History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume I, Part 1

Author: Rockey, J. L. (John L.)
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: N. Y. : W. W. Preston
Number of Pages: 966


USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume I > Part 1
USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume I > 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 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86



John OF, Ornewton


HISTORY


OF


PEW HAVEN OUNTY,


CONNECTICUT.


Edited by


J. L. ROCKEY,


Assisted by a corps of writers.


In two volumes, Illustrated.


VOLUME I.


NEW YORK : W. W. PRESTON & CO. 1892.


PRESS OF J. HENRY PROBST, 36 VESEY ST., NEW YORK.


PREFACE.


The preparation of this History of New Haven County was begun more than two years ago, work on it having been assiduously prose- cuted since October, 1889. The magnitude of the undertaking has been much greater than was contemplated, and the volume of matter has far exceeded the limit originally set by the publishers. It has been found necessary, after the book had been sold, in order to prop- erly embrace these hundreds of additional pages, to bind it in two handsome volumes instead of one, as purposed and agreed with the subscribers. These changes have been made at an expenditure of several thousand dollars-apparently a loss to the publishers, but clearly a gain to their patrons. They feel that they have been some- what compensated for this extra outlay by the appreciative support they have received, in spite of many adverse circumstances. The publication, in 1886, of a voluminous and exhaustive history of the city of New Haven so fully supplied the demand in that locality for such a local work that no patronage was there solicited or received for this book. In the city of Waterbury, also, a comprehensive history is being prepared by careful and competent writers, which will afford the people of that section of the county a vast fund of information upon such local matters as will most interest them. Naturally, that prospective work limited the patronage for our book, in that town. Very properly, then, since the histories of these localities have recently been so fully recorded elsewhere, and a sense of obligation does not demand their repetition by us, the narratives of these two towns are not here given in detail. But complete outline histories of them have instead been prepared, wherein may be found all the salient features of the events connected with them since their settlement. We believe that this arrangement will be generally satisfactory to the citizens of the county, as it has permitted us to write the accounts of other towns, with much greater attention to details, so that a very good knowledge of their affairs and relation to the body corporate can be obtained. In general, these narratives are far more comprehensive and finished than anything heretofore published; and in several instances they are the only accounts of the kind, being the results of original investiga- tions by the compilers of this book. A number of these are citizens of the county, and being mnen of excellent character, their accounts of the local history of their respective towns may be accepted as based upon the facts of the subjects treated.


2013200


iv


PREFACE.


Notwithstanding the extended limits given us by the publishers, we have been obliged by the vast expanse of the territory embraced and the abundance of its historical matter, to confine ourselves, in most cases, to the simple record of events. Plainness of statement and brevity of style have been conspicuously kept in view, and there has been but little attempt at embellishment. The compilers have endeavored to perform their work impartially, and to give every in- - terest a proper representation. They have sought to avoid the favorit- ism often seen in works of this nature, and which so greatly detracts from their value. The rich and the poor, the lowly and the exalted, the humble toiler and the prosperous employer, have alike received creditable mention for what they have done. This is proper; this is just. The true history of any country is the simple recital of the deeds of its citizens. Each one in his own sphere is a useful factor in the body politic, and however diverse their interests one is the com- plement of the other in forming the harmonious whole. But in a work of this nature there is no such thing as absolute perfection. No doubt this book contains mistakes of statements and errors of judgment, as well as the works of others who have heretofore gleaned in this ex- tensive field. We claim, however, credit for an honest intention to make our book as nearly as possible authentic in all things. To that end we have not only compiled from the published works of others and examined much manuscript matter, using diligent effort to verify the same, and spending many months in careful personal investigations, but we visited every part of the county, and in every locality consulted many citizens of worth in every department of life, who were reputed to possess knowledge of this nature. We thus called on at least three thousand of the most progressive people of the county, and these pages contain to a large extent what was learned from them.


