USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Norfolk > A brief history of the town of Norfolk [Conn.] from 1738 to 1844 collected from the public records of the town and other correct documents, with the dates accurately annexed. To which is added a description of the town, incidents, list of officers, and other interesting matter > Part 6
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TOWN OF NORFOLK.
they skim along the air in undulating lines, invigorated by its rays.
There have been, it is said, about 400 species of birds described as belonging to North America; of which we may number a good proportion. We have also a large proportion of the 100,000 species of insects, said to have been collected in different parts of the world ; especially in our latitude.
Reader, we will now return from our airy excursion, and follow, if we can, the course of the superabundant water, issuing from the ponds, the marshes, and the filtered tribute of the hills and rising grounds. It finds a passage, in a zig-zag course, round a hill in one direction and then round another almost in a returning direction, sometimes its course is diverted by a project- ing or embedded rock, until by rippling here and gently murmuring over its pebbly bed there, and anon precipi- tating itself down an abrupt fall, part of it passes off in one direction and part in an opposite one, both moving on in search of the great depository.
The three brooks which pass a little west of the meeting-house, coming from the Wilcox pond, east, from the Tobey pond, southerly, and the one which runs from the south through the meadows, unite west of the centre, and pour down the falls by the centre mills ; they receive the stream which comes from Wood Creek, thus united they pass off by Blackberry river through Canaan into the Housatonic.
From the Balcom pond issues the western branch of the Waterbury river. The outlet of the Benedict ponds is at Doolittle's mill, where it takes an easterly course through Colebrook, by Sandy brook, and empties as a tributary into the Farmington river. Three other small streams, one rising in Paug, the source of two others is easterly of North Goshen road school-house, these unite in the southern district, pass through part of Winches- ter and Winsted into Farmington river.
The water obtained by digging is generally pure, but in a few situations it rises through a strata of clay, or is impregnated with some mineral substance. We, how-
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ever, in many places, furnish our kitchens with the cleansing element from the purling streams or rivulets, in some measure tributary to those streams already described, and a cooling beverage is in some cases and situations obtained from the boiling spring-so called ; they all please the car with their purling melody, and help to enliven the scene. .
In noticing the temperature of our atmosphere, it may be said, that the thermometer ranges from 10 de- grees below zero to 92 above, as the extreme. In sum- mer, its general range is from 70 to 80. In winter, from 8 below to 12 above. We have no tempests like those which rise and accumulate, and destructively sweep over extensive plains. The north-west wind is to us strong and piercing, especially in winter ; in summer, it is pe- culiarly refreshing. The east and north-east winds are very chilly and heavy. The south wind and those east or west of it are loaded with vapor, and accompanied with a degree of warmth and rarity which, if continued a day . or two, becomes oppressive to the invalid, and in a measure destroys the usual elasticity of our atmosphere. This state of the air is not very common, and we have so few undrained swamps and marshes, and those of small extent and so frequently replenished with pure water from the clouds, that they affect us but little, if at all ; of course, our air is generally pure and salubrious, and the brisk winds which are generally in motion tend to keep it so, thus, in most situations, we inhale the life- giving breeze, unlike the atmosphere in some parts of our country, where the air is stagnant as the water over which it broods, and from which it imbibes miasma deleterious as the exhalations from the Upas, and when set in motion by the breeze, scatters pale disease and death around.
