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GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01149 1310
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Digitized by the Internet Archive. in 2015
https://archive.org/details/historicalsketch00perk_0
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF
MERIDEN . COM.
BY G. W. PERKINS.
1841-1854
WEST MERIDEN : PUBLISHED BY FRANKLIN E. HINMAN. 1849.
[COPY RIGHT SECURED ACCORDING TO LAW. ]
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1127771
PREFACE.
The compiler of the following pages, prepared a few historical sketches or reminiscences of Meriden, as a substitute for a Thanksgiving sermon; for the dreary sight of empty seats, on those annual occasions, in a house usually full, left him no heart to preach on that day. Quite to his astonishment, the hearers were enough interested in the sketches to ask for their publication, with such additions as might be accessible. With the expectation that a day or two spent in inquiries and reading, would enable him to comply with the wishes of his hearers, he began to prepare a few pages for the press. But he soon found himself involved in an expenditure of time and labor even for the meagre sketches here presented utterly inconceivable, to one who has not himself been enticed into local antiquarian researches. But unwilling to abandon what he had commenced, he has ransacked old documents, searched libraries, employed others to search for him, among whom he is specially indebted to Mr. Edwin Hubbard, run to and fro, from one " oldest inhabitant" to anoth- er, and after all has made a little book, which will probably be deemed unsatisfactory, and bearing little resemblance to the sermon out of which it sprung, except in the homiletic fragments, which may be found here and there in it. Although there are few formal references to names, books and documents, as authori-
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PREFACE.
ties for the statements on the following pages, on account of the space which would have been thereby filled, yet nothing has been stated for which the writer had not the best evidence, accessible to him at the time.
No one can be more sensible than the compiler, that many of the facts here printed, are very insignificant, and can have no possible interest out of our own neighborhood. Many perhaps will think that he has wasted paper and ink on trash ; or on trifles at least. But he has inserted nothing but what had some inter- est for himself as a citizen of Meriden : and therefore he hopes it may gratify the curiosity of his neighbors and fellow-citizens. The history of a town like ours, must be a history of details ; and transactions which seem to be trifles are sometimes the best indications of the principles and condition of community.
As Meriden' was not a "town" until 1806, these pages embrace an account of the town of which we formed a part-Wallingford-until, Meriden became a distinct community as an ecclesiastical society, in 1729. Hence the reader will observe that the phrase "the town," " our town," &c. sometimes includes Wallingford.
The spelling, punctuation, and capitals, of the old documents have been exactly copied, in all those cases in which the reader finds any deviation from our mod- ern modes of writing.
The Map is a mere Outline, only designed to show distinctly how few and feeble were the settlements in Connecticut, when Wallingford was settled.
SKETCHES, &C.
PSALMS 80 : 8, 9, 10. Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt, thou hast cast out the heathen and planted it. Thou preparedst room before it and didst cause it to take deep root and it filled the land : the hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.
THIS brief and graphic sketch of Judea, is truthfully descriptive of the origin and growth of New England. Feeble at first like a transplanted vine, with a strug- gling and precarious existence, it has grown up to a strength, wealth and power, which neither friends nor enemies dreamed of. The history of each town is but a miniature copy of the history of the whole. Beginning in poverty, feebleness and hardship, many of these little territories have arrived at a degree of prosperity and improvement, in strong contrast with their early insignificance. To these facts my own mind always reverts with deep interest and grateful emotions. I have thought therefore, that I could not supply your minds with materials of more pleasant recollections, nor with better incentives to devout Thanksgiving this day, than by sketching the early history of our town. The latitude in the selection of topics usually allowed to the pulpit on occasions like these must be my apology for the introduction of some matters, not appropriate to the Sabbath.
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PURCHASE OF INDIAN LANDS.
Before the settlement of the white men, our town, of course, like all other parts of America was occupied or claimed by the Indians who lived or hunted here. My narrative will therefore naturally commence with tracing the transfer of these lands to the original 1
white inhabitants.
PURCHASE OF INDIAN LANDS.
