Governor John S. Peters of Hebron 1772-1858, Connecticut’s only governor whose father had supported the British during the Revolutionary War.

Photo curtesy of Nathan Liverant and SonOn April 19th, the Hebron Historical Society and Douglas Library will present a talk on Hebron and the Revolutionary War. “Two Hundred Years Ago Today – Hebron and the Revolutionary War” a talk given by local historian John Baron, will take place at the Douglas Library from 1-2 pm. This presentation will focus on how people in Hebron were affected by events surrounding the Revolutionary War. Following the talk, visitors are invited to enjoy a mini exhibit at the Old Town Hall focused on several individuals who lived on Burnt Hill during the Revolutionary War and how their lives were changed by the war. Both offerings are free to the public.

As events unfolded leading to the Revolutionary War, Connecticut’s government was dominated by the Sons of Liberty led by Governor Trumbull of Lebanon. Hebron was unusual among the Connecticut hill towns in having a number of Loyalists residing in it. Rev. Samuel Peters, rector of the Hebron’s Church of England, and his family were terrorized by mobs of the Sons of Liberty after the Boston Tea Party in 1773. Rev. Peters and his two youngest brothers fled Hebron to support the English, leaving women in the Peters family to manage the large farms they abandoned in town. However, Rev. Peters’ oldest brother was an ardent supporter of the sons of Liberty, as were Rev. Peters’ neighbor Deborah Champion Gilbert’s family, making Hebron a divided town of political loyalties. When news came of the Battle of Lexington and Concord on April 19th, 1775, more than 60 Hebron men answered the call to arms. The Revolutionary War changed the lives of Hebron people from enslaved individuals like Cesar Peters and Pomp Mundo to well-to-do people like Deborah Champion Gilbert’s husband Samuel and Rev. Samuel Peters.

The talk and exhibit on April 19th will focus on how national events such as the Battle of Lexington and Concord, 250 years ago, influenced people in a small New England town like Hebron. Captain Roger Phelps living on Burnt Hill took his 13-year-old son to answer the Lexington Alarm in the midst of planting season. Deborah Champion Gilbert’s father and brother transported a herd of cattle in 1777-1778 to the starving Continental Army soldiers at Valley Forge. Deborah Champion Gilberts nearest neighbors were women of the Peters family managing the farm the Peters men had abandoned due to their Loyalist sympathies. These stories humanize history and will be told as part of the exhibit at the Old Town Hall. Whether one has lived in the Hebron area for years or have just recently arrived, the April 19th program will provide window into Hebron’s past.

Map of Historic Diversity and Archeological Sites

Map of Historic Diversity and Archeological Sites
Circa 12,500 years before present through 1900 CE
Hebron, Connecticut

This includes African Americans, Indigneus...