Wethersfield Historical Society
History Happens Every Day
By Linda Pagliuco As long as it shall stand, the Joseph Webb house on Main Street in Wethersfield will be firmly linked to the name of George Washington. Fewer people know, however, that when Washington was inaugurated as the first president of the newly created United States of America, the …
Continue reading “The Revolutionary Life of Samuel Blachley Webb”
by Jim Meehan with Additional Remarks by John Oblak (From “The Mitchell Medley” and sung to the tune: “Annie Laurie”) Â Christopher, Dave and Sir Andrew Were fathers of our clan; Andrew was the King’s Scotch Chaplain; Â Nathan was a minute man; David was a Governor; Â Many Mitchells died at …
by Francis Wells Fox [The following account of the life of Joseph Emerson was written by Francis Wells Fox in 1934 for presentation to the Women’s Saturday Afternoon Club of Wethersfield. A brief history of that organization follows the article. Wethersfield’s Emerson Williams Elementary School is named in honor of …
Continue reading “Joseph Emerson: Pioneer in Women’s Education”
by Jim Meehan “There are no dividends to compare with the comfort and contentment, no returns equal to the personal pride felt by the man who owns the home that shelters his family.” – Alfred G. Hubbard, Wethersfield Homebuilder But the living quarters constructed in 1633 by John Oldham and …
by Henry von Wodtke [Glastonbury, Newington and Rocky Hill Connecticut are all daughter towns of Wethersfield – each with its own story.] The need for early Congregationalists to participate weekly in public worship was a major factor in causing Glastonbury to break away from Wethersfield. On Sundays, if at all …
Continue reading “Religion in Glastonbury: the Congregationalists”
By Abbie B. Dunn This article is posted with the permission of The Wethersfield Post where it was previously published. One hundred years ago “rapid transit” meant the horse railway. Wethersfield was the first town adjacent to Hartford to have this service. Before that, the Red Bird Stage which was …
Joseph Loconte, PhD, is an expert on religious freedom, faith and American foreign policy, and international human rights. In 2008, he was a distinguished visiting professor at the School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University. From 1999-2006, he held the first chair in religion as the William E. Simon Fellow …
By Joseph Loconte  The passion of American ministers for political freedom in 1776 reflected their belief in religious toleration. On Sunday morning, Jan. 21, 1776, at a church in Woodstock, Va., Rev. Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg brought his Sermon to a dramatic and unexpected crescendo. His text was taken from …
Additional remarks by Jim Meehan “Nobody thinks that were these women witches anymore, so what’s the point? History proves they weren’t witches.” (A modern day resident of Salem Massachusetts.) Witch trials were held in Connecticut between 1647 and 1697 – five of them in the town of Wethersfield – …
By Doug Maine – July 2005 It is was early on a Friday night, May 20, 1955, and Gerard Stewart was dressed up and on his way to a greater Hartford Jaycees function when horns sounded, summoning volunteer firefighters. In the days before volunteer firefighters had radios or beepers, Mr. …