USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Canton > Celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of the town of Canton, Connecticut, July 15, 16, 17, and 18, 1906 > Part 5
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The flora of my native vale and hills was wonderfully varied and lovely. In wild haunts trailing arbutus, lady's- slipper, fringed gentian, and many other favorites, grew in abundance. People had learned that life is one, and no longer enjoyed selfish, wanton destruction. The occupa- tions of the inhabitants had changed little, and the happy relations existing between employer and employee from the early history of the town were now widespread. There was general recognition of the facts that in every business there
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CANTON CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.
are three parties, capital, labor, and the public, and that " the good of one is the good of all." Society had " found means to ascertain facts and award impartial judgment," therefore strikes were no more. The words " boss " and " graft " were marked "obsolete " in the dictionaries, and the temporary debasement of the holy word "trust" had been forgotten. " The wealth of the nation had become the weal of the na- tion," and " commonwealth " took on a new definition when applied to land, coal, metals, and other natural treasure.
Social conditions showed great gain. False, material standards had ceased to be and character was the chosen test. The paralysis of unjust criticism had been vigorously cast off. Each took his neighbor at his best and persistently refused to hear, see, or report any other view, save where the public good demanded silent, just weighing of character. There were leaders, but they were called to the front by the people on account of their peculiar fitness. Nobody in the rank and file was envious, but each did his share in promoting the general good. "The necessity of the best brains and highest character in the administration of municipal affairs " had found its corollary in a saying of the National Municipal League, "National parties and national party questions have no part and should play no part in the determination of local issues." All persons of suitable age and intellectual capacity had equal voice in government.
Not a tax-grumbler was ever heard, for all cheerfully acknowledged that the tax is but the small price we pay for the great blessing of civilization. This was brought about by the true teaching of Civics in the public schools. There imagination as well as reason was counted a God-given fac- ulty to be cultivated and trained. Pupils were set at work to picture vividly the condition of each family if it were obliged to exist independently, dwelling alone, defending it-
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CANTON CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.
self, making its own roads, destitute of any common cur- rency, maintaining its own tutor. When the burden had thus been proved to be intolerable, reason began to see why men organize and share these burdens, and that the tax is that which each pays for his own part in the benefits of union.
To the schools also might be traced the finer parks, lawns, and architecture, appreciation of music and all art, and symmetry and beauty visible on every hand. It had been found not enough that pupils should be taught how to reckon interest and memorize historical dates and grammati- cal formulas. Drawing and music ministered to their higher natures, and an all-around education had opened their eyes to works of God in Nature and Science, and His ways with mankind as revealed in the principles and spirit which under- lie history. The public school, one of the few truly demo- cratic institutions of a beneficent kind, was the first thing in which the people of the town had learned to unite and in which they took most pride.
The churches, also learning the benefits of union, and minimizing the differences of creed and polity, wrought to- gether in perfect harmony for the highest good of the whole community, imbued with the spirit of the Master in whose service all were engaged.
Closely allied with school and church were the purely unsectarian Christian associations. At evening, young people no longer left their homes furtively or defiantly for questionable pleasures. Methods just beginning to develop upon broad, practical lines in 1906 had changed all that. The necessity for athletics, for varied amusements, for social intercourse, for mental growth, for both sexes under wise, sympathetic guidance had been met successfully.
At the time of the Town's Centennial in 1906 there ex- isted many secret orders. These had been of great social
64 CANTON CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.
and financial benefit to their members, and had indirectly aided in the growth of broader ideas of human brother- hood. There were three organizations outside the church with more specific aim. The oldest of these, The Woman's Alert Club, organized in 1893 to study the condition and needs of the children and to work for the improvement of the schools. The Canton Soldiers' Memorial Association was incorporated by the State in 1903, and admitted both sexes to membership. Its title describes its chief object.
The Phoebe Humphrey Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution dated its beginning January 30, 1905, but had already accomplished the permanent marking of heroes' graves within the town and a quickening of his- toric interest, and had set its face toward the future "in the spirit of the men and women who achieved American inde- pendence," aiming "to develop an enlightened public opin- ion and to afford to young and old such advantages as shall develop in them the largest capacity for performing the duties of American citizens."
