New Britain herald., 1929-08-09
| Mrs. Mary B. Neumann Observing Her SOth Birthday Anniversary;
 Descendant of Colonial Settlers
Born Tn This Community When It Was Part of Berlin Has Seen Village Grow to Important Industrial
 Center and Has Had Role in Its Expansion.

Mrs Mary Bradford Ncumann of
 o9 south Main street today is cele- hfatlng her S0th birthday anniver- Sary. She is one of the few remain Ing residents who were living here When New Britain was still part of the town of Berlin. She has an ether distinction which few possess Tn this migratory age-she has lived all her life, with the exception of he first yeG:, In the house she now occupies
 Mrs. Neumann Was born here on August ,. 1S49, her birthplace being the old house which is still standing at the corner of Mill and Pond streets where her parents were liv- Ing With her uncle, Chauncey Burr, who owned and operated the old WaterpoWer grist mill just across the street.
 Paid S135 For Property
 Before she was a year old, her father bought the quarter acre where she now lives and built her present rome. The price of the tot was l50 but Squire Bassett, who owned the property and tarmed it, accepted S1S5 in cash.
 1'cNt door on the north lived tharles Burt, the lock contractor at the North & Stanley factory, later consolidated with Russell & Erwin where Philip orbin learned the lock business, and north of Burt liv- cd John Spring, for many years superintendent of P. & F. Corbin's.
 Mrs. Neumann's father, these men and the other neighbors made minia- tnre farms out of their plots. Many CT these young men who were then coming into New Britain to worl, in the growing factories had lived on farms. The lots were generally cll tlvated out to the street lines. Fruit trees, all the known kinds of bcr- rles, flowers and vegetables occupied the entire. space. Like other neigh 1 DOTS, her father kept horse and a COW, as well as pigs. and in the fall | smoked his own hams in the brick Dutch ovcn' built for the purpose III the cellar, and nut in his winter ! quarter of beef. Western meats and 1 grain had not then supplanted the | locGl supply and most of the food | was produced ia the vicinity and the | Sran ground at the local grist mills. | Sheep were kept in large numbers ana droves of them passed the house. water came from wells and rain bar fels as the city water system was rot installed until several years later.
 Maple Street Woods
 Maple street had not been laid out but hcar the residence of cX- Mayor eulSlcy or that street was a grove of frees, q few of which are still stand Ing, known as Squire North's woods where church picnics were held, West of where the high school hoW stands a few trees still remain or 'Bassetts Grove" where picnics "lso were held. Franklin square was a high ledge of rocks.
 A brook flowed from near Main street south along the valley be- tween South Main and Arch streets about on the line Of the present Glen street and south of Ellis street the valley deopened and was filled al- Ii most as far as Brook street with IoftN trees. This was known 2s the Dark Woods"
 5000 In New Britain New Britain was still very much q country town. It separated from ! Berlin in 1850 and the central part ( became borough in that year. It's 1 population was about 5000. The fac tories were small and each cmplov { ad only few men. The railroad to { Berlin was not put through until lSoo and up to that time freight rom the factories was hauled down :, south Main street 10 Berlin by r cams. Passengers were carried to [