USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Stratford > A history of the old town of Stratford and the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut > Part 52
USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Bridgeport > A history of the old town of Stratford and the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut > Part 52
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The committee recommended that three hundred and thirty dollars damages should be paid to Asa Benjamin by the town of Stratford. The road was made, and liberty given to Stratford to set up a toll-gate at Lottery Bridge in Newfield, for the support of that and Benjamin's bridge. which was done in 1799. In 1797 Benjamin's bridge was voted, by the town, to be "rebuilt and made eighteen feet wide."
In March, 1800, the town voted to lay out a " new road from New Pasture Point to Old Mill road." This was what is now East Main street.
In the report of the committee fixing the place from which the ferry should start on the east side of the harbor, they say, "from a point of land called New Pasture Point below Toby's wharf." This wharf seems to have been the same as mentioned in a deed many years before, namely, March 17, 1745-6, Ephraim Watkins, of Ulster county, N. Y., sold to Peter Veiw, of Stratford, " a certain wharf in Pequon- nock River, it being the lowermost wharf in said river."
A part of the township of Stratford was incorporated, by special act of the Legislature, in October, 1800, being " con- stituted and declared to be, from time to time, forever here- after, one body corporate and politic, in fact and in name, by the name of ' The Warden, Burgesses and Freemen of the Borough of Bridgeport,' and by that name they and their successors forever shall and may have perpetual succession."?
The origin of the idea of such an organization is made known in the following extract from a letter written by Jo- seph Backus, one of the earliest lawyers in Bridgeport, to Robert Walker, Esqr., dated September 20, 1822 ; " I say that I did of my own mere motion project the Borough incorpo- ration (the first project of the kind in the state), and drew the
2 Statute Laws of Conn., I. 106.
588
History of Stratford.
charter and then submitted it to the citizens to obtain its enactment.""
Hence Bridgeport was the first Borough in the State of Connecticut, and as a forerunner, in its success and prosper- ity, ha's proved itself worthy of the position thus taken.
Before the charter was granted considerable money had been raised and expended in improvements in the village, and it is probable that the fact of improvement suggested the need of further organization, and hence the proposition for a borough.
Highways, or streets, additional to those already men- tioned, were laid out under the direction of the Warden and Burgesses of Bridgeport, November 16, 1805, Joseph Backus, Justice of the Peace for Fairfield county, having appointed Samuel Gregory, Jr., Isaac Booth and Philip Sterling "to appraise and assess the damages."
Ist. The extension of Water street from Wall to a point about one hundred and fifty feet north of Fairfield avenue.
2d. Fairfield avenue, from Main to Water street.
3d. Wall street, froin Main eastwardly to the "Lottery Bridge," which then stood at the foot of Wall street.
4th. Middle street, from Fairfield avenue to Wall street.
5th. Broad street, from State to John street.
6th. John street, from Broad to Main street.
7th. Bank street, from Main to Broad street, That por- tion of Bank street, from Main eastward, had been previously deeded to the borough by Stephen Burroughs, in 1802, and was known as Morris street.
Sth. Court street, from State, south ward ninety-nine feet.
At that time there were several other streets or high- ways in the heart of the borough; Water street, from Wall to Baker's pond; Bank street, from Water to Main street, and Broad street, south of State to the outer harbor, and Gold street and Union street.
Baker's Pond was a creek extending westward across Main street, about where South avenue is now located, but that portion of Water street below Gilbert was simply the shore beach by the side of the harbor.
3 Esquire Isaac Sherman's Manuscript book.
580
Bridgeport.
The Borough at this time owned three slips, one at the foot of ,State street, one at the foot of Bank street and one at about the foot of Wall street.
At a borough meeting held May 3, ISOS, the street names as above noted were established.
In ISor St. John's Church edifice was erected on the corner of State and Broad streets, and that of the First Congregational Church was erected in 1803, on the corner of Broad and Bank streets.
Business Firms of the Borough.
The following is a list of the firms, with the names of the individuals who composed them, given by Esquire Isaac Sherman, from the first settlement of Bridgeport to the first day of January, 1815, being those of merchants, manufactur- ers, Boston and New York coasters, and West India traders, with the names of vessels employed as well as the names of the owners. The stores and places for doing business were mostly confined to Water and State streets.
