Included on this Georgetown History page are articles by Wilbur F. Thompson, a historian that those who live or have lived in Georgetown owe a great deal of gratitude to. In addition to the Thompson articles are articles that my Grandfather and I have put together: Baseball, Roadways.

Thanks to Lynne M. Barrelle you can now download all of Wilbur's articles here. You can also download the complete history of G&B here.

Enjoy the articles, the "topics of interest" section and please return for future updates of Georgetown and it's history. Please let me know if there are more areas you'd like me to explore or if you have further information. Contact bcolley@colleyweb.com or phone me at 860-364-7475.

Learn About The Georgetown History Project

Quick Links to topics on this page:
Baseball (Brent & Harry Colley)
Roadways (Brent & Harry Colley)
The Old Silver Mine (Thompson from here on down)
The Old Red Mill
The Georgetown Post Office
The Old Mulberry Trees
The Old Turnpike through Georgetown
The Old Red Shop by the Toll Gate
The Old Grist Mill
The Old Stone Mill
The Old Woolen Mills
The Old Coal Mine
The First Settlement of Georgetown and the Schools Attended
The Old Boston District School
The History of Georgetown Churches
The Old Churches of Georgetown
The Old Pipe Organ
Christmas in Old Georgetown
The Old Tory House
The Old Boundary Rock
The Iron Trail Through Georgetown
The Old Post Rider
Georgetown in Civil War Times

Baseball

Baseball was a big deal in Georgetown between 1920 and 1940 and they played often. There was a field on the current Nazzaro's property to the right of Route 107 just before town. As you make that turn on 107 heading into Georgetown(100-150 yards before the new Meadow Ridge driveway) look to your right and you will see a field, it was know then as Perry's field, this is where they often played against themselves and other towns. Their practice field was on Smith Road, it was small and broken windows were common. The other field was just over the line in Wilton just off Old Mill Road or Route 7, it is still there and is maintained by the Georgetown Lions Club. Back then it was built and maintained by the players, they spent many weekends in the spring time cleaning it up.

Back then there was an organization known as the Georgetown Athletic Association. They played against Redding, Bethel, Ridgefield, Norwalk, New Canaan, Newtown, Long Hill and at times traveled as far as Wingdale, NY to play a team from the mental facility there. Younger players would watch and shag fly balls at ballgames until they built up the skills to play. Harold Castle, Paul Connery and Harold Connery are players my grandfather recalls watching in his youth.

Competition was fierce and it was common for the teams to hire "ringers" from the semi-pro teams in the region (mainly Bridgeport). My grandfather recalls a few Sunday games when the Ridgefield team hired pitchers from the Eastern League for $75 a game. Grandpa also confessed that Georgetown was no different and three players he can recall: Lipstack, Shea, and Marino (a catcher, pitcher and shortstop) were paid $10-25 a game to play for them.

Roadways

Today we are accustom to traveling between Georgetown and Route 7 by traveling Route 107 and crossing the bridge between Smith St. and Route 57. This bridge was not erected until 1953 and it was around that time that School Street hillside was leveled off. Before the bridge was erected, a double house and two small single houses stood about where Route 57 and 107 meet and there was a four foot retaining wall across what is now 57 about where the parking lot for Deluca's Kitchen starts. The A&P Grocery Store stood on what is now 107, between the Georgetown Bible Church and the building that was once Georgetown Market. The flood of October 15-16, 1955 was a disaster that turned out to be a blessing, as the opportunities Tage Pearson and Dave Weir (both members of the Georgetown Community Association) spoke of and the steps taken by the Georgetown Lions Club to better Georgetown became a reality and modernization was made possible as part of the repair work.

Map of Georgetown in 1951. You'll notice the Rt. 107 bridge does not exist and the main route goes through Main St. Another interesting side-note is both Redding Rd. and Weston Rd. are labeled Rt. 53 on this map. Redding Rd. would be renamed Rt. 107 and Weston Rd. Rt. 57 after the completion of the bridge.

Before 1953, what we know as Route 107 from Redding went straight to Main Street through what is now the Georgetown Package Store parking lot. The southern section of Main Street led to Route 57 and Old Mill Road (which was the Old Turnpike to Norwalk). Route 57 was a bit different too, as it wove around what is now Covenant Road, crossed over to what is now Old Rt. 57 and then on to Weston as it does today. Highland Avenue, Pine Avenue and Maple Avenue were referred to as "Swedetown" due to the amount of Swedish immigrants that settled there. Jim Connery had a beautiful house(that was later torn down) on the corner of Highland and Route 57 that my grandfather still recalls as well as the house next to it that burned down. Highland Avenue didn't extend as far as it does today, only up to about where a new access road for the Meadow Ridge retirement community is. It was on that corner that a milkman by the name of Osborn lived that was blinded by a gunshot to the face he suffered on his route.

Aerial Photo from Main St. Area Looking West in about 1946. Shows what the area in front of the Georgetown Bible Church used to look like before Rt. 107 came thru...lots of trees, a dirt path, the A&P Market and the old G&B Galvanizing Building. The A&P and Galvanizing Building were both removed to make way for the new roadway in 1953-54.

Old Mill Road was the main road to Wilton and Norwalk. Early on it served as the stagecoach road and the first Post Office in Georgetown which still stands today was located on the left as you travel toward Wilton past the two long barns that used Connery's to store their lime and concrete. Old Mill Road was important because a large majority of the wire mill was located there. The mill we see today came later, in the mid-to-late1800's the mill had nine buildings, two wire factories and a sieve factory off Old Mill Road. There was also a Railroad Depot across from the Post Office and Doctor L. Seeley's office. Off of Old Mill Road was the Polish community on Bunker Hill.

Heading back to North Main Street, if upon entering Georgetown from Redding you were to take a right toward the Georgetown Bible Church and the wire mill, you could stay right and head up Portland Avenue or continue straight on North Main St.

A map of Portland Avenue in 1867 (under the "OWN" in the word Georgetown) shows this road was originally a dirt road extending only to a G&B building. Portland Avenue from the information available began expanding with the factory from 1867 into the turn of the century as more workers came and required housing. Gilbert & Bennett records show houses on this street built by the factory from 1870 to 1925.

Continuing straight would take you on North Main Street over the Norwalk River and past the factory which in 1867 housed the Saw Mill, Glue Factory and Sieve Factory. Today this road is closed due to the factory redevelopment. It used to cross over rail tracks at the old employee entrance to the factory.

[These rail tracks branched off from the main rail-line just before the old Georgetown Train Station, two team tracks split to the left, one led to the back of Georgetown Station and one extended further to the road. The main spur track split to the right, joining again in the factory. In addition to Miller's Hall which was located behind the old parking lot, two small sheds also stood, one of them was a coal shed.]

Past the rail tracks/employees entrance on the left is the Post Office building built by Gilbert and Bennett in 1906. Up the hill on the right was the former company's cafeteria, and two superintendent houses. Before the large mill went up more houses stood there, in 1867 occupied by G. Albin, C. Albin, E. Gilbert, Mrs. Berry, B. Bennett (in that order up to the tracks), D.H. Miller on the right past the tracks and H. St. John straight ahead at the stop sign.

