Friends of Upton State Forest and the Upton Historical Society are cosponsoring a program
about the Old Connecticut Path presented by Jason Newton on October 21, 7:00 PM at the Upton VFW at 15 Milford St, Upton. The public is welcome to this free program.
The Old Connecticut Path followed by the founders of Connecticut is an important but little known part of the history of our American story. It was a centuries old Native American trail used to travel from the coast to the Connecticut valley that later became known as the Old Connecticut Path. The years 1635-1636 saw groups of pioneers follow it from Massachusetts Bay through the unsettled wilderness to build new lives in the valley. In 1636, Reverend Thomas Hooker led his congregation across the wilderness from Cambridge, Massachusetts to Hartford, Connecticut. The presentation connects the story of the Path and the people who followed it to the Connecticut valley with our nation’s heritage and Upton’s history.
Jason Newton is a descendant of the Rev. Thomas Hooker who led his congregation from
Cambridge to Hartford in 1636 along the Old Connecticut Path. Jason’s other ancestors were among the founders of Windsor, Hartford, and Wethersfield in Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts. Mr. Newton is a retired psychologist and educator whose family history project led him to rediscover the Old Connecticut Path followed by his ancestors.
Friends of Upton State Forest and Upton Historical Society have similar goals with the Friends working to “preserve, enhance, and protect the natural and historic resources of Upton State Forest”, and the Society working to preserve and share the history of Upton.
More information about the Friends can be found at http://www.friendsofuptonstateforest.org/. The website for
Upton Historical Society is at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mauhs/. Both groups can be found on Facebook.
Questions about the program can be directed to the Friends at 508-529-6610 or the Society at 508-529-6600. You can also contact the Friends at news@friendsofuptonstateforest.org.
UPTON DAILY 