USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > Middletown > Centennial address and Historical sketches > Part 13
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66
66
S. Martindale, " 66
1838.
1810.
66
1842.
66 66
183
SOCIETY AND CITY OF MIDDLETOWN.
African Methodist Episcopal Church.
This church was organized by Rev. James Anderson, a colored clergyman of New Haven in 1828. The first , trustees were Asa Jeffrey, Joseph Gilbud, E. Deforest, G. W. Jeffrey and John Hambleton ; all of whom, ex- cepting E. Deforest, are now dead.
Their churchi edifice, 39 feet by 31, was built and dedicated in 1829. It stands a short distance west of the University. It was built by subscription and in- volved the trustees in a debt for some years, from which they are now free.
The average congregation consists of about 100 per- sons, 30 of whom are communicants. They are sup- plied with preaching by Conference, and have had a very efficient Sabbath School, and Temperance Society. The superintendant of the school, has been many years, if not uniformly, one of their own people-the greater proportion of the teachers, 12 in number, have been whites. The scholars on an average are about 50. The Library contains 281 volumes.
Universalist Church.
The Universalists in Middletown held a meeting Nov. 29th, 1829, for the purpose of forming themselves into a legal society, and to raise funds for the support of preaching. The Lancasterian School house was hired by them, and preaching supported in it for about ten years. In the autumn of 1838 committees were ap- pointed to procure a site for a church, and to contract for the building : the succeeding year, a site was secured, and a church raised and completed on the south-west corner of Main and Parsonage street. This is 70 feet by 52; the front of the basement is used for stores, and in the rear there is a conference room with desk and seats. The building, with the site, cost about $12,000. Several individuals united and gave a bell, which weighs 1831 pounds.
The house was dedicated in October, 1839, and at
18-4
SOCIETY AND CITY OF MIDDLETOWN.
the same time Rev. L. S. Everett of Baltimore installed pastor.
Mr. Everett was called to Salem, Massachusetts in April 1841, and the Rev. Merritt Sanford of Vermont, was installed his successor the same season. Mr. San -- ford becoming unable to preach by & bronchitic affec- tion, an arrangement was made to hire a supply until he should recover his health, but some dissatisfaction growing out of the arrangement, he asked for a dismis . sion which was granted.
September 15th, 1844, Rev. T. P. Abell from Hav- erhill, Massachusetts, was settled as their pastor, and still ministers to the congregation.
About 80 families are connected with ths Society, and from 25 to 30 persons are members of the church.
Contributions have been taken up for the Bible cause, and for Sabbath Schools among their own denomination.
Roman Catholic Church.
The oppressed and suffering Catholics of Ireland for some years past, have been coming to this place and vicinity, as they have to other centres of business in the State and country, seeking employment and the means of support for themselves and their families .- While many females have gained their objects, in the dwellings of inhabitants here, and many males on the farms of the owners and cultivators of the soil, no where within a considerable distance have so many men found employment as in the Portland Quarries, opposite the north end of the city. They needed a house of worship. Accordingly under the guidance and control of Rev. John Brady, their pastor at the time, they began in Oct. 1843, to build them a brick church of respectable size, fronting the North Green. This was soon found insuf- ficient to accommodate their growing numbers. They therefore under the guidance and control of their present pastor, Rev. John Brady Jun., a relative of his predc- cessor, began in June 1850 to build a much larger church of Portland stone, of Gothic architecture, on the site of the
185
SOCIETY AND CITY OF MIDDLETOWN.
previous building, which is now very nearly ready for consecration. The audience room contains 224 slips, and though there are no side galleries, it has an Organ gallery sufficient for a very large choir. This exceeds in size any other audience room in the city, and in beau- ty none can be compared with it. The cost of the church we cannot state.
SKETCH OF MIDDLEFIELD.
