200. Child’s linen skirt, over 100 years old.
201.Connecticut Courant, 1799, containing account of death of George Washington.
Mrs. Dan. Clark:
202. Hand-made wedding veil (100 years).
Mrs. T. T. Marsh:
203. Portrait, Dr. Jehiel Williams, one of the first doctors of New Milford (1815), and grandfather of the late T. T. Marsh and of Edward W. Marsh of Bridgeport, Ct.
Mrs. Chas. Taylor:
204. Early Colonial pewter basin.
205. Early Colonial pewter tea set.
206. Pewter platters.
207. Pewter platters.
208. Fluid lamp, one of the first sperm-oil lanterns, carried by Dr. Geo. Taylor.
Flora Geer Stillson:
209. White satin wedding slippers and sash. Rachel Ann Bostwick and John Stillson, married in June, 1774. These articles loaned by their great-granddaughter.
210.Crêpeshawl, figured with nasturtiums, worn by Mrs. John Stillson on trip of the first train run on the Housatonic Railroad, 1840. Loaned by her granddaughter.
211. Bead bag on linen, worked by Loretta Geer in 1823, when she was ten years old. Loaned by her granddaughter.
212. Bead bag, worn by Mrs. John Stillson. About 75 years old.
213. Sampler worked by Almira Turrill in 1824. Loaned by her grandniece.
L. T. Peet:
214. Sickle, used for cutting grain, 125 years old.
215. Toby jug, made in Jersey City pottery, 60 years ago.
Miss Helen M. Boardman:
216. Miniature of Major Lawrence, of the British Army, a nephew of Mrs. Wm. Taylor of this town.
Miss Kate T. Boardman:
217. Locket, owned by Mrs. Wm. Taylor. She was the daughter of the second minister of this town.
The Misses Boardman:
218. Candle-sticks, brought from Warwick, England, and used in the days of Queen Anne.
219. Japanese tray and cups, brought from Japan in 1854 by Frederic A. Boardman, who was in Commodore Perry’s expedition to that country.
220. Bas-relief of George Washington, owned by Judge David Sherman Boardman in 1820.
Miss Rose Murdoch:
221. Decanter and glasses, presented by the Marquis de Lafayette to David C. Porter, in Paris, in the year 1825.
Mrs. C. A. Smith:
222. Chair, 150 years old.
Peter Peterson:
223. Pitcher.
224. Bottle.
225. Two pictures and silver spoons made in 1600.
226. Brass scenes, brought from Denmark.
Harriet A. Taylor Lee:
227. Stamp, Greek word, meaning “Quit yourself like a man.” Belonged to Rev. Nathaniel Taylor, 1748.
228. Baby stocking of Harriet D. Allen (1806), afterwards Mrs. George Taylor.
Mrs. C. N. Hall:
229. Picture, old Canfield Homestead, 150 years.
Mrs. Mary D. Bostwick:
230. Bible, Thomas Wells, 100 years.
Mrs. H. R. Treadwell:
231. Box made of a fragment of the old ship “Constitution.”
232. Sampler worked by Ruth Taylor, afterwards Mrs. Elijah Downes. Loaned by her granddaughter.
233. Autograph of John Hancock.
234. Cut from a bill of fare of a banquet given to Henry Clay, printed on satin. His autograph added.
235. Seal of completion of Erie Canal, 1825.
Mrs. H. R. Treadwell:
236. Portrait of Roger Sherman.
Charles B. Camp:
237. Silver pipe, smoked during Revolutionary War. Over 100 years old.
238. Bible, published in 1639.
Mrs. Chas. B. Camp:
239. Patch box, from estate of Alex. Rosseguie, a Huguenot of France. Loaned by his great-great-granddaughter. (See No. 287.)
