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 55
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Of those whom I have known in active life, many are no longer to be seen. Among them I recall the names of the venerable Deacon James H. Alvord, whom all remem- ber with affection and respect ; my excellent neighbor, Deaeon Elliot Beardsley ; and the Rev. James Beach, whose long and consistent ministry, in the First Church in Winsted, did so much to develope and make permanent the religious faith of the peo- ple. The venerable James Boyd, one of the pioneer scythe-makers of the place, whose large heart, good will and loving kindness to his fellow men, would never let him accept the whole creed taught by the parish minister.
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The Rev. Daniel Coe, who in his earnest zeal in the temperance cause, allowed him - self to be outwitted by mine host Fyler, formerly of the old tavern here, whom he per- suaded to promise that he would sell no more rum ; which promise did not prevent the sale of other liquors as abundantly as before ; Fyler using the word rum in its specific sense, while our reverend friend used it in the generie. His son Nelson D. Coe, and others of the name; good old Uncle Jonathan Coe ; Samnel Ward Coe, the merchant ; and Norris Coe, who for so many years carried the mail between Winsted and the "Old Society," scarcely ever losing a trip, till tripped by death, who seemed to care nothing for the penalty threatened by "Uncle Sam." for stopping the mail; and I think death has never been arrested for the offence, though he is yet lying in wait for Coe's successor on the route.
Nathan Champion, who long acted as the oldest mason here, bearing the Holy Serip- tnres in their processions.
Lucius Clarke, whose dream of cementing in common brotherhood the rival parts of the town, "East Street " and " West Street," by building between them a village so large as to swallow them both, and blot out the famous "Creek Bridge," may yet be realized by his successors.
The forcible and energetic Gideon Hall, who, to use his own words, long " lived on borrowed time;" and his son of the same name, who, with less than his father's force of character, and more than his polish, rested his weary frame on the bench of the Su- perior Court of Connecticut.
Lieutenant Governor William S. Holabird, whose pions zeal did so much to fix St. James' Church in its present location.
The brothers, Samuel and Lemuel Hurlbut, the successful merchants and stock- breeders of the " Old Society," who, by their enterprise, did so much to improve the cattle of their town and state, and build up their own fortunes.
The genial Colonel Hosea Hinsdale ; Rufus Holmes ; and James Humphrey, whose honest independence everybody liked.
William H. Phelps, the successful founder of the Hurlbut Bank.
William S. Phillips, the merchant, whose excellent qualities made all who knew him wish his life far longer, and his fortune great.
Lucius Skinner, whose violent and untimely death, met in the discharge of his duty, every one deplores.
William Sanford, the popular landlord of the old hotel.
Captain Wheelock Thayer, the successful manufacturer and earnest free-soiler; and his son-in-law and successor, Seth L Wilder, who offered, one bright first-of-April, to take several of his friends in partnership in a new manufacturing enterprise, which, after a somewhat elaborate consideration, proved to be for the production of gigantic bull-frogs in India-rubber, and forever silenced the jokes, which he for years had borne, over the mammoth frog of Columbia County.
The brothers John and Thomas Westlake, whose social qualities none have forgotten.
Charles B. Weed, who did so much to mend your ways ; and last, but not the least, my excellent and lamented friend, ERASTUS STERLING WOODFORD, whose sterling qualities of heart and brain endeared him more and more, not only to those who knew and loved him well, but to the public generally, and whose place, I know, the people have never had harder work to fill, than during the preparation and execution of the plan of this centennial commemorative feast.
But the world is full of compensations; and while we drop a tear to the memory of tho e who are gone, we rejoice at the evidence of the continued prosperity of the town under their successors. I rejoice in your graded school, which has grown up, mainly since I left here, the present standing of which I believe to be largely due
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to the energy of our friend William G. Coe, who, when chosen school committee in 1864, allowed himself to be convinced that, although the districts had twice voted not to have a graded school, he yet had power to establish one, and, acting on that conviction, did so at once, and put it in successful operation. I feel proud of your water works, and possibly not the less, for having penned in 1853, a little paragraph for George B. Cook's Winsted Advertiser, the first paper printed in town ; which, so far as I know, was the first article ever printed in favor of the project.
And now, while I must candidly admit that in my theological examination a year ago I failed to get a license, and so have no right to preach to you, yet I must beg leave, in behalf of those who, like myself, have left the good old town, to offer a word of exhortation to you who yet remain, to guard well its reputation in all respects.
We, by our removal, have not lost our pride in that good name, but our ability to keep it up is greatly lessened. Remember that the past history of the town is not alone to be considered; its future history is to be made, and we charge you to see that it be so made that neither you nor we shall feel shame for it.
Let your churches, while they maintain the best reputation for sound doctrine, practice the largest toleration, that the greatest number may be brought within their influence. Let your schools deserve the name of keeping the best and most accom- plished teachers, and of sending out the most ripe and liberal scholars. Let your merchants maintain their reputation for honest, fair, and liberal dealing; let your manufacturers keep up and improve the good name of their productions ; let your scythes have the stiffest backs, the brightest blades, and the keenest edges ; your pins, the firmest shafts, the smoothest heads, and the sharpest points ; let your railways be the safest, surest, and most successful, and your telegraphs the most reliable that ever distanced lightning.
Two of my children were born here, and the third first saw the light in another state, and I earnestly hope that he may never have a chance to cast upon his elder brother and sister the reproach of an unworthy birth place.
The choir then sang the old hymn, " The New Jerusalem ;" " From the third heaven, where God resides," &c.
During an earlier period in the evening, his Excellency the Governor, MARSHALL JEWELL, had come in, and been received with applause. At this point the president took the liberty to call on him for an address. He said :-
MR. CHAIRMAN, LADIES, AND GENTLEMEN-I think if any body can plead im- munity from speaking here to-night, I certainly ought to be permitted to do so ; for, sir, when I was invited, two or three days since, to come here on this occasion, and it was intimated that I might be called upon to " stand and deliver," I did not sup- pose the demand would be made to-night. I perfectly well recollect that on one occasion, when President Lincoln was situated somewhat as I am, he expecting to be called on to address some soldiers on the following day, was visited the evening before by a number of them, who wanted a speech. Said he, "Boys, how do you suppose I can speak to you to-morrow if you draw it all out of me to-night !"
I am not a native of Winsted. From some things I have heard here to-night I could wish I were; but it is a very difficult feat, I know, for the boys to catch up with the fathers. I used to hear, in my boyhood days, of the prominent men of this section, and I thought that John Boyd, and the old brass-mounted abolitionists about here, and Methusalch were among the oldest men known; but when I come out here now I seem to be almost as old as John Boyd.
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I know there are many here who wish to speak to-night, and I will not oceupy your time. I want just to say, in the name of the state and of New England, and of all that is valuable, that it is just such occasions as this that make the community. This New England has no second in the elements of national strength, and when we come together on an occasion like this, and see what the past generations have done, we see what we ought to do ; we take the best position we can in a republic like ours, and learn to drop the bad examples of the past, and go on to make the future better. And if Winchester can do any better in the future than she has done, I hope I may be Governor of Connecticut a hundred years hence, and meet her boys here to celebrate the next centennial. (Applause.)
DR. PATTERSON, in his seat, responding-It is pretty early to electioneer for that, Governor.
The next speaker was Rev. C. H. A. BULKLEY, of Malone, New York, a former pastor of the 2d Congregational Church, whose name, as announced by the president, was greeted with applause. He said :-
As I came up these steps the chairman said to me, " You can have the pulpit." I think if any one can claim this privilege it should be myself, because when this church was erected the only two privileges that I asked of the architect were, that I might have the direction of the ventilation of the church, and the construction of the pulpit. And my idea was to make it as much of a platform as of a pulpit.
I am not a native of Winchester. I was born in Charleston, South Carolina, a fire cater, and all the good sense I have, if I have any, comes from my paternal ancestor . who was from the State of Connecticut. But to-night I find myself a sort of patriarch, as the founder of this West Winsted Church, and it is of this church that I can speak better, perhaps, than any one else not a resident here. I found that to-day every thing said with respect to the past was of the most agreeable kind, and every thing unpleasant was left entirely out of view. So, in my reminiscences of the past history of this church I shall leave out every thing that might be unpleasant to you or me in the recollection.
I remember very well when I was asked to come up here to Winsted. I was met in the city of New York by my good brother N. H. Eggleston, who said he had got into a dilemma, having a call to West Winsted, and another to Chicago, and he did not wish to come here and have the people become interested in him, as he preferred to go to Chicago. So he asked me to come here and take his place, as he had agreed to come and preach on the next Sabbath. I came here late Saturday, and I was directed to the house of my good friend, George Dudley, where I introduced myself and told him I was not Mr. Eggleston. You know how he has a way of shrugging up his shoulders. He washed his hands in invisible water, and rather hesitating said, it had been advertised that Rev. Mr. Eggleston was to preach. I told him I would go on and preach, and he need not say any thing more than that the minister had come, until it was all over, and then he could tell the people that the minister was not Mr. Eggleston. I must confess that coming from New York, where the soil was so fertile and the fields so beautiful, I felt a little shrinking at the idea of coming to settle here. I remember, when coming in the stage coach, of meeting my good brother, Dr. Eldridge, and he related the story then new to me, of a man who when riding some- where in this vicinity inquired where they found the stones for the stone walls that were so plenty, and on being assured that they were taken from the adjoining fields expressed his doubts, as he could not perceive that any were missing from the fields.
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The question was asked by a friend whether I would accept a call to this church, which was not then a church, not having been formed. I replied that I thought I could not, for I did not think the people could give the salary I thought I ought to have. " Why, how much do you suppose they will offer ?" I said I thought that they would probably offer about $600; and I said I thought I could not stay for less than $1,000. A few days after a committee called on me to be the prospective pastor of the church at a salary of $1,000. I was, therefore, in a measure committed ; but I accepted the call, at $1,000, provided they would build me a church within a year. They gave a kind of provisional pledge, and after some little time I accepted the call, and came here just after there had been one of those damaging freshets in Mad River, and the roads were washed away and gullied out, and everything looked desolate and forlorn. I must confess my heart sank within me; and my family especially thought they had come to a pretty dreary sort of country.
But it did not prove so in the end ; for the blessing of God came, and the spirit of God was outpoured, and there were some pleasant conversions; and when, about that time, I met with an accident, my good friend Mr. Winslow came to my assistance. But the great work done was in the revival of 1857-58. I remember very well that little school-house that stood on the promontory near the mill-pond. There was my study, in that little school-house; and the Methodist minister came to me and said, " The Lord is with us, and we want you to come and help us." I had been brought up under influences that made me think but little of the Methodists- I am ashamed to say -and I gave him the cold shoulder. But I finally went, and I saw that the Spirit of God was at work, and young men were bowing at the altar. This church was not then built, and we were worshiping in the hall. We had no place where we could meet except in private rooms ; and so we co-operated there at the Methodist church. The result was, to draw these two denominations more closely together. This church was organized, I think, in the Spring of 1854; and the number that joined with us by profession of faith or by letter, was fifty-eight. I think there were one hundred and fifty-seven names on the roll of this church when I left.
I recollect a number of ladies got up an " old folks' kitchen," and they had a dance. Just think of it; that the Congregational church should have done such a thing! There was a man came in with bag-pipes, with legs exceedingly thin, that looked like pipe stems ; and some lady of middle age got up and began to dance with him, but not very well. And old Mrs. Thayer, who had been on her bed for five weeks with rheumatism, had been taken out to see the old folks' kitchen ; and when she saw that the lady did not dance very well, Mrs. Thayer was quite indignant, and she took her dress in her hand and danced most vigorously with the gentleman ; and they had a real old-fashioned jig. The next Sunday the old gentleman came into church, and I saw his legs just as I saw them while he was dancing the jig; and I had to put my face in my hands and laugh ; I was afraid I should laugh out in meeting.
The catechism class was a pleasant feature of my work. I used to catechise the children, and have an annual exhibition, and I was astonished at the close of the second exhibition by a presentation of a gold-headed cane by a young lady.
It was my great privilege to stand here, after this church was built, as the first min- ister who ever entered this pulpit. In the providence of God, I have been permitted to labor elsewhere; but have come back with a heart that is warm and full of Christian feeling towards all here. When here a few weeks ago, collecting some material for my poem, I was asked by a gentleman if I found anything to awaken poetry here, and I replied, " Oh, yes, the faces of my friends do that." My heart has been most ten- derly affected since I have been here now, as it was during that visit. I then had a deep sense of God's goodness ; and it came through the manifestations of affection by
74
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this people towards me. And so, I have felt that to-night the words that I should speak must be with gratitude to God and thankfulness to these friends who have ever shown to me so much sympathy and love. (Applause.)
The choir then sang, to the tune Mear, the hymn, " Let children hear the mighty deeds," &c.
THE PRESIDENT then said: Ladies and Gentlemen, we are very much obliged to you for your patient attention this evening. We have detained you longer than our usual wont. We have a hard day's work before us to-morrow, and we will now close.
The Benediction was pronounced by REV. HENRY B. BLAKE, and the meeting adjourned till to-morrow morning.
WINSTED, THURSDAY MORNING, AUG. 17TH, 1871.
This morning the town wore a festive appearance. The streets were thronged with thousands of people, and flags were flung to the breeze on every hand. There were many happy reunions. People who had not met for years greeted each other joyfully, and happiness beamed on every countenance. The oldest living native of Winchester, Deacon Ira Hills of Vernon, New York, was present, hale and hearty, at the age of 88 years. And there were hundreds of the old residents from all over the country. The doors of the citizens were thrown hospitably open, and never was a more happy family gathered than that of old " Mother Win- chester " to-day.
The procession formed at half-past 8, a. m., in front of Rockwell's Tannery, in the following order :
Marshal-Col. Wheelock T. Batcheller. Aids-Col. Jeffrey Skinner and Porter S. Burrall. Gilbert Cornet Band. St. Andrew's Lodge, No. 64, A. F. & A. M. Historian, Poet, His Excellency the Governor, and other speakers. Warden and Burgesses of the Borough of Winsted. Union Hose Co., No. 1.
When the procession moved down Main street, it was joined at the Clark House, by
Palmer Post G. A. R. Monitor Lodge I. O. G. T. Bushnell Cornet Band of New Hartford. Deluge Hose Co. No. 2.
At Oak street, by
St. Patrick's Benevolent Society. St. Francis' T. A. B. Society.
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And at Park Place, by
Niagara Hose Co. No. 3. Cascade Hose Co. No. 4. Citizens on horseback. Citizens on foot.
And marched around the Park, thence up Main to Meadow, down Meadow to Monroe, through Monroe to Main, down Main to the front of" the Methodist Church, where there was a stand erected, and thousands of people were assembled, the sheltering trees affording a sufficient can- opy to protect them from the August sun. An arch over the street bore the motto, " Winchester welcomes her children." The welcome was cordial indeed.
The officers of the day were-
William G. Coe, President.
Reuben Cook, 1
Jehiel Coe,
Rev. Frederick Marsh, Beebe B. Rockwell,
Vice Presidents.
George Dudley,
Oliver White,
The President having called the vast assembly to order, delivered in an eloquent manner the following
ADDRESS OF WELCOME.
The first duty assigned me, is to grect you, Sons and Daughters of Winchester, with cordial welcome. It is painful t> be able to command only common-place and stereotyped words to express the kindly emotions which your presence awakens. Be assured, however, that the occupants of the old homestead are joyous and happy over the return of the absent ones, and bid you all a sincere and heartfelt welcome.
Time, here as elsewhere, supplemented by no little enterprise and public spirit, has wrought its changes, and many of you will find few landmarks to lead you back to scencs fast fading and soon to be past recall. Here and there you will meet some of the older children of the family, now aged and venerable, but without exception hon- ored and esteemed, who may prompt and refresh your memories.
Our rugged old hill-sides, now perhaps more stern and forbidding than when you clambered over them, will to some of you be convincing witnesses of the wisdom which led you hence.