Church Street existed and extended to Route 7 and what is now 107. West Church Street was there as well accessing Route 7 and housing mill workers. Traveling Church Street in the opposite direction to 107, imagine a hill to your right that my grandfather explained was leveled off as Georgetown modernized. The hill, School Street, was a winter favorite for sledding and it took steel nerves to master the sharp left-hand turn down Church St. The original Gilbert and Bennett school sat atop this hill on the right. The school burnt down in the 1927 or 28. The school we see today was built in 1915 on New Street. South Church Street, now a dead end, once extended across the railroad tracks, followed the river, crossed it and connected with Old Mill Road at the Redding/Weston line. Smith Street, where my grandfather grew up, was originally supposed to extend through what is now Pryor/Hubbard Hall to North Main Street. This never happened and it remained a dead end street. Before the Route 107 bridge was built, the road extended to South Church Street and down to Old Mill Road.

The Old Silver Mine by Wilbur F. Thompson

Halfway between Georgetown and Cannondale, a short distance east of the old Danbury and Norwalk Turnpike (Route 7), a great ledge of rock stands out from the hillside facing the west. Along the face of this ledge can be seen particles of load ore in small veins. This was wellknown to the early settlers of Georgetown and Pimpewaug (Cannondale). They broke out the rock containing the ore, crushed and smelted it in a primitive way, extracted the lead, and molded it into bullets.

Some years later an Englishman who had worked in the mines of Cornwall, England, found that there was silver with the lead in the ore. Several persons became interested, and a stock company was formed to get out the ore. The land the mineral was found on was owned by Alexander Ressequie, of Norwalk (what is now the town of Wilton was to that period part of the town of Norwalk). It was about 40 acres in extent, and bounded on the north by lands of John Belden, east of the lands of Ezekiel Wood, south of the lands of Ezekiel Wood and Solomon Wood's heirs, and west by the Danbury and Norwalk highway.

A lease of the land was given by the owner, Alexander Ressequie, to run 100 years from May 17, 1765. It was very comprehensive; it gave permission to dig pits, trenches, sink shafts and tunnels; to take out copper, tin, lead, or any other minerals found on the property; to build retorts, smelting houses for the reduction of the ore; to use the timber, stone, sand or any other substance found on the premises. The following are the names of the stockholdrs: Samuel Betts, Nathan Hubbell, Matthew Mead, James Olmstead, Jr., Silas Olmstead, Jessie Ogden, Joseph Rockwell, Matthew Merwin, all of Norwalk, and Mather Fountain of the town of Bedford, Province of New York, Alexander Ressequie, and his heirs and assigns were to receive one-eighth of all ore and bullion taken from the land.

Work was commenced at the base of the ledge and continued until a large vein of ore was found. A shaft was sunk and ore taken out. Work was done by English miners. There was no way of separating the silver from the lead at that time in this country. So the ore was sent to England for reduction into bullion. There are many traditions about the working of the mine; one is that it was worked until the War of the Revolution, when the miners, who were English, went back to England. Another is that the mine was operated until a large amount of ore was taken out and the manager went down to Norwalk to see that the ore was loaded onto the ship, and did not come back. This left the stockholders minus. It is said the mine was worked for the lead during the War of the Revolution and this seems probable, as lead was very scarce at that time and everything that could be melted was run into bullets, including pewter plates, teapots, and even the statue of King George that stood in Bowling Green, New York City, parts of which were found in Wilton years ago. (Note: the statue of of King George was smashed to pieces by Revolutionaries-pieces were taken, melted down and made into bullets).

After the war was over, some of the English miners who had worked in the mine when it was first opened, came back and began operations again. (The land was now owned by Azor Belden). They put up a small building and a furnace for smelting the ore. After working for some time, they left taking with them a large quantity of silver and five barrels of ore. Years past on, the timbers and windlass at the mouth of the mouth of the shaft fell and made it unsafe for the cattle and sheep grazing near by and Azor Belden had the mine filled up even with the surface. Fifty or more years ago, there were many stories told of the old mine. The older people who had known of the working of the mine were gone, but the stories had ben handed down to their children and grandchildren. One of the traditions was that the mine shaft was over 160 feet in depth and tunnels ran back from it under the ledge. During the Civil War when silver coin was but a memory of the past, and the circulating medium was shin plasters and postage stamps, the boys from Georgetown school would go down to the mine and break out from the ledge what they thought to be pieces of silver ore, proudly boasting of the silver they owned. Aaron Lee (who ran the Glenburg Mills for Samuel Perry) took some of the ore, smelted it over a blacksmith's fire and got enough lead to mold into bullets.

In the summer of 1875, Mr. Tiffany of New York City, came to Georgetown (He was a connection of Tiffany Bros., Jewelers). He boarded with Edmond O. Hurlbutt and heard the story of the old mine and became interested (The land of the mine now belonged to Mr. Hurlbutt). Mr. Tiffany had had investments in silver mines in Nevada. He went down to the mine with Wesley Barrett of Georgetown, and had him blast out some ore from the face of the ledge, sending it to New York, to have is assayed. It was found to contain silver and lead. He thought it would be a paying proposition to reopen the mine; it was easy to find where the old mine shaft was, as the ground was always wet there. After obtaining permission from Mr. Hurlbutt, he commenced operations.

Wesley Barrett had charge of the work. After a windlass was erected and a hand pump set up, several men were employed. After three weeks of hard work the shaft was cleared of stones and water, and the bottom reached by splicing long ladders together. It was a great curiosity to hundreds of people who visited the spot. All the stories of the mine were retold. In the bottom of the shaft were found broken drills, miner's hammers, picks, parts of ore buckets, bones of some animal that had fallen in before the shaft was filled up, and pieces of oak timber; the arsneic in the water had turned the wood a dark green color. Samuel Main took some of the oak and had some canes made of it, giving them to his friends. The mine shaft was found to be six or eight feet in diameter and 75 or 80 feet deep. About ten feet down, the shaft, a lateral or tunnel was found, about six feet in diameter running back under the ledge; this probably was opened up when the mine was first worked, following a vein of ore. It was about 20 feet in depth. Mr. Tiffany had some sample taken from the bottom and sides of the shaft and had it assayed. It was found to be rich in silver. He made plans to work the mine.

In looking over the record, it was found the old lease had run out in 1865, and that the mine reverted back to the heirs of the original owners. Finding that the expense of searching out the heirs and obtaining a lease would be too great, he gave up the idea of working the mine. There was a tradition that silver had been found farther north on the same ridge of land that the old mine was on. Mr. Tiffany sent for an expert miner to look for the silver bearing rock along this ridge. Mr. Chollar, a miner of fifty years' experience, came to Georgetown. He was an Englishman 80 years old (but looked 15 years younger). He was the discoverer of the famous Chollar lode in Nevada (40 years ago; this was a rich silver mine). Chollar followed the ridge north through Georgetown and Boston district. He found indications of silver in various places, but not rich enough to warrant the expense of opening up a mine, so the project was abandoned.

I heard Mr. Chollar tell many interesting stories of his life as a miner, one incident he related was about the old silver mine. He said that when he was a young man he overheard two very old men talking about a mine they had worked many years before. It was about 50 miles from New York, and the ore was taken out and shipped from Norwalk and sent to England for reduction. The two old miners had worked in the mine before and after the War of the Revolution. Mr. Chollar had forgotten about the incident when Mr. Tiffany sent for him to look over the old mine, and search for the mineral bearing lode father north. He recalled what the old miners had told him 60 years before about the old mine. The mine shaft is now filled with water. Some time it may be reopened and worked again.

