A modern history of Windham county, Connecticut : a Windham county treasure book, Volume I, Part 24

Author: Lincoln, Allen B
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke publ. co.
Number of Pages: 930

USA > Connecticut > Windham County > A modern history of Windham county, Connecticut : a Windham county treasure book, Volume I > Part 24

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In 1768 the western half of Canterbury was so prosperous and had so large a population that by act of the General Assembly, in response to a petition of

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"the people, the town was divided into two equal parts of 13,941 square acres each, by a north and south line parallel to the Windham line. Westminster and Canterbury Green are the names then given the two parishes. These facts are on record among the annals of Connecticut, kept in the State Library at Hartford.

The Westminster boundary line between it and Windham then, Scotland now, is not the natural boundary of the Little River, and thereby hangs this tale.

At the time of the division, a very flourishing colony lived in homes on the western side of the river ; being employed in the large and prosperous factory, located on the power still known as "Fort Ned," this name bestowed upon it in fun, from that of a resident named "Ned Fort." Canterbury wished to have the taxes levied upon the homes on the western side of Little River and insisted that they be included in her territory. Now, all traces of the factory and homes have disappeared. But Canterbury has the whole expense of the bridges over that river, which has already amounted to many times the value of the taxes received in the days after the boundaries were fixed.

Westminster is bounded on the north by Brooklyn, on the east by Canter- bury Green, south by Lisbon and Sprague, west by Scotland and Hampton. Its area is larger than that of the City of Hartford. The people of Westminster at once began to build a "Meeting House" which was completed before the church was organized, November 20, 1770. And that unusual fact, the church building preceding the organization, is worthy of notice. There are (1920) but four Congregational churches now in use in Connecticut, older than West- minster, and during its 150 years, it has had but fourteen ministers, including Rev. T. Edward Davies, present pastor (1920).

The four churches which are older than Westminster Church are Long Society Church, built in 1726; Abington Church, built in 1753; Hampton Church, built in 1754; and Weathersfield Church, built in 1761.

The first pastorate of Rev. John Staples was for thirty-two years, until his death; and his remains rest in the cemetery close to the church he served so well. Of the rest, three ministers stayed but one year; one, two years; one, three years and the others, periods varying from six to nineteen years. West- minster has sent at least ten ministers from among her own people : Rev. Wmn. Bradford, Rev. James Bradford, Rev. Josiah Bradford, Rev. Archibald Burgess, Rev. Tedekiah Smith Barstow, Rev. Samuel Backus, Rev. Hiram Dyer, Rev. Jason Park, Rev. Seth Hardin Waldo, and Rev. Stephen B. Carter, whose peo- ple moved to Westminster when he was very young, and who later taught the Westminster Hill school and served Westminster Church as pastor seventeen years, greatly loved and now of revered memory. He first united with West- minster Church the same day with Jas. K. Hazen, D. D., son of its then pastor, Rev. Reuben S. Hazen, March 7, 1852, Rev. James K. Hazen making the elev- enth minister coming from Westminster.

Two benevolent legacies were, in 1869, $200, left to the cause of temperance. and in 1872, $1,000 to the A. B. C. F. M. The prosperity of Westminster was interrupted by the railroad which was put through Plainfield. This caused the death of the stage-coach line and the removal of many Westminster people, its factories and foundries to the depot town, the Backus foundry going in 1871.

A tradition about the church building at Westminster, now in its 150th year of service, is as follows. Many years ago the structure was remodeled, the Vol. I-13

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western entrance removed and the other changed from the northern to the southern end of the building. Tradition says that the work was accomplished by turning the church building completely end for end on an ordinary cannon- ball, which is still under it. But the marks of filled-in windows and doors in the edifice seem to discredit the tradition.

The patriotic spirit of Westminster from the time of the Revolution to the present time has been very pronounced in all our country's wars. Especially was this evident in the recent World war, when twenty-one men responded to the country's call, by enlistment and by selective draft. Westminster has its own service flag; first unfurled, with appropriate exercises, Memorial Day, 1918, on the green in front of the church. The twenty-one men represented by the service flag were scattered in various branches of the service, and their respec- tive records are given in the World's war chapter elsewhere in this volume. The civilian record will also be found there.

The state road is expected to be completed ere long, and it will make the homes and farms of Westminster again very desirable and enable those having produce to market it more easily, and so Westminster anticipates a return of the prosperity of the earlier days.

