USA > Connecticut > Tolland County > Vernon > A century of Vernon, Connecticut, 1808-1908 > Part 9
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Memorial Hall, as was fitting, was made a chief feature in the scheme of decoration, over the main entrance shining the word "Centennial," flanked on each side by the figures "1808" and "1908," respectively, the seal of the state being also outlined in bulbs of red, white, and blue.
First and foremost in the sentiments expressed by the decora- tions was that of "Welcome." This heart-stirring word was of frequent appearance by day and night, and sounded the key- note of the whole week's festivities.
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Many were they who responded to the home-call, and found that "welcome" was indeed the common salutation to all home comers. Indeed, to this day, we think and speak of that time as "Old Home Week."
On the Sunday of June 28th, special services in all of the churches marked the preliminary approach of the real celebra- tion. Pastors of all denominations united in presenting to their people some thoughts of special appropriateness to the occasion. Music, too, was a large factor in putting the minds of the people in tune with all the harmony and delight manifested within and without. Without in any way slighting the value and enjoy- ment of other musical performances, it seems worthy of special remembrance that the centennial service of the Union Church was the occasion of presenting Haydn's magnificent oratorio, "The Creation." It was indeed a fine contribution to the prog- ress of Vernon in a musical sense.
Perhaps the honor of inaugurating the celebration proper remains with the Gesang and Declamation Club. Just before midnight of Saturday night, this association assembled in Central Park and sang "Forward the Light," and "Village Dear."
Thus commenced that season of many delightful happenings: which were crowded into the next few days.
COMMEMORATIVE EXERCISES AT VERNON CENTER.
"Back to Vernon Center !" That might well have been the cry which stirred the people of Vernon town on Monday, June 29, 1908. Such, at all events, was what took place. From all points, towards the old Mother Church, the historic Congregational Church of Vernon Center-traveled crowds of people interested. in the literary exercises of the day. For here was to be heard related that long train of events which had found their cul- mination in this one-hundredth anniversary. Within the walls. of this old church gathered descendants of those sturdy and. God-fearing men and women, who, by their faith and their works, laid the foundations of our present-day society, both church and community.
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Ex-Representative Henry H. Willes, master of ceremonies, conducted the exercises. Mr. Willes briefly welcomed those present, thanked the centennial committee for doing the old village the honor of having the exercises on that historic spot, and assured everyone present of his and the townspeople's ap- preciation.
Following the invocation by Rev. C. E. Mckinley of the Union Congregational Church of Rockville, there was an address of welcome by Parley B. Leonard, first selectman of the town of Vernon.
Mr. Leonard spoke as follows:
CITIZENS OF VERNON AND INVITED GUESTS :
We are here today to celebrate the one-hundredth birthday of the town of Vernon, and as this spot was the center of the town for many years, it is very fitting and appropriate that these exercises should take place as planned. I do not propose to tell you what happened one hundred years ago, or the many changes that have taken place during the time, as we have with us today able speakers who will address you along these lines.
Your committee in charge has arranged a very attractive program for the entire week. Yesterday, religious services were held in all the churches, and it was an event long to be remem- bered. There will be attractions in Rockville day and night during the week, and every day will be a big day. All roads will lead to Rockville, and the gates of the city will be wide open. All are welcome; there is no division line, as to you and your ancestors is due the credit for the growth and prosperity of our beautiful town.
Come and be with us as much of the time as possible, for this is our home, and we want to keep the record we have already obtained of having as good a home as anyone. Your presence will help to make the week enjoyable, and it will go down into history as one of the most notable events that ever took place in Vernon.
In behalf of the committee, I thank you for the interest and enthusiasm you have shown here today. We not only welcome you, but urge you to continue with us the entire week.