240. Towel, 200 years old. From estate of Alex. Rosseguie.
241. Candle-stick, from estate of Alex. Rosseguie.
Charles B. Camp:
242. Fife, used in Revolutionary War by John Camp. Loaned by his grandson.
Jay Cogshall:
243. Silver spoon, 1787.
244. Spoon mould and spoon, 200 years old.
The Misses Wells:
245. Samplers worked by Mary G. Sherman, afterwards Mrs. Stephen Wells.
L. N. Jennings:
246. Piece of gun picked up on battlefield of Antietam a few days after the battle.
Mrs. Eli S. Roberts:
247. Cup and saucer formerly owned by Mrs. Eunice Clark Morris. Over 100 years old.
248. Mrs. Cornelia Morris Young’s baby shoes, 86 years old.
Mr. E. P. Hill:
249. Basin, platter, and plate, used by Capt. James Buck, who was married to Roger Sherman’s sister.
250. Documents: Raising recruits for Continental Army. fax List, 1781.
Elizabeth H. Noble:
251. “Old London Penny Postman.” Accurate portraitbrought from England by Mrs. Henrietta Burritt about 1800. Loaned by her great-granddaughter.
252. “Wife of Old London Penny Postman.” Portrait.
Mrs. Helen B. Carr:
253. Portrait. Mrs. Susan Masters Blackman, granddaughter of Rev. Nathaniel Taylor.
254. Picture, “Old Masters House.”
Mrs. T. E. Stewart:
255. Trousers. Dr. Geo. Taylor’s, worn when he was two years of age, and first calico brought to New Milford (1804). The man who wore the hat (No. 111) wore the trousers twenty-one years earlier.
256. Baby’s dress. Embroidered by Mrs. Nathaniel Taylor for her son, Dr. Geo. Taylor, in 1802.
257. Slippers, worn by Dr. Geo. Taylor.
258. Collar, made by Harriet Allen (afterward Mrs. Geo. Taylor) while attending the Moravian School.
Mrs. H. S. Mygatt:
259. Portrait, Colonel Samuel Canfield, of the Revolutionary Army.
260. Wood from Roger Sherman’s house.
261. Old English pewter cup.
262. Whale oil lamps, from Stonington, Conn. Over 100 years old.
263. Fluid lamp.
264. Silver tea set, belonged to Tamar Boardman Taylor, daughter of Rev. Daniel Boardman, and wife of Rev. Nathaniel Taylor.
265. Silver spoons, used by Noadiah and Clarissa Mygatt.
266. Silver spoon, marked T. M. (T. Mygatt).
267. Pewter dish, French pewter, dated 1777.
268. Old pewter lamp.
D. K. Crofut:
269. Quilt, warming pan, and ancient hoe.
270. Flint lock musket.
May G. Brown:
271. “Tapa” cloth, made from bark by natives of the Sandwich Islands.
Mrs. H. S. Mygatt:
272. Cane. Belonged to Philo Canfield, son of Col. Samuel Canfield.
Roger Sherman Chapter, D. A. R.:
273. Warming pan.
274. Foot stove, used in the Congregational Church, New Milford, 1812.
Mrs. G. W. Wright:
275. Picture of New Milford.
A. E. Taylor:
276. Piano, age unknown.
Lehman T. Peet:
277. Indian work basket, made by Rachel Mauwehu, a squaw of the Schaghticoke tribe, about 1847.
278. Thread stand, about 125 years old.
Congregational Church:
279. Chair, belonging to Rev. Nathaniel Taylor, second pastor of the Congregational Church, from 1748 to 1800.
Mrs. B. F. Humeston:
280. Fireplace cooker. Used in 1775.
281. Cuff buttons, made in 1797 from ore found in Roxbury.
Mrs. S. E. Bristol:
282. Pitcher, Staffordshire, 175 years old.
Mrs. S. E. Bristol:
283. Silhouette, 90 years old. William Bristol, father of Isaac B. Bristol.
284. Miniature, 80 years old, Heman Crane.
285. Cake basket, 100 years old.
Mrs. H. R. Treadwell:
286.Massachusetts GazetteandBoston News Letterof 1775.
287. Patch box, as used by fashionable ladies of the 17th and 18th centuries, to contain black patches, cut in various shapes and sizes, to stick on the face, supposedly to heighten the brilliancy of the complexion by contrast.
