A History of the Old Town of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Part II, Part 7

Author: Orcutt, Samuel, 1824-1893
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: [New Haven, Conn.], [Press of Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor]
Number of Pages: 904

USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Bridgeport > A History of the Old Town of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Part II > Part 7

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During the later years of Mr. Sterling's incumbency the business was transferred to the front of his premises on Main street, now occupied by Turney Hall as a fancy goods store, and known as number 318, the connection with the State street store being kept up at the rear. An elderly citizen has related that while the business was conducted in the store on State street, a single daily newspaper, the " Journal of Commerce," from New York, was taken in the place, by Isaac Burroughs. On its arrival it was considered, by the

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consent of Mr. Burroughs, public property for a short time, and the company gathered were treated to the news by some stentorian reader.

When Andrew Jackson was elected president he adopted the policy " to the victors belong the spoils," and at that time, there being only five Jackson men in the town-Doct. Samuel Simons, Stephen Lounsbury, William B. Dyer, Mark Moore, and Asa Benjamin-it became necessary to appoint one of these gentlemen as postmaster. The two contestants were Doctor Simons and Stephen Lounsbury, Jr., the former being known through the State as an old leading democrat, and Mr. Lounsbury only as a young man of the firm of Smith and Lounsbury, dry goods dealers, on the corner of State and Water streets.

The postage on letters was regulated at that time by a table of distances, as follows: 30 miles and under, 6 cents; over 30 and under 80, 10 cents; over 80 and under 150, 1272 cents ; over 150 and under 400, 183/4 cents ; over 400, 25 cents. Although the population of the place at that time was only 1,500, the income of the office was of considerable importance, and hence the contest for it very earnest. Young Lounsbury, however, made an early start by securing all the names of the Jackson party except the doctor, and a letter of introduction to General Jackson from Mordecai M. Noah, editor of the "New York National Advocate," and other. letters to Martin Van Buren, Secretary of State, and William T. Berry, the Postmaster-General, he went to Washington, and by feeing the president's colored messenger with a half dollar, secured an early audience with "Old Hickory," and soon after re- ceived his commission as postmaster. Mr. Lounsbury estab- lished the post office on State street next door to the corner of State and Water streets, which was the first time the office was dignified with an entirely separate apartment, and with seventy-five private boxes. Here it remained about three years, when it was removed back to the corner of Wall and Water streets, under the old Washington hotel, which was at that time owned by Fitch Wheeler, a leading member of the Fairfield county bar, and who, desiring to add to the attrac- tions in that vicinity, fitted the office and rented it to Mr.

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Lounsbury. After two years the Connecticut Bank, having conducted business in the store at the northwest corner of Wa- ter and Wall streets, built their present building on the corner of Wall and Main streets, made Mr. Lounsbury a liberal propo- sition, which was accepted, and the office was removed into the room under the bank. About this time Mr. R. B. Lacey made his advent into Bridgeport and became assistant in the post office, which position he filled very acceptably for a number of years. Mr. Lounsbury became a leading business man of the place, and built a dwelling which occupied the site of the present St. John's Church, at the corner of Park and Fairfield avenues, and ornamented the grounds in a very attractive style, which was the first residence of the orna- mented kind in Bridgeport. His business becoming so ex- tended that he could not attend to the duties of the office, he resigned his position in December, 1836, accompanied with a recommendation in favor of Smith Tweedy as his successor. Mr. Tweedy was from Danbury, a hatter by trade, and kept a shop on the corner of Beaver and Middle streets, and being a very active man soon became one of the prominent demo- cratic politicians, and with William S. Pomeroy and Doctor Simons was the committee appointed by the government to expend $10,000 appropriated by Congress to dig out the bar in Bridgeport harbor. Mr. Tweedy remained in the office during the administration of Mr. Van Buren, and kept it under the Connecticut bank to the end of his term.

