USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Meriden > An historic record and pictorial description of the town of Meriden, Connecticut and men who have made it > Part 20
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It continued in the Hough family solely until 1784 when James Baldwin bought an interest in it-the same Baldwin who later purchased Hough mills in the north
C
HOUGH'S MILL.
east section of the town. On Dec. 12, 1792, he sold his right to Caleb Atwater and later the property was acquired by a firm called Wadsworth, Hull2 & Atwater. During the last century it was for a long time owned by the Bristol family. It is now occupied by George Mckenzie, who still grinds grain at the old stand and also uses the water power for polishing marble grave stones which are cut in the yard adjoining.
In the east part of Meriden on Black Pond brook were a saw and a grist mill that should be mentioned. The earliest notice is in a deed dated Mar. 3. 1783,
1 He was a son of James Hough, owner of mill in N. E. part of Meriden.
2 Generals James Wadsworth of Durham and Andrew Hull of Cheshire.
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A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
in which Levi Hall gives to John Ives, Jr., a half interest in a grist mill on Black Pond brook, half a mile west of the pond. In 1785 the two owners admitted Joshua Ives into the partnership. Apparently the location of this mill was a little east of where the Charles Parker Co. spoon factory is now situated, the east end of a small pond still in existence marking the site. In 1785 Silvanus Nichols, of Middletown, bought this property, who in turn sold it to Joseph Driggs, of the same place in 1792. In 1794 Constant Miller bought it and had added a fulling plant to the establishment by 1796. Very shortly, the records call it solely the fulling mill and in the early part of the next century it has grown to the dignity of a clothier's shop, and is the property of Stephen Miller, who sold it to his three sons in 1816; in 1829 the records call it an establishment for "carrying on the clothier's and dyer's business and carding wool." On Nov. 2, 1837, Joseph Miller sold the mill to Samuel Cook, who conducted the business for a number of years.
Quite a distance southeast of the Miller clothier's shop, in fact, near the dam or outlet of Black Pond was a saw mill that was probably run by Brenton Hall. It was then abandoned and probably disappeared, for on Nov. 9, 1796, Brenton Hall leased to Phineas Hall 2d, the "saw mill place where the saw mill formerly stood," and by the terms of the lease Phineas was obliged to erect the mill and give to Brenton half the net proceeds. It was apparently run for a number of years by Phineas Hall. Many years later Edwin Birdsey owned a saw mill at the same location, where he later manufactured wooden drawer pulls, wooden combs and bone buttons. The shop was afterwards destroyed by fire.
In the year 1735 John Merriam, Sr., owned a saw mill that was run by water power supplied by Sodom brook. The first mention of it was when he opened up a two rod highway, starting at the Country road just north of his house, and running west to his saw mill. As previously mentioned, this was the beginning of West Main street. The stream was at that early date called Beaver Dam brook. Sodom was at that time a name for a tract of country lying west of the State School for Boys. This Merriam saw mill in all probability was situated where Nathan Fenn's mill was located many years after. The pond was drained off when the Waterbury railroad was built, and the railroad station stands in what was formerly the bed of the pond and is a short distance east of the old mill site. Merriam's saw mill is frequently mentioned in the records during the eighteenth century, and for a number of years after the nineteenth century had opened.
The first notice found of Andrews' mill was in the year 1798 when Ezekiel Rice sold to Ambrose Hough a piece of land on which to build a grist mill and at the same time Moses Andrews leased to Hough a tract of land to flood when his dam should be built. The following year Hough disposed of the property and it was soon in the hands of Giles Foster and then included a kiln drying house, show- ing that a saw mill had been added, and later the records say a gin dis- tillery was installed. Two years later Eli Barnes, who was then living in
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EARLY HISTORY.
the house now known as the Calvin Coe place, bought the mill. It would be tedious to follow the different transfers until it finally drifted into the hands of the Andrews family by whom it was run as a grist mill many years during the last century. The old establishment is idle now and it has ground its last bag of grain for the dam and pond have disappeared, and the old building stands as a monu- ment of departed days and conditions. For those who do not know the old names and places, it may be stated that the mill is on the road to Hanover or South Mer- iden, a few hundred feet east of the Oliver Rice place.
