History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

The Herald of Freedom was started in Bethel, then a part of Danbury, in October, 1831, by P. T. Barnum. We may note here that Mr. Barnum, for an tdlcgcd libel on a citizen of Bethel, was tried in October, 1832, found guilty, and sentenced to imprisonment for si.xty days and fined one hundred dollars. The sentence, so far as imprisonment was c<iriceriicd, was immediately carried out, Mr. Barnum being confined in the jail, from whence he continued to edit his paper. His release was nuide the occasion of a grttiid ovation by his friends. It is but fair to state here that the jury, in finding Mr. Barnum guilty, did so on mere technical grounds, believing that the utmost |iunish- ment he would receive would be a small fine, and were its much .astonished as was Mr. Barnum at the severity of the sentence. The fine of one hundred dollars was subsequently collected from Jlr. Barnum by the State attorney, Mr. Ferris, of Stamford. In 1832 a theological department was added to the paper, un- der charge of Rev. L. F. W. Andrews, a Univer.salist clergyman, and tlie name changed to Herald of Free- dom and Goxpcl Witness. In 1833 the paper Wiis niox'ed to Danbury proper, and the religious deiiartment of the paper and the latter portion of the name drojiped. Its publication was continued here till November, 1834, when the paper was removed to Norwalk and published by other parties under a new name. The office of publication in Danbury was oil the east side of Main Street, opposite the park. 230 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. The Connecticut Repository was established in 1832 by Alanson Taylor. It lived but a short time. The Danbimj Gazette was started in 1833 by AVilmot & Lobdall. This paper liveil only tlirec years. In May, 1836, The JJaiibiiry Chronicle and Fairfield County Democrat waa started by Edward Layden. In 1837 he disposed of his paper to Jlr. E. B. Osborne, who in July of the same year established The Danbury Timeg, its office being the same as that which had been occupied by the Recorder. Jlr. Osborne continued its editor and proprietor till lS4o, when he disposed of the jiaper to his brothers, Harvey and Levi, and re- moved to Poughkeepsie, N. Y., where he published The Daily Press and Weekly Telegraph. The Hatters' Journal was started in 1855 by Gran- ville W. Morris, but it was continued only a few months. The Junta, a small campaign sheet, w;is published here for a short time in 184G by Edward Taylor. The Jeffersonian was established in 1860 by a num- ber of gentlemen as a Republican paper, with W. A. Croftut as editor. The office was in Hull's brick block, near the Wooster House. In about a year Jlr. Newtown obtained an interest in the paper, and the previous owners sold out to Mr. B. F. Ashley, who took the editorial charge. He conducted the paper alone till December, 1865, when Mr. J. H. Swertfaeger purchased an interest. In 186G, Mr. Ashley retired, and Mr. Swertfaeger continued the paper alone till March, 1870, when he sold out to the publishers of The Times. The Jeffersonian was from the first a seven-column, twenty-four by thirty-eight, paper. In March, 1870, The Danbury Jeffersonian was pur- chased by James M. Bailey and Timothy Donovan, the proprietors of The Danbury Times. The two pa- pers were consolidated and became The Danbury News, with Mr. Bailey as editor. The paragraphs which gave the paper its reputation originated in The Times a year or two before the consolidation. Mr. Bailey continued this style of writing in The Xeios, but not to the extent he subsequently followed it. The News started with a circulation of nearly fifteen hundred copies, which on the 1st of January, 1873, liad reached nineteen hundred, — all this being strictly of a local class. In the beginning of that year the paper was sought by outside parties, and in February found its way to eity news-stands. In August, 1873, the circu- lation reached its highest figure, — thirty thousand. In October, 1873, the office was moved to a building erected for its uses, and a special edition for outside circulation was then begun, and continued until the close of the year 1879. In February, 1878, Mr. Bailey bought the interest of his partner, and became the proprietor of the business. The News is in a highly- prosjierous condition, and has attained a national and almost world-wide reputation. As a paragrapher Mr. Bailey stands without a superior, and The Danbury News ranks with The Detroit Free Press, The Burling- ton Hawkeye, and other journals of its class in the United States. As a local journal, also, it is unsur- passed. The Danburian appeared in 1874, but its stay was of short duration. In October, 1878, The People, a Greenback cam- paign organ, was started by T. Donovan, but was dis- continued after the November election. The Danbury Globe was started by W. Frank Page, May 4, 1874, and was conducted by him until his death, in January, 1879. It is now edited by .1. A. Wilcox. It was Kcpublican in politics until July 13, 1880, when it became an independent