Historical Society Revisits

The Good Old Days

Ah, yes, those good old days we’ve all heard about; what were they really like? Well, for one thing, your telephone was not only not portable, it was probably shared by several families — if you had one at all! Indoor plumbing was just coming into favor, but you could take yourself down to the public bath house and get a good bath with soap and a towel, for a nickel. We don’t know if singing in the bath was encouraged, but if it was perhaps you might have belted out “Bicycle Built for Two”; the new “safety” bicycle had become quite a fad, after all.

The Newtown Historical Society will return to those Good Old Days of 1890 with a light-hearted program presented by Gordon Williams November 13, 7:30 pm, in the community room of the Booth Library, 25 Main Street (Route 25) just below the flagpole.

Immigrants were coming to America in large numbers, many living in urban tenements and working in sweatshops before moving up the American dream ladder. Rural America was still in the majority, and life was simpler there, and perhaps even more fun; tradition had it that if a young man found a red ear at a corn-husking, he might steal a kiss from the young lady husking by his side. New technology enabled reporter Nellie Bly to circle the world in imitation of the Jules Verne novel, while old tech did in the parents of Lizzie Borden in the form of an axe.

Business was booming, both large and small, but it was also the age of the monopoly and the robber baron, building fortunes without regard to the human cost. The newspaper was the main source of news, but it was sometimes difficult to separate fact from circulation-boosting lurid headline. The presentation will explore these and many other aspects of life in the Gilded Age.

Gordon Williams is a retired history teacher who has resided in Newtown for many years. He is a past president of the Newtown Historical Society, and continues to serve as a society trustee. He is also a past president of the Lions Club, a founder of the Big Brother movement in Newtown, and a former Jaycee of the Year. He was selected as Grand Marshal of Newtown’s Labor Day Parade in 2005. Mr Williams has lectured before many local civic and educational groups on historical topics.

All Newtown Historical Society programs are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served following the presentation. For further information, call the society at 426-5937.