USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Canton > Canton sesquicentennial, 1806-1956; a short illustrated history of Canton > Part 7
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Various interesting tales hang around this old place, with more or less foundation in fact. During the War of the Revolution, a French paymaster bearing French gold for paying French troops, then sta- tioned near the Hudson, stopped overnight at this house. He was never
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heard of afterward; murdered perhaps for the gold he bore. This murder, doubtless, gave rise to the tradition of a benighted traveler passing through the dark defile in the highway and meeting a flying horseman, dead and headless. Another tradition is of a diamond vendor murdered in the dark pass and his headless body thrown into Cherry Pond (now Secret Lake). True or false, these stories have caused many a person to whip up their horses and go a little faster while passing this ravine. The Inn was reported to have had many new arti- cles after this episode and a worker at the Inn who was not too bright would say, "Whence came all this finery ? I'm not to say, I only shook the tree the others gathered the fruit." These days are often called the good old days. Maybe!
J. S. O'CONNOR
This place was owned for several years by Raymond and Lena Case both deceased. The house was owned in 1855 by Joseph Dailey a car- riage manufacturer and Wellington Case in 1869. When Joseph Dailey and Sons made carriages, they sold many expensive vehicles to rich plantation owners in the South. These chariots as they were called were shipped in parts or pieces and then assembled after arrival.
Mr. O'Connor bought this place recently and is giving it a good go- ing over, in fact the old fireplaces of which there are two are coming to light and are carefully preserved. The keeping room with a Dutch oven will see many more years of usefulness. The old stone chimney in the basement is topped with brick higher up. A door leads into a smoke house where hams and other meats were carefully smoked in this com- partment of the chimney.
The house retains its small glass window panes.
The mountain background has been cleared and the terrace wall repaired, also a white picket fence tops the terrace with gates and flower boxes. This house with a lawn and driveway in front is on Albany Turnpike or Route 44 as now designated.
MISS EVA LENNON
The house on this site has been moved three times. It has been re- modeled and fixed over by many people and a veranda has been added. It is difficult to find the dates. It looks as if F. Lincoln owned it on the 1855 map and the 1869 map gives no name yet it shows a house stand- ing there. This frame shows an early date as it is pegged together and is the early type of building. Miss Eva Lennon is the present owner and occupant.
MRS. ESTELLE WOODFORD
Frank Lincoln who worked with Dailey in the carriage making, lived in this place about 1807. It was sometimes called the Healy place
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because a Mr. Healy lived here and worked at the Fancher Wagon Shop across the road.
An old saying is that he always had a cane to walk home with (it might be a filly or a wheel spoke), but he never needed the cane when he returned.
The maps are confusing around the present store site. There is a store with the name of Hart on one map and Hawley on the other.
There are also other stores marked in the 1855 map. This seems to have been the business center of the town with its stores, Hawks hotel and places of business extending west to the Chapman house which is now the Canton Green Store.
This being the center of Canton Village let us take a look at the industries and the Green or Common.
THE BUSINESS CENTER OF CANTON VILLAGE
Copied from the original paper signed by Moses Dyer.
"As it was in my youthful days :
Two Tanneries
One whipping post
Two Boot and shoe makers
One Baptist clergyman
One Brick yard
One chair maker
One Flax dressing machine
One plow maker
Three hotels
One cooper
Two Stores
One weaver
Two Carriage Makers
One harness maker
Three Blacksmiths
One powder mill owned here
One Hatter
One axe maker
One Tin Shop
Two or three shoe makers for custom work
Two Tailors
One Marble Worker
One lawyer
Two Physicians
Several enterprising farmers
One good Academy
One stocks for criminals
One district school
The stores did a large business. Barkhamsted products, thousands of feet of pine and hemlock boards and planks found a ready sale in Farmington and Southington and other towns.
The Farmington Valley pine was of the best quality being easier to work than the Connecticut River pine.
Our Academy was one of the best at that time, pupils coming from Farmington, Westfield and other towns. Several were fitted for college here.
There was not a village in the country that did more business than Canton from 1815 to 1825.
Collinsville began 1826 and soon killed Canton."
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CHARTER OAK ON CANTON GREEN
The oak on the north side of Canton Green is a grandchild of the Old Charter Oak in Hartford.
