USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Farmington > History of New Britain, with sketches of Farmington and Berlin, Connecticut. 1640-1889 > Part 1
USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Berlin > History of New Britain, with sketches of Farmington and Berlin, Connecticut. 1640-1889 > Part 1
USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > New Britain > History of New Britain, with sketches of Farmington and Berlin, Connecticut. 1640-1889 > Part 1
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45
Gc 974.602 N38c 1137031 1
M. L
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01149 1518
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/historyofnewbrit00camp
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Col. Isaac Lee
HISTORY
OF
NEW BRITAIN,
WITH SKETCHES OF
FARMINGTON AND BERLIN,
CONNECTICUT.
1640-1889.
By DAVID N. CAMP, A. M.
NEW BRITAIN : WILLIAM B. THOMSON & COMPANY. 1889
Copyright, 1889. BY DAVID N. CAMP.
PRESS OF THE CASE, LOCKWOOD & BRAINARD COMPANY.
.
PREFACE. 1137031
A T the joint request of some persons who were natives of the town, and also of others who, though not born in the place, had been long time resident and were thoroughly identified with its business and social interests, the gathering of material for a history of New Britain was begun several years ago. In the prosecution of the work, old records, manuscripts, and, in some instances, valuable collections of papers pertaining to the early history of the place were dis- covered. Some of these were in other towns and States, and were liable to be scattered or destroyed. It was ascertained that important documents and original records * which were long supposed to be missing or "irrevocably lost" were in existence, and in a good state of preservation, and could be referred to or copied at pleasure.
From these different sources enough was obtained to show that there was much in the early history of the place credit- able to its founders and their successors, and which might inspire later generations to noble living. In the course of investigations, it was soon found that the early history of New Britain could not be given in its completeness, without some account of Farmington, from which New Britain had derived much of its early growth, and of which it had long been an integral part; and of Berlin, with which it was still
* Andrews, in his " Genealogy and Ecclesiastical History " of the First Church, in referring to the carly records of the New Britain society, says: " The author is constrained (though reluctantly) to disclose the fact that we have no authenti- cated record of the society doings and acts in regard to building the (meeting) house or supplying the pulpit, etc. . . . The original record, we fear, is irrevocably lost." This record, which has been found entire, gives minute details of the above events, and it has been freely used in the preparation of this volume.
4
PREFACE.
longer and more closely associated in business and civil rela- tions. While New Britain has the greater space, it is hoped that there is much in the following pages which will be of interest to the people of Farmington and Berlin.
In the preparation of this work, the original records of the Connecticut Colony, and of Farmington, Berlin, and other towns, were carefully examined; old deeds, wills, and other ancient papers were deciphered, and whatever was found throwing light upon the early history of the places described was freely used. The original records of the New Britain Society relating to the first meeting-house, and the steps taken to secure a minister and a school, have been copied at considerable length; extracts from other society and church records have been made when necessary. It has been the endeavor to preserve the memory of local events, traditions, and enterprise, and of notable persons; to glean from old records, from perishable manuscripts, crumbling monuments, and the memory of the aged, material which would soon be lost, but which furnished strong inducements for remember- ing with gratitude the founders of society and institutions in these towns.
The biographical sketches include brief biographies of most of the early settlers of New Britain, and of some of their descendants, and also of several of the pioneers and most noted persons of the last two centuries in Farmington and Berlin. The frequent recurrence of the names of Hart, Stanley, Andrews, Lee, Smith, Judd, Booth, and North, indi- cates the prominence of these families in the early history of these towns. There have been included also sketches of a few of the more notable persons born in the present century, who were in some way conspicuous in promoting the business, civil, or ecclesiastical interests of New Britain. To these have been added brief personal sketches, with portraits, of a few of those who have more recently been prominently iden- tified with the growth of the place, or have represented it in some official capacity. The limits of the work have necessi-
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PREFACE.
tated the omission of a number of biographical sketches which had been specially prepared for this volume.
