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Barbaro College Library
LVM.ACADE
CHRISTO
ECCLESIA
FROM THE
BRIGHT LEGACY.
One half the income from this Legacy, which was received in 1880 under the will of JONATHAN BROWN BRIGHT of Waltham, Massachusetts, is to be expended for books for the College Library. The other half of the income is devoted to scholarships in Harvard Uni- versity for the benefit of descendants of
HENRY BRIGHT, JR.,
who died at Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1686. In the absence of such descendants, other persons are eligible to the scholarships. The will requires that this announcement shall be made in every book added to the Library under its provisions.
Sarah E. Hughes
HISTORY
OF
EAST HAVEN
BY SARAH E. HUGHES
Initial Drawings by Margery E. Thompson
1908 THE TUTTLE, MOREHOUSE & TAYLOR PRESS NEW HAVEN, CONN.
1923 : 5.10
PARVAT ? I. 2:1918 LIBRARY
DEDICATION.
To the Trustees of the Old Cemetery in East Haven, Conn.
I dedicate and donate this little work, which has been requested by many of my townspeople, to you, as a freewill offering of love and interest to my native town.
The object is twofold. First, to perpetuate that which has hitherto been written, and also to record that which has since formed history. Second, and pri- marily, to aid you in raising and securing a Perma- nent Fund for the care and maintenance of the Old Cemetery, during all time to come.
SARAH EVA HUGHES.
TO
MISS SARAH EVA HUGHES.
We, the undersigned, as Trustees of the Old Ceme- tery in East Haven, do hereby gratefully acknowledge your faithful and untiring efforts in the compilation of this authentic and interesting work, and it is with pleasure we publish it to perpetuate history and the names of those who have aided in making possible the Permanent Fund.
CHARLOTTE J. THOMPSON, ELIZABETH H. BAGLEY, JENNIE A. FORBES, CHARLOTTE A. HEMINGWAY, IDA M. FONDA.
PREFACE.
By the request of several of the townspeople, a revision of the "East Haven Register," by Rev. Stephen Dodd, is attempted. This work is out of print, and only a copy now and then is to be found in the town, but a growing feeling has been expressed for its perpetuation.
The present work is merely a revision of Rev. Mr. Dodd's, with some chapters eliminated as being of little interest at the present day, viz., the "Division of Lands," "Town Boundaries," and "Public Roads"; in their places events of local interest since 1824 (the date of his publication) have been inserted. The general historical events are faithfully and fully copied from his work. In the first settlement of the town more notice of and space to the early settlers has been given, with a short biographical sketch of each one, as far as could be collected from various and reliable sources, in order to gratify the prevailing feeling of many of the present day to learn something of the first ancestors of the town. This has been carried only to 1700 and, in a few instances, lightly traced to the present day. After 1700 the children of the early settlers took the places of their fathers and bore their responsibilities and labors, manifesting the same traits of character by inheritance of the same virtues and opinions. There is no denying the old adage that "blood will tell." No pretence is made to write a scholarly history, but a review of the past, and quo- tations from acknowledged authorities. The intention
viii Preface.
is to give in a pleasant and readable form some outline of the work that was done by the first settlers, the general character and customs of the people, together with some biographical sketches of interest to those. who take pride in ancestry, for Ruskin says, "both moral and physical qualities are communicated by descent, far more than they are developed by educa- tion." Neither is this little work intended to compete with, nor in any way retard the publication of that of the late Rev. D. W. Havens, who has written a voluminous and exhaustive history of the town.
No quotations have been made, therefore there has been no infringement of his work in this volume; but numerous references, and some quotations, have been taken from his Centennial Sermon, as that was pub- licly delivered and afterwards published, which ren- dered it no longer private property. If omissions or mistakes have been made, it has been from inaccessi- bility to the facts and not from any other cause, as it has been the purpose to do "justice" to all, with "offense to none." If it is true that a work done in a spirit of love always makes for blessedness, then this work will accomplish the desired end.
The compiler wishes to express thanks to all those who have so readily and cheerfully aided in furnishing dates, records and information, and to Mr. G. A. Sanford for the photographs, and to Mrs. Clara A. Thompson of Hartford for her picture of the moun- tain laurel. All have made the work a pleasure, because cooperation was so freely extended.