CANTERBURY INDUSTRIES

By Levi N. Clark

The following article by Levi N. Clark of Canterbury gives a vivid picture of Canterbury industries of fifty years or more ago, with mention of those abandoned and those surviving. It is speaking evidence of how the water power of the small streams was once utilized, and evidence also of what may yet be done in a new day by cooperative use of this same natural power for the generation of electricity, when folks come to realize the folly of all trying to live in congested cities. Mr. Clark writes :

At the request of the editor I will mention some of the industries of Canter- bury within the past fifty years, and now nearly all gone.

First the Packer mills, one entirely gone and the other still in good repair and used. Fifty years ago J. H. Leavens and Sons were running these mills, which they leased of the Packer Company. They manufactured white cotton goods; they left Packer about 1880, moving to Central Village. Later the Cutler Mills Company leased the one mill and manufactured scrim, a kind of white goods. The Cutler Company moved to North Oxford, Mass., about three years ago. Later the Williams and Crowell Color Company, Inc., leased the mill, and it was learned that this company was an asset of the Bayer Company with an office in New York City. After war was declared on Germany, this company was found to be of enemy alien ownership and was taken over by the government. It was sold by the alien property custodian to the Grasselli Chemical Company, head office at Cleveland, Ohio, and the latter company shipped everything away from this plant. At the present time the property is leased by the Acid Manufacturing Corporation, which has equipped it to manufacture acids.

Commencing now on Baldwin's Brook, near Canterbury railroad station, and following up the brook we first come to what was called Park's Rake Shop, where David P. Park manufactured hand and drag rakes; also picker sticks,

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wagon jacks, saw horses, etc .; also turning rolls to be used in bleachers, and having a circular saw for custom sawing. This shop is now past repair.

Next above was John Smith's twine mill, also a grist mill; both mills now gone. Next was Smith's also, a saw and shingle mill, bone mill at one time making superphosphate, also phosphorus. The mills of John Smith were last, owned by his sons, Edmund and John Owen Smith. Next was a saw mill, last owned by George R. Raynsford; the foregoing all gone now.

Next was John Hyde's wagon shop, still standing. Nehemiah Hyde manu- factured children's carriages here and later the building was used by John Hyde for a wagon shop. It is now owned by John's son, Fred L. Hyde.

Next Samuel Carpenter's saw and shingle mill; then a saw mill, owned by Charles R. Lyon, both now gone. The last on the brook was near Westminster, the Peter Spicer mill, for turning wagon hubs, etc., also saws for most any use; this shop was last used and owned by Burrill J. Huling-the building has been down for a number of years. This plant was also used in connection with Burrill J. Huling's wagon shop at Westminster.

We will now go over to Little River above Hanover, to Eleazer Smith's mills and later owned by Lester Smith. Here they carded wool and spun it into yarn. Another mill ran a picker machine; another was a grist mill, saw and shingle mill; these buildings are all gone. The saw mill was burned down, after which Frank L. Smith, son of Lester Smith, built another which he now owns, having a saw and shingle mill, also wood-working machines, bench saws, planes, turning machines, etc., besides doing custom sawing, he turns different kinds of handles, makes picker sticks, etc.

Next above is the Ford Ned water privilege, the mill and tenement houses all gone; quite a business was done here at one time, a woolen mill, afterwards a paper mill, and was burned down. This property is now owned by Angus Park of Hanover.

The next and last on Little River in the Town of Canterbury was known as Reynolds' Mills-where Benjamin Reynolds manufactured carpet yarn-and had quite a large mill, which is now gone. The only mill now left there is a saw and shingle mill; this property is now owned by Mary Dubberke.

We will now start near the outlet of Rowland's Brook, south of Canterbury Green. The first mill here was a grist mill, also a bolt for making flour. This mill was bought several years ago by Hiram W. Hawes and he remodeled the building and now makes fish poles.

Next above on this brook is the "Mud Hole" property, two mills, one ou each side of the stream ; the one on the north side, now gone, was where Hezekiah Crandall made cotton bats; the one on the south side was used for a number of years by Alfred H. Bennett, in making candle wicking. The last use made of this mill was for a sawmill, the building has been nearly all torn down. Next is known as the Williams Mills, which were owned by Pearl and Julius Williams, sawmill and shingle mill one side of brook and grist mill and bolt for flour on the other. Some custom sawing is now being done there and some grinding of corn, etc. Next above is a shingle mill owned by Albert B. Hicks and is in running order. Next is George W. Smith & Son, mast and boat hoop manufactures ; they are doing a good business. This mill was formerly owned by Pearl and Julius Williams and carpet yarn was made. At some time John C. Eldridge had quite a business at this mill, at first as a batting mill, and agricultural implements; later making hand sleds or boys' sleds. Half mile or

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more above this mill is another stream. Going up this branch, we come to where Charles Bennett had a saw and shingle mill, the building now gone. Further up this branch was another saw mill which was out of commission over fifty years ago, I think, and was on land of Elias Bennett. Now, going nearer to the source of this branch, we come to the saw and shingle mill belonging to the estate of Francis S. Bennett; this mill was built by said Bennett, but is now past repair. Now back to the main stream, and further up, we come to where Storer's sawmill was, now gone for fifty years or more.