The natural affinity of these three bodies was perceived at once. They soon joined forces in starting a town library of which there had been great need. This institution, like all the best things, was a growth from small beginnings. An appetite for good literature had been fostered by the Col- linsville School Library, numbering a thousand volumes in 1906, the result largely of efforts of the Woman's Alert Club. A nucleus for a library had been started in each school district. Control of all public libraries was legally vested in the Town School Committee. The State dealt liberally with all towns maintaining a public library. The thing desired from the first was to have a true town library, ex- tending its benefits to every family within town limits. It opened with a small building in Collinsville as a center, but
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CANTON CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION. 65
by an adaptation of the traveling library idea, every school- house in town became a distributing branch. All the people gladly shared in the cost and profit of this undertaking, in- spired and aided by the three organizations and former loyal residents of Canton.
At the time of my visit the noblest building in the town was the Soldiers' Memorial, which not only commemorated glorious deeds of the past in war and peace, but proved itself a perpetual blessing to succeeding generations.
Within its walls, eloquent with memorial records and tablets, were a fine public library freely used and valued by the whole town, a museum which made permanent the loan- exhibition idea of the Centennial, and a good historical reference-library, collected by the "Daughters."
But no description of memorial, institution or social con- dition can convey an adequate idea of the honor and dignity, the harmony and righteousness which characterized the dear old town.
Among the chief sources of its joyful and wonderful life was this - the people had learned :
"The Magic of Together."
ELIZABETH J. WARREN.
9
o.K
APPENDIX.
O.K
COLLINSVILLE ELMS.
O.K
APPENDIX.
69
APPENDIX.
Petition of the inhabitants of West Simsbury to the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut, praying to be in- corporated into a town.
To the Honble the General Afsembly of the State of Connecti- cut, to be convened at Hartford in sd State, on the second Thurs- day of May next.
The petition of the subscribers, inhabitants of Simsbury & New Hartford living within the parish of West Simsbury & the independent Society socalled humbly sheweth, that the sd Inhabitants living within the Town of Simsbury are some of them ten miles, &, at an average, seven miles, from the meeting house in Simsbury first Society, where Town and Free- men's meeting have been holden for sd town of Simsbury .- that a mountain, over which they must all pais, forms the Eastern boundary of sd parish, & is steep & difficult; that those who live within the town of New Hartford are, at an average, about 7 miles from the meeting house in sd New Hartford, where Town and Freemen's meetings have been holden, & the roads are generally rough and tedious - that the businefs to be transacted at those meetings has of late years greatly increased, and on that account, as well as from the multiplied numbers of those who act in them, it cannot be accomplished usually till late in the evening, when those who live remote must return home in the night, and so the burden has become great & almost insupportable - that the sd parish including a small tract adjoining on Granby, called the independent society, is about seven miles & an half in length, and about four miles in bredth - that there are 200 freemen in the Simsbury part, & the list of the inhabitants is about 27,000 dollars; & 21 freemen in the New
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APPENDIX.
Hartford part, & the list of the Inhabitants about 3000 dollars ; - that from these circumstances the inhabitants of sd parish are very desirous to be incorporated into a distinct & separate town, & have exprefsed their desire, by a vote in a meeting of sd parish, in which they were unanimous, or nearly so .- that they conceive an act incorporating them would be much for their benefit, & in no measure hurtful to the public, nor any essential injury to the towns of Simsbury, or New Hartford, which would still be large & respectable.
Whereupon the Petitioners humbly pray your Honours to take their case into consideration, and thereupon grant, that they, and others, now living, or who hereafter may live, within the fol- lowing bounds, beginning at a heap of Stones in Farmington line, South 9° West 13 chains from Ephraim Baldwin's house, thence North 114℃ 25L to a chestnut tree with Stones by it, on the East side of the mountain, Southwesterly of Thomas Alder- man's, thence North 14º East, 217º, to a rock with stones on it, south of the road westerly of Case's grist mill; thence North 26° East, 46c, to a butternut staddle on the top of the mountain ; thence North 12º East 87c to a red oak tree with Stones by it marked T 6c25L south of the brook in the notch of the Mountain, so called; thence N 16° E. 104º 70L to a heap of Stones in Granby line, from Sabina Mofes' house N 9º 64L leaving sd Moses on the east; which line will form the East bounds of the pro- posed town, thence, in the Granby line, Westerly to the Kimberly line; thence southerly in sd Kimberly line till it pafes acrofs the independent society; & thence in the parish line till it come to the southeast corner of sd Parish, thence to the Ist monument, may be incorporated into a distinct town, with all the powers, rights & immunities which other towns in this State by law have & enjoy, or, if your Honour's should judge expedient, that part only of sd tract which is within the limits of the sd town of Simsbury, or in some other way grant relief, as to your Honour's shall seem meet, & the Petitioners as in duty bound, shall ever pray.