That part of our town which lies south of a line drawn east and west through the village of West Meriden, was very early purchased of the Indians, by the original settlers of New Haven. It appears that these settlers, in 1638, bought of "Momaugin, the Indian Sachem of Quinopiocke" and others of his council, the tract of land on which New Haven now stands, extending several miles to the northward,* and embracing probably North Haven, also. In the same year 1638, they bought of "Mantowese, living at Mattabesick"-[or as it is usually spelt, Mattabesitt, being the tribe then living at and about the present city of Middletown,] " the land on both sides the river Quinnypiock, from the northerly bound of the land lately purchased by the said English of the Quinny- piock Indians, [i. e. extending northward from about the present limits of North Haven] to the head of the river at the great plain [probably Hanover] towards the plantation settled by the English upon the river
* Original Doed quoted at length, " Bacon's Historical Dis- coursde, p 331
PURCHASE OF INDIAN LANDS. 8
of Quinticutt, which is about ten miles in length from north to south,"* [i. e. was to extend ten miles north from North Haven, towards Hartford on the Con- necticut. ]
It thus appears that the territory originally called New Haven, was about ten miles wide, and twenty miles long, extending from the sound to just about the point where the village of West Meriden now stands, and embracing the present towns of New Haven, North Haven, Wallingford, and parts of Cheshire and Meriden. Subsequently the north half of this twenty mile tract was set off, as Wallingford.
As we hear much said of the gross frauds and wrongs perpetrated by the original white settlers, in their pretended purchases of land, from the Indians, the true history of these, purchases ought to be under- stood. It is a well known historical fact, that the Indians living upon and west of the Connecticut river, had often suffered terrible defeats from the two most prominent tribes on their borders, the Pequots and Mohawks, and had been indeed grievously oppressed and crushed by them. They lived in constant terror of these formidable warriors. On this account they welcomed the arrival of the English among them. Nay, so desirous were they of English settlements on their territory that before the first settlement was made in the state a deputation of Indians appeared in
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* Bacon's Historical Discourses. The deed is there copied at length.
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PURCHASE OF INDIAN LANDS.
Massachusetts,* requesting the people of that state to send a colony and form a plantation among them in Connecticut. So in one of the deeds referred to, it is expressly stated as a reason why they give the deed and wish the purchasers to settle among them, “re- membering the heavy taxes and imminent dangers lately felt and feared from the Pequots, Mohawks and other Indians in regard of which they durst not stay in their country, but were forced to flee and seek shel- ter among the English, and observing the safety and ease that other Indians enjoy, near the English, of which benefits they have a comfortable taste already, which with all thankfulness they now acknowledge, they grant," &c., &c., &c.
In this part of the country then, the original settlers were not intruders. It is true that the price or con- sideration paid for these lands was inconsiderable, when viewed from our stand point. For in one of the deeds alluded to, for a tract as large as . Wallingford, Mantowese says "he is satisfied with twelve coats," and only wishes to reserve a small piece of land "for his small company being but ten men in number be- sides women and children." But the real value of the lands was then small; and the actual settlements of the English among them, were alone sufficient compen- sation for the territory they occupied.
It further appears from the documents which I have
* An account of this affair in Trumbull's history of Connecticut, chap. 2; also, chap. 6. Also in Winthrop's Journal.
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ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS.
examined, that the lands in many instances were bought and paid for, several times over. If, after any particular tract had been purchased, some sachem or tribe appeared with a claim to the same land, that title also was bought out, and if again other claimants appeared, the purchase was still made again. Part of Meriden was thus bought again and again. And in 1670, thirty-four years after the city of Hart- ford had been bought of the Indians, and had become populous, there arising some dispute about the title, the lands in Hartford were bought over again. The documents illustrative of this fact are too long for insertion here, but they are on record. So far were our ancestors from defrauding or wronging the original inhabitants out of these land's.
ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS.
It thus appears that the south half of Meriden, was. originally occupied or rather claimed by a little band of Mattabesitt Indians, not more than fifty in number, all told, and was sold to the original proprietors of New Haven, in 1638.