During Mr. Tweedy's term, arrangements were made for a partial mail service by steamboat from New York, the stage coach continuing to take the mails at night, since letters thereby reached the city of New York and were ready for delivery early the next morning. During the same period an express mail-at triple rates-was established from Boston to New Orleans, which continued only about two years.

The success of the "Tippecanoe and Tyler too," cam- paign involved the removal of Mr. Tweedy, and Isaac Sher- man, Jr., became his successor. Mr. Sherman kept the office in a small building on the site of numbers 27 and 29 Wall street for a part of his time, and then removed the building and the office to the lot on Main street, south of the Sterling

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house, where he continued the office during the balance of his term.

When James K. Polk was elected in 1844, Philo F. Bar- num was appointed postmaster for the next four years and served his time, the mails being more fully transferred from the stage coach to the boat Nimrod, under Captain Brooks."

Col. Julius W. Knowlton, son of William S. Knowl- ton, was born in Southbridge, Worcester Co., Mass., Novem- ber 28, 1838. When seven years of age his parents removed to Norwich, Conn., and after three years to Bridgeport, where he was educated in the public and private schools, giving particular attention to mathematical studies and civil engineering. In 1860 he engaged in the coal business in Bridgeport, in which he continued until the breaking out of the Rebellion, when in 1862 he enlisted as a private in com- pany A, 14th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, and upon the organization of the regiment was made commissary-sergeant. He subsequently acted as brigade-commissary in the brigade commanded by Gen. Dwight Morris, colonel of the 14th reg- iment. Executive ability has been the marked feature of Colonel Knowlton's life, and it was strikingly illustrated on the night of the battle of Antietam, when, with the utmost despatch he pushed his provision train to the front and was the first to provide his brigade with supplies. He was pro- moted to the second lieutenantcy of company C, the color company of his regiment, and was in command of that com- pany at the battle of Gettysburg. On the third day of that battle he was wounded, from the effects of which he has not fully recovered, and remained in a hospital on the field eleven

" List of the Postmasters at Bridgeport, with the date of their appointment, as taken from the Department at Washington, D. C.

Amos B. Fairman,

Charles Bostwick,

Benjamin Bostwick, July 1, 1806

Charles Bostwick, October 1, 1808

Friend W. Smith, Jr., May 16, 1861

George F. Tracy, April 16, 1869 Jesse Sterling, September 15, 1810

Stephen Lounsbury, Jr., May 8, 1829

James E. Dunham, November 9, 1872

Smith Tweedy, January 12, 1837 Julius W. Knowlton, October 15, 1875

Isaac Sherman, Jr., April 12, 1841

April 1, 1801 Philo F. Barnum, September 22, 1845

January 1, 1804 George Wade, July 16, 1848

Epaphras B. Goodsell, April 9, 1853

. 1

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days, when he was removed to Baltimore, and soon after came home. Early in the following January he returned to the front, but was unable to perform arduous military duty because of some spinal injury caused by the shock of the wound received, and March 29, 1864, was discharged for physical disability, and at the surrender of Lee was clerk in the provost marshal's office at Bridgeport.

Upon the close of the war Colonel Knowlton received an appointment in the Adams Express Company, and subse- quently, in October, 1866, was one of three who purchased the Bridgeport "Standard," the company being organized as a stock company the next January, with Mr. Knowlton as secretary and treasurer and business manager. This position he resigned in March, 1873, to take the superintendency of the Moore Car Wheel Company, of Jersey City, N. J., a large establishment, but the memorable "Black Friday" came, and the business was ruined. On the 12th of October, 1874, he accepted the position of chief of the division of dead letters at Washington, which division being then fourteen months in arrears and in disorder, was soon regulated to a thorough system, all arrears cleared up, and the office placed in complete running order. He was then made chief clerk of the post office department by Postmaster-General Jewell, a position which he held until October 15, 1875, when he received the appointment of postmaster at Bridgeport, and on November Ist took possession of the office, which he has conducted with his usual ability and with great satisfaction to the public.

