Tuesday, February 20 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am EST
“Ridgefield Place Name Stories” is the topic of the next Ridgefield History Club meeting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, February 20, 2024 in the Historical Society’s Scott House at 4 Sunset Lane. Jack Sanders, who has written over ten books on Ridgefield history, will be on hand. Ridgefield History Club programs are free and open to everyone; new participants are welcome at any time. Come to share memories or just to listen. Note: this meeting was postponed from Jan. 16 due to inclement weather.
Have you ever wondered about how Ridgefield roads and places came to be named? Who and what are these streets named for?: Mopus Bridge Rd., Ned’s Mountain Rd., Catoonah St., Mamanasco Rd., Whipstick Rd., Florida Hill Rd., Ligi’s Way, Taporneck Court, Tea House Lane, Old Sib Rd, Ramapoo Rd., Nod Hill Rd., etc. Bring your questions to the next Ridgefield History Club meeting. Join us as we explore the stories behind Ridgefield place names and the connection to local people, industries and events. If you have any photos or objects related to the topic, please bring them with you for show and tell!
One of the hundreds of locations researched by Jack Sanders and included in his book, Ridgefield Names, is Mopus (which incidentally was once the name of a Sanders family cat). Mopus Brook is the little stream that runs under – needless to say – Mopus Bridge and Mopus Bridge Road. It was mentioned as early as 1721 in the “Third Purchase” from the native Indians, a deed that describes a boundary “crossing the end of a plain ridge of land over Mopoos Brook.” One of the last roads in Ridgefield to be paved, Mopus Bridge Road was possibly part of General George Washington’s route through Connecticut in 1780 and Walter Hampden, a renowned Shakespearean actor in his day, once lived on Mopus Bridge Road.
The Ridgefield History Club, an informal community story telling program (it’s not a presentation or lecture) of the Historical Society, meets for an hour the third Tuesday of every month to discuss the history of Ridgefield and all its villages. Everyone sits in a circle and memories and stories related to a specific topic in Ridgefield’s history are shared. The discussion is recorded and cataloged in the Historical Society’s archive to preserve all the stories of Ridgefield’s people, places, and events for future generations. Everyone is invited, just bring your love of history and your curiosity. Some people come to every session while others attend when the topic is of special interest to them. This is a great opportunity to connect with other history enthusiasts and learn something new about our wonderful town.
Seating is limited at the Scott House, so we ask that you register in advance here. For more information about this free program see www.ridgefieldhistoricalsociety.org or contact the Historical Society at 203-438-5821 or [email protected].
