USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Canton > Canton sesquicentennial, 1806-1956; a short illustrated history of Canton > Part 5
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Humphrey and resided on the farm left by his honored father. He lived there until 1800 then he moved to Barkhamsted.
The house now standing was built in 1788 by Lieutenant Gideon Mills. This house is a story and a half. Early settlers found this type of house was easier to heat as the two story house usually required an upstairs fireplace and was taxed more. Usually some of the family slept under the rafters and were snug and warm in quilts and feathers with a hot soap stone at their feet. It was great fun to awaken in the morn- ing and find little snow drifts on the quilts.
After passing through several hands, the house was owned by Henry Foote, 1855 map. Sebastian Werner bought this place from Jacob Pflugher (pronounced flee-gar) in March 1873. He came from Germany. He was so named after Saint Sebastian being born on this Saint's day. He came to America in 1857 from a Baron's estate where he was game keeper. After landing in Castle Garden, New York, he expected to find a job in America like his job in Germany and so he was dressed accordingly. His outfit was green pants and coat, buttons, game bag, gun and a long sword called a hirshfinner (pronounced hirsh finner) or deer sword. When he landed he asked for a nobleman or if he could see a Baron. People didn't know what he was talking about. Times were hard when Buchanan was president and he couldn't find work. Finally he found work with Ed Clark of New Britain for board and lodging.
Levi Case, who lived near by, surveyed the place for Sebastian Werner when he bought it from Pflugher in the winter of 1873 and moved onto it in March. Snow covered the ground and also many rocks and stones on the land. When the snow melted, they all had to move the stones and Flora said they have been picking up stones ever since. How- ever, the land is a beautiful spot and the family has enjoyed living here even though they had to work hard.
Part of the house was in poor condition, especially the parlor. A cherry tree was growing up inside near the fireplace. They went to the woods (Maurice was seventeen years old) and cut timbers and placed new sills underneath, also put on outside boards, shingles, etc. When completed, it cost over $100 which was a large sum at that time.
The front hall is now made into a bedroom and the door boarded up. The door now used is the funeral door in the front south room as in other old houses.
The old colonial houses usually had a small front hall or sometimes no hall between the two front rooms. There was not room to turn with pall bearers and casket, therefore a wide door, called the funeral door, was put close to the corner of the house and opened into the parlor. Usually this door was kept closed with a bar across the inside.
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The ruins of an old dam were on this place and Flora said, the site of the first saw mill. The granite blocks that were used to build the Collins Company dam in 1867 were taken from the granite quarry in Werner's pasture. Flora told how she and Abbie when children, went down to see a Mrs. Hart who lived in a tent and boarded the workmen. The men were from Unionville. She remembers being afraid of Mrs. Hart's sister because she wore her hair in bangs curled on the ends and called "spit curls."
Flora also told me about a strange stone compartment that was built into the old chimney. It has an entrance in the basement and above this entrance, it widens out like a mammoth hogshead then it narrows up to about the top of the first story and is sealed off. It could not be used for an oven as the stones are rough inside and it is too large a space. A carpenter with a flashlight crawled in and wondered what it could have been used for as much work had been put into its building. Had it been a place to hide children from the Indians? It is high enough to get air yet closed off from the top.
There are two cellars, the front and back with a solid wall between and a small door opening in the wall. Sometimes, we wish old chimneys could talk and answer our questions of curiosity. There is a fireplace in each of the two front rooms, and the fireplace in the kitchen has a brick oven.
The rooms seem to cling to this old central chimney and the family itself clung to the gigantic hearth beneath the kitchen fireplace. On the lintel or heavy hewn beam extended across the top were hung the kitchen utensils that were "hangable" and clustered around the sides many others. Often the father hung his gun in easy reach over the mantle and out of reach of the children. They trusted in God and kept their powder dry. "Faith of our Father's, Holy Faith, we will be true to Thee 'till death."
B. E. CONKLIN
Mr. Conklin and his daughter reside here. B. E. Conklin married Rosa Candace Case daughter of Asa Case and settled on the Case place. Map 1855 states Levi Case, a noted surveyor, lived here. Levi was the father of Asa Case. He was also recognized as a safe authority on the history of the town. Judge Sylvester Barbour states "It was like sitting at the foot of Gamaliel to talk with this learned man on historical facts."