Politically Colonel Knowlton is a republican, and is active and prominent in the councils of the party. He has served two terms in the Legislature, has been a member of the Republican State Committee, and was on Governor Jewell's staff, with the rank of colonel. He is also a prominent mem ber of the Masonic fraternity, for he is now serving his third term as Eminent Commander, having also taken the thirty- second degree of Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. He is a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. He has been Assistant Adjutant General of the Grand Army of the Republic of Connecticut, and a mem-

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ber of the National Council of Administration of the Grand Army, and in 1880 was a delegate to the National Encamp- ment of the Grand Army. He is also a trustee of the Me- chanics and Farmers Savings Bank, of Bridgeport. In 1885 he was elected for the twenty-first consecutive time, Secretary of the Society of the 14th Connecticut Regiment, and through his faithful and earnest labors in this office the society has a full set of the reports of the annual meetings to the present time.

Mr. Knowlton married December . 17, 1866, Miss Jennie E. Fairchild, of Newtown, Conn., and they have had two children, both of whom are deceased. He traces his ances- tors back, in a regular line, to Thomas Knowlton, who came to Ipswich, Mass., in 1632 or 3.

The Hydraulic Company."-The effort to supply water by pipes to the people of Bridgeport was made by the Rev. Elijah Waterman about the year 1818. Certain springs of pure water near the corner of Golden Hill and Hewit streets were cleared and deepened, and the water conducted through the principal streets in wooden pipes, or, rather, bored logs. The enterprise was continued at first by Lewis C. Segee, who succeeded Mr. Waterman about the year 1823, and afterwards, in May, 1833, by Jesse Sterling, Stephen Hawley, Seth B. Jones, Ziba Northrop, Nicholas Northrop, Edwin Porter, and George Kippen, as a chartered company-the first grant made for a water company by the Connecticut Legislature-under the name of the Bridgeport Golden Hill Aqueduct Company, with a capital of $10,000, the water being obtained from the springs already mentioned.

In 1853 the need of a more extensive supply of water, particularly for fire purposes, being felt, the Common Coun- cil granted to Nathan Green-agent of the Pequonnock Mills, in North Bridgeport-and to his assigns the exclusive privi- lege of laying down water pipes in the public streets, on con- dition that they should furnish the city and the inhabitants with a full supply of pure water for domestic, mechanical, and all ordinary uses, both public and private. Upon this

10 See Municipal Register for 1873.

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the Bridgeport Water Company was incorporated to Mr. Greene and others for this purpose in the year 1853, with a capital of $160,000, and during the following year a distribut- ing reservoir in North Bridgeport was constructed and pipes laid through the principal streets of the city, the source of supply being the water of the Pequonnock river, which was pumped into the reservoir.

The enterprise did not prove remunerative to the stock- holders, and, bonds to the amount of ninety thousand dollars having been issued, the company eventually fell into the hands of the bondholders by foreclosure, and in June, 1857, a charter was granted to a new corporation composed of the bondholders. By this charter, William S. Knowlton, N. Greene, J. H. Washburn, Joseph Richardson, and others be- came, under the name of the Bridgeport Hydraulic Com- pany, the successors of the Bridgeport Water Company, and the possessors of all its rights and franchises. Serious com- plaint having been made for a long time both as to the want of a sufficient supply and as to the quality of the water fur- nished, an act was passed by the General Assembly, July 2, 1873, authorizing the city to buy the works of the Bridge- port Hydraulic Company, or to build new works if a pur- chase could not be effected upon terms satisfactory to the city. This act was duly ratified by the city, but at a city meeting called for the purpose, August 13, 1873, resolutions to purchase the hydraulic company's works for the sum of three hundred thousand dollars were lost by twenty-seven majority, the whole number of votes cast being six hundred and seventy-six. A new proposition made by the company to a committee of the Common Council, to sell the works, franchises, etc., for the sum of two hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars was rejected, November 3, 1873, by a larger majority than the former one, namely, two hundred and twen- ty-three out of a vote of seventeen hundred and forty-three. Eventually, Joseph Richardson, up to this time the president and leading stockholder, sold his stock to the Hon. Amos S. Treat, and a new policy was inaugurated. The sources of supply have been greatly enlarged, old and worn-out pipe has been replaced in many sections with new pipe of good