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Following Mr. Leonard's address, the act of the general as- sembly creating the town of Vernon was read by Town Clerk Francis B. Skinner. The following is a true copy of the record : "Upon the Petition of Oliver King and Saul Alvord, of Bolton, in the County of Tolland, agents for said town of Bolton, in their own names, and in the names and behalf of the rest of the inhabitants of said town of Bolton, shewing to this Assembly that said town is about eleven miles in length from North to South, and from three to five miles in width from East to West, and is divided into two ecclesiastical societies, and that from the situation and circumstances of the inhabitants of said town, the same ought to be divided into two towns by the society lines; and that all questions respecting the debts, poor, bridges, and all matters, which might arise in consequence of a division of said town, have been amicably settled and adjusted,-Praying for an Act of Assembly to divide said town as aforesaid and to allow each town one representative only,-as by Petition on file dated the 3d day of May, A. D. 1808.
"This Petition was brought to the General Assembly holden at Hartford in May last, and thence by legal continuance, to this Assembly, with an order to advertise notice of the pendency of the same, which order has been complied with and no opposition being made against the Prayer of said Petition and the facts stated in the same being proved,-
"Resolved, By this Assembly, that the inhabitants living within the limits of the society of North Bolton, in said town of Bolton, be and they thereby are incorporated into and made a town by the name of Vernon; and that they and their successors, inhabi- tants within said limits, are, and shall forever remain a town and body politic with the rights, privileges and immunities to other towns belonging, excepting that they shall elect only one representative to the General Assembly and the lines and limits of said society shall be the lines and limits of said town of Vernon .-
"And it is further resolved, that said town of Vernon shall hold their first town meeting at the meeting house in said Vernon on the third Monday of November next, at two o'clock in the
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afternoon, to choose their town officers for the year ensuing,- and said meeting shall be warned by posting a notification to that effect on the sign-post in said Vernon ten days before said third Monday of November, which notification shall be signed by Oliver King, Esquire, who shall be the Moderator of said meeting ; and in case the said King shall fail to perform the duty hereby assigned to him, the same may be performed by any other justice of the peace in any town adjoining said town of Vernon .-
"And it is further resolved, that said town of Bolton shall hereafter elect no more than one representative to a session of the General Assembly.
"A true copy of Record, examined by
"SAMUEL WYLLYS, "Secretary."
Vocal selections by the school children, under the direction of Prof. T. William Sturgeon, were a pleasing feature of the exercises, preceding the reading of the historical essay pre- pared by C. Denison Talcott; reminiscences by Captain C. W. Burpee of Hartford ; commemorative poem by Professor Thomas D. Goodell of New Haven, and commemorative address by Hon. Charles Phelps. Each of these notable contributions will be found printed in full.
Just before the close of the exercises at the church, Rev. C. E. McKinley, pastor of the Union Congregational Church, Rock- ville, arose and'said that he desired to make a motion, and that was, that the congregation, before it leaves, show its appreciation of the old church at Vernon Center and the village, by subscrib- ing to a fund to rebuild the church steeple. The motion did not want for seconders. Pastor Mckinley gave an impetus to the movement by making a very generous contribution himself. Ex- Representative H. H. Willes, master of ceremonies, made a few remarks, saying how pleasing such a suggestion as Mr. McKinley had made would be to the people. He announced that he would give $100 toward the object himself. Rev. C. E. Mckinley temporarily assumed charge and called for subscriptions. The sum of $260.00 was secured from among those present. After
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the exercises Mr. Willes went among the people and succeeded in getting additional contributions, which brought the total amount up to $800.00. At the present time only a few hundred dollars more are necessary to raise the sum of $2,500.00, the amount necessary to restore the spire.
The literary exercises closed with the benediction by Rev. E. Payson Hammond of Hartford. Before pronouncing the bene- diction he made a few appropriate remarks, referring to the many years he had lived in Vernon and of the many times he had preached in the pulpit of the Vernon Center Congregational Church, of the numerous prayer meetings he had attended and the great interest and enjoyment he had taken in them all.
After the literary exercises in the church were over, there was a social gathering on the beautifully kept lawn with selections by Ulivieri's Band of Florence, Italy. Refreshments were also served.
HISTORICAL ESSAY BY C. DENISON TALCOTT.