The Georgetown Post Office by Wilbur F. Thompson

No story of Georgetown would be complete without a history of its Postal Service, nor would it be complete without specific mention of the crossroads known at various times as "Little Boston Corners", "The Corners", "Gregory's", "Sanford's" and "Darling's Corners." Since Redding's first Post Office was located at this busy spot, their stories must be told together.

In 1795 the "Norwalk and Danbury Turnpike Company" was formed to repair the Danbury-Norwalk road which ran through Redding. It was the only road of consequence in the area and soon became the Post Road. About two miles north of Georgetown center at the junction of Umpawaug Road (then the turnpike) and Peaceable Street (then Whiskey Lane) and Goodsell Hill, there was a way station for the weary travelers. It was a busy crossroads and a cheerful place. Here was Darling's Tavern where it is said drivers of 10,000 vehicles a year traveling this highway paused to refresh themselves, their passengers and their horses. The tavern was, of course, a clearing house of all the news of the day.

Many other structures also were located in this Little Boston center. The town's first school stood where Mrs. James Driscoll now lives. The Michael Connery house at that time housed Billy Comstock, who conducted a hat factory-the first in Redding- later operated by is son, Andrew, then by the Sheldon Brothers and later N.H. Lindly. There was also a general store, and a ring cider mill operated by Daniel Malllory who used oxen and horses for power. A short distance down Peaceable Street, Mallory ran a distillery where he converted hard cider into apple jack-hence the name Whiskey Lane.

Turney Foot, the Post Rider, and later Elias Bennett, carried in the newspapers and performed other small errands, so the place did not lack for news and information of events in other sections.

The residents, however, felt a real need for a Post Office, and eventually, on December 22, 1810, Redding's first Post Office was established with Billy Comstock as Postmaster, keeping office in his house. Five years later, May 8, 1815, another Post Office was established at Redding Center. It was officially "Reading Townhouse" and William Sanford was Postmaster. This was a more central location for all of Redding. It was planned to drop the Little Boston Post Office when the new one opened, but the road to the new one was so poor that it actually operated as a sort of sub-station of the Little Boston Post Office. Billy Comstock sent mail to the center Post Office once a week. This was to have a temporary expedient, but the arrangement lasted nearly thirty years.

Eventually, the road must have been repaired, for the records show that the Little Boston Post Office was discontinued April 29, 1844. Its Postmasters and the dates of their appointments are as follows: William Comstock, Dec. 29, 1810; Thomas Fanton, June 20, 1818; Billy Comstock (re-appointed), May 12, 1821; Joseph Darling (also Tavern Keeper), Aug. 1, 1823. The last mentioned has a long tenure-until May 30, 1844.

Eight years later, on May 11, 1852, the Georgetown Post Office was established. Here follows a list of the Postmasters' names and dates of appointment: Silliman Godfrey, May 11, 1852; Lloyd Seeley, Aug. 27, 1853; Samuel Perry, Aug. 26, 1862; James Corcoran, April 20, 1864; George W. Banks, Jan. 22, 1892; Thomas E. Flood, Feb. 17, 1894; Charles Hubert Taylor, Feb. 15, 1898; George F. Hammill, May 20, 1913; William E. Hazen, Jan. 21, 1922; F. Ragnar Bergfors, June 20, 1930; Julius H. Berglund, May 23, 1935; Julius W. Johnson, Nov. 1, 1937; Edward T. Moore, July 1, 1967.

The Old Red Mill by Wilbur F. Thompson

On the banks of the Norwalk River from its source in Ridgefield to Norwalk are many abandoned mill sites. Fifty-five or sixty years-ago (about 1850) there were sixteen busy shops and mills along this stream. Now there are four or five, one of which belonging to the Gilbert and Bennett Mfg. Co. plant, and stands on the site of the Old Red Mill, the subject of this article.

This mill site (near the long railroad bridge) has been occupied almost continuously for manufacturing purposes for over 118 years. Some years after the War of the Revolution closed, David Coley of Kettle Creek, Fairfield (now Weston) moved to Georgetown. He bought of Isaac Rumsey part of the Applegate long lots and built a home in Boston district. Miss Sarah Coley of Georgetown, who is nearly ninety years old, told me (W.F.T.) that eighty years ago, David Coley lived in the house later owned by Hezediah Osborn, the father of Hezediah Osborn of Cannondale. This house is near Boston corners. David Coley has an iron worker; he bought a mill site on the Norwalk River; built a dam and shop, put in a wooden water wheel shed, a furnace for smelting iron ore and a trip hammer, and commenced business. Some of the ore was brought from Roxbury and Brookfield and some was taken from the ledge east of where Jessie Burr Fillow now lives, on the road from Branchville to Boston district (Peaceable Street) *There is a tradition that there was an iron furnace near this ledge before the War of the Revolution. The limestone used in smelting the ore came from Umpawaug Hill. Many kinds of iron goods were made, ploughshare points, shovels and irons, cranes, pots and kettles, and ovens.

Fifty years ago some of these pots and kettles were in use-they had legs to stand on in the old fashioned fire places. This industry gave work to quite a number of men and continued for many years. In the later years of the industry, Moses Jennings (grandfather of Miss Jane Canfield of Georgetown) worked in the iron works-he had charge of smelting the ore. Benjamin Lobdell worked here (he was the great uncle of Clarence Osborn of Georgetown) and many others, whose names are now forgotten. Later David Coley gave up the business and the shop was vacant. Later it was burned.

The head of the iron trip hammer lay by the side of the road; it weighed over 500 pounds. It was sold, I think, to the iron work at Valley Forge, Weston. In 1824, Winslow and Booth came to Georgetown and started a comb factory on the old iron works site, erecting a small shop. Mr. Booth lived in the house that Mrs. Waterman Bates years afterward owned. This business continued for some time and gave employment to quite a number of people. The cheaper grades of combs were made of cattle horns. The horns were scraped thin, split and pressed flat, and the blands for combs were cut out and the teeth cut in. The finer grades of women's side and back combs were made of tortoise shell. Later the firm gave up the business and moved away.

In 1834 the Gilbert & Bennett, Co. bought the mill site, rebuilt the mill dam and built the shop long afterward known as the Red Mill. A wooden water wheel was built to furnish power. The mill was two stories and a basement. The first floor was used for the carded hair industry using power. In the basement the sieve rims were steamed, bent into shape and later, other work was done there. With the weaving of wire cloth, the making of cheese and meat safes was commenced. Aaron Osborn did this work, assisted by his brother, Eli Osborn. *Aaron Osborn worked on cheese safes for nearly fifty years. With the introduction of hard coal for fuel, the coal ash sifter or coal riddle was made. Samuel Bennett, Henry Williams and others worked at this branch. Later ox muzzles were made from wire. Most of the men who worked in the Red Mill had worked in the old Red Mill Shop to the same kind of work.

In the winter of 1840, it was found that the wooden shaft to the water wheel was worn and had to be replaced. William Bennett, William Morgan and Orace Smith went down into the Honey Hill woods to cut a tree from which to hew a new shaft for the wheel. While cutting down the tree, a limb broke and struck Mr. Smith, killing him. *Mr. Orace Smith was the father of Mrs. Jonathan Betts and lived in the house that Mrs. Betts long afterward owned. Years later the old wooden wheel was replaced by an iron one, and the old wooden shaft lay by the roadside for many years (as late as 1865).