The Cases were in the direct line of pioneer settlers on East Hill. The Biographical Record of Hartford County records this line of Cases.
The house is a two story colonial type and has not been changed much from the original building. The frame of this house was raised in Barkhamsted in 1822, left uncovered for two years then bought by Pitt Humphrey (who lived where the Werners live now), and brought here and sold to Levi Case.
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The big chimney has been removed and the outside of the house has been shingled. Some of the small glass windows remain in the second story with twelve over eight glass.
Near this site, was born in 1779, the Rev. Herman Humphrey. He was president of Amherst College from 1823 to 1845. This family had many noted people including doctors, lawyers and ministers. There were fourteen clergymen in this family and its descendants.
OLIN TURNER
This house has the name of Edward and Harry Case on 1855 map.
George Case lived here with his son Burton about 1888 and Mr. and Mrs. Schell and family came soon after. Maurice Werner said, "Harry, Betsy and Wealthy built this house. Betsy outlived the others and she gave the place to George Case for taking care of her."
Someone said that Harry Case was straight and tall and looked like General Washington. Maurice said he always gave very precise orders, when he worked for him and paid accordingly. He would ask, "What will you tax me for this job ?"
Just before it was time for the hired help to come to dinner, he would pass around large apples for the men to fill up on.
The house now standing has been changed somewhat, but still re- tains the type of the early settlers. Some of the rooms have the wide board floors and many iron hinges and latches are found in the house. This house has a background of hills and ravines with a brook running through which used to run a saw mill in early days.
CHARLES BAHRE
Records indicate that this house was built by Capt. Josiah Case in 1743 and in my search can find to other house ever built on this place. Brown Book quote "Josiah Case resided on the premises now occupied by his grandson Gen. Jarvis Case, Esq. on Chestnut Hill. Capt. Fithin Case second son of Capt. Josiah Case settled where his son Gen. Jarvis Case. now lives." This family had eleven children.
"Gen. Case organized a military company called the 'Canton Cadets' and was its first captain and was advanced from that to the rank of brigadier-general of the state militia. He was a man of striking dignity and gentility, erect and stately, such a one as would attract the atten- tion of strangers. He was long prominent in the choir. He began a care- fully prepared record of the weather in 1857 and it was continued by his son George J. Case." (Sylvester Barbour's book)
His son, George J. Case, resided here about 1904. This is the usual old New England type house, large frame and shows age. The house
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speaks for itself of the grim struggle for existance it has had through the ages of time. With the winter's hail, snow and sleet, and summers scorching heat, this weather beaten house has survived.
Like an old person it needs a "helping hand." Many a house has had an "uplift" and become an attractive place. One can only think of the many people who have found refuge and comfort beneath its roof and the old wooden cradles by the fireplace, that rocked to and fro, as the mother patiently knitted socks for her family.
The barns show it was a farm and no doubt butter and cheese were made here in the early days.
Mr. Bahre worked long and hard when he was able, cherishing and caring for his family. Some of his children and grandchildren still reside on the place.
HAROLD JAEGER
This was the Edwin White place in 1869, and the Arleigh Richard- son place about 1940. Gen. Ezekiel Hosford is on the map of 1855.
From the Brown Book, page thirty-one is the following: "Peter Curtis with his wife settled in West Simsbury about 1744 on lands owned by Ezekiel Hosford, at a place called Onion Brook near Onion Mountain." This was on the land where Ezekiel Hosford lived.
Opposite the house was a Sash and Blind Factory owned by Mr. Hosford.
This large two story house is located on the East Hill to Simsbury Road. The house is pinned together, and framed after the usual type of that period. It contains three fireplaces, one with a Dutch oven down- stairs, and a fireplace on the second floor.
HAROLD WOOD
This house was previously known as the Chidsey place. It is under the name of Vorlon Case on the map of 1855.
It was built by Gideon Curtis fourth son of Peter Curtis sometime before 1789. Gideon Curtis married Betsey Mills. He built the house now standing some forty rods northeast from Gen. Ezekiel Hosford's. He was by occupation a blacksmith.
Mr. and Mrs. Wood bought this place in 1938. Mrs. Wood thinks the old part was built about 1750, the main part in 1850.