Now, reader, for the warring elements. When the east and north-east winds have brought from their winter stores immense bodies of vapor, and covered the surface of our hills and valleys with a wallowing depth of snow, the wind turns into the north-west and rises in its strength and majesty, sweeps away the clouds that have been
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accumulating for days, loads its wide-expanded wings with snow, which had lain for a little time quiescent, and wafts it over hill and dale and piles it about us in appalling drifts. The traveller is abruptly stopped on his passage by a high and almost perpendicular drift ; his track is deeply covered behind him, on his right hand, and on his left, waves of snow are rolling and threatening, avalanche like, to overwhelm him. Here we must leave him for the present, to extricate himself if he can; and after congratulating those who have had the precaution and prudence to put up at an inn, or turn into a hospitable dwelling, secure until the blast is over, we will now hasten to witness domestic scenes. All moving is now suspended, except in the domestic circle ; there all is bustle and hurry ; wood must be dug out of the snow, unless economy and prudent foresight has secured a supply under cover. The call of the housewife for her pail of water is so peremptory that it must be had, the deep snow-drift at the kitchen door · notwithstanding. The farmer goes to his barn-yard, and digs out a sheep here and a yearling there, and . even the pig-sty is invaded, but its tenants can lie and grunt under their burden, until their keeper comes to relieve them, without sustaining any essential injury, perhaps they lose in their covert situation one or two messes. After the toils of a day like the one described, the scattered family collects round the domestic fire- side, each expecting as one expresses it, "that every corporeal sense will either be gratified or quiescent." Who would regret having shared in the fatigues incident to our situation as we pass through the changing sea- sons.
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HISTORY OF THE
A NORFOLK WINTER.
SCOTCH STYLE.
(Tune, O, Logie o' Buchan.)
THE sun has gone southward a distance so far It's drawn up the big and bright polar star; The fields are all frozen, the lakes turn'd to ice ; The bleak winds are blowing, they whirl in a trice ; The white snow is ranging o'er hill and o'er dale, The trav'ler benighted looks chilly and palc.
Has comfort fled off with the sun in its car, No substitute brought by the big polar star ? Is naught but the bleak winds to sound in our ear, No beverage but cold snow our stomachs to cheer ? O, yes, dearest Jenny, my spouse and desire ; We'll close the dark blinds, and we'll nurse up the fire;
We'll spread o'er our board, in a quite frugal style, The well-earned income of summer's brown toil ; We'll eat and we'll drink-talk in pleasantest mood, And bless the kind Hand that provides us our food; We'll walk round the room, through the crevice we'll spy, Secure from its sharp blast, the cold wintry sky.
We'll take little Jenny and set on the knee, And hear her blithe prattle and innocent glee; To Jock we'll tell stories which we used to hear, And all shall partake of our harmless good cheer; An evening thus spent, seems like evening in May, For within door is peace, though without not so gay.
Let winter bleak howl from its dark frozen wave ; Let billows, high mounted, the icy beach lave ; With vegetive nature securely we'll sing, And wait the return of the warm and blithe spring; But in the meanwhile, let us sigh for the poor, And ask him most kindly to walk in our door.
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When spring shows her blossoms and summer looks gay, We'll plant the sweet melon and gather the hay ; The bright yellow corn we'll nurse up with care, And hope in the autumn its plenty to share; When winter comes round us with bellowing strife, We'll sit secure from it with children and wife.
Thus blest with contentment, we'll pass through the year, And, trusting the kind Hand, we've nothing to fear. When springs are all over and elements' war, We'll rise o'er the bright and the big polar star- There in the high regions of bliss we will sing, And hail the eternal and ever blithe spring.
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HISTORY OF THE
INCIDENTS
WHICH OCCURRED IN THE FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE SETTLEMENT OF NORFOLK, OBTAINED FROM VERBAL INFORMATION-DATES NOT ASCERTAINED.
THE first road cut through Norfolk was done by Capt. Isaac Lawrence, Canaan ; in its course it came to what we now call Loon meadow, there they found a meadow or opening of some extent, the grass grew upon it in considerable quantity and of good quality ; on it they found a dead loon, that had apparently come to the close of life in a quiet manner, and this circumstance recently gave the name to the place. There they gave part of their team a chance to feed, and with the remainder went forward towards what was after called the North Green ; they returned at night and found all things safe, and also an increase of their stock-a mare, which they left in the morning, had brought them a fine colt. This road or passway led on through the north-west part of the town, near Mr. John Smith's, and on to what is called the college farm.