Following is the historical essay, which was written for the occasion by C. Denison Talcott of Talcottville, and read by him:
You have come today into this house of worship to hear recounted the glories of our beloved Vernon. This build- ing itself, in which we are assembled, teems with the hal- lowed memories of the fathers that are gone. For those who have reached a ripe old age, it will be impossible for me to lend a coloring to events which can be satisfactory or compare with living experience. I only hope that as the more important triumphs are passed in review, you will picture them yourselves, anew, in your minds, and out of this reveries supply those details which must otherwise be lacking. For those in middle life who have come from distant lands and made their homes within the boundaries of this town, I shall endeavor to dwell upon those early struggles, by reason of which it has been possible to re- ceive so many, and having received them into our strength
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and fellowship, to mould a noble body politic-our pre- cious possession today. For us, younger voters, there can be from a reflection upon the hundred years that have passed but one effect-an abiding inspiration.
Eighteen hundred and eight is the year towards which our minds are turning today. On the second Thursday of October, 1808, by an act of the General Assembly of the state of Connecticut, a section of the town of Bolton was set off and incorporated into the town of Vernon. Possibly many of you have wished that this town had not been set off from another, but had entered the county along with the other towns, in 1785, the time when the county of Tol- land was set apart as one of the principal divisions of the state. Contrary to this idea, I believe that the creation of Vernon by a special act of the Legislature reflects the highest possible credit upon those who constituted her citizens. All districts required a separation originally, and the fact that the townspeople of North Bolton were so aggressive and resourceful as to be recognized by the state government at that early time, accounts in no small measure for the leader- ship in the county which Vernon enjoy so pre-eminently today.
The early settlers, previous to 1808, were attracted by the power of the two streams now familiar to us all as the Hockanum and the Tankarooson. To follow these waters through an undisturbed wildness of a thousand years was no mean task. In fact, land companies, acting as proprie- tors, were formed by leading citizens of the Connecticut Valley, for the purpose of developing and creating town- ships in just such a wilderness as was Tolland County at that time. The towns of Bolton, Tolland and Union were opened and established by companies of this sort. How was it with Vernon? To Samuel Grant of Windsor, we give honor for that undaunted spirit which made him the clear possessor of the land upon which the city of Rock- ville is built today. Mr. Grant was the owner of between five hundred and six hundred acres of land in North Bolton,
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but being a non-resident and having no particular interest in the plans of the proprietors of that township, he was induced to swap off his original farm for the rugged lands now so luxuriant with wealth. This transaction was due solely to the courage and vision of a fearless pioneer. April 29, 1726, Mr. Grant took possession and erected the first dwelling house near the corner of Union and West streets.
In those primitive times the great and most natural needs soon started the saw and grist mill. Nearly, if not the first, dam across the free waters of the Hockanum, was built by the Payne family and was located on the present Minter- burn privilege. From 1730 on the Grants and Paynes made use of the abundant power, produced the necessary lumber, and took care of the grinding of the crops.
The question naturally comes to us. "Did these stalwart explorers never meet the Indian?" The historian is of the opinion that this section was used as a hunting and fishing ground, but was probably never a regular abode of the red man. In 1675 by the will of the old Sachem Joshua, son of Uncas, the northern hunting grounds were trans- ferred to the white men of the Saybrook plantation. This was the final trumpet, and accomplished for Connecticut, at least, the "Last of the Mohicans." An extract from this old Colonial record reads as follows: "I give and bequeath all that tract of land lying from the mountains in sight of Hartford, northward to the pond called Shenaps." Shen- aps is a confusion of Schenipset, our Snipsic, just as Mohi- can and Mohegan are applied to the Indians of the Hudson and of Connecticut, although one race. Not only by this reference to Lake Snipsic from the will of an old Indian chief, but by arrow heads and other relics, we know that the red men at least encamped temporarily, during their summer excursions, in this territory of Vernon. From 1675, moreover, we are likewise sure that their influence and ac- tivity ceased. It is perfectly safe to say, therefore, in answer to the query-did the early settler never meet the Indian ?- that by 1725, the date of the arrival of Samuel
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Grant, there were scarcely more traces of the red man to be found than there are today.