The territory on which the city of Bridgeport now stands was much of it an open field of good farming land, and at the close of the Revolution Main and State streets were laid out so that access was had to the landing place on Pequonnock river or Newfield harbor; Water street and the old Golden Hill road having been opened before the Revolution. The name of the landing was called Newfield until about the year 1800, when it was changed to Bridgeport.
The first store opened for trade to the inhabitants of Stratfield, supposed to have been opened by Philip Nichols, was situated at the head of tide water, near where Noah Plumb now resides. This store may have been first started by Richard, the father of Philip Nichols, at about the year 1730. There were no bridges across the Pequonnock river until after the Revolution, except that which now crosses near the said Plumb's house. There was the same depth of water at the mouth of Bridgeport harbor as there was all the way up the channel to the wharf belonging to this store, and therefore all the vessels came up and did their loading and unloading at this wharf until near the time of the Revolutionary War.
590
History of Stratford.
The next store, and the first that was opened within the limits of the city, was near the foot of State street, built on a wharf, by Stephen Burroughs, before the Revolution, and occupied by himself in the grain trade to Boston until about the year 1800, He also conducted a West India trade, from this store, before and after the Revolution. He built and owned several vessels during his active, business life. This store was occupied during the Revolution by Lieut. William Hall's guard, consisting of about twenty-four men. This company of guard commenced service January 1, 1777, and continued until January 1, 1782, by authority of the Council of Safety of the State of Connecticut.
The next store was built by Major Aaron Hawley soon after the Revolution, which he sold to Daniel Young, who came from Norwich, and this was the principal store for groceries and dry goods until the year 1800. It was located on Water street nearly opposite the foot of Union street, where Mr. Young was quite successful in business.
Some little time after the Revolution, but before 1815, the firm of Abijah Hawley and Company-which consisted of Abijah, Aaron and Wilson Hawley-carried on the Boston and West India coasting trade. Their Boston coaster was called the Three Sisters, and their New York packet was a sloop called Caroline. They were successful in business for many years.
Capt. Abraham Hubbell came from Wilton and built a store and wharf a little north of the foot of State street, about the year 1790, and carried on the Boston coasting business. He died in Boston, of the small pox. Richard and Amos Hubbell, of Stratfield, succeeded him in the Boston and West India trade, under the firm name of Richard and Amos Hub- bell, and conducted their trade with a brig. called Julius Cæsar, and had success in their business.
Afterwards, David Minot and Company carried on the Boston coasting trade from the same store, until about the year 1810, and were successful. This firm consisted of David Minot, Stephen Summers and William DeForest. Their Boston coaster was a standing topsail sloop called Hope.
The next store and wharf north of the foregoing was
591
Bridgeport.
built by Stephen Burroughs, Jr., about the year 1798 and owned by him until his death. It was burned at the time of the great fire in 1845. It was occupied first by the firm of Burroughs and DeForest, consisting of Stephen Burroughs. Jr., and William DeForest, engaged in the Boston coasting and West India trade, which partnership contimmed about ten years, and was very successful. They owned the stand- ing topsail sloop Volusia, sailed by Capt. Harry Lewis.
After this firm the same business was continued by said Burroughs until the year 1815, when it was assumed by Stephen Burroughs and Isaac Sherman, and thus continued to 1831, with success. The names of their Boston coasters were Volusia, sloop Peacock, schooner Hero and the schooner Nassau, built by this last firm for a Boston coaster, and after one year it was sent to Mobile under a charter to some merchants from New York to St. Stevens, on the Tom- bigbee river, Capt. Lent M. Hitchcock, master. She en- tered the port in June, 1817, and was the first American vessel that entered the port of Mobile after it came into the possession of the United States. Capt. Hitchcock succeeded in getting the Nassau up the river within about thirty miles of St. Stevens, where his cargo, consisting of goods for mer- chants at that place, was put into lighters and carried to that place. The schooner was then loaded with red cedar logs and ash-wood for firewood. She lost two sailors by the yellow fever on the voyage. This vessel was continued under the command of Capt. Hitchcock with good success about four years, as a packet between New York and Mobile. when the trade became so much increased as to require larger vessels.
The store and wharf next north of Bank and cast of Water street, was built by Amos Hubbell, and was called the Yellow store. It was occupied by him after he dissolved partnership with his brother Richard. Capt. Hubbell built a ship and a brig near his store and conducted the West India trade until his death, in ISO1.