It is hardly to be expected that in a work bringing together and collating so many dates and names, there should be entire freedom from error, but great pains have been taken to make every statement accurate, and as far as possible the original records have been followed except where there was obvious error.
The author with gratitude acknowledges his indebtedness to the works, or manuscripts, of Hooker, Smalley, Porter, Goodrich, Barber, Robbins, Andrews, Stanley, and others, to town clerks, pastors and clerks of churches, and officers of other associations and societies. The great number of per- sons in Farmington, Berlin, and New Britain who have fur- nished information forbids a mention of names, but among the non-residents who have assisted in the preparation of this work, he would gratefully mention William H. Lee and Amos R. Eno of New York, the late Dr. John R. Lee, Charles J. Hoadly of Hartford, and T. W. Stanley of Granby.
PORTRAITS.
COL. ISAAC LEE, Frontispiece.
LIST OF STEEL PORTRAITS.
E. A. ANDREWS,
Facing page 234
ALFRED ANDREWS, .
476
ELIHU BURRITT,
66
254
DAVID N. CAMP,
66 66 240
PHILIP CORBIN,
66
358
SAMUEL HART, M.D.,
66
78
GEORGE M. LANDERS,
66
198
CHARLES E. MITCHELL,
66
506
SETH J. NORTH,
66
68
J. ANDREW PICKETT, JOHN SMALLEY, D.D.,
66
66
136
WILLIAM H. SMITH,
66 278
FREDERICK T. STANLEY,
66
284
HENRY STANLEY,
366
JOHN B. TALCOTT,
66 250
HELIOTYPE.
ROBERT J. VANCE,
376
364
CORNELIUS B. ERWIN,
66
206
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. THE ORIGINAL TERRITORY AND THE INDIANS, 9
CHAPTER II.
SETTLEMENT OF FARMINGTON, GREAT SWAMP, OR KENSINGTON, AND NEW BRITAIN,
18
CHAPTER III.
NEW BRITAIN FROM 1750 TO 1800,
38.
ILLUSTRATION.
The " Old Lee House,"
50
CHAPTER IV.
NEW BRITAIN FROM 1800 TO 1850, .
59
ILLUSTRATIONS.
The "Skinner House,'
71
·
View of New Britain in 1836,
81
CHAPTER V.
FARMINGTON AND GREAT SWAMP OR KENSINGTON CHURCHES,
84
CHAPTER VI.
KENSINGTON SOCIETY DIVIDED,
1
.
109
CHAPTER VII.
NEW BRITAIN ECCLESIASTICAL SOCIETY,
121
CHAPTER VIII.
FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, NEW BRITAIN,
140
.
CHAPTER IX.
SOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, NEW BRITAIN ; BERLIN AND UNIONVILLE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHIES, 164
ILLUSTRATION. View of Worthington, . ·
169
CHAPTER X.
BAPTIST, EPISCOPAL, ROMAN CATHOLIC, AND OTHER CHURCHES, 174
8
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XI.
CIVIL AND POLITICAL HISTORY, . 190
Town of Farmington .- Town of Berlin .- Town of New Britain .- Borough of New Britain .- City of New Britain .-- Berlin.
CHAPTER XII.
EDUCATION AND SCHOOLS, 212 Public Schools. - Academies and Private Schools. - Con- necticut Normal and Training School.
CHAPTER XIII.
LIBRARIES AND NEWSPAPERS, . 243
CHAPTER XIV.
INDUSTRIES,
259
ILLUSTRATION. Original Building of the Russell & Erwin Manu- facturing Company, 284
CHAPTER XV.
SOCIAL LIFE AND CUSTOMS IN EARLY YEARS, · 294
CHAPTER XVI.
ROADS, TRANSPORTATION, AND POST-OFFICES,
.
305
CHAPTER XVII.
MILITARY HISTORY, .
