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Newtown Historical Society To Roar Into The 1920s

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Newtown Historical Society To Roar Into The 1920s

Did the twenties really roar? You bet they did, and Newtown Historical Society will roar along with them in its next program, “Twenty-Two Skidoo and All That!” on Monday, November 9.

Gordon Williams will present the program at 7:30 in the community room of C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street.

Tired of the austerity of World War I and apprehensive of Woodrow Wilson’s promise to make the world safe for democracy, Americans withdrew from idealism, refused to join the League of Nations, and got back to the business of having fun.

In spite of the temperance movement’s ultimate success in banning alcohol from any use other than medical, Americans drank like never before. Venturesome young ladies in shockingly short skirts and rolled-up hose frequented speakeasies to dance the Black Bottom and the Charleston. Liquor flowed at colleges: fraternity parties boasted bathtub gin, and at football games, women in cloche hats snuggled up to men in raccoon coats with pockets filled with flasks. Rum-running and moonshine became big business, and the money fueled both “respectable” fortunes and the rise of organized crime.

Nor was the frantic pace of change limited to the young or urban communities. Change was ubiquitous, with salesmen peddling windup phonographs and battery radios to country folk, the local town auditorium offering the latest silent film, and the new crazes of mah jongg and crossword puzzles could be found everywhere.

The Scopes “Monkey Trial” shook religious foundations, and everyone knew Babe Ruth. Women finally had the vote, and helped elect handsome but inept Warren Harding, whose administration was soon in flames from scandal. He was succeeded by Silent Cal Coolidge who, in a burst of verbosity, said, “After all, the chief business of the American people is business,” and business was good.

Americans were building, spending and investing without limit, right up to the end of the decade when the stock market crash precipitated the Great Depression, ending all the fun.

Gordon Williams is a historian and former teacher well-known to groups in town. He was Trumbull’s Teacher of the Year, a Fulbright Scholar and exchange teacher, and still loves to spin a historic tale.

He has spoken before for the historical society, of which he is a former president, and other local groups many times.  He is also active with the Lions Club in Newtown.

Please note this change from the society’s announced schedule; the Civil War program had to be canceled due to illness in the presenter’s family, and Gordon Williams was able to switch from his spot later in the season to fill in for November. The historical society is hoping to reschedule the Civil War program at a later date.

Newtown Historical Society programs are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served following the presentation.

Reservations are not needed but additional information is available by calling 426-5937.

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