An historic record and pictorial description of the town of Meriden, Connecticut and men who have made it, Part 7

Author: Gillespie, Charles Bancroft, 1865-1915; Curtis, George Munson
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Meriden, Conn. Journal publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1252

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 7

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"At a town meting in Wallingford desember 25th 1705 The town considering the great destruction that hath bene of timber by reason of geeting and transport- ing of pipstaves4 which to prevent the town voted and agreed to put a stop to the same and that no man shall have liberty to transport any staves after the tenth day of June next insuing the date hearof on the penalty of the Law in that case provided and to afeect that mater the town doth desire at least tow of the townsmen to give notis to all the marchants that used to traid in seach waire with the people of our town that whatsoever staves are shipt on bord or landed on shoore side to be shiped for transportation after July next shall be seased ac- cording to law also the sd townsmen shall desire the grand jure men at Newheav- en to make search after and present the same."

That this action did not accomplish what was desired, or else that the trade had again started up is evident by another vote.

1 In 1676 the inventory of Henry Cole dec'd was recorded in the Court of Probate in New Haven ; Cole was a cooper and among articles scheduled were casks, barrels and hoops. A few pages beyond this list the records show the inventory of an individual who owned "hopp" lots, and the word is spelled as it is in the Wallingford records. In both instances Nathaniel Merriman, of Wallingford, was the appraiser. This proves conclusively that when Wallingford people wanted to spell hoop they knew how,

2 Hops are still raised in Meriden in small quantities.

3 There are many entries in the early probate records of hops in the same category with wheat, rye, etc.

4 Pipe-A wooden wine measure.

EARLY HISTORY.

"Town meeting Deecember ye first 1724

Voated: therfor the more effectually preventing unlawful transportation of timber out of this town of Wallingford the town considering the great Damage that will insue upon the town by gitting & transport great quantitys of stavs & other timber ye which to prevent it is enacted by the inhabitants of the town in town meting conveined : to witt that for the futer no person shall be allowed to gitt or transport out of this town any staves of what sort soever or any board plank slit work or other timber whatsoever without a lycence first had & obtained ac- cording to law ; under the hands of the majoure part of ye selectmen for the time being. that for such butt staves as are already got the persons that gott the same coming to the selectmen paying down to them ten shillings money pr thousand for ye use of ye town and so pro rater for greater or lesere quantityes, may have lycence to transport ye same & in no other manner ; & for hogsed staves eight shillings per thousand & for pipe staves seven shillings pr thousand & for barrel staves six shillings pr thousand; and for whitewood & cheestnut bords seven shillings pr thousand ; & for oak bords eight shillings per thousand and for plank & slitt work ten shillings pr thousand & so proportionable for greater & leser quantity. *

The vote then proceeds to hedge about the selectmen with fines and penalties in case they do not rigidly enforce the town vote. The action shows that the trade in pipestaves, hogshead staves and general lumber was considerable. It is very likely that the words, "slitt work," was a term used for barrel hoops.

But to return to the "hopp lots,"1 they were carefully alloted and recorded and for a number of years there are many entries of distribution and sale of 2, 3 and 4 acres. The regulation or usual shape of these lots in Dogs' Misery was 5 rods by 120 rods, although where adjoining differences in the ground, either in quality or topography, interfered with the breadth of the growth of the shrubs or small trees, away from the brook, the size or shape of the lots varied and ap- proximated 10 by 60 rods. The distance along the brook (frequently called Mis- ery brook) divided into these long, narrow lots, was considerable. A map of a portion of this distance made up from the records is here inserted and explains the arrangement at a glance. Each lot was bounded north and south by the lots of adjoining owners, one on each side, and on the east and west by common or undivided land.

By most people a foot is more readily comprehended than a rod; so that

1 The thought occurs that as swamp land is frequently or generally full of bogs, and in walking across it, one is compelled to jump or hop from one bog to another, that this fact may be the reason for the name. Our ancestors were quick to embody some striking peculiarity in their local nomencla- ture. Dances for many years have been called hops.

CENTURY OF MERIDEN.

when it is said that these "hopp" lots were 1980 feet long (more than a third of a mile) by 821/2 feet wide a better idea of their shape and size is conveyed.

There seems to have been more than the usual amount of work for the town committee or surveyors in laying out these lots and we find the following vote re- corded Dec. 16, 1679: "Whereas it was formerly granted that every planter there in being should have a proportion of ye hopp ground lands ye commite are to have

W+

120 Rods

common land

5Rds

120 Rods

(PIIRT210 LULLO )

60 Rods

9W Boylen ·!

DOGS' MISERY LOTS.

4ª per acre for theire paynes in laying out ye same." A road ran to the locality from Wallingford that the old record in one place says is 20 rods wide-a most extraordinary width. Probably because the territory was swampy and if in one place the road was impassable it might be comparatively dry in another.1 This

1 This extraordinary width of highway was not confined to Wallingford. Possibly the explanation is that there might be a settlement some day along the street and it would then be a green such as is seen in so many New England villages.

EARLY HISTORY.

road was called Misery road and the old grass grown Misery Bar road that now runs through the heart of the swamp was probably constructed at the same time for the convenience of the owners to reach their various lots. The name of Dogs' Misery was applied to a much larger territory than that covered by the swamp. A name had to be employed and our ancestors were not particular as to the eu- phony1 of a word providing it expressed the idea intended to be conveyed and so we find that those who took up "lands for farms in the district bounded by the mountains on the east and Meeting House or Deer Hill (as it was then called) on the west, were property owners in Dogs' Misery. It is probable that homes were built and settlements made in the neighborhood of Dogs' Misery Swamp as early as 1689. With so many property owners in so contracted a quarter and land grants so closely joined it is not surprising that disputes arose and appeals were made to the courts in New Haven. Capt. Yale and Ensign Royce became in- volved in a bitter quarrel that drew in many of the other lot owners. The im- mediate cause was a dispute about a watering place. Appeals were made to the town authority and one petition signed by twenty-four different men is a par- tial directory of the lot owners. A copy of the petition and names of the signers is given in Dr. Davis' history, page 132. Encroachment on a lot by an adjoining holder was not uncommon and the evident value of the lots makes it easy to un- derstand how easily disputes would arise. Of course, these lot owners were constantly buying and selling until there was finally an accumulation in a few hands. The first house to be built in Dogs Misery was probably that of Daniel Hall, which stood not far from the present Julius Hall homestead, now occupied by his son and daughters on Murdock avenue. He took up his land grants in the vicinity until he had a farm of several hundred acres.

As already noted, there was a division of "hopp" lots taking place at the same time along Harbor brook, south of West Main street. It was a repetition of the allotments in Dogs' Misery, although the lots were not so long, as the configura- tion of the land would not admit of it, for the depressions here are more narrow and the course of the stream more winding. In this territory was a large tract called "town farm" sequestered for public uses and on the Andrew Coe farm in South Meriden, a short distance west of the highway and half a mile south of the stone "castle" there is a ledge called "Town Rock." Few are aware of its existence and fewer still know that it is so called because it marked the western side of this town farm. This farm was one hundred and fifty acres in extent and was a long narrow lot that extended across Pilgrims' Harbor brook just above its junction with the Quinnipiac river, and ran well over toward the hill on which Walnut Grove cemetery is situated. It was afterwards granted to Rev. Samuel Whittlesey, of Wallingford, and held by him and his descendants for nearly a

1 Wethersfield had a swamp called "Hang Dog."

CENTURY OF MERIDEN.

hundred years. The name of Pilgrims' Harbor localized a territory as far south as the junction of Cook and New Hanover avenues, west at least to Lewis ave- nue, north to Columbia street and perhaps farther, east certainly to the junction of East Main and Liberty streets, and deeds have been noticed granting tracts of land on Broad street that defined the real estate as in Pilgrims' Harbor. It was a name that did not have precise or definite boundaries, and they were shifted ac- cording to the notions of the grantor or grantee. But all that portion where "hopp lots" were located was very swampy and very likely just as uninviting in appearance as the swamp land of Dogs Misery. Indeed, the early deeds of lands in Pilgrims' Harbor speak of it as "ye wilderness"-a term not applied to any other part of Meriden, which shows that this central part of the town was en- tirely uncleared, with no meadow land-nothing but swamp and an almost impene- trable growth of trees and brush. The line of the northern extent of Walling- ford at the Colony street crossing of Harbor brook was marked by two "mere" stones-so-called in old deeds; one on each side of the brook. Of course, there were "hopp" lots north of this boundary but they were private property and did not belong to Wallingford to dispose of ; as we will see later. Another portion of Meriden that was attracting the attention of the planters at an early date was that south of Walnut Grove cemetery that we now term the Farms District. It was known as "Milking Yard." On Dec. 16, 1679, the record reads "town agreed and voated that ye land about ye Milking Yard and on ye north side ye broke at ye head of ye Little Playne wch was formerly designed for that end be viewed. & provision made for settling of planters as they shal appeare." This name seems to have been derived from a brook that crosses Colony road a little south of the Dr. Archer place. Mr. Perkins says the brook was "so called because cattle were of old there driven into a pen to be milked." The land below was a common and used as pasturage for the herds of the planters living in Wallingford village, with provision for gathering the cattle to a common point at nightfall. As in all other towns the live stock was branded with each owner's particular mark which was carefully recorded. The following vote seems to show that the tradition of the pasturage and milking pen is correct. In 1672 the record reads "no more house lots granted except on west side ye river or above ye brook at ye head of ;e littel playne called ye tow mile playne; that all lands from thence downwards be for convenence of pastures & towne lands for home lots already granted on

hill east of ye grt playne." This milking yard plain was also called "Little playne," to distinguish it from the "Great playne" west of the village, and "Falls Playne." This locality seems to have been particularly attractive to the Royces and several members of this numerous family took grants of large tracts of land in Milking Yard and their farms ran up Colony road for nearly a mile, and the district was later called Royce's farms.

.65

EARLY HISTORY.

No part of Meriden seems to have been regarded so favorably by the pioneers as the territory now known as Hanover, or South Meriden. It is a beautiful spot. As one stands on the hill west of Walnut Grove cemetery and looks down on the little village nestled between bold hills and half circled by the waters of the Quinnipiac sweeping from the deep wooded valley known as Oregon, and then in the northwest beholds the glorious view of the rugged, serried ranges of the Hanging Hills, one admires the judgment of the planters. It is an ideal spot for just what seems to have been intended by the action of the town on Feb. 19, 1689. The ground had been laid out with a two rod street running north and south through the middle of the plain and the land on each side staked off into sixty-three lots. The street was eighty rods long and the lots ran from it to the hill on the west and the river on the east. The vote reads, "At a Lawful Towne meeting February 19th 1689-90 ye Towne voted that ye Falls Playne shall be cast lots for and laid out according to ye written platform or map. Ye lots be- ing cast each mans lot as followeth," etc., etc.

The event was considered of such importance that a map was drawn and spread upon the land records-the only map ever thus honored by Wallingford. A reproduction on a small scale is shown. The place was called Falls Plain until well into the nineteenth century, but there was no attempt to settle on it at the time. It will be observed that there is no mention of the place being in- tended as a village. Indeed, one can hardly avoid the suspicion that perhaps this raffle of lots and laying out of a highway was another case of "hopp lots." The long narrow grants look suspiciously like those of Dogs' Misery and it is certain that there were constant transfers of hopp lots at Falls Plains thereafter. A few of these lots were very narrow-too narrow to have been used as house lots ; for instance, lot No. 23, belonging to William Cole, was 80 rods long east and west, and 3 rods and 6 feet wide, or 1,320 x 551/2 feet. That of Joseph Royce was 80 rods long and 5 rods and 4 feet wide.

But there cannot have been swamp land on the plain for it is too sandy to ad- mit of it. There was a fall or rapids in the river near and just above the present site of the Meriden Cutlery Co., which gave the name to the plain, but there was no lake north of the village as that was lacking until the dam was built.

That part of Meriden north of the Quinnipiac river and northwest of Falls Plain or Hanover, which rises in foot hills extending to the base of Hanging Hills was called Hanging Hill woods and early in the next century the land records begin to frequently refer to this district. Allen avenue, leading from "Crow Hol- low" on West Main street to Cheshire street on the other side of the long hill, takes one through the heart of Hanging Hill woods. The land was fertile and some of the most profitable farms in Meriden were located in this territory. It was so called even down to the foot of the hills east of Cheshire street.

A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.

Interest in these outlying districts is not sufficient to warrant further atten- tion ; we will return to that part of Meriden north of the Wallingford boundary line

FALLS PLAIN DIVISION.