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APPENDIX.
Dated at Simsbury April 19h AD. 1806.
Solomon Everest
George Humphreys
Asa Cafe
Abraham Wilcox
Dan Cafe
Uriah Edgcom
Abraham Stafford
Isaac WilliamsJr
Thias Garrit
Jonah Richards
Jabez O Gleafon
Uriah Edgecomb Jr
Elisha Dyer
Ezra Willcocks David Taylor
William Stone
Afher Hinman
Eliphlet Alford
Thomas Bidwell
Seymour A Mofes
Barnabas Freeman Rufus Garret
Wm Humphry Eben Alford Cyrus Humphrey Titus Cafe Samuel Marshall
Israel Segar Thoda Garrit Elifha Brown Levi Humphry Alex" Humphrys
Augustus Humphry
Silvanus Case Jr
George Humphrey Jun
Rafus Humphrey Allyn Humphreys Jofeph Dyer Lyman Noble
Joseph Brockway Hofea Cafe Loin Humphry Jonathan Barber
Benoni Jones
Reuben Barber
Dosea Barber
Jacob Foot Elifha Cafe Lyman Cafe
Levi Humphry Johnion Cleveland Joel Lane Ozias Taylor John Barber Jr John Barber Levi Barber
Grove Cafe Silvanus Case David Ackant
Michael Barber
Ephraim Mills
Ephraim Mills Jun Elijah Barber Arnold Humphry Amasa Mills Gardner Mills
Curmi (?) Mefenger Plinny Humphry Theophilus Humphry Jeffe Steele Elam Cafe
Dudley Humphrey Ezra Adams
Sam11 Humphrys Jun James Garrit Jacob Foot Jun Joseph Foot Zean Tillotion
Amos Larion
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APPENDIX.
James Humphrey Theor Humphrey Jf Azariah Barber Stephen Harris
John Steele
Darius Moses
Ezra Adams Jr
Jedediah Willcox
Dudley Mills
Thadeus Mills
Luther Jones Rufus Tuller
Sterling Willcox
Jason Squire Edmund Miner
Daniel Graham Jr
William Willcox Jur
William Willcox
Erastus Graham
Thomas Sugden
Darius Mofes Jr
Ashbel Mofes
Samuel Leet
Aaron Moses
Roswell Humphrey
Isaac Graham
Stephen Davis
Jacob Case
Dudley Case
Jehial Latimer
Alvin Humphry
Thomas Caverle ?
Rivers Case
Azariah Wilcox
Samuel Dudley ?
Jefse Case Jur
Michel Barber Jr
Jefs Case
Amasa Milles Jun
Augustus Case
Lemuel Milles
Noble Phips (or Phelps)
Caleb Spencer
Amos Spencer
Philetus Cafe
Rozzel Rarns
Buckland Willcox
Oringe Case
Roswell Latimer
Calvin Cafe
Giles Lattimer
John Foot
Garner Lattimer
Jonathan Meaden
Amos Willcox
William Barber
Jonathan Latimer
William Merrell
Ared Hinman
Alex" Wilcox
Levi Morgan
John Braman
David Adams Daniel Merrell
Frederic Moses Joel Cook
Erastus Dailey Elias Case
Allen Willcox
Eli Marther Robbert Hughs Jofeph Bacon Jr
Jonathan Latimer Jr Asa Matson
Abraham Humphry Asahel Bliss
Benjamin Milles
Samuel Doud Ezra Doud
Thomas Sugden Ju
Daniel Graham
APPENDIX. 73
To David Gleason of Farmington in the County of Hartford an indifferent person to serve and return Greeting
By authority of the State of Connecticut you are hereby commanded to summon Amaziah Humphrey town Clerk of the town of Simsbury in sd County & the rest of the inhabitants of the sd Town of Simsbury, and Joseph Loomis town Clerk of the town of New Hartford in Litchfield County & the rest of the Inhabitants of the sd town of New Hartford, to appear, if they see cause, before the Honble the General Afsembly of the State aforesd to be holden at Hartford in & for sd State on the second Thursday of May AD 1806, that is to say, on the Tuesday next following the sd second Thursday, then & there to shew reasons, if any they have, why the prayer of the foregoing petition should not be granted, & you will leave a true & attested copy of sd petition & of this citation with the sd Town Clerks respectively, or at the places of their usual abode at least twelve days before sd Tuesday. Fail not & legal service & return make Dated at Farmington the Igh day of April AD. 1806, Two Dollars duty is recd hereon.