It is proper here to acknowledge our gratitude toward all who have so kindly aided us. Without their intelligent and generous assistance we should have failed in our purpose to make this a valuable, popular work; with the help given us we have striven modestly to perform this task, beset by so many discouraging obstacles, and cherish the hope that every reader of this book may derive much pleasure and satisfaction from the perusal and contemplation of its pages.


J. L. ROCKEY. NEW YORK, March 28th, 1892.


TABLE OF CONTENTS.


CHAPTER I.


GENERAL HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTV. PAGE


Location and Description .- Natural Features, Topography, Geology, etc .- Discovery .- Claims of the Dutch and English .- Settlements at Windsor, Hartford and Wethersfield .- Settlement of Quinnipiac .- Treaties with the Indians .- Organization of Church and Civil Government .- The Juris- diction of New Haven .- Union of the New England Colonies .- Governor Eaton and his Successors .- The Regicide Judges .- Charter of 1662 .- Union of New Haven and Connecticut Colonies .- New Haven County Formed .- Town Organizations .- Cities and Boroughs .- Statistics .- State and County Buildings .- County Commissioners .- The Courts of the County .- Internal Improvements .- General Military Matters .- General Civil List.


1


CHAPTER II.


TOWN AND CITY OF NEW HAVEN (CONCLUDED).


Location and Natural Features .- General Description .- Settlement and De- velopment .- Condition at the Beginning of the Present Century .- Sta- tistics .- Municipal Organization .- Town Clerks .- City Government. - City Police -Fire Department .- Water Supply .- Public Sewerage .- City Buildings .- Street Illumination .- Trees and Parks .- General Business Interests .- Monetary Institutions .- Lawyers and Physicians .- Post Office .- Street Railways .- Philanthropic and Social Institutions 97


CHAPTER III. TOWN AND CITY OF NEW HAVEN (CONCLUDED).


Early School Teachers .- Hopkins Grammar School .- Other Early Schools .- Later Select Schools .- The Lancasterian School .- Graded Schools Es- tablished .- Present Condition of Public Schools .- Yale University .- The Periodical Press .- First Congregational Church .- North Church .- Yale College Church .-- Third Congregational Church .-- Dixwell Avenue Church. -College Street Church .- Church of the Redeemer .- Davenport Church. -Howard Avenue Church .- Humphrey Street Church .- Taylor Church. -Dwight Place Church .- Ferry Street Church. - Emanuel Church .- First Presbyterian Church .- Trinity Church .- St. Paul's Church .- St. John's Church .- Church of the Ascension .- St. Thomas' Church .- Christ Church .- Grace Church .- St. Luke's Church .- All Saints' Chapel .- Trinity Chapel .- Methodist Churches .- Baptist Churches .- Lutherans .- Second Adventists .- Universalists .- Hebrews .- Roman Catholics .- Cem- eteries .- Fair Haven .- Westville .- Biographical Sketches.


144


vi


TABLE OF CONTENTS.


CHAPTER IV.


THE TOWN OF EAST HAVEN. PAGE


Location and Natural Features .- The Pioneer Settlers .- Civil Organization. -Bridges, Ferries, Roads, etc. - Industrial Pursuits .- East Haven Village. -Religious and Educational Matters .- Cemeteries .- Military Affairs. -- Biographical Sketches 217


CHAPTER V. THE TOWN OF NORTH HAVEN.


Location and Description .- Settlement .- Early Religious Affairs .- Reverend Benjamin Trumbull .- Congregational Church .- St. John's (P. E.) Church. -Baptist Church at Montowese .- Clintonville Union Mission .- The Militia .- Cemeteries .- Education .- Incorporation of the Town .- Civil List .- Public Improvements .-- Public Buildings .- The Bradley Library. -The Town Centennial .- General Business Interests .- Villages .- Sab- bath Day Houses .- Slaves .- Fishing Privileges .- Taverns .- Physicians. -North Haven in the Nation's Wars .- Biographical Sketches. 248


CHAPTER VI.