The last mills on the stream were Jedediah B. Morse's mills, grist and saw- mills, both now gone. On Tatnick Brook were two mills, a sawmill owned by Eben Sanger, and a grist mill and shingle mill owned by George and Henry Kendall; these mills are all gone. Lewis G. Edson and Lemuel N. Carpenter have a hoop shop at Canterbury Green, where they manufacture mast and boat hoops, using steam for power.

At one time two foundries were doing a good business, one in the western part of the town owned by Isaac Backus, stove manufacturer, after his death the foundry was run four or five years by Albert C. Greene and A. H. Cortelyon, known as Green and Cortelyon. This part of the town was called Backusville. After Green and Cortelyon, Stewart D. Bennett ran the foundry about two years and he then moved to Willimantic building a foundry there about 1873. That was the last of the Backus foundry.

The other foundry was the Robinson, Fowler and Co., manufacturers of hollow ware, stoves and agricultural implements, located at Canterbury Plains. They moved to Plainfield about 1872, taking everything with them, rebuilding near the railroad where the Lawton's Cotton Mills are now located, the foundry buildings having burned before the site was bought for the Lawton's mills.

CANTERBURY IN PUBLIC LIFE

Canterbury has enjoyed distinction from the service of prominent citizens in county and state affairs. Dr. Elijah Baldwin of South Canterbury was for many years a widely known practitioner and was chairman of the Windham County Medical Society in 1860, 1876, and 1880.

Comfort S. Burlingame was state dairy commissioner in 1895-96, and long prominent in democratic politics. He now lives in New York City.

The Hon. Marvin H. Sanger was for many years a leader in the state coun- cils of the democratic party, was secretary of the state from 1873-77, and state treasurer 1893-95.

Messrs. Sanger and Burlingame also served several terms each in the lower house, as the record below indicates.

From the old thirteenth senatorial district, Chauncey Morse of Canter- bury was state senator in 1865, and from the seventeenth district (organized 1882) Thomas G. Clark of Canterbury was chosen state senator in 1884.

Following are the names of men representing the Town of Canterbury in the House of Representatives from 1859 to date: 1859, Horace Allen, George T. Kendall; 1860, Walter Smith, Marvin H. Sanger; 1861, Charles Morse, Charles Adams; 1862, Darius Wood, Charles R. Lyon; 1863, Henry Kendall, Merritt B. Williams; 1864, David F. Adams, Burrill J. Huling; 1865, Marvin Adams, Harlow Williams; 1866, Marshall Smith, John Palmer; 1867, Charles Adams, Pearl Williams; 1868, Fitch A. Cary, Calvin W. Goff; 1869, Henry A. Kimball, Lyman N. Appley; 1870, Charles A. Hilberts, John P. Kingsley ;

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1871, Charles A. Hilberts, John P. Kingsley ; 1872, William S. Adams, Syril N. Whitford ; 1873, Amos Witter, Clifton Peck; 1874, Lebbens E. Smith, John H. Peck; 1875, Rufus S. Ladd, James B. Palmer ; 1876, Julius Williams, Lester Smith ; 1877, Lafayette Eaton, Walter Smith; 1878, John A. Sharp, Joseph Farnham; 1879, Comfort S. Burlingame, Norman Appley ; 1880, Wendell D. Waldo, Oscar Peck; 1881, George T. Kendall, H. Martyn Bushnell; 1882, Marvin H. Sanger, Francis H. Bennett; 1883, Thomas G. Clark, Charles Ben- nett ; 1884, George L. Cary, George T. Kendall; 1885, George L. Cary, Charles Bennett ; 1886, Charles Bennett, Thomas G. Clark ; 1887-1890, Marvin H. Sanger, C. S. Burlingame ; 1891-92, Elmer E. Richmond, Andrew T. J. Clarke; 1893-94, Comfort S. Burlingame, Elmer E. Richmond; 1895-96, George L. Bradford, John O. Smith ; 1897-98, Charles S. Hyde, Oliver S. Francis ; 1899-1900, George H. Greene, Braman M. Johnson; 1901-02, Levi N. Clark, George H. Greene; 1903-04, Charles S. Hyde, Fred L. Richmond; 1905-06, Fred L. Richmond, Charles S. Hyde; 1907-08, Michael F. Shea, Frank V. Lyon; 1909-10, Edward Baker, Elmer E. Bennett; 1911-12, Charles S. Hyde, Elmer E. Bennett ; 1913- 14, Edward Baker, George W. Smith; 1915-16, William J. Barker, Edward Baker; 1917-18, Frank E. Miller, Edward Baker; 1919-20, Edward Baker, Arthur C. Bennett.

