USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Suffield > Celebration of the bi-centennial anniversary of the town of Suffield, Conn. : Wednesday, Oct. 12, 1870 > Part 6
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On the table lay a cane, sent from Minnesota for this occasion. It was formerly owned and carried by the Rev. Mr. Younglove, one of the early pastors of the church, and is said to have been brought over from Eng- land in the Mayflower.
DISTINGUISHED PERSONS.
Among those present we noticed, besides Gov. English, ex-Govs. Haw- · ley and Jewell ; Gen. C. M. Ingersoll; Rev. Dr. D. Ives, of Suffield; Rev. Dr. Jocl Mann, of New Haven, pastor of this church forty years ago ; Rev. Dr. S. D. Phelps, of New Haven; Rev. Walter Barton, pastor of the church; Judge S. A. Lane, of Akron, O .; Rev. Dr. Collins Stone, of Hartford; Rev. J. L. Hodge, D. D., of Brooklyn, N. Y. ; Hon. John Cot- ton Smith, of Sharon; Samuel C. Huntington, Esq., of Hartford; Mayor W. L. Smith, of Springfield. There were also representatives of the Hart . ford Times and Courant, Springfield Republican, and Providence Journal.
THE EXERCISES IN THE CHURCH.
At 10 o'clock, D. W. Norton, Esq., president of the day, announced the commencement of the exercises, which were conducted according to the following
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PROGRAMME.
. Voluntary on the Organ. Singing by the Choir. Statement by the President, D. W. Norton, Esq. Invocation, by Rev. Joel Mann. Reading the Holy Scriptures and Prayer, by Rev. D. Ives, D. D. Original Hymn, by the Choir.
Address of Welcome, by Rev. Walter Barton. Response, by S. A. Lane, Esq., of Akron, O .. Ode, by the Choir. Address, by Rev. J. L. Hodge, D. D. Singing, by the Choir.
Historical Address, by John Lewis, Esq. Music, by the Band. Poem, by Rev. S. D. Phelps, D. D. Anthem, by the Choir. Benediction, by Rev. Stephen Harris.
Mr. NORTON said : We meet to celebrate the bi-centennial anniversary of the establishment of this town. He referred to the departure from England of our forefathers; their stormy passage across the ocean ; their arrival and landing; this was two hundred and fifty years ago; fifty years later some of the settlers traveled across the country and settled in the Valley of the Connecticut ; the location of Suffield was purchased by Major Jolin Pynchon, for thirty pounds; in April, 1670, Springfield pe- titioned for a grant for a township of Stony Brook, as Suffield used to be called, and on the 12th of October in that year this grant was passed, and the settlement begun, Joseph Harmon and brother being the first settlers ; God was with the earlier settlers; He has been with us since, and we trust His blessing will rest on the exercises of the day.
The address of welcome by the Rev. Walter Barton was exceedingly well adapted to the occasion. After referring to the appropriateness of commemorating the day, in touching language and eloquent terms he re- quested all residents of Suffield to rise and extend their hands in welcome of their guests; then as he said he gathered them all into one great hand which he extended to Judge Lane of Ohio, on the part of the guests present, saying, " Welcome each, welcome all."
Judge Lane made a short but happy reply. It was forty years ago when, he said, if tradition was true, he left the place, a rosy-checked, black-haired boy of 15; he now returned a sallow, gaunt man, gray- haired and dim-sighted, 53 years of age; he then referred to the wonder- ful changes that had taken place during that time, and of the march of improvement, and concluded by returning thanks on behalf of the guests for the cordial greeting that was being extended to them,
The Rev. Dr. Hodge spoke at length upon the religious sentiment of Suffield. His address was in plain words, eloquently and forcibly deliv-
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ered, and created a marked impression ; he thought that God had cmi- nently privileged Suffield; the community has come gradually to the aid of the churches, and the town had been always on the side of God, of Christ, and of salvation.
THIE ORATION.