The settlement in this Society was begun about 1700. The earliest settlers were Samuel Allen, Benjamin Mil- ler and Samuel Wetmore from the First Society. With these, others soon united from the same society, by the name of Bacon, Hubbard, Stow, Turner and Ward ; from Durham by the name of Camp, Coc and Lyman ; from Stratford by the name of Birdsey ; from Guilford by the name of Bartlett : persons also were there by the name of Chilson and Hale. When the Society was in- corporated in Oct. 1744, there were more than fifty families living within its limits. The names of the heads of these families were, Samuel Allen, Sen., Sam- uel Allen, Jr., Ephraim and Obadiah Allyn, Thomas Alvord, Nathaniel and Joseph Bacon, John Bartlett, John Birdsey and John Brown, Abraham and Edward Camp, John Chilson and John Chilson, Jr., Joseph, Da- vid and Robert Coe, Gideon and Thomas Cooke, John and Isaac Doud, and Daniel Driggs, Jeremiah Guild, Ebenezer and Joseph Hale, Eliakim Hall, Samuel Stow, Hawley and Ebenezer Hubbard, Jeremiah Leaming, Benjamin Miller and Benjamin Miller Jr., Joseph Mil- ler, Sen., Ichabod, Amos and David Miller, Moses Par- sons, John Rockwell and Daniel Stow, David Strickland and David Strickland, Jr., Stephen Turner, Sen., and Samuel Warner, Samuel Wetmore, Sen., Benjamin Wetmore and Benjamin Wetmore, Jr., Beriah, Joseph, Thomas, Daniel, Caleb and Prosper Wetmore, and Jo- siah Wetmore, jr., and Titus John Whitmore. The aggregate list of all these persons exceeded £3,000.
Almost all these persons were farmers, and soon after the incorporation of the Society, the population reached a point from which it did not greatly vary for many years. But the important water privileges on West river, in its passage through the Society ; particularly
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SKETCH OF MIDDLEFIELD.
those on the tributary of this stream, issuing from the mountains on its western border, rendered much more valuable by a large reservoir secured by a dam erected in 1848, have induced numbers to engage in manufac- tures. Hence the population has been increasing for some years, and more, recently, and a village is spring- ing up on this tributary. The number of families in Middlefield in 1815 was ninety-two, and the number of dwelling houses about eighty-one. The families in the beginning of the current year, (1852,) were one hundred and thirty-five, and the dwelling houses one hundred and seventeen. The people built their first meeting-house, in 1745, forty feet square. But at what time the church was organized does not certainly appear, as the ancient records of the church are lost. It was probably organiz- ed by the same Council that ordained the first pastor, Rev. Ebenezer Gould, Oct. 10th, 1747.
With this pastor some individuals became dissatisfied, for reasons which do not now fully appcar, and consid- erable disturbance was occasioned. Still he remained pastor until about 1756, when he was dismissed. He afterwards removed to East Granville, Mass., where he died in 1779. The senior pastor in that place, Rev. Dr. Cooley, has a faint recollection of having seen him in the last hours of his life, when he was too much ex- hausted to speak distinctly. He never heard of Mr. Gould's preaching in Granville, in a single instance. The probability is that his ministry ceased when he was dismissed, unless in some rare instances he preached an occasional sermon.
After his dismission the people in Middlefield made several attempts to settle a minister and failed ; but on the 28th of February, 1765, they settled Rev. Joseph Denison, a native of Windham and graduate of Yale College, 1763. He died Feb. 12th, 1770, aged 31.
Rev. Abner Benedict, native of North Salem, N. Y., and graduate of Yale, 1769, succeeded Mr. Denison, Nov. 20th, 1771, but was dismissed 1785, that he might remove to New Lebanon in the State of New York, that a feeble daughter might enjoy the benefits of the medic- inal waters of that town, where he was installed, and la-
16
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SKETCH OF MIDDLEFIELD.
bored in the ministry six years. He afterwards preach- ed in various places ; but died at Roxbury, in the coun- ty of Delaware, Nov. 19th, 1818, aged 78.
Mr. Benedict was a son of Dea. Peter Benedict, and brother of Rev. Joel Benedict, D. D., of Lisbon, after- wards of Plainfield ; and of Licut. Peter Benedict, an offi- cer in the Revolutionary war. He was a man of strong affections and an able divine. While in Middlefield he accomplished by his address and efforts, the fredom of all the slaves held by his people.
He left several manuscripts, on which he had bestow- ed much labor, particularly a dissertaion on the book of Revelation, but whether any of these have been pub- lished is not known.
This dismission was cxeeedingly unfavorable to the in- terests of religion in Middlefield. Had he remained there, the church would probably have been great- ly strengthened, and the society united and prosperous. But after he was gone the Society remained vacant more than twenty years. No minister of Christ was statedly in the desk on the sabbath, enlightening and establishing the minds of the people in the great truths of the gos- pel, and telling them on week days from house to house, words whereby they and their children might be saved. The old professors of religion died or removed, until the church was almost extinct.
But the Lord having revived his work in the neighbor- ing town of Durham, and this having spread somewhat in this place, the church was reorganized, or rather a new church was formed in Dec., 1808, and 29 persons solemnly entered into covenant with God, and with one another. A few of these had been members of the old church, the others were those who had recently enter- tained hope of a saving interest in Christ.
