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Summer 1996
A
Special Corner of Weston
By Jeanne C. Howes
(Part II)
The Swedish immigrants who settled in the northwest comer Weston were not only
hard-working, but also deeply religious people. Keeping the faith brought from their homeland, they met in each
other's homes to read the Bible on Sundays. Together in 1899 they built the Swedish Covenant Church on the Weston-Redding
line, and Pastor Anders Nordlund, an early pastor who arrived in 1889, served the little congregation until 1942.
This attractive building at the head of Covenant Lane was sold 10 years ago and is now the home of a private family.
The parsonage built on Maple Street still serves to house the present minister, Rev. Gordon Miller, whose flock
now worships in Wilton.
For many years services were conducted in the Swedish language. Retired Town
Clerk Gertrude Walker, then Gertrude Quist, remembers her confirmation les-sons were all in that language. It was
a strict and sober Bible religion, but also a place of neighborly exchanges in choir groups, Ladies Aid and even
lawn parties on Mid-summer's Day.
Another Swedish custom was revived when Pastor William Holmberg was in charge
-- the cel-ebration of St. Lucia Day in early December. One year pretty blonde Shirley Pearson wore the crown of
candles in her hair as she and her attendants carried in trays of fresh baked buns with their wonderful aroma to
serve the congregation. The late Elisabeth Borgeson of Maple Street would bake these special buns spiced with cardamom
and sprinkled with pearl sugar for the St. Lucy Festival held annually at the Wilton church.
Julotta (Swedish Christmas)
Highlight of the church year was the Christmas celebration called Julotta. Days
in advance, house-wives bustled about ordering and preparing the lutefish and other Christmas specialties. On Christmas
Eve families gathered for the "white meal" consisting of lutefish, potatoes, lumpa, and a rice pudding
flavored with almond or cinnamon.
The children heard marvelous tales from the grandparents about the "Tompta,"
trolls similar to our Christmas elves who make the toys, and the Julbocken, a goat, not a reindeer, who delivered
the gifts.
After the presents, usually home-knit scarves, mittens, sweaters or socks, a
simple toy and an orange, the children were tucked into bed. Everyone had to get up real early for the 6 A.M. service.
Cozy in their new winter clothes, family joined with family walking up the snow-covered
road to the church. Helen Rosendahl (former Town Clerk) remembers the excitement as a child coming out into that
cold crisp air while the stars still glittered in the dark sky. For Louise Jacobson there was a sense of won-der,
for they seemed to her like the shepherds of old walking under the stars towards the Christmas miracle.
The Samuelsons of Meadowbrook Lane remember the small boxes of candy with a
string handle they received when leaving the church. Later, at home, there were baskets heaped with "Aunty
buns" baked by their Aunt Hulda, and hot coffee on the stove for visitors. Also the Samuelson boys remem-bered
to hang a sheaf of wheat outside for the birds.
School Days
Until the Hurlbutt elementary school was completed in 1932, most of Weston school
children at-tended one room schoolhouses. But as early as 1916, children living in the Georgetown section of Weston
were privileged to attend one of the most modern grade schools of the period.
The Gilbert and Bennett School, built through the generosity of the factory
owners, was a model school for the community. It contained eight separate classrooms, an audi-torium, kitchen,
and cafeteria, a principal's office and rooms equipped for manual training and domestic science. Built on one level
for safety reasons, each room had its own exit door. There were neat inside bathrooms and a spacious playground.
As the children came from three different towns, administration posed a problem
until the General Assembly in 1919 created School District 10 to embrace parts of Weston, Wilton and Redding.
Miss Ina E. Driscoll came as its teaching principal in 1926 and remained for
31 years. Enrollment ran about 250 pupils. Several Wes-ton residents today fondly remem-ber their schooldays and
the kind-ness of Miss Driscoll whose caring influence extended into their very homes.