The reason that Ambrose Hough (who was a son of Ephraim Hough, owner of Hough's mill near Cheshire street) sold the Andrews mill, was because he had cast his eye on a site nearer the center of the parish. Cat Swamp, just south of the Curtain Fixture factory on Parker avenue, is the source of a small stream that runs north and crosses Broad near Liberty street and runs down near the reservoir on Hobart street, and finally makes its way westward under Center street and the Manning, Bowman & Co. factory until it comes to Harbor Brook. At the point near the intersection of Broad and Liberty streets it was known a hundred years ago as Roaring Gully. In the year 1800 Levi Curtis, who lived in the old Samuel Jerome house and owned a part of the farm, leased to Ambrose Hough a piece of land southwest of his house and extending west across the south end of present Hobart street to erect a dam and form a pond for his grist mill that he was to build. The land in the vicinity has now been filled in to such an extent that it is difficult to realize that there was ever a pond and a mill in that locality. The brook must have been a much larger stream than it is to-day to have gained such a formidable name as Roaring Gully. At about the same time Mr. Hough built a house in which he lived, that is still standing and owned by Walter B. Hall, No. 202 Liberty street. The position of the house so far below the level of the street is a strong evidence of how much filling in has taken place at that point. Mr. Hough's mill must have stood a short distance east of Center and north of Liberty streets. There are many people living who remember this pond called Jordan, in which the Baptists formerly immersed their converts.
In 1804 a gin distillery was added to the establishment and William Olds was admitted as a partner, and later Partrick Clark became a part owner. How long the mill and distilling plant continued to be used the wiiter has been unable to learn ; the last notice of it was in 1828 when it was owned by Jonathan Nicholson and Cyrus Manvil of New Haven.
Fulling mills were necessary establishments in a community where most of the cloth worn was woven in the farm houses by the wives and daughters. Before this home-spun fabric could be used it was necessary to have it treated in fulling stocks or troughs, where it was made thoroughly wet with warm soap and water. or fuller's earth in place of the soap. It was here vigorously pounded by great oaken mallets worked by water power. This process cleaned the web, and at the
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A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
same time thickened and shrunk it. A nap was given by "teazelling" or scratch- ing the surface with a large prickly bur or thistle grown on a plant that was cul- tivated for the purpose and called fuller's teazel. If a color was to be given the cloth was immediately placed in the dyeing vats, and afterwards taken to the tenter field, where it was spread to dry.
Naturally, there were shops and mills in Wallingford many years before any were established in Meriden. As a matter of fact, as long ago as 1746, there was a ship-building yard on the Quinnipiac river that must have been on the other side of the stream opposite where the factory of R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co. is located. On Book 10, Page 208, of the Wallingford land records, Lent Munson transferred to Daniel Clark "21/2 acres of meadow land on the west side of the river a little south of Parker's bridge near against the middle of the town at the Ship Building Yard." The word "ship" indicates that boats of considerable size were constructed, perhaps as large as a small-sized sloop. David Cook, of Wallingford, an active man at this date, was a ship owner and had vessels that were sent to all parts of the world, and were used in bringing negro slaves to this country. Who owned the ship-building yard no one knows.
That section of Wallingford, now known as Yalesville, was once called Tyler's Mills. In the year 1748 Samuel Tyler, of that locality, owned a fulling mill which must have stood a little east of the present dam, for the meadow where it was located was bounded on the east by the river, but his clothing shop was on the hill west of it, perhaps where the Parker box shop now stands. In the year mentioned Tyler leased the mill and shop to James Hazard of Blanford, Mass., for the term of three years, with all utensils belonging to said mill for carrying on the clothiers trade, such as mill "tainters," hooks, shears, presses, dyes, dye stuff, coppers, etc., and also the help of his two sons, Lothrop and Samuel Tyler, who were to be taught the art and mystery of the clothier's trade. Tyler was "to provide Hazard with sufficient meat, drink, washing and lodging, and keep the mill in repair," and was to receive as remuneration half the proceeds. This lease appears on Book 10, Page 494, of Wallingford land records, and is the first mention the writer has found of a fulling mill in the town of Wallingford.
One of the mills in Meriden of this description has been mentioned. There were two others : the first was near the Ephraim Hough mill at the Cheshire line. The earliest mention of it was in 1769 when Ephraim Hough gave to his son Ephraim a piece of land on which stood a fulling mill he had built for him. It is mentioned again incidentally in 1793 and afterwards there is no further notice to be found. It stood just west of the grist mill.