Bessie Kennedy:
288. Shears, hand wrought, date unknown.
Annie Kennedy:
289. Ink well, hollowed out of a solid piece of soapstone.
E. Kennedy:
290. Skillet.
Jeannette L. Gaylord:
291. Old Honiton and point lace.
292. Old embroideries.
293. Portraits, Mr. and Mrs. Ebenezer Gaylord, about 1798.
294. Shell cameo. Portrait of owner’s uncle, W. L. Jewitt, 1840.
295. Old rum bottles and liquor jug, the latter being used in olden times to carry to the hayfields.
296. Indian needle-case and horn spoons.
W. F. Gaylord:
297. Three Indian implements.
Mrs. Theodore Carlson:
298. Swedish bracelet. Wood and iron watch chain, Swedish.
Jeannette L. Gaylord:
299. Lace evening cloak. 1850.
Mrs. Henry Hine:
300. Articles from Martinique: Lava; tile from old cathedral; goblets which went through fire; pictures of Martinique after the eruption.
301. Pottery vase from Equador, between 400 and 500 years old.
302. Asphalt, from Asphalt Lake, La Brea, Trinidad.
303. Pottery from Fort de France, Martinique.
304. Tea pot from Cuba.
305. Chocolate bean and picture, Trinidad.
306. Two photos, Kingston, Jamaica.
Mrs. Charles Taylor:
307. Miniature of Mrs. Margaret Craft. Painted just before her marriage in 1832. She is now 97 years old.
308. Miniature of Mr. James Craft in 1832.
Harriet A. Taylor Lee:
309. Badge of Israel Putnam in a Greek Society at Yale College, 1776. Given by him to Wm. Taylor.
310. Prayer Book, English, published during the reign of King George and Queen Caroline. Belonging to Colonel Wm. Taylor.
Mrs. E. A. Wildman:
311. Pewter platter, 130 years old.
Mrs. Henry Hine:
312. Anklet, or Hindoo bracelet.
313. Alligator.
314. Candle-stick, Trinidad.
315. Poinsettia bean, Martinique. Nutmeg, Puerto Cabello. Betel nut (natives chew to blacken teeth).
Miss A. E. Bostwick:
316. Sampler, 1831, made by Lucy M. Sanford (afterwards Mrs. William Bostwick), when nine years old.
Mrs. C. A. Smith:
317. Brass candle-stick, made by hand in 1767.
318. Legal document bearing signature of Roger Sherman.
319. Pocketbook made by Kent Wright, the first white child born in Kent, Conn.
Mrs. Lily Traver:
320. China, 18 pieces, very old.
321. Cuff buttons, hand-made, Chinese.
322. Indian implements and bead bag.
323. Silver spoons, very old.
324. Candle-stick.
325. Coins and bill (Confederate).
326. Breastpin and ribbon, 100 years.
327. Book and old documents. Account of third and last voyage of Capt. Cook, in 1776.
328. Salt-cellar.
329. Map, drawn by Sarah Northrop (afterwards married to Col. Starr) in 1822.
Mrs. J. Leroy Buck:
330. Tea caddy. Owned by Mrs. Ithamar Canfield, born Jan. 2, 1770. Loaned by her great-granddaughter.
331. Dressing case, owned by Ithamar Canfield, born Feb. 19, 1764; died Apr. 11, 1848.
332. Document. Share in Toll Bridge Co.
Lawrence Northrop:
333. Sword, carried in War of 1812.
Willis F. Bennett:
334. Powder horn, used in Revolutionary War by Sam Bennett.
335. Snuff box, used by Isaac Baldwin, soldier in the Revolutionary War.
Flora G. Stillson:
336. Invitation to opening ball at the New England House, Dec. 11, 1856.
J. H. Nettleton:
337. Indian relics, found in New Milford.
Helen M. Boardman:
338. Chinese idols, brought from China in 1854 by Frederic A. Boardman.
The Misses Boardman:
339. Gondola hook, used in Venice by the nobility in the early part of the 17th century.
Miss Rose Murdoch:
340. English miniature, mother of Mrs. David Murdoch.
341. Mexican ivory, very old.
Albert Evitts:
342. Vegetable dish, used by Dr. Williams. Old willow ware.
Mrs. H. S. Mygatt:
343. Bull’s-eye watch, over 100 years of age.
344. Bouquet holder, 75 years old.
Helen M. Boardman:
345. Compass, made from tree sent by Thomas Jefferson to Mount Vernon, and planted by General Lafayette.
Martha D. Treadwell:
346. Watch, 75 years old.
347. Jewelry, very old.
J. H. Nettleton:
348. Flint lock pistol.
Mrs. Nettleton:
349. Hand-made collar, 60 years old.
Congregational Church:
350. Picture of Rev. Noah Porter, D. D., LL. D., pastor of the Congregational Church 1836-1843. Afterwards President of Yale College.
