The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-09-23
Approach of Jubilee Cele. brati0n Moves 'Out
 Easter" to Reminisce
BY OUT.EAsTER

cd Out East, in commemoration of the eventful opening of the baIement of the church of the { 8Asred Heart carries us back first Co Aug. Is, 1885, when the corner stone was laid, and to the Novem- Der following when the church was formally occupied by it's parishion- efs for services for the first time. Before that, and after the parish had been established, they attend cd services in a down town church of another denomination.
 old Out East was far different in those days than we find 1t to- day. The site on which the church stands was known as Taylor's barn, and was a rendezvous for all types, and characters. It was stopping place for tired horses, coming over the Eouthington mountain, and their owners housed them there for the night, and they themselves slept among blankets in an ad- joining stall. Sam Taylor was its owner, handed down to him from his father who had had it in his possession for a number of years, as we understood. The Taylors liysi in the house at the southeast crner of East Main and Wall streets. It was in this house that the Rev. Hugh M. Treanor, the first pastor, lived until a new rec tory was built in the upper part of Taylor street, near the old Keegan homestead. The Keegans, by the way, were about the only residents of this particular street at this time, although the Carneys also built and made their home there shortly after the establishment Of the parish.
 Old Families
 Old Irish families were in abun- dance out that way in those days. For instance, East Main street at the west boundary of the parish. Walton street, had the Hoeys. with the Films next door, then the Mo- Graths, lot of them, then the Sim nots, the Tracys, the Fitzpatricks, running as far as Wall street across on the south side of East Main street were the numerous Mitchels, the Greens, more McGraths, the Savers, the Pryors and Henneseys, the Collotys, Johnny Whalen's grocery store, on the ground floor of French's block, occupied by various families connected with the church, with the Franklin family living almost opposite the church, Johnny Lawlor, moving from the junction of Wolcott st. eet to his new block across the street; Pierponts meat store was next door east, with the Byrnes omestead, since demolished, just beyond, and east of them being the Downey hon. estead and the old home of the late Michael Wallace, talented historian of much local note. Then we had the Suttons, a fine old family, the father a big contractor for those days, while next to them were the members of tho McEvoy family, with a big red barn adjoining the banks of the we find the Lawrence family, and then another McGrath family, who owned a horse drawn stage as they called them in those days, known as '"The Belle of Waterbury"
 "Tiger Cat"
 In a little brown painted house, below the level of East Main street on the south side, lived the Roots and the Foote's, while next to them was what we knew as the old tan shop, a mammoth structure for the time, and fitted over into apart ments where family named Squires resided. There was a drive way between this building, and the house in which the Gleason fam- lily lived, allowing for one to travel cautiously over Mad river to the Tiger Cat, swimming hole, the water from which ran into the Sco- will canal, and coming directly from the old John D. pond, since cov- cred in by its owner, the Scovill Mfg. Co. Beyond was Hackett's s barn, in which the family COW was housed. The Hacketts lived across the street, on the north side. The Mullings and Pagan homesteads were well occupied then, but prac- tically all of the members of both faL.ilies have since passed along. Tn, little old brick public school, noy used as gasoline quarters, stood in the same spot as we find 1t today. There was no Ambrose street in those days. The premises occupied by the Tocchios, and the various two family houses east of 1t were not there. Instead the big open lot afforded ball dia- mond for the boys of the neigh borhood. Keeney's and Porter barl.l. and an old blacksmith shop. : were about all of the buildings then seen between Silver street and the present Calvary cemetery. The Wedges and Johnsons, and few others including the Reids, lived in what is now commonly known as Rockville.
 John D's Pond
 On the nogth side of East Main street from Wolcott street east,
 re the Johnsons, many of them, with the Cassidy family living next door. Noonan's grocery store was around here, also. Just at the ele- vaticn or beginning of that part of the street, now held up by a dry stone wall, lived the Morans, then the Caniffs, Tommy and the dressy Jim, the Burgess family, the Pich- ards and the O'Neills. The Bergins lived opposite the John D. pond, with the Hacketts nearby, along wl'h others, whose names we can
 n