John Treadwell L'Governor
April 29th 1806, I then left a true attested copy of this petition, and citation with Joseph Loomis town clerk of the town of New Hartford And April 30th 1806, I left a like true and attested copy, at the usual place of abode of Amariah Humphry town clerk of the town of Simsbury
Fee $4 Test David Gleason, indifft. person
In the House of Representatives The aforegoing Petition is granted with liberty of a Bill &c Test Thos. Y. Seymour Clerk
Concurrd in the Upper House
Test Sam1 Wyllys Secretary
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APPENDIX.
ENDORSEMENTS.
Nº 17 1/6 paid
Petition of the inhabitants of
West Simsbury &c praying to be incor-
porated into a town May Session A.D. 1806
G. H. R. G. N. H. Bill Bill
P. H. R. PUH Copy paid 32/
!
Ent Capt Humphrey Dr Barton
Capt Mofes
Mr Alford
Mª Thos Bidwell
Members Col. Holmes Mr R. Bidwell
Act of the General Assembly incorporating the town of Canton, Connecticut.
Upon the Petition of George Humphreys, & others, inhabitants of the town of Symsbury in the county of Hartford, & of the town of New Hartford in the county of Litchfield, shewing to this Afsembly, that those of the petitioners who live in faid town of Symsbury, are fome of them ten, & at an average, all of them are feven miles from the meeting house in the firft Society in faid
---
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APPENDIX.
Symsbury, where Town & Freemen's meetings for said Symsbury have been holden; that a mountain forms the eastern boundary of said parish of Weft Symsbury, & is difficult to pafs, that those of the petitioners who live in faid New Hartford are about feven miles from the meeting house in faid New Hartford, where the Town and Freemen's meetings of faid New Hartford are holden; that the busines at faid Town & Freemen's meetings has greatly encreased, & and cannot be finished until late in the night, that the Society of Weft Symsbury, including a fmall tract adjoining on Granby, called the Independent Society is about feven miles & a half in length, & about four miles in breadth, &c. praying this Afsembly to be incorporated into a distinct town, as per petition on file dated April 19th 1806.
This petition was legally ferved upon the faid towns of Symsbury & New Hartford, & duly returned into the office of the Secretary, & by him entered in the files & docket of this Afsembly, & the parties thereto appeared, & were fully heard, with their evidence & exhibits, & this Afsembly do find the allegations in faid Petition are proved & true.
Resolved by this Afsembly, that all the inhabitants living within the following limits, viz. beginning at a heap of stones in Farmington line, South 9° W. 13 chains from Ephraim Baldwin's house, thence North 114 chains, 25 links, to a chestnut tree with stones about it, on the eaft side of the mountain, Southwesterly of Thomas Alderman's, thence north 14º eaft 217 chains to a rock with stones upon it, South of the road westerly of Cases gristmill, thence north 26° eaft, 46 chains to a butternut ftaddle on the top of the mountain, thence north 12º eaft, 87 chains to red oak tree with stones by it, marked T. 6 chains 25 links fouth of the brook in the notch of the mountain fo called, thence north 16º eait 104 chains 70 links to a heap of ftones in Granby line,
-----
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APPENDIX.
