SOUTHINGTON - The descendants of the township's first pioneers will honor their heritage at the 134th annual Chalker, Norton and Viets family reunion.
The reunion will be held at noon Aug. 7 at the American Legion Hall, Warren Burton Road.
Nancy Vickers, one of the organizers, said the first pioneers who came from Connecticut in early spring 1805 by covered wagon and ox cart were David Viets, his son, Luke, and his wife, Hannah Viets, James and Mercy Chalker and their son, Orrin, and Roderick Norton and his brother, Horace.
The trip was 600 miles, which included traveling over the Allegheny Mountains and fighting wild animals.
Vickers said the first reunion was held in September 1878 at the homestead of James and Mercy Norton Chalker.
''Records of the reunion are still available for us to read,'' she said, adding that family trees can be traced back to England in the early 1500s
The first log cabin was built and belonged to Luke Viets and his family and the second cabin to James Chalker.
Vickers said until 1907, Southington had no high school. Students traveled outside the community for high school, including walking to Farmington. Newton Chalker was one of the men to continue his education at Farmington Academy.
She said Newton Chalker, who was an attorney, is the one who got Southington its first high school.
''Southington High School was one of the few endowed schools in the state. Newton proposed that Southington centralize its school and he would donate and endowed the high school,'' Vickers said.
The Chalker Building, which still stands, was completed in 1907.
The first settlers family memorial stone was erected in October 1936 to honor the township's ancestors. It is located midway on land where the first two log cabins were built in 1805 off state Route 305. Vickers said the front of the stone is a plaque with words honoring the settlers.
The reunion will include a buffet style dinner at 1 p.m., with those attending asked to bring a covered dish to share.
Also planned are family games, cornhole tournament, a water balloon toss and crafts.
Vickers said all descendants are invited and can bring birth, marriage and death records to be entered into the family genealogy.
She said a highlight will be honoring the oldest and youngest Chalker, Norton and Viets family member. Gifts will also be given to those who traveled the furthest.
''Last year relatives came from Missouri, Connecticut and first time relatives from Champion and Warren, '' Vickers said.