USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Suffield > Celebration of the bi-centennial anniversary of the town of Suffield, Conn. : Wednesday, Oct. 12, 1870 > Part 1
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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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Ga
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01150 7545
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CELEBRATION
OF THE
Di-Centennial Anniversary 6
OF THE
TOWN OF SUFFIELD, CONN.,
Wednesday, Oct. 12, 1870.
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HARTFORD :
WILEY, WATERMAN & EATON, STEAM BOOK AND JOB PRINTERS. 1871,
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INTRODUCTION.
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Where are the graves where dead men slept Two hundred years ago? Who were they who wept Two hundred years ago ? By other men who know not them Their lands are tilled, their graves are filled, Yet nature then was just as gay, and bright the sunshine as to-day.
Those who are familiar with ancient mythology will recollect the story of the good Isis, who went forth wandering and weeping to gather up the parts and fragments of her murdered and scat- tered Osiris, fondly yet vainly hoping that she might recover and recombine all the separate parts, and once more view her husband in all his former proportions and beauty. With equal assiduity have a few citizens of Suffield sought to gather up the relies of the past, and place themselves for the time amid the scenes and cir- cumstances in which our forefathers lived and died.
We thus place the past and present side by side, and are qual- ified to judge of the progress of events, to sympathize with our forefathers in their privations and labors, and honor them for their deeds of virtue and valor.
The Two Hundredth Anniversary of the existence of the Town of Suffield, as a distinct municipal Corporation, occuring on the 12th of October, 1870, it occurred to the minds of a few citizens that it would be a proper and worthy time to celebrate the event. Accordingly, at the legal town meeting, held October 4th, 1869, the subject was brought before the people, and it was unanimously voted that the event be celebrated in a patriotic and spirited manner. A Committee of sixty-seven persons was appointed to carry out the vote, and a sum not exceeding $1,500 was appropriated for the purpose.
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Suffield, Conn.
~Celebration of the bi-centennial anniversary of the town of Suffield. Conn .. Wednesday, Oct. 12, 1870. Hartford, Wiley, Waterman & Eaton, 1871.
113, (2) p. front., plates, ports. 23gem.
IF CARD
1. Suffield, Conn .- Centennial celebrations, etc. I. Title.
Library of Congress
F104.SOS9 (33c11 Rc-3308
inn
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This Committee subsequently met and appointed the following citizens as an Executive Committee :
DANIEL W. NORTON, GAD SHELDON,
SIMON B. KENDALL, HEZEKIAH S. SHELDON,
WILLIAM L. LOOMIS, T. HEZEKIAH SPENCER, HENRY M. SYKES,
who were to have the general oversight of the preparation and carrying out of the design of the vote, and it is due to their zeal and labor that the occasion was so fittingly celebrated.
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PRELIMINARIES.
At a legal Town Meeting of the Town of Suffield, Conn., held at the Town IIall, in said Suffield, October 4th, A. D. 1869.
On motion of D. W. Norton, presented by the Clerk, Wm. L. Loomis, Esq., viz: That in view of the fact that during the year 1870 the Anniversary of the Second Centennary Year from the "Grant of the General Court at Boston," and the first settle- ment of this Town occurs; therefore,
Voted, That this Town take suitable measures to observe and celebrate said Anniversary, during the year 1870, in an intelligent and respectable manner, becoming the age in which we live, and in a public manner.
Voted, That a Committee of sixty seven persons of this Town be appointed to inaugurate and carry out a programme for the same, in a becoming manner, for said Anniversary, at a suitable time during the coming year .. And that said Committee shall have the power and right to expend and pay out such sums or parts of sums of money, in promoting the objects of said Anni- versary, or the necessary expenses, as the Town may appropriate for said object.
Voted, That this Town appropriate a sum not exceeding fifteen hundred dollars for said object, to be used by said Committee.
Voted, That the Committee consist of the following named persons, viz : Daniel W. Norton, Col. Simon B. Kendall, Sam- uel Austin, Gad Sheldon; Elihu S. Taylor, Henry Fuller, Albert Austin, Win. L. Loomis, Milton Hatheway, Doct. Aretus Rising, Edwin P. Stevens, George Fuller, Hezekiah Spencer, Artemus King, Henry P. Kent, Byron Loomis, Thaddeus II. Spencer, George A. Douglass, Silas W. Clark, Hezekiah S. Sheldon, Hiram K. Granger, Thomas J. Austin, Alfred Spencer, James B. Rose, Warren Lewis, Nathan Clark, L. Z. Sykes, Julius Har- mon, Burdett Loomis, I. Luther Spencer, Benjamin F. Hastings,
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Frank P. Loomis, Chas. A. Chapman, Wm. E. Harmon, Horace K. Ford, Ralph P. Mather, John M. Hatheway, Henry M. Sykes, and others. . And that said Committee take measures necessary to inaugurate said Anniversary in this town.