Years past on and the stone factory was built and the curled hair industry was moved there. Among those that worked at this branch at this time were William, Charles, and George Albin. Among those that worked in the sieve industry were William and Brewer Gilbert, William B. Hurlbutt and Lewis Hurlbutt. With the rapid growth of the Gilbert & Bennett Mfg., Co., Edwin Gilbert went out as a salesman and Charles Olmstead ran one of the freight wagons. With the building of the D&NRR, the freight wagons were taken off one after another and the railroad did all the carrying of goods. One of these old freight wagons was used as late as 1864 in carting between the factory and the depot. In the the 1860's the sieve making and other branches were moved into other shops and the old Red Mill was used for drawing fine wire and later for tinning and galvanizing on its site was built.

In the 1850's, Aaron Jelliff, built a shop for wire work on the Weston Road in Osborntown. The motive power used in this shop was a one man power tread mill. This tread mill wheel was on the outside of the shop(south side). It was about twelve feet in diameter and six feet wide. It was built with treads to step on. The weight of the person inside the wheel stepping on the treads turned it and furnished the power to run a saw and other small machines. The wheel was operated by Abraham Dreamer, a veteran of the Mexican War. It was a great treat to the boys of fifty or more years ago to see Uncle Abe walking in this wheel, never reaching the top. Years later, Mr. Jelliff's sons, Aaron and Charles, were in the wire business, Aaron in New Canaan and Charles in Southport. On the top of the hill in front of the Waterman Bates place can be seen an old ditch running back from the brow of the hill to the old reservoir. This was dug by the Gilbert & Bennett Co. to bring the water from the reservoir to the Red Mill to wash cattle and horse hair, but it was never finished.

THE OLD RED SHOP BY THE TOLL GATE IN GEORGETOWN
by Wilbur F. Thompson

Eighty-five years ago [1835, or thereabouts] Georgetown was a quiet little village of 35 houses and about 160 people. A few years before, Benjamin Gilbert moved into the village and bought the William Wakeman farm. Most of this land lay between the road to Weston and the Danbury and Norwalk turnpike ; from the corner where Connery Bros. store now stands, south to Honey Hill woods, comprising the land after-wards owned by Sturges Bennett, Edmund O. Hurlbutt, and the Gilbert & Bennet Co. The homestead was on the west side of the road and many years after was known as the Benjamin Gilbert place. It is still occ-upied as a dwelling.

Before coming to Georgetown, Mr. Gilbert, who was a tanner by trade, started the industry of making curled hair and haircloth sieves. He continued this business after moving to Georgetown, being assisted by his family and later by Sturges Bennett who was admitted into partnership in 1828, forming the firm of Gilbert & Bennett (51 years later he was president of the Gilbert & Bennett Manufacturing Co.) Part of the work was done at this time in the basement of the Gilbert home. In 1830 Sturges Bennett married Charlotte, oldest daughter of Benjamin Gilbert.

About this time the shop was built where Connery Bros. store now stands and later, as the business grew, a three-story addition was built on. A mill dam had been built across the brook (the rear part of Connery Bros. store stands on what was part of the old mill dam.) A small pond was formed about 100 feet long and 60 feet wide. On the north side of the pond was the road to Weston, along the roadside was a row of willow trees. The supply pond, or reservoir, was on the hill south of where the Swedish Church now stands.

On the north shore of the reservoir were vats for cleaning, washing and sorting the hog, horse and cattle hair used in the curled hair industry; also platforms for drying the hair. Later this work was done in the rear of the shop. The first story of the shop was used for sieve making, and the second for the curled hair business. On the floor was a hairpicking machine and two hair rope twisters. The power was furnished by a wooden overshot water wheel (this was outside the shop on the north side.) The water was carried in a wooden flume from the pond onto the top of the wheel. The gate in the reservoir was opened every morning and shut down at night.

After the horse and cattle hair was cleaned it was twisted into ropes, then boiled to set the curl. After drying, it was wound into hanks or bundles, and sold in this form or picked out by hand ready for use in cushions, etc. The longer horse hair was picked and kept separate and woven into bottoms for the hair cloth flour and gravy sieves. This was woven on small frames called looms, into squares a little larger than the sieves they were to cover. This weaving was done by women (at their homes) of the village. First by the women in the families of the firm, and later by Mrs. Polly Canfield, Mrs. Ezra Brown, Mrs. Sherman Bennett, Mrs. Matthew Bennett and her daughters (one daughter, Mrs. Waterman Bates, was one of the last ones to weave haircloth in Georgetown,) and others.

In making the sieves, the thin wooden rims were sawed from whitewood plank (the planks were sawed from logs at Timothy Wakeman's saw mill that stood north of where the upper Gilbert & Bennett Mfg. Co.'s plant now stands,) then smoothed by hand, steamed and bent into shape and nailed; the hair cloth bottom was then put on and held in place by a narrow hoop or rim, which was fastened on by nailing. The edges of the haircloth were then bound around the sieves with waxed thread. This work was done by women at their homes - it was called binding sieves. Mrs. Aaron Bennett, Mrs. Samuel Main, Mrs. Aaron Osborn, Mrs. Samuel Canfield, Mrs. Burr Bennett, Mrs. Orace Smith and others did this work.

The men who worked to the curled hair and sieve industry at different periods in the Red Shop were Benjamin Gilbert and his sons William J. and. Edwin; Edmund O. Hurl-butt, John F. Hurlbutt, William B. Hurlbutt, Aaron Bennett, Sturges Bennett, Isaac Weed (Mr. Weed married Angeline, daughter of Benjamin Gilbert, and built the house opposite the Sturges Bennett place,) Samuel Main, Aaron Osborn, and others.

The salesmen were Edmund O. Hurlbutt and William J. Gilbert, who started out with great wagons loaded with goods, going through Connecticut and New York State, sell-ing the goods and coming back on the home trip stopping at the tanner-ies and slaughter houses, collecting the horse, cattle and hogs' hair to be made up into the finished product at the Red Shop. Years ago, the many carriage factories used large quantities of curled hair in the backs and cushions of seats.

In the year 1832, William J. Gil-bert was taken into the firm, forming the Gilbert & Bennett Co. (48 years later, he was president of the Gilbert & Bennett Co.) About this time, Sturges Bennett bought of his father-in-law, land south of the shop and built the house he lived in for nearly fifty years [see map 4] now owned by Eli G. Bennett.

In 1834 it was found that the growing business needed more power than the little mill pond furnished. So a mill site was bought on the Norwalk River and a shop was built, known later as the Red Mill, and that part of the industry using power was moved into it. On Oct. 15, 1835, Benjamin Gilbert deeded to Sturges Bennett and William J. Gilbert each a one-third interest in the Red Shop, the land (1/4 of an acre) with the mill pond, also rights in the reservoir on the hill. Near the Red Shop on this land was a small two-story building used by Uncle David Nichols as a wagon shop (part of this building was used by the Gilbert and Bennetts be-fore the Red Shop was built.) The price paid was $133 for each third. The land was bounded on the north, east and west by the highways, on the south by Sturges Bennett's home lot.

In 1836, with the introduction of the weaving of wire cloth for sieves and other uses, it was found the light cloth and carpet looms in the village were not heavy enough for wire weaving. A few looms were built and set up on the third floor of the Red Shop. Among those who wove wire cloth at this time were Isaac C. Perry, George Perry, Moses Hubbell and his wife Betsy, William Perry, and probably others. William Perry wove a fine wire cloth, called strainer cloth, used for straining milk and other liquids. Later George Perry built a shop south of his home [see map II] now owned by John Hohman, and wove for the Gilbert & Bennett Co. Isaac Perry's son-in-law also built a shop for weaving; it stood on the corner where Frederick Fos-ter's house now stands. (Moses Hubbell married Betsy Perry).