.
318
CHAPTER XVIII.
SOCIETIES AND ASSOCIATIONS, . .
341
CHAPTER XIX.
MANUFACTURING COMPANIES, AND OTHER BUSINESS CORPORA-
TIONS,
357
CHAPTER XX.
BIOGRAPHICAL AND PERSONAL SKETCHES,
379
ILLUSTRATION. Ambrose Beatty,
. 505
APPENDIX,
. 509 INDEX,
. 513
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. CHAPTER I.
THE ORIGINAL TERRITORY AND THE INDIANS.
TT has been claimed that the title to the territory occupied by the earlier settlements of Connecticut was obtained both from the English and the Indians. The grant of Robert, Earl of Warwick, to Viscount Say and Seal, Robert Lord Brooke and others, dated March 19, 1631, old style, if having authority, conveyed the territory of Connecticut, and included Farmington, New Britain, and Berlin. About the same time this grant was made, Wahginnacut, a sachem supposed to be living near the site of Hartford, and other Indians, visited the Massachusetts colony to urge the English to make settlements in the valley of the Connecticut River. Though this invitation was declined, Sowheag, or Seguin, known as the "sachem of Pyquaug," and the "sachem of Mattabesett," sold Pyquaug (Wethersfield) and other lands to the English. Other purchases were made, until the English had a large tract for which they had paid the Indians their price. One of these purchases, that made of Sequassen, son of Sowheag, embraced the territory after- wards occupied by Farmington, and the towns west of it. In 1670, this grant was confirmed by the heirs and successors · of Sequassen.
The territory originally included in Farmington was nearly fifteen miles square, but as some of the grants and boundaries were indefinite, the town at no time seems to have exercised jurisdiction over just that area. The present towns of Farmington, New Britain, and Berlin occupy a territory about twelve miles in extent from north to south, with an extreme breadth of nearly six miles. Physically, the town comprised a portion of the valley of the Tunxis
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10
HISTORY OF NEW BRITAIN, ETC.
River, with the lower part of the valley of the Pequabuck, opening from the west, the upper portion of the valley of the Quinnipiac, the upper part of the valley of the Mattabesett, the Farmington and Blue mountains, and the meadows and rolling land adjacent. The mountains with their wooded slopes occupied a considerable part of the town, but a great variety of surface and soil was included within its limits. The valley of the Tunxis, nearly four miles in width, was highly esteemed for the fertility of its natural meadows. Other valleys of less extent, but rich in verdure, with the slopes of the hills and the intervales, were also prized for their productiveness under cultivation.
The mountains and hills were well wooded and afforded rough stone for walls and foundations. The streams were not large, but the Tunxis and Mattabesett and branches sup- plied water power for mills, and nearly all the streams were well stocked with fish. Copper ore existed in several spurs of the mountains, lead ore was found in some localities, and small quantities of gold were discovered. The fertile mead- ows produced grass which furnished hay for stock in the winter; and wheat, rye, barley, Indian corn, peas, flax, and hemp were successfully raised. These, with pork, beef, tar, lumber, pipe staves and hoops, were the chief products, most of which in time became articles of export. Some attention was given early to raising fruit, and cider and cider-brandy were made for domestic use and for export.
The territory included in the old town of Berlin, as incorporated in 1785, had an average length of between eight and nine miles, and a breadth of a little more than five miles. . Its area of more than forty square miles included. the territory before constituting the southern part of Farmington, with a part of the original towns of Middletown and Wethers- field. The surface, though varied by hill and dale, is not broken into rocky or mountain ridges, except in the south, where it included a part of Lamentation Mountain, or in the west and northwest, where the town bordered upon Southing- ton and Farmington. The mountains are mostly trap or
.