In early times, a Mr. Barber, father of Capt. Timothy Barber, formerly an inhabitant of Norfolk, came from. Simsbury, with two of his sons, well armed, to traverse a part of the town, and coming to a place, since called Pine mountain, they stacked their guns and strolled round, and ascended the hill in hope of getting a distant view of the surrounding country. Mr. Barber stepped into a hole in the side of the hill, and something shot by him and sprang up a tree near him. He did not at first know what it was, but sent his youngest son to get their guns-he did not find them ; still watching the animal, he sent his oldest son, who soon returned with the guns ; while wait- ing, he perceived that the creature grew very uncasy, twisting his tail and changing his position, perhaps with
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the intention of springing upon them. Mr. Barber placed his sons each side of him, each having their guns well charged; they fired and brought down a large pan- ther in a condition to examine him with safety ; its claws and fangs looked frightfully, and they rejoiced that they had escaped them and rid the world of a frightful mon- ster.
Mr. Cornelius Brown, one of the early settlers of this town, going into the woods some distance from his house, was met by a bear, who soon prepared to spring upon him; Mr. Brown attempted to climb a small staddle near him, which proved too slender to support him at a safe height from the ground ; the bear could, by stretch- ing itself, just reach his feet as he clung to the tree ; the bear badly mangled his heels with his claws and teeth. Mr. Brown hallooed for help, and, after suffering much through fear and from his lacerated feet, help arrived-a man, hunting in the woods with his dog, heard him ; the dog reached him before his master and worried the bear, and he quit the assault before the man arrived. Mr. Brown, glad to part with bruin, was helped home; his wounds were healed, the scars of which were to be seen through life.
Several years after, Mr. Nathaniel Roys, then living near where Silas Burr now resides, was going round to where Capt. Auren Tibbals now lives ; turning round the end of the winrow, so called, he was met by a bear; it soon prepared for an attack, Mr. Roys stood considering whether to meet the bear unarmed or trace back his steps ; he, having come out of his shop with his leather apron on, thought with himself he would try that as a weapon of defence. He looked sternly upon him, shook his leather apron, and sprang towards him; bruin, not used to that mode of attack, settled down from his ram- pant posture and made use of all his legs to assist him in his flight from the frowning face and frightful rattle of his antagonist.
About the time of meeting the bear, or perhaps the winter following, Mr. Roys, busily engaged in his shop, and his boys as busily engaged in gambols and play
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about the door-yard, several guns were heard on the mountain west of his house, he sprang from his shop and joined the boys in looking anxiously up the moun- tain ; their curiosity was soon gratified by seeing three deer rushing down, come to a perpendicular ledge west of Mr. Burr's (now) dwelling-house, they plunged down, almost burying themselves in the snow ; soon, however, they recovered, and the old buck, leading the way, passed by the house, through the meadow, and on to the Brown mountain.
In the early settlement of this town, before the tower- ing hemlocks were cleared off the green, west of the meeting-house, some of them had become dry and easily combustible, it being a dry season; by some means the leaves and dry matter took fire at the north end of the ledge, and the north-west wind helping, it spread rapidly towards the meeting-house, climbing the dry hemlocks, and the flaming bark and limbs were scattered round and near the meeting-house, which was nearly or quite finished. The inhabitants near the centre were aroused to exertion, and spread the alarm as far as possible ; help came from every quarter, water was obtained from a well at the house where Mr. Giles Pettibone, jr., formerly lived, it was drawn about dry by Mrs. Dudley Humphrey, who did not leave the well or stop drawing the water until the danger was over. A line was formed, from the well to the meeting-house, of men, women and boys, each forwarding the water.
