest-lts Early CiVAl
 History The Dlstinguished Dr'
 Samuel Johnson.
 STAMFORD, Conn.,, Sept. 5.-Old Strat- ford, the 250th anniversary of whose Presoy- terian Church was celebrated to-day, has as much interesting history as either of her sister towns of Guilford, Madison, or Mil ford. which are now having similar celebra- tions. Sleepy old Stratford was the nursery of the American Episcopacy and the home of Dr. Samuel Johnson. It was the place chosen by the English Church for It's first. assault on the stronghold of Presbyterianism, as Con- necticut was then regarded, and here in 17Oe began long and interesting struggle be. tween the two forces. Now, save on Sab
 bath morning, 1t is hard to distinguish an Episoopalian from a Presbyterian. It can
 be done then only by watching the entrances
 to the churches.
 This cosy, elm.shaded place lies at the mouth of the Housatonic river, but is in ef- feet an inland town. The town was founded in 1889 by party from the New Haven colony. Stratford's early civil history has not specially startling. The Presbyterian church fiourished, whales were caught in the Sound, and during the Revolution her sons made several daring raids on Long Island. But Stratford's ecclesiastical history was not so uninteresting as has been indica- ted. The Episcepalians finally located their first society here in 1723, and the towns of New Haven and Fairfield awaited the results with interest. An Episcopal church was built in 1748, partially with funds advanced | by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. This was in use up to 1858, and was the chief curiosity of this place. It occupied the site of the pres- ent more pretentious structure, and had 0 neglected churshyard in the rear. In the
 latter rests the dust of the founder of the church-Dr. Samuel Johnson, man whom Dr. Dwight called the father of Episcopaoy in | Connecticut, and whom Columbia college has reason to revere On the west side of | the yard, under the long grass and weeds, bis grave is found marked by @ messy table of | sandstone, from which the leaden plate let | into the stone and which contained the in- | scription has been removed. Some of the legends say that Dr. Johnson's inscription I plate was taken and cast into bullets for the American army during the Revolutionary war. In most of the Connecticut burying grounds, where this old form of memorial was used, the plates were taken to melt into bullets for the rod coats. Other stories say | that the plate was removed by the Presbyte- rians, whose hatred of the doctor vented itself upon his tomb. In any event the aust or tnls famous divine is unmarked save by an in-
 scriptionless stone.
 Dr. Johnson was one of the remarkable fig
 ures of those days of fierce religious conflicts
 aud animosities. His was stiff f-necked per
 sistence. He was born Presby terian, grade
 uatsd faithful adherent of tho Church at
 Yale college and was tutor there. He was
 settled over the old church at West Haven
 only to give up all honors and to incur the
 enmity of his former friends. He did this
 as soon as he became convinced of the truths
 of Episcopaoy. He freely avowed his change
 ot faith. He sailed to England for Episcopal
 ordination and on his return was sent to tue
 Stratford outpost in the thickest of the fray.
 He built up thrifty church here at length,
 and then Kings college, now Columbia, in
 New York, called him to its presidency. He
 held the latter place for nine years, to the great benefit of the college. In 1763 he re-
 signed to return to bis Strstford charge, where
 he died nine years later. The family relics
 of the divine are still treasured by one of His
 descendants here.