The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1898-09-02
WASHINGTON.
Its Beauties Charmingly De-
scribed
By HON DWIGHT C. KILBeURE.

Selections frsm Article in the Connecticut
Quarterly by Permission Of Its Publishers
The town of Washington, Conn, was
organized in 1879, and is claimed to be
the first town in the colonies named af-
ter the Father OF his Country. 1t is a
billy and rugged tract Of land at nearly
the southern end of the Green Mountain
Range, with Mount Tom" for its north
ern outpost and the beautiful POmperaug
Valley spread at the foot Of its southern
hills. These hills are seldom ledgy, and
are crowned with well cultivated farms
and substantial farm houses, homes of
thrifty farmers, who live lives of intelli-
gent comfort and support good churches
and schools and whose families move in
the most cultivated and refined society.
Few localities can produce as many well
read and educated, moral, christian men
and women as Judea. Stop and talk
with that farmer driving his cows home
from pasture and he will converse with
you intelligently on art, history, philos-
ophy, science of government, or almost
any kindred subject, showing that he is
a thinker as well as a worker. The story
is told by gentleman who once drove
over these hills that he came across two
whose teams were standing at some dis
lance on either side of the fence on which
they were seated. They were talking
with great vehemence and using consid-
cradle gesticulation. Surprising that
there was some trouble between these
neighbors, he approached them as 8
peacemaker. To his surprise they were
simply having discussion over the rank
which Emerson should hold as a poet
and philosopher.
The art of abandoned farms has not
yet reached these rural hills. The boys
go out into the world and run its COM
merce, its laws, its trade and its indus
tries but they cling to the old farm, keep
the buildings in repair, the fences trim
med up and return ever and anon to rest
their tired brains amid these grand views
and quiet scenes; and so it has come to
pass that we have q township of city
people mingling Familiarity with the far
mers.
Washington is composed of two divis-
IONS, the western, or northwestern, call
ed New Preston, and the eastern called
Judea. The former has attained q wide
reputation from its beautiful lake Wara.
maug, Of which we gave some sketches
In this magazine last year. 1t is OF Ju-
dea we desire now to speak.
ORIGINALLY JUDEA WAS A PART OF
WOODBURY.,
being the west part Of the North pur-
chase, and the frat settler was Joseph
Hurlbut from Waterbury, who built his
log cabin In the southern part Of the So
ciety about 1734. In short time In
crease Moseley, from Stratford, Nathan
lei Durkee, Friend Weeks and Samuel
Pitcher, all from Norwich, joined the
settlement and became neighbors at q
distance of from one to five miles apart,
and In 1885 the community was so pros
porous that frame house was erected.
They did not, while fighting bears and
killing deer or scouting for the Indians,
forget their religious duties, for Isaac
Baldwin came down from Litchfield and
preached to them in q bedroom Of Joseph
Hurlbut's house, which accommodated
the people, 'sTho' none staid at home in
those times who were able to attend, !"
az Rev DR. Porter In his notes, expresses
it.
From the frat settlement until the Act
OF incorporation In 1879, the settlers
were continually asking the General AS
sembly for some privilege and Fostering
ssAncient Woodbury. all the while by
these applications. In 1879, because