The Speaker Series at the South Danbury Church is starting up again, with a roster of lively presentations that promise to be both thought-provoking and entertaining.
“The summer break gives us the opportunity to come up with some new ideas for our programs,” says Kathy Neustadt, one of the Series’ organizers, “and I’m very excited about what’s in store over the next couple of months. It’s a great combination of local, regional, and global topics, with some really interesting presenters.”
Kicking off the season on Friday, September 11, Danbury’s own Alan Brownell — the unofficial mayor and founder of Hippie Hill — has agreed to be interviewed by local historian-farmer Tom Curren to present A History of Hippie Hill.
A fixture in the town of Danbury since 1967, Hippie Hill has garnered a lot of attention — pro and con — over the years. Local poet Donald Hall wrote about Hippie Hill as early as 1990 in his book Here at Eagle Pond, referring to it as an “informal, privately operated recreation area” and noting that “here a portion of Danbury youth, up to the age of 40, spends mild summer evenings drinking Dick’s six-packs and smoking hand-rolled cigarettes.”
These accounts and more will be covered. “Lots of things have happened on the Hill over the past — what? — almost 50 years,” Alan notes, “and there have been a lot of characters we can talk about and a lot of great stories.” In addition, the music video Hippie Hill, which was produced in 2011 by Lindsey Schust and the Ragged Mountain Band, will also be shown.
Bring your questions and bring your friends—it’s a rare opportunity to learn from the ultimate insider about one of the region’s more renowned locations!
Northern Railroad
Two weeks later, on Friday, September 25, author and historian Kenneth R. Cushing of Grafton will be presenting a program on the history of The Northern Railroad, the trains that went from Boston to Montreal and passed through Danbury, such as the Peanut and the Boston and Maine.
The Northern Railroad was a critical component of mid-19th century Danbury, in particular, and transported goods throughout the state: those from its tannery, extensive lumber operations, and the garnet, mica, and other mineral mines, as well as wool and dairy products from the farms, and ice from the local lakes, which was transported for use in Boston. The Northern Railroad also delivered summer residents and tourists to destinations in and around Danbury.
As Bonnie Fletcher, president of the Danbury Historical Society notes, “Ken is a wealth of knowledge on the history of the Northern Railroad and has written numerous articles and books on the subject. We will be sharing historical photographs of the trains that passed through Danbury during the program, and Ken will be showing a PowerPoint presentation as he speaks.” The event is co-sponsored by the Danbury Historical Society, which will be providing the evening’s refreshments, and all donations will go to benefit the Historical Society.
The talks, which are free to the public, begin at 6:30 PM, with light refreshments served afterward. Donations are welcome!
The South Danbury Christian Church (an open and affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ) is located at 1411 US Route 4 in South Danbury. For more information about the fall series, call 768-3191.