from Sabina Mofes's house north 9 chains 64 links, leav- ing faid Mofes on the eaft, which line will form the eaft bounds of the proposed town, thence in the Granby line, westerly to the Kimberly line, thence foutherly in said Kimberly line till it pafes acrofs the Independent Society, & thence in the parish line till it comes to the foutheaft corner of faid Society of Weft Symsbury, thence to the firft monument, be & they are formed into a distinct town, by the name of Canton with all the rights, privileges, & immunities, & fubject to the same duties as other towns in this State by law are, excepting only, that said Town of Canton shall have a right to fend but one Representative to the General Afsembly until by law they shall be authorized to fend two; That the firft meet- ing of said Town of Canton shall be holden at the meeting house in faid Weft Symsbury on the third mon- day in June, A. D. 1806, at one o'clock afternoon, & the inhabitants of said Town of Canton, qualified by law to vote in Town meetings shall be warned to meet on faid day by a Warrant or Warrants figned by George Humphrey Esqr. a Justice of the peace & which Warrant or Warrants shall be posted up on the fign poft, & at each of the taverns in said town of Canton, at leaft five days before said third monday in June, & the said Inhabitants, which so met, fhall proceed to make choice of fuch officers as other Towns in this State are authorized to choose, & fuch officers, when duly fworn, fhall continue in office until the annual meeting of faid Town of Canton, held according to law, & until others are chosen & fworn in their ftead; and faid George Humphrey Esqr. fhall pre- side & be Moderator in faid Town meeting on the said third monday in June, & in case of the death or abience of of the said George Humphrey Esqr. Solomon Evereft Esqr. is hereby authorized to fign faid Warrants, & pre- side in faid meeting; & the present Collectors of the said Town of Simsbury, fhall collect the town tax granted
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APPENDIX.
by said Symsbury on the lift 1804 & the ftate tax for the same lift, & pay the fame over for the benefit of the said towns of Symsbury & Canton, in proportion to their re- spective lifts for 1805; & the town poor of faid original town of Symsbury & the debts & credits of faid Town fhall be divided betwixt faid Towns of Symsbury & Can- ton, in proportion to the lifts of faid Towns for 1805, excluding from the lift of said Town of Canton, the lift of that part of faid Town of Canton, which originally belonged to faid Town of New Hart- ford; & the division of faid town poor, & of faid debts and credits fhall be made by the following persons, who are agreed upon as a Committee for that purpose, by said Towns of Symsbury & Canton, viz. Saml. Barn- ard, Noah A. Phelps, Shubael Hoskins, Austin Phelps, all of Symsbury, & George Humphrey, Darius Mofes, James Humphrey, & Asher Humphrey all of Canton.
And in case any inhabitants of faid original Town of Symsbury who was born in faid Town of Symsbury be- fore the pafsing of this act, fhall have removed to any other town or ftate, fhall return, or be returned as a pauper, fuch person fhall be fupported by that part of faid original Town in which he or she was born; & if any person not a native of faid original town of Syms- bury, but who previous to the pafsing of this act fhall have gained a legal residence in faid original town of Symsbury, & fhall have removed to any other town or ftate, fhall return or be returned as a pauper, fuch person fhall be fupported by that part of said original town of Symsbury in which fuch person last resided - Provided, that fuch of the inhabitants of the said town of Canton, as belonged to the said town of New Hartford before the pafsing of this act, fhall not be liable for the payment of any part of the expenfes, or debts of faid original town of Symsbury or of faid town of Canton, which shall be incurred before the firft day of November next .-
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APPENDIX.
And be it further Resolved, that the inhabitants of faid Town of Canton who belonged to the Town of New Hartford, fhall remain a part of the School Society of New Hartford;
Pafsed in the House of Representatives
1 Test Thos. Y. Seymour Clerk Concurred in the Upper Houfe Test Sam1 Wyllys Secretary
CHURCHES.
Canton Centre Congregational Church. Organized 1750. First meeting-house erected in 1763; rebuilt on same site in 1814.
Pastors and their terms :
Rev. Evander Morrison, 1750-175I
Rev. Gideon Mills,
1759-1772 ·
Rev. Seth Sage,
1774-1778
Rev. Abraham Fowler,
1780-1783 .
Rev. Edmund Mills,
1783-1784
Rev. Jeremiah Hallock,
. 1785-1826
Rev. Jairus Burt, .
1826-1857
Rev. Warren C. Fiske,
1858-1861
Rev. Charles N. Lyman,
1862-1868
Rev. Austin Gardner, .
1869-1873
Rev. David B. Hubbard,
1874-1885
Rev. Frederick Alvord,
1885-1889
Rev. D. B. Lord, .