The preceding votes of the Town of Suffield, relating to the celebration and the appropriation of said Town for said Anni- versary, were ratified and confirmed by a resolution of the Gen- cral Assembly of this State, held at New Haven, at their May Session, 1870, which passed and was approved June 9th, 1870.
At subsequent meetings of said Committee, heretofore named and duly organized for that purpose, they appointed their Exec- utive and Finance Committees, a Committee on Invitation and Reception, a Committee of Arrangements to procure a tent, music, and to provide for the collation at the close of the exer- cises in the church, with the kind assistance of the Ladies of Old Suffield, at 2 o'clock, P. M.
The Officers of the Day were
PRESIDENT. DANIEL W. NORTON.
VICE-PRESIDENTS.
Capt. APOLLOS PHELPS,
ELIHU S. TAYLOR,
Capt. SETH KING,
ALBERT AUSTIN,
Rev. AMOS COBB,
HENRY FULLER,
HEZEKIAH SPENCER,
EDWIN P. STEVENS,
GAD SHELDON,
-AARTEMUS KING,
SAMUEL AUSTIN,
IIIRAM K. GRAANGER,
GEORGE FULLER,
WARREN LEWIS,
MILTON HATHEWAY,
GEORGE A. DOUGLASS,
HENRY P. KENT,
JULIUS HARMON.
CHIEF MARSHAL. Col. SIMON B. KENDALL.
ASSISTANTS.
12. P. LOOMIS,
JOHN NOONEY, B. F. TERRITT.
R. A. LOOMIS,
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1670.
1870.
IBANSTULIT
Bi-Cente
SUFFIELD, CONN.
CIRCULAR.
The Second Centennial Anniversary
F the "Grant of General Court at Boston, October 12th, 1670," occuring the present year, it has been decided, by vote of this town, to celebrate the event, and to circulate the notice as widely as possible among the sons and daughters of Suffield that have gone out from us and their descendants.
All such are cordially invited to meet with us here, on the twelfth day of October next, for a re-union at that time, and participate in the exercises, with the assurance of a hearty welcome, both public and private. Every effort will be made to make the occasion interesting and profitable, and the stay of our guests agrecable; and it is hoped that the gathering of those who have wandered so far away from us, and have been so long separated, will warm the heart and quicken the feeling of common inter- est and union.
WM. L. LOOMIS, SIMON B. KENDALL, ALBERT AUSTIN, THADDEUS H. SPENCER, GAD SHELDON, THOMAS J. AUSTIN, ELIIIU S. TAYLOR,
Committee
on
Invitations.
Supfield, Conn., Sept. 12, 1870.
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1870.
1670. Bi-Centennial Celebration OF THE
Town
Suffield,
Wednesday, October 12th, 1870.
PROGRAMME.
1. Forty guns will be fired and the bells of the several churches rung at sunrise.
2. The procession will form on the East side of the Park, the right of line in front of Knox's Hotel, at 9 o'clock A. M., and march around the Park to the Church in the following order :
Drum Corps. Special Police. Town Authorities. Committee of Arrangements.
Trustees and Teachers of the Connecticut Literary Institu- tion, and Teachers of Public Schools. Colt's Band. President and Vice-Presidents of the Day. Reverend Clergy. Oralor and Poet of the Day.
Governor and Staff of the State, and Ex-Governors of the State. Mayor and Aldermen from Springfield, Mass.
Citizens from other Towns. Citizens of this Town.
3. Exercises at the First Cong. Church at 10 o'clock A. M.
4. Collation at the tent, on the Park, at 2 o'clock P. M.
5. Re-union at Second Baptist Church, at 7 o'clock P. M. There will be Vocal and Instrumental Music.
Col. S. B. KENDALL, Chief Marshal. ASSISTANTS.
IN. P. LOOMIS.
JOHN NOONEY.
R. A. LOOMIS.
B. F. TERRITT.
:: A special train from Hartford to Suffield, (the first on the Branch Road), will leave Hartford at 7:15 .A. M., on Wednesday, October 12.
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1670. BI-CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION -OF THE ---
1870.
TOWN OF SUFFIELD, Wednesday, October 12, 1870.