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quality, and mains have been laid in localities not before reached. Since August 25, 1875, the date of Mr. Treat's pur- chase, the sum of one hundred and thirty-five thousand dol- lars has been expended in laying mains, and thirty thousand dollars in building new reservoirs. The total amount of mains now in use is forty five miles, and the elevation of the distributing reservoirs above tide-water is one hundred and ten feet. The company now depends for water chiefly upon natural flow, resort to the pump being had only in dry seasons.

The present sources of supply are : Trumbull reservoir, 60 acres; Island Brook reservoir, 62 acres; Bunnell's Pond reservoir, 50 acres ; Bunnell's Upper Pond, 45 acres; Ox- stream reservoir, 15 acres ; Horse Tavern reservoir, 5 acres ; Distributing reservoir, 3 acres; total 240 acres.

The officers of the company are : President, P. T. Bar- num ; Secretary, C. H. Thorp; Treasurer, Amos S. Treat ; Superintendent, George Richardson ; Auditor, Samuel Wil- mot; Directors, P. T. Barnum, Amos S. Treat, N. Wheeler, T. B. DeForest, J. Richardson, Samuel Wilmot, William H. Perry, Samuel W. Baldwin.

The Bridgeport Light-house .- The late Capt. Abra- ham McNeil established a light at the entrance of Bridgeport Harbor about the year 1844, which was at first a lantern upon the end of a buoy, afterwards a whale-boat decked over and carrying a light, and then a group of five piles with a lantern upon the centre one. In 1851, upon the petition of Capt. John Brooks, a small light-house was erected here by the government, the predecessor of the present one which was built in 1871. It is located about one and a half miles from the city, and consists of a tower and dwelling painted white, with slate-colored Mansard roof and black lantern. The house stands upon iron piles. In entering the harbor vessels must pass. to the eastward and not nearer than two hundred feet. The light is a fixed, red one, fifty-three feet above the sea-level, and the fog-signal is a cast-steel bell struck by machinery every fifteen seconds. S. Adolphus McNeil is light-house keeper.

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St. John's Lodge, No. 3, of Free and Accepted Masons, of Bridgeport, was founded under a charter dated February 12, 1762, and issued by George Harrison, Grand Master of the province of New York, to Eleazer Hubbell of Stratfield, in the county of Fairfield and colony of Connecticut. There was then no Grand Lodge in Connecticut ; there being but two local lodges-Hiram, No. I, of New Haven, instituted in 1750, and St. John's, No. 2, of Middletown, instituted in 1754. The first meeting of St. John's Lodge at Stratfield under its charter was at the house of Capt. Samuel Wakeman which stood on the street now called Park avenue, a short distance south of State street, February 15, 1762, there being five mem- bers present, namely, Arnout Cannon, of the city of New York, who officiated as Master, pro tem .: Joseph Knapp and Isaac Young, of Fairfield ; Eleazer Hubbell, of Stratfield ; and J. Anderson, who acted as secretary, and was perhaps a visit- ing brother, as his name occurs but once afterwards in the records of this lodge. It was a special meeting called for the purpose of initiating David Wheeler and Wolcott Chauncey. The first regular meeting was held at the house of Richard Hubbell, who lived on the street now called Clinton avenue, February 24, 1762. On July 14th of the same year occurred the first election of officers, when Eleazer Hubbell was chosen Master.

