Even if someone had heard the screams of Rose Clark Ambler as she was murdered two miles from the center of town on Oronoque Road on Sept. 3 1883, there would have been no way to call police.

That's because only three of the 4,251 residents had telephones in Stratford, and there was not yet a town Police Department.

But when word got out about the murder of the young married women, it shocked the quiet farming and fisheries community and drew media attention from throughout the country.

Evidence suggested the young woman had fought against a violent attacker, according to historical records. And there were no lack of suspects.

Both a young "colored" man named "Boston" White and Ambler's estranged husband were suspected at times during the investigation, historical records say.

But her murder was never solved and the "mystery of Rose Ambler" was reported in newspapers all over the United States. Stratford's form of government in 1883 was town meeting/selectman, as it had been since the town's inception in 1639. There were three selectmen.

The council/manager form of government was later introduced in 1921 by a charter revision, and only two years ago was changed to a mayoral system.

Principal industries were agriculture and fisheries. Shad was a major and cheap source of food, which has not been the case since a dam was built over the Housatonic in 1890. Oysters also were a major industry.

Telephones had been installed in Stratford one year before, in

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1882, with only three subscribers.

In 1883 there was no running water or no sanitary sewers. There was no jail. Criminals had to be taken to the jail in Bridgeport.

Native Americans still lived along the Housatonic River, taking over abandoned buildings for shelter; they traded in baskets and gathered clams. The Stratford Point Lighthouse was brand new, having been built in 1881.