USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > New Milford > New Milford: a memorial discourse, delivered in the Congregational Church, New Milford, Conn. Sunday, July 9, 1876 > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
C 74.602 43b 774630
M.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01177 5894
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/newmilfordmemori00bona_0
NEW MILFORD.
Connu
Memorial
DELIVERED IN THE
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH,
NEW MILFORD, CONN ..
Sunday, July 9, 1876.
-BY-
JAMES B. BONAR. PASTOR.
-- PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY.
1876. M. L. DELAVAN, PRINTER. NEW MILFORD, CT.
114241
T
1774630
NEW MILFORD.
A
MEMORIAL DISCOURSE.
1876.
---
$
1
F 84654 .11
Bonar, James Blair, 1826-1905.
New Milford. A memorial discourse, delivered in the Congregational church, New Milford, Conn., Sunday, July 9, 1876. By James B. Bonar, pastor. Published by the Society. New Milford, Ct., M. L. Delavan, printer, 1876.
İ p. 1., 20 p. 19em.
EXELP CARD
1. New Milford, Conn .- Hist. 2. New Milford, Conn. Congregational church.
25-3684
380431
Library of Congress
F104.N73B7
.
-
HISTORY , Town and Church of New Milford, Conn. MEMORIAL SERMON.
"One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall dectare thy mighty acts."-Ps. 145: 4.
The past is full of interest and instruction, so that all concede the value of history. Its importance is manifest from the fact that about two-thirds of God's Holy Word is historical.
The history of any and every part of the earth is inter- esting; but our own Country and State, the town in which we reside, the Church to which we belong, and the fami- ly whose name we bear, are to us of the greatest interest. To-day, therefore, we turn our attention to the history of this Church, Society and town.
The sources of information on these subjects, though bulky, are meagre and imperfect. . We have
1. - Minutes of the Proprietor's Meetings from 1706 to 1801.
2. Records of Town Meetings from 1713.
3. Minutes of the meetings of the First Ecclesiastical Society, from December, 1753.
4. Ecclesiastical Society's Treasurer's books from 1802.
5. Church Records from December 27th, 1727. These are not complete; the book kept by Mr. Rood is missing.
6. MSS. Notes of Rev. W. H. Moore.
7. Records of Baptist and Methodist Churches.
8. Memoir of Mrs. Mary A. Boardman, by Rev. Dr. Schroeder.
9. And the memory of persons still living.
In 1703, Col. Robert Treat and others representing 111 persons, all of Milford, obtained a patent to a certain tract of land in New Haven County, formerly called Weanti- nogue. This tract contained 84 square miles, embracing what is now known as the towns of New Milford, and Bridgewater, with parts of Brookfield and New Prestou. It cost the Proprietors about 8 mills an acre. The first settler, though not a Proprietor, was John Noble, who came here from Massachussetts, in 1707. The Indians were then and long afterwards numerous, but seems al- ways to have been on friendly terms with the settlers. The Proprietors held their meetings at Milford until 1715. The first Town Meeting seems to have been held in 1713.
2
A MEMORIAL DISCOURSE.
The town was first represented in the Legislature in 1725. The first record of freemen was made in 1744. The town belonged to New Haven Colony until the incorporation of Litchfield County, in 1751. The first bridge over the Housatonic, between the sea and its source, was built here in 1737. The first school in the town was opened in 1721, and was taught 4 months in the year, the town paying half the expense.
In 1707 two persons came into New Milford.
In 1712 there were here 12 families or between 60 and 70 persons. A census, taken in 1756, reports 1137 in the town; another taken in 1774, reported 2776, while in 1800, after parts of the town had been ceded to Brookfield and Washington, the population was 3198. The census of of 1870, gives the population of the present New Milford, as 3586, while Bridgewater, formerly a part of this town, has 877 inhabitants.
New Milford has always been loyal to the cause of free dom. In 1779 the town voted 4 bushels of wheat a month to every man who volunteered for six months, and three bushels a month to the militia men who marched when ordered ; but, if they failed to report within eight days after marching orders, they forfeited this premium. The town also supported the families of men while absent in the Continental army. In 1778 the Articles of Confedera- cy proposed by Congress, styled " The United States of North America," were adopted in town meeting, except part of the 5th article, which respects the mode of choos- ing Delegates to Congress It was "Voted that the Free - men will always hold the prerogative and sole power of choosing our Delegates in Congress by vote." Subsequent- ly, "said Articles of Confederacy were adopted in full by the meeting without a dissenting voice." In 1783 it was voted, and a Committee was appointed to enforce the res- olution, that all refugees, or "skedaddlers," as they would now be termed, as well as all who had voluntarily gone over to the enemy during the war, should be prohibited from returning and settling in the town. The Adjutant- General of Connecticut, reports the names of 222 men from the town of New Milford as having served in the simies of the United States during the Civil War of 1861- This does not include the 37 who deserted nor the she who was dishonorably discharged.
3
A MEMORIAL DISCOURSE.
The town, as such, has always upheld the cause of mo- rality and good order. In 1787 certain persons were fined "for bringing into the town and entertaining un- wholesome inhabitants." So early as 1729 it was voted in town meeting that "James Hine have oversight of the fe- male sex during exercises" in Church. And so late as 1831 a certain person was fined $1.67 for "breach of the Sabbath," but this fine was remitted.
The way in which they cared for the poor and guarded the interests of the town, appears from the vote of 1771- "That a black bonnet, a red woman's cloak, and a worst- ed gown be kept for the daughter of Hannah Beeman ; if she die under age, the town to have them."
The first sermon was preached here by Col. John Reid, who had studied for the ministry in his youth. Mr. Dan- iel Boardman, a preacher of the Gospel, came here in 1712. The next year it was voted that the inhabitants should pay all the expense that had been incurred in obtaining a minister, also to lay out a pastor's lot, to dig and stone up a well for Mr. Daniel Boardman, if he became a settled minister in New Milford. Meanwhile, the town allowed 5s. 6d. a week for the minister's board. In 1715 the town agreed to petition the General Court to "attain liberty for the settlement of the worship and ordinances of God among us." This was the subject that then came up at every meeting of the inhabitants. It was not until 1716 that they made arrangements for laying out a burying ground of two acres ; but for four years before that they had been contriving and planning for the religious in- struction of themselves and families. The poverty of the people appears in the resolution adopted as to Mr. Board man's salary, one third of which was to be paid in grain, two-thirds in labor, linen, or pork ; the established price of wheat was then 4s. a bushel, rye, 2s. Sd. corn 2s. and oats 1s .; part of the agreement being that Mr. Boardman should sell the grain which he had to spare at the same prices to the inhabitants. In accordance with a vote of the town, Mr. Boardman was ordained November 21st, 1716.
So far as the records show, there was then entre unanim- ity of religious belief and opinion among the people. The Ecclesiastical Society and the Town were practically one and the same. Everything regarding the building and fi.
٠٠٠.
4
A MEMORIAL DISCOURSE.
nances of the Society was determined in Town Meeting The first division occurred in 1731-2, when 20 persons withdrew to form a Quaker Society. They built a house in 1742 and have continued their worship from that time until the present, though at this date there is but one fam- ily of them residing in the town.
In 1743 the inhabitants of "Newbury" were set off for a separate religious Society, and in the division of the Parsonage lands in 1755, £98 3s. 63d., was given to this So- ciety, £13 14s. 6}d. to Newbury, and £5 12s. 73d. to New Preston Newbury was the ancient name of Brookfield, and was formed into a town in 1788, from parts of New Milford, Danbury, and Newtown. The Church at Brook- field was therefore organized, not in 1757, as heretofore reported, but in 1743-4. The inhabitants of the "Neck," as Bridgewater, was originally called, early made repre- sentations to this Society of the inconvenience of attend- ing worship here during Winter months. Part of their tax was remitted on condition that they provided preach. ing for themselves during the Winter ; and for a number of years Mr. Taylor and Mr. Griswold spent one Sabbath in each of the three Winter months at the Neck. The Church at Bridgewater was organized in 1809. Bridge- Water was set off as a town in 1856.
There must have been Episcopalians in town carlier, but the first allusion to them occurs in the record of a town Meeting in 1744, just previous to the death of Mr. Board- man : " Voted, That those of us who are of the Church of England shall be free from paying any charge for a min- ister for one year, if circumstances rem. in as they now are ; but, if in the providence of God our Reverend Pas- tor should be taken away, then the said Church men to be under the same regulation as the rest." The Rev. James Beach, of Newtown, visited New Milford occasionally be- tween 1740 and 1715, and a lay reader read service for some time. The first Episcopal clergyman who resided here was Rev. Solomon Palmer, who came in 1754. This So- ciety continued feeble for many years ; but under the 20 years pastorate of the Rev. Charles G. Acly, just closed, it has grown strong and healthy. It has now 12 familles and 265 communicants.
The Separatists, or Strict Congregationalists as they were called, built a meeting house, in what is now the old cem-
.
5
A MEMORIAL DISCOURSE.
etery, in 1761. They disbanded in 1812, uniting some with this Society and some with the Episcopalians.
Between 1780 and 1785 the followers of Jemima Wil- kenson, who is described as a remarkably comely woman, with dark hair and sparkling black eyes, built a house in what is now the old cemetery, on the hill on the road to- wards New Preston. They soon sold this building to the Episcopalians and moved to Genesee, New York, where Jemima resided.
The Baptists formed a small Church and erected a house of worship in the lower end of the town called the Neck (Bridgewater) in 1788-90, "but never had a pastor, and soon moved elsewhere."
The Baptist Church at Northville was organized Febru- ary 9th, 1814, with 7 males and 16 female members, most of whom had previously been connected with a Baptist Church in Roxbury. Its present membership is 46. The Baptist Church at Gaylordsville was formed about 1830 and has always been small. Its present membership is 33. Somewhere about 1830 a Union Church was built at Mer- ryall, which was used chiefly, but not wholly, by the Bap- lists. No Society was ever formed, and no service has been held in the house for 20 years.
The Rev. Elijah Hebard, from Stratford circuit, seems to have been the first Methodist Episcopal min ster who visited New Milford. In 1815 he preached at John War- ner's in Pleasant Valley. Others followed, and in 1825 a .Society was formed in Gaylordsville; that Society still ex. ists and has now 66 members. In 1826 the Methodists erected a Church at Northville ; and in 1828-9 they erect- ed another on the Plains at a cost of $3,000. It is to be regretted that these organizations at Northville and on the Plains are both extinct and have been so for twenty-five years. The Methodist Church in the Village was erected in 1849 and dedicated by Bishop Janes in May, 1850-the Rev. Win. M'Allister, then being the Preacher in charge. Its present membership is 130.
The Roman Catholics opened a place for worship in 1860-61, but had no resident priest until 1872. They have now a large congregation, composed almost exclu- sively of persons of foreign birth,
These are all the Religious Societies that have existed in the town. Out of a population of 3,586 there is to day
6
A MEMORIAL DISCOURSE.
a Church membership, exclusive of the Roman Catholics' of 807.
In 1871-2, this Church thoroughly canvassed the town, exclusive of New Prestoa Society, distributing Bibles and Tracts, and carefully reporting the Church attendance and preferences of the people by families. Of the 707 families reported, there were Congregational, 218; Episcopal, 156; Methodists, 88; Roman Catholics, 46; 2d Advent, (colored) 18 ; Baptists, 15 : Jews, 3 ; Lutherans, 2 ; Friends, 2 ; Reformed Dutch, 1 ; and not attending any Church, 158.
With this general review of the Ecclesiastical history of the town, we turn now to consider more minutely the history of this, the oldest and always largest Church and Society-the oldest but one and the largest in the County.
There was no Ecclesiastical Society until after 1750. Until then, the town was the Society. It was the town that provided for the supply of the pulpit, for the instal- lation of ministers, the erection and care of buildings, and all expenses connected with public worship. The Church held meetings for the election of Deacons, the discipline of members, and the spiritual interests of the people. But the town managed everything that now belongs to the So- ciety. It was the town that invited Mr. Daniel Boardman to labor here, and that settled him as a pastor, making all the arrangements for his installation. The town did the same in the case of Mr. Taylor. So far as the records show, the Church took no separate action in calling its pastors until the invitation to Mr. Griswold, in 1790, when it formally voted, as has been the custom ever since, to concur in the Society's action. From 1713 to 1750 a large part of the business in Town Meeting was in regard to Ecclesiastical affairs.
The first Meeting House, "40 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 24 feet between "gists," with suitable proportions,", was built in 1718-19, but not opened for worship until 1720, and then it was in a very unfinished condition. In 1:20 it was voted to wall up the gists before Winter and fill in between the lathe and studs with timber and mor. tar. The floor was not laid until 1723. This building stood on the highway on Town Hill, a few rods North of the present residence of Mrs. J. P. Treadwell The second house of worship, " 64 fect long, 44 feet wide, and 27 fee posts," nearly twice the size of the first, was erected in
7
A MEMORIAL DISCOURSE.
1754, the town applying to the General Assembly for pow- er to sell the old Meeting House, and to tax non-resident land holders for building the new one. This building stood on the Village Green, nearly opposite the present res- idence of Mr. Solomon E. Bostwick. The present edifice was erected in 1833, and though much larger than the for- mer, for several years persons wishing slips have been unable to obtain them. It would be a good Centennial work to enlarge the building.
The Sabbath Day House was an institution that is un- known to the present generation. In 1745 the town voted " that any farmers, inhabitants, have leave to build a small house to repair to on Sabbath day on the common land, provided the public is not damnified thereby." This building was located "North of the Meeting House on the side of the hill." After the erection of the Church on the Green, the Sabbath Day House was built on the spot where now stands the house so long occupied by the Rev. Mr. Acly. It is described to me by a lady still with us (Mrs. Eli Mygatt) who went through it more than 70 years ago, as a long, low building, with four large rooms, regarding which frightful stories were told of the ghosts that inhab- ited it. In this building, farmers, whose homes were dis- tant, stored loads of wood, and barrels of cider, and here they warmed their bean soup, replenished their foot-stoves and regaled themselves in the hour between services. Un- til 1870 the services were held morning and afternoon ; - since 1870, the second service has been held in the evening.
The Chapel was built by Individuals, with permission of the Society in 1838-9. The Meeting Houses were not heated until 1823-5, when two box stoves were put into the second Meeting House. In November, 1833, the So- ciety voted to obtain " 2 of Dr. Nott's stoves and one ton of anthracite coal for the Winter." Furnaces were put in in 1860, when the Church was improved at a cost of $5,225. and land for sheds was bought. The organ was obtained in 1860, at a cost of $1,200.
The Parsonage was bought In August, 1870, at a cost of $6,000, paid for by subscription, and presented, with cer- tain conditions attached, to the Society. Originally, the people were called to worship, as to all public meetings, by the beat of a drum, for which an appropriation was made in 1716. For many years after the first Church
8
A MEMORIAL DISCOURSE.
building was occupied, the town annually appointed a. person to beat the drum and voted him pay for his servi- ces. I have been unable to discover when the first bell was obtained. A Church clock which hung in the steeple of the second Meeting House must have been bought about a century ago. In 1780 the liabilities of the Society are thus stated: "Arrears yet due on account of clock £7 3s. 5d. and due Widow Prudence Collins, for sweeping the Meeting House £1 10s. 0d.