In the September 12, 1797, issue of the Connecticut Journal, New Haven, ap- pears the following advertisement :
"Blue Dyeing ; The business of fulling, dyeing and dressing woolen cloth blue
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EARLY HISTORY.
(and other colors) is carried on by the subscriber : also, woolen, cotton, and linen yarn dyed blue. Those who wish for work done in the above business, are in- vited to call on the subscriber at his shop in Meriden, where he wishes to serve the public to their satisfaction.
Noel Ives.
Meriden September 12 1797."
The writer is unable to positively identify the site of this fulling mill. There is, however, a strong probability that it was on that branch of Pilgrims' Harbor brook which flows north into Baldwin's pond.
Many persons know the location of a huge trap-rock bowlder standing on the edge of the brook, about a quarter of a mile east of Gravel street, which is called Phebe rock. Children used to resort there years ago for picnics and afternoon excursions. Some three or four hundred feet south of this rock on the edge of the brook, can still be plainly traced, depressions marking the site of a wheelpit and raceway ; while some ways to the south are to be seen the remains of an ancient dam. There is not the slightest sign of a building or machinery.
William Atwater, who has lived more than fourscore years and ten and is still in vigorous health, resides in a house on Gravel street, directly west of this mill site; he led the writer to the spot one summer afternoon, during the year just passed. Trees and shrubs now shelter the place with a thick shade, and the brook glides quietly by on its way to Baldwin's pond to the north. William Hub- bard Yale, who died a few years ago an old man, once pointed out the site to Mr. Atwater and told him that long ago a fulling mill was located there, but whose it was he did not know, although he, his father and grandfather had owned the adjoining farm for a hundred years at least. There seems to the writer little doubt that Mr. Yale pointed out to Mr. Atwater the site of Noel Ives' full- ing mill and further evidence that this mill was located in about the spot mentioned is found in the following advertisement from the Middlesex Gazette of Mar. I, 1797:
"The Subscriber respectfully informs the Public, that he is about to set up the dyeing of Cotton and Linen Yarn Blue, at Meriden in Wallingford, one mile east of the Meeting House at the Clothier's Shop occupied by Noel Ives. Those that will please to favor him with their custom may depend on having good colours and done with Dispatch by Joseph Rogers."
In the year 1781 a stocking weaving shop was established, somewhere, appar- ently, on the Country road in Rice's farms, for in the Connecticut Journal under date of October, 1781, the following advertisement appears :
"James Vautie, stocking weaver, Has removed into Meriden, about four miles north of Wallingford Meeting House, on the road to Hartford, where he carries
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A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
on his trade of Stocking-weaving and asks the continuance of the Favour of his former customers, and others. Said Vautie wants a journey man Stocking-weaver, who may have constant employ and good wages. Also an Apprentice to said Bus- iness."
In the issue of the Middlesex Gazette dated April 20, 1801, "Jonathan Yale in- forms the public, that he intends carrying on the business of Dyeing yarn blue and stamping handkerchiefs at his dwelling house in Meriden."
On Colony street, on the east side, perhaps about opposite the foot of Wilcox avenue, was once a shop for manufacturing potash. The first mention of the es- tablishment was in the year 1771 when it was owned by John Barrett. In the Connecticut Journal July 30, 1777, appears the following notice :
"On Thursday the 7th day of August will be sold at Robinsons tavern in Mer- iden ; The dwelling house, both potash works, and utensils, together with the land on which they stand, in quantity about an acre and a half, situate in said Meriden, being the same lately owned by Mr. Barrett. The potash works are as complete as any in the state: the house has been built but a little while and that with the other buildings are in good repair. The vendue will begin at three of the clock P. M. A title to the aforesaid several houses, barns &c will be given by the sub- scribers of said New Haven.
Samuel Bishop Junior David Austin Pierpont Edwards"
Matthew Bellamy bought the works and John Carter, Jehiel Preston and John Hooker were later owners.
In the year 1795 Amos White bought the corner adjoining the present home lot of Eli C. Birdsey and erected a store, and we find in the Middlesex Gazette, under date of May 18th, 1796, the following :
"New Goods: Just opened and now ready for sale, a few rods east of the Meeting House in Meriden, a general assortment of Dry Goods, Groceries and Hardware, which will be disposed of on very reasonable Terms for cash or short approved credit.
Amos White & Co."
The "Co." was a man named John Hooker, for he seems to have been closely associated with him in business. Amos White was later the first town clerk of Meriden. This store was probably the first one opened in Meriden. The lot was bounded on the east by Sabbath day house and horse shed lots according to the deed.
