Messrs. Bailey and Donavan of Danbury, publishers of the _Danbury News_, began, in 1872, to publish the _New Milford Journal_, which was soon after sold to J. R. Johnson, and, later, to Marcus L. Delevan, who changed its name to the _Housatonic Ray_. The _Gazette_ was started by Gee and Hale in 1877, and passed shortly after into the hands of Robert Erwin. Joshua A. Bolles and Franklyn Henry Giddings of Great Barrington, Mass., purchased the _Ray_ in 1882 and, a little later, the _Gazette_, and merged the two papers into the _New Milford Gazette_. Mr. Giddings soon withdrew from the paper, not finding sufficient scope probably as an editor of a country newspaper for his great ability. He has since attained world-wide fame as Professor of Sociology at Columbia University, having written several works on sociology and kindred subjects, some of which have been translated into many languages. Mr. Bolles continued to conduct the _Gazette_ with much ability till he was stricken with a disease which suddenly caused his death, to the sorrow of the whole community. The paper then passed into the hands of Philip Wells, the present proprietor. New Milford has had a brass band most of the time during the last half century. The original band was organized in 1855 by Earl Buckingham, who was its first leader. At the breaking out of the Civil War, the band engaged with the Fourth Pennsylvania Cavalry. It was discharged by Act of Congress after having served about eleven months. In 1872, a reorganization was effected, with Winfred Soule as leader. Under different leaders, the band has continued, with occasional lapses, to the present time. Roger Sherman Hall was built in 1875, at a cost of nearly fifty thousand dollars. It is of brick, and has a large hall on the second floor; a courtroom, probate, town offices, and a law library on the first floor; and a town courtroom and “lockup” in the basement. It stands on the site of William Sherman’s store, where Roger Sherman had his shoe shop. On the twenty-sixth of October, 1897, a bronze tablet to the memory of Roger Sherman, which had been placed on the north side of the front entrance of the building, was unveiled in the presence of a large company. The tablet was the gift of the Roger Sherman Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, organized May 15, 1893. Mrs. Sara T. Kinney, State Regent, D. A. R.; Senator George F. Hoar, a nephew of Roger Sherman; Senator Joseph R. Hawley; and Henry S. Sanford made addresses. The first bank was started here in 1852 with one hundred thousand dollars capital, under the name of the Litchfield County Bank. It occupied a small brick building near the Boardman residence on Main Street. Frederick G. Chittenden was president. The first cashier was A. McAllister of Bridgeport, Conn. George W. Whittlesey succeeded Mr. McAllister [Illustration: ANDREW B. MYGATT Born 1820, died 1901]