Years later James Byington, Aaron Jelliff, Henry Olmstead and his brother William, Lorenzo Jones, Thomas Pryor, George Gould, Anton Stommell, George Hubbell, and Granville Perry wove wire cloth in the old Red Shop. As the business grew, Anson B. Hull was hired as Bookkeeper. The office was on the first floor of the shop; in connection with book-keeping, he ran a small store. He was with the company for many years. Later he moved to Danbury, where he was freight agent for the D. & N. R.R., until his death.

In 1840 Edmund O. Hurlbutt was admitted into the firm - he married Mary, daughter of Benjamin Gilbert. He bought land of his father-in-law and built the home he lived in for many years, known as the Hurlbutt place. He withdrew from the firm in 1860.

In 1844 Edwin Gilbert became a member of the Gilbert & Bennett Co. (40 years later he became president of the Gilbert & Bennett Mfg. Co.)

In 1847, Benjamin Gilbert, the founder of the business, died. In 1853 David H. Miller of New York City entered the employ of the Gilbert & Bennett Co. as bookkeeper. He brought in new ideas and ways of working and the business of the company was greatly increased. (Fifty-three years later he became president of the Gilbert & Bennet Mfg. Co., and held that position at the time of his death in 1915.)

With the building of other factories, one by one, the various branches of the indus-try were moved from the old Red Shop, until only the wire weaving was left. In 1861, Eli G. Bennett opened a dry-goods and grocery store on the first floor. The business grew until the whole floor was occupied, and a large business was done. Here many young men received their first business training.

In 1869 Sturges Bennett (now owning the property) had the old Red Shop torn down and built the store now standing on its site [see Map 4.] The timbers of the old shop were bought by Anton Stommell, who used them in building his house on the street running east from the Weston road. Later he sold it to Elijah Gregory.

While the store was being built, Eli G. Bennett carried on the business in the old wagon shop next door. The grocery store on the first floor and the dry goods on the second. This building was later sold to Charles Osborn who moved it farther north and used it for a meat market. The second floor was used by the Masons for a lodge room. It was burned some years ago.

Uncle David Nichols, who ran the little wagon shop, lived on the west side of the street opposite the shop. (This house was years later bought by Charles Osborn, father of Clarence Osborn of Georgetown.) With his good wife, Aunt Sally, he looked. like a Quaker with his broad-brimmed hat and long coat. He was everybody's friend, but the boys did annoy him sometimes. North of the Nichols home was the toll gate across the road, and Uncle David collected tolls. This was a heavy timber gate that blocked the highway. After the tolls were paid, the gate was opened and the team passed through. Near the gate was a milestone erected in 1787 by the orders of Benjamin Franklin, who was Postmaster General at this time. This was the post road from New York City to Hartford. There is one of these milestones still standing near Miss Sarah Coley's home [G. Coley on Map II] on the road north of Georgetown and another on South Street, Danbury.

Milestone reads: "12 Ms (miles) To= Nw (Danbury) 1786"

Fifty or more years ago the reservoir on the hill was a favorite place in the winter for the boys and girls of those days who enjoyed skating. Later Mr. Edward Hurlbutt, who now owned it and the surrounding land, stocked it with fish.

Just before the Civil War Sturges Bennett, who owned a large farm on the hog ridge (a high ridge of land east of the vill-age,) employed Ezra Brown to work the farm. Part of the farm equip-ment was a yoke of oxen and a heavy cart. Uncle Ezra was very proud of this team. In driving, he would march 100 feet ahead of the oxen and then march back again. One night some of the young men of the village, Sam and John Main, Alonzo Morgan, James Byington, the Albin boys and others, took the cart to pieces, hoisted it up into one of the willow trees by the Red Shop pond, put it together with the tongue in the air. Next morning Uncle Ezra came over from Osborntown to begin his day's work. Missing his cart, he called Boss Bennett, who, coming up and seeing the cart in the tree and some of the boys standing ar-ound, winked at Uncle Ezra and said in his quiet way, "Boys, I guess you had better take that cart down." They knew he meant business and got to work. It was harder work to take it down before an audience of fifty people, than it had been to put it up the night before. Not long after, most of these young men were at the front fighting for our country.

THE OLD GRIST MILL - GEORGETOWN, CONN.
by Wilbur F. Thompson

From the early settlement of our state until about 60 or 70 years ago, the people living in our rural communities were, to a great extent, independent of the outside world; the farms and little shops and mills producing almost everything used in the homes of their day. The first mill to be built in the early days was the Grist Mill, then the saw mill, blacksmith shop, woolen mill, tannery and cider mill. Georgetown was no exception to the general rule, and along its streams and highways are found evidences of many little home industries that flourished, long years ago (and some at a late date.) It is probable that the first corn and grain raised in Georgetown was ground in the home-made mortArs of wood or stone, with a pestle, or in the old Indian stone samp mortars which can be found in the rocks in many places.

The first Grist Mill where the early settlers of Georgetown had their corn and rye ground stood on the west bank of the Saugatuck River, a short distance north of where Ferd Gorham's house now stands near the foot of Nobb's Crook Hill. (This was about 1730). The miller's name was Jabez Burr. Many years later a wind grist mill was built in what was called Dumping Hole, or Hill (now in Cannondale School Dis-trict,) about two miles southeast of Georgetown. The first grist mill in what is now the village of Georgetown was probably built and run by George Abbott. If there was one before this, the name of the owner is not known.

In 1764 George Abbott, formerly of Salem, Westchest-er Co., Province of New York, bought of Ebenezer Slawson, of Norwalk, a mill privilege on the Norwalk River for the purpose of erecting a grist mill. The mill was built and he commenced to grind corn and grain. There is a tradition that John Belden had built a saw mill on or near the same site, and Abbott bought it. The mill was on the only road between Danbury and Norwalk and did a great business; people from miles around brought their grain to be ground, or logs to be sawed up into lumber.

Abbott ran the mills for many years. He lived in a house that stood south of where the Waterman Bates house now stands [down Old Mill Road.] His wife (called Aunt Lucy) kept a tav-ern or half-way house for the teamsters on the Danbury and Norwalk turnpike.

The next owner of the mill was Stephen Perry, an ancestor of the late Nathan Perry. He rebuilt the dam and mill; it was then known as Perry's Mill. Later Joseph Goodsell 1st. ran the mill. He was the father of Joseph B. Goodsell 2nd., who lived. on Goodsell's Hill, 30 or more years ago.

The next owner was Ephraim B. Godfrey, who lived in a house south of the mill. This house was moved to the east side of the highway 50 years ago. He was called Uncle Eph and the hill west of the mill was called Uncle Eph's mountain. He married Mary, daughter of Timothy Wakeman 1st., and had two sons and a daugh-ter. One son, Wakeman Godfrey, was in business with him and lived in the house long after owned by Henry Olmstead. He was called "Wake" Godfrey! One of his daughters, Mary Ann, married Burr Betts of Nor-walk.