One longstanding school custom required that each girl in the graduating class
design and sew her graduation dress. This white dress would later be worn at confirmation time. Another tradition
was the annual Swedish smorgasbord of home-cooked foods, a fund-raising affair to provide special extras for the
school, such as a motion picture camera to record school programs and activities.
Because of the nearby railroad station, most of Weston's "G&B"
graduates went on to further educa-tion at Norwalk High School, or to trade and technical courses in Danbury.
The low building with its Spanish tile roof and pretty playground was sold about
eight years ago and continues today as the Landmark Academy, a private school.
Not until 1934 were all the children of Weston's Georgetown cor-ner assimilated
into Weston's own school. But a trust fund established in 1906 by Edwin Gilbert, son of the mill founder, has now
been re-activated to benefit children who reside in the former School District 10. Six Weston students who received
scholarship funds in 1988 were Christopher Andersson, Nicholas Bodor, Catherine Huegi, Susan Johnson, Stephen Sundlof,
and Beth Witthon. C. Bertil Rosen-dahl of Maple Street is one of three trustees of the Edwin Gilbert School Trust
Fund.
A Factory Web
The Gilbert and Bennett factory wove more than wire, it wove together the separate
comers of different towns into its own private domain. As already mentioned, it provided school and a train depot
for its workers' families. But, that was not all. The wire mill was the prime influence in procuring a first class
post office and a fire department to service the area. Also, in the 1920's, the company extended loans to employees
-- up to 90% of building costs -- for building their own homes.
These benevolent provisions served to bond this part of Weston into the Georgetown
circle more se-curely than to the rest of Weston.
Although the work was difficult, dirty, meagerly paid, and sometimes dangerous,
the Scandinavian newcomers were satisfied to stay. For the work was close by; it was steady; and offered the good
com-pany of fellow workers speaking a familiar language.
Charles Samuelson walked three miles back and forth carrying his lunch pail
to work a 10 hour day, six days a week for 10 cents and 15 cents an hour. He continued working at the factory for
50 years. In the early 1900's these working conditions and rates were typical of all factory employment.
When the young fellows were drafted for service in 1917, young women and boys
as young as 12 were encouraged to join the work force. A special weaving room was set up for the women. Esther
Wahlquist started to work there at the age of 14 and continued at G & B for 55 years.
When the Roosevelt administration set minimum standards in 1933, the factory
was obliged to raise the rates with beginners starting at 40 cents an hour, and Saturdays were half-days. Charles
Samuelson continued there for 50 years, and other Weston folk, Rudy Jacobson, Gus Forsberg, and Nils Hansen among
others also continuing through all their working lives.
Other Attractions
Some of their children and grandchildren followed their fathers' work pattern,
but others, after trying a turn at the looms during a summer vacation, decided to try something else. They went
on to trade schools and became electricians, plumbers, carpenters and automobile mechanics.
Arivd Johnson went to Storrs to learn farm management. Harry Samuelson got a
cart and ox team and found work plowing. William Samuelson went to tonsorial school in New York and set up a local
barber shop charging 25 cents a haircut. Walfred Carlson became a clerk, then manager, of the early boutique-sized
A&P.
Connery Brothers General Store, established before the turn of the century on
the very spot where the Old Red Shop once stood, remained a focal point for many decades. This building until recently
housed the Shaker Real Estate office.
At Connery's you could buy groceries and household goods, furniture, clothing,
lumber and coal. Many staples were displayed and sold from barrels. James Connery always employed at least one
Swedish-speaking clerk. Some older people here still remember when a clerk made the rounds of our neighborhood
taking market orders in the morning which would be delivered by horse and cart in the afternoon.
Social life in the early days centered on Miller’s Hall where dances were held
and the first silent movies were shown while a young Mary Fox played appropriate themes on the piano.
Although the factory's attraction grew weaker, a growing variety of stores,
banks, gas stations, liquor stores, restaurants and offices just over our town line has kept an eco-nomic hold
on this corner for many years.
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