Patriots' Day celebrated, Liberty Tree dedicated in New Milford
NEW MILFORD, Conn. — A crowd of residents and visitors recently gathered at town hall for Patriots' Day, which commemorates the first battles of the American Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775.
The event was coordinated by the New Milford Celebrates America 250 Committee, in collaboration with with the Roger Sherman Chapter, NSDAR, Inc. and Governor Oliver Wolcott St. Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.
The Patriots' Day event included commemoration ceremony featuring a reading of "Paul Revere's Ride" and the "Concord Hymn," a reenactment of Paul Revere riding on horseback alerting the public of British attacks, a reading of the names of all New Milford patriots buried in town cemeteries, the raising of the American flag, a patriotic sing-a-along, a mayoral proclamation, and a musket salute.
The New Milford Police Department, VFW and American Legion color guards also participated. And Water Witch Hose Co. No. 2 assisted by raising the flag on one of its ladder trucks.
Following the ceremony, attendees walked to the north end of the Green to dedicate a Liberty Tree, a wildfire gum tree.
Following are the 98 patriots buried in New Milford cemeteries who were recognized at the ceremony. This does not include all patriots from New Milford.
Center Cemetery
Isaac Baldwin,16 Dec 1811
Israel Baldwin,16 Mar 1778
Theophilus Baldwin, 10 Mar 1804
Caleb Bennett, 24 Mar 1790
Elijah Boardman, 18 Aug 1823
Sherman Boardman, 19 Jul 1814
Reuben Booth, 22 Jul 1800
Benjamin Bostwick, 30 Nov 1815
Elisha Bostwick, 11 Dec 1834
Benjamin Brownson, 9 May 1803
Noah Brownson, 19 Mar 1812
James Buck, 28 Jan 1793
David Buel, 10 Sep 1841
John Camp, 8 Aug 1846
Philo Canfield, 11 Mar 1827
Samuel Canfield, 17 Aug 1799
Jesse Cole, 20 Jan 1828
John Comstock, 24 Aug 1798
Daniel Copley, 27 Sep 1847
William Doan, 13 Feb 1812
Elisha Downs, 1 Feb 1812
Lemuel Downs, 14 Oct 1798
Daniel Everett, 20 Jan 1805
Abel Gunn, 12 Oct 1812
Epenetus Gunn, 17 Nov 1821
Joseph Hartwell, 18 Apr 1811
Abel Hine, 9 May 1820
Daniel Hine, 4 Jan 1835
Noble Hine, 15 Oct 1796
Stephen Hine, 27 Feb 1833
Nathan Holt, 11 Oct 1833
Briggs Ingersoll, 30 Sep 1830
Joseph Lines, 29 Jul 1792
David Merwin, 25 Apr 1826
John Merwin, 22 May 1826
Stephen Merwin, 10 Aug 1815
James Morgan, 28 Mar 1816
Zaddock Noble, 13 Jan 1786
Amos Northrup 3rd, 19 Mar 1779
Samuel Oviatt, 31 July 1851
Jeruel Phillips, 16 Dec 1829
Samuel Phillips, 1 Nov 1815
Epenetus Platt, 3 Jun 1815
Asa Prime, 6 Apr 1817
Lazarus Ruggles, 6 May 1797
Eli Starr, 5 Dec 1835
Josiah Starr, 15 Oct 1815
John Stilson Jr, 29 Mar 1829
Augustine Taylor, 10 Feb 1816
Nathaniel Taylor, 14 Feb 1818
Dr. Jonah Todd, 17 Mar 1783
John Turrill/Terrill, 19 Feb 1827
Paul Welch Sr. 26 Aug 1778
Thomas Wells, 1 Feb 1826
William Williams, 12 Apr 1861
Gallows Hill Cemetery
Thaddeus Baldwin, 25 Jul 1815
David Bostwick, 16 Jul 1860
William Bradshaw, 28 Dec 1818
Israel Camp, 12 Jan 1804
Abel Edwards, 5 Apr 1826
John Morehouse Jr. 24 Jun 1803
Sylvanus Noble, 26 Mar 1837
Joseph Ruggles, 8 Nov 1802
Elizur Warner, 28 Jul 1806
Lemuel Warner, 19/20, Feb 1814
Samuel Ruggles, 17 Mar 1795
Asa Warner, 13 Dec 1819
Martin Warner, 15 Jul 1807
Oliver Warner, 21/22 Feb 1814
John Warner, 8 Sep 1850
John H Nearing, Feb 1806
Upper Merryall Cemetery
John Benedict, 15 Dec 1830
Joel Bostwick, 11 Apr 1777
Israel Noble, 18 Jan 1819
Daniel Owen, 24 Mar 1825
Gilead Sperry, 14 Apr 1788
Benjamin Stone, 29 Jan 1825
James Terrill, 10 Apr 1812
Job Turrill, Died 24 Apr 1812
Eleazer Hendryx, 31 Mar 1798
Gaylordsville Cemetery
Zephaniah Briggs, 16 Dec 1837
Benjamin Gaylord, 6 Apr 1792
Ebenezer Gaylord, 14 Aug 1816
Jonathan Giddings, 8 Apr 1817
Nathaniel Osborn, 15 Dec 1811
Nathaniel Terry, 12 Nov 1832
Peter Waller, 13 Mar 1831
William Gaylord, 31 Aug 1800
Ephruim Sterling, 13 Jan 1811
Northville Cemetery
Lewis Hunt, 31 Aug 1807
John Morehouse, 25 May 1824
Picket District Cemetery
Samuel Marsh, 14 May 1822
Long Mountain Cemetery
Wells Beardsley, 28 Feb 1824
Abel Canfield, 11 Jun 1830
Timothy Cole, 7 Jan 1828
West Meeting House Cemetery
Solomon Hill, 29 Aug 1839
Daniel Stone, 15 Nov 1834
Julius Stone, 10 Mar 1835
Deborah Rose/Mattie Harris, portraying Paul Revere, and Cruise of Quiet Rein Farm in New Milford wait patiently to reenact Revere’s ride to Lexington, Mass.
