Celebrating America 250 in the Tri-bury Area
Southbury Rochambeau Traverse
The Southbury Land Trust in cooperation with the Southbury 250th Commission is planning a walk/traverse of the Town of Southbury, starting near the Woodbury town line and trekking across Southbury all the way to the Housatonic River crossing with bordering Newtown. The walk is to commemorate the trip that Comte de Rochambeau and his 5000 French troops took during the American Revolution nearly 250 years ago. This one-way 6-mile adventure, which can be done in smaller parts for those that choose to do so, will include several stops along the way with short history talks and transportation options for a return to the starting location.
Saturday, June 6 (rain date of Sunday, June 7) | 10 AM | Woodbury Town Line | Complimentary for ALL
Rochambeau Monument Dedication
On June 27th from 1 to 3 PM at Meadowview Park in Middlebury, the Middlebury Historical Society will host an unveiling of the plaza and statue honoring the 245th anniversary of the encampment of the 5,000 French soldiers on June 27, 1781. The Middlebury Historical Society has worked for 7 years to create a plaza with a monument dedicated to the French soldiers. The bronze sculpture honors the French soldiers who marched through Connecticut in support of the American cause. The dedication recognizes Middlebury’s place along the Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route and the role of French forces in achieving American independence. The event will program that day will have various CT government leaders, National Park Service representatives, French dignitaries from WDC and NYC, SAR, Landcraft Fife and Drum Corp and local town officials. There will be an opportunity to view the monument and surrounding plaza. All are welcome to join the Middlebury Historical Society on this momentous occasion.
Saturday, June 27 | 1:00 to 3:00 PM | Meadowview Park, Middlebury | Complimentary for ALL
Rochambeau’s March: A Historic Walk through the Whittemore Sanctuary
Join Flanders Board Member, Jeff Sherman, and Southbury Town Historian, John Dwyer, for a unique collaborative hike exploring the intersection of local history and natural beauty. This guided walk will focus on the historic East-West Road an abandoned thoroughfare that once served as a vital path through the region. Participants will follow the footsteps of General Rochambeau and his French troops, who marched through this very landscape in June 1781 on their decisive journey toward Yorktown. This hike offers a rare glimpse into the “march that won the war” and the early industries, like charcoal and timber, that shaped the character of the land we see today.
Saturday, July 11 | 9 AM | Whittemore Sanctuary (Parking off Rt. 64, Woodbury) | Complimentary for ALL, but registration required | REGISTER