This store and wharf has been occupied since Capt. Hub- bell's decease by the firm of DeForest and Hinman, consisting of William DeForest and Isaac Hinman, who conducted
592
History of Stratford.
the Boston grain business; their coaster being a fore topsail schooner called the Live Oak, of one hundred tons, built by this firm in 1804. It was next occupied by the firm of Hubbell and Sherwood-C. B. Hubbell and Capt. Sherwood-engaged in the West India trade. These were followed by the firm of C. B. Hubbell and Daniel Fayreweather, in the dry goods and the New York and Boston coasting trade. They owned a New York packet called the Lapwing, and a Boston coaster called Spartan. Later, C. B. Hubbell and his brother-in-law, John M. Thompson, from Stratford, conducted an exclusive dry goods business in the "old yellow store" on the east side of Water street, up to the year 1842.
The next store and wharf north was owned and occupied by David Sterling as an iron and grocery store. In 1807 this property was occupied by the firm of Beach and Sherman- Doct. James E. Beach and Isaac Sherman-until 1809, when Capt. Sterling Sherman was added to the firm. They carried on the grocery and grain business and New York packeting for several years; the name of their packet being The Bridge- port.
The store and wharf next north was owned by John S. Cannon, occupied by Esquire Isaac Sherman and Capt. John Brooks, Jr. They ran a packet from the store about four years -- from 1818 to 1822-called the Mary Ann.
The store and wharf north of this was built by the firm of Lambert Lockwood and John S. Cannon, and occupied by them during several years in dry goods and grocery trade, and running a packet sloop, called the Juba, to New York, sailed by Capt. John Brooks, Sen.
Another store and wharf north was built by Philip Nichols, at the foot of Wall street and adjoining the first bridge across the harbor, called Lottery Bridge, because it was built by a lottery authorized by the General Assembly in 1791. This bridge was rebuilt further up the harbor, where it now stands, in 1807. This store was first occupied by Charles T. Nichols for the sale of dry goods, and for a print- ing office by Hezekiah Ripley.
The store north of this was built by the firm of Prosper Whitmore and his brothers Robert and Whitmore,
593
Bridgeport.
about the year 1792. They conducted the West India trade, carrying provisions, cattle and horses to the different islands, and bringing back rum, sugar and molasses. They had a number of vessels employed, but they failed in business in I797.
In the year 1805, Josiah, Mordecai and Joseph H. Prindle, brothers, came from Derby and established in this store the West India business. They had three vessels employed in carrying out corn meal, horses and cattle, and bringing back rum, sugar and molasses. They lost two schooners in the fall of 1808, in a hurricane, with full cargoes of stock and corn meal, and all persons on board perished. As the result of these losses they failed, and gave up the business.4
Very little business was done in this store after the Whitmores failed until about the year 1816, when the firm of Sheldon Smith and William Wright occupied it for con- ducting the saddle and harness business, which firm was the continuation of the same business carried on previously in State street in connection with William Peet, who had retired froni the business.
There were but four firms on the west side of Water street previous to the year 1815.
4 GENERAL PROSPER MONTGOMERY WETMORE, son of Robert William and grandson of Rev. Izrahiah Wetmore, was born in that part of Stratford which is now the city of Bridgeport, Feb. 14, 1798. He married Lucy Ann, daughter of Francis Ogsby, of New York City, and had twelve children, three sons and nine daughters. He resided in New York, and in 1834 and 5 represented the city in the Legislature. In 1819 he was commissioned in the State artillery service, and in 1825 he organized the Seventh Regiment of National Guards and became its first colonel. This was and is the most famous military regiment in that State. After some years he was appointed paymaster general of the State militia, which office he held until 1841. In 1834 he was elected one of the Regents of the University of the State, which office he held until after 1861. For many years he was vice-president and secretary of the Chamber of Commerce of New York City.
Mr. Wetmore was one of the founders of the American Art Union, and con- ducted it as its president for three years with great success. For fifteen years he devoted his best energies to the management of the New York Institute for the Deaf and Dumb, of which he was for many years the senior vice-president. He wrote much for the public papers, and in 1830 he published, in an elegant octavo volume, " Lexington, with other Fugitive Poems," which is the only collection of his writings. He did considerable other literary work. He was, however, gener- ally known as a man of literary influence in society rather than as an author.
594
History of Stratford.
About the year 1794 a firm consisting of Doct. James E. Beach and David Sterling, built a story and a half wooden building for a store on the southwest corner of Water and Bank streets, where they sold dry goods, groceries and med- icines until the year 1804. The same business was continued by successive firms until 1815, as described on page 514 of this work.
