New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-10
AMONG THE LIrCHFIELD HILLS
VACATION SCENES WITH A HORSE AND CAR
RIAGE-IIIsTORICAL AND TRADITIONAL


SCENERY AND INTERESTS
I.o,es,, Conn Sent 8 (SpeciaD.-ro one familiar
u.,n tho beauties of the Litchheld Hills 1t seems a
matter OF wonder that they are not better Know"
and are not more frequented by those WHO IN inc
summer exchange city avenues ior country i"ie'
The lover Of pure country could hardiy 10 DETER
than po I'm among these hills The beauty OF the
scenery Is all natural; the open country ID ho'
"beautiied" by landscape gardening IL is simply
nature.
This country is a pleasant one in which 10 drive
and a person going through on a driving TRIP "ouio
be able look up the points OF especia interest,".
There a little driving of this kind zone now pu'
not so much as the beauties OF the country war
rant The visitor could choose one place Tor MS
Headquarters and make daily trips from there
through the country roundabout. or he could make
a tour through the country, stopping at dHereht
villages the way In some OF the towns there are
good hotel and boarding house Accommodations.
while in others there none at all The roads are
like all country roads good in some places poor IN
others: but they not bad as to make the dfW-
ing unpleasant, although anything but slow travel
ling is impossible account OF the stecpness OF
the hills The region is very Thoroughly traversed
now by men whose fad 1t is to collect old furniture
and china. etc; the collectors. either themselves
or in the person of their agents, travel about the
country and carry away from the farmhouses every
old thing of value which they can persuade the
owners part with
This part of the country has many Interesting
Indian traditions and stories OF the first settlers
II only he knows where to get hold OF them-and
they are not hard to lnd-the visitor can revel In
delightful traditions and can conJure up pictures
Of the past whose reality will be Increased by the
fact that he visit the scenes and places he
hears about The traditions and facts centring
about the town OF Woodbury. have been collected
by one Industrious townsman. and published In
large historical work. one interesting story tells
about the first tea party given In the settlement
Some OF the young people invited the rest OF the
young folk to the great parsonage (Which was
standing until a few years ago. when the first tea
was brought into the settlement. The leaves were
cooked In water In a big kettle. and. hnaiiy' the
whole concocton served in bowls ana eaten
with spoons like vegetable. 1t Is presumapie
that the people ate the new delicacy like martyrs
and tried to persuade themselves-or. at least to
persuade others-that they enjoyed 1t. much as
people 90 nowadays
MGh Of His h bfau due OF I, this the resph nd e
country. The land IN this part OF Connecticut
is pretty much worn out; and large part OF IL
cllfYs and huge powders and deep seams OF rock
are on, all sides Just few hundred feet back
OF Gins. the Orenaug Range, crowned with woods.
and with the wall Of rock falling in sheer preci,
hills cultivated on the top and on all their rountSd
siGes such are seen In Western New YORK; uhe
Ltchncld Hills are rough and ragged and Wild,
looking. with the heavy woods ali over and around
them. .,o,
The height Of these hills is something which
might attract people in search Of pure air AZ one
point near the town OF Be;hehem tne aitudc rs
can look westward over the tops Of the nils ana
clear an he e1 Hnd ss the the dd ena
To the east the hills about New-Hav"n and
Ro eTHn ar Hs and Zee Good ' Hill where the frs.
settlers stood and gazed DOWN into the osau'''u'
But. although the hills high and the distant
scenery is grand and even Viii the vags sc en-
TRe c SsupG o OF The typical Enysnd style
the old cemeteries the country stores and es;
with maple. AMI lined with rows OF franz. houses
these make restfuI change from city pavements
Par.y " or samnei ' G. coodrch sad that h. had
from the %9 to S5 10 en. the
most beautiful IN the world. And after his travel.
ne vent f 61 to ea Gs The old peer
Farley house Is still standing
memory Of the aborgines who dweIt among them
The Ponperaug River and Nonewaus Falls are
Cirs Quassepaug Lake Lake Waurenaug and
district called kissewaus.
now alnos, entirely dead and have only a few in
habitants were important places In The early part OF
place. with severa! churches. several stores and
KGod sccGmmodatioas f2r boarders but towns
line IN New-Haven County, ami others near
by O0y ys,r as m@ ana gesS s s coa an
try's shining lights were in these very places The
KEY Dr. Beilamy, 4 grent-grandfather OF EDWARD |
Bsllany. the novelist preached in bethlehem Tor |
over thirty years. and Eis grave il pointed out
In tilc cemetery there. He preached the first ser
mon that heard In the place. and monument |
70 his memory on the village green now marks the |
spot where he then labored. Tina, was when he |
was Young In later years he became famous and |
received cal TO NewYork city. which he declined.
however, and died the close OF the last century
AZ Bethlehem. He established 4 theological seminary |
In Bethlehem When the first church was built and |
contributions asked many Of the people offered
70 pay their share by work; Il therefore neces
s1ry for the town 10 establish the price at which |
a days work should be valued. and the price set |
il,l upon 50 cents. Y the men furnished their
own There were excellent schools in these
towns. too. The Eey. Or Bacchus. DR.. Be.amys |
Successor. established boys school, whore such |
boys AS Aaron Burr. John G. Calhoun. Tappan Reeve
and Henry Ward Beecher attended The Squire
Burton school which fourlshed eighty years ago. |
was another Of the fine schools.
Woodbury. was the FIRST settlement In this lmme
lnte region. and the other PAGES sprang mp from
adventurous settlers from that place. Tn" mound |
which marks the grave Of the oil chief Pomperaus
IL sin pointed the main street 10 Stors. |
and Itself is said follow the line OF
the Cd Indian trail Woodbury. founded about |
lcjS and inQustive person can decipher dates on
many curious gTavss:ones In the quaint cemetery |
Che Oldest one In the town. which lies on the line OF
the main street