An occasional old homestead, dwarfed in its proportions from childhood's estimate, and much less cheery and inviting, may still be found.
The old red school-house, dreary and uncomfortable, is replaced by one of ampler proportions and luxurious appointments. And of the old church, naught but its stately pulpit, in the barn-yard museum of our venerable townsman, Jesse Williams, exists.
Our forests have disappeared at the beck of the manufacturer, and our waters are utilized and controlled by the same power.
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To view these changes, to re-visit old seenes, renew old friendships, to collate and preserve the early history of Winchester, to recall the memories and decds of its settlers, to quicken our appreciation of their virtues, to join in social pleasures, to gather up and re-unite the broken threads of friendship and consanguinity, to link the past of the old township to the present, we have bid you meet us to-day. And when these publie exercises shall have elosed, a fraternal greeting will await you at our homes and firesides.
REV. ASAHEL C. EGGLESTON, of Hartford, was then introduced to conduct the devotional exercises, remarking to the audience, that it was an old-time custom to open all exercises of our congregations with prayer, the audience rising. Let us rise and give God thanks.
PRAYER.
Olı, our God, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. From everlasting to everlasting Thou art God. A thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past. We humble ourselves this day beneath Thine exalted hand as we are gathered here on this centennial occasion. Thou art the living God; Thou wast our father's God; Thou art our God. This day do we acknowledge Thee. This day would we praise and laud and magnify Thy holy name. We bless Thee for Thy mercies shown towards our fathers ; we thank Thee for the history of the past ; we thank Thee that Thou leddest them through the great sea, and that Thou didst establish them in this land, driving out the inhabitants thereof before them, and making their enemies to be at peace with them, and giving them prosperity until a little one has become a great nation. We bless Thee for the holy memories that come to us this day. We thank Thee for the goodly heritage of our fathers ; we bless Thee for the grace given to them, as manifested by their humble faith and trust in Thy Holy Word, for their keeping of Thy Sabbath, for their regard for Thy worship, for their faithful lives of righteousness, equity, justice, and judgment.
Blessed be Thy name, oh God, for this heritage, which has thus come down to us; and we bless Thy name for the excellent institutions of our country which have come to us from our fathers, and which make our land the desire of all the earth. We humble ourselves before Thee, for we fear we have not loved Thee as did our fathers. We have not always exhibited the same integrity ; we have not so honored Thy Sabbaths, we fear; we have not so regarded Thy worship and Thy holy altars.
We thank Thee, oh Lord our God, for Thy mercies towards us ; pardon us now as we humble ourselves before Thee, seeking that pardon in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Let Thy blessing, O Lord, be upon us in all. these centennial exercises ; and grant unto us Thy grace ; for well we know that, although we rejoice in the blessings of the past, and indulge
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bright hopes of the future, these hopes will not end in fruition unless the blessing of the Lord our God be upon us. And we pray for Thy blessing upon this whole community and all our citizens. May we all learn to love righteousness, to love Thy holy law, to keep Thy Sabbaths, that in all things we may regard Thee and follow Thy commands.
Bless all the citizens in this community in all their industrial pursuits, in all business arrangements, in all commercial enterprises. Let them enjoy length of days, with a goodly heritage, and with freedom from great and unusual calamities, as individuals ; let Thy grace turn all our hearts from sin and lead us to righteousness and unfeigned faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Again we thank Thee for this occasion, for this bright and beautiful day, for the joyful remembrances of the past and the brighter hopes of the future, while we invoke Thy continued blessings upon us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE PRESIDENT .- The only person living who can write the history of Winchester is John Boyd. For his unwearied research and effort in this direction, it is proper that every native of Winchester should pay him the debt of gratitude they owe. It is my pleasure to present him to you to-day as our historian.
HON. JOHN BOYD .- Mr. President, I disclaim the merits attributed to me, and beg leave to say that neither power of voice nor my physical condition will enable me to make myself heard, even by the smallest part of this audience, and I therefore ask the privilege of appearing before you this day by proxy. I have therefore requested my friend, Mr. Forbes, to read my address, assisted by Mr. Hubbard. I ask attention to the reading of the first part by Mr. Forbes.
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