Another store, south of the above, fronting on Water street, was built about the year 1798, by Elijah Burritt and Ephraim W. Sherman, and occupied by them as a dry goods and grocery store until about 1817. Oliver and William Sherman, sons of Ephraim W., succeeded Burritt and Sher- man and continued in the same store a retail grocery business for many years.
The next was a small wooden store on the northwest corner of Water and State streets, built by Elijah Hawley about the year 1790. It was occupied as a dry goods and grocery store until 1815, by Salmon Hubbell.
About the year 1790 a store was built on the corner of Water and the south side of State street, by Ezra Kirtland (at that time pronounced Catlin), which was occupied in 1794 by the brothers David and John DeForest as a dry goods and grocery store, which was robbed and fired, but not burned. Their clerk, a lad about fourteen years of age, by the name of Shelton Edwards, was murdered, his skull being broken by a shoe hammer in three places and his throat cut ; but the perpetrators were never discovered. Owing to this catastrophe the DeForest brothers failed in business. Hull and Lyon succeeded them in this store building, in general trade to the West Indies. They built a ship in 1795, but failed in 1799.
A small store was built about the year 1791, adjoining Salmon Hubbell's on the west, fronting south on State street, which was occupied with dry goods and groceries by Seth and Silas Sherman until about the year 1800, and after that continued as a dry goods store by Silas Sherman and his son, Ira Sherman. Their store was robbed, about the year 1811, of one thousand dollars worth of dry goods, and no knowl- edge of the robbers was ever obtained.
Isaw Sturman
595
Bridgeport.
Another store was built next above the last named, front- ing on State street, by David Sherman about the year 1794, and occupied with dry goods and groceries by David Sher- man and Nathan Seeley until about 1797. They carried on, in connection with their store, the West India trade in a large standing topsail sloop, called Minerva, commanded by Capt. Samuel Squires, who on his last voyage for them gam- bled away the avails of his outward bound cargo at St. Croix and came home with ballast only, which catastrophe broke up said firm, and Nathan Seeley removed to Bethel, where he died an old man about 1850, while David Sherman went back to his farm at Pequonnock, where he died August 22, 1810.
In the year 1806 Samuel Penney built a store on the north corner of Water and Bank streets, on land leased from Mrs. Eleanor Hubbell, which was occupied by Charles Bost- wick and Samuel C. Kirtland to 1815 as a dry goods store.
Isaac Sherman, Esq., son of David and Rebecca (French) Sherman, was born in Stratfield, Sept. 25, 1788. Very early in life Mr. Sherman compiled and executed quite artistically a genealogical chart, showing at a glance his descent on his father's side from Matthew Sherman-son of Mr. Samuel, the first in Stratford-and Jacob Sterling, and on his mother's side from Samuel French and John Edwards, heads of four families of first settlers in Stratfield, with collateral branches in each generation. When sixteen years of age he went to sea and followed it with varying suc- cesses upwards of four years, having been shipwrecked twice on the New Jersey coast. At this time he had ninety-five dollars, to which his mother added five, making one hundred dollars with which to start business. To this his uncle, Dr. James E. Beach, added nine hundred dollars as a loan, and with this he started the firm of Beach and Sherman, located on Water street, in the grocery business, conducted solely by himself. In this he was so successful that his capital was doubled by his profits at the end of the first year. Shortly after, his brother, Capt. Sterling Sherman, was admitted a partner, with additional capital, and in this form the business
596
History of Stratford.
was continued six years. In December, 1810, he married Maria, daughter of Stephen Burroughs, Jr., and purchased the house, then recently built, on the northeast corner of Main and Gold streets, which was his only home of married life for fifty-three years.
In 1815 he joined his father-in-law in the grocery, grain, Boston and New York coasting business, which was success- fully continued to 1831, with the exception of an interval of four years in partnership with Capt. John Brooks, Jr., in the same line of business. The firm of Burroughs and Sherman owned a number of vessels and built the schooner Nassau for a Boston coaster, which was used four years on mercantile trips to Mobile and back, under the command of Capt. Lent M. Hitchcock.
