The Newtown bee., 1905-08-04
Ten Pages.
LOCAL AFFAIRS.
NEWTOWN IN THE OLDEN TIME.
CONTRIBUTED BY HENRY CLAY JUDD
OF BETHEL,
900
400

L..
A Gazetteer of the State of Connec-
ticut and Rhode Island, by PeaSe &
Niles, published in 1919, gives hiStor
ical sketch of NewtOwn which may be
read with interest Bi-Centennial cele-
bra tiOn week:
Newtown, flourishing post town, is
pleasantly situated in the northern
section of the county, on the south
western border of the OusatOnick riv-
er, 48 miles southwest from Hartford,
and about 26 miles northwest from
New Haven; bounded on the north
west by Brook field, on the northeast
and east by the OuSatOnick river, which
separates it from Southbury, In New
Haven county, on the southeast by
Huntington and Weston, and on the
southwest by Redding and Danbury.
The township lies in triangular form.
and comprises an area of about 80
square miles, having an average length
from northwest to southeast of about
eight miles, and a mean breadth OF
more than six miles. This town has
an elevated location. Its surface is
billy, and many of the eminences are
extensive and continuous, but no part
Of it is mountainous. The soil, which
principally is a gravelly loan, with
some sections of sandy loan, is, in gen.
eral, fertile and productive. t is we'll
adapted to a grain culture, and rye,
which is extensively and successfully
cultivated, forms staple production.
1t is favorable for fruit and abounds
with many valuable orchards. The
agricultural interests are respectable;
and, being an interior township and
| having paid but little attention to man
ufactures, they afford employment to
the principal part of the industry of the
place. The township is we'll watered,
its northeast boundary throughout its
OuSatOnick, and it's area intersectS by
the POWtatuck and several small
streams. In the northwestern section
Of the township is pond OF consider
able extent. Upon the OuSatOnick,
connecting this town with SOuthbury,
there Is toll bridge, called Benefits
Bridge. This town is well accOmmO-
dated with roads; there being, in ad-
dition to the public roads, several
turnpikes leading through it, one from
Hartford to Danbury, and one leading
to Bridgeport. The manufactures of
! the town are incOnSlderable. There
are, however, l wooden factory, 10
small distilleries, tanneries, grain
mills, 5 carding machines and fulling
! mills and clOthier'S works. The pop
| ulatiOn Of the town in 1910 was 1884;
and there are about 400 dwelling
houses, 300 electors, and 3 companies
of militia. The town contains ! re-
| ligiouS societies; one Episcopal. which
is the largest In the State, one Baptist,
one small society Of Sandemanians,
one Of Uniyersalist and two others.
There are Is school districts and pri-
mary schools and two libraries. In
| the central section of the township
there is a considerable village. 1T is
pleasantly situated on a height Of
land, rising gradually from the south
and more abruptly on the east and
west, being the subsistence or gradual
| termination of considerable ridge,
extending from the mountainous dis
trict to the north and west. The viii
lage consists principally Of one Street,
| mile, is we'll built; it contains so or go
dwelling houses, two houses for pubic
worship, two SchOolhouSeS, three liner
camille stores and numerous mechan-
les shops and other buildings. The
two turnpike roads, already noticed,
lead through the village, From the
elevated site of this village, it affords
an extensive and interesting
prospect to the east, south and west,
a distance of eight or nine miles, COM
priSing a fertile country, in high
state Of cultivation, and exhibiting, in
every direction the grateful results of
town two clergymen, four physicians
list of the town in 1917 was $65, O85. In
May, 17O8, the General Assembly
made grant of the tract of country
comprising this township, which was
then called PowtatCck from the river
of that name, by which it is intersect
ed. At the same session it was incOr-
porated by the name of Newtown. A
true COPY H. G. Judd.