The north half of Meriden, was also claimed by portions of the same tribe, as I think. For when Farmington was settled by the English there was a band of the Mattabesitt tribe, in the south-east part of that town, probably near to Kensington. A glance at the map will show any one that the tribe which owned the territory at Middletown and Kensington,
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ORIGIN OF THE NAME.
and the south part of Meriden, must unquestionably have owned the north part of Meriden, also. It is not probable however that the tract of country embraced within the present limits of our town, was ever occu- pied by any Indian village. They usually selected the banks of rivers, where there were conveniences for fishing and rich alluvial meadows for cultivation-as the sites of their villages and forts. Accordingly we find them on the rivers "Tunxis" and "Quintecutt" in great numbers, while the hilly, broken country like ours, was used by them merely for hunting purposes. Deer and all kinds of game were plentiful among our hills and swamps; and there are several places, in our town, as at the outlet of Black Pond, where there are indications of beaver, the logs and sticks used for their dams and huts, being still found embedded and pre- served in the black earth, with the marks of their teeth still upon them.
At the time of the settlement of New Haven, Sow- heag was the great Sachem of the Mattabesitt tribe. He had a fort or capital at Middletown, on the high ground near the "narrows," by the river, and, his pow- er extended over Middletown, Wallingford and Meri- den, and small portions of towns adjoining thereto.
ORIGIN OF THE NAME.
But the whole country between Hartford and New Haven, though portions of it were embraced within the nominal limits of towns, does not appear to have been
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ORIGIN OF THE NAME.
occupied with settlers for many years. A road was indeed cut very early between those two settlements, being the identical road passing through our town, and which we now term the "the old road." So early was it cut through the wilderness, that as early as 1670, 180 years ago in an old legislative grant it was called " the old road, to New Haven."* But we have no evi- dence that for thirty years, there was a solitary house or settlement on the road.
But within this period, certain localities had acquir- ed fixed and well-known names. The spot on which our village stands, was called "PILGRIM'S HARBOR," in an Indian deed of 1664.f There can be no reasonable doubt of the correctness of the following tradition ; universally current, among the old residents of our town. When Charles 2d, came to the throne in 1660, those who had been engaged in dethroning and execut- ing his father were compelled to flee. Some of them were concealed for a time in and near New Haven, but being in danger from the king's officers, fled to Massa- chusetts. On their journey up this road, they encamped on or near this spot for several days, it then being a swampy, tangled wilderness, well fitted for concealment. The place thence-forward as having afforded shelter or harbor to these men-who though denounced at home as regicides, were honored by our fathers as noble patriots-was called " Pilgrim's Harbor."
* See Appendix, No. 4.
t See Appendix, No. 1. A letto millón previous 51461 in which is mentioned Piège or Noubou, Le. Davis Nist .
Rec also Curtis Niedem
P. 15F
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ORIGIN OF THE NAME.
As early also as 1664, another locality lying north- ward of our village several miles was called Merideen; Meridan, or Meridon .* For as early as that, an Indian deed conveying a large tract of land, describes it, or the locality about it, as "intitled and known by the name of Merrideen." Subsequent documents,t speak of land as lying between Pilgrim's Harbor and Merri- dan. Long before there were any settlements on this territory, and as early as there was any house, we find the name Merrideen or Meriden.
The origin of the name is involved in some dispute. There is a tradition that the word is compounded of two words, "merry" and " den :" and that in an old stone house built up there in that locality, there were so many merry meetings of travellers, that the place acquired the nickname of Merry-den. But I am
inclined to reject this derivation for reasons which will presently appear. It appears that one Mr. Belcher, very early, but how early we cannot precisely ascertain, had a grant of a large tract of land lying on our pres- ent northern border. Whether this was a colonial grant or a royal grant, we do not know, for no trace of deed or grant can be found in the state records or town records. This Mr. Belcher built a stone house, on that tract and very near the spot now occupied by the house of Mr. Sidney Merriam, which old stone house served as a tavern for the very few travellers who journeyed through the wilderness then lying between Hartford
* See Appendix, No. 1. t See Appendix, No. 9.