Russell B. Noble:
351. Picture of house (now standing) on the plains about two miles south of the village of New Milford, with the deed, dated 30th day of May, in the 12th year of his Majesty’s reign, A. D. 1772, conveying it to his son, Ezra Dibble Noble, by Zadok Noble, grandson of John Noble, the first settler.
352. Silhouette picture of Charles Clement Noble, son of Ichabod, son of Ezra Dibble, son of Zadok, son of David, son ofJohn Noble, who settled in New Milford, A. D. 1707.
353. Three commissions signed by Governors: Jonathan Trumbull, John Treadwell, John Cotton Smith.
354. Dr. William Gordon’s “History of the Rise, Progress, and Establishment of the Independence of the United States of America,” in 4 volumes. Published in London, 1788.
355. Map of New Milford, published by Richard Clark, 1853.
Mrs. Henry Brinsmade:
356. Picture, Mrs. George N. Mallory, born in New Milford, Sept. 17, 1808. Now living in New Haven. This picture was taken at the age of 97.
Geo. B. Ackley:
357. Bellows, over 100 years.
Mrs. Charles E. Marsh:
358. Bible, leather-covered, printed 1696. From my grandfather, Allen Marsh.
Chas. E. Marsh:
359. A reel.
360. Double linen wheel.
361. Foot stove.
362. Single linen wheel.
363. A spinning wheel, for wool.
Mr. E. P. Hill:
364. Iron fire dogs.
Miss Sarah J. Roberts:
365. A Pilgrim staff, brought to New Milford in 1750 by Mr. Eli Roberts.
Mrs. Arza Morris:
366. Ancient gridiron.
367. Reel.
368. Swift.
369. Linen wheel.
370. Wheel for spinning wool.
371. Blue and white blanket (Phebe Velie).
372. Blue and white blanket.
373. Hatchel for flax.
Mrs. Eli Welton:
374. Old mirror.
375. Sunrise quilt, home spun and woven.
376. Tulip quilt.
Mrs. Carson B. Mead:
377. Map of original thirteen States. About 1785.
378. Gun used in Revolutionary War.
379. Indian hatchet and pistol.
Mrs. Grace C. Wellwood:
380. Hanging iron lamp.
David Barnum:
381. Button-hole cutter.
Mrs. Hannah More Jessup:
382. Candle-stick, used in Platt’s Tavern in Bridgewater, in 1820.
383. Whale-oil lamp.
384. Geography, 1807.
385. Tent lantern of Gen. Burgoyne, taken by a Bridgewater soldier at the time of his surrender, at Saratoga, 1777. Gen. Burgoyne’s own lantern.
386. Lantern belonging to one of the first settlers of New Milford (Bostwick) and used in the War of 1812.
387. Tripod wooden candle-stick.
Mrs. Dora K. Sanford:
388. Glass lamp, 1850 or earlier.
389. Pewter lamps, about 1800.
390. Lard lamp, about 1770.
Mrs. Horace Allen:
391. Masonic pitcher.
Boardman Wright:
392. Autograph letter of Daniel Webster.
393.New England Weekly Journal, April 8, 1728, an early number of one of the first newspapers published in this country, the first number of theBoston News Letter(the first newspaper) having appeared Apr. 24, 1704.
394.Country Journal and Poughkeepsie Advertiser, 1787 to 1789. Contemporary account of Washington’s first inauguration.
George W. Murphy:
395. Iron tea-kettle, over 100 years old.
Mrs. Henry Ives:
396. Silver spoon, made from silver coin earned by spinning (1799), by the grandmother of Deacon Henry Ives.
H. C. Ives:
397. Silver tea-pot, about 100 years old. Owned by the grandfather of H. C. Ives.
Mrs. H. C. Ives:
398. Sugar-tongs, made from silver dollars in 1825, at the silversmith establishment of Stanley Sanford Baldwin, for his bride, Harriet Stevens. Grandparents of Mrs. H. C. Ives.
