USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Canton > Canton sesquicentennial, 1806-1956; a short illustrated history of Canton > Part 6
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Some of the old big shade trees were blown down and removed.
The house is situated on the south side of Dowd Avenue with the old stone front steps very near to the road.
CLYDE STICKLES
This house on Depot Road in Canton, is sometimes called the Ceme- tery House. It is now occupied by Clyde Stickles and family. This place is located on the old road going over Huckelberry Hill to Collinsville. This road was called the "Kings Highway."
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The house for many years was known as the William Bailey place.
The house was built as a school house near the green about 1808 and moved to where it now stands. It is owned by the Cemetery Association.
RALPH TRUMBULL 1950
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bray purchased this house in 1939. It was called Nulty's "small house," and is opposite the Canton Green. On the map of 1855 it is known as the Brockett place.
Mrs. Bray said that old insurance papers called it "Century House."
This house has an ell which has been changed and remodeled and a large enclosed veranda added. It is a one an a half story house with the windows having small panes of glass, painted with the old fash- ioned (or really new fashioned now) red paint and white trimmings. One can sit on the veranda and enjoy the Band concert or other "doings" on the green.
WARREN G. HORTON 1941-1956
Some of the owners of this place were as follows : 1913-Bromislaw Szczapanski, 1913 - Joseph Gavalis, 1894 - Mary P. Hawks, 1859 - Lyman Carrier, 1854 - R. L. Hawley. Before this date, it became con- fused as the house was moved in 1848 and at present the previous own- ers are difficult to trace.
The Oliver Humphrey House stands on the corner of Depot Road, originally called the Kings Highway and Dowd Avenue, facing the southwest corner of Canton Green. It is reported in a history of old houses of Canton by Mrs. Burton Higley in 1911, to have been origi- nally built on the opposite side of the green, probably next to the present site of the Baptist Church. From old deeds and records, it appears that the ell of the present house , which is built around a 71/2' by 5' chimney, was the original house, and when it was moved in 1848 the front was added. This premise is carried out by the fact that no fireplaces were built in this new section, but a chimney started several feet above the first floor, was provided to take care of stoves which were coming into popular use about this time.
From 1859 to 1941 when the present owners purchased it, this house changed hands some fourteen times, indicating that the original family had moved on to another area and as Canton Green area was very closely built up, it is reasonable to suppose that many young couples started their lives together in this house. Sometime before 1880 a stair- case was added from the side porch to the upstairs bedroom, making the house into two apartments. It suffered from neglect for some years and when taken over by the present owners, was in rather decrepit condition, having stood empty for two years. In restoring it to livability,
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the central chimney was uncovered from behind cupboards, plaster, and lath ; the fireplace had been bricked up for close to fifty years. The old hand made brick was so attractive, the tapered irregular shelves made by the back of the Dutch oven and flues for two fireplaces, so interesting, that a pine paneled kitchen was built from four tiny rooms, all but cupboards or passageways, leaving the whole vast chimney ex- posed in the room. The large shallow fireplace and Dutch oven faced into the old original kitchen and this was made into the living room. Very little of the original hardware and decorative paneling remained in 1941. One can only suppose why previous owners chopped off the chair rail above the wide board paneling in the front room. During the period from 1860 to 1880 hard times must have come upon the various occupants as old deeds read that they sold off pieces of land, which had been a two acre piece, until it dwindled to its present three-eights of an acre.
HAROLD E. LEE Gleason-Harger House 1786
This house was built soon after the War of the Revolution by Chauncey Gleason of Farmington. It was originally built with a high double-pitched roof, after the pattern of, at that time, the most fashion- able houses in Farmington and Simsbury. Mr. Gleason was soon after connected in trade with Elijah Cowles & Co., of Farmington, who were then carrying on a large trade with both the East and West Indies. They used to send large quantities of grain to the West Indies, and built a kiln for drying grain near the present residence of Chester Gil- man in Pine Meadow. Many of the perforated tiles used in the kiln were unearthed in excavating for the Canal railroad. It used to be said that the first hogshead of St. Croix rum ever brought to Simsbury was landed in the above named house. About 1800, Mathew Ives, since of Westfield, Mass., went into partnership with Mr. Gleason and remained a few years, when they sold out to Jared Mills, Jr. who carried on the mercantile business until his death in 1821. Mr. Mills built the first powder mill in Canton. The house came into the possession of Mr. Harger about 1835, who removed the high roof and put on a modern one, and removed the piazza, which was on the front and east end of the house. Before the roof was changed, legend is that the attic was used for dancing and Masonic meetings. Also, of interest, is an opening in the attic floor from which can be seen considerable space between the chimney and paneling of room walls. With this, goes the story that slaves were once concealed in this space.