Some very old grist mill stones were moved to this site by Dr. Butler in 1931. This old mill was in a valley east of the house.
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JAMES LEE LOOMIS
Records say it was built by Jeremy Case about 1745-1747 and until recent years was called the Orestes Case place.
The Brown Book says that, "Solomon Humphrey, Jr. (married Lucy Case) resided the first twelve years of his family state with his father, on the place now owned by Orestes Case, East Hill near the confines of Simsbury." The house is the old salt-box type, and still re- tains its historic lines with the long slanting roof in the rear. The base- ment walls are laid up with large stones and there is a fireplace in the basement. There are two fireplaces on the main floor. An old well, originally in the back kitchen or cheese room is now underneath the dining room. With modern improvements, the water comes from a deep artesian well.
Some of the names in the family were Elisha, Grove, Everest, Orestes and Frederick (all Cases). However, the name on the 1855 map is E. and L. Ackert. They probably resided there at that date. In later years, the house has changed hands many times. Many changes have been made by adding rooms and taking out partitions. It is reported that an old stone chimney was removed in 1875, which measured four- teen feet by fourteen feet at its base. One of these chimneys filled up a good share of the old cellars. It was like going around "Robin Hoods barn" to go around one of them and you could get lost on the way, especially if there was a side cellar dug out which was commonly done in many of these first houses, being just a dark hole or small room adjoining the cellar. It was ideal for storing vegetables and bottles of cider and maybe a few other things. These chimneys were made to last and they did, for often when we see an old house tumbling by decay, the chimney stands for many years unless torn down.
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ERNEST HOFFMANN
This house is referred to by Judge Latimer as the "Castle on the Rhine." The Rhine must be the deep ravine east of the house. It is a very large fortress-like house, sturdy and weathered by age. This house certainly defies the elements of time : rain, hail and snow. It has views of glorious hills on the east and south with deep valleys between. Huron Case lived here for fifty years. His daughter taught school about 1868 and later went to India as a missionary.
Quote from Brown Book - "Lt. Charles Humphrey, 2nd, son of Charles Humphrey, settled in West Simsbury in 1753. Their first build- ing was erected on the east side of the farm. He, afterwards, built and lived on the western part of his farm at the site now occupied by his grandsons, Charles Humphrey and Berea Case" (on 1855 map) .
The Charles then living on the site was the fifth generation by the name of Charles, five generations in succession. Two sisters Hannah and Elizabeth were left on the place and remained under the care of Uriah and James Case until their death. Willis Case and family resided there and their daughter and husband still live there.
This house has a large stone chimney, also two other chimneys from projecting ells. The ells are two stories high and have the old fashioned bedrooms. The walls of the bedrooms in these old houses are plain and severe with straight walls with a few pictures and mottos. These mottos were usually worked on perforated paper or spatter work, with the words "God Bless Our Home" or "Gone But Not Forgotten."
This house has recently been painted white and looks outstanding with its background of hills, the foliage changing with the seasons.
MR. AND MRS. GEORGE JOHNSON
Mr. and Mrs. George Johnson live on the place near the southwest corner of the mountain called Woodchuck Hill. Their childhood homes were about a mile apart. Mrs. Johnson's ancestors lived on the very site where their home is now situated. Eli Case, son of Serg. Richard Case, 2nd the first settler, built on this site about 1765. The present house was built by Truman Allen in 1839. Truman married Harriet, the daughter of Eli. The house has always continued in the Case family. Mrs. Johnson was Edith Case, the daughter of Francis Case. The other Case ancestors were Lucian Case (father of Francis) who married and settled here in 1839 and Berea Case the father of Lucian.
This well-built house can take pride in its early settlers and their families. The happy home of five generations is good for many more.
The main house is a two story frame house with an ell added. A bay-window was built years ago and is like a small greenhouse filled with beautiful plants. These old homes personify many pleasant dec-
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ades of happy living. Somehow you feel it in the atmosphere as you cross the threshold.
In these old houses the hearth was the symbol of the home, around which the home life centered. These sturdy and patient people labored both indoors and out and we find results of their labor as we visit their homes today.
Opposite the house was a cider mill and below this was a saw mill. There are well built barns here now.
On their property ; a little to the east of the house can be seen the stones and ruins of Constitution Bridge built in 1787.