The meetings continued to be held in Stratfield until December 8, 1762, when the lodge was removed to the house of Isaac Young, in Fairfield. Two years later it was removed to "the sign of the Anchor," probably this was the inn at Fairfield village. In January, 1763, it was voted that the lodge should have a seal and parchment, and that the secre- tary should charge three shillings for giving a certificate. The initiation fee was three pounds ten shillings until 1780, when it was fixed at three pounds silver money. Several items recorded show that the "refreshments" were what would now be called convivial; for among the furnishings for the lodge-room were glasses and a punch-bowl, while by special vote it was made the duty of the steward "to provide necessaries for the lodge, rum, sugar, pipes and tobacco." Frequent mention is made, in the records, of the celebration

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of the two St. John's Days-June 24th and December 27th, when the members of the lodge and invited guests usually dined together after listening to a sermon by some of the clergy. The Rev. Andrew Elliot, of Fairfield, was a fre- quent guest upon these occasions, and the names of the Rev. Messrs. Lamson, Sayre, Baldwin and Shelton also occur in this connection. Tokens of good will were often voted to the officiating clergymen, such as a piece of calico (then seventy- five cents a yard) for a summer gown to the Rev. Mr. Elliot, a pair of silk gloves to the Rev. Mr. Stebbins in return for a " very ingenuous and pathetic discourse " in memory of a brother lost at sea. The following also, dated February 25, 1793 : " Voted unanimously, That Bros. Lacey and Cannon wait on the Rev. Philo Shelton and present him with the thanks of this lodge, as likewise one guinea, for his excellent discourse on St. John's Day, 27th December 1792, at New- field."

Among the prominent members of the lodge while it re- mained in Fairfield, were Jonathan Bulkley, who for seven- teen years was elected Master; General Elijah Abel, the county sheriff; Lieut. Isaac Jarvis and Capt. Samuel Smed- ley, of Revolutionary fame, the latter, afterwards the col- lector of customs for Fairfield District; and Dr. Francis Forgue, the leading physician of the village, who for many years was a constant attendant. On Christmas Day, Decem- ber 25, 1782, the following resolution was passed in the lodge : "That Brother Abel be desired to wait on Brother Forgue and know whether it is his desire that prayers be desired for him at the Throne of Grace, under his present indisposition of body." A few weeks later the brethren followed his body to its last resting-place.

On January 14, 1784, St. John's Lodge participated by its delegates in the formation of the present Grand Lodge of the State, on which occasion Pierrepont Edwards, of New Haven, but afterwards of Bridgeport, was chosen Grand Master. No allusion to either, the Revolution or the War of 1812, is made in the records, but in December, 1799, it was voted, "That the members of the lodge wear suitable mourning upon the arm, during the pleasure of the lodge, in token of

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respect for the memory of the late M. W. Grand Master of the United States, George Washington."

During the War of the Revolution intervals of several months occurred in which no meetings were held, and from 1786 to 1789, the meetings were very infrequent and but slenderly attended. In 1789, through the efforts of Josiah Lacey, Lambert Lockwood and Daniel Young, influential members of the order engaged in business at the thriving set- tlement of Newfield, which centered near the present corner of Water and State streets, in Bridgeport, the lodge was re- moved to this place. The first meeting was held at the house of Daniel Young, which is still standing on the southwest corner of Union and Water streets, June 24, 1789. Nine members and four visiting brethren were present, and officers were elected, and delegates to the convention chosen ; after which the brethren adjourned to the public-house of William Peet, " where they dined and drank in good harmony."

On January 27, 1790, the lodge voted to meet at the house of Mr. William Peet, innkeeper, upon the north side of State street, where the post-office now stands, "until a more convenient place can be provided," and on December 14, 1791, it was voted "to remove to the chambers of Brother Josiah Lacey's house," which stood on the south side of State street, between Main and Water. On December 12, 1792, it was voted to remove to the house of Isaac Hinman, which stood on the southwest corner of Wall and Water streets.