The other son, Silliman, built and lived in the house long after owned by Dr. Lloyd Seeley. Silliman had a store south of the house. (This house is now owned by Gilbert & Bennett Mfg. Co.) The store was burned and in 1851 or '52 he built the building long known as the depot building. He had a store in the north end; the railroad depot was in the south end. On the second floor was a large hall known as Godfrey's Hall. This was used for various purposes. (This will be spoken of in a later article.) The old depot building burned down several years ago.

Ephriam Godfrey's daughter Mary married Matthew Gregory of Georgetown. Godfrey & Son ran the grist and saw mill for many years and did a large business. In 1853 or '54 Ephraim Godfrey died. His son then continued the business. About this time a new grist mill was started in the old woolen mill lower down the river and the Godfrey Mills did not have much to do, and later the mills were closed. Some time after, Edwin Gilbert bought the property, rebuilt the mill dam and mill, enlarging it, fitting it up for other manufacturing; for a while, Betts & Northrop had a car-penter shop there. Blood's patent flour sifter and other wire goods were made there at that time. Later the Gilbert & Bennett Co. owned it and changed it into a wire mill, and it was used for that line of work until it was burned some years ago.

On the third floor of this mill was set up and run (in 1869 and '70) the first machine in this country for making wire netting and fencing. [According to another source, it was in 1865 that Gilbert & Bennett & Co. installed the first power machinery for making wire poultry netting. For years it was exclusive manufacturer of this innovation. The salesmen worked for a good many years trying to educate the trade to its use. "You never can replace wooden lath for poultry enclosures," was a common remark.]

On the west side of the river in the ledge of rocks below the mill dam is what is probably one of the oldest grist mills in the state. It is a circular hole in the rock about two feet in diametcr and four feet in depth; it is shaped like a round-bottomed pot. There are two more on the banks of the Saugatuck River in the rocks east of what was the Daniel Hull house in Weston. These holes are called pot-holes and were worn or made by the action of water ages ago. The Indians of long ago used them for grinding the Indian corn raised in the valleys; with a stone pestle the corn was soon reduced to a coarse meal called samp. The early settlers called them samp mortars. The use of stone pestles for years in these samp mortars made them deeper and larger.

On the east bank of the river a short distance below the mill dam, there was 65 years ago, a spring of water called the oil spring. The oil was found on the surface of the water. When the D. & N. R. R. was built, this was covered by the stone from above. Near here Chambers first started to dig for coal. In the railroad cut nearby the rocks in the summer show a white coating of alum. This is on the east side of the railroad.

The old mill is a memory of the past with the Abbotts, Perrys, Goodsells and Godfreys. But Nature's work still remains, and old Mount Ephriam still overlooks the valley as it did 232 years ago, when the original eight settlers passed up the valley, following the Indian trail through swamp and forest to found the new settlement of Danbury. Or 139 years ago when the minutemen hurried past on their way to Danbury to guard military stores there. Or 54 years ago, when the boys in blue left Georgetown to go to the front to fight for freedom.

THE OLD STONE MILL AT GEORGETOWN by Wilbur F. Thompson

Many persons riding on the D. & N. R. R. have seen and admired the old stone mill a short distance below Georgetown, but very few know who built the mill or what it has been used for. It was built over seventy years ago, by John Taylor of Wilton. It was called Tay-lor's Woolen Mills or Satinet Factory. He built a dam a short dis-tance above and a canal to convey the water to the mill. He also built the house near the mill and lived there many years. His wife was Miss Hannah Varian, of New York City; one of their children was drowned in the canal. (Levi Taylor, father of John Taylor, many years before the mill was built had a store in Georgetown, a little way below the old Red Mill.)

Farmers in those days kept sheep and brought the wool to the mill to sell or to have dyed and woven into cloth. Broadcloth, flannels, etc., homespun, and a cloth called satinet (part cotton) were woven here. Henry Williams, who lived a short distance below the mill, had charge of the dyeing, carding and spinning department; his wife was one of the weavers. A man named Glover worked there. He afterward ran the mills known as Glover's Woolen Mill at Sanford's Station.

Mr. Taylor was in business many years, and after he retired, a Welshman named Evans, from Derby, continued the business. After this, Blackman Bros., from New Milford, ran it for a short time. Later Dr. N. Perry, of Ridgefield, bought it; and fitting it up for a grist mill and to grind spices, called it the Glenburg Chemical Works. He wanted to change the name of Georgetown to Glenburg, but did not succeed. His son, Samuel Perry, had charge of the mill for many years. The famous remedies so well known forty or fifty years ago were made here - composition powders for colds, magnesia powders for indigestion, the No. 9, a pain kilber, demulcient, compounds for coughs, and many others. Spices were ground and all kinds of extracts were made and sold. The country stores all kept the Perry remedies, spices and extracts.

After the death of Samuel Perry, the mill was sold to William J. Gilbert. He leased it to different parties who ran it as a grist mill. It is now owned by Samuel J. Miller. [Today it is no more.] After the death of Samuel Perry, the formulas for the Perry remedies came into the possession of his bro-ther-in-law, Eli Osborn, who made them for many years, at his home in Georgetown.

The Old Woolen Mills of Georgetown - by Wilbur F. Thompson

Two of the most important products of the farms of long ago were wool and flax. In the summer days flocks of sheep were feeding on the hillsides and waving fields of blue-flowered flax could be seen on almost every farm.

Flax was not harvested the same as grain or hay, but was pulled up by the roots and stacked. Later in the season it was put through a process of sweating or rotting to separate the fibre from the woody part of the stalk. It was then crackled to break the wood or straw of the flax. This was done by beating it with wooden mallets. After this, it was hetcheled or hackled; this was done by drawing the stalks of flax over sharp pointed iron teeth thickly set in a block of wood. This separated the fibre from the woody or straw portion of the flax. The fibre, after hetcheling, was called tow or lint; this was cleaned and spun into linen yarn or thread, and woven on the hand looms into different kinds of linen cloth, and then bleached.

The wool was worked up in a different way. After being sheared from the sheep, it was washed and cleaned. Then it was carded into a light fleecy mass (like the cotton batting of today.) The hand cards were pieces of leather or thin wood thickly set with fine wire points which caught and separated the fibre of the wool. Sometimes the wool was bowed the same as hatters' fur was in the olden times. This was done with a large how strung with catgut; pulling the string caused it to vibrate in the wool, separating it the same as in carding.

After carding, the wool was formed into rolls, from which it was spun into woolen yarn or warp and then woven into woolen cloth of many kinds, and blankets. A cloth for dresses and skirts was woven, called linsey-woolsey. It had a lin-en warp and woolen filling; a heavier cloth made of the same materials was called fustian. After washing, the cloth was dyed, fulled. and fin-ished.; oftentimes the warp and filling were dyed before weaving. For many years all this work was done by hand on the farms where the wool and flax were raised. Later little shops and mills were built along the stream where the wool and flax were prepared. for weaving and where the home-made cloth was fulled and finished.

The first mill where the early settlers of Georgetown and Boston district took their wool to be cleaned and carded stood on the east bank of the Saugatuck River, near Nobb's Crook. In 1746 Abram Fairchild and wife (Sarah Scribner) of Norwalk, moved to what is now Boston district, not far from Nobb's Crook. He built a small mill on the east bank of the river for cleaning and carding wool, and fulling and finishing cloth. He ran this mill for many years and raised a large family. Six of his sons were in the Amer-ican army in the war of the Revolution at the same time.

