The Newtown bee., 1896-11-20

THE SAGE OF wOODBURY.-WILL COTHREN HAS MADE A REPUTATION WITH HIS PEN AS WE'LL AS AT THE BAR. William Cothren is sometimes called the Sage of Woodbury. He is known throughout that region as lawyer, and is known even more widely as historian. l He has proposed 8 meeting some day of all the lawyers in the state who, like himself, are more than 70 years old.
 MT Cothren will be v years old on November 28, the oldest lawyer in Litch- 1 field county. He was born in Farming l ton, Me, a descendant of a soldier in King Philips war, of 8 soldier in the war between England and France, of lieu tenant in the Revolutionary War, and of Tsergeant in the War of 1872 He himself gave freely of his means during the civil war, serving on committees for the enlistment of soldiers, caring for soldiers families and acting in every way as the soldiers friend,
 Preparing for college at the Farming ton Academy, he was graduated from Bowdoin in 1913, and in 1916 he received his second degree there in course, and in l847 the degree of Master of Arts, ad eundem, at Yale. He studied law in the offices of Robert Goodenough, of Farm ingtoD, Me, and of Charles B. Phelps, of Woodbury, Conn.
 He opened an office in Woodbury as soon as he was admitted to the Bar in Litchfield county, in 1915, and soon built up a lucrative practice, which he still retains. He hss been active in pub- lie affairs and was County Commissioner in 1851. He was declared elected sena- tor in the Sixteenth district in 1855, but was later unseated by his opponent on technicality which has since been declar- ed without force in other contests. He was elected representative in 1882.
 He was admitted an attorney and c0un- sellor of the United States Circuit Court in April, 1856, and attorney and counsel Tor in the Supreme Court of the United States March 8, 1865. On May 5, 1847, he was elected a cores sponding member of the New England misunderstanding
  3, 1852, member of the Connecticut Historical Society, of which he was vice president for many years; on April 24, 1851, an honorary member of the Old Colony Historical Society, of Plymouth, Mass; on January Y, 1855, 8 corres- bonding member of the Wisconsin his- torical Society; on Febuary 3, 1860, corresponding member of the Vermont Historical Society, and on September IS, 1861, 8 correspondent member of the Maine Historical Society.
 He was elected Worshipful Master of King SoIomon's Hodge, No. 7, F. and A. M, of Woodbury, in December, 1852, and held the office two years. He was l chosen 8 member of Phi Beta Kappa So- ciety, Alpha of Maine, in 1873, and member of the Sons of the American Revolution in 1889. He is member of the First Congregational church in Woodbury. He was Justice of the Peace until he reached the age limit, and also notary public.
 MT Cothren was one of the organizers ! OL bu6 LCpuOAICdL pAAGJ III COAHCGGiCHS' but never has been seeker after political office.
 He married on September 3, l849, Mary Jane Steele,a descendant of John Steele, first secretary of the Colony of C0nnecti- cut, and of the Rev Benjamin Colton, of West Hartford. They had one child, who died young.
 Mir Cothren has long been contribu- tor of poems and sketches in lthe maga- zines and newspapers and has published legal and historical gpamphlets, but his l greatest work is "Cothren's History of 1 Woodbury." The first volume was pub lished in 1845. It was a pioneer in the field of local history in New England towns. It's genealogical record, prepar- ed with great pains, has been invalua able, the list of families including many of national reputation, like that ot
 Gen William T. Sherman, whose ancestors are buried in Woodbury New York Herald.
 ENTERTAINMENT BY PUPILS OF PARKER ! ACADEMY.
 The students of Parker academy
 Woodbury, will give Thanksgiving en