Deborah Rose/A handful of flags blow gently in the breeze in the garden right outside town hall during the ceremony.
Deborah Rose/Rich Cutting reads aloud “Paul Revere’s Ride” in front of Roger Sherman Town Hall in New Milford at the start of the Patriots’ Day event.
Deborah Rose/Pat Pavlick, a member of the Roger Sherman Chapter, DAR, reads a dozen of the almost 100 names of New Milford patriots who are buried in town cemeteries.
Eleanor Dempster/Attendees ring a bell after the reading of names of New Milford patriots.
Deborah Rose/Tina and Buck Oviatt lead the crowd in a patriotic sing-a-long.
Deborah Rose/Addison Chapin, 8, granddaughter of Joanne Chapin, New Milford historian and a member of the New Milford Celebrates America 250 Committee, joins fellow attendees in a sing-a-long of patriotic songs.
Deborah Rose/Carl Dill, of New Milford, alongside George Washington, reflects during a prayer shared during the ceremony.
Deborah Rose/Members of the VFW Post 1672 Color Guard participate in the Patriots’ Day program.
Deborah Rose/New Milford Mayor Pete Bass reflects as the American flag is raised outside town hall.
Deborah Rose/The public pauses as the American flag is raised.
Deborah Rose/Jim Dugan of New Milford recites the Pledge of Allegiance.
Deborah Rose/Michael H. Bird, left, and Peter Stothart, first vice president and member, respectively, of Governor Oliver Wolcott St. Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, perform a musket salute to conclude the program.
Deborah Rose/Michael H. Bird, left, and Peter Stothart, first vice president and member, respectively, of Governor Oliver Wolcott St. Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, prepare their muskets during a musket salute.
Deborah Rose/Michael H. Bird, left, and Peter Stothart, first vice president and member, respectively, of Governor Oliver Wolcott St. Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, perform a musket salute to conclude the program.
Eleanor Dempster/Michael H. Bird, left, and Peter Stothart, first vice president and member, respectively, of Governor Oliver Wolcott St. Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, perform a musket salute to conclude the program.
Deborah Rose/Approximately 65 to 70 people attended the commemorative event.
Eleanor Dempster/A crowd gathers outside Roger Sherman Town Hall to honor New Milford patriots.
Deborah Rose/Members of the Roger Sherman Chapter, NSDAR Inc., which serves the Greater New Milford area, some of whom are members of the New Milford Celebrates America 250 Committee, are, from left to right, in back, Christine Messer and Jackie Gardner; second row, Jolene Mullen, CTDAR state regent elect and Heidi Norcross, Roger Sherman Chapter, NSDAR regent; and in front, Pat Pavlick, Julie Tracey, Lynn Priest, Jennie Rehnberg, Joanne Chapin, Addison Chapin (granddaughter of Joanne), Christina Clarke, June Gawel, and Stephanie Freed.
Eleanor Dempster/Heidi Norcross, regent of the Roger Sherman Chapter, NSDAR, Inc., welcomes attendees to the dedication of the Liberty Tree planted on north end of the Village Green.
Deborah Rose/Jennie Rehnberg, a member of the Roger Sherman Chapter, NSDAR, Inc., places a wreath at the base of the new Liberty Tree planted on the north end of the Village Green, across from GeronNursing during the tree dedication that follows the Patriots’ Day ceremony at town hall.
Deborah Rose/Attendees of the tree dedication celebrate Roger Sherman’s birthday – it is the 304thanniversary of his birth – with a cake.
Eleanor Dempster/Birthday cake is served to attendees in honor of Roger Sherman, whose birthday was April 19, 1921, in Newton, Mass.
Deborah Rose/Members of the Roger Sherman Chapter, NSDAR, Inc., from left to right, Heidi Norcross, regent, Jennie Rehnberg, Addison Chapin, Joanne Chapin, Pat Pavlick, Julie Tracey, Janine Valente, Cynthia Merritt, Lynn Priest, Christine Messer, and Bonnie Manning join Governor Oliver Wolcott St. Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution members Peter Stothart, left, and Michael H. Bird, first vice president, at the newly planted tree.