The oration of John Lewis, Esq., was a very comprehensive and ex- haustive one. Its delivery was necessarily curtailed on account of its length, but it will be published in full in a pamphlet which is to be issued in commemoration of the occasion. We give the following brief abstract :
Samuel and Joseph Harmon were the first settlers of Suffield, or Stony Brook, as it was then called, and built their cabin in the summer of 1670. Their descendants are there to this day. Major General Phineas Lyman, of Suffield, distinguished himself in the old French war. Singularly enough, it was on the Fourth of July, 1774, that the people of Suffield denounced the policy of England, expressed sympathy with Boston, and started a subscription for the suffering poor. The old pay-roll in the State House shows that there "marched from Suffield for the relief of Boston, in the Lexington Alarm, April, 1775, Captain Elihu Kent and one hundred and fourteen men." More than one hundred and fifty men en- tered the service within a month from the alarm. In September, 1775, Captain Hanchett's company formed part of the expedition against Que- bec. He and most of the company were captured, he was put in irons, and they were kept prisoners till October, 1776. The captain advanced a thousand dollars to his men, which the General Assembly repaid. The whole revolutionary record is exceedingly honorable. Thirty-two Suffield men certainly, and probably many more, lost their lives in the service. Mr. Lewis cloquently advocated the erection of a monument, on which should be inscribed the names of these thirty-two, and also of those who were sacrificed in the war of the rebellion. The changes in industrial pursuits from generation to generation are curious. Ship-building was once carried on there. Many vessels are known to have been launched, but there is no record of them. Turpentine was for a time gathered as an article of commerce. When Suffield was a place of much trade, there were at one time twelve taverns in the town. Now there is not one.
The educational and ecclesiastical history of the town is interesting, but we are compelled to omit the extracts we had intended to make. The pamphlet record of the day's addresses will make a valuable addition to our libraries of local history.
THE POEM.
Dr. Phelps was extremely happy in his poem. It abounded in telling hits, witticisins, and bits of choice sarcasm. The topics were those nat- urally suggested by the day and the writer's reminiscences of his boyhood in the town. There were many neat and pleasant couplets which pro- yoked laughter and applause.
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The exercises were concluded by an anthem :
" Glorious -things of thee are spoken, 'Zion city of our God,"
and the benediction.
IN THE TENT.
The procession was formed at the end of the exercises in the same order as in the morning, and marched to a tent erected on the green. Here were spread innumerable tables, loaded to bending with the profusion of edibles furnished by the liberality of the ladies of Suffield. After all the large crowd had partaken, there were more than twelve baskets full, aye, wagons full, left. We have never seen a more liberal collation or one bet- ter served than this. The ladies themselves honored their guests by wait- ing on them, and lent on additional charm to the occasion. Colt's Band performed a number of choice selections during the repast.
THE TOASTS.
Then came the after dinner speeches in response to sentiments read by the marshal, in the following order :
1. The President of the United States. By Gen. J. R. Hawley.
2. The State of Connecticut. By ex-Governor Jewell.
It had been expected that Governor English would respond to this. He arrived at about 11 o'clock, accompanied by Adjutant General Inger- soll, and heard a portion of the exercises in the church and dined hastily in the tent, but he was compelled to leave early in order to take the after- noon accommodation train and keep an appointment in New Haven.
3. The first settlers, Samuel and Joseph Harmon. One of their de- scendants was called, but he was not present to respond.
4. The descendants of the settlers. John Cotton Smith, of Sharon, spoke in response. He is a great grandson of the Rev. Cotton Mather Smith, who went from Suffield to Sharon in 1755, and there preached over fifty years, and whose son was Gov. John Cotton Smith.
5. The citizens of Suffield to-day. By the Rev. Dr. Phelps, some well- improvised verses.
6. The sons and daughters of Suffield. By Francis Rising, Esq., of Troy, N. Y.
7. The church and the school. By the Rev. Dr. Ives.
8. The absent sons and daughters. By the Rev. Dr. Hodge.
9. Springfield, Mass., the mother town. By Mayor Smith, of Spring- field.
10. The oldest man in Suffield. By Mr. Apollos Phelps, eighty-five years old, a native and life-long resident of the town, in vigorous health, who related some interesting traditions, though the noise prevented him being generally heard.
11. The old " porch house" and the " sentinel elmis."" By the Hon. Samuel HI. Huntington, of Hartford, who was born in that once well-
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kyown residence. It was occupied by Gen. Washington, on his visit to Suffield, but it has disappeared, and with it one of the noble pair of ( !. that stood before it.
12. Suffield men in business in other States. By Mr. Willis King, prominent and successful merchant of St. Louis.
At 5 1-2 o'clock the special train brought the Hartford and New Haven guests home, but a number remained to participate in the rennion whit :. was held in the Second Baptist Church. At this a number of letters fr : . old residents unable to be present was read, and there was a general mit: gling of congratulations by all present. There was also some fine mu-ir. vocal and instrumental.
The young folks enjoyed the late hours of the evening and night, ami further celebrated the day by dancing at the Town Hall, but at this our reporter was unable to be present.
THE OFFICERS OF THE DAY.
The following were the officers of the day :
President-D. W. Norton.
Vice-Presidents-George Fuller, Gad Sheldon, Warren Lewis, Milton Hathaway, L. U. S. Taylor, Albert Austin.
Chief Marshal-Col. S. B. Kendall. Aids-F. P. Loomis, R. A. Loomis, Jolin Nooney, B. F. Territt.
They performed their arduous duties in a very praiseworthy manner.
THE MUSIC.
The music in the church was under the direction of Mr. Henry Foster. of New Britain, a former resident of Suffield, who presided at the fine organ. The Voluntary was well performed, closing with " Home, Sweet Home." The opening anthem was sung by a choir of fifteen young ladies, in a very pleasing manner. The original hymn we publish entire. It was sung to the tune of " Auld Lang Syne." At the close of Dr. Hodge's address an operatic selection, "Night snades no longer," Wa- sung by the full choir, in a faultless style. The closing anthem, " Glorious things of Thee," etc., was also sung with good effect.
We should not forget to say a word of praise for Colt's Band, whose playing was much admired and heartily applauded.
To conclude, the entire celebration was an exceedingly pleasant one. notwithstanding the unpleasant weather, and all who took part in the ev. ercises will long remember the 200th anniversary of Suffield.
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Dea. George Fuller.
Arenas Ring.
[ From the Hartford Evening Post, Oct. 13, 1870. ] SUFFIELD BI-CENTENNIAL.
SUFFIELD, Wednesday, October 12, 1870.
For two hundred years, as the saying goes, Suffield has waited for this day, and now it comes with rain and storm, the first of any account in many weeks, and seemingly, at least to Suffield folks, it comes to spoil the enjoyment of this anniversary. The carly train from Hartford, a special to Suffield, and the first whose whistle ever sounded over her broad fields and through her pleasant homes, arrived with quite a delegation about S a. m., finding accommodations in numerous carriages and stages from the stopping place to the centre.
The order of the day was to form a procession at 9 o'clock, with Colt's Band, the Governor and staff, and ex-Governors, together with citizens and strangers from abroad, and so proceed to the church, where the exer- cises of the day were to be held ; but the rain hindered, although it did not entirely prevent the procession, which was formed about half past nine, and with music marched to and entered the church-and a beautiful church it is, of which few have a correct knowledge, for there is a preva- lent idea that being a country place Suffield has no fine churches, but a sight of this will disprove all such fancies. Over the altar was this beau- tiful motto of cheer to those who had come from afar to this bi-centen- nial :
Welcome. 1670. Sons and Daughters of Suffield. 1870.
In front of and beside the altar flowers of every hue and shape, together with immense baskets of autumn flowers, bright and beautiful, gave to- ken of the ladies' ever present hand.
After the immense congregation had ceased to buzz, Mr. II. A. Foster, of New Britain, formerly of the Connecticut Literary Institute, opened the day by a voluntary of the Offertoire in F by Wely, beautiful always, but never more so than under the touch of a master. Then followed a song, " We Hail Thee," by a chorus composed of thirty voices. After- ward Daniel W. Norton, Esq., president of the day, made a short address, principally historical, telling of the trials our fathers endured, of their settlement in Suffield under the name of Stony Brook plantation, pur- chased by Major John Pynchon, of Springfield, for £30, of the grant of Joseph Harmon, October 12, 1670, and the continued growth and pros-
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perity of the town. Following this, an invocation by the Rev. Joel Mann, and reading of the Scriptures by the Rev. Dr. Ives, selections from the first chapter of John and the eleventh of Hebrews, followed by prayer by the same gentleman.
Then an original hymn was sung by the choir, entitled " Two Hundred Years Ago." This song was composed by the poet of the occasion, the Rev. S. D. Phelps, D. D., of which we give a verse :
" Where now a joyous throng we stand, And beauties round us glow, Stood a dense forest, wild and grand, Two hundred years ago. How vast the change from old to new, 'Twould strike the fathers dumb. But what shall fill the children's view Two hundred years to come."
The Rev. Walter Barton, in behalf of the town, now welcomed the visitors to Suffield, saying that although he was not a native of the town, yet he claimed relationship by land, as Suffield was formerly a part of Hampden county, in which he was born, and he requested all the resi- dents of the town to rise, and by their rising he claimed the right and re- joiced in the opportunity of clasping hands for them with Mr. S. A. Lane, of Akron, Ohio, editor of the Akron Bencon, formerly an old resident, bidding him welcome, and through him all the old time citizens who had come back to celebrate their birthday as a town.
