New Book On Avon's History To Be Celebrated At Library

Avon Free Public Library

AVON, CT — The Avon Free Public Library is inviting folks to a special event to mark the launch of a new book about Avon's history.

Local author Scott Lewis will officially unveil his new book, "Avon, Connecticut's First Century: Visionaries and Victims," at a special celebration on Thursday, Oct. 30,at the library, which is located at 281 Country Club Road. It will take place from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

"Avon, Connecticut, has had a long history of people who challenged conventions and persevered through tragedy," wrote the library in an announcement.

"There was the clock peddler’s encounter with Abraham Lincoln, a suffragist’s political showdown with her cousin Eleanor Roosevelt, and a man who betrayed his brother-in-law, Thomas Edison."

In his book, Lewis reveals the stories of the visionaries and victims who shaped the Town of Avon’s future, according to the library.

An Avon resident, Lewis is on the board of the Avon Land Trust and has given several presentations on the town’s history.

In addition to serving as treasurer of the land trust, he builds and maintains hiking trails in Avon.

A descendant of signer Josiah Bartlett from New Hampshire, Lewis serves as treasurer-general for the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, a national genealogy society.

Before his retirement in 2023, he was a senior vice president at The Hartford Insurance Company, where he served as controller and chief accounting officer from 2013 to 2023.

Books will be for sale at this event.

People are asked to register so the library can set the community room up with appropriate seating.

The celebration is co-sponsored by the Avon Free Library and the Avon Historical Society.

For more information and to register for the free program, click on this link.