The Newtown bee., 1909-08-13

the Centennial Exhibition there wa
 picture remarkable because Of thu
 story it told. It represented the bat
 tie of Monmouth. An old flfer witl
 his gray hair streaming in the wint
 was leading his company or to bat
 tie. With eager step drummer boy
 by his side was looking anxiously
 into the old mans eyes, catching
 from him the tune and the step oi
 the music. To-day, we, the officers l and members of the church are privi.
 !eged to look into the eyes of former
 pastors, former members and friend; and catch from you fresh courage and rev inspiration. We feel that this day will sound a clear note of advance for the future. We rejoice to have you with us. We extend to you, one and all, most cordia, wei
 come to the centennial of our church organization.
 The historical paper by Henry C. Sanford was as follows: It is inter- esting on this tooth anniversary of the organization of our church to see how it came about, and how the earliest settlers strove for the privi- leges of gospel preaching as they esteemed it. The first land surveyed in Bridgewater was in what is known as the Treat district, in 1722, hA ipct Df Ie ment was in 1734. Among the first settlers mentioned were Ephraim Hawley and sJoseph Treat, ,Tr,, who mad the first frame house in Bridge water (according to traditlor) and whose two sons, John and Gideon settled here on land still occupied by their descendants. The settle ment increased so that the first school district, comprising what is now known as the Treat, Mallert and Southville districts, was estab- lished in 175S, and ten years later the present Center or Cranberry Pond district was formed. The set tiers attended church in New M1l- ford, or "Shepaug," now oouthbhry in Woodbury, and in 1772 petitioned the First Ecclesiastical society of New Milford to allow then. winter privileges" or the liberty to hire gospel minister to preach amDn2 trc,l the fcIr winter months iii ca ch year for the next three years, as they though the ride on horseback of fo IT to nine miles each way was rather sa7ere. They were gra med this, anl permitted to draw out from the New Milford society one-thfrd of their respective tax rates to apply toward preaching in Shepaug Neck or New Milford Neck, as the territory now known as Bridgewater, was then called. At that time Ecclesiastical societies had the right to lay and col lect taxes for their maintenance that towns now have. In 1794 the New Milford First Ecclesiastical society voted that their minister, Rev Stan ley Griswold, should he be willing, should preach in. Bridgewater one Sunday in each of the months of January, February and March, in place of their hiring a minister, which arrangement continued until his departure in 1902. Immediately afterWard the people in New Milford Neck petitioned to have preaching there in proportion to the tax they paid, they building a meeting house for that purpose, and committee of conference was appointed, viz., Abi-, gail Treat, Andrew Minor, Ralph Smith, Abel Merwin, Col J. Starr and Ebenezer Gaylord, which committee reported that the inhabitants of what is now Bridgewater ought to be Incorporated as a distinct society, and that said inhabitants ought tc raise fund of $2500 for the support of the ministry and then be vested and incorporated as a distinct so- ciety. The fund amounting to $2626 was raised by subscription bearing the date of April Is, 1903 and the Legislature ana Senate of Connecti cut, in General Assembly, on October 2, 1903 granted their request, estab- fishing "the First Ecclesiastical so- ciety" of Bridgewater, with the same boundary lines as those of the pres ent township. This society still ex- ists co-ordinately with the church which was organized six years later, whose centennial we celebrate. The society, membership in which was limited to legal voters, was the legal incorporated body which could re- ceive and hold funds in trust, and was responsible for the maintenance of the church property and the salary of the minister, and in early times had authority from the General As sembly to lay and collect taxes for religious and school purposes only.
 The church organization, in con- trast, was not incorporated, member ship in it was not limited by age and it was intended to be, in a sense, a spiritual body. This dual organiza tion was very. common in New Eng land, but gradually many churches have been incorporated and fave as- sumed the responsibilities of the ec- clesiastical society. In February, 1894, the Society voted to lay a tax of five mills on the dollar for the benefit of the Society and authorized the Society's committee to hire a minister, and also appointed com mittee to purchase pine timber for