Mr. Lane replied very happily, dwelling upon his having left the vil- lage forty years ago, a bright-faced, ruddy, clear-eyed lad, and if report were true, rather good looking withal, [laughter] going forth to'seek his fortune in the far west in those forenoon years of the century.
Now he came back, lean and lank, gray, and, as they well could see, not remarkably handsome, having learned that the old town was truly pleasant and dear to him, spite of his long wanderings and heart exile.
More singing, and then Rev. J. L. Hodge, D. D., of Brooklyn, spoke, telling of the loving kindness of God in permitting him to come back to his old home once again. "I came to town forty years ago, lauk and lean as you please, and as lank in pocket as in body, seeking an education for the Christian ministry, and entered a class of which the president of the day was an honorable member, subsequently was pastor in the village, and now, he said, I am put here to relate interesting matters concerning the religious history of the town; was well acquainted with Parson Gay the younger, and knew him always as a devout and Christianlike man. I have also known nearly every pastor since my first advent here ; " and then the Rey. gentleman told the audience that though not born here, he would have been had they consulted him-he claimed relationship by water and spirit, as he was a Baptist. [ Langhter. ] He was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, a land full of grand revivals and true gospel in- fluence.
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When he died he had ordered the next best thing to being born here to be done, and that was that he should be buried here, and have a tomb- stone of Aberdeen granite to mark his resting place. After a further dis- cussion of other topics connected with his subject, the Rev. Dr. sat down amid much applause. Then the chorus rendered in splendid style, " Night Shades no Longer," from the oratorio of " Moses in Egypt."
The orator of the day, Mr. John Lewis, a graduate of the Connecticut Literary Institute in 1864, of Yale in 1868, and now a practising member of the Hartford bar, was introduced, and for more than an hour held the vast audience by thoughts of his finely wrought and highly polished dis- course. Relating various historical facts about the town-many new and pleasing ones, too-he said: "The history of our town is not without its practical bearing-we have met to study the lives and characters of those who have lived here the past two hundred years; and surely there must be a practical benefit to each one of us arising from such an insight ; and yet," he said, "it is necessary to realize that Suffield is only a town and not a great nation, while we pursue the search into her past life," a fact which some of the speakers seemed to lose sight of. The history of the town from its first charter in 1670 to the present day was given even in the most minute particular. He related the indignities and wrongs which she suffered in being annexed at one time to Massachusetts, and also told of her valiant part in the great wars of the Revolution, when she fur- nished four hundred men, of whom thirty-two were killed, and how the first school house was built in 1703, and of the first master thereof, Ped- agogue Austin. It is also wonderful to remark the changes in the bus- iness habits of the town, as portrayed by the orator from a thriving man- ufacturing town in 1770, to a quiet farming village in 1870. Then she had lawyers, a newspaper, two law schools, a dozen hotels, and everything was full of life ; to-day how dead ! The first town meeting was held in 1683, at which selectmen were elected. Suffield has given birth to two Postmaster Generals, four members of Congress, one Major General, one Governor of Connecticut, one of Vermont, two of Pennsylvania, one of Ohio, and various men who till our judges' benches well and acceptably. The speaker was frequently applanded, especially when advocating the erection of a soldiers' monument.
At the conclusion of the address the band played the piece called the " Hermit's Bell," in which a cornet solo was finely given.
Dr. S. D. Phelps, of New Haven, the poet, for a brief space gave the audience the outflow of his ever ready poetic talent. Touching with loving hand the days dead and past, calling up by his word-painting sweet memories of scenes and seasons in our youth.
His idea of what a newspaper might be, or should be, if you please, was given in the following lines, describing Suffield's weekly paper :
" Go back to the last century's closing years,
Suffield among the rising towns appears, A central place of wide, extensive trade,
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Whose enterprise its reputation made ;
Of Hartford, Springfield, 'twas a rival then, And equaled them in influential men. It had a weekly press of ample size And editorial talent ; 'twould surprise You now to scan its files and columns o'er ; The names, the firms, the advertisements of yore, O'er the wide land, for high and healthful tone, The ' Impartial Herald' was a paper known."
Then there was a scene in the old church-one of Suffield a hundred years ago, and of their prevailing vice as a people-too much tobacco raising, he gently warned them. Their long delay in building a railroad he joked them about in this wise :
" The long repentance of these thirty years, In the wee branch you've waited for appears."
After the Gloria from Mozart's 12th Mass, by the chorus, the exercises in the church ended with the benediction by the Rev. S. Harris.
"FALL IN FOR RATIONS."
From the church to the great tent ou the Park was an easy change, and very agreeable to many of the visitors, especially your correspondent, who from personal experience can testify to the abundance of everything in the line of catables, furnished by the ladies of this grand old town. "Suf- field ladies never do things by halves."
After dinner the vast andience of 2,500 having been somewhat quieted, Col. S. B. Kendall, marshal of the day, proposed the following toasts and called the respondents.
1. The President.
Responded to by Gen. J. R. Hawley.
2. The State of Connecticut.
By Ex-Gov. Jewell, as Gov. English had left town for the purpose of keeping an engagement in New Haven. Gov. Jewell in his remarks said, "that as 'twas the fashion to claim relationship to Suffield, one having done so by land and another by water, he could claim it by fire-as he had suffered all the tortures of the lost, trying to smoke their " partic- ular" seed-leaf (laughter) and he thought himself entitled to his claim."
3. The First Settlers, Samuel and Joseph Harmon.
4. The Descendants of the Settlers.
By John Cotton Smith, of Sharon, a great-grandson of Cotton Mather Smith.
5. The Citizens of Suffield to-day.
By Dr. Phelps, in some very appropriate and well-timed verses.
6. The Sons and Daughters of Suffield.
By Francis Rising, of Troy, N. Y.
7. The Church and the School.
By the Rey. Dr. Ives.
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yours Respectfully Albert Austin
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8. The absent Sons and Daughters. -
By the Rev. Dr. Hodge, who, as usual, brought the audience into the best of humor before he had spoken a dozen words.
9. Springfield, the Mother Town.
By Mayor Smith, who claimed to be the grandfather of their town, be- cause he was the father of Springfield, and she was the mother of Suffield. (Cheers and laughter.)
10. The Oldest Man in Suffield.
By Apollos Phelps, a native of the place, now eighty-five years old. Too indistinct to be heard.
11. The old " Porch House " and the " Sentinel Elms."
By the Hon. Samuel Huntington, of Hartford.
12. Suffield Men in business in other States.
By the Hon. Willis King, who left town for Missouri forty years ago.
The Star Spangled Banner was played by the band, and then the mul- titude dispersed to their homes.
REUNION IN THE EVENING.
In the evening the same large and enthusiastic audience convened in the 2d Baptist Church, and for two hours listened to toasts and speeches -all appropriate, and some witty. The toast to the Connecticut Lit- erary Institute was responded to by Rev. Mr. Andrews, principal of the school. A very clear, forcible speaker, but space and time forbid our making any detailed report. There was a sentiment which included the " Lawton " blackberry, but your correspondent was unable to hear it all. Mr. Barton proposed an impromptu toast as follows : " Our. Suffield rail- road and the arrival of the first train -- two hundred years in coming, but better late than never."
A verse of "Home, Sweet Home" was sung by the chorus, and with a few more remarks from strangers, and any one who wished to speak, the meeting adjourned after singing the Doxology, "Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow."
Thus ended the great anniversary of Suffield's birth. With her new highway to the outer world opened she has a grand future before her, and if the spirit which turned the railroad from her and prevented the arsenal from being located within her borders thirty years ago be dead, there is no hindrance to her advancement.
The cost of the bi-centennial was 83,000. Through the efforts of Simon B, Kendall, who was a member of the last legislature, an enabling act was passed, allowing the town to lay a tax sufficient to raise $1,500 for this celebration, and the balance necessary was collected by subscrip- tion. To Colonel Kendall too much praise cannot be given for his val- uable and untiring labors before and throughout all the exercises. Honor to whom honor is due.
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[From the Summit County (Ohio) Beacon, Oct. 26, 1870.] A VISIT TO THE OLD NATIVE TOWN BI-CEN- TENNIAL CELEBRATION. .
INTERESTING EXERCISES.
DEAR OLD SANCTUM: A visit to one's native town, after loug years of absence, is always interesting, and doubly so on a special invitation to participate in the celebration of an important anniversary connected with its origin and carly history.
The occasion of my present visit to New England was the celebration of the two hundredth anniversary of the settlement of the township of Suffield, in the county of Hartford and State of Connectiont, which oc- curred on Wednesday, October 12th.
The town is situated upon the west bank of the Conn ctient river, eighteen miles north of the city of Hartford, and adjoining the Massa- clinsetts line. It is one of the very loveliest of the many beautiful towns in the splendid valley in which it is situated. Its fertile ard carefully cultivated farms, its broad and neatly kept streets, its fine roads, its mag- nificent residences, its superb churches, its commodious educational struc- tures, all evince a high degree of culture and prosperity.
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