Property of the Watertown Historical Society Awatertownhistoricalsociety.org Guide To Watertown-Oakville Published by The Town Times As A Supplement To The Town Times/Water-Oak Shoppers' Guide PagPropertye 2, A Guide to Watertown-Oakvill of thee 1988 Watertown Historical Society watertownhistoricalsociety.org A Little Bit Of History More than 204 years ago the area that is now Watertown belonged to the local Paugasuck Indians. But in 1684, Thomas Judd and 35 other proprietors bought the land from the Indians and town history began. Around 1700, Obadiah Richards settled in the area of Upper Middlebury Road, and John Scott on Nova Scotia Hill Road. By 1710 they both had left for safer places. In 1729 a family named Gamsey settled in the section now cal 1 Guemseytown. Built in 1735, the Belden saltbox house on lower Main Street (next to the Saltbox Gift Shop) is the oldest house in Watertown. With 338 inhabitants, the First Ecclesiastical Society of Westbury was formed in 1738, and 42 years later, in 1780, Westbury separated from Waterbury and was named officially Walertown. For 15 years, however, it also included in its territory Plymouth and Thomaston. The eastern area was incoporated as Plymouth in 1795. It soon became the crossroads for a number of early highways, and 12 scheduled train nips between Watertown and Waterbury. John Trumbull, poet of the Revolutionary War, who also was a lawyer and judge, was bom here in 1750. Products that were first manufactured here include Merrill Heminway's spooled silk thread (1847), Wheeler and Wilson's lock-stitch sewing machine(1850), the Watertown Manufacturing Company's plastic shatterproof dinnerware (1940s), the first high-nap fabric used as imitation fur (Princeton Knitting Mills), and, of course, the Oakville Pin Shop. One of the oldest firms in Connecticut, Seymour Smith & Sons (manufacturer of cutting tools, such as garden shears and pruning equipment), continues in the Oakville section. A council-manager form of government in 1961 replaced more than 180 years of a town meeting-selectman form of government. Watertown has been the home of Taft School, a college preparatory institution, since 1893. An estimated 21,000 inhabitants now occupy the 29.8 square miles which w Watertown. ''.KTISING: Trudy Pearson, Lyn Priestman, and Judy Sturges. 1 : ; ••• ..i "'•••••••••• ••-•• • •!••• ' ' :: . • ...',..: :•••:., :.:;:..r .:;:.,...: ;-::-i| tODUCTiON: Martha Stammer, Bernice Proe, Linda L.oRusso, and Ann Crowder.j Property of the Watertown HistoricalA Guide to Watertown-OakvillSocietye 1988 , Page 3 watertownhistoricalsociety.org 'PREMIER N PROPERTIES LTD REAL ESTATE 401 Main Street Watertown, CT 274-9675 Home Town Litchfield Board of Realtors Professional Waterbury Board of Realtors SERVICE 'Nothing Less Than The Best EQUAL HOUSING OPfORTUNlTY Property3 4, A Guide to Watertown-Oakvill of thee 1988 Watertown Historical Society INDEX watertownhistoricalsociety.org •pag Directory Of Town Services..... • How Town Government Functions Boards And Commissions 48 and' ..81 ..84 Journalism In ^atertown CARPET BARN Sales Service Installation Carpets • Vinyls FEATURING nil PONT CtRTKC 250 PORTER ST. 274-6851 WATERTOWN 274-0155 FLEX INSTANT CREDIT - Up to $5,000 (For Qualified Buyers) 90 Days - Same As Cash Terms Property of the Watertown HistoricalA Guide to Watsrtown-Oakvill Societye 1988, f>ag e 5 DIRECTORY OF TOWN SERVICES watertownhistoricalsociety.orgWHERE TO GO FOR HELP Absentee Ballots, Referenda Town Clerk Meeting Minutes, Recording Town Clerk Absentee Ballots, Regular Elections Town Clerk Mini-Bus Human Services Animal Control Police Open Burning Permits. .Fire Annual Report Town Clerk, Town Manager Auditor's Reports Finance Parade Perm its Police Ballfield Permits Human Services Parking Violations, Payment Police Bingo Permits Police Parks, Information Human Services Birth Certificates Town Clerk Passports Probate Court Blasting Permits Fire Marshal Planning Planning & Zoning BudgetReports Finance Plumbing Permits Building Inspector Building Permits, All Structures Building Inspector Police Service Police Burial Permits Town Clerk Political Party Enrollment .Registtars of Voters/Town Clerk Certificate of Occupancy Building Inspector Purchases .Purchasing Certificate of Zoning Compliance .Zoning Raffle and Bingo Permits Police Charter, Copies of Town Clerk, Town Manager Recreational Programs Human Services Clothing, Emergency Need Social Services Referrals, Individual and Family. Social Services Conveyance Taxes Town Cleric Road Repair. Highway/Public Works Cremation Certificates Town Clerk Sample Ballots, Elections. .Town Clerk Death Certificates .Town Clerk Sanitary Sewer Permits, Construction....Highway/Public Works Deeds, Recording. .