Later he sold the mill to Moses Fox, who lived nearby. Fox was in business for some years. In 1803 he sold the mill to Joel Foster, who lived a short dis-tance north of the mill. Foster was in business until 1812, when the firm of Comstock, Foster & Co. was formed, and a new mill was built a short distance below the old mill. This firm did a large business in weaving woolen goods of all kinds.

Later Foster bought the inter-ests of the other partners and continued the business until 1843 or '44 when the mills were burned. The remains of the old foundations of the mill could be seen some years ago on the east side of the river. Isaac Perry, who later lived in Georgetown, worked in the Comstock & Foster Mills. He was an expert weaver as were other members of his family. A son, George Perry, made a specialty of weaving fine woolen blankets or coverlids, which met with a ready sale at $15 a pair. Many of these were woven in Georgetown years ago.

THE OLD COAL MINE, GEORGETOWN - By Wilbur F. Thompson

In these days of high prices for coal and other necessities of life, what a boon it would be if coal could. be found and mined in our state. In almost every town there are traditions of minaral wealth beneath the surface. And in many places excavations, shafts and tunnels show that thousands of dollars have been spent in the endeavor to find the minerals supposed to be hidden in the earth.

In all the search for minerals very little has been said about coal. 80 years ago there was a blacksmith shop in Boston district, Redding, owned by Elias Andrews. In those days there was no mineral coal used in the rural sections. Every blacksmith had a charcoal pit for making coal. One day a man came into the shop and told Andrews he could get a black stone that would make a hotter fire than charcoal. He was told to get some. He went into what is known as Seventy Acres (a great tract of woods on the west of Boston district) and returned with a bag of black stone. It was placed on the forge - it burned with an intense heat. He would never tell where he found it, and. many have looked for it but never have found it.

In 1848, a coal miner named Chambers, from Carbondale, Pennsylvania, came to Georgetown to visit friends. He heard the story of the lost coal mine and tried to find it, but was not successful. In his search he noticed that the formations of rock in many places was the same as in coal regions. He started to dig in many places up the valley into Boston district. At last he found what he thought to be good indications of coal, and commenced to dig in earnest. He hired local help, paying them $1.00 per day from sunrise to sunset. The shaft or tunnel was cut through solid rock about six feet in diameter running back on the level under the hill. It is said that he found small veins of coal but was looking for a large vein.

After weeks of hard work the tunnel was dug under the hill about 50 feet. One Satur-day night some of the young men who worked for Chambers in the mine drove down to Norwalk and secured some large lumps of coal. This they placed in the back end of the mine and covered with rock. The first stroke of the pick in the morning uncovered the coal. Chambers was happy, thc long sought-for coal was found. He soon found that he had been fooled. This disappointment, with the lack of funds, put an end to his mining. It is possible if he had kept on he would have found coal enough to pay him to mine it.

This old mine is about 250 feet south of the house long owned by Aaron Osborn (now owned by Mrs. Leroy Sturges) and was on his land. It was long known as "Chamber's Coal mine." Fifty years ago Aaron Osborn used the old coal mine in the summer as a cooler for milk, eggs, butter, etc. The water, icy cold, dripping from the roof and sides of the mine drained off into the Boston brook that flowed by the entrance of the mine. The writer, with many other boys of 50 years ago, had many a drink of ice cold milk, that had been put in the old mine to cool.

Thc entrance to the mine has been closed for many years by the debris that has fallen from the hill above. Wilbur F. Thompson, Danbury, March 10, 1922.

The First Settlement of Georgetown and the Schools its Children have Attended
by Wilbur F. Thompson

The first settlement of what is now the busy growinc burg of Georgetown was made 190 or more years ago [in about 1726] along the high ridge of land then known as Barnham's Ridge (now the Hog Ridge.) This ridge of land extends from the Norwalk (now Wilton) line to Nobb's Crook. [This ridge follows the line of Route 107 from Georgetown to Redding Glen] with all the land in what is now the village of Georgetown in the towns of Redding and Weston. It was the time of the first settlement in the northern part of the town of Fairfield. The old north boundary line of Fairfield was on or near where the highways now run from Redding Ridge to Redding Center and from there west to the Ridgefield line about two and one-half miles above the boundary rock in the Norwalk River now in Georgetown. The upper half of the town of Fairfield was surveyed into what was known as the Fairfield long lots. These lots were surveyed or laid out on what was known as the eleven oclock line. They were of different widths, but were nar-row when compared with their depth, which was eight or ten miles. They were owned. by the early settlers of Fairfield near the tidewater, or were granted to persons for services rendered the colony or town in civil or military life; and were known by the names of the owners. What was known as the Osborn long lot was granted to Richard Osborn (an ancestor of William E. Osborn of Westport) for military service in the Pequot Indian War. The long lots we are interested in are those that comprised the land now in the village of Georgetown in the towns of Redding and. Weston and also what is the Boston district in Redding. Some of these lots were settled on by the original owners - others were settled on by persons who bought of the first owners.

The first long lot in what is now the village of Georgetown in the south was known as the Osborn long lot. This was bounded on the west and northwest by the Norwalk (now Wilton) line and came to the boundary rock in the Norwalk River. The next lot was known as the Applegate long lot, the next the Drake long lot, and so on up through Boston district to Nobb's Crook. The Osborn, Applegate and. Drake lots comprised a large part of what is now Georgetown and Boston district.

In 1721 Robert Rumsey of Fairfield bought of John Applegate a large tract of land known as the Applegate long lots. In 1724 he willed it to his three sons Robert, Benjamin, and. Isaac, who built homes on the tract. Isaac built on the hill in front of where the Aaron Osborn house [see Map II] now stands (Isaac married Abigail, daughter of Noah St. John the first.)

Robert Rumsey built near where the home of Mrs. Nathan Perry now stands. Sixty years ago [about 1856] when Samuel Main was building the house Mrs. Nathan Perry now owns, he started to dig a well. Uncle Timothy Wakeman (who owned the house later owned by Edson Smith) asked Mr. Main what he was doing. On being told, Uncle Timothy took an iron bar, striking through the sod, and found a stone slab saying there is the old Rumsey well dug in 1726. Mr. Main uncovered and cleaned. out the well and used it as long as he lived in Georgetown.

Above the Rum-seys other settlers built. The Perrys, Mallorys, Morgans, Hulls, Lees, Darlings, Coleys, Bradleys, settled along this ridge, and later the Sherwoods, Battersons and Parsons.

That part of Georgetown in the town of Weston was settled about the same time, or later. It has been said that Richard Osborn built on the Osborn long lot at an early date but this has not been proven. The first settler we have record of who built on this section was William Osborn, who built a log house in 1734 on or near where the Gregory Osborn house now stands. (This house is now owned by William E. Osborn of Westport, a direct descendant of Richard Osborn, the first owner of the land.) Later members of the Osborn family built here, giving it the name of Osborntown. This sec-tion is in the Weston part of Georgetown.

The first settlement of that part of Georgetown in the town of Norwalk (now Wilton) was made many years later than that of the other sections, Burnham's Ridge, etc. The early settlers always chose the high ground first for building their homes, thinking the lowlands unhealthy. Most of the land in this section was owned by John Belden, Solomon Wood and Ezekial Wood. In 1756 Noah St. John 1st bought of Solo-mon Wood fifty acres of land, and built a home. His son Nehemiah St. John also built on this land. Nehemiah built the Matthew Gregory place today owned by Arthur Clark. The St. John farm remained in the family for many years and was later owned by the Rev. Samuel St. John.

