DANBURY, CONN. — When the British set Danbury ablaze on April 26, 1777, Sybil Ludington volunteered to ride the countryside in an attempt to save Danbury by rallying the troops and informing citizens about the British attack. The revolutionary troops arrived too late to save the town, but Ludington’s effort has not been forgotten and Danbury has grown to become one of Connecticut’s most diverse and populous cities.

Ludington and other historical figures representing Danbury’s cultural heritage will be re-created in live impersonations at a “Danbury History Comes Alive” event at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5, in the Ives Concert Hall in White Hall on the Western Connecticut State University Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury. The event will be free and the public is invited.

WestConn Professor of Education Dr. Darla Shaw envisioned the event as an opportunity to promote community education in Danbury’s historical legacy, and to unveil a new ABC history book designed to make the story of Danbury more accessible to students by using the alphabet as a teaching tool.

“The reason this all started is because I found that the textbooks students were using to read about Danbury’s history were too complex,” Shaw said. “The text was above their reading level, and I wanted to simplify it by making it a dramatic and visual book. Books that are visual grab people more than text.”

Shaw collaborated with the third-grade students and teachers of Danbury’s elementary schools. Preparing the book took months, and each school received a different group of letters from the alphabet to work on.

“This was a really exciting project, and we spent a few months preparing,” Shaw explained. “The teachers had to teach the history. Each student created their own letter, and the school picked the winning design. The winning letter will be presented by the child from the school.”

The “Danbury History Comes Alive” program also will feature live music and a performance by the Alay Philippine Cultural Dancers of Danbury. In remembrance of the Danbury Fair, the event will culminate with the “Danbury Fair Polka Dance.”

“This will commemorate the 25th year since the closing of the Danbury Fair,” Shaw said. “This will be an especially important treat for those who remember the Fair.”

For more information, call Shaw at (203) 837-8412 or the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.