399. Brass candle-sticks, over 100 years old.
F. J. Turrill:
400. Deed, from Daniel Boardman, 1729.
401. Plow, used by John Turrill, a Revolutionary soldier.
William B. Pell:
402. Collection of Continental currency.
403. Pewter mug, part of the camp outfit of the 24th regiment of Napoleon’scuirassiers. From the room which the Duke of Wellington occupied after the battle, and known to have been used by him.
404. Club, made from a part of the ram “Merrimac” of the Confederate Navy. Sunk at the engagement at Hampton Roads, Va., by U. S. S. “Monitor.”
W. F. Gaylord:
405. Gun, used in three old wars. Carried by Zephaniah Briggs, when 24 years old, in French and Indian War; in the Revolutionary War by the same man at 46 years of age; and in the War of 1812 by the same man at 78. He lived to be 103.
Mrs. S. E. Bristol:
406. Old China, 100 and 150 years old.
Mrs. H. C. Ives:
407. Collection of old china, 97 pieces, all very old.
Mrs. P. L. Anderson:
408. Roman mosaic jewelry, 60 or 70 years old.
Mrs. Henry R. Treadwell:
409. Autograph letter of Gen. Washington.
Mrs. W. H. Percy:
410. Silhouettes, Stanley Sanford Baldwin and wife, 1825. Mexican medal, presented by State of Louisiana to Zachary Taylor, Major General.
Miss M. E. Hine:
411. Sampler, worked by Alta Eliza Gaylord, 1829.
Mrs. G. W. Wright:
412. The idol of the royal family of the Sandwich Islands. Presented to a missionary by Kamehameha I.
413. Taper for reading, age unknown.
414. Spoon, formerly the property of Daniel Boardman, who was ordained the first pastor of the Congregational Church, then called the “Church of Christ,” Nov. 21, 1716. The spoon is marked:
BD I
B is for Boardman, D is for Daniel, I is for Jerusha, his wife.
415. Latin Psalter, 1509.
416. Prayer Book. Changed from the English ritual to American P. E. ritual in handwriting of Bishop Provost. It lay on the altar of Trinity Church, New York, for many years previous to the Revolution. When the church burned down during the occupancy of New York by the British, the cinders from the burning roof left their marks on the cover.
Boardman Wright and Rev. F. A. Wright:
417. Pictorial German Bible, 1692. Formerly property of Rev. J. Friedrich Schröder, minister in the German Lutheran Church, in Mecklenburg.
Mrs. Boardman Wright:
418. Silver chatelaine.
419. Scarf.
420. Scarf.
421. Sandalwood fan.
422. Hand-painted fan, sticks, mother-of-pearl, gold inlaid.
423. Fan, sticks, mother-of-pearl, silver inlaid.
424. Lace, Rose Point and Duchesse.
425. Old lady’s cap.
Boardman Wright:
426. Invitation, Dance Programme and Menu. Ball given in honor of Prince of Wales (now King Edward VII.), in 1860.
427. Silver tankard, property of Daniel Boardman, the first minister of New Milford. Probably brought from England by Samuel Boardman in 1633.
Mrs. Florence Buck Loonan:
428. Clock, more than 150 years old. Wooden works, made with a knife.
Raymond Goodsell:
429. Indian arrow-heads in case.
Mrs. C. H. Allen:
430. Lustre pitcher, about 150 years old.
431. Sugar-bowl, over 100 years of age.
432. Lafayette Cup.
Mrs. G. W. Wright:
433. Chair, property of Madame Boardman (Mrs. Daniel Boardman), wife of the first minister of New Milford.
Boardman Wright:
434. Hat badge (U. S. Engineers). Worn by Gen. Robert E. Lee through the Mexican War.
Dr. G. H. Wright:
435. Old wooden fireplace, frame and mantel. Old fireplace crane.
Mrs. Henry E. Bostwick:
436. Commission, William Gaylord, 1723.
437. Two commissions, Benjamin Gaylord, 1760 and 1762.
438. Sword captured during the Revolutionary War from the Tory leader, Wade Vaughn, by the Gaylord Band.
439. Silver, over 100 years old, showing style of engraving at that time. Initial of both husband and wife, D. T. M.—David and Tamasin Merwin.
