The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1906-01-05
The B9oy Us Store
Fairfield Ave. and Middle St..
Bridgeport, conn
Announce it's first annual
White
Goods
Sale!
Muslin Underwear,
Cotton Goods.
zL'nens.
WONDERFUL
BARGAINS!
The BUSY Store Co
TOWN TOPICS.
A WORD FROM NEWTOWN'S GIFT
Ed HISTORIAN.
e. L. JOHNSON.

NeWtOWn't first Bi-Centenntal cele-
bration which occurred August S, 1905,
has become in theory, a thing of the
past. In reality, pleasant memories
of that event linger with all who In
any way were connected with its OBJ
servance and some who were the little
boys and girls then, will be living
story Of the long ago, will in so doing
help fncite those who are then in ac-
tive life to prepare for Newtowni 3 tri-
centennial Of zoos. -.
When the historical paper that was
read Oh that occasion was being pre-
pared, it was with no expectation
that it would have more than q tenn
porary place in the thoughts OF inter-
eStS of the people, and one insertion
in our local paper, The NEwTOwN
BEE. When the writer was asked by
those who had the arranging of the
order of exercises for the day; how
much time must be allowed for the
reading of the historical paper the un-
utes." Study. research and compila-
tiOn led the historian on, constantly
opening new fields of historic interest,
until tt became question with him,
not SO much as to the quantity that
might be gathered, as to it's quality.
The process of culling completed, the
paper had it's place in the literary ex-
ercises of the day and was printed as
read, in The NEWTOwN BEE on the
following week. ~
Local interest and pride did not
stop there but strongly urged that the
addresses and historical paper should
sent reference but for the interest of
0npnfnr fPonnPQfinnCs Qn6 tho
then prepared, will soon appear in full
as it was, before, being condensed, in
order to not take more than the space
of time allotted for it in the prescrib-
ed order of the day.
We wish to disabuse the public
mind of the idea of its claiming to be
a complete history of Newtown down
to the close of the American RevOlu-
tion. 1t lays no claim to that, but is
simply makeshift, until something
better can be produced from the fund
of material that still lies dormant.
With it's incOmpleteness and imper-
that it will meet with kindly greet
ing from all our townspeople, and
from those who are still of US, though
not with us, wherever fate, fortune,
choice or duty may have taken them,
By the careful reader, it will be no.
ticed that in regard to the religious
Orgs niZationS In our town, mention
has been made only of those that had
a corporate existence dating previous
to the year 1790. The corporate life
of the Methodist society began about
the year 1900, that of st Rose parish
about 1850, and that of St Johns, San
dy Hook, in 1880. Each of these has a
history OF its own that will work in
mall xDI, hjcf0rion f011nWo
Newtown history through the century
just closed. Particular care as to ac-
curacy has been had in regard to all
statistical matter and copying from
records and public documents. Though
the paper is long in one sense, yet it is
short when we consider how large a
field for research lies open and waiting
for some one who may at some future
time have the patience and persever'
ance to write Newtown's history from
the year 1700 down to the present
time.
1t would show lack of courtesy OF
the part of the writer not to embrace
the present opportunity to thanl
those who have given kindly hell
when asked for, in the way of access
the State librarian of Connecticut, II
the officials in the Adjutant General'
Office and in that of the State Super
intendent of Schools, to those II
charge of the rooms Of the Connecti
cut Historical Society, as we'll as tn
care keepers of the public libraries o
New Haven and Bridgeport. thank
are due and given.
Searching of Newtown's Probat
Records of dates previous to the yea
1920, necessitated going 10 Danbury
and there the Judge Of Probate wa
very courteous, kind and helpful; an
as occasion required access to ou
town records, Newtown's Town Clerl
has ever been ready with pleaSan
greeting and kindly interest to give
welcome.
The custodians of the Congregation
al church records have been extremel
> kind in loaning for my use the old re
cords that date from the organization
siastical society of NeWtOwn. Th
tabulated record kept by Rev Davi
Judson, pastor from 1874 to 1777, ha
been of special interest and value.
, Surely in NewtOwn we have good
ly heritage, and let us strive b
. strengthening our moral, our religious
our social and our domestic ties, t
help uplift ourselves to higher plan
of sobriety, good order and usefulness
Ezra L. johnson.
Miss S. Elizabeth Scudder, who ha
been spending the holiday vacation
her home, returned to O~her school d.
ties at New Haven, Monday.