From 1809 to 1812, by order of the Grand Lodge, this lodge was obliged to meet within one mile of the court-house, in the town of Fairfield. In 1812, it returned to the house of Ephraim Knapp, who succeeded Mr. Hinman on the corner of Wall and Water streets, and since then it has met in Bridgeport.

During the years 1831 and 1832, on account of the sup- posed abduction of Morgan, public feeling ran high against Free Masonry. It was accused of being an institution danger- ous to the community and injurious to morality and religion. To meet this, a defense of Freemasonry, signed by fifty mem- bers of St. John's Lodge, was published in the local newspa- pers, and among the names were the following well known

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men : Hanford Lyon, Philo Hurd, Wilson Hawley, Gen. Enoch Foot, Charles Foote, William Peet, Rev. H. R. Judah, rector of St. John's Church, Dr. William B. Nash, Abijah Hawley, Ezekiel Hubbell, Eli Thompson, and Gideon Thomp- son, as well as others of equal standing in the community. After 1847, Masonry began to revive, and meetings were held at first in the old lodge-room, in the upper story of the school-house No. 200 State street, afterwards upon the north- west corner of State and Water streets, then over Ferris Hurd's store on Water street, at the foot of State, and finally, in 1855, in the present well known and elegant rooms in the Sturdevant Building, corner of Main and Bank streets.

On February 12, 1862, the centennial anniversary of St. John's Lodge No. 3, was celebrated by interesting exercises held in the First Methodist Episcopal Church, and a supper at Franklin Hall, at which about four hundred members of the order with invited guests were present.

The present membership of St. John's Lodge No. 3, is about five hundred.

The Corinthian Lodge, No. 104, was chartered May 22, 1868, and now numbers about one hundred members. It meets in the same rooms as the St. John's Lodge.

Hamilton Commandery, No. 5, Knights Templar, was chartered, under the name of Hamilton Encampment, May 10, 1855, with sixteen charter members, all of whom had originally belonged to Clinton Commandery.

The following are the names and dates of organization of other Masonic bodies in Bridgeport :

Jerusalem Chapter, No. 13, R. A. M., October 21, 1813. Jerusalem Council, No. 16, R. and S. M., in 1827.

De Witt Clinton Lodge of Perfection, in May, 1858. Pequonnock Chapter, R. C., June 1, 1858.

Washington Council, P. of J., June 1, 1858.

Lafayette Consistory, S. P. of R. S., June 1, 1858.

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Independent Order of Odd Fellows .- The Quinni- piac Lodge, of New Haven, instituted September 3, 1839, was the introduction of the society of Independent Order of Odd Fellows into Connecticut. In April, 1840, Charter Oak Lodge, No. 2, of Hartford, and Middlesex Lodge, No. 3, of East Haddam, were founded, followed June 11, 1841, by that of the Pequonnock Lodge, No. 4, of Bridgeport, the petition for which was signed by George H. Johnson, John M. Wil- son, Gilson Landon, Samuel L. Eldred, and George Walters, all of this city. The first place of meeting was in a small room in the upper story of number 35 Wall street, but in January, 1845, a larger hall was occupied at number 407 Water street. On February 4, 1847, Arcanum Lodge, No. 41, was instituted, its first officers being Ira Morse, N. G .; W. H. Lacey, V. G .; W. H. Williams, Secretary ; L. C. Shepard, Treasurer. The place of meeting was the same with the Pequonnock Lodge. For a number of years these lodges prospered financially and numerically, but the interest having declined, and secret societies generally being out of favor with the public, in 1856 Arcanum Lodge surrendered its charter, and in 1860 its example was followed by Pequon- nock Lodge.

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A History of the Old Town of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Part II, Part 7

Author: Orcutt, Samuel, 1824-1893 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: [New Haven, Conn.], [Press of Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor] Number of Pages: 904

Author: Orcutt, Samuel, 1824-1893
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: [New Haven, Conn.], [Press of Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor]
Number of Pages: 904