In the hard winter of 1779 or 1780, the extreme cold and great body of snow, in that season, made it necessary for many families to go quite a distance and out of town to get grinding. They took the follow- ing method. The father or one of his robust sons, put say half a bushel of grain in a sack, tied on his snow- shoes, and thus accoutred, with his dinner in the sack's mouth, commenced his walk down to Jacob Beach's mill in the hither part of Goshen, or the one in the north-cast part of the town. Follow in imagination this pedestrian adventurer, lopeing across fields and over fences to cut short his way, avoiding in his route the shin-bush, which
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would about as certainly trip him up, or throw him down, as the modern tangle legs, and he could not lie so quietly and doze until the encumbrance was removed ; no, he must manage to unharness his snow-shoes and get rid of that encumbrance before he could hope to free himself from the snow, which almost covered him, and again take an erect position. If no other hindrance happened, he returned the same day with his flour. Mean- while the good housewife would boil part of their grain, as a substitute for bread -- a fine treat for the children, surrounding the blazing fire, composed of large wood, urged in by the lever or in some instances dragged in by a horse. Fine winter evenings of olden times !
To given an idea of the immense bulk of snow which fell in this elevated situation in some of our early winters, I will relate the following incident : Mr. Reuben Munger, then living near where Solomon Curtis now lives, built him a barn, with a cow-house at each end, forming a large square yard, open to the south. A heavy snow-storm came on, which, with the help of the north-west wind, which took the reins after it ceased falling, filled this space, and rising with a gradual ascent until it reached the ridge of the barn, a strong crust formed on the surface. Mr. Munger arose on a fine morning, went out to feed his cattle, and the strange idea came into his mind, to feed his yearlings on the roof of the barn ; he took an armful of hay and led several of his yearlings, where he fed them on the very ridge, from which eleva- tion they descended in safety.
When the late Rev. Ammi R. Robbins first found his way through the thinly-settled north part of Litchfield county, pursuant to an engagement with the agents of the church and ecclesiastical society of Norfolk, to preach to them on probation, he came to a house on the old road, cast of Mr. Dutton's (now) dwelling-house, said to be that in which Mr. Thomas Tibbals afterwards lived. He rode up to the door and inquired for the boarding-house designed for their expected minister ; he was informed that that was the place. He alighted, glad to find even a temporary home. After taking some re-
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freshment, he inquired the way to the meeting-house, and very leisurely wended his way, frequently looking forward to catch a first view of the sanctuary; but the view was so obstructed by the dense forest of hemlocks and other large trees, that he arrived near the house where Mr. Ebenezer Burr then lived, at the south end of the green. His eye soon caught the sacred dwelling, dressed in its peach-blow hue, which gave a striking contrast to the murky shade of the thick-set hemlocks which remained near it. Follow him in imagination, and think of his sensations, when raising his hand to the latch of the door, which opened without the grating of a key, he entered-silence reigned, where subsequently, and for more than half a century, his voice was heard by a devout and attentive audience, especially on the Sabbath, which his Divine Master had sanctified. He returned to his lodgings, we may suppose, with his mind so occupied with his future prospects that he passed over his rough way with heedless steps.
The year after Mr. Robbins was settled over this church, Mr. Henry Akins came from Torrington and purchased a farm westerly from the meeting-house, which he occupied through life. Soon after fixing his residence here, he left his family one pleasant winter morning, taking his gun, hoping to find some deer in his ramble. He strolled on in a southerly direction, proba- bly west of Tobey's pond, but not in sight of it. In the after part of the day it became cloudy, the sun was hid- den, and it soon began to snow. He thought best to be on his return home ; he attempted, but soon found that he was wandering ; his out-bound tracks were covered with snow ; without a compass or anything to guide him, he could perceive, by often-recurring objects, that he was retracing his recent steps. Ile was alarmed, believing that he had not gained a rod towards home. The cold increased ; darkness, and no relief from moon or stars, came on, rapidly on; he concluded that he must spend the night in this wilderness, far from relief, and how far from home he knew not. He perceived that his feet were numb, but had felt no pain in them;
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he came to a convenient place for kindling a fire, and finding dry combustible in plenty, which he gathered, and anticipated the comfort of a warm fireside, and the cheering blaze to disperse the gloom and darkness which enveloped him. What was his astonishment, when about to strike fire from his flint-his flint was lost; by some mishap it was torn from his gun-lock, and he had no spare one. Dreary, indeed, was his situation, and com- fortless his circumstances. He retained his reasoning faculties, and knew that if he attempted to seek a rest- ing place it would be fatal; death by freezing must be the result. He began walking from a tree near him to one about forty feet distant, back and forth, until he had made a firm and solid path. In this exercise he spent a long winter night. When morning came he attempted again to find his way home, but, as is generally the case in such circumstances, he wandered still farther from home. IIe kept in motion, fearing to rest. His route seemed to be west of the Tibbals mountain, and south- erly, until he came near the place afterwards occupied by a Mr. Balcom, south of Mr. Edmund Brown's present habitation, where he was found the next day, towards night, by his friends and neighbors, who had been in pursuit of him from nine o'clock the evening before. It seems he was still able to stand erect and walk. He was helped home, and arrived that evening, to the joy of himself and family. His feet were found badly frozen, and when, after a considerable length of time and much suffering, they were healed, they were very much scar- red and misshapen, but served him in future life, and enabled him to cultivate his farm, bring up a large fami- ly, and accumulate a good property.
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LIST OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM NORFOLK TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, FROM 1777 TO 1846.
1777. Giles Pettibone, William Walter.
1778. * Giles Pettibone, Hosea Wilcox. Giles Pettibone, Hosea Wilcox.
1779. Dudley Humphrey, Michael Mills. Dudley Humphrey, Michael Mills.
1780. Giles Pettibone, Joseph Mills. Titus Ives, Asahel Case.
1781. No appointment. Hosea Wilcox, Isaac Hoyt.
1782. Michael Mills, Nathaniel Stevens. Michael Mills, Elijah Grant.
1783. Elijah Grant, Michael Mills. Giles Pettibone, Ephraim Guiteau.
1784. Giles Pettibone, Dudley Hunphrey_ Giles Pettibone, Dudley Humphrey.
1785. Michael Mills, Dudley Humphrey. Michael Mills, Dudley Humphrey.
1786. Michael Mills, Asahel Humphrey. Michael Mills, Asahel Humphrey.
1787. Titus Ives, Hosea Humphrey. Asahel Humphrey, Hosea Humphrey-
1788. Asahel Humphrey, Michael Mills. Dudley Humphrey, Giles Pettibone.
1789. Dudley Humphrey, Giles Pettibone. Dudley Humphrey, Giles Pettibone. 1790. Dudley Humphrey, Giles Pettibone. Dudley Humphrey, Michael Mills.
1791. Dudley Humphrey, Giles Pettibone. Dudley Humphrey, Michael Mills.
1792. Dudley Humphrey, Giles Pettibone. Giles Pettibone, Asahel Humphrey. 1793. Giles Pettibone, Asshel Humphrey. Giles Pettibone, Asahel Humphrey. 1794. Asahel Humphrey, Giles Pettibone. Asahel Humphrey, Giles Pettibone.
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1795. Giles Pettibone, Nathaniel Stevens. Giles .Pettibone, Nathaniel Stevens.
1796. Asahel Humphrey, Nathaniel Stevens. Asahel Humphrey, Nathaniel Stevens.
1797. Asahel Humphrey, Giles Pettibone. Giles Pettibone, Nathaniel Stevens.
1798. Giles Pettibone, Nathaniel Stevens. Nathaniel Stevens, Eleazer Holt.
1799. Giles Pettibone, Eleazer Holt. Nathaniel Stevens, Eleazer Holt.
1800. Giles Pettibone, Eleazer Holt. Nathaniel Stevens, Augustus Pettibone.
1801. Giles Pettibone, Nathaniel Stevens, Augustus Pettibone.
1802. Nathaniel Stevens, Augustus Pettibone. Nathaniel Stevens, Augustus Pettibone. 1803. Nathaniel Stevens, Augustus Pettibone. Nathaniel Stevens, Augustus Pettibone.