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THE ORIGINAL TERRITORY AND THE INDIANS.
greenstone, and spurs of the same rock put out from the mountains into each of the three societies. With this excep- tion, the prevailing geological formations are red sandstone, argillaceous schist, drift, with alluvium in the meadows and on the various water courses. The northern part, or New Britain, constitutes a water shed. One of its streams dis- charges its waters into the Quinnipiac River, and thence into the sound at New Haven; a second forms an important branch of the Mattabesett, joining the waters of the Connecti- cut River at Middletown, while a third flows northeasterly from the city, uniting with the Connecticut River at Hartford. There are numerous springs and small streams in New Britain, affording a supply of water for agricultural purposes but not sufficient to furnish motive power for manufacturing uses.
In the southern part of the old town, Mill River, from the Kensington society, affords water power, which has been utilized in driving machinery for various purposes. Belcher's Brook, in the southwestern part of the Worthington society, formerly had some manufacturing upon it. These streams, with Gilbert's River from New Britain, flow into the Matta- besett River, upon which is good water power and several flourishing manufactories.
The soil is generally good, consisting of a gravelly loam with argillaceous earths predominating in some portions of the place. The supposed productiveness of the natural meadows, and general fertility of the soil, were the chief inducements to the early settlements made at Christian Lane, or the Great Swamp.
The principal minerals found have been copper, lead, gold, asphaltum, calcite crystals, and a few others, but none in sufficient quantity to be of much commercial value. In the New Britain society, on the Berlin road, a copper mine was worked for some years, but abandoned as unprofitable. In the Kensington society, near Mill River, lead and small quantities of gold have been found, the former in such quanti- ties that in 1775 a committee was appointed by the General
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HISTORY OF NEW BRITAIN, ETC.
Court " to contract for," ... "to dig and raise ore in said mine if profitable and necessary for the use of the colony." Fossil remains have been taken from the deposits near some of the streams. About 1830, a vertebra, and about twenty years later, nearly an entire skeleton of the Mastodon Americanus was found near the center of New Britain.
When the English first settled in the Connecticut valley the Indians were probably more numerous in that valley and on the shore of Long Island Sound than in any other part of New England. The Pequots, one of the most powerful tribes; were located in what was afterwards the southeastern part of Connecticut, but their predatory excursions often alarmed the colonists and brought fear to the settlements in the valley of the Connecticut. The Quinnipiacs, upon the shore of the Sound, had lodges between the Hammonasset and the Quinnipiac Rivers, but their hunting and fishing grounds extended for considerable distance inland. The Sequeen or Wangunks were located on the banks of the Connecticut, but some of their clans or families had lodges in Beckley Quarter and Berlin. The Podunks on the eastern bank of the river north of Hartford, and the Poquonnocs north and west of Windsor, were near the whites. The Mohegans and Narra- gansetts, in the eastern part of the State, were less frequently seen as far west as the Connecticut River, but they were sometimes within the limits of the early settlements, and their relation to the English was such as to call for the action of the General Court.
The Tunxis, a considerable tribe living in the valley. of the Tunxis, or Farmington River, were brought in more im- mediate contact with the early settlers of Farmington than any other tribe. They were sometimes called "Sepos ", but the more common name was the " Tunxis."
The different tribes or clans in the Connecticut valley seem at times to have constituted a confederacy, with Se- quassen as the chief sachiem, when the earlier settlements were made. In numbers, the Indians belonging to these tribes were variously estimated at from ten to twenty thou-
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THE ORIGINAL TERRITORY AND THE INDIANS.
sand. The Pequots on the east and south, and the Mohawks on the west, had often been trespassers upon the territory and rights claimed by the central confederacy under Sequas- sen, and this shrewd sachem evidently hoped, by the settle- ment of the English in the Connecticut valley, to have allies in his contests with the more powerful tribes. He was accordingly quite willing to aid the immigrants from Massa- chusetts, and sold them the territory from the Connecticut River at Hartford to the land of the Mohawks.
