Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1917 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER IV BOROUGH OF BRIDGEPORT BOROUGH ERA--FIRST BOROUGH MEETING--HIGHWAYS--FIRST BY-LAWS FIRST WATER PIPES MORE HIGHWAYS--STREET LIGHTING FIRST SIDEWALK ACTION FIRE DEPARTMENT DEVELOPMENT. THE BOROUGH The second period in the governmental history of the City of Bridgeport begins in the year 1800 when the inhabitants of the Village of Newfield were incorporated as a borough under the corporate title of the Borough of Bridgeport. This incorporation occurred on October 28th, the records of Joseph Backus, the last village clerk, stating such fact and that "hereafter no business will be done except in the name of the warden, burgesses and freeman of the Borough of Bridgeport." The borough era of Bridgeport covers a period of about thirtysix years, during which time the small village of 200 people grew into a community of 3,000 souls. It released itself from the government of Stratford and, according to all available records, progressed faster during these years than any other community in the state. That the change should have come to the people of Newfield was only natural, as the system of town government was rapidly becoming too cumbersome. The center of that government was a good three miles away in the Village of Stratford and consequently the Stratford authorities took little interest in Newfield. Money which was used for town improvements found little use in Newfield, as the latter was just a small fractional part of the whole in land area. At last it became evident that the only method of securing necessary improvements was by a special act of the General Assembly, granting to them powers of self-government in order to make such improvements as they needed and were willing to purchase. In order to accomplish this they appealed to...