The history and story of the Connecticut Charter and Oak, we all know. The original oak blew down in Hartford in the year 1856. Many people visited the scene and it is now marked by a marble monument. Among these people were two men from New Britain, David W. Camp, Principal of the Normal School at that time and Col. Samuel Moore a Civil War veteran. They brought home some acorns. Col. Moore planted two close together and they both grew. He twisted them as they grew together and always showed where they were twisted. Finally the Strand Theater bought and built there so now the Strand Theater of New Britain stands where this twisted Charter Oak once stood. Mr. Camp planted his near Walnut Hill Park in New Britain. These chil- dren of the Charter Oak grew acorns and he gave them to different people. The Oak on the Green is from one of them.
Ours was planted with a Flag Day Service in 1918. The plaque was added and unveiled at a special service in October 1939 by Louise Root and Betty Barnes. Mrs. Frederick Hill was in charge. School children took part in this service. The State and United States flags were carried by the children and Lillia Hill told the story of the Charter Oak.
I can remember seeing people drive home cows from pastures and letting them eat off the grass on the Green before driving them into their barnyards for milking and the same in the morning when they were turned out.
Now in 1950, we have a nice and respectful looking Green, mowed and taken care of properly. The summer of 1954-55 this Green was occupied most of the time, D.A.R. Strawberry festivals, Band Concerts, Auctions and Carnivals. The Ladies Aid also held Fairs, Bazaars and Food Sales.
CANTON GREEN STORE
This house was built about 1807. It was used as a store about 1855 and Thomas Chapman lived there in 1869. It was called the Chapman house for a long time. Some of the people who have occupied this house are Levi Hawley, Mr. and Mrs. Trench, Charles Barber and family, Mr. and Mrs. Buckland, Collins Case and probably many more. Mrs. Bissell has an attractive store in this house now.
BAPTIST CHURCH
In the year 1783 a number of persons in the south part of West Simsbury seceded from the Cherry Brook Society and formed a new
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Society, under the name of "Separatists" of which church Rev. James Bacon was the first pastor.
Two years afterwards in 1785 a schism arose among the "Separ- atists" and about one-half of them embraced the Baptist faith. This was the beginning of the Baptist society at Suffrage Street or Canton Village.
The meeting house was built in 1807 and Rev. Jared Mills was the first settled pastor. The edifice stood on the Village Green. In 1838 it was moved to its present site and remodeled. More about this church can be found under Churches.
WILLIAM G. ADAMS "ELMSHADE"
Named from the fact that the largest elm in Connecticut stands near the house
William Adams is the present owner. Previous owners were Lillia Hill, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Hill and Moses Dyer. It was built by Nathaniel Alford in 1784.
The house was used as an Inn in stage coach days. The northwest room on the second floor has stenciled walls. There is an arched ceiling extending over two bedrooms which formerly was one large ballroom. All the old taverns had a tap room. The tap room here was on the west side of the house near the kitchen. There are four fireplaces, also a Dutch oven in the keeping room. Village Masonic Lodge held meetings here. There is a Masonic Tyler's door (a door with a hole in it) leading from the front east room into the front hall. Also loose boards connected with Masonic rites are in the attic. All the rooms have the old paneled walls and old wide board floors with nails made by hand at Old Newgate Prison. There are wide vertical boards from the main floor to the attic. These old boards were uncovered and polished. We find many cupboards inserted around the chimney in the rooms. The old iron latches, hinges, and original locks and keys are still in use.
The present owner William Adams has made many improvements. The old hard wide board floors were polished and are beautiful with old- type braided rugs and carpets.
It may never ring again to the sound of stagecoach horn and tavern surroundings, but it still rings with good hospitality as there is always welcome to friends and people of the community.
Miss Lillia Hill, former owner, spends her summers and many other vacation days at "Elmshade."
MRS. ANNA REGISH
This house was built in 1804 near Dowds Corner, it being used for a store for many years. It was moved to its present location in 1837 by Pomeroy Higley.
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Edmund Hough and wife Susan who was a daughter of Pomeroy Higley lived there in 1869. Howard Bristol, son of Lyman Bristol was born in this house on January 1, 1875. He remarked "he was born over a jail." The house has not changed much. Some of the irons of the old jail are yet in the basement.