1804. Augustus Pettibone, Eleazer Holt. Augustus Pettibone, Eleazer Holt.
1805. Augustus Pettibone, Nathaniel Stevens, jun. Augustus Pettibone, Nathaniel Stevens,
1806. Jeremiah W. Phelps, Nathaniel Stevens, jun. Jeremiah W. Phelps, Nathaniel Stevens.
1807. Augustus Pettibone, John Dickinson. Augustus Pettibone, John Dickinson.
1808. Nathaniel Stevens, Benjamin Welch. Augustus Pettibone, Benjamin Welch.
1809. Nathaniel Stevens, John Dickinson. Nathaniel Stevens, John Dickinson.
1810. Nathaniel Stevens, John Dickinson. Nathaniel Stevens, John Dickinson.
1811. Benjamin Welch, Joseph Battell. Benjamin Welch, Elizur Munger.
1812. Augustus Pettibone, Nathaniel Stevens. Eleazer Holt, Augustus Pettibone.
1813. Eleazer Holt, Augustus Pettibone. Eleazer Holt, Augustus Pettibone.
1814. Augustus Pettibone, Eleazer Holt. Augustus Pettibone, Eleazer Holt.
1815. Eleazer Holt, Nathaniel Stevens. Eleazer Holt, Nathaniel Stevens.
1816. Nathaniel Stevens, Elizur Munger. . Nathaniel Stevens, Elizur Munger.
1817. Nathaniel Stevens, Elizur Munger. Nathaniel Stevens, Augustus Pettibone.
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1818. Nathaniel Stevens, Augustus Pettibone. Augustus Pettibone, Nathaniel Stevens.
1819. * Nathaniel Stevens, Augustus Pettibone.
1820. Angustus Pettibone, Joseph Battell.
1821. Lawrence Mills, Elizur Munger.
1822. Augustus Pettibone, Benjamin Welch.
1823. Augustus Pettibone, Benjamin Welch.
1824. Augustus Pettibone, Joseph Battell.
1825. Augustus Pettibone, Joseph Battell. 1826. Joseph Battell, Amos Pettibone.
1827. Amos Pettibone, Juseph Riggs.
1828. Amos Pettibone, Joseph Battell.
1829. Amos Pettibone, Thomas Curtis.
1830. Michael F. Mills, Amos Pettibone.
1831. Michael F. Mills, Edmund Brown.
1832. Jedediah Phelps, Harvey Grant.
1833. Michael F. Mills, Harvey Grant.
1834. Thomas Curtis, Warren Cone.
1835. Thomas Curtis, Elizur Dowd.
1836. Benjamin Welch, jun., Darius Phelps.
1837. Asahel E. Case, Levi Shephard.
1838. Warren Cone, Thomas Curtis.
1839. Hiram Mills, Elizur Dowd.
1840. James Shepard, Hiram Gaylord.
1841. Eden Riggs, David L. Dowd.
1842. Thomas Curtis, Dudley Norton.
1843. No appointment.
1844. William Lawrence, James M. Cowls.
1845. E. G. Lawrence, Silas Burr.
1846. Harlow Roys, Horace B. Knapp.
STATE SENATORS FROM NORFOLK.
Honorable Augustus Pettibone. Honorable John Dewell.
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LIST OF GRADUATES FROM THIS TOWN.
James Watson, Yale Col., 1776, Merchant, N. Y .- U. S. Senator.
Joshua Knapp, 1776, Pastor, Winchester, Conn.
Giles Pettibone, jun., "
1778, Farmer and Innkeeper.
Joseph Ives,
1782, Merchant, Albany.
Thomas Robbins, 1796, Pastor and D. D.
Samuel Cowls,
W. Col., 1796, Attorney, Farmington, Conn.
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