USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Winchester > Annals and family records of Winchester, Conn.: with exercises of the centennial celebration, on the 16th and 17th days of August, 1871 > Part 34
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VI. RHODA,7 b. Feb. 22, 1817 ; m. May 2, 1838, Rev. Clement Long, b. in Hop- kinton, N. H., Dec. 31, 1807, son of Samuel and Mary (Clement) Long; Prof. of Int. and Moral Philosophy in Wes. Res. Coll., O., 1834-1852 ; Prof. of Christian Theology in Auburn Theol. Sem., 1852-1854 ; Prof. of Int. and Moral Phil. in Dart. Coll., from 1854 till his death, at Han- over, N. H., Oct. 14, 1861.
CHILDREN.
1. Mary,8 b. in Hudson, O., June 8, 1839.
2. Samuel Rockwell,8 b. H., April 25, 1841 ; d. Aug. 3, 1842.
3. Caroline Rockwell,8 b. H., Oct. 24, 1844.
4. Julia Russell,8 b. H., April 6, 1851.
5. Cornelia Baker,8 b. in Auburn, N. Y., Dec. 5, 1853.
MARTIN ROCKWELL,6 of Colebrook, married (1st), Mary (Burrall) Rockwell, widow of his brother, Timothy Rockwell, deceased, and by her had
CHILDREN.
I. ELIZA,7 who m. Rev. Ralph Emerson, D. D.
II. TIMOTHY,7 who lived in Winsted until 1827, and thence removed to Paines- ville, O., where he still resides. He m. Helen Maria,
daughter of Seth Marshall, Esq.
III. MARY,7 living (1872) in Colebrook.
IV. SUSAN,7 m. Rev. George E. Pierce, D. D., minister at Har- winton, Conn., and afterwards President of Western Reserve College, Hudson, O.
V. WILLIAM,7 m. Maria Roberts ; d. at Honesdale, Penn.
VI. CHARLES,7 grad. Yale College; Chaplain U. S. Navy ; clergyman.
VII. CHARLOTTE,7 living (1872) in Colebrook.
He married (2d), Lucy (Beebe) Robins, who survived him ; he died Dec. 8, 1851.
THERON ROCKWELL,7 married, September 6, 1814, Clarissa Treat, born in Hartland, Conn., September 6, 1788, daughter of John Treat. They settled in Colebrook, where he died January 30, 1848.
47
370
ANNALS OF WINCHESTER,
CHILDREN.
I. JAMES SIDNEY,8 b. Oct. 2, 1817; m. Nov. 11, 1844, Catharine A. Corley ; lives in Brooklyn, N. Y.
CHILDREN.
1. Clara,9 b. 1847; d. 1851.
2. Fanny,9 b. April 17, 1850; m. Nov. 16, 1870, James Dunham Carhart. II. HENRY EDWARDS,8 b. Feb. 12, 1824; d. May 20, 1825.
III. JOHN TREAT,8 b. Jan. 21, 1827.
IV. ANNIE CLARISSA,8 b. Sept. 29, 1832; m. Sept. 28, 1854, Frederick Michael Shepard, b. in Norfolk, Sept. 24, 1827 ; lives in the city of New York.
CHILDREN.
1. Annie Rockwell,9 b. June 7, 1856.
2. Frederick Michael,9 b. June 8, 1858.
3. Clara Margaret,9 b. Oct. 12, 1862.
4. Joseph Minot,9 b. Aug. 31, 1864.
5. John Andrus,9 b. March 15, 1869.
EDWARD ROCKWELL," graduated at Yale College in 1821 ; admitted to the bar at New Haven in 1825 ; removed to Ohio, and was Secretary of Cleveland and Pittsburg Railroad Company till 1867, when he re- signed and moved to New York. He married Matilda du Plessis Salter, of New Haven.
CHILDREN.
I. SARAH,8 b. m. John M. Isaacs, Cleveland, O.
II. MATILDA,8 į b.
m. George E. Kent, N. Y.
III. CLEVELAND,8 b. Engineer U. S. Navy.
IV. EDWARD,8 b. d. young.
SAMUEL ROCKWELL7 graduated at Yale College in 1825; admitted to the ministry in 1828; ordained pastor at Plainfield, April 11, 1832; dismissed April -, 1841; installed pastor of South Church, New Britain, January 4, 1843 ; resigned his pastorate June 20, 1858 ; elected Representative to the Legislature of Connecticut in 1862 and 1869, and Senator in 1865; Judge of Probate, Berlin District, since July 4, 1864 ; Treasurer of Savings Bank of New Britain, from its incorporation in 1862. He married, June 6, 1833, Julia Ann Plummer, who died April -, 1838; and he married (2d) May 5, 1840, Elizabeth Eaton, of Plain- field. She died, and he married (3d), July 29, 1844, Mrs. Charlotte (North) Stanley.
CHILD BY FIRST WIFE.
I. GEORGE PLUMMER,8 b. May 9, 1834.
CHILD BY SECOND WIFE.
II. ELIZABETH EATON,8 b. April 9, 1843 ; d. March 11, 1866.
JOHN TREAT ROCKWELL,8 married, December 14, 1853, Harriette Ann Burt, born April 19, 1830, daughter of Miles C. and Ann (Mallory)
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AND FAMILY RECORDS.
Burt. She died Oct. 24, 1855; and he married (2d), Feb. 26, 1857, Mary Ann Hawley, born in Sharon, Conn., June 22, 1827, daughter of Aaron and Mary Ann (Rockwell) Hawley ; she died June 5, 1859, and he married (3d), April 18, 1861, Jane Elizabeth Arcularius, born in New York, May 14, 1828, daughter of Andrew Merrill and Eliza Lucretia (Saltonstall) Arcularius.
CHILDREN.
I. ANNIE MALLORY,9 b. March 14, 1855.
II. THERON,9 b. July 18, 1863.
III. ELIZA SALTONSTALL,9 b. Jan. 2, 1867.
IV. JAMES SIDNEY,9 b. July 18, 1868.
EZRA ROCKWELL, this year bought and occupied the house on South street, near Torringford line, previously owned by Jehiel and Mabel Burr, which he sold in 1803. He lived in the town some years later.
JACOB CHAMBERLIN, from Colebrook, this year bought the Israel Crissey farm, adjoining Colebrook line, and now a part of the William E. Cowles farm, which he occupied until 1805, and then returned to Cole- brook.
AARON LOOMIS owned and occupied land on South street, near Tor- rington line, from 1801 to 1806, or later. He was b. May 25, 1766, son of Ephraim and Jane (Campbell) Loomis. He m. Feb. 12, 1789, Anne Drake, of Windsor. Their children were probably b. in Torrington.
CHILDREN.
I. AARON, b. May 16, 1790.
II. JANE,
b. March 11, 1792.
III. LAURA, b. Feb. 17, 1794 ; m. Jan. 5, 1809, Erastus Hodges.
IV. ANNES, b. June 23, 1797.
V. ALVAN, b. Dec. 22, 1800. [Loomis Genealogy, p. 111.]
1802.
COL. HOSEA HINSDALE,6 [see Genealogy under 1799,] from Berlin, came to Winsted in the spring of this year, and resided in the gambrel- roofed house that stood on the site of Moses Camp's present dwelling. He was a tanner by trade, and had made arrangements to begin the world in Western New York ; but the discovery at that time made, of the tan- ning properties of hemlock bark, changed his plans, and he came here to avail himself of the abundance of this material found in our forests. In company with his brother-in-law, Major James Shepard, afterwards of Norfolk, he built the tannery at the corner of Spencer and Hinsdale streets, the last vestiges of which have this year (1871) been obliterated, by the excavation of Mr. J. T. Rockwell's skating pond, where he did a leading business for some thirty years. In 1810, Major Shepard with-
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ANNALS OF WINCHESTER,
drew from the concern, and it was conducted solely by Col. Hinsdale until about 1845.
Colonel Hinsdale, in addition to the tanning business, was largely engaged in public affairs, " swinging around the circle " of town offices, and trying his hand as grand juror, constable, selectman, assessor, justice of the peace, and representative, and of military affairs from private to colonel of cavalry. He was also for several years a deputy, under Sheriff Landon, who prided himself on his selection of a staff of not only able but portly and fine looking assistants, thereby sustaining the dignity of the county magistracy. He closed his public life with the presidency of the Litchfield County Temperance Society, which he filled with punctuality and ardent zeal for seven or eight years.
His social qualities were of a high order. His acquaintance with men of the county and state was extensive, and his memory of events accurate in a remarkable degree. At ninety he could recall an acquaintance or event of early days with the readiness of a young man. Like most of his neighbors he was a reading man, well posted in all current events. In person and manner dignified, fluent and attractive in conversation ; he was the chronicler and patriarch of the village, the last of the generation of men who laid the foundations and controlled the destinies of our com- munity. He married, March 2, 1798, Elizabeth Shepard, born at Hart- land, September 2, 1777, daughter of Eldad and Rebecca (Seymour) Shepard. She died January 25, 1861. He died October 21, 1866.
CHILDREN.
I. ELIZABETH,7 b. December 17, 1798; d. December 4, 1804.
II. HARRIET,7 b. September 25, 1801 ; d. December 10, 1804.
III. JULIA,7
b. November 14, 1805.
IV. HENRY,7
b. August 31, 1807.
V. CAROLINE,7 b. July 19, 1811; m. April 23, 1835, Bezaleel Beebe Rockwell.
VI. HARRIET,7 b. December 6, 1813 ; d. October 7, 1816.
VII. JOHN,7
b. May 10, 1817.
HENRY HINSDALE,7 married October 13, 1834, Jane Coe, born August 14, 1812, daughter of Jonathan Coe. She died October 5, 1839 ; he died October 14, 1846.
CHILD.
I. HARRIET AMELIA,8 b. October 22, 1835 ; d. June 1, 1842.
JOHN HINSDALE,7 married August 31, 1841, Amanda Malvina Alvord, born August 20, 1821, daughter of Deacon James H. Alvord.
CHILDREN.
I. MARY ELIZABETHI,8 b. March 18, 1848; m. June 19, 1867, Robert R. Noble, b. September 27, 1840; had, 1. Susie Alvord,9 b. April 9, 1868 ; d. March 1, 1869 ; 2. twins, John Hinsdale and Robert Chamberlin, b. Oct. 3, 1872.
II. JOHN ALVORD,8 b. October 22, 1858.
373
AND FAMILY RECORDS.
COLONEL JAMES SHEPARD from New Hartford, came to Winsted with, or soon after, Colonel Hinsdale, his brother-in-law, and in 1803 built the house at the parting of Main and Spencer streets, afterwards the life-long homestead of Colonel Hinsdale, with whom he was associ- ated in the tanning business until 1810, when, in company with Asahel Miller, he built the original tannery on the site of the present establish- ment of George Dudley & Son.
In 1815 he removed to Norfolk, where he resumed the tanning busi- ness for a few years, and afterwards became a highly respected tavern keeper and stage owner. He married Abigail Andrus, and had
CHILDREN.
I. JOIIN ANDRUS, b. July 15, 1802.
II. LAURA SEYMOUR,
b. March 19, 1804.
III. JAMES HUTCHINS,
b. August 11, 1806.
IV. JERUSHA TREAT,
b. September 27, 1808; m. A. E. Dennis.
V. SAMUEL, b. December 10, 1812; m. - Dennis; kept the Beardsley House for several years ; d. Norfolk, January 14, 1872.
JESSE CLARK became a resident of Winchester this year. He owned and lived until 1837, on the farm on Wallen's Hill, which he then sold to Elisha Kilbourn, and moved into Barkhamsted, where he died December 17, 1853, aged 76. His wife died December 11, 1849, aged 72. His parents were Paul Clark, born August 29, 1750 ; died March 1, 1804, and Sarah Wheeler, born March 28, 1754; died August 14, 1829.
He married, November 26, 1801, Lydia, daughter of Elisha and Esther Mallory.
CHILDREN.
I. NATHAN WHEELER, b. April 25, 1803.
II. ORLANDO MALLORY, b. March 11, 1805 ; d. November 7, 1807.
III. ESTHER, b. March 9, 1807.
IV. AMASA,
b. March 24, 1809 ; d. December 8, 1809.
V. ZAYDA,
b. October 18, 1810.
VI. BETSEY, b. December 24, 1812 ; m. October 5, 1848, George E. Shelton ; d. March 17, 1850.
VII. SARAH ANN,
b. April 8, 1815; d. October 16, 1817.
VIII. ORLANDO, b. December 25, 1820.
IX. JOHN BENJAMIN,
b. April 20, 1820 ; d. March 20, 1842.
NATHAN WHEELER CLARK, oldest child of Jesse and Lydia, a resi- dent of the town from birth, resides on Wallen's Hill, near his father's old residence. He married, June 5, 1830, Rebecca Cordelia Dickinson, born November 7, 1805.
CHILDREN.
I. LUCIUS WADSWORTH, b. September 19, 1831.
II. JOHN BENJAMIN,
b. April 14, 1834.
374
ANNALS OF WINCHESTER,
III. EMMA HARRIET, b. March 22, 1836.
IV. BURTON MALLORY,
b. October 11, 1838; d. December 7, 1840.
V. MARY BETSEY,
b. December 2, 1840.
ORLANDO CLARK, eighth child of Jesse and Lydia, removed with his father to Barkhamsted, where he still resides. He married, November 30, 1852, Melissa Race, born June 25, 1821.
CHILDREN.
I. ALBERT MALLORY, b. October 12, 1843.
II. SARAII ANN,
b. December 21, 1844.
III. GEORGE ORLANDO,
b. August 17, 1848.
IV. GEORGIANA MELISSA,
b. August 17, 1848.
V. MILES BELDEN, b. July 31, 1851 ; d. September 5, 1853
SALMON BURR from Torrington, this year eame to Winsted, where he built and occupied the brick dwelling on the west side of South street, now owned by Hilamon Fyler, until his death, December 19, 1851, at the age of 77 ; a man of retiring manner and sterling worth. He married Mary Ensign, born September 8, 1776; died December 29, 1846.
CHILDREN.
I. MARIA, b. February 17, 1799; m. November 29, 1820, Ansel Shattuck ; d. July 29, 1840.
II. RUFUS, b. December 17, 1800; m. May 10, 1828, , daughter of Barzillai Hudson of Tor.
III. SAMUEL, b. September 22, 1802; m. February 22, 1831, Louisa Flowers.
IV. WILSON, b. April 11, 1804 ; m. May 5, 1829, Morinda Cadwell.
V. MARY, b. June 12, 1806 ; m. May 11, 1827, Porter Gibbs ; d. November 23, 1835.
VI. RHODA, b. Jannary 11, 1808 ; m. George Ransom.
VII. SARAII, b. March 2, 1810 ; m. February 22, 1831, Anson H. Stuart.
VIII. WILLARD, b. February 8, 1812 ; m. September 1, 1843, Sarah, daughter of George Burr.
IX. HULDAH, b. May 21, 1814 ; m. October 5, 1834, Luman Smith.
X. HARMON ENSIGN, b. November 13, 1818 ; m. May 1, 1849, Ann Squire.
XI. CHARLOTTE, b. October 3, 1820 ; m. June 29, 1839, Erasmus N. Ransom.
JACOB SEYMOUR, a carpenter and joiner, this year bought the land around the new meeting house, now constituting the larger portion of the east village, and lived in a dwelling that stood on the site of Normand Adams' store. He sold out his purchase in a few years, and subse- quently lived in the old hemlock building then standing at the north corner of Hinsdale and North Main streets. Ile left the town about 1810. The first gravestone in the central burying ground was erected by him over the remains of a deceased child.
JOHN SEYMOUR, brother of Jacob, also lived in the Society for a few
375
AND FAMILY RECORDS.
years at this period, and became part owner of the east village property.
JOHN PHILLIPS, an iron refiner, of Welsh extraction, came into the employ of the Rockwell Brothers this year, or earlier, and lived in the rear wing of the house on Lake street, adjoining the carriage entrance to Mrs. J. R. Boyd's premises. He had a son, WILLIAM, who lived in the same dwelling until his death, February 26, 1817, leaving a son, WILLIAM S., born December 22, 1816, who lived in this Society from 1846 to the time of his death, aged 41 years. He was trained to business in Sandisfield, Mass., where his widowed mother resided until her death, and came here as a partner-in-trade with his brother-in-law, David A. Rood, now of Hartford. He built the house now occupied by his widow, at the head of Spring street, where he died of dysentery, August 19, 1860. He was a retiring, exemplary, kind-hearted, Christian man highly esteemed, and sincerely lamented. He married June 10, 1844, Frances Slocum Hamilton, born in Tolland, Mass., February 2, 1822, daughter of Henry and Maria (Slocum) Hamilton. She in died Otis Mass., May 13, 1845 (leaving a son, William Henry, born March 30, 1845, who died January 14, 1846). He married (2d) October 18, 1847, Harriette J. Rood ; she died Winsted, July 31, 1848, aged 23 years. s. p., and he married (3d) March 18, 1850, Ellen Amanda Griswold, daughter of Roswell and Jerusha (Grant) Griswold.
CHILDREN.
I. WILLIAM BANISTER, b. February 16, 1853.
II. MARY LOUISE,
b. April 29, 1857.
The other children of William Phillips were Aurelia, who died unmar- ried, Semantha, born February 11, 1805, now living in Winsted unmarried, Emeline, wife and widow of Lemuel K. Strickland, Esq., late of Sandisfield, deceased, and Clarissa, wife of Carlton Hayden.
THOMAS R. BULL is on the list of this year. He worked with his brother, Merritt Bull, in a blacksmith shop, afterwards burned down, that stood near the premises of G. W. Gaston on Main street. He afterwards moved to Colebrook, from whence he returned in 1810, and bought the old Jenkins & Boyd Scythe Works, and lived in the house on the top of the knoll east of the parsonage house of Mr. Beach. In 1816 he bought an interest in the Cook forge, which proved an unfortunate investment, bringing him to poverty, in spite of his untiring industry and frugal habits. He died November 6, 1829, aged 49.
He married, April 3, 1806, Diantha, daughter of Ebenezer Rowley, by whom he had
376
ANNALS OF WINCHESTER,
CHILDREN.
I. CELESTIA, a deaf mute, who m. Isaac Davis.
II. MARY, m. Lucius Phelps.
III. CLORINDA, m. Lemuel Munson
IV. JANE, m. James Gilman.
V. CATHARINE M., m. - Clapp.
VI. THOMAS.
TIMOTHY PERSONS came into the town this year, and continued a resident until about 1807, when he moved to Colebrook river, where he carried on a tannery until his death, a hard-working, honest man. He married Lucy Davis of Winsted.
ALPHEUS PERSONS, brother of Timothy, came here about the same time with his brother, and left the town with him, moving to North Colebrook, and carrying on a tannery there during his remaining life. He died in August, 1858, aged 72. His wife died in 1821, aged 32.
He married in 1810, Sally Davis, sister of Lucy aforesaid. Their son, WING PERSONS, came to Winsted in 1851, and has since resided here, living on the north side of Hinsdale street, adjoining the graded school building. He married, in August, 1843, Flavilla, daughter of Travis Phillips of Colebrook.
CHILDREN.
1. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN,
b. January 8, 1844.
2. GRACE,
b. July 6, 1851.
3. CHARLES,
b. June, 1865.
1803.
With the year 1803 the personal reminiscences of the compiler begin. The Green Woods turnpike then, as now, ran along the easterly and northerly border of Mad River, from Coe street to Chestnut street. The green, or east village park, and the road northward, now constituting North Main street, had been recently laid out, and was cleared in its whole extent. At the south end of the park was a gravel knoll of eight or ten feet elevation, and to the west of it, about opposite Woodruff's confectionery store, was a sink hole or frog pond, depressed to the level of the river channel, which was soon after partially filled with flood-wood logs from the river, which were covered over at successive " spells " by plowing the knoll and spreading the gravel on them, until the depression and elevation were graded to one level.
The level land north of the lake stream, through which Meadow street now runs, was an unbroken forest ; so also was the westerly and southerly
377
AND FAMILY RECORDS.
border of Mad River from near Lake street to Still River, the meadow land south of the east village being an impenetrable morass covered with timber, where the flood-wood of Mad River had lodged and accumulated to such a degree that in time of winter and spring floods the road above the creek bridge would be submerged and covered by broken ice, not unfrequently to a depth of six feet, rendering it impassable until the water subsided. and the cakes of ice could be removed from the road path. The hill lands, encircled on three sides by Main and North Main streets, and bordering Hinsdale street, were an unbroken forest, save at points where houses had been erected. A part of the flat liad been cleared, but the aboriginal stumps remained, only partially decayed.
On Lake street stood nearest the lake outlet the one and a half story house built by David Austin, Jr., and then occupied by Solomon Rockwell and his recently married wife. Next northerly on the east side of the street was the two-story lean-to house built by Deacon David Austin and then occupied by the miller and one or two other families. Next northerly stood the Daniel Wilcox house, immediately west of which Rockwell street now runs. The Lake street road then ran.directly down the hill in front of this house, and has since been swung around to the north for ease of grade.
The lake stream was then conducted by a canal easterly across the street opposite the lean-to house and then on the east border, to near the Wilcox house where it again crossed back, and poured its waters on the wheels of the old Austin Mill, which stood where the road now runs, a little below the Henry Spring Company's works. On the westerly side of the road, immediately below the first canal crossing. stood a blacksmith shop and dish mill, and below the corn mill. a clothier's shop, fulling mill and carding mill. A dwelling house, soon after this period burned down, stood below and adjoining the clothier's shop. There was another dish mill where the Beard-ley company's grinding shop now stands. Below this stood the old original forge where the Winsted Company's grinding works now stand, and " the middle forge" then recently erected by the Rockwells and now rebuilt and owned by Timothy Hulbert. Around these forges were three tenements for workmen, and two others stood on Lake street.