S. E. H.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
DEDICATION .
iii
ACCEPTANCE
V
PREFACE
vii
CONTRIBUTORS TO FUND
xiii
CHAPTER
I. THE SETTLEMENT
OF
EAST
HAVEN
I
CHAPTER
II. PUBLIC SCHOOLS
48
CHAPTER
III.
ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS
67
.
CHAPTER
IV.
INDUSTRIES
115
CHAPTER
V.
DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN NEW
HAVEN
AND
BRANFORD
SETTLED
139
CHAPTER VI. FORMATION OF
THE
EPISCO-
PAL SOCIETY
166
CHAPTER VII. THE GREEN .
175
CHAPTER VIII. THE CEMETERY
197
CHAPTER IX.
NATURAL HISTORY, TORNADO
AND CURIOSITIES
218
CHAPTER
X. LOSSES BY WAR.
235
CHAPTER XI. GENERAL AFFAIRS
286
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Facing page
SARAH E. HUGHES (Frontispiece)
ALCHEMY SPOON 4
. SPEAR HEADS AND ARROW POINTS
44
- THE UNION SCHOOL. 57
-THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. 92
-THE MILL
125
LAKE SALTONSTALL.
130
ยท GOVERNOR SALTONSTALL CHAIR 155
- GOVERNOR SALTONSTALL'S HOUSE 156
JTHE EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 171
- THE HOUSE WHERE LAFAYETTE WAS ENTER- TAINED IN 1824. 178
J MOUNTAIN LAUREL
189
. JACOB HEMINGWAY MONUMENT. 204
-THE COWLES MEMORIAL GATEWAY
212
. EAST HAVEN RIVER AND DARROW ISLAND. 224
- FORT WOOSTER TABLET 237
FORT HALE 261
- MAIN STREET
292
CONTRIBUTORS.
THE PERPETUAL CARE FUND.
Mr. CHARLES B. FOWLER (for Fowler and Russell family), Ironton, Ohio $500.00 Mr. DWIGHT DAVIDSON MALLORY (for Davidson
family), Baltimore, Md. 100.00 Mrs. MARIA BARNES RUSSELL (for Barnes family), Meriden, Conn. 100.00
Mr. EDWARD BATES (for Dr. and Mrs. Bradley), Syracuse, N. Y. 100.00 Mrs. EPHRAIM STURTEVANT CHIDSEY'S LEGACY, East Haven, Conn. 100.00
Deacon ASA L. FABRIQUE, New Haven, Conn. 100.00
Mrs. H. MINERVA ANDREWS BLACKSTONE, Branford, Conn. 100.00
Mrs. MARY FRANCES ANDREWS RICHARDS, New Haven, Conn. 100.00
Mrs. TIMOTHY ANDREWS, East Haven, Conn. 100.00
Mr. GEORGE H. TOWNSEND (General Fund), New Haven, Conn. 100.00
Mr. ARTHUR HURLBUT BURR, New Haven, Conn. 100.00
Mr. WILLIAM SCRANTON PARDEE, New Haven, Conn. 100.00
Dr. J. LESTER KEEP, Brooklyn, N. Y. 100.00
Mr. FRANK J. LUDDINGTON, Waterbury, Conn. 100.00
Mr. ALBERT L. CURTISS, Milwaukee, Wis. 100.00
THE MERIT HEMINWAY FAMILY, Watertown, Conn. .. 100.00 THE PHILEMON HOLT GRANDCHILDREN 100.00
CHARLES HOLT, New York; HENRY HOLT, Bur- lington, Vt .; ELLA HOLT and Mrs. MORTIMER, Baltimore, Md.
THE JOHN BISHOP GRANDCHILDREN 100.00 GERARD HALSTED BISHOP, Woodbridge, Conn .; Prof. WILLIAM HENRY BISHOP, Consul at Palermo, Italy; Mrs. JOHN H. PLATT, New Haven, Conn.
viii
History of East Haven.
THE CAPTAIN JOHN HEMINGWAY GRANDCHILDREN ... $100.00 HENRY H. BENEDICT, Mrs. SARAH M. BENEDICT DEANE, FRANK W. BENEDICT (by Mrs. HELEN H. BENEDICT MANSON), FRANK W. PARDEE, all of New Haven; and Mrs. NELLIE BENEDICT FOWLER, Richmond Hill, Long Island, N. Y.