The house is built around two large six by six foot chimneys. There is one bedroom fireplace on the second floor, four on the first floor and one in the cellar. Two fireplaces have Dutch ovens. The fireplaces were built shallow so as to throw more heat, and have original paneling around them. The cellar has two plastered rooms, the back room was a kitchen and the front room was the dining room for the farm help. A
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dumb waiter went to the upstairs dining room. Legend also says that, at one time, the front of the cellar was used as a store. There is an eight foot well in the cellar and above the well attached to the cellar ceiling are two parallel wooden rollers of different diameter. Around the large roller was a rope and a bucket; and around the smaller roller was a rope with a rock weight attached. This was the method of raising and lowering into the well.
Mr. John Wesley Harger, Deacon of Canton Baptist Church, mar- ried Laura Lucretia Dailey (granddaughter of Jared Mills) in 1831. The fifth generation of the family are now living in the house. Many letters written by the family have been found and tell interesting details of life as lived in Canton in the early days. Some letters were written before the Post Office used stamps. Several were written by John D. Harger, son of John Wesley Harger, while he was a soldier in the Civil War. He was a young boy of eighteen when he left and wrote his mother of the sights he saw as he traveled to New Orleans, his life as a soldier and the sickness and suffering of himself and fellow soldiers.
Some excerpts from his letters are as follows :
Camp Buchink, Long Island, Nov. 10
Marched eight miles to camp. 23rd. are coming today with 900 men. We set tents and dress parade before sunset. All we have to eat is sour bread. The bread is so magoty, we cannot eat it. The captain saw the cook. Told him no more ham since we have corn beef and sweet bread. They are firing a salute for General Banks today. Coming down the river, we saw the Great Eastern. It is the largest boat I ever saw. It had steam boilers.
Baton Rouge, Feb. 20, 1863, Co. A 25 Regiment C.V.M.
Today we had a loaf of bread, some salt pork and a little coffee and sugar then we took some muddy water and put it on coals and steep. Many are sick with fever. I am on guard one day and drill the next. A boat came down the river with a flag of truce to exchange prisoners. Another boat came down the river and it came by Vicksburg and it got to Fort Hudson and was taken.
University Hospital, New Orleans, June 23
I don't get along very well. I cannot sleep night and day with pain. Don't think I will ever get well as long as I stay in this country the weather is so damp and wet. When I am in my native land once more, I hope it will leave me. Our living in the hospital is bad. We get salt meat, bread and tea, not fit to drink. I get a pint of milk morning and night. I can get a loaf of bread for five cents. This is all I can write for now.
This past year Harold Lee (John Harger's grandson) renovated the house with care taken to restore and preserve its original colonial beauty.
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HENRY E. KRAUCH
Henry E. Krauch and family live on place now owned by Arthur Olson.
Oliver Case lived here for some years and after his death, his daughter sold the place.
It has the small glass windows and slooping roof on the side instead of the back, and has probably been remodeled.
EDWARD KREISLER
This house was built in 1799 by Nathaniel Alford.
Isaac Mills had the first post office in Canton in what is now Mr. and Mrs. Kreisler's living room. Isaac Mills married Assenath Merrill and they had a son Merrill Mills.
The house is a large two story house with a two story ell. There were originally five fireplaces with a smoke oven in the basement for beef, hams etc. There are two fireplaces remaining, one is laid up with soap stone. "A Soap stone fireplace." The windows are of blown glass, small panes, twelve over twelve in good condition.
The immense drilled stone steps are in front of the door, and look as if they would last forever.
CANTON INN 1950
This house was built by Joseph Dailey in 1808. Elsie Edwards had a tea house there about 1925. It was formerly known as Fancher's Place.
Emory Fancher had a wagon shop, he made and patented wagon springs, also a coiled buggy spring called "Fancher Spring." He tempered the springs in oil. The wagon shop was west of the house.
This house is the large frame house of early type, two front rooms and the usual long kitchen or "keeping room" with the large fireplace and Dutch oven (back of the two front rooms) originally having the small bedroom or "borning room" on one end and the large pantry on the other end.