1889-1891
Rev. Charles R. Stevens,
1891-1898
Rev. Christopher Hamlin,
1899-1902
Rev. J. W. Moulton,
1902-
Resolution of the General Assembly creating the parish of West Simsbury :
" At a General Afsembly held at Hartford on the second thurf-
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APPENDIX.
"day of May A.D. 1750 upon the memorial of Jofeph Willcoks, " Samuel Humphrey and the reft of the inhabitants living in that " part of the town of Simfbury in the county of hartford that " lyes weft of the eafternmoft ledg of the west mountain so called " praying to be made a distinct Eclefiaftical Society.
" Refolved by this Afsembly that all the inhabitants that now " do or hereafter shall live west of the afforefaid weft ledg of the " weft mountain in said Simfbury within the limmits following : " viz: Bounding eaft on the afforefaid ledg, South on farmington " bounds and from the south west corner bounds of the said town " of Simsbury to run northerly on the line dividing between the " town of Simsbury and Newhartford seven miles and then turns " eaft south eaft and runs to the afforesaid eaft ledg of the weft " mountain, be and they are hereby made to be a diftinct Eccle- " fastical Society with powers and privileges as other Ecclefasti- " cal Societys in this collony do enjoy and faid Society shall be " called and known by the name of Weft Simfbury."
" Teft George Wyllys Secretary "
COPY OF THE RECEIPT GIVEN BY THE FIRST MINISTER IN CANTON CENTER UPON THE TERMINATION OF HIS LABORS Weft Simfbury June the 22d
ay ad 175I
then recd of Mr thomas barber amos Cafe and Ezekiel humphry a Comtee for the Sofiety two hundred and feventy fix pounds fif- teen fhillings money* or fecured to me to my full fatiffaction from them in which I ye fd Mr Evander Morifon do aquit and dif- charge ye fd fociety in weft fimsbury in which I was inftaled in the work of the miniftry on the IIth of july laft in the year 1750 in which I ye sd Mr Evander morifon do aquit and difcharge ye fofiety from ye fettelment that was voted me which was to build me a houfe and I alfo difcharge the fofiety from my fallery which
* Equal to $121.77 at the present time, based on Boston Exchange on England which in 1749 was IIf colonial for If sterling. Mr. Morison's salary was to be 30of colonial, or $132.00 per annum.
8c
APPENDIX.
was voted me from ye fofiety and I ye sd Mr Morifon do aquit and difcharge ye sd fofiety from ye wood which was thirty cords per year and I ye sd Mr Morison do aquit and difcharge the fofiety from all demands from the beginning of the world to this day and forever after recd in full I fay recd per me as witnis my hand
In prefents of Jofeph Clark.
Evander Morifon
Ezekiel Case.
Copy of a certificate that was recorded to exempt a property holder from paying taxes for the support of the Congregational Church in West Simsbury :
" this may certify that Mr benjn Dyar is a conformist of the "Church of England and has put himfelf under my care so that " he must be exempted from paying tax to any difenting minister " &c."
" William gibbs Mifsionar "
Simfbury Jan 4th 1751
Canton Baptist Church. Organized in 1787. First meeting- house erected in 1807 upon the green; removed to its present site in 1838.
Pastors have been: Reverend Messrs. James Bacon, Jared Mills, Humphrey, Kimball, Gracey, Brockett, Atwell, Phippen, Judd, Bestor, Bowles, Atkins, Culver, J. W. Higgins, and F. H. Cooper.
Collinsville Congregational Church. Organized in 1832. First meeting-house erected in 1836; burned in 1857 and rebuilt in 1858.
Pastors and their terms :
Rev. H. N. Brinsmade, 1832-1835
Rev. Stephen Mason, . 1835-1836
Rev. C. C. Vanarsdalen, 1836-1838
APPENDIX. 81
Rev. F. A. Barton,
1838-1843
Rev. Charles B. McLean,
1843-1866
Rev. Alexander Hall, . 1866-1871
Rev. George W. Andrews,
1872-9 mos.
Rev. Leverett S. Griggs,
1872-1874
Rev. Edward E. Lamb,
1875-1882
Rev. George E. Cate, .
1882-1884
Rev. Charles E. Cooledge,
1885-
St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Collinsville. Parish estab- lished, with Tariffville and New Hartford as dependencies, in 1856. First church dedicated in 1852.
Pastors and their terms:
Rev. Patrick O. Dwyer, 1852-1861
Rev. John Fagan,
1861-1868
Rev. Lawrence Walsh, . 1868-1870
Rev. B. O'R. Sheridan,
1870-1885
Rev. Maurice Crowley,
1885-1889
Rev. John J. Quinn,
1889-1902
Rev. J. E. Clark, . .
1902-
North Canton Methodist Episcopal Church. Organized in 1870. First church edifice erected in 1871 and dedicated in 1872. Pastors and their terms:
Rev. F. A. Crafts, ·
1870-
Rev. J. C. Sherburn, 1871- ,
Rev. W. A. Munson, 1872-
Rev. Lemuel Richardson,
1873-1875
Rev. N. L. Porter,
1876-1877
Rev. Benjamin A. Gilman, 1878-1880
Rev. John S. Haugh, . 1881-1883
Rev. Edward L. Bray, . 1884-1885
Rev. Abraham R. Eagan,
1886-1887
11
82
APPENDIX.
Rev. Albert Booth, 1888-1890
Rev. A. A. Clark, .
1891-1895
·Rev. H. L. Foote,
1896-
Rev. John H. Knott,
1897-1898
Rev. Benjamin F. Gilman,
1899-1900
Rev. Newton Wright,
1901-1902
Rev. Jesse L. Rollins, .
1903-1905
Rev. Edward J. Curtis, 1906-
Trinity Episcopal Church, Collinsville. Organized in 1875. First church edifice erected in 1876.
Clergymen in charge as missionaries or rectors :
Rev. Henry A. Dows, . 1874-1875
Rev. George F. Breed, . 1875-1876
Rev. William B. Coleman, 1876-1882
Rev. Norman H. Burnham, .
1882-1883
Rev. Ralph H. Bowles,
1883-1884
Rev. Samuel Hall,
1885-1886
Rev. George Buck,
1887-1888
Rev. Jesse E. Heald, 1888-1894
Rev. Kirkland Huske,
1894-1896
Rev. Walter T. Cavell, .
1896-1902
Rev. Frederick P. Swezey,
1903-
St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Collinsville. Organized in 1885. First church edifice erected in 1893. Pastors and their terms:
Rev. E. Hantel, 1885-1887
Rev .- Jager, 1887-1893
Rev. O. F. Ebert, . 1893-1895
Rev. O. Seidenstucker, . 1895-1901
Rev. C. Leisz,
1901-1902
Rev. O. Lorenz,
1902 -- 1903
Rev. P. Bahnisch,
1903-
83
APPENDIX.
Swedish Evangelical Pilgrim Church, Collinsville. Organized in 1887. First church building erected in 1893.
Pastors and their terms ;
Rev. Edward Pohl, 1887-1891
Rev. John E. Widen,
1892-1901
Rev. Lars G. Borg,
1901-
There have been other religious organizations in Canton that are not in existence.
All of those now established began by holding religious services in houses or halls until they were able to erect church buildings. From 1741 to 1750 religious services were held on the Sabbath in private houses, and for a portion of this time ser- mons were preached by Rev. Adonijah Bidwell and Rev. Timothy Pitkin. In Collinsville the Collins Company's office hall and Fireman's Hall were used by various religious organizations prior to the erection of their church buildings. The first Catholic mass in town was celebrated in the house of Peter Myers in 1841, and Catholic services were held in houses until the church edifice was erected on land given by Peter Myers.
SCHOOLS.
Years.
Districts.
Schools.
Pupil s Enumerated.
*1846
II
(?)
443
1853
9
(?)
457
1855
8
8
532
1862
9
8
559
1870
8
8
622
1880
8
8
53I
1890
8
8
537
1900
Consolidated
8
630
* Of the number of children enumerated in 1846 seventy-three children attended private schools and forty-three did not attend any school.
84
APPENDIX.
POPULATION OF CANTON.
Year.
Inhabitants.
1810,
1,374
1820,
1,322
1830,
1,437
1840,
1,736
1860,
2,373
1
1870, -
2,639
1880,
2,301
1890,
2,500
1900,
2,678
The population of 1870 was temporarily large on account of railroad construction, upon which a large force of men were em- ployed for a time.
The population of the village of Collinsville is not indicated by the census of towns, as it lies in parts of Canton, Burlington, and Avon. Its population is more than that of either of the towns alone, and is at least 3,500.
F84606.09
6145 1
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