Mrs. JULIA BARNES CHURCH ANDREWS ( for the Barnes Church lot), New Britain, Conn. 100.00
Prof. WILLIAM HENRY BISHOP, Consul at Palermo, Italy (for the William Henry Bishop lot) .. .. 100.00 Miss SARAH E. HUGHES, New Haven, Conn. 100.00
ESTATE OF SARAH A. PROUT, and FRED. W. PROUT, (Foxon), East Haven 100.00
ESTATE OF WILLIAM A. WOODWARD, New Haven, Conn. FRED. A. FORBES and WILLIAM C. FORBES, East Haven ; Mrs. LELIA FORBES CURTISS, New Haven, Conn. (for Alexander Forbes plot) 100.00
100.00
ESTATE OF GEORGE GALE, Hartford 100.00
Mr. MILES LEWIS ROWE, New Haven (for the Robert Rowe lot) 100.00 ESTATE OF MARIA FORD CHIDSEY, East Haven, Conn. 100.00
CHAPTER I.
SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
T this time it may be thought that the little town of East Haven has no place in history, because of its diminutive size. Let it be remembered that each little town is a world unto itself, with an individual empire of its own in associations, customs and habits of thought. Two thousand years ago the most precious title was to be a Roman citizen. St. Paul exclaims, "I am a man which am a Jew." "A citizen of no mean city." "Taught according to the perfect manner, of the law of the fathers." If St. Paul was proud of his citizen- ship, should we not be proud that we are of Puritan origin? He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. His parents were both Jews of the tribe of Benjamin. Hence the similarity, for we are Puritans of the Puritans, brought up as he was, "after the manner of the law of the fathers." In all the histories of colonial times the New Haven Colony, under Rev. John Davenport and Theophilus Eaton, is called one of the most learned, refined, pious and wealthy of all the companies coming to New England. Owing to its personnel, this company was urged to locate in Massachusetts, when they first landed from England. Large concessions were made to them if they would remain, but Mr. Davenport would not consent. He
2
History of East Haven.
wished to found a distinct colony, and we shall soon see what was wrapped in his brain.
Mr. Davenport was the head and face of the com- pany ; although Theophilus Eaton was chosen and styled Governor, yet Rev. John Davenport was the man behind the throne. He was an ordained priest in the established Church of England, preached and administered according to its rules and customs and never entirely seceded from it while in England, although he was under censure and persecution for Puritan views. He was a learned minister, celebrated for piety, and distinguished for purity of life, and esteemed by his congregation for his love of the truth, which was in contradistinction to many of his time and profession. His whole life and works may be summed up in two words, a godly man.
Like many other dissenting ministers, his people fol- lowed him to the wilds of America. He and they exemplified the same spirit of justice here that they had professed at their home. They did not take up the land of the Indian by any grant or power from England, but considered the Indians the rightful own- ers of the soil and treated with them accordingly. This company arrived in Boston July 26, 1637. Owing to the Pequot war, which had just taken place before their arrival, between the Massachusetts Colony and the Indians, the southern part of Connecticut had been explored and such a flattering report made of the country that Mr. Theophilus Eaton and others made a journey to the land of the Quinnipiacs, which they decided should be their future abode. They erected a hut on what is now the corner of Church and George streets, leaving seven men to winter there.
3
Settlement of the Town.
On the 30th of March, 1638, Mr. Davenport and company sailed from Boston for Quinnipiac, arriving about two weeks after. The 18th of April, the first Lord's day after their arrival, the people attended public worship under a large oak, and Mr. Daven- port preached from Matthew vi. I. Soon after their arrival they held a day of fasting and prayer, at the covenant, binding themselves, "that as in matters that concern the gathering and ordering of a Church, so also in all publick offices which concern civil order; as choice of Magistrates and officers, making and repeal- ing laws, dividing allotments of inheritance, and all things of like nature, they would all of them be ordered by the rules which the scripture held forth to them." (Trumbull.) By this covenant they were regulated the first year.
