July 28, 2003
What's newest? Old records!
"I have notified and warned the Inhabitants of said town by posting up notifications one at the store of Thomas W. Mayhew one at the store of Church and Winchester one on the Town house and one at the store of Frederick Brownell purporting; to meet at the time and place and for the purposes within mentioned. Signed Jireh Brownell,Constable of Westport."
That's how Westporters got their news in 1844 - or so it is recorded in the official town records. Now thanks to the efforts of Claude Ledoux and others you can get your news of Westport down through the ages by reading the copies of the town records on this Web site. Right now we have only the first 50 years or so, but the entries are growing weekly and soon we will have all records posted here from the town's incorporation in 1787 to the present.
Just click the "town records" link at the top of the home page, or choose "town records" from the links on the right side of this and other pages under the heading "Westport History Web."
Believe it or not, the records make for fascinating reading with all sorts of little tidbits that admittedly raise more questions than answers sometimes. But that's what makes them fun - not to mention useful as historical documents. Take a look. Do a search for your road, your organization, or a familiar name. No telling what will turn up! Start here!