THE TOWN OF HAMDEN.


Location and Natural Features .- Early Agricultural Industries. - The Early Settlers and their Descendants .- Population .- Civil Organization .- Town Poor .- Town Hall .- Town Clerks .- Public Thoroughfares .- Manufactur- ing Interests .- Hamlets, Post Offices, etc .- Masonic Lodge .- Schools .- Mt. Carmel Congregational Church .- Congregational Church in Whit- neyville .- Grace Church (Protestant Episcopal) .- St. Mary's Church (Roman Catholic) .- Hamden Plains Methodist Episcopal Church .- The New Lebanon Mission .- Cemeteries .- Water Works and Parks .- Bio- graphical Sketches 288


CHAPTER VII. THE TOWN OF WALLINGFORD).


Location and Description .- Early Settlers .- Growth of the Town .- Second Centennial .- Organization of Town and Early Records. - Town Clerks and Probate Judges .- Public Highways .- Manufacturing .- Wallingford Borough .- Incorporation and Officers .- Sewerage .- Street Improvement. -Water Department .- Fire Department .- The Wallingford Disaster .- Gas Light Company .- Banks .- Building and Loan Association .- Business Places .- Post Office .- Public Buildings .- The Press .- Libraries .- Vales- ville .- Tracy .- East Wallingford .- Physicians and Attorneys .- Societies. 340


CHAPTER VIII. THE TOWN OF WALLINGFORD (CONCLUDED).


Educational Matters .- Establishment of Religious Worship .- First Congre- gational Church .- The Wallingford Controversy .- The Wells Society .- The Wallingford Baptist Church .- St. Paul's (Protestant Episcopal) Church .- The First Methodist Class .- Yalesville M. E. Church .- The Ad- ventist Church .- Yalesville Baptist Church .- St. John's (Protestant Episcopal) Church, Yalesville .- Second Advent Church of Wallingford. -Holy Trinity (Roman Catholic) Parish .- The Wallingford Community. -- Cemeteries .- Biographical Sketches


378


vii


TABLE OF CONTENTS.


CHAPTER IX.


TOWN AND CITY OF MERIDEN. PAGE


Location and Description .- Early Settlement .- Ecclesiastical Organization. -Civil Organization .- Town Officers .- Town Buildings .- South Meri- den .- East Meriden .- The City of Meriden .- Location and Surroundings. -Early Growth .- Municipal Affairs .- Police Department .- Street Im- provement .- Public Parks .- Water Department .- Fire Department .- Gas Light Company .- Railway Interests .- Manufacturing Interests .- Banking and Other Monetary Institutions .- General Business Interests .- Inns and Hotels .- Post Office 456


CHAPTER X.


TOWN AND CITY OF MERIDEX (CONCLUDED).


The Periodical Press .- Literary Notes .- Physicians .- Lawyers .- Secret Or- ders .- G. A. R. and Soldiers' Monument .- Agricultural Societies, etc .- Meriden Ecclesiastical Society .- First Meeting House .- First Congrega- tional Church .- Center Congregational Church .- St. Andrew's (P. E.) Church .- First Baptist Church .- German Baptist Church .- M. E. Churches .- Universalist Church .- St. John's German Lutheran Church. -New Emanuel Lutheran Church .- St. Rose of Lima (R. C.) Church .- St. Laurent's (French Catholic) Church .- Young Men's Christian Associa- tion .- State Reform School .- The Curtis Home .- City Mission Society .- Meriden Hospital .- Cemeteries. 516


CHAPTER XI. MERIDEN. - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.


Nathaniel 1 .. Bradley .- Eli Butler .- Andrew J. Coe .- Levi E. Coe .- Lemnel J. Curtis .- Charles H. S. Davis .- Seth J. Hall. - George E. Howe .- Emily J. Leonard .- Saxton B. Little .- William W. Lyman .- Edward B. Man- ning .- Edward Miller .- Samuel C. Paddock .- Charles Parker .- Cephas B. Rogers .- John Sutliff .- John Tait .- Henry K. White .- Horace C. Wil- cox .- Grove H. Wilson .- Bertrand L. Yale .- Personal Paragraphs ...... 574


CHAPTER XII. THE TOWN OF CHESHIRE.