440. Pitch-pipe used in the old Congregational “Meeting House.”
441. Powder horn, carried through the Revolutionary War.
442. Piece of the wedding dress of Mrs. Abel Seeley, married before the Revolutionary War. It is home-spun linen and hand-woven, in imitation of French muslin.
Mrs. Henry E. Bostwick:
443. Pewter porringer.
444. China.
Mrs. G. W. Wright:
445. Tea pot, cup and saucer, imported from China by Hon. Elijah Boardman, about 1790.
446. Holster and flint lock pistols.
Mrs. S. E. Bristol:
447. Gold watch and chain, 150 years old.
E. J. Emmons:
448. Newspaper,Ulster County Gazette, 1800. Account of funeral of George Washington.
Mrs. C. H. Allen:
449. Medicine chest, over 100 years old.
Sadie Strong:
450. Knitted counterpane, about 40 years old.
A. H. McMahon:
451. Millennium plate, over 160 years old.
Mrs. Henry E. Bostwick:
452. Engraving of Roger Sherman.
Mrs. Willis F. Bennett:
453. Iron peel, nearly 100 years old. Used for placing and withdrawing food from the brick oven.
Dr. G. H. Wright:
454. White satin suit, worn by Senator Elijah Boardman.
Dr. H. H. Hartwell:
455. Trooper’s coat.
Mrs. Helen B. Carr:
456. Dress, made in style shown in London Fashion Book of 1799.
Mrs. Salmon and Fred Buck:
467. Silver spoon, 150 years old. Cup and saucer used by Roger Sherman’s sister.
Mrs. Helen B. Carr:
458. Sermons of Rev. Daniel Boardman.
459. Sampler, 1804.
460. Locket and ring, worn by the grandmother of Mrs. Helen B. Carr.
Will Cogswell:
461. Dagger found during Revolutionary War. Indian Hammer Head.
Mrs. F. W. Knowles:
462. China, over 100 years old; 11 pieces.
463. Flax grown in New Milford by John Caldwell, in 1800.
464. Tailor’s shears, over 150 years old. With these shears the lady represented in the daguerreotype of No. 465 earned by tailoring the gold beads of No. 465.
465. Gold beads and daguerreotype, very old.
466. Dress worn by Harriet Beard when married to Charles Knowles.
The Misses Boardman:
467. Two brooches; one, tomb of Washington, the other, made from the Charter Oak.
Clarissa T. Staples:
468. Queen Anne knife and fork, Sheffield plate, made in 1690.
Mrs. Ellen Lamson:
469. Tea pot, 200 years old, brought over from England.
G. G. Bray:
470. Tray, 150 years old.
C. Andrew Humeston:
471. Wedgewood pitcher; lustre pitcher, very old; cup and saucer, 80 years old.
Mrs. F. E. Starr:
472. Apron, home-spun linen, worked with crewels. Very old.
Clarissa T. Staples:
473. Candle-stick, formerly used by Samuel Treadwell.
Ormida Northrop Pratt:
474. Brewster Cup, 150 years old, belonging to Mrs. Mary Brewster Beach, whose father was William Brewster, second son of Elder Brewster, of theMayflower.
475. Sampler, 90 years old, embroidered by Mary Brewster Beach, great-great-granddaughter of Elder Brewster, of theMayflower.
476. Fan of Mrs. Jane (Mills) Bordwell, wife of Rev. Joel Bordwell, pastor of Kent Congregational Church, 1758-1811.
477. Purse, 75 years old.
Mrs. Seymour C. Loomis:
478. Ring dropped by Lafayette in the house of my great-great-great-grandmother, Abigail Starr Taylor, in Danbury, during the Revolutionary War.
479. Brooch. Belonged to Mrs. Ithamar Canfield, worn during 1700.
480. Book, used by Abigail Starr, wife of Major Daniel Starr, 1750.
481. Letter of Abigail Starr, 1756.
482. Slipper worn by Abigail Starr, 1765.
Helen M. Boardman:
483. Brooch (Italian), about 75 years old.
Miss M. D. Porter:
484. Door-handle from back door of Rev. Nathaniel Taylor’s house in New Milford, probably made for the front door by the old blacksmith, Daniel Burritt, whose initials are on it, 1759. When repairs were made in the house, in the summer of 1880 or 1881, this old latch was taken off and given to Mrs. Mary Taylor Porter.
