The ever-changing face of Clinton's Central Park.

Byline: Terrance Ingano

COLUMN: Strange but True

Central Park has been the focal point of our community for over 150 years. Although the area has always been a prime piece of real estate, its overall look has changed drastically over the years. Today, there's nobody left who remembers the bandstand, the well, the frog pond and the liberty pole that once adorned the area.

Central Park's "Liberty Pole" was approved at a town meeting in 1858, back when the town was only 8 years old. The fire engineers at the time recommended "that a pole be erected in some suitable place for the purpose of giving the engine companies the means of ascertaining with accuracy the efficiency of their tubs, as well as for the laudable purpose of enhancing the pleasure of their voluntary exercises."

An appropriation of $300 was approved and the town purchased a mast 185 feet in length from Aspinwall and Company of Boston. The pole was erected on June 29, 1858, "amid many rejoicings and a great variety of sharp jokes." It in no way resembled today's flag pole in the park. Workers in the mills were let out at noon and a huge crowd gave three rousing cheers following the erection of the pole, as the stars and stripes were officially unfurled for the first time. The first contest of the Torrent and Cataract engine companies took place on July 4, but neither company succeeded in throwing water up to the flag.

Only 21 years later, during a strong gale in the summer of 1879, we lost our beloved liberty pole. Today's flag pole was never intended to be used for a fire muster competition.

The building of Central Park's bandstand was not without controversy. Apparently, a group of citizens at the annual town meeting of 1870 pushed through the construction of a bandstand, to be used for musical and dramatic programs, political speeches and the like. Of course, in order to put any permanent structure on that land, special permission had to be secured from the heirs of the Horatio Bigelow family. Attorney Charles Stevens was called upon to draw up the documents to secure the rights from the family - and, according to the Town Report, it cost the taxpayers $10 to do so.

The work of building the structure began officially on July 4, 1870, with the laying of the cornerstone. That's when the controversy started (it didn't take long, did it?). According to old newspaper accounts, the work was first supervised by "a musical genius of doubtful quality," but later was overseen by a...