32 Joshua Culver

Clark

February 19!" 16.89

Now Hanover and South Merzden

Henry Cook

30. Thomas Hall 29 Samuel Browne Samuel Cook Sur

Ye North END

27. Nathaniel Royce

West Side

33 Samuel Roise

26 John Moss

34- John Alwater

25 Joseph Berram

35 Sant. Einer Street

,24 Nath2 Merriman

36 Walzer Johnson

22 Hugh Chappel

37 Jann Inwlitter

38 Roger Tiler

21 Joseph Thomson

39 John Ives deceast

20 Eliasaph Preston

to JEthrill Anice

19 Eleazar Peck

41 Samuel. Manson

18 Ebenezer Clark

42 Joseph Down Hez

17 Jeremiah How

4. Ruth Lothrop Widee

16 Nathan Andrews

snr

44 Mr Jahn Brockitt Sur

15 Sam? Cook Jr

45 Isaac Beach

14 Simon Tuttell

46 William Ebnatha

13 Abram Dowlitter

47 Joseph Roice

12 John Moss S

48 Even Lewis

Il Thomas Yaile

49 Mister Street

10 Benj " Holt-

51 Sanız Unwätter

9 Wath 2 How

52 Dager John Hulls

8 Edward Fenil

53 Sam Merriman

7 Samuel Street

55 Samt Brockett

6 Samuel Thorp

Thorp

56 Jann Merriman

5 James Westwood

Brook

MUNSON

68 Thomas Curtis

6 Enszon Sam' Andrews

50 Daniel Mix-

3 Samuel Hazz

60 John Hall Sta

2 John Hitchcock

61 . Josephe Hozzin

62 Sept Abr" Dowlitter Je

1 John Parker.

b& Joseph Binham SW

64 von Beach CS TandHal2

Ne comme Southwards 80 Rods from the brook of this side natherwithout mendes and this is a reserve in case we child want a Lot of two et last -

Land out of a "Hieway" tour rods broade

Jwo thers of of Lots- Those on the East side extended to the"Jumupeace River and the lots on the west side extended to the Hills. Each lt Container from 31 t 4 cores-

Reduced from Original-

at Pilgrims' Harbor ford, a large part of which was at the date to which these annals carried us in 1676, in the possession of "Hennerie" Cole.

Quinnipiack River

East Side

50 John Peck

Samuel Cooke

54. Thomas Beach

HIGHWAY

57 Sam Andrews.Tr

TWO RUDS WIDE

23 William Cole

Cooke

New Haven East River

EARLY HISTORY.

CHAPTER VI.

Almost from the inception of the settlement of Wallingford the planters looked with longing eyes on the forbidden territory north of Pilgrims' Harbor ford. They desired it and they intended to get it. A considerable portion of the country which the colonial court had granted the town in 1670 was absolutely barren and not susceptible of cultivation. To-day one enters this tract in going south on the railroad a short distance below the Yalesville station. There are places where the sand plains are fully half a mile wide and they extend south in- to North Haven. Geologists tell us that the "great playne," as it was called, was once the bed of a large river-perhaps the Quinnipiac, or possibly the Con- necticut before it broke through the rocky walls at Middletown. Moreover, they saw the enormous extent of Farmington, which at that time included the towns of Southington, Bristol, Burlington, Avon, New Britain, and a large part of Berlin. Middletown, on the east, was another large town which then included Cromwell, Portland, Chatham and Middlefield. There seemed no reason why this strip of country, three miles north and south and between five and six miles east and west, which was a part of no township, should not be incorporated into the town. John Talcott, of Hartford, a great Indian fighter and a man of con- sequence, was apparently the friend of some of the Wallingford planters and his influence was asked to assist in getting possession of the coveted land. It was im- possible to procure a grant from the general assembly, so, by the aid of John Talcott, an Indian title to the land was bought. The experience in this vicinity, and doubtless elsewhere, was, that no sooner was a title bought from one In- dian than another would present himself, claiming that the first Indian's title was "no good," but his was the genuine article. Already New Haven had bought the land as far north as Kensington avenue and Edward Higbee had bought the right to a large part of Meriden's soil of Seaukett in 1664; and now Adam Puit of Podunk presented himself with a clear and unsullied title to the land extend- ing five miles south from Jonathan Gilbert's "Meriden farm." The deed tells its own story :

"Hartford, August 10. 1684.

"Know all men whom this may concern, that I, Adam Puit, Indian belonging and now resident at Podunk have and doe hereby mortgage all my land lyeing upon the roade towards Newhaven beyond and adjoyning to Jonathan Gilbert's

A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.

farme which tract of land being in length east & west six miles and in bredth north and south five miles with all the swamps rivers and meadow lands lyeing within the bownds & limits thereof to John Talcott of Hartford in Conecticutt & his heires forever. In case I the sayd Adampewitt do pay for & make full sattisfaction for one parcell of trucking cloth in hand received of the sayd John Talcott within one full year after the date hereof, & in case we the sayd parties agree about the sayd land before the end & terme of one full yeare (to say) for the purchase or sale thereof the sayd Adam is to receive foure coates more as full sattisfaction for the purchase thereof, the premises not being performed as above sayd, I the sayd Adam Puit doe freely & fully resigne & deliver up the sayd land to John Tallcot & his heires forever to be theirs to possess & enjoy & to hold as their own porcon, as witness my marke the day and year above sayd.