The rude, one-story cabin, the primitive mill, the rough, hard clearing, enveloped by nature, irresistible, impassable, silent, yet slowly but surely vanquished by the sinewy arm of the man of faith, this is the scene from 1725 to the close of the eighteenth century.
What shall we say of the primal virtues of our fathers ? What was the moulding force, the sustainer of faith and hope? On November 24, 1762, Rev. Ebenezer Kellogg ac- cepted the call of the church in North Bolton, to settle in the work of the Christian ministry. As the North Bolton Society occupied the same territory as our town of Vernon, we are right in speaking of Mr. Kellogg as the first pastor of the First Church of Christ in Vernon. This pastorate was alike unique for its extreme length as well as for its far-reaching and abiding effect. For fifty-five years Mr. Kellogg labored without interruption in the ministry of this one church. During this long period not only did many of the early members themselves become preachers, but, through the spirit of migration which sent far and wide fully half of the population of the town, the benignity of this first pastor was shed throughout every northern state. How better can we speak of this remarkable character, simple, yet so sublime, than by a few of his own words on the fiftieth anni- versary of his ordination: "Time in its nature is fleeting. It bears all the living along with it. As to myself, the time of my departure is near at hand. And in view of the pros- pect of that solemn day, I am supported with a believing hope that I trust in my all-sufficient Savior, and that I have not labored altogether in vain among you." This benign and peace-loving nature was the source of the faith and hope of the fathers. Of the Puritan mind like their pastor, our ancestors reflected every Puritan tradition. The idea, foremost in the minds of all, was the call to the serv- ice of religion. They were remarkably united and content, and next to their anxiety to know the right, and do it, was
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a like fervency and loyalty toward the government. In conclusion the theory of their lives is clear-not how much they might be able to get out of the society of their fellows, but rather how best they could give of themselves to the well-being of all.
In 1789 North Bolton was enlarged more than a third by the annexation of a section of the town of East Windsor. This section had long been a part of the North Bolton Ecclesiastical Society, but had not been formally incorpo- rated as a part of the township. From this union of terri- tory was derived, virtually, the boundaries of our town of Vernon.
We come now to the formative period of our manufac- tures, the development of which has drawn so large from the best of our life blood, and has given us in return so great a dividend of honor and respect.
The first machinery for carding and spinning was built by John Warburton. Mr. Warburton came from England in 1794, and shortly after located on the privilege now held by Talcott Brothers. Here, after much preparation, were manufactured the first stocking yarns and thread. The his- torian makes mention in particular of the liberal and unique hospitality of Mr. Warburton. On the highway a hogs- head of Jamaica rum was kept on tap in an open shed, free to all. Your historian feels safe in saying in general, that whatever rum comes into Talcottville today does not come from Jamaica. Near the present iron bridge there still remain the two brick houses built by Mr. Warburton. In 1809 the Warburton property was bought by Alexander McLean, Lebbeus B. Tinker, Irad Fuller and Colonel Fran- cis McLean. Under Alexander McLean's leadership the property now became known as McLean's wool-carding plant. In one part of this plant Peter Dobson made his first preparations for the spinning of cotton. Together with Ches- ter King and James Chapman, he bought the privilege now occupied by the Ravine Mills Company. By the spring of 1811 a mill was completed and two mules of one hundred and
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ninety-two spindles each were in operation. Mr. Dobson, as the first to assemble the yarns and develop the art of weav- ing, may rightly be called our first manufacturer. He was not only a natural mathematician, but a practical draughtsman as well. He both made his designs and constructed his ma- chinery-a rare combination of genius. Think how la- borious were those first efforts! Much of the raw stock was carded at McLean's, then spun by Dobson in his own mill, afterwards put out by him to housewives for weav- ing, and finally sold to peddlers, owing to opposition to all goods of American make.
