Some New Milford Churches. Methodist Episcopal; Baptist, Northville; Methodist, Gaylordsville; Saint Francis Xavier 176 Saint John’s Church 182 Advent Christian Church 196 New Milford Pastors. Rev. Frank B. Draper; Rev. Timothy J. Lee; Rev. Harris K. Smith; Rev. Marmaduke Hare; Rev. Frank A. Johnson; Rev. John F. Plumb; Rev. Father John J. Burke; Rev. Solomon D. Woods; Rev. Stephen Heacock 202 Memorial Building and Public Library; All Saints’ Memorial Church 208 Hon. Simeon E. Baldwin 232 Egbert Marsh; Han. Daniel Davenport 254 Governor Woodruff, Staff and Guard, in front of Roger Sherman Hall 276 Samuel R. Hill; Samuel Randolph Hill, Jr. 278 Main Street from the North 280 Main Street from the South 282 Honorable Rollin S. Woodruff 286 PART I THE PAST AND PRESENT INTRODUCTION Two hundred years ago, in the summer of 1707, the pioneer John Noble, with his little daughter, made his way through the wilderness from Westfield, Mass., and set up his rude cabin in the beautiful valley of Weantinock, on the west side of “Stratford” River, under the shadow of Fort Hill, near neighbor to the Indians, with whom he became very friendly. He trusted their friendship so much that he left his daughter in their care while he went on a journey, following the Indian trail through the wilderness to Albany, to pilot some gentlemen; and, on his return, he found her well taken care of. He subsequently built a log house on the east side of the river on land now occupied by the residence of Levi P. Giddings. The next year his son, John Noble, Jr., came and made a settlement, and, before 1712, twelve families had settled here on sites purchased by the Milford Company from the Indians, the purchases having been ratified by the Colonial Legislature; but, strange to say, only two of the twelve, Samuel Prindle and Isaiah Bartlett, came from Milford town. Some thirty years previous, Henry Tomlinson and others of Stratford, Conn., had purchased from the Indians who assumed to be owners, this tract of land, and Mr. John Read, joint owner, representing them, came and laid claim to it. It is said that Zachariah Ferriss, a brother-in-law of Mr. Read, came here in 1706, before any other white man, and plowed a piece of land where Roger Sherman Hall now stands, in order to claim title to the land under the deed of the Stratford Company.