But the members of this church, and those disposed to attend worship with them, had no meeting-house of their own, and difficulties existed in the way of their oc- cupying the old meeting-house. In this situation they met for a time in private dwellings, and then assembled for worship in a conference-house, which they erected, until they found means to build a sanctuary. This they
189
SKETCH OF MIDDLEFIELD.
raised on the site of the old meeting-house in 1841, and dedicated it June 8, 1842 .. This, separately from the foundation, cost about $2,000. It is 46 feet by 38, and for this a bell has since been procured at an expense of $150.
" For a number of years they were without a perma- nent ministry. Sometimes they enjoyed the labors of a minister for several months together ; occasionally they were supplied by neighboring ministers ; and frequently were destitute of the preaching of the gospel on the sab- bath."
On the 24th of May, 1820, Rev. Stephen Hayes, of Newark, N. J., was installed their pastor, with the un- derstanding, that he should preach for them one third of the time, and two-thirds of the time in Westfield. Thus he labored until June 6, 1827, when he was dismissed.
Rev. James Noyes, of Wallingford, graduate of Un- ion College, 1821, was constituted pastor of the church July 23d, 1829, and devoted his whole time to their ser- vice ; but in Jan. 1839, was dismissed. Since then ho has been settled in Burlington, but has spent most of the period in Haddam, where he has instructed youth part of the time ; sometimes he has helped his brethren in the ministry, and sometimes has supplied vacant con- gregations.
After the dismission of Mr. Noyes, the people were supplied for two or three years by Rev. Dwight Seward, who had previously been settled in New Britain, and has since been settled in West Hartford. He is a native of Durham, graduate of Yale College, 1831, and graduate of the Theological Depart; is now pastor of a Dutch Reformed Church in Yonkers.
Rev. James T. Dickinson, native of Lowville, N. Y., graduate of Yale, 1286, succeeded Mr. Seward, and supplied the people a year and a half. He was for a time pastor of the church in Norwich city, and then a Foreign Missionary.
December 30th, 1846, Rev. James D. More, native of Gorsham, in Wiltshire, Eng., took the charge of the church. He was dismissed April 18, 1850, and install- ed in Clinton on the 2d of July following.
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SKETCH OF MIDDLEFIELD.
Rev. A. V. II. Powell, commenced serving here in May, 1851, and is the present supply.
There were three Deacons in the church before its rc- organization, and there have been four since, viz :
Elected.
Died.
Ages.
Ichabod Miller,
Aug. 22, 1788. 87.
Joseph Coe,
June 10, 1784. 71.
Giles Miller,
About
1774.
March 1, 1804. 77.
William Lyman,
Jan. 10, 1809. April 28, 1838. 66
Oct. 1848.
56.
Phinehas Auger,
April 5, 1850.
While the church has been blessed at times by the special influences of the spirit, so many have been re- moved by death and dismission, that it has never had at one time more than eighteen male members, nor an ag- gregate of members exceeding sixty-eight. This was the number at the commencement of the current year, 1852.
The church and their associates, (for they have no dis- tinct ecclesiastical society,) are free from all pecuniary embarrassment, and besides their conference and meet- ing-house, have a parsonage, which cost $1507 57; and funds for the support of the gospel, amounting to $1457. Of the latter sums, $200 were given by Mrs. Eunice Stow. They of course are in much better circumstan- ces than heretofore for sustaining religious institutions.
As their circumstances have improved, the contribu- tions of the congregation to benevolent objects have in- creased. A collection has recently been taken up of nearly $100, mostly for the American Missionary Asso- ciation. Some small contributions have been made for the Bible Society ; and the Sabbath School the last year raised a few dollars for the Tract Society.
The Methodist Church.
This was commenced in 1791, and from that time on- ward enjoyed more or less preaching. In 1815, the members were reckoned with the members of the M. E. . Church in the city, and perhaps at other times. The denomination gathered so much strength, that in 1834
Prosper Auger,
Dec. 16, 1836. 81.
Horace Skinner,
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SKETCH OF MIDDLEFIELD.
they built a church edifice, 38 by 28 feet, which cost from fifteen to eighteen hundred dollars. They have since remodeled it at an expense of four hundred dollars more. From the time of the erection of this building, they have generally had preaching on the Sabbath. For the last fifteen years the communicants on an average have been about fifty-five ; which is the present number.
There are now six school districts in Middlefield. One formed in 1832, has recently taken the name of Falls District, because it includes the new village already mentioned. The number of children in the Society, be- tween the ages of four and sixteen, is 160.
There are two grave yards in Middlefield. The North yard, about a mile above the churches, was laid out in 1737, and is nearly filled with graves. The Central Grave-yard is on elevated ground very near the Metho- dist church. It was purchased by the Society and laid out in 1828, and enlarged in 1849. It is laid out in lots, separated by narrow walks.
This Society is regarded as very healthy, and the pro- portion of deaths is small compared with the population. The average annually for the last few years is reported as six.
* 16
SKETCH OF WESTFIELD.
This Society lies directly north of Middlefield and is inhabited generally by a farming population, though some have turned their attention to manufactures. The first settler was Edward Higby, who lived at the foot of the bluff, which from him is called Higby Mountain. He settled there about 1720, perhaps a little earlier, and died in November, 1775, aged about 90. The other carly settlers were, Benjamin Atkins, Benjamin, Na- thaniel, John and Joseph Bacon, Joseph Cornwell, Joseph Doolittle, Samuel Plumb and Daniel Roberts, from the First Society of Middletown ; John Warner, Israel, John and Jeremiah Wilcox, from Cromwell; Joseph Clarke, a native of West Haven, Nathaniel Churchell, from Wethersfield ; Edward and Josiah Boardman, from Glastenbury ; David and Richard Doud, Asahel Dudley and Joseph Graves, from Guilford.
The people were incorporated as a parish in 1766, but did not build them a house for public worship until 1773. In this year they built one 48 by 38 feet, which they used as a sanctuary more than three fourths of a centu- yy. On the 29th of December, the same year, the church was organized, consisting of twenty-six members, twenty-one of whom were received from the church in the First Society, and five from the church in Cromwell. At this time Rev. Thomas Minor, a native of Woodbu- ry, graduate of Yale College, 1769, was ordained their pastor. He sustained this relation until death, April 28, 1826, aged 88; but was so enfeebled in the latter part of his life, that Rev. Stephen Hayes, mentioned in the ac- count of Middlefield, was installed May 24, 1820, as a colleague pastor with him.
Mr. Hayes preached in Westfield two-thirds of the time, and more than a year after the death of Mr. Mi- nor, being dismissed June 6, 1827. He afterwards preached in North Madison, and Exeter.
193
SKETCH OF WESTFIELD.
Rev. Stephen Topliff, a native of Willington, gradu- ate of Yale in 1825, and of the Theological Department in that institution, having preached sometime in West- field, was installed May 27, 1829, and dismissed Sep- tember 25th, 1838. He has been pastor, since Septem- ber 1st, 1841, of the church in Oxford.
Rev. James Hanmer Francis, native of Wethersfield, graduate of Yale 1826, and of the Theological Depart- ment of that college, who had been pastor of the church in Dudley, Mass., was installed in Westfield, Decem- ber 2d, 1840, and dismissed, June 11th, 1845.
Rev. Lent S. Hough, native of Wallingford, educated classically at Bangor, Maine, and theologieally at Ban- gor and New Haven, was pastor in Chaplin and in North Woodstock, and stated supply in North Madison, and in Bethel in Danbury, before he came to Westfield, some- time in 1846, where he was stated supply until his in- stallation, February 10th, 1847. He is the present pas- tor.
There have been two hundred and ninety-four mem- bers in this church from the beginning; twenty-six at the organization, ninety-two admitted by Mr. Minor, when sole pastor, twenty-one admitted while Mr. Hayes was colleague, and while sole pastor after Mr. Minor's death; ninety-two while Mr. Topliff was supply and pastor ; thirty-three by Mr. Francis, and thirty-eight by Mr. Hough. The number of members January 1st, 1852, was one hundred and eighteen.
Deacons.
Elected. Died or moved from Soc. Age.
Nathaniel Boardman,
About 1779.
64
Amos Churchill,
Samuel Galpin,
Jedediah Wilcox,
Selah Galpin,
do. 1794. Ap'130,1830. Ap'114,1843.
April 9th, 1807. Became a Baptist & left. Sept. 21, 1842. 82
The people built a new house for public worship, in 1849, which was dedicated in December of that year. This is 64 feet by 40, and exclusive of the foundation, cost $4,500. This sum however covers the expense of the bell, clock and furniture.
The Society had a fund, raised by subscription in 1818, about half of which was lost by the failure of the
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SKETCH OF WESTFIELD.
Eagle Bank, in New Haven. The present funds of the Society are :
The residue of that fund, about $1,000 00.
Appropriation money, 27 79.
Money lent, secured by mortguage, 250 00.
Money lent, not thus secured, 200 00.
Lands given by the late Thomas Minor, M: D., estimated at 570 00.
Parsonage, estimated at 1,000 00.
Total, $3,047 79.