paper. It is a good local journal, and justly merits its success. The Danbury Democrat was started June 1, 1877, by Levi K. Wildman, who still conducts it. Mr. AVild- man set his first type in the office of The Herald of Freedom, a paper publislied in Betliel — which at that time was a part of Danbury — by P. T. Barnum. The Democrat is a local sheet of merit, and an advocate of Democratic principles. The Danbury Republican was established by W. B. Bartram, March 22, 1879, ius an indejjcndent Republi- can journal. JIuch energy and good judgment must have been used during the first year of its existence, for it at once advanced to a prominent place in j)ro- vincial journalism, gaining a wide circulation and a large advertising patronage. Although a sheet of large proportions when started, it was a few months later considerably enlarged, and on Aug. 3, 1880, was changed to a somi-weckly. It is an earnest advocate of the princii)les of the Republican party, and the able editorial management of Mr. Bartram has placed it in the front rank of the provincial press in the State. G.\S-LIGIIT CO.MPAXY. The Danbury Gas-Light Company w:is organized in 1857 with Henry Benedict president, and gas was first used in Danbury in November of the same year. SECRET SOCIETIES. Wboster Council, No. 28, Royal and Select Masters, was chartered by the (irand Council of Connecticut, June 6, 1865, with the following charter members: Edmund Tweedy, Joseph Treadwell, Wm. F. Bar- num, L. K. JIansfield, John M. Hart, Charles W. Skiff, Abijah Abbott, Amos N. 8tebl)in8, Charles Benedict, D. B. Booth. The present officers are as follows: James H. "Welch, T. I. M. ; C. H. Gunn, R. I. D. M. ; F. R. Nash, I. P. C. of W. ; E. D. Taylor, C. of G. ; E. D. Ritton, Comp. Treas. ; W. G. Ran- dall, Comp. Ree. ; P. W. Ambler, Comp. Cond. ; Milo Dickens, Comp. Sen. Crusade Commandcry, No. 10, Knights Templar, was ehartereil by the (irand Commandcry of Connecticut in Mardi, 1871. Tiie present officers are as follows: James B. Wihlmau, E. C. ; Charles H. Gunn, Gen.; P. W. Ambler, Capt.-Gen.; F. R. Nash, Prelate; F. S. Blackburn, Ree. ; E. S. Davis, Treas. ; O. H. Swift, Senior Warden ; J. D. Stevens, Junior Warden ; E. DANBURY. 231 « , D. Ritton, Standiiril-Bearer ; A. F. Cl:irk, 8wi>nl- Bearer; E. 1). Taylor, Warder; E. Eaton, Sd Guard; D. H. Miller, 2d (iuard; James Coles, 1st Guard; Mile Dickens, Sentinel. Eureka Chapter, No. 23, R. A . M., was dedicated June 14, 1857, with the following charter memliers: Miles Hoyt, Starr Perry, John Foot, John Oregorj', Joel Taylor, George Seeley, D. P. Shepard, IMatthew K. Gilbert, Alva Taylor, Frederick S. Wilduian, El)ene- zer Nichols, Ira K. Wilduuvn, Eleazer Taylor, Daniel Doble, Joseph Hitchcock, John Ferguson, Martin Mead, Charles Dart, James Beehe, Comfort ^VIlitl<lck, Thomas P. White, Zar Taylor, Oliver Shepard. Ebenezer Xichids was the first High Priest ; t)liver Shepard, first King; and Ira R. Wildman, first Scribe. The present officers are as follows; C. H. Gunn, M. E. H. P.; F. R. Xa.sh, K. ; C. I. Allen, Scribe; E. C.Oakley, Capt. of Host ; M. W. Scott, P. S. ; E. D. Ritton, Sec. ; E. S. Davis, Treus. ; J. D. Stevens, R. A. C. ; C. A. Crawford, Master 3d Veil ; A. M. Steele, Master 2d Veil ; S. S. Bedient, blaster 1st Veil; P. W. Ambler, Sentinel. Union Lod'/e, A". 4, /•'. ai/il _(. ,1/!, was organized during the troublous times of the Revolutionary struggle, its charter being issued March 23, 17S0, upon application of twelve members, whose names are given in the same. They were Sallu Pell, William Joyce, James Clark, Landierton Lockwood, John Berrien, F. Wainwright, Christopher A. Babcock, William B. Alger, Joseph AVillsea, Christopher Duveknick, Thaddeus Benedict, and James Scon- gall. The present officers are M. AV. Scott, W. M. ; A. B. Holley, S. W. ; J. Y. Stet.son, J. W. ; J. H. Welch, Sec; S. C. Holley, Treas. ; A. O. Knapp, Senior Dea- con ; .1. Xobic, Junior Deacon; T. Scofield, Senior Steward ; S. JI. Vcrsory, Junior Steward ; Rcjlxrt Tappan, Tiler. James E. Moora Post, Ko. IS, G. A. i?.--The charter of the post was signed Sept. 27, 18(17, l)y Edward Har- land, the present Adjutant-tieneral of Connecticut, as Department Commander. It was first known as Post No. 4, District No. 4, Department of Connecticut. The name was afterwards changed to Steadman Post, No. 4, Department of Connecticut, and later to the present name. Seventeen members signed the ajipli- cation for a charter. The first officers were: Comman<ler, Capt. Samuel G. Bailey; Senior Vice-Commander, Samuel M. Petit; Junior Vice-Commander, Grandison D. Foote ; Adju- tant, J. Bradley Ridge ; Quartermaster, E. K. Carley. The present officers are : Commander, Gen. James Ryder; Senior Vice-Commander, Col. Samuel Greg- ory ; Junior Vice-Commander, William Henry Hitch- cock ; Adjutant, Charles J. Bennett; Quartermaster, William B. Sharp; Chaplain, George Roff; Surgeon, Albert A. Nash. Tlie membership numbers one hun- dred and fifteen. Capt. James E. Jloore, after whom the pest was named, was killed July 1, 1803, at the battle of Get- tysburg.