On the 24th of November, 1638, Rev. Mr. Daven- port and others made their first purchase of land in an open, fair and Christian spirit, with Momauguin and his sister Shaumpishuh, called in the agreement Squaw Sachem, who had some interest in the lands. Probably her part was in Guilford, as the purchasers of that place agreed with the Indians that they should move off the lands, which they did, and she and others came to live with Momauguin in East Haven. His tribe now numbered only forty men, having been greatly depleted by the cruel attacks of the Pequots and Mohawks. "The English agreed to protect Momauguin and his Indians from other tribes when unreasonably assaulted and terrified. They should always have sufficient land to plant in summer, and to hunt and fish between Quinnipiac harbor and Say-
4
History of East Haven.
brook fort. The latter was situated at the mouth of Connecticut river." (Trumbull.) Quite a field for hunting and planting.
They also covenanted "that by way of free and thankful retribution, they gave to this sachem and his council and company 12 coats of English cloth, 12 alchemy spoons, 12 hatchets, 12 hoes, two dozens of knives, 12 porringers and 4 cases of French knives and scissors." (Trumbull.) .This treaty was signed and legally executed by Momauguin and his council on his part, and Theophilus Eaton and Rev. John Davenport on the part of the English. Thomas Stan- ton was interpreter. On the IIth of December, 1638, they purchased another large tract, which lay prin- cipally north of the first purchase. This was bought of Montowese, son of the great sachem at Mattabeseck (now Middletown). It was ten miles long, from north to south, and thirteen miles in breadth. It extended eight miles east of Quinnipiac river and five miles west of it. They had the same privileges of hunting, planting and fishing as the Quinnipiacs. For this tract they gave thirteen coats. This tribe or com- pany consisted of but ten men with their women and children. These purchases included all the lands of the ancient limits of New Haven, Branford and Wal- lingford, from which the towns of East Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Hamden, Cheshire, Meriden, Bethany and Woodbridge, with a part of Orange have been made. Guilford lands were bought by Rev. Mr. Henry Whitfield and his company. Milford lands were bought in 1639 by members of Mr. Davenport's company and both settlements were under the jurisdic- tion of New Haven.
ALCHEMY SPOON, FOUND IN 1828, WHILE DIGGING THE CELLAR OF MR. AARON A. HUGHES' HOUSE, WHERE THE INDIAN HEARTHS WERE UNEARTHED.
5
Settlement of the Town.
It fully appears that the purchase from the Indians was clear and satisfactory. Both parties lived up to their contract and no conflict ever arose between them. The Indians and settlers lived amicably and without fear, except from other tribes.
On the 4th of June, 1639, all the free planters of Quinnipiac convened in a large barn belonging to Mr. Newman, and in formal and very solemn manner proceeded to lay the foundations for their civil and religious polity. Mr. Davenport introduced the busi- ness by a sermon from the words, "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars," after which he propounded five long questions to the planters, and each one was read over twice by Mr. Newman in a clear voice, and they all with one accord gave their full consent at each reading. The sum and substance of the five questions can be sim- mered down to the following, viz: "That church members only shall be free burgesses, and that they shall choose magistrates and officers among them- selves, to have the power of transacting all public civil affairs of this plantation, of making and repealing laws, dividing of inheritances and deciding of differ- ences that may arise, and doing all things or business of like nature." (Atwater.) This being settled as a fundamental article concerning civil government, he propounded the sixth question, respecting the gather- ing of a church, viz: "That twelve men be chosen, that their fitness for the foundation work may be tried, he advised the names of such as were to be admitted be publicly propounded, to the end that they who were most approved might be chosen. However, there may be more than twelve chosen, yet it may be in the
6
History of East Haven.
power of those who are chosen to reduce them to twelve, and it be in the power of those twelve to choose out of themselves seven that shall be the most appro- priate to begin the Church." (Atwater.) This was a unanimous vote, as before, and one hundred and eleven persons subscribed that day to this fundamental law.
Rev. John Davenport, Theophilus Eaton, Robert Newman, Matthew Gilbert, Thomas Fugill, John Punderson and Jeremiah Dixon were chosen the seven pillars of the church. October 25, 1639, the court, as it was termed, of these seven pillars convened. A solemn charge was given them. The purport of this was nearly the same with the oath of fidelity and with the freeman's oath administered at the present time. Theophilus Eaton was chosen governor. Mr. Robert Newman, Mr. Matthew Gilbert, Mr. Nathaniel Turner and Mr. Thomas Fugill were chosen magis- trates. Mr. Fugill was chosen secretary, and Robert Seeley, marshal. Rev. Mr. Davenport gave Governor Eaton a charge in open court from Deut. i. 11, 17. It was settled that an annual meeting should be held the last week in October, to elect the officers of the colony, and that the Word of God should be the only rule for ordering the affairs of this common- wealth. No trial by jury was provided. New Haven differed from the other Connecticut colonies in its "Fundamental Law," that "only church members should be free burgesses," at the present time called voters. "Fundamental" meant unchangeable, and reads as follows: "It is agreed and concluded, as a fundamental order, not to be disputed or questioned hereafter that none shall be free burgesses in any of
7
Settlement of the Town.