In 1832 Mr. Sherman retired from commercial life but not from active usefulness. As early as 1819 he was appointed justice of the peace and this office he retained after his retirement from business, until 1851. He was town clerk før sixteen years from 1831, and he was town treasurer twenty-two years, and afterwards for a time he was judge of Probate and recorder of the city. He served the city in two or three offices for a short time, but declined further responsibility in its government.
That he was a most industrious man is amply attested by voluminous records, original deeds and other conveyances, wills and documents which are preserved in the archives of the town and probate, and in the private box of nearly every property holder of his time in this vicinity.
He made a specialty in procuring the pensions of Revo- lutionary soldiers for them and their families, being faithful both to the government and the soldiers, and his list of pensioned soldiers is probably the most complete of any in the county.
At nearly the close of his life he was induced to write his remembrances and the traditionary history of Stratfield and Bridgeport, and, although he entered upon the undertaking reluctantly, he produced a valuable manuscript book, with a map which has been used as the foundation for the map of Stratfield and the biographical sketches in connection with
-
BUILDING OF THE BRIDGEPORT BANK, ERECTED IN ISO6.
Bridgeport. 597
it, and the record of the mercantile firms in the borough of Bridgeport from 1790 to 1815. This work, styled " Esquire Sherman's Recollections," is a valuable contribution to the history of the locality now comprised in the city of Bridge- port.
Mr. Sherman from early life gave attention to religious interests and in 1812 he and his wife united with the First Congregational church, the church of his fathers. In 1830 he was elected to the office of deacon, in which he continued in active service until 1858, and for a long period was the most active member of the society's committee, being also treas- urer and clerk of the church. In his own estimation he had not much religion to speak of, but his life told a truthful story of " faith and works." So lived and labored Isaac Sherman, and rested November 23, 1863.
The Bridgeport Banks was incorporated, by act of the General Assembly in October, 1806; which limited the cap- ital stock to two hundred thousand dollars, and that amount having been subscribed," a meeting of the stockholders was
5 This sketch of this bank is taken from a pamphlet of the same published by R. B. Lacey, Esqr., in 1885.
6 The Bridgeport Bank.
The subscription list was completed by the following names and shares :
Shares.
Shares.
Elijah Ufford, Stratford, 2
Eunice Hall, New Haven, I
Henry Nevins, Norwich,
I
William Elliott, North Guilford, I
Asa Spaulding, Norwich,.
4
Samuel W. Johnson, Stratford, 5
Jonathan Sturges, Fairfield,
I
Buckley, DeForest and Co., New Haven, 3
James Grayham, Sandisfield,. I
Ezekiel Curtis, Huntington, 2
Robert Fairchild, for Stratford, 6
Jeremiah Day, New Haven, I
James Lewis, New London, I
James E. Beach, Stratfield,
Samuel Kirtland and Co., Bridgeport, 2
Samuel Watkinson, Middletown 4
5
Isaac Thompson, New London, . I
Elijah Hubbard, Middletown,
Levi Curtis, Stratford, I
Nathan Wheeler, Huntington, 2
Elijah Boardman, New Milford, 4
William Haywood, Stamford, I Elijah Waterman, Bridgeport, I
Asahel Tuttle, New Haven, I
Thomas Wells, New Milford, I
Townsend & Thompson, New Haven, I Lambert Lockwood, Bridgeport, 3
George Hoyt, Bridgeport, 2
Buckley and Austin, New Haven, .. I
3 Abel Gregory, New Fairfield, 2 Foot and Nichols, Bridgeport, I
39
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History of Stratford.
held Feb. 3, 1807, at which Joseph Goodwin was chosen chairman, and the following persons were elected directors : Isaac Bronson, Birdsey Norton, Samuel W. Johnson, John S. Cannon, Salmon Hubbell, Lambert Lockwood, David Minot, Jessup Wakeman, and Ebenezer Jessup.
At a meeting of the directors of the Bridgeport Bank convened at the dwelling house of Ezra Gregory, inn-keeper in said Bridgeport, on the 3d of February, 1807, Isaac Bron- son was, upon ballot, unanimously elected president of the bank; and in the same month a committee was appointed to purchase a lot and contract for a building ; and the banking house was erected in 1808.
George Hoyt was elected cashier in March, 1807, with a salary of seven hundred dollars per annum, with the privilege of the banking-house to live in, which was soon after made one thousand, he paying for a clerk's assistance.
In 1810, in order to "prevent any collision of interest between the Derby and Bridgeport banks," Isaac Bronson was appointed a committee to make arrangements to that effect with the former bank.
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