Does Sandy Hook have a secret?

"Well, which one," replied town historian Dan Cruson. From the crowd around him came laughter. Joking again, he said, "I am funding my retirement on blackmail." Not officially part of his walking history tour of Sandy Hook on Saturday, June 13, that drew a couple of dozen of curious residents, he indulged those who overheard: "There are so many scandals."

The group stood on the corner of Church Hill Road and Washington Avenue where fieldstone steps lead downward past a wooden bench to the Pootatuck River's edge, the sounds of passing cars and rough water crashing over stones interjecting themselves into the conversation. Around residents and the historian were old industrial brick buildings filled with worn wide-plank floors, high ceilings, and windows "melting" with age, and plenty of interesting stories.

Looking beyond the facades and rural images prompted by a footbridge reaching across the river, Mr Cruson talked about people who first lived and worked on the once-dirt streets.

"This was a lower class working community," he said. The "Hookâ" was unlike lifestyles lived up the hill along Main Street. "So 'a little friction,'" he explained. Taking note of the now elevated railroad that passes over Church Hill Road, he added, "This is literally the other side of the tracks."

With walking shoes, baseball caps and sunglasses ready, residents — many new to town including several who now live at the Regency at Newtown — hoped to learn something about their local history.

Elaine and Larry Lowell, Regency residents relocated from out of state, said,"We want to find out the history of the area." Earlier that day they had learned that the board game Scrabble had been developed in town and tea bags were also invented here.

Making a promise recently to Sandy Hook residents to revive the tours he had done in the past, Mr Cruson took the cluster of participants down Riverside Road, across the Pootatuck River and traveled a few steps down Glen Road, and along the bottom of Church Hill to view the former Sandy Hook Hotel building.

Sandy Hook's history is available in closer detail in Mr Cruson's Books, Images of America Newtown and Newtown: 1900-1960.