How now do we connect these first attempts of Dobson in southern Vernon with the beginning of manufacturing in Rockville? Up to 1811 Dobson's yarns had been used especially to meet the primal needs of the home-shirtings, sheetings, ginghams, tablecloths. All these fabrics were woven on cumbersome looms with the simplest possible weave. In this year, 1811, Delano Abbott, a farmer living not far from Vernon Center, consulted Peter Dobson with regard to a sample of woolen cloth which had particularly attracted him. Mr. Abbott made up his mind to manti- facture this cloth. He persuaded Mr. Dobson to build the necessary machinery, and in 1812, in a building close to his house, produced the first piece of satinet. The cloth was carried to Simeon Cooley's to be fulled and finished. This clothing works was located near the old Payne privi- lege on the site of a traditional iron works-clearly a con- siderable distance from Mr. Abbott's homestead. To the vision of Delano Abbott and to his faith to act upon what he saw, we are indebted for the beginning in Vernon of the regular manufacture of woolens. Two years later, in 1814, encouraged by the success of Mr. Abbott, a nephew of his, Ebenezer Nash, built a small mill on the old Hocka- num Site. This effort of Mr. Nash was the start of manu- facture in Rockville.
For some years Colonel Francis McLean had fostered many and varied enterprises. He was a man of great mental vigor
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and the possessor of an indomitable will. In his youth there was evident this same intensity of character. Work, heavy and constant on his father's farm, developed a phy- sique of great power. Referring to his military service, the Colonel remarks : "At 18 years old I became a soldier, then was chosen corporal, then a sergeant, orderly sergeant, en- sign, lieutenant, captain, major, and at last colonel." He adds: "I went up too fast from one office to another for my good." This was the caliber of a leading spirit-gen- erous, high-minded, and firm in principle. Such nobility be- came the bulwark of the early institutions of our town. In 1821 Colonel McLean, George and Allen Kellogg and Ralph Talcott organized for the regular manufacture of satinets. They erected a building 80x30 and three stories high, on the present Rock Site. This structure loomed up so mightily and was actually so much larger than anything previously attempted, that to the inhabitants it appeared indeed a posi- tive prodigy. This was a real factory, in fact, the first that might properly be called by that name. It was called the Rock, because of the many great rocks thereabout, and the name of Rockville followed naturally from the name of this first factory. We have mentioned George Kellogg and Allen Kellogg as two of the proprietors of this mill. Another brother, Nathaniel O. Kellogg, a few years before, in 1817, bought the Warburton privilege in southern Vernon which McLean had operated as a wool-carding plant. Here Mr. Kellogg added spinning and weaving equipment for the manufacture of the same cloth-satinet. Hence the early development of this new industry was almost simul- taneous at both extremities of the town.
In 1821, when the first Rock Mill was completed, the scat- tered population was hardly fifty persons all told. At least a third of these were Grants, descendants of the pioneer, and from them Colonel McLean purchased the land neces- sary for the new mill. The surrounding country was in real- ity the forest primeval. In 1823 there were only two dwell- ings in the vicinity of the Rock Mill, and these necessarily
THOMAS F. NOONE,
Vice-President Vernon Centennial Committee and Chairman of Com- mittee on Public Exercises.
PARLEY B. LEONARD, Treasurer General Committee, Mem- ber of Committee on Reception and Invitations.
J. C. HAMMOND, JR. Secretary, Member Committee on De- corations and Member of Committee on Historical Addresses, Events and Relics.
FRED WOODHALL, Assistant Secretary of General Com- mittee, Member of Committees on Decorations and Sports.
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served for owners and workers alike. All at that early time felt not only the need of keeping shoulder to shoulder, but I believe, possessed a spirit of affection, a real brother- hood, which might well be a lesson for us today, in the complexity of our modern life.
Up to 1826 the only changes worthy of note were within the mill itself. The most significant improvement was the introduction of power looms executed from the designs of Lewis Beach and William T. Cogswell, later the author of "The History of Rockville." The process of spinning like- wise was simplified by the adoption of the spinning jack. These mechanical improvements had a revolutionary effect both on the general business of satinets and the rapid in- crease of the inhabitants. The actual number of families was thirteen. Two hundred yards in a twelve-hour day, this was the new record for the Rock Mill in 1827. The popula- tion likewise increased a third. A new house for Mr. Kel- logg, and a reorganization of the mill company, with a much larger capital, under the name of the Rock Manufacturing Company, these were the signs of advancement.
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