485. Powder horn (Abel Hine, 1758).
486. Pulpit Bible, used by Rev. Nathaniel Taylor, who was settled in New Milford in 1748, and died after a pastorate of 52 years. This Bible was given to him by his father, Daniel Taylor, of Danbury.
487. Silhouette, Rev. Nathaniel William Taylor, D. D. (grandson of Rev. Nathaniel Taylor), made by Samuel Metford, New Haven, in 1842.
Mrs. Chas. Taylor:
488. Hand-made counterpane. Made for large four-post bedstead, of linen, with pattern done in candle wicking, drawn through.
The“Old Home Gathering” in Roger Sherman Hall, at 8:30 o’clock Saturday evening, was presided over by W. Frank Kinney, Chairman of the Committee on Invitation, Reception, and Entertainment. Mr. Kinney, by way of welcome, spoke as follows:
“You do not know how hard it is for me to come to-night into a place like this. I was asked by the committee to take charge of these exercises for reasons that you well know. I am asked to give you a welcome to our town. ‘Surely, the love of home is interwoven with all that is pure, deep, and lasting in earthly affection. Let us wander where we may, the heart turns back with secret longing to the paternal roof. There all the scattered rays of affection concentrate. Time may enfeeble them, distance overshadow them, and the storms of life obscure them for a season, but they will at length break through the clouds and gloom, and glow, and burn, and brighten, around the peaceful threshold of home.’ Thus wrote the poet Longfellow, and I repeat those lines because they express in so much better language than it is possible for me to do, the thoughts that are uppermost in your hearts to-night.
“We welcome you to-night to these grand old hills, among which your ancestors were born and bred, and where they drew the inspiration that made them the men of mark and note of their day; over whose wooded heights you tramped with the old gun on your shoulder, looking for the gray squirrel, watching for the rise of the partridge, or listening to the distant baying of the hound, as he chased the fox along the trail.
“We welcome you back to these beautiful valleys, where, in your earlier days, you bent your back, and, by the sweat of your brow, earned your daily bread. We welcome you back to the
ROGER SHERMAN HALL AND CHURCH STREETROGER SHERMAN HALL AND CHURCH STREET
noble old river, where you swam and bathed in its clear, bright waters, or sailed so smoothly upon its bosom, or skated over it, in its winter coat, or, perhaps, studied astronomy by counting the stars as you lay prone upon your back.
“We welcome you back to these beautiful mountain streams that come tumbling down the hills, and through the valleys to the river, which many a day you followed with hook and line, trying to entice the speckled beauty from some favorite haunt. Welcome back to the little red school house at the corner, where you learned your A, B, C’s, and to the historic old birch tree that stands near by, and of whose branches you still have tender memories. Welcome back to the dear old church, within whose sacred walls you spent so many hallowed hours, and from which you took many of the sweetest, as well as the saddest, memories of the old town.
“Welcome back to the old homesteads, ‘Sacred to all that can gladden, or sadden, the heart of man, over whose thresholds of oak and stone, life and death has come and gone.’ We leave you there, we cannot cross those thresholds; but when you come forth again, we welcome you to our beautiful village, to the festivities of this Bi-Centennial occasion. And to those who have come back after a few years of absence, and to those who have come to the homes of their ancestors for the first time, you will find we have hearts warm enough, and homes large enough, to welcome you all. Again I say, welcome, thrice welcome to our grand old town.”
Brief speeches, replete with sentiment and reminiscence, were made by Rev. George S. Bennitt, D. D., of Jersey City; Hon. Henry C. Sanford, of Bridgewater (formerly a part of New Milford); Boardman Wright and Timothy Dwight Merwin, New York lawyers; Rev. John T. Huntington, of Hartford, and Edwin W. Marsh, a Bridgeport banker—all members of families which have been closely identified with New Milford interests for several generations.
The Chairman read the following poem, written for the occasion by Mary Murdoch Mason, daughter of a former pastor of the Congregational Church: