The story of Columbia, Part 1

Author: Congregational Church (Columbia, Conn). Women's Guild
Publication date: 1954
Publisher: Columbia
Number of Pages: 90


USA > Connecticut > Tolland County > Columbia > The story of Columbia > 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.


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7


The


COLUMBIA


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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION


ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01148 6732


The Story of COLUMBIA anni,


Published by THE WOMEN'S GUILD of the COLUMBIA CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Columbia, Connecticut


DEDICATION


TO THE YOUTH OF COLUMBIA, TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE, THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED IN THE HOPE THAT IT MAY HELP TO AWAKEN THEIR INTEREST IN THE STORY OF THEIR TOWN, AND THAT AN UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF THEIR HERITAGE MAY CHALLENGE THEM TOWARD EFFECTIVE CITIZENSHIP.


Copyright 1954 by THE WOMEN'S GUILD of the COLUMBIA CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Columbia, Connecticut All rights reserved


Preface


It may be difficult to imagine how this tiny spot we now call Columbia appeared as it began to emerge from wilderness to civilization. Too in- significant even to be noticed when considered as a part of the infinite universe, it had lain here for many centuries; cast of nature's mold and little disturbed by the Indian inhabitants. Then the white man began to move in from the well established colonies to the north and the coastal settlements to the south. They found this crossroads of the future centuries serene in its peacefulness : scoured, scarred, and left stony by glaciers long since gone. Here they settled, accepting and adapting to the elements as they found them. The trees of the forest were cleared to make pasture and cultivation possible. The lumber was used to build their homes, which we know were large, sturdy, and graciously simple in the early architecture which has survived for three hundred years and is still loved today.


It is this story we attempt to tell here - insignificant perhaps, but fascinating and exciting. It is a story of a beginning: steeped in antiquity; perpetuated by tradition: cherished by those whose roots penetrate deep into the soil tilled by their ancestors.


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Contents


Page


Dedication


2


Preface 3


Government 5


Congregational Church 13


Eleazar Wheelock, Pastor and Educator


25


Education


43


Old Houses 45


Service to the Nation in Time of War 50


Wells Woods 53


The Romance of Industry 55


Cemeteries


59


The Library 60


St. Columba's Chapel 62


Columbia Lake 65


Columbia Grange 69


Congregation Agudath Achim 70


Baseball


72


Fire Department 74


Community Service in Peacetime 76


Leisure Time Activities for Youth 77


Bibliography 79


Acknowledgments 79


Page 4


YEUMANS HALL


THE FIRST YEOMANS HALL


Given to the town by Mary B. Yeomans in 1900, destroyed by fire in 1940.


Government


The earliest settlers in this part of the country were seeking to estab- lish homes where they could worship according to their own consciences. Consequently, the carly government was primarily established and con- trolled by the church.


Columbia was an offspring of the town of Lebanon. Practically all of the territory that is the town of Columbia today was included in the Clarke and Dewey Purchase. Antique records, now preserved on silk parch- ment, tell us that on September 25. 1699 William Clarke and Deacon Josiah Dewey acquired from Thomas Buckingham and William Clarke, in behalf of Abimeleck, a tract of land. Thomas Buckingham and William Clarke were probably guardians of this young Indian. On May 2, 1700, this property was again conveyed to these men by Oweneco, son of Uncas, as both Indians had laid claim to the land.


The only exception to the original boundaries and those of today is a small triangle of land which was set aside in 1748 to the town of Andover.


Josiah Dewey and William Clarke were two of the nine men who were founders of the town of Lebanon. Mr. Clarke's home was located in the section known as Old Hop River, which was then part of Lebanon. Many of his descendants are still residing in Columbia today. Lebanon's records


Page 5


show that he was their first Town Clerk, in 1698, a position which he held for forty-four years. He was also First Selectman for a number of years. In October of 1698 the town chose William Holton and William Clarke to petition the General Court in Hartford to create the town's bounds. In December of the same year, Mr. Clarke made a request for home lots to be set off, a lot being twenty acres: this was later increased to forty acres. It was at this time that they "laid out ye Broad Street" (now Lebanon Green).


Early in 1700 the inhabitants of the town of Lebanon completed their town organization. It was then that they "gathered" their first church and settled their first minister. It is interesting to note that in those colonial days it was necessary to have a church and a minister before the town could function, and no man could be a voter who was not a church member.


Only sixteen years later, in 1716, a second ecclesiastical society was constituted, which was known as Lebanon North Parish or Lebanon Crank. The following is a copy of the original petition of the people to be set off as a separate society :


"To ye inhabitants of Lebanon the humble petition of us whose Names are under written inhabiting at a place called the crank and at Hop river and adjacent to ye crank with some others that have a right of land near sd Crank. Humbly showeth that whercas the providence of God who bounds our habitations hath so ordered our settlement in the world so remote from ye publick worship of God, which we and ours stand in great need of we by Reason of ye Remoteness of the place of worship, which way ever we goc, that there are but few of our families can constantly attend and we being got to such a number of famileys that are here and preparing to come among us that we hope that in case you that are our fathers, breath- ren & Christian friends in Lebanon would be pleased to grant us with ye accommodation of part of ye land in the township of Lebanon wc we might have ye worship of God set up among us in some short timc wc we hope, we greatly desire & shall indeaver after, according as ye providence of God shall lead in that matter; and we hope and are confident that you would do for us wt you can that may be reasonable for to incorage & promote so good a work. We therefore desire and intrcat you who are our fathers, brethren and Christian friends in sd Lebanon to consider our case & do what you can conveniently to promote such a good work & sct out to us for ye promoting of a society heare, as much of your Township as may be incoucging for ye same. We dont here pretend to be our owne carvers but desire and request of you that a line may be run from ye North Pond the westerly line of ye five mile to ye grcat Chcastnutt trec on Cheastnutt Hil, which is the Northerly corner of ye five mile; then to turn eastward in the line of ye five mile to ye southarly branch of ten mile brook so down by ve brook as the brook runs to (the) ye eastward part of yc town bounds to bc, to incoricg the above sd sociaty, but in case you cannot comply with ye above sd line takeing in all ye Land in ye town bounds towards hebron


Page 6


& windham we then desire your compliance, in any other line that you may se cause to afford us for ye incorieging so good a work; we also desire and crave your holys with respect of gaining in to ye Township that land lying between Lebanon bounds & Coventry or so much of it as you may judge necessary for to obtain ye end above sd; and it seems needful that there be speedy care taken about those of us that live out of ye bounds of Lebanon that they be brought into the bounds, for we understand in case nothing be propounded to further & promote ye motion above sd, that our friends at Coventry do intend to petition the Generall Court that such of us as are out of ye bounds of Lebanon might be annexed to Coventry, & if it be once don their may be aboundance of more difficulty in bringing about the designe above sd, and further, seince it is so that we or ye most of us must attend it & we be thereby forcd to do it we pray that we maybe freed from paying to ye ministry in Lebanon; and also that provided we are incorieged in so good a work as ye settling of a sosiaty heare that we in a short time be at Charge towards ve settling of a minister heare by building, breaking up of Land & forming of it in that we thereby may incorieg a minister to settle among us; we then desire our publick taxes as to town charges might be also Released to us all, wc we hope you will Readaly Grant to us your Humble petitioners; and in so doing you will greatly oblige us who are your friends & Neighbours.


"Lebn, february ye 28th, 1714-15.


"Richard Mason, Josiah Loomis, Jr., Benjamin Woodworth, Charles Dowolf, Josiah Loomis, Henry Woodworth, Benony Clark, Ebenezer Richardson, Ezekiell Woodworth, Isaac Tilden, Joseph Clark, Ephraim Sprague, Benjn. Woodworth, Jr., Samll Wright, John Sweetland, Josiah Lyman, Thomas Porter, Ebenezer Woodworth, Joseph Fowler, Ephraim Tupper, Caleb Loomis, Benjn. Small, Nathll Dewey, Thomas Woodward."


"April the 26th 1715, at a Legall town Meting of ye inhabitance of Lebanon they then granted the petition of ye people at ye Crank either to be a sosiaty by themselves or a township according as the honoured Courte shall see cause to incorieg either for a sosiaty or a township, allways provided that ye town Reserve to ym selves all ye Right of Land in sd tract, both alottments & Comon Right as to ye, for ye land & also exept petitionning for an adition between Coventry & Lebanon, and also pro- vided there be no publick taxes Layd on ye Land untill ye Land be im- proved as ye Law directs & also whereas the petitioners to ye all the land on the westerly side of ye five mile it is agreed & we do alow they shall goe southwards on ye west side of ye five mile, so far as Hebron Road from Lebanon; likewise provided they pay publick taxes to ye town untill they have liberty & incoriegement from the Generall Courte to be a sosiaty or township by themselves, the above written was voted by the town; at the same time Stephen Tilden, Joseph Owen, John Huchison, Joseph Hutch- inson, Joseph Owen, Jun., & Moses Owen, all entered their protest against the above sd vote."


Page 7


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16 May A.D. 1803.


Crank.


ing of the Lebanon town meeting :


proposed Town." (3rd Article of the warning).


Town and concent to have a part of the first Society annexed to the new in this town in their petition to be incorporated into a distinct and separate "To see if they will vote that they will not oppose the 2nd Society


"The 3rd article in the warning was taken up and confidence urged


by some from the Crank and opposed by others in that Society, and it


Page 8


the law and rule of the parish, the church being the center of all activity.


to be incorporated as a separate town. In 1803 there appeared in the warn- It was nearly a century before the citizens of the Crank made an attempt


were called First Society, meaning Lebanon, and Second Socicty for the From the year of 1716 the village of Lebanon Crank prospered under


The Lebanon records show that following this separation, the sections


From a map of Tolland County, Connecticut, dated 1857. Published by Woodford and Bartlett of Philadelphia.


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SKETCH OF COLUMBIA CENTER, 1857.


being found that no petition had been entered in the docket of the Assembly, the supporters of the application to have a vote passed that no objection should be made to the Incorporation of a new Town in the limits of this Town, withdrew their Preapplication and no vote was taken on the article." (Signed) Elkhanah Tisdale, Town Clerk.


The town records of Dec. 16th, 1803 read :


"At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Lebanon legally warned by Notification of selectmen dated the 16th Instant and mentioned on the 21st day of Nov. 1803 to see if the Town is willing the 2nd Society shall be set off as a separate Town. And to see if the Town will assist 2nd Society in obtaining a separation or selling off. .


Page 9


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Daniel Tilden was chosen moderator of this meeting. The subject was debated and finally this question was put to the meeting: "Will this Town oppose the 2nd Society in their intended application to the next assembly to be incorporated into a separate Town, not to take off any other part of the Town?" The vote was in the negative, and they also voted to do nothing further relative to the 2nd Society.


In the General Assembly of May 1804 in Hartford, a petition was presented by Stephan Hosmer. This petition mentioned "a great distance from the place of holding Town and Freemen's meetings" and "the great inconvenience under which they labor from their local situation".


At a meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Lebanon on Aug. 21, 1804, it was voted that the Town appoint a committee to meet with the Selectmen of Columbia to set the town bounds. Columbia, the poetic name for the United States, was chosen as the name of the new town. It is bounded on the north by Hop River, which separates it from Coventry; on the cast by Lebanon and Windham: on the south by Lebanon: on the west by Hebron and Andover.


The carly voters had the following slate of officers to elect: Selectmen, Constables, Grand Jurors, Surveyor and Highway Tax Collectors, Fence Viewers, Leather Scaler, Tything men. Hayward (one who looked after hedges and fencing to keep cattle and pigs from roaming), Chimney Viewers, Packer of Tobacco, Scaler of Weights and Measures, and Key Keeper.


The first Freemen's meetings were held in the church. The records of those early years show high taxes and low income. The first tax rate was four cents on the dollar, and the wages for a day's work on the highway were fifty cents for a man who "should perform a day's work in a day". It was also voted that Assessors and Board of Relief would work without pay.


It was not until June 1, 1835 that the town voted to build a "Town House" "with ten foot posts, 40 by 26 feet, or in less proportion so that the expense shall not exceed $400". It was to be completed by November 1st of the same year. A special tax of 412 cents was laid for this purpose. The building was erected just north of the cemetery, approximately where the present home of Town Clerk Hubert P. Collins stands.


The first town meeting held in this building was on May 1st, 1836, and it was then voted that the building might be used for religious meet- ings and singing schools. Five years later, the use of the hall was voted to the young men for lyceum purposes, with permission to put in a stove. Later, in special meeting, the Town voted to pay all reasonable bills for the stove then in the hall.


The minutes of one meeting show that it was voted "to dispose of the poor of the Town in such way and manner as will be for the best in- terest of the Town". The way these unfortunate individuals were "disposed of" was to "farm them out" to the lowest bidder.


In 1839, when the town was considering a new State law for licensing


Page 10


sellers of intoxicating liquors, it was voted that every elector in the town be licensed. In 1872 a new law left the liquor traffic with towns, and a resolution was presented at a town meeting recommending that the Select- men grant no licenses, because "the sale of intoxicating liquor as a beverage is an evil, and only evil, destructive of the material prosperity, social hap- piness and moral well being of the community". The resolution was lost, and a similar one was lost several times later, but in 1879 the result was reversed. No liquor has been sold legally in Columbia since that date.


In 1869 there was a serious attempt to bond the town to aid in build- ing the Air Line Railroad, but without success.


In 1883 the question of building a new town hall was first raised but was turned down. It was brought up again in 1895, and was agitated until 1900 when Mrs. Mary B. Ycomans made her generous and acceptable gift of Yeomans Hall to the town. It was dedicated with appropriate exercises on December 19, 1900. The principal address was delivered by the Rev. J. P. Harvey, who spoke on "Economic Problems of the New England Town". That first Yeomans Hall burned down in 1940, and the present building was erected by the town the following year. Mrs. Yeomans left a legacy of $1500, the interest on which was to be used to paint the hall every four years so long as the hall bears the Yeomans' name.


In 1947, Columbia adopted a Zoning Ordinance under which property owners are protected from any objectionable enterprises. These laws cover the appearance of the town as well as the general welfare. A Town Plan- ning Commission was added in 1953, its chief concern being long term plans for the future benefit of Columbia and its residents.


Stephan Hosmer was the First Selectman of Columbia, and through the years this position was held by many different men, until 1924 when Clair Robinson was first elected. Since that date he has served in this capacity continuously. Edward P. Lyman served as Town Clerk for twenty- two years. The present Town Clerk, Hubert P. Collins, is now in his forty- sixth year of service, and is the dean of Town Clerks in Connecticut.


In October 1953 there were exactly 800 registered voters in Columbia. The grand list shows taxable property to the amount of $4,358,433. The town's indebtedness is $81,375.24.


Town of Columbia votes for President of the United States:


1864


1892


1896


Abraham Lincoln 75


Harrison 88


Mckinley 105


George B. McClellan 122


Cleveland 81


Bryan 56


Bidwell 6


Palmer 3


Levering 1


Page 11


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COLUMBIA IN 1953


Columbia is about five miles long and four miles wide. The Green is about 500 feet above sea level The highest point, on Post Hill, is 837 feet.


Several of the older residents can remember a little poem which they say was told to them when children, about David Huntington, bell-ringer for the Church for thirty-six years. It runs as follows:


Crank town has a bell, David Huntington rings it, Thomas Brockway reads the Psalm, Hannah Bennet sings it.


Page 12


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Congregational Church


Our forefathers speak to us in many ways across the generations. Their wisdom and peculiarities, their artistry and achievements are re- corded for us via buildings, furnishings, implements, records, and legends which have survived the centuries. Early church history is indispensable in "The Story of Columbia" as church and community were nearly synon- vmous.


The church was originated when Rcv. Samuel Smith was established here as the first pastor probably in the year 1720. Desirous of cstablishing themselves firmly in the eyes of God, the originators of this Second Eccles- iastical Society (as it was then called) at Lebanon Crank entered into the following covenant:


"In A Seriouse Sense of our indispensible duty to answer the call of Christ, who, notwithstanding our own cursedness by nature, inviteth us to partake of the Covenant Grace, not only in the Internall but Externall priviledges thereof, as we have obtained help of God, we do avouch the Lord to be our God, giveing up ourselves unto the Lord and unto one another according to the will of God, promising by the help of Divine Grace to watch over one another, and to bear witness against sin, to walk in the ordinances of the Gospel of Christ, and to uphold the worship of God in this place, and to Subject to the Discipline of Christ: we do also give up our Children unto him, promising to bring them up in the nurture and Admonition of the Lord. In Testimony of our Consent and Engagement as above, we have Sett to our hands.


Samuel Smith, Josiah Dewey.


Samuel Wright,


Richard Lyman, James Pincaux. John Sullard,


John Hutchinson, Nehemiah Closson. George Way,


John Ncwcomb.


John Swetland. Josiah Loomys,


Benjamin Woodworth,


Nathaniel House.


"This Covenant was owned and Subscribed as Above on the Day of ordination, and Embodying of the Church of Christ, in the North Society of Lebanon."


Rev. Smith held his services out of doors in the summer or at his home or those of his parishioners. Early church records tell of a vote on January 27, 1725 to "remove the meetings to the house of Benony Clark."


At this time, there were but four counties in the state - Hartford, New Haven, Ncw London, and Fairfield. There were probably less than sixty Congregational Churches (the principal denomination at that time) and only about 140 such churches in the United States. There werc two others in what is now Tolland county, onc at South Mansfield and one at South Coventry.


Page 13


MEETING HOUSES


On December 15, 1725 a meeting of the North Society in Lebanon "granted to Richard English the sum of four pound fourteen shillings and six pence for vi(c)tualling of ministers and messengers." At the same time they "granted to John Morey twelve shillings for sweeping the meeting house." This is the first mention made in the church records of the existence of a meeting house, and it was probably raised during the summer of 1724 on a site nearly in front of the first Yeomans Hall.


The building was not completed for some years as on December 14, 1726, the parish "voted to make provision for laying the gallery floors, and for making the stairs and finishing the coving and building the breast work of the gallery and for making steps for the three doors." Henry Woodward, Lieut. Martin, and Josiah Lyman were appointed a committee to sec that the work was carried out and at the same meeting, it was voted to "pay Deacon Wright the sum of one pound for sweeping the meeting house." On December 26, 1728, they "voted to procure boards to seal the meeting house and for the pews and slit work for the galleries and pews and all other stuf needfull for said work." December 4, 1730, they "voted to do something towards finishing the Meeting House."


On November 3, 1731, it was voted to "finish the seats and the walls of the meeting house. At the same time they voted to plaister the walls of the meeting house."


By January 10, 1733, they were ready to "seat the meeting house" and a committee was appointed to do this according to age, estate, or office. The following regulations were set up at the meeting for carrying out this interesting process - evidence that even in the land of freedom and equality there still existed the remnants of a strong caste system.


"Then voted that no man shall be brought lower than he was seated before. Then voted that the scaters should reckon one and but one head to Each List. At the same time they voted to seat the meeting house by the last rate or list. Then voted to valluc one years age to two shillings in the rate.


"Then voted that the pews next to the great door shall be vallued next to the first or highest pews and those by the stairs Equail to the second scat; the fore seat in the front to be Equail to the second seat in the body of the meeting house and the fore seat in the side gallery to be Equail to the sixth seat.


"At the same time they made choice of Deacon Wright, Capt. Sprague and Sargeant Lyman to be a committy to seat the seaters."




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