The Tercentennial Calendar

Makes Its Debut

After more than a year in the making and production, the Newtown Tercentennial Calendar has arrived in time for the December 18 Famous Artists signing. Calendars will be available for signing at Lexington Gardens from 11 am to 12:30 pm and at My Place for a signing and reception from 1 to 2 pm.

This 2005 calendar, in addition to being the first major publication of the tercentennial, is also a limited edition and a first-time compilation of 13 celebrated Newtown artists. The calendar also includes the first chronological history of interesting and important events throughout Newtown’s 300 years.

The limited edition calendar was commissioned by the Newtown Tercentennial Commission Steering Committee, chaired by Town Historian Dan Cruson, and created through the efforts of the Publication Committee of the commission, including Justin Scott, Ray Sipherd, Joann Rochman, Don Brooks, and Mae Schmidle.

The calendar features the work of Paul Attard, Patricia Berjman, Betty Christenson, Robert Cottingham, Dana Fradon, Eleanor Loecher, Dick McEvoy, Michael Morshuk, David Merril, Ruth Newquist, Mae S. Schmidle, James Travers, and Virginia Zic.

Technical assistance was provided by Joseph Pereira, Sue Walker, and Brad Stanton.

Assisting during the calendar signing reception and distribution will be Betsey Slaney, Peggy Cragin, Mr Brooks, and Virginia King.

The calendar is destined to become a collector’s item not only for its art but for its historical chronology as well. Historical events through Newtown’s 300 years were gathered by Ms Schmidle from Newtown land records, journals, Connecticut Colony records, Connecticut Historical Society collection, Public Records of the State of Connecticut, Connecticut Archives, Ezra Levan Johnson’s Newtown’s History and Historian, and The Newtown Bee. Each month, several historical items have been inserted in the calendar as well as in an additional four, full pages.

The front cover of the calendar features an acrylic by David Merrill, “Looking Up Church Hill Road.” On the back cover is the Newtown logo created by Brad Howe of Curtis Packaging.

Some historical facts included in the calendar are: January 8, 1929, Mary Elizabeth Hawley established a trust fund of $250,000 for Edmond Town Hall; February 25, 1782, Newtown makes its quota of recruits for the Revolutionary War; March 31, 1905, telephones arrive in Newtown; April 24, 1861, the first three Newtowners enlist and are mustered for the Civil War.

May 11, 1930, Mary Elizabeth Hawley dies; June 6, 1855, Newtown Savings Bank incorporated; July 12, 1919, Stevenson Dam hydroelectric plant established; August 30, 1930, Edmond Town Hall opened; September 24, 1711, first town meeting held, elected officers and divided land; October 14, 1848, Newtown advertised for proposals to care for local paupers; November 21, 1791, voted to give a certificate to Nehemiah Curtis for the freedom of his slave, Tobias; and December 24, 1764, voted to ring the Meeting House bell at all funerals, burials, and meetings.

Additional interesting facts about Newtown are included in the final four pages of the calendar, including the following: January 10, 1756, there were 23 slaves in Newtown; February 14, 1840, the first passenger train ran through Newtown, from Bridgeport to New Milford; March 5, 1772, a special town meeting was held to “Consider what method may be proper to take concerning Mathew Crofoot’s intrigue with the Widow Parmelee”; March 20, 1871, 243 men from Newtown served in the Civil War; April 19, 1909, William Upton invented the tea bag in Hawleyville; May 19, 1855, voted a $1,000 fine for allowing animals to roam on the Sabbath; June 8, 1909, Crowe-Keane Button Company employed 25 girls and 15 men to make horn and hoof buttons in all sizes.

Also, July 31, 1920, voted to postpone indefinitely the proposal to build a new high school; August 25, 1920, school committee resigned in a body; September 7, 1860, first burial in St Rose Cemetery in Sandy Hook; October 18, 1775, Newtown had no representatives in the General Court (now the General Assembly); November 13, 1780, appoint a committee to furnish flour, beef, and pork for Army use; and December 4, first annual town meeting.

For additional information about the tercentennial calendars, call Mae Schmidle, 426-6264, or Joanne Rochman, 426-5922.