I. VOLUNTARY ON THE ORGAN. II. SINGING BY THE CHOIR. III. STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT, D. W. NORTON, EsQ. IV. INVOCATION BY REV. JOEL MANN. V. READING THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, BY REV. D. IVES. D. D. VI. PRAYER, BY REV. D. IVES, D. D. VII. ORIGINAL HYMN, BY THE CHOIR. VIII: ADDRESS OF WELCOME, BY REV. WALTER BARTON.
IX. RESPONSE BY S. A. LANE, EsQ., OF AKRON, OHIO. .Y. ODE, BY THE CHOIR. XI. ADDRESS, BY REV. J. L. HODGE, D. D. XII. SINGING, BY THE CHOIR. XIII. HISTORICAL ADDRESS, BY JOHN LEWIS, EsQ.
XIV. MUSIC, BY THE BAND. XV. POEM, BY REV. S. D. PHELPS, D. D. XVI. ANTHEM, BY THE CHOIR. XVII. BENEDICTION, BY REV. STEPHEN HARRIS.
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STATEMENT
AT THE Hi-Centennial Celebration of the Town of Suffield,
OCTOBER 12TH, 1870,
BY THE PRESIDENT, D. W. NORTON.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN :
Two hundred and fifty years ago the 6th day of last month, our Pilgrim forefathers took their final departure from England for America in the Mayflower, a vessel of one hundred and eighty tons. The whole number who embarked were one hun- dred and one persons. Their Reverend Pastor, on his knees commending them in fervent prayer unto the Lord, intended to implore a blessing from Heaven upon the hazardous enterprise. Hle preached a sermon to them from Ezra, 8: 21. With mutual embraces and many tears they took leave of one another, which proved to be the last leare to many of them. The wind being fair they went on board, but the tide, which stays for no man, called them away out of the harbor. After they had enjoyed fair winds for a season they met many contrary winds and fierce storms. Their ship was shaken and her upper works very leaky. One of the main beams of the mid-ship bowed and cracked- this was repaired; they resolved to hold on their voyage.
And so after many boisterous storms, in which they could bear no sail, they fell in with land called Cape Cod, in November, 1620. After touching at several points on the shore in a storm of snow and rain, the sea very rough, they broke their rudder, which was supplied by two men with a couple of oars. The storm increasing as night came on, they broke their mast in three pieces, and their sails fell overboard into a grown sea. Like to
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have been cast away, yet by God's mercy they recovered them. selves ; and having the flood tide with them, struck into the har. bor and got under the lee of a small island, (Clark's Island,) finally landed on Forefathers' Rock at Plymouth, December 11, 1620, O. S .; the dense forest before them filled with Indians and wild beasts and the stormy occan behind them, without a shel- ter, winter setting in.
The settlement was immediately begun by building houses. Their work went on slowly. Cold weather, snow and rain hin- dered them, subjecting them to great sufferings. Sickness diminished their numbers, and a fire consumed their storehouse. By March, 1621, only fifty-five remained of their whole number. yet they were not discouraged.
On the 16th of March an Indian walked into town and saluted them in broken English with the exclamation, "welcome Eng- lishman." IIis name was Samoset, a Sagamore of Monhegan in Maine. He had learned some English by intercourse with fishing vessels and traders on the coast. The settlers now learned that Massasoit, the great sachem in the country, was near with a tra.n of sixty men. His visit was friendly, and a treaty was made which was observed inviolate for half a century.
A settlement was made in Weymouth in 1622. Other emi- grants came over from time to time, and settled in Charlestown, Roxbury, Salem, Dorchester, Ipswich and Newbury. In Sep- tember, 1630, the foundation of Boston was laid. At a later period some of these settlers found their way through the wilder. ness, over hill and dale, mountain and stream, to the beautiful valley of the Connecticut, and removed their families thither; commenced their settlements in some of the river towns above and below us, as Springfield, Hadley, Hatfield, Wethersfield. Windsor and Hartford; what was then called Stony-brook, (now Suffield,) being avoided on account of the very heavy timber growing upon her soil; being a dense forest or "a very woody place."
This township was purchased of two Indian Sachems for €30. and in 1670 was granted to Major John Pynchon and others by the General Court of Massachusetts.
Suffield is situated on an elevation of sandstone, which divides the lower valley of the Connecticut into an upper and lower
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basin. This clevation deprives Suffield of the alluvial interval lands found in those towns above and below us.
In April, 1670, a petition from sundry of the inhabitants of the town of Springfield was presented to the General Court at Boston, praying for a grant for a township at Stony brook or Southfield, as this place was then called, (now Suffield). That petition was referred to a proper committee, who in due time made a favorable report to the General Court; and two hundred years ago to-day, the grant was passed by the General Court at Boston for a township at Stony-brook plantation, so called.
The settlement of the town commenced that year, (1670).