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EARLY HISTORY.
Another store, started shortly after, was owned by Amasa Curtis, whose part- ner was Isaac Lewis, father of the late Isaac C. Lewis. It was at first on the east side of Curtis street near its junction with Broad but in the year 1800 it was located just opposite, in the old house which is still standing in the point formed by Curtis and Broad streets.
The business was carried on in the northwest room, and continued until the year 1808 when Amasa died, only thirty-nine years old. He built the house and bought the lot in 1799, of Benjamin Hart, the consideration being a beaver hat. There was just an acre in the plot and it was bounded on all sides by streets, the high-
AMOS CURTIS HOUSE.
way running west from Curtis street being then in existence ; it has already been described.
The house was bought of the Amasa Curtis heirs by Amos, his brother, and most people know it to-day as the Amos Curtis place. In it were born his children, the late William A., the late Sylvester J., a stockbroker of New York and the late Mrs. Edgar Munson (Lucy Maria), of Williamsport, Pa. The writer has heard many times of the trips to New York made by Amasa to buy goods for his little country shop : of how his wife and neighbors would gather around and throw old shoes after him as an omen of good luck, when he started on the perilous trip to
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A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
the great city, which involved perhaps several days in a sailing vessel on the waters of the Sound, or two or three days in a stage coach.
Wallingford village, as compared to Meriden in those early days, was a large town. There were several stores there, a short account of which may not be amiss.
One was run by the immortal Roger Sherman, of New Haven, an ardent patriot, and signer of the Declaration of Independence. In an advertisement in the Connecticut Gazette of March 10, 1761, he speaks of his stores at New Haven and Wallingford. In two entries of the town records he levied execution on two different farms in Meriden showing that he must have had business in this vicinity.
Under date of January 17, 1761, the Connecticut Gazette prints, "Just im- ported and to be sold by Samuel Holt, Wallingford, an assortment of English goods."
Under date of March 4, 1778, The Connecticut Journal prints, "To be sold by Jason Tyler, of Wallingford: West India and New England rum, currant wine, Muscovado sugar of the best quality, indigo, pins, needles, choice bohea Tea, alspices, Dilsworths Spelling Books, white holland cambric, gauze, fine twixed dimothy, chintz, calico, mohair, snuff, white and black shammy gloves, white lead, Prussian blue, black ribbon, white tape, writing paper, a quantity of cyder ; Goshen peas and cheese, bar iron, cart tire, crooked and straight combs, scissors and jack- knives." What modern store in Wallingford can display a greater variety ?
The year 1779, Jan. 24, the same paper says, "To be sold for cash at the store adjoining Doctor Jared Potter's in Wallingford-Rum, wine, etc." Dr. Potter was one of the most prominent physicians in New Haven county and his home lot is now the site of St. Paul's Episcopal church.
The same year the doctor advertises, "Rum, brandy, coffee, tea, pepper, indigo, nails, etc.," and again on March 24, 1779, "American manufactured steel to be sold by Doctor Jared Potter, in Wallingford."
On June 23, 1779, the Connecticut Journal prints, "Excellent earthen ware by wholesale and retail, to be sold on as reasonable Terms as the Times will admit of by Hosford and Hull at their Earthern Ware store in Wallingford near Capt. James Rice's."
On March 29, 1781, the Connecticut Journal tells us that "Hezekiah Johnson has for sale at his store in Wallingford, West India Rum by the barrel or gallon, New England Rum by do. glass, tea & dry goods," and on May 31 the same paper says, "To be sold by Newton Whittlesey at his store in Wallingford Dry Goods, knives & forks, spices, etc., together with West India goods." On Nov. 27, 1782, the Connecticut Journal announces, "Isaac Bull, druggist and apothecary in Wal- lingford Hereby informs his friends and customers in particular and the public in general That he has just received a fresh and general supply of the most use- ful medicines ; also sundry other articles, such as Madeira, Malaga and Port wines, Raisins, Figs, etc."
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EARLY HISTORY.
On Dec. 5, 1783, "Oil of Vitriol of the best quality, by the C. T. or less Quan- tity, European and West India goods to be sold by the Subscriber: Caleb At- water."
