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Westporter David Press felt something was missing when he pondered the connection between Westport and the Civil War. It all started from a curiosity as to why there is no town memorial to Westports Civil War veterans, said Press. I wanted to know more about the towns support of the Civil War effort and especially about the Westport men who fought in the war. As a result, he began to research the subject, even though he says he is "not a 'Civil War buff.'"
His research opened up a trove of information. From 2001 through 2004, Press studied original documents from the Westport Historical Society, Westport Town Hall, the Pequot Library, the Connecticut State Library in Hartford, the National Archives and other libraries. He believes he might be the only person to have delved into the subject and his work, not yet published, forms a vibrant history of Westport during the Civil War era.
Press's research project and his findings are the subject of his talk, Westport and the Civil War at the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club breakfast meeting Friday, August 20, at 7:30 a.m. The meeting takes place at Bobby Qs Restaurant, 42 Main Street, Westport. Guests are invited. The cost is $12 and includes a breakfast buffet. For more information, call (203) 454-6446 or visit the Rotary's website.
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