Edmund Hough was sheriff about 1874 and knew his outlaws were safe when he placed them in the basement of his home.
Mrs. Susan Hough continued to live there after her husband died, and in 1929 Mrs. Ellen Mills occupied the house and also a doctor. This house is now constructed for two families and is a two story house with front verandas on each floor facing Albany Turnpike and a veranda or porch in the rear. The Regish family have lived here since about 1920 until they recently moved into their new home. Modern homes are in the background with Mt. Hor which is looming overall.
ROBERT SMITH
Mr. and Mrs. Smith's house dates back to 1840. On the map of 1855 the name is Green and the 1869 map it is E. Clark.
The next house is the home of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Kriss which is sometimes called the Pholman place. The name on the 1869 map is M. Watters.
THE SITE OF THE PHEBE HUMPHREY HOUSE
Phebe Humphrey was born in 1763 in the house that was situated on the old Albany Turnpike, near Suffrage Village.
The house was a large two story house salt-box type, with the "lean to" or sloping roof in back, the typical colonial structure of that time. It had a huge stone chimney in the center with five fireplaces. The long fireplace with the old Dutch oven was in the "keeping room" or kitchen.
This house was built in 1759 and stood stanch and firm for many decades. The picture of this house shows the wide double door in the center with the usual twelve over eight small glass windows on the front of the first story. On the second floor were three windows in front with nine over six glass.
An old tree that was called the "Revolutionary" tree stood a little to one side of the house. The terraced yard shows against the mountains in the background.
Phebe was forty-three years old when the town of Canton was in- corporated and thirteen when the Declaration of Independence was signed. Her parents were Samuel and Prudence Mills Humphrey.
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The year Phebe was born the whole country was in rebellion against the British government and the times were troublous. Her father "Master Sam" was lame which doubtless prevented him from Military Service. He taught school and was a writer of note. He had instilled into the minds of his children the principles that underlie republican government.
On the day when Phebe was sixteen years old, her father teaching, her mother and the younger children in the berry field, Samuel an older brother in the American army, it so happened that Phebe was alone. Her mother had left bread for Phebe to bake in the old Dutch oven with a warning to "look out for the bread and herself as it had been reported that British soldiers had been seen in another part of the town the night before."
Phebe was watching her bread when she was surprised by two soldiers, one demanding some bread. She refused. As she parleyed with the soldiers, she saw the long iron poker in the fireplace. She snatched the hot poker and swinging it in the air bade them "be gone." The soldiers did not stop long for bread but vanished along the highway.
Phebe not only saved her bread but she won honor for herself and family and taught a lesson in patriotism down through the ages.
The old Dutch oven with the other fireplaces in the big stone chim- ney stood long after vandals had carried off the rest of the house. After- ward some of the large stones were also taken but when Howard Bristol and family bought this site in 1929, there were many of the old bricks and fireplace stones that they used in their house. In fact all the building material possible was obtained from the place and the moun- tain in back of their house.
The old cellar wall and basement stones were worked in with more stones from the mountain making the first story to the Bristol house. The frame of the house was taken from timber on the mountain. Also other lumber was cut and sawed to be used as sheathing, floor boards etc.
The old English brick was worked into the fireplace and the original Phebe Humphrey kettle and crane hangs in this fireplace. The front hall and stairs, the stair railings and the trim downstairs are of cedar cut from Phebe's mountain.
Some of the enormous flat stones are worked into the flagging around the kitchen door.
The water comes from the same spring but modern piping instead of the old wooden logs with holes drilled or burned through them. (We kept one of these logs when we dug them up.)
The stone terraces are remade and the old stone walls rebuilt.
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I can hear the little birds outside the kitchen door calling "Phebe" "Phebe" "Phebe." The granite boulder on Phebe's grave was taken from her mountain and the inscription on the white slab beside it reads, "My strength and my flesh faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
ROBERT KIMMERLE
The home owned by Robert Kimmerle, son of William Kimmerle, was the site of the old Ned's Brook Creamery. It was built by Asa Case, Sr. about 1788.
James Gladwin made the butter in the old Canton Center Creamery and came here and made butter when the Ned's Brook Creamery began. Henry Sobieski bought it and had it made into a dwelling house for his daughter Wanda. She married William Kimmerle and lived there until her death in 1949, and her husband died there in 1952. Robert and his wife the former Barbara Smith have since bought the house.
