Daniel Cruson

Newtown (Images of America) Daniel Cruson

Included in this collection are some of the earliest

photographs ever taken of Newtown. In addition, Newtown

shows some of the earliest views of the outlying farming

and industrial communities such as Berkshire, Botsford,

and Hawleyville. Many images also recall the town's career

as a resort town--from the earliest Main Street hotels to

the teahouses that sprang up as the automobile grew in

popularity. We also visit the summer recreation communities

that developed on Lake Zoar in the 1920s and 1930s. A

whole chapter deals with the pivotal role that the railroad

played in the growth of Newtown. In addition, there is

considerable coverage of the War Maneuvers of 1912, which

were conducted all over the eastern portion of the town and

finally centered on Castle Hill just west of Main Street.

Newtown includes many photographs newly developed

from glass negatives and several recently discovered

photographs of great significance. These are all being

published here for the first time by Mr. Cruson, a trustee

of the Newtown Historical Society, town historian, and

president of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut.