The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-05-17
CENTENNIAL OF TOWNS.
4 NUMBER MAY CELEBRATE
 DURING THIS DECADE.

Others More Venerable May Observe the Two Hundredth Anniversary of Their Birthstone Making a strug- gle for Existence.
 Quite number of towns in this state will have a centennial celebration dur I Ing the first decade of the present cen- jury, and others. or more venerable j age, will observe the two hundredth anniversary ol their birth, says the Hartford Times. The town of Ashford . n Windham county is one of those Towns which had attained it's majority md was in vigorous manhood before he republic was born. It was in Octo- Der, ITO. that the town was called into sxistenoe. In 1756 it had population f,f 1.245; according to the census of < 900 there were only 757 people within Its borders in that year. Burlington Twas made township in 1906. Its pop 5ilation was first taken by the census numerators as a district town in 1910, fyhen it was found to have hourishing Population of 1,467. Its decline has been apid, and in 1900 it had 1,21s persons. Canterbury was a century and three Years old before Burlington was en- olled among the towns of the State. It's population had dwindled from 1,260 4n 1756 to S76 in 1900. Twelve years be- 9ore the fomous state convention of 1913 M5as held Canton was given a place in The family of towns. Four years after z7ards 1t was found to have a popula- lion of 1,374, which, owing to the thriv- Ing village of Collinsyille, has increased D 2.67S at the present time. It was in BOA that the historic town of Lebanon sRut Columbia, with population of 834, 3 drift. This number has dwindled to S4. In four years Durham may cele- rate bi-centenary proving there are Enough people left in the town to form
 committee of arrangements. Tn 1905 enerable New London bade it's off, oring Groton to go in peace Fifty Hears later Groton had population of #S69, which increased to 5,962 during he succeeding century and half.
 Hebron in Holland county and Kill ingly in Windham are of the same age, Moth having been created townships at 8le May session of the General Assem- My in 170S. Lebanon, the home of ] Narother Jonathan Trumbull, the loyal 5iend of Washington, was two centu < lies old four years ago. Mansfield was ken from Windham two years after erAsebanon was organized into township. she martial name of Marlborough was |Mven tosa territory taken from Col hester, Glastonbury and Hebron in 803. Seven years after it's creation Marlborough had population of 720, ! 2ld in 1900 the population was four | Hlndred less than that number If it's Population continues to diminish at this %te Marlborough will solve the pro- lem of it's representation of simply asing to exist
 Prosperous Meriden will observe it's &ntennial in two years. Its growth lay be seen in the population, which creased from 1,249 in 1910 to 28,695 in Do. Meriden is the child of Walling Srd. Middlebury is making life and
 ath struggle for existence. It was ssated "a miniature republic by the gislature in 1907, and came into exis- hce with a population of SAY. Ninety Tree years later 1t had Ill less. North tonington was taken from it's parent bnington, in 1907. According to the hte Register prepared by the Secreta-
 of State, there is an uncertainty tout the date of the birth of Pomfret
 idgefield, that beautiful town in Fair I'd county, where two ex-governors
 M one defeated candidate for guber- ltorial honors live will be two centu-
 Is old in the last year of the decade.
 srnaan, created in 1902, Is in the
 Foes of township suicide. In 1910 it
 l population of 949, and ninety
 DTS later there were only 65S persons
 :hin It's borders. Vernon the vigor-
 child of Bolton, will have reached
 one hundredth milestone in four
 trs more and Voluntown is few
 nths Vernon's senior. Waterford
 Groton have a common parent but
 w London sent Waterford on it's way
 oicing 104 years after Groton let go
 gold of the maternal apron strings.
 lton, in Fairfield county, has been
 oying local government as a distinct
 7nship since 1902.
 .-------------
 (Nr1rJ u,T, urrTI-, r1ArY