The mark of Adam

Puit.

Witnessed by us

Samuel Tallcot, Dorothy Tallcot.

Nesehegan Indian, Cherry Indian & Wenumpa Indian belonging to Tunxis & Hartford all appeared at Hartford on this 18th of October & testify & witness that Adam puit above written in the deed of guift afoarsayd had sole right & title in the land above sayd being about six miles east & west & five miles north & sowth beyond & next adjoyneing to Jonathan Gilberts farme in the way to New Haven which we understand is now sold to Major John Tallcot this we certify & know to be true & testify unto ye yeare & day above written before me, Rob- ert Treat, Dep : governor, which three Indians above sayd Nesshegen Wenampis & Cherry being examined about the contents of this sayd writing which they tes- tify unto, and they all of them Joyntly and severally answered in English that they well understood the same & doe witness to the same in all the particulars thereof this day & yeare above written bf me Robert Treat Dep :Govr."1

1 Major Talcott had previously obtained the native deeds from certain Indians of the land granted to Wallingford by the General court in 1670 and the names of these Indians are wonderful examples of the ability to combine letters into words that are almost impossible to pronounce. The names of the grant- ors and witnesses are Nessamboccome, Manappash, Sunksqua Matoesse, Son Wetantson, Mymesque Accanent, Wayashunt, Pettuquatton, Wyashur, Necananip, Nodanuco and Awawoss.

Major Talcott sent a letter to the Wallingford committee with the deeds which is quaint and in- teresting.

"Worthy Gentillman : After Sallutations presented these may enforme you that I have sent you your long waited for indian deed purchase by my Cousan Sammuell Wakeman ; it was finished on the second day of the present week. Gentillmen I must confess my many errors by reason of the often Blots also at the pening of it; mistake a name or two in the first part but rcovered in the latter part so that I hope nothing therein will prove above the nature of a circumstantiall error; as for the sub- stance, it will hold firme and good in law for your security ; the truth is I was shortned for time and having but one day after the Court to write in and draw the modell of the deed before the indians were appoynted to be at my house and there came a considerable company, that I could not doe any- thing in reference to drawing it over more faire, being willing to gain as many hands and seals as I

EARLY HISTORY.

John Talcott then gave an assignment of the above deed to Wallingford and both documents are duly recorded on the town books and also in Deeds and Patents to Lands in the office of Secretary of State.

This deed from Adam Puit conveyed land as far south as Yalesville, notwith- standing that all south of Pilgrims' Harbor ford already belonged to Wallingford. Five miles south from Jonathan Gilbert's Meriden farm would measure fully to that point. This transaction must have convinced the Wallingford planters that it was only a question of time before the colony of Connecticut would confirm this Indian deed by allowing the town to absorb the land by actual extension of its bounds to the southern bounds of Farmington. This Indian grant only put Wal- lingford in the position of owning the land just as a private person might, but gave the town no right to tax the individuals who were living in the locality. Already Henry Cole held an Indian title to the same territory or a good part of it which had been given by Seaukett to Edward Higbee and by Higbee to Cole. It would have been better for all concerned had the colony decided at once to incorporate the land in the township of Wallingford. But instead, in view of the impending advent of Sir Edmund Andross to assume the reins of government, the land was given to the towns of "Farmington, Wethersfield and Middletown to plant a vil- lage in" as has already been told in Chapter II. The act was certainly unjust, but it was probably done in the heat of excitement. As we, of course, know, the land was ultimately incorporated into Wallingford, but not until bitter land dis- putes had been occasioned by the anomalous situation. Not until many years later did the territory receive much attention from these favored towns and then the struggle to take away whatever rights Wallingford had under her Indian grant was carried on mainly by Middletown. The struggle lasted more than fifty years. When last our attention was given to this northern territory Henry Cole with his family were practically the sole inhabitants, and little attention seems to have been paid to it by the four surrounding towns. But on Dec. 20,

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An historic record and pictorial description of the town of Meriden, Connecticut and men who have made it, Part 7

Author: Gillespie, Charles Bancroft, 1865-1915; Curtis, George Munson Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Meriden, Conn. Journal publishing co. Number of Pages: 1252

Author: Gillespie, Charles Bancroft, 1865-1915; Curtis, George Munson
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Meriden, Conn. Journal publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1252