Connecticut’s Valley Forge: A Talk By Newtown’s Town Historian

Connecticut had its own version of Valley Forge in the Revolutionary War encampment at what is now Putnam Park in Redding during the winter of 1778-79.  For several years, Newtown Town Historian Dan Cruson has conducted archeological digs at the park, and on Monday, January 11, at 7:30 pm, in the community room of C.H. Booth Library, Newtown Historical Society will offer Mr Cruson a platform to discuss his latest findings.

After a hiatus of four years, Mr Cruson returned to excavations in the park in 2008, with a crew of archeology students from Western Connecticut State University. The initial purpose of the new digs was to answer some questions remaining from earlier expeditions. These questions included some mysterious soil stains at the west wall of the enlisted men’s hut, as well as noticeable differences in the site preparations for adjoining huts, possibly suggesting a border between New Hampshire regiments and Canadian volunteers with quite different hut making traditions.

While working on the old questions, several new aspects of camp life were brought to light. The crew found proof that the enlisted men were casting their own lead musket balls, in separate fire pits in the dirt floor over five feet from the hut’s existing fireplace.

Also, clothing repairs were made while sitting on a large rock that had been left in place when the hut was built; this was shown by the discovery of a scissors and a button near the rock bench, a very dynamic discovery in archeological terms.

Mr Cruson will use these and other discoveries to illustrate how archeology may be used to add insight and illumination to local history studies.

Daniel Cruson is a former teacher of anthropology and local history at Joel Barlow High School. He is presently president of Connecticut Archeological Society, and has collaborated with the archeology program at Western Connecticut on several occasions.

As Town Historian, he has also researched and written extensively about Newtown and Fairfield County. He is a past president of Newtown Historical Society, and currently serves as a trustee; this is his annual lecture for the society. 

All Newtown Historical Society programs are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served following the presentation.

The library is at 25 Main Street. For further information, call the society at 203-426-5937.