Geographical and Descriptive .- Early Settlers .- Roads .- Taverns .- Small Pox .- Civil Organization .- Manufacturing Interests .- Mines and Mining. -Cheshire Village .- West Cheshire .- Brooksvale .- Mixville .- Cheshire Street .- Other Localities .- Railroads .- Lodges and Societies .- Soldiers' Monument .- Educational and Professional Interests .- Cheshire Congre- gational Church .- St. Peter's Protestant Episcopal Church .- Cheshire Methodist Episcopal Church .- St. Bridget's Roman Catholic Church .- Biographical Sketches 657


CHAPTER XIII. THE TOWN OF PROSPECT.


Geographical and Descriptive .- Civil Organization .- Town Officers .- The Roads .- Town Poor .- Business Interests .- Educational and Religious In- terests .- Biographical Sketches : 792


viii


TABLE OF CONTENTS.


PORTRAITS.


PAGE


Banks, Nehemiah.


414


Bradley, Justin.


238


Bradley, Nathaniel L


574


Burleigh. Cecil A.


324


Butler, Eli


578


Capewell, George J


717


Coe, Andrew J


580


Coe, Levi E.


584


Cornwall. Edward A


$18


Curtis, Lemuel J.


586


Davis, Charles H. S


500


Downes, William E


206


Francis, William


418


Goodyear, Robert B


278


Hall, Seth J.


592


Hallenbeck, George M


424


Harrison, Benjamin F


426


Horton, Sanford J


:22


Howe, George E


594


Hubbard, Leverett M


428


Humiston, Daniel


725


Ives, Titus B


+26


Judd, Morton


434


Lanyon, James


:28


Leonard, Emily J


596


Little, Saxton B.


600


Lyman, William W


602


McGaughey, James D


438


Manning, Edward B


603


Miller, Edward


604


Mix, Norris B


330


Paddock, Samuel C


608


Parker, Charles.


611


Reynolds, William T


280


Rogers, Cephas B


612


Simpson, Samuel.


446


Stiles, Ezra.


282


Stiles, Isaac L.


284


Sutliff, John


615


Swift, Edwin D


334


Tait, John.


616


Todd, F. Hayden


286


Townsend, James M.


212


Tuttle, Henry 336


Wallace, Robert. 450


White, Henry K 618


Wilcox, Horace C 621


Wilson, Grove H. 622


Yale, Bertrand L 624


Yale, Charles D


452


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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.


CHAPTER I.


GENERAL HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.


Location and Description .- Natural Features, Topography, Geology. etc .- Discovery .- Claims of the Dutch and English .- Settlements at Windsor, Hartford and Wethers- fiell .- Settlement of Quinnipiac .- Treaties with the Indians .- Organization of Church and Civil Government .- The Jurisdiction of New Haven .- Union of the New England Colonies .- Governor Eaton and his Successors .- The Regicide Judges. -- Charter of 1662 .- Union of New Haven and Connecticut Colonies .- New Haven County Formed .- Town Organizations .- Cities and Boroughs .- Statistics .- State and County Buildings .- County Commissioners .- The Courts of the County .- In- ternal Improvements .- General Military Matters,-General Civil List.


