The Enfield Bicentennial was celebrated in 2021. To prepare for these events, the Town started planning during 2020. The following is a historical archive of the planning phase.
The Town of Enfield was established by the New York State Legislature on March 16th of 1821 with an estimated population of 1304 persons.
Sue Thompson (Town Historian) and Ann Rider were co-chairpersons of the celebration events. There were several smaller events and information sessions planned throughout the year. The signature yearly events, the Spring County Faire and the Fall Harvest Festival, were sponsored by the Enfield Community Council and had the anniversary as their theme. There was also a meeting on the 200th anniversary, March 16, 2021, where Town Supervisor Stephanie Redmond planned to read Enfield’s proclamation written by Ann Rider.
There were monthly planning meetings during 2020 on the second Tuesday of the month and held at the Enfield Historian’s Office at the Enfield Community Building on 182 Enfield Main Road. Many people were involved to make these events a success.
Some ideas that were put forth included the following:
- A quilt based off a popular pattern from 1821
- The fabric was donated by Quilters Corners with the help of Linda Vannedrynen
- Over 7 people helped to quilt the quilt
- The histories on the 5 biggest landowners in the Town in 1821
- 1821 Resident Histories
- What did people eat and where did they get their food from in 1821?
- T-Shirts and a Logo Design Contest
- Halloween Cemetery Tour
- Roses in the Christian Cemetery
Documents and References
There are many reference materials on Enfield’s history thanks to long time Historian Sue Thompson and the people she has worked with during the last 30 years. Below is a summary of various documents and references for those interested in learning more.