Two brothers by the name of Harmons came here and settled about one mile west of High Street, what is now on or near the road leading from said High Street to West Suffield. Others soon followed; so that when the town was organized at its first general Town Meeting, held on the 9th of March, 1681-2, which was convened in accordance with an order of the General Court, passed at their session held October 12th, 1681, to organize the town, when about eighty proprietors were present to make choice of the municipal officers and discharge the committee, they being present, who had managed the affairs of the town from the time of the grant in 1670.
But our orators and poets on this occasion will give you a good account of the results of that beginning made here two hundred years ago.
· May this day, by the blessing of God, prove to be one of the best days ever witnessed by the sons and daughters of Old Suffield and their descendants; and may it long be remembered by the generations who succeed us; and will they celebrate the occasion at the end of cach succeeding one hundred years?
Following this, an Invocation by the Rev. Joel Mann, and reading of the Scriptures, by the Rev. Dwight. Ives, D. D., selections from the first chapter of John and the eleventh of Hebrews; followed by Prayer by the same gentleman. Then an original hymn was sung by the choir, entitled "Two Hun- dred Years Ago."
TWO HUNDRED YEARS.
COMPOSED FOR THE OCCASION BY REV. S. D. PHELPS, D. D.
I.
Where now a joyous throng we stand, And beauties round us glow, Stood a dense forest wild and grand, Two hundred years ago How vast the change, from old to new ! 'Twould strike the fathers dumb ; But what shall fill the children's view Two hundred years to come ?
II.
What struggles, perils, toils and fears They had to brave and know, Ere comforts blessed the pioneers, Two hundred years ago. For varied luxuries we possess, They had no thought or room ; But what they'll have, O who can guess, Two hundred years to come ?
III.
The dwelling, dress and style of yore Were plain and free from show ; They spim and wove the things they wore Two hundred years ago. If flash and fashion rule the age, And mark our progress some, Pray, what shall be the rush and rage Two hundred years to come ? 3
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The church and school, so simple then, Expressed the heart's outflow ; Earnest were those strong, thoughtful men Two hundred years ago. In grander fane and temple found, Refinement's richer home, Th' old virtues live-will they ABOUND Two hundred years to come ?
V.
Through all the past, life's growing tide Has met the one grim foe ; Old are the graves of those who died Two hundred years ago. We swell the stream whose murmuring rolls The cadence of the tomb ; What were our lives, and where our souls, Two hundred years to come ?
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JeB. Kendall
ADDRESS OF WELCOME,
BY REV. WALTER BARTON.
The Executive Committee have assigned to me the very pleas- ant duty of giving to the returning sons and daughters of Suf- field a few words of welcome. It would have been more fitting, perhaps, that the address of welcome should come from one who had always been a resident of the town. For however much I may regret the fact, I must frankly confess that I have not yet been able to ascertain whether any or all of " the three brothers," to whom, of course, my pedigree runs back, ever settled in this town or not. But being, as I am, very desirous to claim some share with you in the gladness and glory of this great celebration, I, of course, am bound to make my connection with you some- how. Failing to make any connection with you genealogieally, I was able to find, on looking up the old records, that I could make a connection with you geographically, on this wise: Up to the year 1749, Suffield was one of the places included in 'Hampshire County, Mass. As I was born in that county I con- cluded not to search the records any further, but to consider myself born in the same colony and county, in the same pre- cinct and on the same plantation with the rest of you.
To prove that this connection is not a fancied one merely, I may take the liberty to say that before Suffield was settled, or soon after, in order to keep up communication with Hartford, we who lived at the upper end of the plantation, in what is now known as Hadley and Northampton, used to have our teams drafted to repair the Suffield roads. Such instances are on record. Very likely it was owing to our cutting down the brush and making such good roads, or keeping them in such excellent re- pair that you were first induced to settle here.
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Be that as it may, I stand here to welcome to the scenes and ceremonies of this Bi-Centennial occasion, and also to the hearts and homes of the people, all former residents of the place, and "all who by any other ties of relationship or friendship are specially interested in commemorating Suffield's natal day.
IIow eminently befitting is it, in this busy and fast age, to improve a day like this by reviewing the lives and labors of the brave and good who have gone before us! . We have so much to do, to care for, to think, read and talk about, in regard to what is going on in the wide, wide world, that there is great danger of our forgetting the past and what is due to it from the present. F
The prophet says, "ask man of the days that are past." This the orator of the day will help us to do; and surely his review of these two centuries will furnish to each and to all of us lessons for our study, reflection and improvement in all the years to come. The occasion in itself is fitted to call forth the truest and best sentiments of our nature.
