John Merwin, Joseph Tibbals, Billin Baldwin (in right of her father, Sergt. Timothy Baldwin, deceased), and Mr. Samuel Mather. The following were proprietors to the amount 12s.: Mr. Robert Plumb, Andrew Sanford, Widow Mary Baldwin, James Baldwin, Nathaniel Baldwin (cooper), Henry Summers, Samuel Smith (water), John Clark, and William Fowler. TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH SANFORD BLACK Upon this hilltop stood the doughty priest And bade his minions, men of brawn and bone, To dig for water ere the frost should come To lock the land and shroud the hill in snow, Two hundred years ago. And here they labored long and valiantly, Till far beneath the sod a rill arose And ’twixt the rocks a stream broke forth And sparkled in the Autumn evening glow Two hundred years ago. “Thank God for water pure and clear,” he cried, And in the twilight grey the good priest stood And looking off beyond the valley fair, To where the same hills which we love and know, Two hundred years ago Seemed to touch Paradise, as now, he called On God, the wanderers’ God, to bless the well Which was to them that day, the most desired Of all the gifts which man or beast could know, Two hundred years ago. The years have passed, two hundred years,--and now We stand beside the well, which was the first Our village knew,--“The Ancient Boardman Well”; To-day the bucket dips, the waters flow, Just as they did Two hundred years ago. We look where purple hilltops touch the sky, We kneel and thank our God for all the past-- [Illustration: THE FIRST WELL IN THE TOWN OF NEW MILFORD Dug by Priest Daniel Boardman. The property is now owned by Mrs. William D. Black, and known as “Hickory Hearth”.] They clasped His hand as we do, tho’ that day All that their future held they could not know As we know now,-- Two hundred years ago. We thank our fathers’ God for all His care, For smiling fields and busy haunts of men,-- For all the gifts of Science and of Art,-- For lives whose deeds His loving guidance show Brave as those lives Two hundred years ago. All are from Him, these works of hand and brain His love has made men wise, has kept men true, Since first upon this hilltop life began, And water in the wilderness did flow Here at this well Two hundred years ago. THE TWO ABIGAILS REMINISCENCES OF A TYPICAL NEW MILFORD FAMILY CONTRIBUTED BY GENERAL HENRY STUART TURRILL