the plantations within this jurisdiction, for the future, but such planters as are members of some or other of the approved churches in New England." At this time there were no other than the "approved churches" of the Puritans, generally called Congregational churches.
At the present time all constitutions establish a clause stating a method whereby a change can be made, but Mr. Davenport's idea was like the "law of the Medes and Persians which altereth not." We now understand why he wished to found a separate and distinct colony, one that should be governed as he saw it should be, "by the mind of God revealed in the Scripture." "Ist, That magistrates should be men fearing God. 2d, That the Church is the company whence ordinarily such men may be found. 3d, That they that choose them ought to be men fearing God. 4th, That free planters ought not to give the power out of their hands."
All the foregoing may be considered as dry dust and ashes, but it seems the object for which this is written and the desires of those who requested it would utterly fail if the principles and circumstances upon which this town was founded were not set forth. We have received a rich inheritance from this source; the religious sentiment, principles and influence sifted down through all these generations, the moral strength gathered in consequence, can not be computed. It is ours, and there is no wresting it from us.
The Puritans intended to establish a purely demo- cratic government, ignoring all hereditary titles and privileges, but, as they had no other country for a precedent but England, they fell short of their theory,
8
History of East Haven.
and really their form of government was a pure aris- tocracy, yet planned and executed in a manner peculiar to themselves. The two colonies in Massachusetts, the Plymouth and Massachusetts colonies, like the New Haven Colony, allowed none but church members to vote. Connecticut was first settled at Hartford, Wind- sor and Wethersfield; and these river towns were the Connecticut Colony. Church membership was never required in the Connecticut Colony as a qualification for the elective franchise. Herein was the distinguish- ing difference between it and the New Haven Colony, which led to so much opposition to the union of the two, which finally took place after much controversy, in 1665.
The lands of the colony were purchased of the Indians by the principal men in trust for all the inhab- itants of the several plantations or towns. Every planter, after paying his proportionate part of the expenses arising from laying out and settling the plantation, drew a lot or lots of land, in proportion to the money or estate which he had expended in the general purchase, and to the number of heads num- bered in his family, called polls. In the first division of land in East Haven, in 1639, several enterprising farmers turned their attention to the lands on the east side of the Quinnipiac and began to settle there.
Among the members who subscribed to the covenant in Mr. Newman's barn, June 4, 1639, were Thomas Gregson, Jasper Crayne, William Tuttle, Benjamin Linge, William Andrews, Jarvis Boykim, John Potter, Matthew Moulthrop, Matthias Hitchcock, Edward Patterson, Thomas Morris and John Thompson, who settled in East Haven, or were concerned in that settle-
9
Settlement of the Town.
ment. As these were the founders, we shall try to give some idea of the men, and their relative position and character in the colony.
THOMAS GREGSON, 1639.
In 1639 Thomas Gregson petitioned for his second division at Solitary Cove, and on the 5th of August, 1644, 133 acres were allotted to him at that place. There he is said to have placed his family-the first in East Haven. One account expresses doubt about his living there with his family. He had a spacious house in New Haven opposite the Green, where the Insurance building now stands on Chapel street. Dr. Stiles, in his "History of the Judges," gives as a tradi- tion "that Mr. Davenport, Mr. Eaton, Mr. Allerton and Mr. Gregson owned the grandest houses in town. He was a principal man in the colony at New Haven, and the first white settler in East Haven. He was elected to several important offices, such as deputy governor, a commissioner with Governor Eaton, and provisioner of meats for the colony, and was rated the third wealthiest man in the colony." In 1645 he was appointed agent for the colony to the parliament in England to obtain a patent, sometimes called a charter, which was a parchment given with the sanction of the British government, securing to the colonies the right to make their own laws and to appoint their own magistrates and governors, conforming to the laws of England.
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