N EW HAVEN county was one of the four original counties of the state, created by the general court at Hartford, in May, 1666, the others being the counties of New London, Fairfield and Hartford. It comprised, originally, the towns of Guilford, Bran- ford, New Haven and Milford, the bounds being described as extend- ing from the east side of the former to the west side of the latter. On the south was then, as now, a limit fixed by the waters of Long Island sound, but the northern bounds were vague and undefined. The county included, properly, all the lands ceded by the Indians to the foregoing towns, in the New Haven colony, the remainder of the present area being at that time included in Hartford county. In 1891 New Haven county embraced 26 towns, and was bounded as follows : On the north by the towns of Roxbury, Woodbury, Watertown and Plymouth, in the county of Litchfield; Bristol, Southington and Ber- lin, in the county of Hartford; on the east by the towns of Middle- town, Middlefield, Durham, Killingworth and Clinton, in the county of Middlesex; and on the west by the county of Fairfield, the Housa- tonic river forming the dividing line. The contiguous western towns, from the south and lying opposite the towns in New Haven, are : Stratford, Huntington, Monroe and Newtown. The shape of the county is irregular, but it is about 26 miles from east to west, and 21 from north to south. From the extreme southeast corner, in Madi- son, to the extreme northwest point, in Southbury, the distance is


1


2


HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.


about 35 miles. The area in square miles and acres has never been accurately determined.


The coast line of the county presents many forms of marine as- speets, but the principal projections and indentures, from the west, are Milford Point, Milford Harbor, Merwin Point, Savin Rock, New Haven Harbor, Mile Point, Branford Point and Harbor, Stony Creek Harbor, Sachem's Head, Guilford Point and Harbor, and Hammon- assett Point. In the same order are small islands, belonging to the county, bearing the names of Charles, off the Milford coast; the Thimble islands, along the East Branford coast; Faulkner's or Faleon island, off the Guilford coast. With but little exception the New Haven shores of the sound are low, and a considerable area is in salt marshes, about three thousand acres being thus classed. The only harbor admitting vessels of large draught is the one at New Haven.


The general slope of the county is toward the sound, into which all the principal streams drop their waters directly or through the ageney of larger streams. None of the streams are large, but several are important by reason of the water privileges they afford. These are, mainly, the Quinnipiac* and the Mill rivers, in the central part, and the Naugatuck in the northwestern section. The former is the longest stream. It rises near New Britain, and after flowing south into New Haven county, bends abruptly to the east, below the high lands of the Hanging hills, and thence again flows south into New Haven harbor. For a considerable distance it is a tidal stream, and it has been claimed that the term means " the long water place " -- a very proper conception when one looks at the expanse produced on the lower meadows of the Quinnipiac by the tidal flow. Splendid water powers are afforded in the county by this stream at Walling. ford, Yalesville and South Meriden. Mill river has a convergent flow toward the Quinnipiac from the north part of Cheshire, draining the second of the upper north and south valleys of the county. In con- junction with the above river it forms the well-known neck of land at the city of New Haven. Its name was derived from the fact that the first mill in the county was erected on it, in the lower part of the present town of Hamden. Higher up, in the same town, are numer- ous other good mill privileges. The stream is small, but from the nature of the ground it drains is constant. Flowing around the base of West Rock ridge, much as the Mill river does around East Rock, is a smaller stream, flowing from Woodbridge into New Haven and thence into the harbor below Oyster Point. From its course, relative to the first settlement, it was called the West river. Farther west and flowing from the same town, through Orange into Milford, is the Wepowaug, another small mill stream which was very serviceable to the Milford planters.


The Naugatuck is perhaps the most important mill stream in the * Also spelled Quinnipiack.


3


HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.


county. It flows from Litchfield county, through the towns of Water- bury, Naugatuck, Beacon Falls, Seymour, Ansonia and Derby, in which it empties into the Housatonic. In each of these towns it has been utilized to operate vast manufacturing establishments. Its course is also characterized by its picturesque surroundings. The affluent streams have precipitous courses from the hilly lands of the valley, and have also been useful factors in the industrial develop- ment of that section.


The Pomperaug is a small stream flowing out of Woodbury into Southbury, where its waters fall into the Housatonic. It is distin- guished by the beauty and fertility of the valley through which it courses. The Housatonic is, next to the Connecticut, the longest stream in the state, and drains a large area of country. At the head of tide water, at Birmingham, a little more than a mile above the junction of the Naugatuck, it has been dammed to afford an immense reservoir, from which is obtained power to operate a score of manu- facturing establishments. Below this dam the stream is navigable for vessels of considerable burden.