-. Town Clerk Schools Board of Education/School Department Demolition Permits Building Inspector School Bus Routes School Department Business Manager Dog Licenses Town Clerk Senior Citizens Services Human Services/Senior Center Drainage Problems. , Highway/Public Works Septic System Information Chesprocott Education, Information....School Department/Board of Education Sewer Billing Water & Sewer Elderly Exemption Applications Housing Authority/Human Sewer Liens and Releases, Record Town Clerk Services Sewer Permits Public Works Sign Permits Building Inspector Elderly Homeowners Program Assessor Snow Removal Highway/Public Works Elderly Housing Applications Housing Authority/Human Social Security Disability Applications Assessor Services Street Maps Town Manager/Public Works Elderly Renters Program Assessor/ Town Clerk Subdivision Applications Planning & Zoning Elections, Information Town Clerk/ Registrar of Voters Subdivision Regulations . Planning & Zoning Election Returns, Referenda Town Clerk, Registrar of Voters Tax Bill Questions Assessor Electrical Permits Fire Tax Liens and Releases Town Clerk Emergency/Rescue .-. Fire Tax Payments. Tax Collector Employment Applications Town Manager Tax Refunds Tax Collector Engineering Public Works Tennis Court Permits .Human Services Excavation Permits Zoning Town Council Town Manager Firearm Permits ! Police Trade Names, New Business Filing Town Clerk Fire Code Inspection Fire Marshal Transfer Station Public Works Fishing Licenses Town Clerk Tree Complaints Public Works Food Bank, Emergency Need Social Services Vending Permits Police Food Stamps, Information Social Services Veterans Discharge, Recording Town Clerk Fuel, Winter Emergency Assistance Applications Social Veterans Exemptions Assessor Services Voter Certificates Town Clerk Voter Registrations .Town Clerk/Registrar of Voters Garbage/Refuse (Transfer Station Operation) Public Works Water Billing Water & Sewer Golf Course Information Human Services Water Permits (Construction) Public Works Health Permits '. Chesprocott Welfare Applications Social Services Heating Permits Building Inspector Well Permits Chesprocott Highway Complaints Public Works Woodbuming Stove Information....Building Inspector/Fire Hunting Licenses .Town Clerk Marshal Inland-Wetlands Commission Applications .Zoning Working Papers Board of Education Insurance Claims .Finance ZoningApplications Zoning Landfill Permits .Public Works Zoning Board of Appeals, Applications Zoning Liquor Permits, Filing Town Clerk/Police/Zoning Zoning Enforcement Zoning ,.^ps, Official Filing of. Town Clerk Zoning, General Information Zoning ferriage Licenses .Town Clerk Zoning Maps Zoning Meeting Agendas, Posting Town Clerk Zoning Regulations Zoning PagPropertye 6, A Guide to Watertown-OakviU of thee 1966 Watertown Historical Society Serving the Community for 15 Years — OUwatertownhistoricalsociety.orgR NEW LOCATION — ONE OF THE AREAS LARGEST SELECTIONS OF FITNES& VACUUMS AND VACUUM SUPPLIES CONNECTICUT WORLD • AEROBICS • BODYBUILDING sewpyac • CO-ED FACILITIES • JUICE BAR • SAUNA m m 574-7781 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK OPEN MON. • FRI. 9 A.M. - 5:30 P.M SAT. TILL 4 P.M. NEW, USED & RECONDITIONED VACUUMS ALL MAKES & MODELS SALES • SERVICE • PARTS FREE ESTIMATES • TRAOE-INS ACCEPTED • 1 MY SERVICE • MOST REPAIRS • BUILT-IN VACUUM SYSTEMS • INSTANT CREDIT • FINANCING AVAILABLE Compact * Silver King * Ken more • He conditioned Mike Sayre Donna Blum Rich Blum Elactrolux • Rainbow • Kirby • Eureka • Filler • Panas< Queen • Weslinghouse • Royal • Airway • G E Lewyl • Sunbeam • Regma • Hoover • Hoky • Oreck 10 CHASE RIVER RD. Depot Square Mall WATERBURV, CT (JUST BEFORE JAY-MAR, EXIT 36 RTE. 8) Watertown 274-0563 inniiii inniiiiiiiinii mi i muniiiiiiiii Him inn Home Loans, Commercial Loans, Auto & Personal Loans, Savings, Checking, IRAs, MoneyCard Tellers First Federal Savings AND LOAN ASSOCIATION OF WATERBURY Serving our community for over 50 years. 755-1422 Fsnc Watertown Waterbury Southbury Prospect "Tr,"" ilmiMiilimHiiiiiimiiiiiiimmiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiimiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimii iiiiiiimiiiiiiiminimn Property of the Watertown HistoricalA Guide to Watertown-Oakvill Societye 1988. Pag e 7 watertownhistoricalsociety.org CHILDREN'S CLOTHING - Sizes Newborn to 7 - We Only LOOK Expensive! Depot Square Mall, Watertown 274-6162 Monday-Saturday 10-6 Thursday 10-8 lames S. Hosking Nursery, Inc. and Red Barn Gift Shop - Since 1897 - • GIFT SHOP • CRAFT SHOP • CHRISTMAS SHOP • GARDEN CENTER • NURSERY • GREENHOUSE 114 Porter Street, Watertown 274-8889 PropertyPage 6, A Guide to Watertown-Oakvill of thee 198 BWatertown Historical Society GENERAL TOWN GOVERNMENT Fire Department t INFORMATION The town has a 110-person Fire Department. The fire chief Ju> watertownhistoricalsociety.orgserves as the town's fire marshal, and is