Dr. Potter had later formed a partnership with two other gentlemen, John McCleave and Elisha Whittlesey, Junior, which was dissolved on Jan. 1, 1785, and the following notice printed :
"The Partnership of Potter, McCleave & Whittlesey, is this day dissolved by mutual agreement-all persons indebted to them by book or note, are requested to make immediate payment, and those who have demands on said company, to ren- der their accounts for settlement-it being necessary to close their accounts speed- ily ; they flatter themselves, that this notice will have its desired effect."
On Oct. 19, 1791, the Connecticut Journal prints :
"Aaron Hackley has for sale at his store in Wallingford A Good assortment of European and India Goods, which he is selling as cheap as any of his neighbors. Said Hackley has set up a Button Factory in said Wallingford, where Gentlemen . Merchants and others may be supplied with Hard Metal Buttons of various Sizes and Figures, wholesale and Retail as cheap and as good as they can be purchased on the Continent. All kinds of produce, woolen, Linen, Tow Cloth and Yarn will be received for any of the above articles. Cash paid for Block Tin, old Pewter, Brass & Copper by said Hackley: who wants a likely, healthy well-bred Lad 12 or 14 years old, as an Apprentice to the Button-Making Business."
On August 26, 1791, Caleb Atwater announces that he has gone out of bus- iness and desires all persons owing him to settle their accounts at once.
On Nov. 28, 1791, the Connecticut Journal states :
"Stanley & Carrington have for sale at their store in Wallingford a few rods east of the church, A General assortment of European and West India Goods, which they are now selling on the most reasonable terms. They want to pur- chase a number of likely Shipping Horses, and a quantity of barley, for which good pay will be made. They also want to purchase a quantity of Pork for which they will pay one-half in cash."
On March 14, 1793, Samuel Tyler and Jared Kirtland announce that the part- nership heretofore existing between them is by mutual consent dissolved, and that all persons indebted to them for clothier's work done since Sept., 1788, are requested immediately to settle. This was at Tyler's Mills. now Yalesville.
On March 27, 1794, the Connecticut Journal states :
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A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
"To be sold by the Subscriber, Garden Seeds of all kinds. From that cele- brated garden belonging to the Shaking Quakers in New Lebanon. Those per- sons not only take pains to save the earliest and best seeds, but they import them once in two or three years from their friends in London. Asahel Benham.
N. B. Some of the seed called Scarcity."
On March 19, 1800, the partnership existing between Joshua Atwater and Thomas B. Cook was dissolved.
On April 7, 1800, the following advertisement appears :
"The Subscriber has constantly for sale warranted axes made by one of the best workmen at his shop in Wallingford. James Carrington."
The following advertisement relating to the mills known as Tylers, now Yales- ville, appears in the Connecticut Journal :
"These are to inform the Public, That the subscribers have a machine now in motion, at Mr. Samuel Tylers Mills in Wallingford, on the turnpike road leading from Hartford to New Haven, where sheeps wool will be broke and carded into rolls on the shortest notice at 10 cents per pound : wool must be well picked & not more than one ounce of oil to one pound of wool. Rolls can be done up in sheets or blankets, and carried any distance without injury. Likewise batting wool broke in the best manner at 6 cents per pound. All commands attended to by the publics humble servants,
Wallingford, July 25, 1803."
Strang, Woodruff & others.
Besides paying so much attention to trade the citizens of Wallingford were interested in matters educational. The following notices appear in the Connec- ticut Journal :
"The subscriber has opened a school in Wallingford for the purpose of instruct- ing young Ladies and Gentlemen in the Latin, Greek and English languages, Arithmetic, Geography, Composition, etc. Tuition will be low, and no endeavour wanting to give satisfaction. George W. Stanley.
Wallingford, July 1, 1794."
"Boarding School. The public are respectfully informed that a school for Young Ladies will be opened in Wallingford on the first day of May next, in the house formerly occupied by the Rev. Mr. Andrews but now by Mrs. Hall and her Daughter from New York, in which will be taught tambour work embroidery and various kinds of fine needle work, by Miss Hall: and to such as choose, reading,
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EARLY HISTORY.
writing, arithmetic and Geography, by the Rev. Mr. Hart: Good accommodations will be provided by Mrs. Hall.
Wallingford, April 16, 1795."
Choate School for Boys stands to-day on the site of Mr. Andrews' house.
Truly, Wallingford must have been a veritable metropolis to the people of Meriden.
Taverns in those early days were very important centers of life in every com- munity. There the farmers congregated to learn the news of the outside world
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