The land upon which the Farmington settlement was made was included in the purchase from Sequassen, but the pioneers of this settlement bought it again of the Tunxis, who conveyed it to the purchasers with the fields of corn already planted. In the sale of lands, the Indians usually reserved certain rights of hunting and fishing, and engaged on their part to warn the English of danger, and not to injure or disturb them. The Tunxis thus often warned the English at Farmington of the plots of the Mohawks to cap- ture or .encroach upon the village, while it was for many years a frontier settlement. Pethuz, the chief of the Tunxis, appears to have been a wise and prudent man, who was friendly to the whites and also planned wisely for the Indians. The latter had reserved fishing grounds, and care- fully selected fishing places, within the limits of Farmington. They had two burial places, one on the west, and one on the east side of the Great Meadows. The latter was near the settlement of the English.
The territory now embraced by the towns of Berlin and the south part of New Britain was a portion of the hunting grounds of the Mattabesetts, a clan of the Wangunks .* They had-a lodge at Beckley Quarter, and probably another within the present limits of Kensington ; and they claimed the right to hunt and fish in the territory now included in New Britain. Evidences of their temporary occupancy have been, found in several places, and their trail passed near
* It seems that Sowheag, the sachen, had a residence in Beckley Quarter ; his successor, Terramoogus, sold the territory to Richard Beckley, the first settler.
14
HISTORY OF NEW BRITAIN, ETC.
Christian Lane. The hunting grounds of the Quinnipiacs extended as far north as Meriden, and individuals belonging to this tribe not infrequently came as far as Berlin and New Britain.
The powerful Mohawks from the valley of the Hudson less frequently were seen in the vicinity of the settlements, but their visits were much feared by the English, and by the weaker tribes of Indians, whom they compelled to pay tribute. The Mohawks being under the control of the French, and in alliance with them in case of war, during the . wars between France and England were in the habit of making raids upon the colonies, and the exposed position of Farmington, then on the frontier, made constant vigilance necessary. At one time, when an attack was threatened, and emissaries of the Mohawks were endeavoring to induce the Tunxis tribe to join them in a raid upon the settlements, for security, the Tunxis warriors were required to appear each day and answer to their names, to the agent, Deacon Lee. The daughter of the agent sometimes kept the book, and checked off the names, and as she saw the poverty of some of the Indians, she supplied them with food. By this act, and her kindly manner, she gained such influence that the chief reported that the " white squaw " had more influence with his warriors than he had himself.
On account of the treachery, as was believed, of the Indians near the settlements, the General Court had forbid- den furnishing them with fire-arms, and in 1640 it passed the following order :
" Forasmuch as our lenity and gentleness toward Indeans hath made the growe bold and insolent, to enter into Englishemen's houses, and unadvisedly handle sowrds & peeces and other instruments, many times to the hazard of the lymbs & lives of English or Indeans, and also to steal divers goods out of such houses where they resorte ; for the pre- venting of such mischiefs yt is Ordered that whatsoeur Indean shall medle wth or handle any Englisheman's weapens of any sorte ether in their houses or in the fyelds, they shall forfeit for euery such default halfe a fadom of wampū ; and if any hurt or injury shall therevpon fol- lowe, to any persons life or lymbe (though accidentall) they shall pay life for life, lymbe for lymbe, wound for wound . .. and for anything that they steale, to pay double."
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THE ORIGINAL TERRITORY AND THE INDIANS.
This order was passed the year that Farmington was first settled. Two years later, in September, 1642, the record of the court says :
"Forasmuch as the Indeans growe insolent and combyne theselves together, being suspected to prepare for warr, It is Ordered that no Smith within these libertyes shall trade any Instrument or matter made of iron or steele wth the, nor deliuer any that are allreddy made without lycense fro two Magistrats."
A heavy penalty was affixed for repairing fire-arms for Indians or selling them ammunition.