East of the Quinnipiac the principal streams are the Farm or Stony river of North Branford and East Haven; the Branford river and Stony creek of the town of Branford; and the Menuncatuc# and East rivers of Guilford, all small but not being without use in their respective localities. The Hammonassett river drains the eastern part of Madison, and is part of the eastern boundary between this and Middlesex county.


The county has a large number of brooks and small streams, and several lakes of considerable size. Of these Lake Saltonstall, on the line between East Haven and Branford, is one of the most attractive and best known. Pistapaug lake, at the corner of the towns of Wal- lingford, North Branford, Guilford and Durham, is a large and attrac- tive sheet of water; and Quassipaug lake, on the Middlebury and Woodbury line, covers many acres, and has picturesque surroundings. Other small lakes and ponds, in various parts of the county, add to the beauty of a landscape greatly diversified by streams, hills and dales, in addition to the larger areas of valleys and lands of a moun- tainous nature above noted.


The general topography of the county is varied. With some ex- ception the surface along the coast for several miles inland is level and not elevated more than about forty feet above tide water. But passing northward, a marked increase in the altitude is seen. The country is broken by well defined ridges and high hills, whose trend is generally from the northeast to the southwest. In several towns these hills terminate abruptly and with precipitous faces toward the sea, giving them a striking appearance. The elevation of the prin- cipal peaks has been ascertained. The highest point is West Peak of


* Also called West river.


4


HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.


the Hanging hills, at Meriden, which is 1,020 feet, or 886.5 feet higher than the lowest point on Main street. The latter is 133.5 feet above sea level. The altitude of the lower parts of the city of Meriden are thus found to be in the neighborhood of one hundred feet higher than the principal part of New Haven city. Mt. Carmel range terminates in a peak 800 feet high; and still farther south is West Rock, 405 feet high. Two miles to the eastward is the companion, East Rock, 360 feet high. These are the most southerly of the lands whose altitude exceeds several hundred feet, and their bare, trap-rock faces cause them to be marked objects. It is the theory of geologists that in re- mote ages a mighty upheaval of a volcanic nature forced the red sand- stone surface of this section into these ridges and hills.# Where the crust was thinnest or the upheaval more intense, the melted trap rock was forced well to the surface. Subsequently, by glacial action. parts of the sandstone were ground or polished away and carried out into the sea, leaving the harder rock exposed, and giving evidence of the planing action, and Icaving some rocks with the abrupt forms we now behold. In this state this range of secondary country extends as far as Middletown, in that direction, where it breaks toward the south- west, and extends in ridges to the places indicated at New Haven and Meriden. In North Branford ends the highest of the Totoket range, smaller spurs continuing into East Haven, and rounding off with Beacon hill and the hills nearer the sound. East the Branford hills encroach well upon thesea. Geologists also think that these inter- sections by secondary ridges caused the Connecticut river to seek its present channel, and that prior to this upheaval its course from Hart- ford was down the valley to New Haven city, where, undoubtedly, was the mouth of that stream. The formation of the trap-dikes and ridges, of which the elevations named are a part, formed a barrier which made its further passage impossible, and, in the language of Professor Dana: " In this extremity the river finding a way to the southeastward open before it, made a rush through the narrows at Middletown, and was off for Saybrook, leaving New Haven in the lurch." Doubtless the same agency also modified the course of other streams. It is also owing to that intersection of the primitive forma- tion, by a secondary ridge, that traces of so many different kinds of minerals may be found, and that the conditions of the soil have been so much modified. Nearly all the precious minerals have been found, but few only were so abundant that mining operations paid when an attempt was made to develop them. The only mineral whose develop- ment formed an important industry was barytes. That mineral was




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