USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Canton > Canton sesquicentennial, 1806-1956; a short illustrated history of Canton > Part 11
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Louise Kellogg Strakosch and Ella Wheeler Wilcox. The cousin was quite impressed by Lizzie's callers, a consul, a prima donna, and a poet. The ladies had come for plums, and wanted to go over huckleberrying in the pasture. Lizzie of course told them to go and pick all they wanted, and they went off, carrying china pitchers they had brought to pick in.
When Dr. Merrell was a boy, his grandmother would sometimes ask him to get her a basket of chips. He said he didn't always bother to go under the shed to get dry ones, but would pick up wet ones outside. "And to think," said Lizzie, "that you grew up to be a minister !" His sisters were quite a bit older than he, and his coming was quite a sur- prise to the neighbors. One woman used to say that his mother went down cellar after potatoes and brought him up in the pan. On one of Dr. Merrell's calls, he found an old cobbler's bench that had belonged to his grandfather. Later he asked her to send it to him. The check he mailed her was just the amount she always paid for their "sitting," so she sent it down to the church in Canton Center.
Allan H. Conklin - John Hart - John Braislin - William Wells - Town of Canton - Daniel Merrell - William Merrell, Sr.
BREEZY HILL ROAD
The Beckwith place as it used to be called, now owned by John Braislin, was the home of Harvey Mills. Situated on the hills, it has a beautiful view of the ranges, including a glimpse of Nepaug reservoir. Until recent years it was run as a farm. Edward Beckwith carried on a milk route. It is now unoccupied.
John Braislin - Spencer Goodwin - Zina Hotchkiss - Antonia Brighenti - John Ryan - Edward Beckwith - Austin Beckwith - (Harvey Mills) .
The John Simpson place used to be known as the Whiting place. It was first settled by William Paine in 1758. Elijah Whiting came from Simsbury in 1820, and soon after built the present house. The house has now the addition of a greenhouse, where Mrs. Simpson raises a great variety of potted plants.
John Simpson - Louis Battistoni - William Ryan - (Elijah Whiting) - William Paine.
The house now owned by William C. Riddle, Jr. was built by Dwight Humphrey in 1850. It was sold to James Donovan about 1866. Two other houses on this once called Mulcundry Road are listed on the 1855 map as belonging to Dwight Humphrey. He was well known for his skill in framing buildings, and was in great demand to superintend "raisings." He was much below average in height, but his answer to any who joked him about it was, "What I lack in stature, I make up in feelings." This place has had many owners, and in recent years has not been run as a farm. The house has had many improvements.
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William C. Riddle, Jr. - Cecil Powell - . .. Puro - Morris Gold-
farb - .... Leucoski - Fritz Weingarth - Samuel A. Phelps - Amos Hosford - Orrin Hosford - James Donovan - Dwight Humphrey.
EAST MOUNTAIN ROAD
Going east on this road past the Sturgeon house, we come to the home of Elmer Blackman. This was originally a blacksmith shop, and served as such for several generations of Pliny Cases, followed by Amos Hosford and George F. Pratt. Clarence Vining, a grandson of Ruggles Case and, who succeeded him in the North Canton shop, moved to Canton Center about 1900, building rooms over the shop for his home. Here he lived, working at his trade, until his death in 1940. Since then the building has been rented to the Blackmans as a home.
Elmer Blackman - Grace Cole - Clarence Vining.
Mrs. Lena Bidwell's house is not on the 1855 map. Until his recent death, it was the home for some years of Albert Bidwell.
Albert Bidwell - Webster Case - Wilson Case - George F. Pratt - Amos Hosford.
We have no date for Mrs. Charlotte Craig's house, though it appears on the 1855 map as the home of Widow P. Case and T. J. Allen. It is the story and a half type, and has had some changes from the original. A bay window has been added, a veranda built across the front, and the rooms changed inside. A stone fireplace has been built on the north end of the house. A blacksmith shop used to stand on the north west corner of the lot, on the main road. George Smith and Philip Perkins were both blacksmiths.
Mrs. Charlotte Craig-Willis Demars-Edward Hosford-Philip Perkins - Charles Smith - George Smith - (T. J. Allen, Wd. P. Case).
Mrs. Butler P. Crittenden lives in a house owned by Mrs. Grace Cole. It stands at the bend of the mountain road, and is marked E. Spring on the 1855 map. It may be well over the hundred year mark, and has not been changed very much in its outward appearance.
The following incident occurred when I was a girl. The hill up past this house was a favorite sliding place, and noons the school children took their "pig stickers" and one or two double rippers up as far as they dared, to enjoy the swift ride down the hill. If the hill was in good shape, the sleds would sometimes cross the main road and stop on the road going back of the store. Most of the children would not go up far beyond this house on the turn, where Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Case lived, but some more daring would go up to the "Big Bend," and took a chance on safely rounding the turn by the Case house. One day a loaded double ripper came rushing down, tipped over right in front of the house, one of the girls landing on a stone between the gateposts. Her head was cut
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and bleeding. Mrs. Case came out and asked us to bring her in. She had the girl lie down on the couch, and then administered a remedy that I had supposed existed only in a nursery rhyme. It was a plaster of "vinegar and brown paper!"
Mrs. Butler P. Crittenden - Carl Fransson - Gordon Hunt - Mrs. Jessie James - Mrs. Rupert Edgett - Winthrop Dunbar - Har- old Humphrey, Jr. - Russell Richardson - Arleigh Richardson - Shirley Allen - Harold Humphrey, Sr. - Grace Cole - Harvey Seger - Henry P. Lane - Dwight Case - (E. Spring) .
HUMPHREY ROAD
The home of Arthur W. Sweeton is on the 1869 map. It was prob- ably built about 1860. It has a later style of architecture, perhaps Vic- torian, as it has dormer windows, a scalloped trim around the gables, and a bay window extending up two stories. There are no fireplaces, but a pipe hole in almost every room. The grounds were planted with many kinds of ornamental trees, some of which still remain. A row of mountain ash and a fence along the road are gone. It was called Rock Oaks. In the oak that stood on the corner near the pond there used to be a platform with seats that were directly over the road, a favorite spot for children. My grandmother often used to come to the foot of the steps into the tree with a tray of cookies and lemonade for us children.
A. W. Sweeton - Mrs. F. G. Humphrey - F. H. Tingley - Russell Richardson - Albert Bidwell - Herbert Sturgeon - Albert Seger - Homer de Lavanway - G. W. Lamphier, Sr. - Alfred F. Humphrey - Sherman Brown - Mrs. Selden White - Rev. Charles N. Lyman. (Rev. Lyman was pastor of the local church 1862-1868.)
The Henry Seger place was built by Orange Case about 1803. Orange Case was killed by a falling tree, the first tree cut for the church in Canton Center, built in 1814. His widow later married Ephraim Mills, Jr., who lived on Lewis Case's place.
Henry Seger - Martin Seger - Mrs. Jane Rood - F. G. Hum- phrey - Maria Strickland - Maria M. Case - (Orange Case) .
Mrs. Roscoe Bristol's house was originally smaller, a story and a half. It was the home of Calvin Case, Jr., and was near the first grist- mill in West Simsbury. The house has had many changes, having been raised to two stories by Mr. Bristol, and it has now been arranged for two families, Mrs. Bristol occupying the rooms on the west. When Lewis Cowles bought the place, he built a carriage shop over the grist- mill, with a large ramp in front. Here he repaired, built, and painted wagons and carriages. Tires were reset in the blacksmith shop south of the mill. Mr. Cowles often presented Canton Center girls with a rolling pin and potato masher when they got married. After Mr. Hum- phrey bought the place, he tore down the mill building, and put in a
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sawmill which he operated for several years. He also rebuilt the log dam, using reinforced concrete. (One end of this dam was washed away during the '55 flood)
Roscoe C. Bristol - Hayden Buttles - Lewis Case - F. G. Hum- phrey - Lewis Cowles - (Calvin Case, Jr.) .
Lewis Case lives on the place originally settled by Capt. Zacheus Case, who built a house in 1747. It was painted red and was the salt box type. The second and present house was built by Frederick G. Hum- phrey in 1893. It is on the same site, but larger. Ephraim Mills, Jr. helped Abiel Brown in collecting facts for his "Genealogical Sketches of the Early Settlers of West Simsbury, now Canton, Conn." from which so many facts have been used in this book. His daughter, Caro- line (Mrs. Rollin Humphrey) began her education by walking when four years old to the school then located on the hill opposite Mrs. Mollie Webster's. When she was a child, Sunday began at sundown Saturday night, and she could not begin to read a book on Sunday night until she could count ten stars. When Mr. Humphrey lived here he built two ice houses, and sold the ice in Collinsville. He did general farming, setting out large orchards on the hill to the west. He also raised tobacco, and hired a few men in the winter to sort crops for others. Logs were brought in to the mill during sledding and sawed into lumber in the spring. Peaches and apples were picked in the fall. Some of the apples were packed in barrels and shipped to England.
Lewis Case, Jr. - F. G. Humphrey - Wilbur White - Selden White - (Ephraim Mills, Jr.) - Jacob and Joseph Foote - Stephen Harris - Zacheus Case.
PART III Old Houses - Collinsville COLLINSVILLE BY SARA LOUGEE LATIMER
Collinsville is the youngest of Canton's settlements, and until the building of the Collins Co. was known as South Canton, the name being changed to Collinsville, in honor of Mr. Samuel Collins. In 1866 it was made a separate village and its citizens ceased going to Canton Center to vote.
The first house was probably the log home of one John Woodford built about 1745. He later built the "Tim Case Tavern" and still later the Collinsville hotel, called the Ocean House. After the Valley House was built it was made into tenements and known as the Old Hotel, and owned by the Collins Co.
Capt. Frederick Humphrey built one of the earliest houses, 1789, later known as the Correl Humphrey House, passing into the Collins
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Co. hands in 1867 and remodeled into two tenements. It was of a large colonial type of house of that period, with a secret stairway leading to the attic. Secret meetings of the Masons were supposed to have been held there in the days of Anti-Masonry. It stood just south of the Engine House, so called on Center Street, and was torn down in the early 1900's to make way for the two modern double tenement houses now standing there. Probably the oldest house now standing in the village proper is the home of Mr. Edwin Ripley, built in 1815 by his great great grandfather, Mr. Elias Woodford, whose wives, Zada and Fanny, were the daughters of Capt. Frederick Humphrey.
Other houses still remaining in the same direct line are the homes of A. O. Mills, David Brown, Burton and Lucelia Harrington (two houses) and Dorothea Crippen.
Collateral lines include, Guy Davis, Avis Nelson, Lulu Parish and John Owen.
It has not been possible to date exactly all the houses listed on the 1869 map but it is probable that many of them were built in the 1850's or early 60's on land purchased from the Collins Co. All Collins Co. deeds carried the clause that no intoxicating liquors could be sold on the property then or ever and the farm of Mr. A. O. Mills furnished much of the land for those farther to the north.
THE GREEN Gordon Ventres House
This was the home of Mr. Charles H. Blair, Sr. an official of the Collins Co., built on land acquired from the Collins Co. 1846, afterwards occupied by his daughter, Mrs. Harriet Blair Flint. After her death, the heirs sold to Mr. Gordon Ventres.
Collins Company (John Meconkey)
This house was built in 1847 and was bought by the Collins Co. from heirs of Mr. S. V. Woodbridge, who built it, and has been occupied by a series of the Company's employees.
Mr. Woodbridge had a Livery Stable and was Deputy Sheriff.
Dr. Ralph B. Cox House
This house was built in the 60's by Mr. J. B. Dewey, who kept a livery stable. At his widow's death it was bought by Dr. Cox, who still resides here.
Collins Company (Guy Whitney)
This house was acquired from the Collins Co. by Mr. Emerson Moody in 1839 who sold to Nathan Brainard, then to Seth P. Norton
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and on to Mr. George Chapin, passing into the hands of Julius E. Good- man, who had a general dry goods and grocery business in the stores now occupied by Dr. Nathan and William Panke. After Mr. Goodman, Mr. J. D. Andrews bought it in 1880.
Mr. Andrews was at one time the Treasurer of the Collinsville Sav- ings Society. At his widow's death the Collins Co. bought it, being occupied by their employees, at present being the home of Mr. Guy Whitney.
Collins Company (A. J. VanWiggeran)
This house was built by Mr. Frederic. A. Barton in 1841 and eventu- ally came into the ownership of Dr. R. H. Tiffany, and was known for many years as "the Tiffany House." The Collins Co. now own it and it is occupied by Mr. VanWiggeran.
MAIN STREET
The west end of the north side of Main Street was wiped out by fire in 1887, consequently Main Street of our history begins at Market Street. The buildings on the south side are comparatively new too.
Eaton Block
The Eaton Block on Main Street was built in 1867 by Mr. D. W. Bidwell, who had a hardware store, carrying cooking and parlor stoves. He sold to E. J. Smith, the Eaton Hardware buying from Mr. Smith's estate. In former years the 2nd floor contained a comfortable tenement and a dentist's office.
Mr. Eaton's business now uses the entire building.
Hough Block - so-called (Property of Stanley Mrozienski)
This block was built in 1867 by Mr. H. E. Harrington, brother-in- law of Mr. Emerson Hough, who later purchased it and had a drug store there for many years, his business being taken over by Mr. Joseph McNamara. It also contains the owner's store.
In days gone by there were tenements on the second floor followed by offices and Miss Lucy Carr's Millinary Shop. The 3rd floor was the Masonic Hall for many years and later occupied by the Odd Fellows and many other fraternal organizations.
Collins Company (Valley House)
The Valley House was built by the Collins Co. in 1868, the opening taking place May 7, 1868 in the evening with Mr. Nelson Brainard, the first proprietor. The two Collins Co. tenements, standing north of the Town Hall were moved there to make way for the new hostelry. Mr.
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O. H. Miner, Mr. H. T. Wheeler, Mr. Arthur Shuffle, Mr. Robert Hiner, Mrs. Bess Randall are some of the genial hosts during the years. Mr. Louis Pane is the present Proproetor.
The Dr. Eddy House
This house directly opposite Dr. Eddy's home was built before 1869 by Mr. James Spencer. Mr. Spencer was blind and for many years played the organ at the Congregational Church. From Mr. Spencer, it passed into the hands of Mr. Luke Chapman. After his widow's death, Mrs. Jennie Case Wilcox bought the place selling it to Dr. George W. Eddy.
Collins Company (Percy Waddy)
This was one of the two schools built in the early 1830's. It stood near the dam until about 1855, when it was moved to its present loca- tion, to make way for the new Railroad to Pine Meadow, the survey showing it pass thru the school. It has housed many Collins Co. em- ployees, now being the home of Mr. Percy Waddy and his sister.
FRONT STREET Collins Company Office Building
In 1830, Collins and Co. built the first office building on the site of the present. The first floor was the office, the basement was used as a school and the hall on the 2nd floor was used for Religious Services until the Church was built in 1836.
The present office building was built in 1868. For many years the basement housed the Post Office and a library of a sort. The 3rd floor had a spacious well equipped Hall with stage which was always avail- able to the town's people for use at only the cost of the janitor. As business increased, it had to be done away with and some of the offices were moved to the 3rd floor.
For many years the Company graciously allowed Phoebe Humphrey Chapter to use one of the rooms as their home, again only asking for janitor's fees. Within the past few years their business required the room and the D.A.R. had to take leave of their comfortable quarters.
At this time they would like to pay special tribute to the Collins Co. for their many courtesies.
Collins Company (So-called Barbour House) (Downey Family)
This house was one of three that the Collins Co. built at the time they started their axe works and was bought by Mr. Samuel Barbour as a family homestead, 1827.
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Mr. Barbour ran a general store. The property passed on to his son, Mr. A. H. Barbour, and then to Miss Josephine Barbour, daughter of Mr. A. H. Barbour.
Upon Miss Barbour's death in 1938, the Collins Co. bought it back and it is now occupied by the Downey Family.
Collins Company (Helen Alderman)
The house just south of the Barbour house was built at the same time, 1827, this house was and has always been used as a tenement and is now occupied by the Alderman's.
Collins Company Tenements
No list of houses of Collinsville would be complete without the his- tory of the 45 double houses which the Company built. In 1831, 21 houses on the east side of the river and in 1832, 24 on the west side, up and down the hills.
Their history is most unique. They still stand, only one ever being consumed by fire as far as can be learned, one was torn down and two were moved to new locations.
The low rambling and to the stranger unattractive houses originally consisted of just the main part, with living room, pantry and bedroom on the first floor with two sleeping rooms and a small hall above. They were built at a cost of $500.00 each and each tenant was required to take a boarder or two.
Inside, nowadays one would be amazed at the comfort and quality of these homes. Such instances of small investments growing to such proportions are staggering, one doubts if he travelled the country over he would find just this type of dwelling, built and maintained as early as these and still in such excellent condition. They rented at first for $25.00 per year.
CENTER STREET Dr. Kilburn House
This house was built by the Collins Co. in 1832. At one time Mr. David W. Catlin resided there (1854). Mr. Milo Chidsey eventually acquired it, his heirs selling to Dr. W. H. Crowley, next came Dr. Camp- bell, who sold to Dr. Kilburn, its present occupant.
Edwin F. Ripley House
This is probably the oldest house standing in the village proper of Collinsville, having been built in 1815 by Mr. Elias Woodford, Mr. Ripley's great great grandfather. It is situated at the end of Center Street at the junction of Huckleberry (formerly Whortleberry) Hill Road and has always remained in the family.
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Harry Myers House
This house was the property of a Mr. Elam Converse, having been built previous to 1869. Dr. Barnes, The Emhoff Family, Andersons and now Mr. Harry Myers, State Policeman have been its occupants.
John Selden House
The 1869 map shows this as the home of Mr. T. C. Wilbur. Later it became the home of a Mr. Wilmot, whose daughters, Mrs. Warren Noble and Mrs. Julia Harvey occupied it for many years, they leaving it to the Latimer Sisters. Their heirs selling to Mr. John Selden.
David H. Brown House
This house is situated on Center Street and was built by Theophilus Humphrey, the great grandfather of Mr. Brown, 1847.
It fronted on Church Street Hill, and you will notice the front entrance is on the side of the house. It has remained in the family hav- ing been occupied successively by Mr. David Holbrook, son-in-law, Mr. Lee Kelly and Mr. Samuel Brown, grand sons-in-laws and now by Mr. David Brown, son of Mr. Samuel Brown. Mr. Holbrook was Foreman of the Plow Shop.
Rafftery House
This house on the corner of Main Street and Center Street was built about 1847, probably by Edwin Bidwell, father of Mr. Daniel and Jasper Bidwell, whose widow married a Mr. Garrett. Various families have lived there. Dr. Eddy buying the place some years ago and sold in 1955 to Mr. Edward J. Rafftery, whose home was washed away by the August Flood of 1955.
Collins Company (Engine House)
The old engine house, so-called on the south east corner of Main and Center Streets was built previous to 1869. Downstairs housed the old hand fire pump, now in the Museum. Upstairs has served many pur- poses, among them, private schools, band rehearsals and scout meet- ings. Downstairs has been converted into a garage.
Leo A. Daniels House
This was commonly referred to as the "Brick House" and was the property of Mr. Elam Converse before 1869. Mr. Converse acquired the land from Mr. Elias Woodford. Mr. Converse sold to Mr. W. H. Hawley, whose son, Mr. Fred Hawley sold to Mrs. Lydia Arnold. Mrs. Arnold sold to Dr. J. B. Flint his wife's heirs sold to Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Shaw. Mr. Daniels bought it a few years ago from the Shaws.
Congregational Church Parsonage
This house next south of Dr. Kilburn's was built by the Collins Co. at the same time, 1832, as Dr. Kilburn's home, and has always been used as a parsonage.
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Lester Olson House
This house was built in 1854 by Deacon Horatio Goodwin, a harness maker in the village for many years. Mr. Goodwin was the great grand- father of Mr. Clair Elston, Vice President of the Collins Co. It has passed thru the several generations and has remained in the family until its recent sale to Mr. Lester Olson, our Postmaster.
John Owen House
This house was built about the same time as the Goodwin and was owned by a Mrs. Brandriff, who was the sister of Miss Hattie Crane. Miss Crane resided there for many years and at her death it passed on to her nephew Mr. John Owen, and then to his widow. It has been re- modeled into a three tenement house.
Leonard Rogers House
This house was built in 1854 by Orrin Case. Mr. E. Frank Bidwell bought it in 1857, his widow and heirs resided there after his death, finally becoming the property of Mr. Frank Bidwell and Mrs. Ella Hatch. It is now the property of Josephine Bidwell Rogers' (Mr. Bid- well's daughter) daughters and has been in the family since 1857.
Quintal House
This was the home of Mr. N. L. Polk, in 1869, a druggist. Mr. Ulrich Haury bought of Mr. Polk, his estate selling to Mr. Herbert Smith, it then passed on to Mr. P. Donovan, then Mr. Carl Lane and is now the property of Mrs. Isabel Quintal and is used as a tenement house for two families.
Trinity Church Parish House
This house was built about 1853 by Absalom Williams. It was sold after his death to the parents of Mr. W. H. Robinson, who left same to Trinity Church Parish. Mr. Williams was the grandfather of Mrs. Myron Butler, whose mother married Mr. A. W. Bristol, Sr.
William E. Woods House
This house stands immediately back of the John Owen house on the road that leads to Johnson Place. It was built in 1854 by Mr. Henry A. Spring. Sold to Mr. L. P. Martin and then to the Browns of West Simsbury, their heirs selling to Mr. Woods.
The Tolides House
This house stands on what is known as Johnson Place, originally called "Henryville." It was built by Orrin Case, in 1854, who resided here for a while then selling to Mr. George Henry, grandfather of Mrs. Carl Svenson.
The Henry heirs sold to Mr. Arthur Johnson, then Mr. Christie Tolides bought it.
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Collins Company (Emerson Hough House)
This house just opposite Johnson Place was built in 1854 by Mr. Henry A. Spring, then passing into Mr. Emerson Hough's hands, who resided there with his family for many years. After his death, his heirs sold to the Collins Co. Mr. Arthur Curry now lives here.
Harold Butler House
This house on North Street just off River Street, was the property of the J. B. Dewey Estate, housing a livery business. From Mr. Dewey it passed into the hands of a Mr. Hiram Chandler, then to Mr. Wm. Henry, Jr. and on to his son, Mr. Whitfield Henry, and is now owned and occupied by the Harold Butler family.
EAST STREET Quintal House
This house was built before 1869 by Mr. S. M. Tatro on land ac- quired from Mr. Seth P. Norton. Mr. Tatro was head of the Grinding Dept. of the Collins Co. It is now the property of Mrs. Isabel Quintal and her son Richardson. They bought from Mrs. Sarah Phillips. Some time during the years it was made into a two family house, and Mr. Richardson Quintal occupies one part of the house.
Edward Berg House
This house was known for years as the "Correl Hitchkiss House" and the home of a dear teacher of long ago, Miss Louise Hotchkiss. Miss Hotchkiss was also a charter member of Phoebe Humphrey Chapter, D.A.R. and Mr. Hotchkiss' daughter. It was built in 1854 by Mr. Ger- man German, who sold to Mr. Hotchkiss. Owners thru the years have been Mr. Martin Bader, Mr. Charles Fox and the present occupant, Mr. Edward Berg.
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