Putnam patriot., 1930-05-29

 employment to many. while the ledge breaking hammers resounded every where. Dump carts and teamsters, with oxen. mules and horses, hauled gravel and stone filling in here, low ering there. clearing the way for set tlement. The old powder house and the old training days" (of the train ing days We may hear more later) is of interest here. There existed state law that miiitiamen of the dis trict should gather at an appointed place one day each year for drill. The powder house. which was reached by cart path which became Wilkinson Street. acquaints us with bit of his torie interest and shows up how Wilk- inson Street had it's beginning long before Putnam became a town. pos sibly dating back to the French and Indian Wars in which Pomfret and killingly men were engaged. The powder house topped the hill during the Revolution and was a military and supply house in 1SI2-13 and contin- ued to be used as such for years.
 A Grand Lookout
 This hill is a grand lookout. over land and river below. On a clear day magnificent view of the entire sec tion both east and west may be ob- tained The hills and valleys of Put nam were originally covered by q mighty forest, with only here and there an open glade through which a stream, or trail, passed. The pioneer farms on it's hillsides were carved out of tehes himgydotlwo
 of these mighty woods, the old stone walls yet enclosing many fields attest i ing the hard work required to clear the land and it it for agriculture. They must have uttered the words of the I inspired Psalmist. "l will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence come th my help.' Hills. roads, streets and houses were early known by the first builders How many of us can recall the old names and the people for whom they were Shippee Hill, Lyons Hill, Guard Wright's Hill, Slab Hollow. or Slab Town in the Will is Neighborhood, Morse's Hill. Bolder Street, Buck Street, Bullock Street, The Dorranee House, Johnson House, May House. Wilkinson House. Bug bee House. Chiekering House and Bundy's Bridge?-(T (The first and second bridges below the Upper Falls the present one may be namelessl These and others were built by the energetic people who have lived be- ] fore us. In order to appreciate the present and look forward to greater prosperity let Us not be forgetful of the past.
 The Flat
 The Flat, veritahle mudhole. which became Elm Street, now Main Street, was laid out by Thompson. The last road laid out by Thompson was School Street fls54). The main burden or five-sixths of the villages struggles for township was borne by Edmund Wilkinson. son of Smith Wilkinson. He 1t was who was foremost in fur nishing spirits to the miitiamen. The result was that they felt extremely | lively and a great deal of spirit was displayed in the mock encounters which were always scheduled for training day. The day was one of continuous excitement, and all look ! ed forward to the annual revelry. Blow -Out-Night" with a treat of good things to the mill workers in the Pomfret Factory. was another ex- ample of his generosity. as was gin ger and water sweetened with molas- ses on very hot days.
 Farrows Street
 After Putnam's incorporation in l 1855. old streets were widened and new ones were laid out. One of the ! first to transform the wild land with a boggy swamp was Ebenzer Farrows, who bought land on the east side of "Wilkinson's Hill'. now Oak Hill. He drained the swamp, cleared of the road, dug out rocks and laid out the street, which runs from Ring Street to Walnut Street, continuing over what was formerly known as ShipRee Hill. Wilkinson Street, just below Farrows Street to the west was the old powder house eartpath continuing to house built on a side hill with it's basement of brick This street is the only Wilkinson memorial the town has, except a small plot in the Grove Street cemetery. Cargill is name familiar to the people of the present day. while Howe. Knight. Daniels. Harris. Bundy and others seem to have been forgotten,
 Here's for the town of Putnam
 On the banks of the river Long Pond, Where the Cascaquonquin falls be-
 come Cargills
 In the valley of the Quinebaug.