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Images
of America: Ridgefield
127 pages of finely reproduced pictures of Ridgefield past,
published in 1999. People, houses, businesses, scenes of town life, etc. from 1890s
to 1950s. Order from Ridgefield Historical Society, 4 Sunset Lane, Ridgefield CT 06877. $18.99 plus $3.95 postage.
Ridgefield
1900-1950
More than 215 views of what Ridgefield looked like during the first half
of the 20th Century. Postcard images of homes, estates, inns, street
scenes, stores, churches, and more. Over 20,000 words of accompanying
history and lore about the locales pictured. Bibliography and index. 126
pages. Written by Jack Sanders. First published spring 2003. Available
from Books on the Common, Ridgefield Hardware, The Ridgefield Press, and
other locations.
For more information, click here.
Ridgefield
at 300
Lavishly illustrated, coffee-table book about the town's celebration of
its 300th birthday in 2008, produced by Ridgefield Magazine. $50. For more information, click here.
Farmers
against the Crown
Keith Jones wrote this comprehensive account of the Battle of Ridgefield
during the Revolutionary War, revealing much new information and
correcting many old mistakes. "This telling will remain the
standard account of the battle for a long, long time," said
Christopher Collier, Connecticut state historian.162 pages, paperback, extensively
illustrated. Published 2002. .For more information, click here.
The
Farms of Farmingville
While Keith Marshall Jones calls his book "a two-century history of
23 Ridgefield, Connecticut farmhouses and the people who gave them
life," it is really a history of a good part of the town. He has extensively
researched a section of Ridgefield that contained a significant
cross-section of the community from the 1700s into the 20th Century, and
has given us a picture of what life here was like during that period.
Published 2001. Hardcover. 509 pages. Many maps, house plans, photos.
Indexed.. For more information, click here.
Ridgefield
Answer Book
Answers to more than 500 questions about the town, complete with
two-page map showing points of interest. Fully indexed and updated
annually. Free at Ridgefield Press office or may be ordered by mail. Click
here for online version and information on ordering by mail.
Five
Village Walks
Guided tours of Ridgefield village history, with more than 50 pictures from
the past. 56 pages. Indexed. Map. Updated in 2008. $5. Available at
Books on the Common, Ridgefield Historical Society, and other locations.
Click
here for more information.
Ridgefield
in Review
The most modern complete history of the town, published in 1958, with many
illustrations, written by Smithsonian Institution historian Silvio A.
Bedini. Out of print. [four used copies available as of 12/31/08 for $40
each.
Email jackfsanders@yahoo.com]
History
of Ridgefield
George L. Rockwell's 583-page classic has been long out of print, but
copies become available. Particularly strong on 19th and early 20th
Century history, and containing many early birth, marriage and death
records. The book has many photos taken by Joseph Hartmann. Cloth and
leather editions were printed. Also, in the 1970s, a reprinted edition
was published. Used copies often available at www.abe.com.
Barbour
Collection: Vol. 36
The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Records, Volume 36 in a statewide collection, reproduces the famous
Barbour index to Ridgefield births, marriages and deaths from 1709 to
1850. A must for any serious Ridgefield researcher. $30. Published in 2000 by Genealogical
Publishing Company. Go
to the Website, to Connecticut and look down the list for Barbour's
volume 36 (Portland, Prospect, Redding, Ridgefield)
History
of Ridgefield, Connecticut, The
In 1878, the Rev. Daniel Teller of the First Congregational Church
published this 251-page history of the town. While almost all of the
content is covered in later histories, the engravings of various Ridgefield
buildings and scenes, all based on very early photographs, are both
wonderful and valuable. Not indexed. Published in cloth and leather
versions. Used copies often available at www.abe.com.
Recollections
of A Lifetime
This is the two-volume autobiography of Samuel G. Goodrich, who wrote
more than 100 books, mostly for young people, under the name of Peter
Parley. The first 160 or so pages are devoted to his growing up in
Ridgefield in the late 1700s and early 1800s and provide a fascinating
and rare look at life in the town two centuries ago. Published in 1856.
Out of print. [As of 12/5/08, one set available at $100; email
jackfsanders@yahoo.com]
Proprietors
of Ridgefield, The
Glenna M. Welsh's history tells of the early settlement of the town,
with particular focus on those who lived on Main Street. Not indexed.
Many illustrations. Published in 1976 in paper and cloth covered
editions, the clothbound version is still available at the Keeler Tavern
or from the Ridgefield Historical Society (above).
St.
Stephen's Church, 1725 to 1975
Written by Robert S. Haight, Saint Stephen's Church: It's
History for 250 Years 1725 to 1975 tells the story of the church and
its place in the community. 220 pages, indexed and illustrated. A
supplement by Dirk Bollenback, Saint Stephen's Church Reaches the
Millennium, 114 pages, indexed and illustrated, covers 1975 to 2000.
Sold by the church, 351 Main Street, Ridgefield CT 06877. Email
for information.
Notable
Ridgefielders
An 88-page, tabloid-newspaper-sized collection of biographies of more
than 400 people who made news in Ridgefield during the 20th Century.
Also contains extensive timeline. Illustrated, indexed. Click
here for more information.
Last
updated January 10, 2009
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