The contributions made by the people to benevolent objects for the last four years, have been, for the Bible cause $100 54; for Foreign Missions, through the AmericanBoard, 199 51 ; for Home Missions, $105 04 ; for the Tratet Cause, $93 48-to which may be added $10, given to the Sabbath School Union -- total, $508- 57.
The Baptists in Westfield.
The Strict Congregationalists in this place, spoken of in the sketch of the First Society, professed themselves Baptists in 1804, and were formed into a church, which then consisted of 12 members. Elder Josiah Graves was their pastor. He died July 24, 1825, and after his death they had preachers by the name of Higby, Judd, Goodwin, Wakeman, Ballard and Baty.
A meeting-house which they built in the west part of Westfield in 1312, 36 feet by 26, in 1840 was moved to near the site of the Congregational church, and repaired. For two or three years the Baptists have not held meet- ings by themselves.
In 1815 there were 93 families in Westfield, and about 81 dwelling houses. In the beginning of 1852, there were 120 families and 104 dwelling houses. There are four school-houses in the Society, but the children of some families attend school without the bounds of the Society, while the children of some other families come from beyond the bounds and attend school here.
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SKETCH OF WESTFIELD.
There have been four Cemeteries in the Society. One is wholly abandoned on account of the wetness of the ground, another is nearly abandoned. Of the other two one is not far from the churches ; the other is on West Street, belongs to families and is much used.
The deaths in the Society for the last ten years, have been eighty-four. In some years the mortality has been much greater than in others, as the following statement shows : In 1842, there were 7 deaths ; in 1843, 9; in 1844, 3; in 1845, 8; in 1846, 8 ; in 1847, 9; in 1848, 4; in 1849, 17; in 1850, 7; in 1851, 14.
PHYSICIANS IN MIDDLETOWN.
In the Address mention is made of Drs. John Cooper, John Arnold, Abijah Moore, Eliot Rawson, John Os- born and John Osborn, 2d, father and son, and John Dickinson, as physicians in Middletown. All these are believed to have lived in the first Society, and within the limits of the city. Besides these, many other physicians have resided in the city, of whom a few particulars will presently be given. Some of the earlier and some of the later physicians obtained their education in litera- ture and medical science, in private, and others at pub- lic institutions. A greater proportion of the later phy- sicians have had their medical education at institutions of a public character. Most who have been in practice since the existence of the Medical Society of the Coun- ty, have been members of it, and through that members of the Medical Society of the State. A part of those hereafter named are dead, some live here, and some in other parts of the country. Those whose birth-places are not spoken of are regarded as natives of the First Society of this town.
Ebenezer Gilbert, was for a time a member of Yale College, but by sickness was obliged to suspend study and leave the institution before the time for taking his degree. He afterwards studied medicine with Drs. Ives and Hubbard, in New Haven, but completed them with Dr. John Dickinson of this city. During a part of the Revolution he was surgeon in one of our vessels of war. He afterwards went to the West Indies for his health, settled at St. Pierre, in the island of Martinique, where he remained twenty-five years, practising his profession during most, if not the whole of that period. He re- turned to this place in 1813, and though advanced in years, practised considerably here. He died January 17th, 1833, in his 78th year.
197
PHYSICIANS IN FIRST SOCIETY.
Ebenezer Tracy, native of Norwich, studied medicine and surgery with Dr. Turner of that town : has practis- ed medicine and surgery in Middletown, since 1785.
William Brenton Hall, native of Wallingfied, grau- ate of Yale, 1786, studied medicine, and probably be- gan practice here, about 1790, of which he had a re- spectable share. He was Treasurer of the Medical So- ciety of the State from 1801, until his death in 1809.
Dr. Bennet, an Englishman, practised in Middletown a few years.
Thomas Minor, native of Westfield Society. See onward.
William Tully, native of Saybrook, graduate of Yale, 1806, M. D., studied medicine with Dr. Mason Fitch Coggswell, of Hartford, and spent two winters with Dr. Nathan Smith, at Dartmouth College. He began prac- tice in Milford, practised a short time in Cromwell, and a number of years in Middletown-practised also a num- ber of years in Albany, in partnership with Dr. Alden March, and then resided in New Haven twenty-one years. He was Professor in the Vermont Academy of Medicine, for fourteen years, where his department for about half the time was the principles and practice of medicine solely, which required one lecture a day, and for the other half, he taught in addition, Materia Medi- ca and Therapeutics, giving two lectures a day. In New Haven was professor of Materia Medica and The- rapeutics in the Medical Department of Yale College, fourteen years. He is now practising in Springfield, Massachusetts.
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