Edward Dailey, second son of Major Dailey, represented the town in the General Assembly in 1869.
Mr. Dailey with his brothers, succeeded their father for several years in the carriage manufacture. He was elected representative from Canton to the State Legislature in 1858. In 1868 he moved to Terryville. He died in 1881.
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ROBERT CRAIG
Mr. and Mrs. George Gilbert lived here in 1919. They were the parents of Helen Gilbert Lawton. The name on the 1855 map is G. Mills. Mr. and Mrs. Howard Page occupied this house for several years re- cently moving into their own home. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Craig are the present occupants of the house.
LESLIE TAYLOR THE 1776 ACRES
This was known as the Woodford Mills place until about 1930. This is one of Canton's old historical places. We find this house was built by Jared Mills in 1774 or 75. He was first pastor of the Church in Suffrage and continued his services for sixteen years. Mrs. Caroline Fenn was one of his descendants and a loyal D.A.R. member until her death.
Doris Bond had a "Tea Room" at the 1776 house about 1936 or 38. Afterward Leslie Taylor acquired the place and owns it.
The house still retains its original lines, a salt box type, and has a long ell added.
The stone chimney still is in the center of the main house with its fireplace and Dutch oven on the ground floor and a fireplace upstairs. There was a built in "smoke house" or compartment in the attic in this chimney until 1941.
The house has the frame pegged together as of yore, and the origi- nal clapboards. The old stones in the steps are cut in remarkable size. We can visualize the oxen drawing these large stones on the old "stone boats" to the place where they now are placed. Labor did not daunt those early settlers.
The wide twenty-two inch floor boards have a hue, that only time can give, however, the worn boards have been covered over on the main floor.
The barn is one of, if not the largest and most sturdily built in this town. It is built of solid hand-hewn timbers, mortised with wooden pins. It had hay lofts above the first floor and a large lower basement, where the cows and animals were housed. A carriage house adjoined the barn.
Just where the old cider mill and distillery were situated is hard to tell, but we know there was a still and famed apple brandy was shipped from this "Bonded Warehouse."
We like the old tales of what happened in the many years "long gone," An Inn, a cider mill and distillery, Tea House and Show Shop.
About 1940 the old hay loft was made into an up-to-date stage. The barn partitions have been removed and approximately three hundred people can be seated in the auditorium, the barn floor.
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A beautiful old stone chimney has been built, with a fireplace on the main floor and also in the basement.
The carriage house, has been converted into a dwelling house. The grounds have new buildings erected. One is the home of the present owner.
A large pond reflects the landscape by day and the moon by night. The old railroad that passed so near to the house is erased and we hear the whistle of trains no more. We wonder what the changes will be in the fifty years to come.
JOSEPH ARNOLD
This house is situated on Lovely Street and was bought in 1955 by Joseph Arnold. It was previously owned by Murray Arnold who died in 1954 and previously by Mr. and Mrs. Pinney. On the map of 1869 it is under the name of M. Foote and on the map of 1855 Isaac Mills. The date of 1828 is on a stone in the cellar.
Joseph Arnold has made repairs recently, but this place still retains its old lines of symmetrical beauty.
JAMES LOWELL Mr. and Mrs. James Lowell - E. B. Lowell - Burton Higley Built by Deacon Obed Higley 1788
This is a large frame house, two stories in front and three stories in back. The lower basement was used for kitchen and cook room for farm help. The food was sent up by a dumb waiter to the first floor for the family.
The house has been remodeled but one room still has its antique moldings and panels. An ell was built on and the house partitions changed. The old stone chimney was removed from the upper floors. The base remains in the basement.
Obed Higley's second wife was Phebe Humphrey and they resided at this place. Obed Higley died January 17, 1841 leaving a will that read that Phebe could have the use (as long as she remained his widow) of part of the property and other things including two straw beds with pillows and bolsters, one bedstead and rope, one blanket, one woolen sheet, six old wooden seat chairs, one large Bible, one warming pan, one pair of pillows, two brass kettles, one frying pan, one wash tub, one wooden pail, one tin pail, two baskets and one gridiron. The above Phebe listed and signed that she received the same on February 4, 1841.