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ORİGİN OF THIE NAME.
and New Haven, and was also built strong enough to resist the attacks of the Indians. The foundations of that old house were ploughed up a few years ago, by Mr. Merriam; and the remains of the cellar or vault, used as a powder magazine, are still visible.
We also know that the names of nearly all our towns were borrowed from England, the emigrants and set- tlers, with a very natural feeling transferring to America, the appellations so familiar and dear to them in their own country. For Cotton Mather remarks, " there are few of our towns, but what have their namesakes in England," and the Legislature in the preamble to an act, concerning New London, assign as a reason for giving that name to the town, "whereas it hath been the commendable practice of all the colonies in these parts to give names to these plantations of some cities and towns in England."
It would be very natural, and almost certain there- fore that Mr. Belcher in building a house midway between two growing cities, and on a fine tract of land, where from all analogy he might expect a village ultimately to grow up-to give it a name, and a name derived from England. Now we know that there is, or was a village in England called Meriden, for in an old English Gazetteer, in the Historical Library at Hartford, we are told : "MERIDEN or Mireden, 97 miles from London, near Coventry. There is an inn here, one of the first in this part of England, being built like a nobleman's seat." As Mr. Belcher built,
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EARLY SETTLEMENT.
this stone house as early as 1664, as we find the name Meriden applied to the locality on which the house stood as early as the house was built, as Meriden in England, was distinguished for its beautiful tavern, and as Mr. Belcher's stone tavern, was an unusually substantial and costly building for that period, there can be no reasonable doubt, that he gave the name to the north part of the town ; which name was naturally transfer- red to the settlements which sprung up around it.
This derivation of our name seems far more probable than any other. For the word Meriden is evidently not of Indian origin. Moreover the name is given and applied in deeds, immediately-as far as we know- after the erection of the house, and before it could have acquired notoriety and a nickname, from the revelries practised there. It usually requires a long time for such kind of names to gain foothold. Moreover, the number of travellers there was very small, and their general character of that grave and even austere kind, that we may be sure that so far as their conduct was concerned, the house would be more likely to acquire the name of " the praying house;" than the "den 'of merriment."
EARLY SETTLEMENT ..
As our town, originally, and for many years consti- tuted a part of the town of Wallingford, I shall commence my narrative with the history of that place. In the year 1670, the first settlement was made at Curtis has ruled england a calisfied that the name care evident aura, Parking o un day counts una England, a few miles SI fra down the fact that Merida hade
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EARLY SETTLEMENT!
Wallingford. At that time Hartford and New Haven had been settled about 35 years and the whole popula- tion within the territory now called Connecticut was about 10,000. But as the whole process of commencing and carrying on the settlement of a new town, or a " plantation"-which was the term most commonly used-was very different from our modern processes, I will try to make the various steps intelligible.
It has already been stated that the original settlers of New Haven in their corporate capacity, owned the whole tract from the sound up to the present village of West Meriden, which tract was about twenty miles long and ten broad. But when the increase of popu- lation seemed to render it necessary to push settlements further into the interior upon the unoccupied lands, they did not sell out farms to such individuals as chose to buy, and allow matters of this kind to take what we should perhaps call the natural course. They proceeded in a much more orderly manner.
The people of New Haven, in their corporate capacity and in public meeting, voted to set off a certain portion of their territory to constitute a "village" or " plantation." The territory thus set off was to extend southward from the point where the " old road to New Haven goeth over Pilgrim's Harbor," ten miles, and to extend five miles each side of the Quinnipiock river."* The town next appointed a Committee, in whose hands they vested the title to the whole land
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* See Appendix, No. 4 Colony grant.
and a Loin a panth confin i idea and the bag of the lan
Re Centon Herkany Page 44-46'
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EARLY SETTLEMENT.