Following are the names of Canterbury's judges of probate from 1859 to date with years of service: 1859, James Lampson ; 1860, S. P. Robinson; 1862, S. P. Robinson ; 1863, Benjamin Bacon; 1864-1869, M. H. Sanger; 1870, A. H. Cortelyou; 1871, Joseph P. Lester ; 1872-81, Marvin H. Sanger; 1882-85, J. P. Kingsley ; 1886-96, Marvin H. Sanger; 1897-1904, Frank Hoxsie; 1905-20, A. Hale Bennett.

CANTERBURY PHYSICIANS

From 1859 (and prior) to 1878, Elijah Baldwin, South Canterbury; 1859- 69, Joseph Palmer, Smith Barker (botonic and eclectic) ; 1870, John Matteson ; 1875, A. H. Tanner (removed to Brooklyn) ; 1877-86, G. I. Ross; 1879-86, Charles B. Hicks; 1887-88, Warren R. Davis; 1886-1916, John O. Smith (eclectic) ; 1890, Helen Baldwin (daughter of Dr. Elijah Baldwin, removed to New York City).

REMINISCENCES OF CANTERBURY AND PLAINFIELD

By C. B. Montgomery

It will be utterly impossible for me to confine myself to historical remi- niscences of any one town, as my home life has been up to recently, spent in the little Village of Packerville, that is on the border-land of both Plainfield and Canterbury ; two towns as widely different as any two adjoining towns in the state, and yet both have sent out into the world, great hosts of brainy men and women who have made their marks and left no cause for either town being ashamed of their having once been their citizens.

It may be well for me to begin with my first ride on a railroad train, and the peculiar conditions existing in Packerville at that time. "Owing to some misunderstanding, that it is as well to leave in the dead past, where all such things belong, the management of the Providence, Hartford and Fishkill Rail- road would not stop trains at Packerville, only for a funeral. My grand- mother was very anxious to go to Moosup, the day of my first ride and so in-

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formed Col. Amos Witter, who chanced to be passing by and stopped as usual for a pleasant good morning. After a moment's thought he told her that "Henry" was going to Providence on the next train and if she would get ready, he would hitch up his horse and carry her down to Henry Kimball's, who lived a mile below the village and by the simple wave of a handkerchief, could stop any train he saw fit, so down to the Kimball farm we went and I can tell you I was a proud boy, eight years old at the time, when the train sailed by the little old schoolhouse where Roswell Ensworth, one of God's noblemen, was teaching young ideas to shoot.

This happened during the hot days of the Seymour and Grant campaign of 1868, and Mr. Kimball gave me a little red cap and cape, and I then became a "red hot" shouter for Seymour and Blair, so that started my political career. I learned later that Mr. Kimball was a member of the railroad committee in the State Legislature at the time. He was a big man in every one's estimation, and proved to be so wherever he went. He finally settled at Northampton, Mass., where he represented the town in the assembly, was state senator and afterwards one of the most progressive mayors that city ever had. He was a Scotland boy, and married a Canterbury girl, daughter of Harlow Williams whose wife was Lotilla Ensworth, one of the Ensworth family that at one time owned all the farms of any consequence between Packerville and the Jewett City town line. Their first holdings were purchased of Elisha Paine, July 10, 1711, by Tishall Ensworth. Mary Ensworth, a sister of Mrs. Wil- liams, was the wife of Col. Amos Witter, the democratic leader of Packer- ville, while Chloe, the younger sister, became the wife of Henry Truesdell, the superintendent of the Packerville mills and equally as strong a republican as Colonel Witter was a democrat.

We had two papers in those days, the Norwich Aurora, democratic, and Norwich Courier, republican, Colonel Witter took the Aurora, and Mr. Trues- dell the Courier, and it used to puzzle me as a boy to understand how two such honest men could tell the story of the Grant and Seymour campaign in such a different way. It certainly was a puzzler. Mary Tyler Bishop, widow of the late Hon. Caleb T. Bishop, was my Sunday school teacher at that time, and I remember asking her one Sunday if both Colonel Witter and Mr. Trues- dell told the truth? She evaded the question and it still remains unanswered.