The following was copied from a paper in Mrs. B. O. Higley's D.A.R. article, October 8, 1915 :
"The Burton Higley House (now James Lowell's) was built in 1788 by Deacon Obed Higley, the first. The remarkable part of this place is the "Obed" part of the name. Deacon Obed Higley, the second, sat under
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the old oak and witnessed the raising of the house. He had a son Deacon Lyman Obed, the third, and one grandson, Deacon Burton Obed, the fourth, who remains in the old homestead." (he died in 1919). She added that the name Obed being worn threadbare the last but not the least, the B. Obed Higley's having no children.
Mrs. Lowell also has a letter from a Philadelphia firm dated 1879, looking for a good buy in brandy. The firm had heard there was good brandy in Simsbury and said "send a sample" or if you know it is good "get it," all you can buy. There is good money in it.
An old deed to Alson Higley (his son) left him the "stock of the Talcott Mountain, Turnpike Road Company" that was dated 1849.
Mr. and Mrs. James Lowell are the present owners of this place and it is kept in perfect order, with its large lawn and golf course adjoining. The large barn with a stone fireplace has been changed and is now a place of garden club, flower shows and even a delicious snack place for the hungry golfers. This is another of our well kept historical places.
MILLS AND WILLIAM LANE - THE MILLS HOMESTEAD
History states that Doctor Solomon Everest, who was a famous surgeon in the Revolutionary War, came to this town in 1796, built and settled here.
This is an article in the Farmington Valley Herald, May 21, 1931 written by Josephine C. Hough. The article was headlined "Canton's First Doctor, Solomon Everest, Had to Treat Witchcraft."
Dr. Everest was born in Salisbury, Conn., April 11th, 1760. He studied medicine with Dr. Everett of Winchester, Conn. He married Amelia Everett of Winchester about the year 1782, she died October 23, 1842, and was buried in the Canton Village cemetery. He first located as a physician in the town of Farmington, now Avon about the year 1782. In 1796, he moved to West Simsbury, now Canton where he resided the remainder of his life. Dr. Everest's name was on the first roll of membership of the Hartford Medical Society. He was a Mason and its first Junior Warden. He was a member of the convention that formed the constitution of the State of Connecticut in 1818. He repre- sented Canton in the General Assembly and the incorporation of the town in 1806 was largely due to his efforts. For twenty years, Dr. Everest officiated as Deacon in the First Congregational Church in Canton. The following incident occurred during Dr. Everest's practice. He was called to attend a young girl who was laboring under the dire malady of witch-craft. Enquiring into the symptoms of the case, it appeared that witches would torment her by violently pinching her arms and limbs so that frequently she would cry out "the witches are pinching me." There were visible marks of violent pinches on her flesh. The doctor in the meantime kept a sharp lookout and came to the con-
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clusion that the girl was the author of her trouble. For a remedy, he ordered a large cistern to be filled with water and the sufferer to be immersed when the witches should attack. After several treatments the attacks became less frequent. On retiring, the doctor remarked to the patient that if the water did not effect a cure, he had a large witchiron at home and he would bring it and by heating it red hot and applying to affected parts, he could burn the witches out of her. She listened and came to the conclusion that the doctor's remedy was worse than the disease. The next day his patient was well and without complaint.
Another incident about Dr. Solomon Everest was that he was hur- riedly called to a patient who had fallen off a load of hay and struck on his head. When he saw the Doctor he insisted that his neck was broken. Seeing the persistence of the man, the man readily agreed with him that his neck was broken, and charged him twenty dollars, which the man thought exorbitant but the Doctor said "No, I always charge twenty dollars for a broken neck."
After his death in 1822, Doctor Solomon Everest left the Connecti- cut Congregational Society $16,000 for the spreading of the Gospel. The fund is still intact and is used to educate ministers. After Mrs. Everest's death, the house was sold to George Mills, 2nd. It descended to his son Washburn Mills then to his daughter Josephine Mills and now owned by her sons, Mills and William Lane. (Four generations in the same family.
The house still retains its original floors of wide hard pine, two old fireplaces and original hardware. The halls are entirely paneled on both floors. The living room has old wall panels. A large wooden wheel is in the second story of the ell which was used to draw water from the well. The house is furnished with beautiful early type furniture which has come down in the family. Many were brought here by Emily Miller Mills, wife to G. M. Mills the second, from the Miller homestead in Avon when she came to Canton as a bride. To these have been added many fine pieces by the present owners as the Mills brothers are col- lectors and enjoy the fine art and type of antiques. The grounds around this place are spacious and well kept. Beautiful old trees furnish shade for the large lawn.
