Putnam patriot., 1930-04-24
BAY STATE COLONY
 FOUNDED IN 1850
Woodstoek and Pomfret are Offspring.
 People Have Reason for Interest

ne iefcentenary Celebration Of the founding of the Bay State Colony of Massachusetts in 1880. is to oc- cur in Boston next month. The event Is of more than passing interest to the people of this corner of Windham county, especially to the citizens of Woodstock, which YVES an offspring of the Bay State Colony, as was Pom fret.
 As time went on in the Bay State Colony the inhabitants increased and more land was needed. John Elliott, pastor of the First Church of Rox- bury. came into the wilderness to preach to the Indians When he re- turned he told the people of the fine grazing lands in what is now Wood stock
 In 1886 thirteen young men came to "spy out" the land Forty families soon followed. They called the settle ment New Roxbury". Among the first families were the following: Ed ward and Ebenezer Morris, James Corbin. Benjamin Sabin, Thomas and Joseph Bacon. Henry and John Bow en, William Lyon Sr.. Thomas Lyon, William Lyon IT,, Mathew Davis, Eb- benezer Cass, John Chandler ST., Peter Aspinwall, John and Joseph FrizZell, Jonathan Smithers, John Butcher. Jonathan Davis, Jonathan and Joseph Peaks.
 John Hubbard, George Griggs, Nathaniel Carey, Nathaniel Johnson, Nathaniel Sanger, Samuel Scarbor- ough, Samuel Craft, Samuel May, Samuel Peacock. John Leavens, John and Joseph Bugbee, Arthur Hum- phrey. John Ruggles, Andrew Wat kins. John Marcy, John Holmes, John Chandler.
 Fleet Arrives
 On April sth the ministers of Bos- ton held a service of thanksgiving and praise at the First Church in Boston on the 300th anniversary of the sail ing of the ship "Arbella" for Mass achusetts Bay. On the ship came Governor Winthrop bearing the char ter for the colony. There were sev- enteen ships in the fleet and 2,000 colonists were on board the vessels that arrived in 1630.
 The First Church of Roxbury is to hold it's celebration May 25, 26, and 27. Miss Elizabeth Child, Grove street, recently received letter from Miss Annie Thwing, the oldest living member of the Roxbury church, which she joined in 1870. She is one of q committee of fourteen to write to descendants of past and present wor- shippers of the church. One request she made was for list of the people in Woodstock and vicinity who are descendants, and who will be inter ested in the old Roxbury church. Those desiring will receive an invita- tion and folders giving a brief history of the First Church.
 Child Family
 It is known to the descendants of Beniamin Child and Mary Bowen that he came to America in 1880. boy of five, with Ephraim Child, probably his uncle, and was one of thirty to build the Second Church on the site of the First Church of Roxbury, in l67A. at an expense of one hundred and four pounds. The present church is the fifth to be built on the site and was dedicated in 1894.
 4 Boston newspaper IS printing each day a picture of Old Boston; ke- gently the birthplace of Samuel r. B. Morse. born in Charlestown in l19l, was shown. Mir. Morse had many family connections in Woodstock.
 Dr. Jedidiah Morse, his father, was pastor of the church in Charlestown. A new parsonage was being built at inc time and Thomas Edes invited pr. Morse and his bride to live at his home until the parsonage was com pleted. It was here that their son was born.
 Dr Morse was born in Woodstock in the house now known as the Cox place in the Center district. This was also the home of his father Dea. con Jedidiah Morse, who married Sarah Child. His Birthday Refiec- tions" written when he was eighty four years old, show something of what he did for Woodstock.
 Published First Geography
 Dr. Jedidiah Morse, while tutoring at Yale College, found a lack of geo. graphies. This induced him to pre- pare notes for his pupils. In lTs4 he had these notes printed, this mak- ing the first geographies to be pub lished in America Dr. Morse also wrote a history of New England and was once sent to the northwest by the government to investigate the condition of the Indians.
 The town of Dudley, was named for Governor Joseph Dudley. In 1928 portrait of the colonial governor was presented to the Dudley public library. The family was prominent in the Bay State Colony and held large tracts of land Miss Elizabeth Child has deed signed by Governor Dudley and his wife, transferring l6o acres of land to Miss Child's great grandfather. Chester Child. in 1902. The land is in North Woodstock, now known as the Irving Paine place, Tn the English neighborhood.