embraced within the limits of the new plantation, which Committee were to admit settlers and divide the lands among them, on certain stipulated conditions, and were to have the entire control of the affairs of the plantation, until the settlement had so far proceed- ed, that the "planters" themselves should assume all municipal powers. This Committee then received applications from such as chose to commence a new settlement and selected those who in their opinion were best qualified for the work. The persons thus selected, mutually covenanted with each other and with the said Committee to observe certain rules and conditions, in a written agreement to which their sig- natures were affixed .*
The Committee then proceeded to select a site for the proposed village, which location is described, as being "upon the hill, on the east side of the great plain commonly called New Haven plain," which will be at once recognized as the spot on which the present village of Wallingford stands. They then allotted to each planter a few acres of land for a building spot and a home lot, " beginning at the south-east of said hill." Having laid out the south part of the village, then "next to the aforesaid house lots it is ordered that there shall be a highway crosse the hill, from east to west of six rods broade, [being the road, now leading from the Rail Road by the Congregational
* See Appendix, No. 6 and 7, where the action of the Commit- tee, and the written covenant of the planters, are given in full from the original records.
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ALLOTMENTS OF LAND.
Church, to the main street,] and from thence a long highway of six rods broade on the top of the hill to run northward, [being the north part of the present main street of Wallingford,] and on each side of itt to ranges of house lotts of six acres to a lott ; and these lotts to be distributed."
ALLOTMENTS OF LAND.
After the planters had received their respective allotments, built their houses, and had assumed the form of a regular and settled community, then the Committee, who had arranged all the preliminaries and incipient stages of the new "plantation" surrendered all their power, and the title to the whole territory, into the hands of the "planters," who thereby became, a corporate body,-in other words, a town. The land within the town limits, became thus the property of the town as a corporate body ; to be by them disposed of in such ways and to such persons as they might deem fit. One of their first acts was the allotment of certain portions of meadow and woodland to each planter at convenient distances from the village ; which appro- priations constituted the farms and private property of such individuals respectively. The land lying on the riv- ter as best adapted to their purposes was first used, and described as " the lotts on the river called, New Haven east river, that are layd out to severall of the inhabi- tants as meddow land. They are to begin at the end of the hill caled Blew hill, where it comes to the river,
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HOW NEW SETTLERS WERE ADMITTED.
and so to run upward the river." At this first apportionment of land, thirty-eight lots were given out to as many individuals or families ; some receiving eight, and some twelve acres.
In these various transfers of the land, from the town of New Haven, and from them to the Committee, thence to the associated planters, and ultimately to individual proprietors, no money or consideration of any kind was paid. The land was worth literally nothing ; until actually settled and cleared.
HOW NEW SETTLERS WERE ADMITTED.
It would naturally occur that after the settlement was commenced, other individuals in addition to the original "planters" would desire to become residents in the town. Such an one was not expected, nor even allowed to buy any wild land. He was to make application to the town, both for permission to live in the town, and for a gratuitous allotment of land. The town in public meeting considered such a request and referred it to a Committee for consideration. That Committee after examining the testimonials which the applicant could produce touching his character, recom- mended a compliance with his request, if such testimonials were satisfactory. Accordingly we find in the records, many votes similar to the following.
" 12th Feb. 1671. Agreed by y" Comitee for y e Towne of Wallingford that Isack Rise, and Nehimia Rise, shall have lotts granted y I provided they procure
p
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HOW NEW SETTLERS WERE ADMITTED.
suficient testamoney of theyr good conversation in the place whear they formerly lived."
So careful were they in guarding the character of their new settlement, that even the land which was appropriated to individuals as their private property, was held under this condition, that no sale was to be made to any stranger, until the character of the proposed purchaser had also been examined and approved by the town, and leave granted by express vote of the town, for such transfer of land. Thus we find on the town records frequent entries like the following.
"23d Feb. 1677. The towne gave liberty to Nath'l Hickcok to sell his accomodation to any such men as y " towne shall approve of."
" 20th Oct. 1674 voted that Good" Foote shall have liberty to buy the lott, yt is Joseph Eives provided he procure sufficient teastimony of his good conversation in ye plase wheare he now pretendeth to remove."
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