Now we come to the place owned by Amiel Bahre, with the house built much later than our old maps signify.
On the opposite side of the road there are mostly barns now. Yet the land is the site of a house which I hold with respect and cherish with girlhood memories. This is the site of the home of my ancestor Amos Case who was one of the first settlers of East Hill.
From the Brown Book quote "Amos Case brother of Abraham Case, son of Bartholomew and Mary (daughter of Ensign Samuel Hum- phrey) came in 1740 and resided on East Hill on the place now occupied by Myron Case. They had ten children, five sons and five daughters."
This house was standing in 1906, at the time of Canton's Centennial and was given the place of honor on the badges worn at the Centennial celebration.
It was taken down about 1911. This house was really the old type house of primitive days. Yet the home life was almost sacred to me with the family Bible on the table and the fireplaces, a large one in the base- ment, hewn beam ceilings, cheese room and many, many other things. I slept under the rafters of this story and a half house with my cousin when the thermometer registered zero and below, yet with our hot soap stone and feather beds, we were never very cold. I will confess we ran downstairs by the fire to dress in the morning. I can almost smell the hot buckwheat griddle cakes cooking in the kitchen and see Uncle Myron pushing wood into the stove.
The beams over head were toast brown in color, but showed the cuts of the woodman's axe.
In the winter Uncle Myron would bundle up, twine the old long knit scarf several times around his head and down to the old bucket well he would go after water.
These certainly were the "good old days" in fact and not fancy.
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LESLIE RONAN
The present owners of this house are Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Ronan. A previous owner was Peter Johnson. The name on the 1855 map is Luther Higley, and on the 1869 map Asa Case. The present owners think the old house originally was built where their back shed now stands, the front part being built later. We have no dates to go by.
MISS MARY E. JAMES
This house stands on the corner of East Hill Road and Albany Turnpike .It was known as the Milton Case place years ago. It probably was built by Asa Case about 1785 or 1786. From the Brown Book "Asa Case married in 1786 and lived on the place now occupied by his young- est son Milton," who was born in 1801 the youngest of ten children.
This house was built a story and one-half high, with dormer win- dows added later. It has a stone basement extending up to the first floor level, also a large stone chimney in the center.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Sobieski came here to live about 1900 and lived here nearly fifty years.
The basement fireplace has been bricked up and the large Dutch oven removed but two other fireplaces are left. Many of the old floor boards remain. The rooms have low ceilings and wainscote part way up from the floor with a chair rail on top. Some of the iron latches still remain. I have heard that when the Sobieskis lived there, they had a pony that would lift the latch with his nose and walk in the kitchen door.
This house stands very close to the road, so near that when Uncle Edgar and Aunt Julia Case used to go from East Hill to Collinsville to swap butter, cheese, eggs, etc., for other household supplies they would drive close to the kitchen door. Mrs. Milton Case or "Aunt Eunice" as we called her, would just open the door and pass her basket of eggs to Aunt Julia and say "I want so much sugar" or whatever else she wanted for her eggs. You could step from the wagon into the kitchen it was so near.
ROBERT WILCOX
This house is situated on the corner of East Hill Road and Albany Turnpike. The house was recently purchased by Mr. Wilcox who has a greenhouse and nursery stock. The Longmoor family lived there pre- viously. This place was called the Rollin Higley farm for many years. We find the name Rollin Higley on the 1869 map, but no house is listed on the 1855 map.
It is the usual two story type house with three fireplaces, one has been discontinued. The living room has the large fireplace with the Dutch oven. Some of the windows have the six over six panes, others
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have been replaced with the larger type glass. The house has the usual ell, and is clapboarded on the outside and painted white.
The recent owners are restoring it to a beautiful home.
MRS. J. P. O'NEIL
This house is situated on East Hill Road. The name on the 1855 map is Alanson Andrus, on the 1869 map it is J. Lincholn. Thomas J. Mur- phy owned this place previously to the O'Neils for twenty-seven years.
It has two old fireplaces, one with a Dutch oven.
CLIFFORD COMEAU
The name is F. Mills on 1855 map. This house was built by Ralph Dyer (son of Benjamin Dyer) in 1806. One history book notes that Ralph Dyer helped his father in the making of tallow candles.