This section of Windham County has as I said before sent many men out into the world, who have made a lasting mark. Few know that Hon. Galusha A. Grow, for a quarter of a century a member of Congress from Pennsylvania learned the trade of machinist in the old wooden mill at Packerville, but he certainly did, and worked there for $5.00 a week-by the way, Mr. Grow was a native of Windham County. The late William Mason, inventor of the Mason mule, Mason loom and other machinery that can be found today in almost any part of the world. was bound out for one year to Packer and Lester to work in the Packerville mills for $1.25 per week, a younger brother, Calvin, for $1.00 per week and still a third brother-I have forgotten his name-for 85 cents a week. A few years after the same William Mason built his first loom in the old Packer mill machine shop, and the model of his first mule soon followed. Just after the close of the Civil war, the Spaulding family lived in Packerville. "Charlie" as every old resident calls the Rev. Charles H. Spauld- ing, D. D., of the American Baptist Publication Society in Boston, worked for $5.00 a week in the mill and studied nights. My grandfather, Thomas

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Montgomery, one of the first Irishmen, and very first Irish Protestant to settle in Windham County, became greatly interested in him. My grandfather was a well educated man, having graduated at the University of Dublin and was a great reader, especially did he love to read Burns' and Moore's poems, you may rest assured that I felt a little proud some years ago when the great Doctor Spaulding said to my mother he wanted to visit his old teacher's grave. On his tombstone are cut his favorite lines from "The Cotter's Saturday Night."

"From scenes like these old Scotia's grandeurs rise,

Honored at home, revered abroad; Princes and Lords are but the work of Kings, An honest man's the noblest work of God;"

There was a moisture in the eyes of the great divine that made me his friend for life. Frank Willis Spaulding, a brother, became a banker in the later years of his life, and died some years ago in North Adams, Mass., where he spent many successful years.

Here is an instance in the history of this little corner of the county worth telling. Asa Packer, a Mystic boy, made up his mind he would go out into the world and become a great man. His worldly possessions were tied in an old bandanna "kerchief" and he had a shilling in his pocket. After walk- ing a long ways, he in some way tore his trousers and the mother of the late Charles Harrison of Packerville put him to bed while she patched them up for him. That man built the Lehigh Valley railroad, and was judge of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, was twice mentioned for democratic candi- date for President but refused to run. The same state that named Buchanan for President first offered the place to him, but fate willed a weak man should be elected at that time.

The space allowed me could easily all be taken up with men who have gone out from the little Village of Packerville, but since the days of my memory, the turning of life's wheel has been so rapid that the entire book would not be large enough were I to mention each one separately.

But before leaving Packerville I wish to say a word about Prudence Cran- dall. It was here that she was sheltered from her persecutors, and it was here she was first taken into a church with her colored girls. The only picture of her taken in those stirring days is owned by Thomas J. Brown, postmaster at Packerville, but Judge John E. Prior has made several fine ones of late. I also wish to correct the impression that has somehow gone abroad that Canter- bury and Canterbury people were to blame, for they were not. Canterbury was simply the ground where unfortunately, perhaps, the question had to be settled, but Capt. Daniel Packer, a resident of that same Canterbury, was the man who secured her release from jail. A short time before she passed away, I visited her at her home in Elks Falls, and during over an hour's pleasant chat, not one single instance of any hard feelings towards Canter- bury or Canterbury people was manifest; in fact she asknowledged to me that she always had been "just a little ahead of the times."

The first time I ever remember going to church, the pastor, Rev. Percival Mathewson, was ill and Rev. Lucien Burleigh occupied the pulpit. His sub- ject was temperance. During his address he used these words: "I hope to see the day that slavery, rum and the devil, will all have disappeared from

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the world. Slavery, thank God, has gone; rum will soon follow; and then the' devil will be out of a job, and can go also."

Rev. Lucien Burleigh was the greatest preacher I ever listened to and I. have heard both, Beecher and Talmadge. His brother, Charles Burleigh, was. mobbed with William Lloyd Garrison in Boston for speaking against slavery. The Burleigh family of Plainfield was one great family.

A little later on, when we boys and girls got past the little old school in the different districts, it was Plainfield Academy for us. My first term there. was in 1872; the teachers were Miss Laura Watson and Miss Marion Phipps .. Among those students that first term was one fellow "Lew" Hull who after- wards settled in Bismark, N. D., and became its mayor. "Lew" was a good sport, but if he got in trouble was man enough to shoulder it himself.

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A modern history of Windham county, Connecticut : a Windham county treasure book, Volume I, Part 24

Author: Lincoln, Allen B Publication date: 1920 Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke publ. co. Number of Pages: 930

Author: Lincoln, Allen B
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke publ. co.
Number of Pages: 930