Mr. Lloyd T Shanley, Jr. was affectionately known to many as “Mr. Harwinton”
Lloyd T. Shanley, Jr. gave a lifetime of service to the town of Harwinton until his death in 2005 at age 81.
Born in 1923, he grew up along the Naugatuck River on a 500-acre poultry/dairy farm in the Campville section of Harwinton. His ancestors dated back to the 1700’s. He attended the Campville one-room schoolhouse with his two sisters. He came from a family with a record of public service. His father, Lloyd Sr. served the town as a constable, as a schoolboard member and as an active member of various farm agencies. It was his father’s involvement in public life that got Lloyd interested in politics. He began attending town meetings with his father as a twelve-year-old.
Upon his marriage to Helen Jasch Creel, Lloyd moved to the farm on the eastern side of the main farm, which was closer to the town center. There he operated his own dairy/poultry farm while also running a small contracting business. He sold the business when he became first selectman. The original farm in the Campville area eventually was sold to the federal government as the land was important to the government’s plan to build Thomaston Dam.
He first served the town of Harwinton in his 20s as a town constable. He felt that it was his civic duty to get involved. He was a member of the town’s first Zoning Commission and Finance Board (1971-1977, 1993-2003). He was elected to his first term on the Board of Selectman in 1955-1959 as a Democrat. He was the first Democrat to be elected to any position, ever, in the town of Harwinton. Four years later (1959) he was elected first selectman, a position that he held until 1969 and then again from 1977-1991.
In Lloyd’s own words, his secret to being a “successful politician was to avoid incurring political debts- never owe anyone anything politically. Treat rich-poor, Democrat-Republican equally.” His interest in Harwinton and its residents was deep. “I have a love for this town and its people. I’ve fought for what is good for the town against all odds-even if politically unwise.”
As first selectman he served as ex-officio member of all boards and commissions, often out for meetings three-five days per week. Until the position was eventually separated, he also served as the town’s highway superintendent. I remember as a youth having to wait Christmas morning to open gifts until dad got home from plowing snow with the road crew.
After twenty years of effort, he was the driving force behind the building of Harwinton’s Town Hall-Library complex, and he became the chair of the Town Hall building committee. He served as the local representative of the Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority and was a member of the Connecticut Association of Street and Highway Officials. As a charter member of the Harwinton Lions Club, he helped to bring the first ambulance to Harwinton. He was a member and a board member of the Harwinton Historical Society, a board member of the Hungerford Museum, a member of the Democratic Town Committee, a member of the Agricultural Society and a member of the Grange. He also served as a Deacon at the Harwinton Congregational Church. In 1986 he was the recipient of the Poole Award (Harwinton’s Outstanding Citizen Award).
Upon his retirement from his first selectman’s position in 1991, he served on the board of Finance until 2003 and as town historian (eighteen years) until his death in 2005. His passion was local historical research and genealogy, and he would often be found in the town vaults exploring historical files for information about Harwinton’s past. He had a legendary knowledge of Harwinton’s history and its people. He often wrote about Harwinton in local newspapers including The Harwinton Voice. His book Vignettes was published by the Harwinton Historical Society. Post-houmous, Lloyd was honored by a committee in town who recognized his many contributions. In 2007 the town hall assembly hall was dedicated as the Lloyd T. Shanley Jr. Assembly Hall and a granite bench which is located outside of town hall was purchased in his memory.