Until 1745 this was the only Society and every person in town was taxed for its support. From 1750 to 1790 persons who aided in supporting other Societies were by vote, relieved from the tax for the support of this Society. There is no instance on record in which a request for re- lief on this plea was refused. From 1800, though this So- ciety had the legal right up to 1819, to tax all, only the members of the Society were, in fact, taxed for its benefit. The proposal to meet necessary expenses by the sale of slips was first made in 1851 and rejected by a large major- ity. This plan was adopted in 1854 and has continued un- til the present. Previous to that, committees had from time to time " seated and dignified the Meeting House.' The resolutions of 1756, were, that "all persons of the age of 56 years and upwards should be seated in the first rank of seats, and all other persons according to the rates and taxes they have paid to cards building said Meeting House." But for special reasons of honor or infirmity, persons were often, by vote, placed in the highest rank. In subsequent seatings, it was usually voted that " no per. son should be placed lower than he had previously been."
This Society does not seem ever to have received pe- cuniary aid from sister Churches, or from individuals out. side of its own membership. In 1719 an agent was sent to Milford " to see what they would do for the support of the Gospel here." That application was probably to the Proprietors, and there is no record of its result. The Pro- prietors set apart what were called " Donation" or " Par- sonage Lands for the support of the Gospel according to the Presbyterian Congregational order, in the town." From these lands a 24 s. lot was given to Mr. Boardman as part of his settlement, and probably a similar lot to Mr. Taylor at his ordination. The remainder of this iand was wed at different times before 1790, and the proceeds given
A MEMORIAL DISCOURSE.
to the various Societies within the town in proportion to the "List" of their members. And in 1790 the Propriet ors appointed a Committee to examine the roads belonging to them, to narrow them and sell the land thus obtained. This Cammittee completed its work in 1810. Part of the proceeds of the land thus sold from the highways, wasdo nated to this Society, and carefully invested in Hartford Bank Stock, which it holds to this day.
In 1792 Col. Josiah Starr, who had long been Treasurer, purchased some Hartford Bank Stock, for the Society,and to complete the payment advanced out of his own funds $192 24. Mr. Comstock, a later Treasurer, has recorded that this was never repaid. Col. Starr, doubtless, intend- ed this as a gift to the Society.
September 13th, 1860, a vote of thanks was passed to John P. Treadwell, Esq., then of New York, for the gift of $500 toward the purchase of an organ.
September 19th, 1834, a vote of thanks to Miss Gratis M. Merwin, for the donation of $100.
March 3d, 1870,a vote of thanks to Royal I. Canfield, for 8500, given for a permanent fund, the avails to be used for the support of the Gospel. Mr. Canfield had previously (1861) given additional land for sheds, which cost him $100.
Mr. Homer Beard, who died February, 1871, bequeathed to the Society land which was sold for $1,030.
And Mrs. Phebe Beard, his widow, who died September, 1874, left to the Society property which netted $832.
This Society has always shown a characteristic New En- gland thrift and prudence in regard to its finances. So early as 1755, it appointed a committee to " take care of the money, coming from the sale of the Parsonage lands, to loan out said money on good and sufficient security." From that time to this, the Society has always had money loaned, invested in Government securities or in Bank stock. And in 1787, it was voted that only the interest over sir per cent., should be used for current expenses. But this rule has not been observed or the Society would now be rich.
