Write a commentThe Town of New Haven History Center will be dedicating a Historic Roadside Marker honoring the contributions the Shepard family made to the community from 1870 to 1934.
The dedication will take place on Saturday October 29th at 10:00 AM at 3644 Co Rt 6, the location where the Shepard estate was located.
Sidney Shepard, his wife Elizabeth and their son C. Sidney were wealthy philanthropists who preferred to receive no recognition for their contributions to the community. Mr. Shepard led the men’s group at the Congregational Church and would come home from Buffalo or New York City just to be there. They secretively paid medical bills for people in the community who could not afford to pay for medical care. Mr. Shepard would order three railroad cars of coal every year, one for the estate, one for the church and one for the poor. Mrs. Shepard had the community rooms put on the congregational Church. They also paid for the labor for the sidewalks in town as long as the homeowner paid for the materials. Since they wanted no recognition, it is hard to say what else they did for the community.
The Historic Roadside Marker reads:
SHEPARD FAMILY
PHILANTHROPISTS SIDNEY AND
ELIZABETH SHEPARD & SON
C. SIDNEY SUPPORTED COMMUNITY.
PREFERRED TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS.
RESIDENCE HERE CA. 1870-1934
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2022
The Historic Roadside Marker was purchased with funds from a grant by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation.