LESTER AND HAZEL BRADLEY
Lester Mather is the name on both the 1855 and 1869 maps. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bradley owned this place for several years.
This beautiful stone structure was built by Dan Case in 1786. We learn that Dan Case was the son of Lieut. Dudley Case who was first proprietor of Hosford Tavern. Dan Case was born in 1761 making him twenty-five years old which was the normal age for house building and family life. He died in 1815 when only fifty-four years old.
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This large stone house has been well kept in its original form. A sturdy dwelling that will stand for ages long. It has two stone chim- neys, one at each end of the main house and the house contains nine fireplaces, one having a large Dutch oven.
It has a Mansard roof with a crude stone belt extending across the front of the first floor window caps, (or tops) and the three original dormer windows. The gable ends are clapboarded and the steps and door sills are of red stone.
Many of the old type windows consist of six over six on the main floor and twelve over eight on the second floor. Inside the owners have left many of the original features including an old well, stone sink and fireplaces. The corner fireplaces are exceptionally beautiful. The old kitchen in the ell has a flag stone floor and a "built in" iron kettle.
The arched room or hall in the top floor is where the Masonic order met years ago. There is a fireplace at each end of this room.
MRS. FRED LAWTON
This house was built by Deacon Elisha Case in 1805. It has the name Newell Minor on the 1855 map and W. Lawton on 1869 map.
In the meantime it was owned by George Mills father of Washburn Mills who lived on the Lane place. Fred Lawton's father married Eliza Higley daughter of Obed Higley and went to live in New Haven but soon came to Canton and located on this site. Fred Lawton was born the year the railroad was put through, about 1870 and continued to make it his home. He married Helen Gilbert who lives on the site now.
This is a well constructed two story house with an ell and has been well kept with its wide floor boards, old stone chimney, old blown glass windows, iron hinges, latches etc.
This house has five fireplaces, one large one with the old Dutch oven, and two fireplaces on the second floor.
The frame is put together with wooden pins and the old iron hooks are still in the beams of the ceiling in front of the long fireplace. These hooks are found in few old houses today. They were used to dry meat, apples and many other things. A long rod could be stretched across when needed and the ends slipped into the hooks.
I can remember my grandfather using grandma's clothes basket for a swing for me when a little girl, he tied ropes on the basket, then up and over the hook, and a wonderful swing it was. Of course it was not in this house but in Canton Center. (These old hooks brought back memories.)
Mrs. Lawton said that at one time the Porter School wanted to buy the windows but they preferred to keep the house as it was built. A large china closet is built into the chimney wall extending from the
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floor to the ceiling. The old corner cupboards catch ones eye and add to the colonial atmosphere.
I counted twelve over twelve glass in the front windows and nine over nine in the ell, and in back I saw six over six and remarked how unusual it was.
The many acres of land adjoining the large barns in the rear of the house look as if they could certainly tell of thrift in days of yore with lofts full of hay and cattle lowing to be fed.
Mrs. Lawton still enjoys her home and keeps it in good condition.
A little story of Romance is not amiss here. The characters are Eliza Higley and Wells Lawton, father of Fred Lawton.
One day Wells Lawton was passing through the town, he stopped at Eliza's house either for business or a drink, Eliza was working in the flower garden, she was young and pretty so he spoke to her. She blushed and pretended to be picking flowers not just working. She did pick flowers as he talked and presented them to him. That was the beginning of a romance that gave her a home so near her girlhood home in Canton.
We will retrace our steps and turn to our right on Albany Turnpike and we must visit the site of the tavern near the corner though not a trace of it is now visible.
Dudley Case settled in Canton in 1742. His house was called the Hosford house which burned in 1874. Mr. Case died in 1792 and Eli- phalet Curtis kept the house a few years.
Abram Hosford, for whom the house was named, commenced here as landlord in 1798 and kept the tavern for fifty years. Many tales are told about the happenings at the Inn. This was a famous hostelry and before the railroads was a stopping place for many people. It stood on the Albany to Hartford turnpike, one of the most crowded thorough- fares in the whole country. Its fires went from one years end to the other. Parties were constantly arriving or departing and the scene was one of uninterrupted life and bustle. Coaches drawn by four or six horses regularly drew up at the door; their approach was always heralded by the merry winding of the driver's horn. The man, who fifty years ago would have predicted an end to all this business and bustle by means of an invention then yet to be made, would have been scouted as a lunatic.
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