In ancient times it was customary to lead out the youths of royal families to gaze on the monuments of their ancestors, that. they might thus be inspired to cultivate their virtues and emulate their heroism. A still higher authority says, "Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation." Who has not often read with deep interest of the great gatherings and glad memorial days of the ancient Hebrews? What a scene must it have been when they came up by families and tribes from all parts of Canaan to keep the feasts of the Lord at Jerusalem ! How well fitted was this thrice yearly concourse at Jerusalem to counteract all the unsocial tendencies arising from their separation into distinct tribes, and to unite them all together as a nation of brethren !
It served to prevent all those unpleasant rivalries and jealousies which in time might have ripened into hostilities and collisions that would have rent their commonwealth in pieces. By being brought thus frequently together, the acquaintance of families and tribes was renewed, all feelings of clanish exelusiveness were repressed, and the social union more effectually consolidated. Though the chief design of these annual festivals was to per- . petuate the memory of the great events on which they were
yours Truly. Daniel W. Norton 1
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severally founded, other important ends were doubtless designed and secured by these assemblages. It would be a welcome res- pite from toil. They indulged in innocent hilarity, amusement and recreation.
I don't know whether or not the boys played base ball or the girls croquet, but I have no doubt they had other amusements and reereations as good or better. They not only worshipped; they feasted, they sang, and rejoieed together before the Lord.
And how much better for families, churches and communi- ties now, if they had more of these seasons of healthful reerea- tion and heartfelt rejoicing ! Is it not well once in a while to forget our money-making and our worldly schemes, to forget also what particular trade and tribe, seet and party we belong to, and remember ourselves and one another as belonging to the great family of one common Father in Heaven ?
You gather here to-day, not merely to glorify yourselves or your native town, although if you wanted to play the fool in an apostolie way, you might even boast yourselves a little, and not be thought either proud or vain in so doing. But your chief desire is rather to honor yourselves by honoring those who here, so early and so well, laid the foundations of the family, church and school, of intelligent society and christian civilization for all coming time.
Here " other men labored and ye are entered into their labors."
To those of you who were born and educated here, a thousand . hallowed memories will come thronging back to-day, as you look once more upon these charming valleys, these dear old hills, and the yet dearer faces of familiar friends.
You will clasp each other by the hand and amid smiles and tears cry "old Suffield forever." Tell us if in all your wander- ings you have found another Suffield yet? Do you not still sing, as you come back to the old homestead, "' Mid pleasures and palaces," etc .? The present year I have traveled two thous- and miles through the Middle and Western States, and last year four thousand miles through the South and West, but in either journey I cannot say that I found a town which for fertility, thrift and beauty, for social and religious privileges would sur- pass your own. And others here who have traveled farther than that in the East and in the West have said the same. Indeed,
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you who have never left the old homestead cannot appreciate the beauty and the- blessing of a birth-place in this charming valley of the noble Connecticut.
Ilow often in the years that are past have your thoughts wan- dered away to this home of your childhood ! And how happy are you to come back and shake hands again with those that still remain of your family friends and early companions! How it awakens also the liveliest emotions of gratitude to God, who caused the lines to fall to you in such pleasant places and gave you so goodly an heritage! 'Tis true you will look in vain for some who by reason of death are not permitted to be with us on this occasion. The names of many who once walked these streets, worked in these fields and worshipped in these churches, side by side with you, you will read in the different cemeteries of the town.
But others have taken their places, and though many of us are strangers to you, and many of you are strangers to us, we are all one in our sympathies with you and in our greeting to you on this memorial day. We all feel greatly honored by your presence with us, and we are all alike interested to honor the memories of those noble, self-denying, God-fearing men and women "who for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith," began the settlement of this place two hundred years ago.
But I must not keep you longer from the good things in store for you. I was only appointed to answer your rapping at the door of your dear old home, and to say in behalf of the whole Suffield family, " glad to see you, walk in, take off your things, sit right down and make yourselves perfectly at home." As I cannot shake hands with you all individually, as I should like to do, let me ask the resident citizens of Suffield here present to rise up and allow me to gather up all their hands into one great hand and reach it out, through the hand of this son of Suffield from Ohio, to all our guests and say, welcome cach, welcome all.
RESPONSE, BY S. A. LANE, ESQ., OF AKRON, OHIO.
MR. PRESIDENT ; LADIES AND GENTLEMEN :- It is, to mc, gratifying beyond expression, that I am permitted to participate with you in celebrating the TWO HUNDREDTH anniversary of the settlement of this my native town. But it is not quite so grati- fying to find myself the sole respondent to the very able and the very cordial address of welcome, to the returning wanderers, which has just been pronounced.
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