Later the Taylors, Olmsteads, Gregorys, Morgans and other families settled. In 1756 Solomon Wood sold the remainder of his land north of the St. John farm to James Morgan of Redding, who built a house on or near the site of the house built and long owned by Hiram St. John. In 1764, George Abbot came to what is now the village of Georgetown and built a grist mill and was a prominent man in the community for many years.

Soon after the close of the War of the Revolu-tion, the people living on the hillsides and. along the valley of the Norwalk River held a Fourth of July celebration on the top of the hill in front of where the Waterman Bates house now stands [the first house on the river below Connery Bros. office] and having no cannon to fire a salute, bored a hole in the ledge of rocks on the hillside, loaded it with powder and fired the salutes in honor of the day. For many years after it was used for the same purpose, by Matthew Ben-nett, who lived nearby.

At this time the localities around the valley were called by different names: Osborntown, Honeyhill, Burr's Hill, St. John's corners, Sugar Hollow, Jack Street, etc. At this Fourth of July celebration, it was voted to give these localities one name. Someone suggested Georgetown after George Abbott, the popular miller. It was put to vote and Georgetown became the name of the hamlet. That is how the hustling town of today got its name.

The first school the children of the early settlers of what is now the village of Georgetown attended stood on the west bank of the Saugatuck River at the foot of Nobb's Crook hill a short distance north of where Ferdinand Gorham's house [this is now Redding Glen] now stands. It was one of three schools established by the parish of Redding, town of Fairfield, in 1737, and was known as the West Redding district school. (The other two were called the Redding Center and the East Redding schools.) It was a small log structure with rude seats made of slabs and a stone fireplace. The district comprised what is now Diamond Hill and Boston districts and. that part of George-town in the town of Redding.

In 1767 the parish of Redding became the town of Redding. In 1768 the town was divided into school districts. Boston district No. 5 included that part of Georgetown now in the town of Redding. The school house stood near where the present school house stands in Boston district [the James Driscoll Sr. house.] In the early days of the last century this was a famous school. The an-cestors of many who have lived in Georgetown attended school here, as it was the nearest one in the neighborhood. Among the teachers at this time were Elias Bennett, Nathaniel Perry, Walter Bates (who later had a large select school,) William Bennett, Gershom Banks and others.

The first school in Georgetown was started about 1800; the school house stood near where Walter Perry's house now stands. Not much is known about this school; it was a small building and some of the teachers who had taught in the Boston school taught here.

School House No. 2 [built in 1818] stood on the south end of William Wakeman' s home lot. This also was a small building; it is not known how long school was held here. In 1824 William Wakeman sold his farm to Benjamin Gilbert and bought the Matthew Bennett place on the road to Weston, years later owned by Jonathan Betts [across from the Swedish Church.] Mr. Wakeman moved the little school house up the hill and attached it to the rear of his new house for a kitchen.

School House No. 3 stood in the hollow [today it is the area at the junction of Routes 7 and 107] back of Wilkie Batterson's blacksmith shop on the road to Nod [see Map IV.] At this time or later the present school district of Georgetown was formed, taking in what is known as Chicken Street, which at that time was a thickly settled section. This schoolhouse was used until the winter of 1850, when it was burned.

A new site was bought on what is now known as School Hill and the er-ection of a new school was commenced. Until the completion of the new building the school sessions were held in Taylor's hat shop, which stood at the top of what was known as Aunt Sal Taylor's hill, on the road to Nod. This shop was later moved and attached to the Taylor home, now owned by William Lockwood [now the Pfhal house] and is part of the house today. The new school house No. 4 was up-to-date, hav-ing seats and desks. Something new for Georgetown, the old school houses having benches for seats and a board fastened around the wall for desks.

Among the teachers who taught in the new school were Peter Fayerweather, George Godfrey, Lyman Keeler, Charles Sherwood, Miss Sturges (daughter of Charles Sturges,) Miss Margaret Moore, Luzon Jelliff and many others later than 1876. Among the scholars who att-ended school here in the early sixties from 1860-1864 were Francis, Eugene, Aaron, Frank G. and. Lydia Albin; Lester, Ezra P. and William R. Bennett; Frederick Brown; Medora and Allie Batterson; Will, James and John Corcoran; Francis de Garmo and sister George; Charles and John Gould; Mary, George, Eva, Will, Lester, Lucius and Luther Godfrey; Frank and Mary Elwell; Emma and Addie Hurlbutt; Rosalie, Will, Gilson and. little Sid Jennings; Charles, Carrie, John, Francis and. Ida Jelliff; Augusta, Rebecca and Ben Lobdell; Addie, Alida and Joe Lockwood; Ida and Will Lee; Samuel J. and Mary Miller; Huldah, Eli G. and Nettie Main; Ed, Julia and Annie Mills; David, William E., Edmund, Isadora, George, Nettie and William H. Osborn; Charles and Dell Olmstead; El-lza Prior; Jennie Luick; Alice, Lizzie, Ida, Stell and Eddie St. John; Wilbur F. and Herbert Thompson; Frank, Mary and Dan Welsh; Henry Willams; Charlie Wells, and others whose names are forgotten.

The old school house on the hill has been enlarged many times to accomodate the growing school population. Many persons of mature years have pleasant memories of the old school house, surrounded. by its fine grove of trees. And many friendships begun there have lasted through the long years that have passed since we were boys and girls attending school.

But the old school house on the hill has outlived its day and generation, and School House No. 5 has taken its place. This fine up-to-date building is a model for every school building committee to follow, and is a fitting memorial to those who have the best interests of Georgetown at heart. And here again, after a lapse of 100 years, the children of Georgetown and Boston districts attend the same school.

It is a far cry from the little log school house on the banks of the Saugatuck River (and the rude little school houses of later days) to the beautiful building that is the school house of the children of Georgetown and vicinity. They and the coming generations of children will appreciate (with the parents) the facilit-ies afforded for a better education.

WILBUR F. THOMPSON October 20, 1916

THE OLD BOSTON DISTRICT SCHOOL, REDDING
by Wilbur F. Thompson

On a hill in Old New England Stands a schoolhouse old and gray, The Schoolhouse of my boyhood. Many years have passed away.

The sale of the Boston district schoolhouse to M. Connery of Georgetown forms the closing chapter in the history of a school that had had an existence of over 150 years.

In 1767 the town of Redding was organized and in 1768 was divided into school districts. Boston district No. 5 took in the section now known as Georgetown in Redding. The schoolhouse stood on the site of the building recently sold. It was for many years a famous school. Elias Bennett, later known as Pest Rider Bennett, was teacher from 1800 to 1815. Nathaniel Perry, Walter Bates, Aaron B. Hull, Gershom Banks, Oliver Dudley and William Bennett taught in the old schoolhouse later.

In the '50's the present schoolhouse was built. It was a great improvement on the old school, where the seats had no backs, and a wide board fastened to the wall on three sides of the room formed the desks, with an open fireplace to heat the room in winter. In the new school were desks, and seats with backs, and a box stove standing in the center of the room to heat the school in winter. In the winter of 1864 the writer was a pupil in the Boston school. The ages of the pupils ranged. from six to twenty years. Many were men and women grown. Teachers in those days had to be men of muscle as well as of brains. David L. Rowland of Weston was teacher for the fall and winter term of l864.