On the depot grounds of the Connecticut Western Railroad Company stood the oldest store building within the borough limits, built before 1800 by Thomas Spencer, Jr., and Hewitt Hills. Below the middle forge stood a saw mill, on the site of which "the lower forge " was built a few years after by the Rockwell Brothers. On the next privilege stood the scythe works of Meritt Bull, this year completed, where the stone shop of the Winsted Hoe Co., adjoining Meadow Street bridge, now stands. Be- low this on the northerly side of Lake street, immediately east of Meadow
48
378
ANNALS OF WINCHESTER,
street, was James Boyd's scythe works ; and nearly opposite them stood and now stands the gambrel-roofed store-building, that year erected by Mr. Kirkum.
On the turnpike, or Main street, there stood an old house on the site of George Dudley's residence, occupied by David West. The next house was erected and afterwards occupied during his life by James Boyd, and now owned by John T. Rockwell. The next house was built in 1802 by Deacon Alpha Rockwell on the site of the Beardsley House. The Lyman & Lewis store-building stood on the site of Moses Camp's dwelling until taken down and re-erected about 1842 on Prospect street and now owned by Benjamin Lawrence. On the south corner of Main and Lake streets stood the small gambrel-roofed store built two years earlier by Bissell Hinsdale. Next south of this stood, and still stands, the old Higby tavern ; and beyond this, on the site of Weed's block, the gambrel-roofed Kirkum dwelling. From this point to the new meeting-house in the east village, not a single building had been erected on either side of the road, except the store now occupied by T. Baird. There had been a log house on the flat and another on High Street hill, but both had disappeared.
In the East Village the original hotel building had been raised and covered, and a small dwelling or shop, stood on or near the Normand Adams store site, and a coarse hemlock covered dwelling, built by one of the Potters, stood behind the ancient elm tree at the corner of North Main and Hinsdale streets. There was a small opening in the woods through which Hinsdale street ran, near the residence of John G. Wetmore, on which stood a small log-house occupied by a shoemaker named Henry Sanford. Around the Doolittle mill, on the east wing of the clock-factory dam, stood the Jesse Doolittle dwelling, afterwards owned by Asaph Pease, and now removed, nearly in front of the new James G. Woodruff house, on the west side of the North Main Street road, as it then ran. North of this, on the same side of the road, stood a small house occupied by the miller; and still further north another small house, which was afterwards removed to the top of the high knoll, beneath which it before stood. Opposite this house, on the east side of the street, stood, and still stands, the double house of Jenkins & Boyd, afterwards the parsonage house of the late Rev. James Beach, in which the compiler was born.
The district school-house of the West District was a building of dubious age and color on the site of the long one-story school-house standing west of the newly erected Graded school edifice. The Coe Street road, Spen- cer Street road, and Hinsdale Street road concentrated at that point ; and it was reached from Lake street by way of the new turnpike.
On the now discontinued road on the east side of Still River stood, and now stands, in a ruinous condition, the Nathan Wheeler house, with a floating foot bridge crossing the river, and two other houses near the
379
AND FAMILY RECORDS.
Turnpike bridge, which have since disappeared. The Widow Hall house at the parting of the turnpike and the Torringford road, had been recently built for a tavern by Benjamin Wheeler, who kept the only post-office in the town.
The elms around the East Village Park were set out this year and were probably the first transplanted shade trees in the society, with the excep- tion of an occasional willow. Most unfortunately for New England, the spiky Lombardy poplar was first imported about this period, and gained a most unaccountable popularity. Its easy propagation by slips, of rapid growth, and its singular though graceless form, gave to it almost universal favor. It had a run of a whole generation to the almost entire exclusion of our beautiful native shade trees. Fortunate indeed were the older villages which had reared their wide branching, majestic elms before this graceless and short-lived tree gained a footing among us.
On the subsidence of the Lombardy poplar mania, the rock-maple found general favor by reason of its cleanliness and depth of shade, rather than the grace and majesty of its matured form. The elm, though somewhat later in its introduction, has proved itself a more rapid grower and a more hardy tree. None of ours away from the East Park have yet attained the maturity of size which developes their full grace and majesty ; yet the large number now in process of healthy growth, give assured promise of a beautiful town in the future, in spite of its ill proportioned and comfortless residences.
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