Memories of Montanas Bear Creek Valley flicker briefly to life each February on the anniversary of its darkest day. It is remembered as the site of Montanas worst coal mining accident; which claimed the lives of 75 miners; but the valley was so much more. For decades it was Montanas "coal basket;" housing two towns; dozens of coal mines; and a population equaling that of neighboring Red Lodge. Businesses included a movie theater; dry goods store; grocery stores; hotels; hospitals; butchers; banks; bars; and union halls; all serving residents with pan-European origins. Its schools produced championship sports teams and community leaders. Gone; but not forgotten; Bear Creek Valley lives on in this book.
#1686060 in eBooks 2002-11-01 2002-11-01File Name: B009ACMN04
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Newtown. Connecticut: Views from a more innocent timeBy John WilliamsonAs one who frequently traveled the backroads and out of the way places in New England some years ago. camera in hand. this small town in northern Fairfield County. about sixty miles northeast of New York City. became a frequent stop. Had been through the town years before that when visiting relatives in nearby Bethel in my youth. but it was the towns rooster weathervane. the symbolic chanticleer on the steeple of the Congregational church. along with its rural charm that captivated me. and made me stop and wander there on a number of occasions.Newtown:: 1900-1960 by Daniel Cruson features that chanticleer in the opening pages of this book. and the author explains that it became part of the official town seal. and how the first purchase of town land had been made from the local Pootatuck Native Americans in 1705.This is a photo book with informative and descriptive captions. many which came from the authors personal archives. and through them we see the growth of the small turn of the century village into the suburban town it became in the 1960s. Through the photos found here. the author illustrates how the Newtown area had an agricultural base with some small-scale industry. but beginning with the introduction of the automobile. this town evolved into an integrated suburban town with a highly mobile population. The vintage photographs in this book tell the story of that transformation.Beginning from Main Street. the heart of the town. residents and visitors who have been here will recognize the quiet rural village from the 1905 photo from the western side from Castle Hill Road. just before its climb up the steepest part of the hill. Theres an image of Newton Street in 1905 in the days of the horse and buggy. and one from 1910 showing an early road grader that had to be used frequently to refinish the dirt-and-gravel surface of Main Street.The reader is treated to images of Federalist-style homes. businesses. the first town hall. early gas stations. bridges. railway stations. small grocery stores. mills. local celebrations and lakefront areas. Theres a 1939 snapshot of two men on the Congregational church steeple. The man on top is named. and he had just reapplied the gilding to the symbolic chanticleer (rooster) and was replacing it.Among the the images here are those of Sandy Hook. the second community that was developed in Newtown. As the author notes. it was here that the first mills were erected. which presaged the coming of the Industrial Revolution. These mills later supplied a livelihood for many of the towns residents of the time. And it was Sandy Hook that absorbed many of the Irish immigrants who came to the United States as a result of the Great Famine.Its probable that some of those who perished in the recent horrific events that have dominated the news media in December 2012 were descendants of some of those early settlers here. Looking at the images of the people and places here will not bring closure to the families and friends of those lost on December 14. 2012. but for those of us who have spent any time in this area. it does offer a picture of how deeply rooted this family-oriented community was and remains today.Daniel Crusons Newtown:: 1900-1960 is 128-page visual history. with some locations that are in the National Register of Historic Places. and a tribute to all of those who have lived there. It offers us a glimpse into a small New England town from more innocent times.12/17/20123 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Enchanting look into the pastBy Connecticut YankeeHaving lived my first twenty years in Newtown. I thought I knew the town well. It was a pleasant surprise to visit the past and gain knowledge with almost every turn of the page. The photos are captivating and the captions free of error (as far as I am aware.) This look at 20th Century Newtown is probably representative of many New England towns and is a cherished addition to my home.