In 1656, a murder was committed in Farmington, and some property belonging to the English was destroyed. The murderer was supposed to be Mesapano, one of the Tunxis. As he could not be found, the General Court ordered the pun- · ishment of the accessories by sending three of them to prison. At the same time it was ordered :
"It shall not be lawful for above two Indians at a time, and they without any arms, to come into any town or house in this jurisdiction."
Finding that the use of intoxicants was injurious to the Indians, making them more quarrelsome and disorderly, a law was enacted as follows :
" It shall be unlawful for any one to sell, lend, barter, or give to any Indian or Indians, whatsoever, any wine, liquors, beer, cider, or metheglin, of any kind or sort, except it be household beer."
The part of the order relating to cider was afterwards repealed for a time, but as some Indians were intoxicated and made troublesome by its use, cider was again forbidden them.
The people of the Great Swamp Society were annoyed by the thefts and robberies of the Indians, and when first located at Christian Lane were accustomed to gather within the stockade at night for protection and safety. The General Court had ordered a guard for every Sabbath day in each . of the towns, and also required that one person in every house where there was a soldier should carry "a musket, pistol, or some kind of arms, with ammunition," to meeting,
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HISTORY OF NEW BRITAIN, ETC.
both upon Sabbath and lecture days. In compliance with this order and for personal safety, the men of the Great Swamp parish were accustomed to go to Farmington to church with their families, with armed guards in the front and rear for defense. Arms were also taken to the fields, and the work of the farm or the gathering of wood went on with arms at hand, in case of sudden attack.
Most of the orders and acts of the General Court relat- ing to Indians were embraced in the code of laws of 1650. Other laws upon the same subject were included in that code, all showing that the. English in these early settlements suffered from the willful wrongs and hostile practices of the Indians. At the same time, the General Court and the magistrates of the different settlements carefully provided that justice should be rendered to the red men. Efforts were also made to educate and Christian- ize them. Commissioners were appointed to settle and adjust difficulties between different tribes, and between individuals of the same tribe. Regulations were made in regard to trade, and the observance of the Sabbath by such Indians as resided within the limits, or near the English plantations. Drunkenness among the Indians was punished by fine or imprisonment. Their lands and rights were care- fully protected, and guardians were appointed. for the weaker clans:
"To inspect the carriages and manners of said Indians, and to use 1 their endeavors to encourage industry among them, and, if possible, Christianize them."
At a session of the General Court, May, 1727, it was enacted :
" That every person in this colony that hath taken, or shall take, any Indian children into the care of their families, are hereby ordered to use their utmost endeavor to teach them to read English, and also to instruct them in the principles of the Christian faith by catechising them with other proper methods."
The selectmen and grand jurors of the different towns were to make diligent inquiry and see that this order was obeyed.
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THE ORIGINAL TERRITORY AND THE INDIANS.
The boy warriors of the Tunxis tribe were gathered together by their chief on Sundays and brought to the settlement, to be taught by the Christian women, called by the Indians "white squaws." The chief wanted the teachers "to tell his people of the Great Being who was all eyes ; could see all things, and could tell even the thoughts," and thus was commenced probably the first Sabbath school taught in this country.
An Indian school was conducted in Farmington for several years. During this time, from five to ten Indian youths, besides those living in Farmington, were boarded and schooled in this parish. Sometimes as many as fifteen or sixteen Indian pupils attended this school. After it was given up the Indian children attended the district school, and were, in some years, nearly equal in number to the children of the English. Several persons of the Tunxis and other tribes became sufficiently acquainted with letters to do business requiring reading and writing, and, according to tradition, a few were admitted as freemen. Several Indians made a profession of religion, becoming members of the church. The Indians in Farmington and Berlin were less warlike and disposed to be quarrelsome than those in some other parts of the State. For many years a few of them lived upon the reservations, or upon land which they owned or rented, trading with the whites, but gradually they passed away until the last vestige of these once powerful tribes upon the Tunxis and Mattabesett was obliterated.
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