EAST MEREDITH - The history of the Stilson and Stewart families and their effort to separate West Meredith from the town will be the focus of a program sponsored by the Meredith Historical Society on Sunday, Aug. 23.
Cynthia Waterman and Nancy Simons will present “West Meredith’s Rebellious Stilson Pioneers” at 2 p.m. at the former Charlotte Valley Presbyterian Church, 10044 Elk Creek Road, East Meredith. The building is now home to the historical society.
The program will examine the settlement established by Nathan Stilson and his brother-in-law, Nathanial Stewart, who purchased 1,000 acres along what is now Warren Road in West Meredith in 1791. The families settled there with their children, and as the community grew, the area became known as Stilsonville.
A central source for the presentation is the oral history of Asahel Stilson, Nathan Stilson’s grandson, who was born in Stilsonville in 1802. His account describes life in West Meredith and the challenges faced by the Stilson and Stewart families during the area’s early settlement.
The presentation will also examine a six-year political dispute that began in 1820, when residents of West Meredith sought to separate from the town of Meredith.
Stilsonville was originally part of the town of Franklin before becoming part of Meredith when the town was established in 1800. According to the historical society, dissatisfaction among West Meredith residents eventually led to the 1820 effort to secede. The town of Meredith responded with its own measures to prevent the separation, beginning a dispute that continued for six years.
The program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
For more information, call 607-746-8083.