Clifford Comeau bought the house from Cherubino Donnini in 1951.
The house was the usual square box type, but it has been added onto in all directions with apartments for many families and so many people have lived here that it is useless to try to name them.
It has been told that the old tree near the house is the second oldest in the state.
RALPH DOWD
This house was built by Benjamin Dyer in 1747, he was a school- mate of Benjamin Franklin. He moved with his wife from Boston to
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Hartford in 1735, and in the year 1745 moved to West Simsbury (now Canton) and settled on this site. He was a tallow candler by trade.
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Benjamin Dyer obtained about six hundred acres of land on the southeast end of what is claimed to be the old parsonage grant.
The second Benjamin was born November 1747 in the house after- ward occupied by Luther Higley, Esq., a very prominent man in town. Luther Higley, Esq. sold to Page in 1855 and this was called the Page place for many years. Page died in 1880.
Ralph Dowd's father moved from Canton Center about 1898-1900 and made many changes on the house. Recently, when the new road was constructed this house was moved back or southeast from the highway.
Ralph Dowd stated that the old fourteen by fifteen foot stone chim- ney had been removed. It contained seven flues, up to the attic floor, then brick through the roof. When this chimney was removed, the old fireplaces were torn out and modern corner fireplaces were put in. The large frame is pegged together with wooden pegs and the plates are eight by eight and forty feet long. The cased beams and corner posts remain in the rooms.
This old house has been so well kept that it is apt to deceive one as to its age. It has the colonial look and very noticeable is the high pilastered columns on the outside of the house. (We see them inside the old houses, but not often on the outside of the house.) These four pilas- tered columns extend from the stone basement to the roof beam extend- ing over the second story windows. They are beautifully carved with Ionic design at the top.
Mr. Dowd is a lover of antiques and has filled the house with beauti- ful antiques of all kinds.
We now turn east onto Dowd Avenue. Not many of the houses on this road were built before 1869. I found that the parsonage, the Allen place and the Biglow house were there before that date. The old road was over Huckleberry Hill and was called the "Kings Highway," This road to Collinsville was built later.
Records show that the road past Mrs. Brays was not there. It was all "Green," Common or Town Pound, with the church on this plot and cemetery in back.
The "town pound" was used to pasture animals. Sometimes stray animals were "impounded" and a fee paid to get them out.
Later after the church was moved strife and struggles went on as to who would get the most out of the land on the pound. Neighbors would quarrel and some even put hog pens on the green. Mr. Hill said, that to settle the trouble, they finally tried to plot it off into the center by sections. There were public weighing scales on the east end.
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JOHN L. BUTLER
This house was a school house "on the turnpike or there about" and was moved to its present location. Mrs. Ellen Allen lived there for many years. The school house was raised up and rooms built underneath and is now the second floor.
The record states "In 1808 Robert Hughes bought the old school and moved it fifty rods south and fitted it for a dwelling." He was a tailor and carried on the trade here for many years. This house has a modern look now and one would never think that the walls had ever witnessed school children with dunce caps on or school master with hickory sticks.
STANLEY WITHE, JR.
This house was called the Biglow House, because Mr. Biglow owned it for many years. Many people have lived in this house. Herman Hamlin in 1809, Mr. Peabody about 1920 and E. Berg soon after. It is under the name of William Cook on 1869 map.
Mr. Biglow was a jolly tin peddler and all the neighbors enjoyed seeing the old tin peddler and his cart come in sight. Everyone ran to the attic or cellar for rags and bottles to trade in for tin ware, brooms and many other articles. The children were happy with their new shiny tin cups, as Mr. Biglow drove out of sight.
PARSONAGE OF THE CANTON BAPTIST CHURCH
This parsonage was built in 1807 by a Stock Company, Elder Atwell being Pastor of this church for many years. This house was rented to people from about 1918-1951. The Barkers lived there in 1918, H. Bristol in 1919, Merton Sheley in 1925, George Kellerman and Alphonso Regish later on. At this date 1955-56 it is used with resident ministers living there.
This house has low ceilings, two fireplaces, the usual small window panes (some have been removed), old stone chimney and ell built on the back. The stone chimney was originally laid up with stone and mud clay with large wooden beams to support the floor. The beams in these old houses often were charred and blackened but seldom caught fire.
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