The map of 1855 shows that it was the Lead Pipe Mfg. Company and also the Horn Handle Mfg. Company in 1776.
Water power was used for the saw mill situated north of this place. The water in Ned's Brook at this location is clear and cold. The old creameries were always located where they had a supply of good clear cold water for butter making.
MARGARET DYER "THE DYER HOMESTEAD"
Daniel T. Dyer and also his father Daniel Dyer lived here. Miss Margaret Dyer is now the occupant and her sign Margaret's Salted Nuts is well known.
This house was built by Isaac Wilcox in 1789 and sold to Daniel Dyer for his son Zenas when he married. Zenas was the grandfather of Daniel T. Dyer.
It is a large two story house with an attic over the main part. It was one of the famous stage coach hotels on the Albany Turnpike. It retains its old rooms and is kept in good condition. It has the old Dutch oven and fireplaces.
Benjamin Dyer bought over six hundred acres of land around the Dowd place and north. His son Daniel bought the Dyer place in 1810 and gave it to his son Zenas in 1811 as a wedding gift. Zenas started a tavern and in 1821 hung out his sign which is still preserved.
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STRANGER'S HOME HOLD ON DRIVER ZENAS DYER
At the Dyer Inn there were sometimes twenty guests and forty horses at night. Lumber, iron, sheep and hogs were taken over the "Old Line." A large deer trade, often nine two-horse sleds loaded with deer killed in York State stopped here and also loads of butter and cheese. For many years cattle shows were held in the meadows to the west.
Taverns came under the General Court in 1644. In the early days the schoolhouse and the tavern were the only available places where influential men of the town assembled to talk politics or discuss matters of importance. Popular vote usually designated the tavern.
There were twenty taverns between Hartford and New Hartford, a distance of twenty-one miles and all did a flourishing business, but the Dyer Tavern was a favorite with the majority as its fame was known all along the Turnpike. Mrs. Dyer was a famous cook and that added greatly to the patronage.
The volume of business was enormous. When stage coach travel was first opened, there was but one line of stage, known as the "Old Line." The start was made at Albany and Hartford. After the "Old Line" had been running many years a new line was inaugurated, known as the "Opposition Line."
This lead to rivalry and the speed with which the expert drivers ran their horses was terrifying to the travelers.
From the Brown Book, "Isaac Wilcox second son of Ezra Wilcox, Sr. married Deliverance daughter of Ensign Isaac Tuller. He resided on the premises and erected the dwelling house now owned by Zenas Dyer. In the year 1801, he removed to Pompey, State of New York." Zenas Dyer was captain of a military company.
This large house stands on a hill overlooking the meadows to the south where some of Burgoyne's soldiers camped during the Revolu- tionary War. Many of the soldiers died and were buried in the meadows.
The Dyer house has the old paneling and wide floor boards. It has been in the Dyer family since 1811.
Now let us go back to the Litchfield Turnpike. Some of the first settlers in Suffrage made their homes near the junction of the Litch- field and Albany Turnpikes. We note William Stone, Dr. Freeman, also Oliver Humphrey, Reuben Humphrey and others. The houses are gone long ago but the sites of the old cellar holes were there recently. There are now modern houses built by later genrations. This tract of land extended west and was called the Parsonage Lot.
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JOHN WACHT
This place was formally owned by George Napey who was a farmer. Mrs. Napey lived here for many years after he died. Mrs. Wacht is a niece of Mrs. Napey.
The original settlers on this land were Francis Garrett and sons, Rufus and Thias, who came to West Simsbury in 1746.
The map of 1855 has the name of C. Mather. After this date, W. C. Barber who was a shoemaker lived on these premises.
WILLIAM T. BISSELL
The first house was built by Capt. Ezekiel Humphrey in 1744 and the second house in 1834 by Col. Decius Humphrey.
Some of the people who lived on this site were Quintal in 1910, Johnson Brothers in 1915, Peabody about 1919 and Nathaniel Jenney in 1935. Dr. Ben-Adam Kasson lived here and for many years it was called the Dr. Kasson place, he was there before 1855 and died in 1888. Dr. Kasson was a wise, self-reliant, heroic man not only in his treat- ments but in the winter traveling often miles to go to the sick and the dying. He was moderate in his charges - never in his early practice at least, did he charge more than seventy-five cents for the longest drives. Maurice Werner said that Old Dr. Kasson charged fifty cents for a visit up here and picked his medicine on the way (herbs). Dr. Kasson drove his horse hitched to a two-wheeled gig. The horse often browsed or munched the green grass while the doctor was making his calls. His house was struck by lightning and one daughter instantly killed.
On these premises was a building brought from the north end of the town and used as cocoonery at the time of the silk worm fever.
This building was built for a meeting house in the north part of West Simsbury by a group called the "Independent Association." This was probably some sort of dissention in the old parish at Cherry Brook in 1783.
Deacon Elisha Graham was one of the leading spirits in forming this Association. They applied to the General Assembly to be erected into an ecclesiastical society but the petition though passed for several years was never granted.
This building was later moved for a cocoonery to this site but the silk worm venture did not prove a success.
Elias Woodford bought the building and built a dwelling house in Collinsville.
The large frame house with an ell is situated on the old Litchfield Turnpike now the Old Canton Road. The building has been changed some and more rooms built on.
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The rooms have been restored and the old panels and mantles put back in place. An old sap house in the rear with the arched stones still there that held the sap pans calls forth a story told me by L. K. Porritt.
STORY OF THE MAPLES
This story goes something like this :
Back in the early 1800's around 1820 or 1830 a young man probably the grandson of Decius Humphrey who lived on this old Parsonage lot was endowed with some kind of hypnotic power. After his early school life his parents sent him to Albany for a higher education. He came back to the farm for a year or so and decided to go to Texas. Texas was yet under the Spaniards or in the Dominion of Mexico.
Before he left he said, "I'll set a row of trees and if I never come back, they will be a memorial for me." People were tree minded in these years and often set out row after row of trees along the highway and in other places. Maples seem to have been the favorite.
He went to the mountains and gathered his maple trees and very systematically set them out on the side of the highway, Old Litchfield Turnpike.
He did go to Texas and the next his people know of him, he was in trouble.
The story goes, one night at a ball or very select party, the subject come up about hypnotic power, some said that it was all bosh, they did not believe in it, and others joined in with them, however a few others said it was true and could be done. To settle the argument, he said if someone would act as a medium or permit him to exemplify it, he would prove to them that it could be done.
No one seemed inclined to offer but finally a beautiful young lady came forward. She was the daughter of one of the high officials.
He showed them his power and she seemed to be in a trance but before she came out of it, she died.
The father called his officers and informed the young man that he had just so many hours to bring her out of this situation or he would be cast into prison and pay the penalty. The time went by and he was put in prison and finally executed. Later the parents received a package containing his watch and a few articles that had belonged to this young man.
O. V. MATTHEWS
This house was built by Col. Decius Humphrey in 1808-1809 and is located on the south side of the old Litchfield Turnpike.
We find the name Osborne on both the map of 1855 and 1869. Charles Osborne and his father had a large place of business here.
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Their sign read as follows : Manufacturer to dealer in monuments and grave stones, fencing of the latest styles from Italian and Ameri- can marble, freestone and granite. It was listed as a button factory in later years.
The house was occupied by Carl Judin for some years. The factory or sales place was remodeled and Dr. Gilbert Heublein lived in this house.
This is one of Canton's grand old colonial houses that has been well kept without destroying the antique design. The wood shed has been converted into an attractive guest house.
The frame of this house is put together with the old wooden pegs. The large timbers in the attic show the marks of the axe where they were hewed out. There are three fireplaces, one being on the second floor. The wide floor boards have been well kept and the old iron latches remain on the paneled doors. The large barn which stands close by was made for farm animals but has seen many changes with the years. The large maple trees in front furnish shade and beauty for the place.
MRS. ANNA S. JAHN
This house was probably built by Col. Decius Humphrey about 1834. A cooper shop was located here. It is not a large house, only a story and a half high, but is a neat cosy home beside a rippling brook. Perhaps the families residing here did not need the extra large ell that so many fathers built as their families increased in numbers.
We are now nearing our journey's end.
"Well Betsey, we have had a long hard day but we have enjoyed every minute of it. You get some good home made bread and butter and a pot of apple sauce as quick as you can, and I'll draw a jug of cider. I'm hungry as a bear."
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