From 1:52 until 1796, all the educational and religious affairs of the town were under the control of this Society. It located the Schools, fixed the tax, collected it, and su- perintended the Schools through committees annually ap- pointed. It was, in fact, the School Society for the Town,
10
A MEMORIAL DISCOURSE.
and as such received Benoni Stebbins' legacy. It fixed and collected the tax for the salary of the ministers, "for the sweeping out of the Meeting House." It also, in some measure, managed the financial affairs of the Episcopal Society ; for in 1771, after appointing Ichabod Bostwick to gather the minister's rate, it appointed "Solomon Hod- kiss to gather a rate for Mr. Clark." And in 1772 this So- ciety issued a notice " to warn all the Church people to meet together on Monday, the 13th day of instant, April, at St. John's Church at 8 of the clock in the morning, then and there to consult such measures as they shall think proper to procure a Glebe house for the Rev. Mr. Clark, and to do such other business as shall be thought proper." The minutes of the meeting thus warned are re- corded as "a meeting of the inhabitants of the 1st Eccle- siastical Society-holden by the Church of England." This was doubtless done. in a fraternal spirit, to give legal efficacy to the action of the Episcopal Society in dispos- ing of one Glebe and purchasing another. This shows the kindly feeling that then, as now and always, has gov. erred the members of this Society. The Church Review (vol. ii. p. 317,-See Hollister's Hist. of Conn. vol. ii, p. 545-Note) states that " certain Churchmen in New Mil- ford were fined for refusing to attend the meetings of the established Church. These fines were, by recommenda. tion of Mr. Beach, paid, and copies of the proceedings taken to be forwarded to the King and council. The fact becoming known, the authorities refunded the money and granted permission to build a church, which before had been refused." I do not know the authority of the Church Review for this statement ; but I do know that there is no warrant for it in - Town or Society's books. There is no record of any refusal to permit Churchmen to build, nor of the remittance of a fine upon any person for being ab- sent from the worship of this Church ; yet the books con- tain records of scores of votes remitting fines for breach of the Sabbath and other miner offences. From 1752 to 1819 this Society had all the legal rights in its own hand. But, in all the records there is no instance of anything like intolerance, or a disposition to throw obstacles in the way of others : while there are numerous instances of Its generosity, and readiness to aid those who entertained a faith different from its own.
11
A MEMORIAL DISCOURSE.
This Society has uniformly treated its ministers honora- bly and kindly. It has always acted with a good degree of unanimity. In every instance, except the first, the Socie- ty has found it difficult to unite in the calling of a pastor. At such times feeling has often run high, and when a call was voted. there has often been a few votes in the nega tive. But the call once given and the pastor settled, par- ties have disappeared and all united in treating the man with the respect due to his office. Of the 8 pastors who have proceded the present, 3-Boardman, Taylor, and Elliot-died in office. Mr. Griswold left voluntarily, with. out any action on the part of the Church or Society. Mr. Porter resigned because of his " physical inability to per- form the duties belonging to so large and scattered a par- ish." Mr. Murdoch resigned to accept the invitation of the Third Church in New Haven. In regard to Mr. Rood, the Church and Society both voted unanimously that a change was needful for their well being ; but even then, it voted him a gift of $100 and borrowed the money to give it to him. In the only other instance in which a change was desired, it was sole'y because of the physical infirmi- ty of the pastor, who was as universally admired for his talents, as he was revered for his character. On his resig- nation, the Society voted him a donation of $500. The Society has always cared for the comfort of its pastors and been faithful to its promises to them. In the times of Messrs. Boardman and Taylor it was very poor and did not always pay promptly ; but then it allowed interest on all arrearages. It gave Mr. Boardman a settlement in land and increased his salary from £50 and 40 cords of wood, " good and suitable for the fire," to £125. It gave Mr. Taylor a settlement of £1,000, payable in installments within three years, and increased his salary from time to time at his request. But in 1779-" the time that tried men's souls"-Mr. Taylor, "trusting to the generosity of the members of the Society," relinquished his salary of £150, lawful money, from May 1st, 1778, to May 1st, 1779. And in 1782, Mr. Taylor, "taking into consideration the great burden and heavy taxes now lying on the people by reason of the present war, and he, being free and willing to bear a proportionate part of the cost and burden with others of the Society," did "abate and discharge to said Society, the sum of £30, lawful money" from what was
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.