USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > Middletown > Centennial address and Historical sketches > Part 3
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dian whose name was Tarramuggus, and the name of such an Indian is appended as a witness to the deed of which we have spoken. He may have been the principal man of the class ; but the deed signed by others, convey- ed to the English this and all their ponds in Middletown.
In closing these remarks about the Indians, it is but simple justice to add, that bad as Sowheag and his men were thought to be for a time, it is not known that they were unusually troublesome to the English after the settle- ment commenced. But they are gone from this region, long since extinct as a tribe, and who knoweth that their blood runs in the veins of any living creature.
And now the question arises, who were the first colo- nists ? and how did the settlement proceed ?
In reply to the first question, we are only able to say with certainty, such being the defects of the records, who were among the early settlers, rather than who were cer- tainly the very first. The carliest remaining entry on the town books, is dated Feb. 2, 1652; and that is a vote for building a meeting house. There were people enough before, to constitute a little assembly for the wor- ship of God, and when neither the season nor the weath- er drove them to one of their temporary dwellings or shantees, the shade of that vast elm which had stood for ages unknown, at the entrance of the old grave yard, was their temple. Thus saith tradition.
The vote for building a meeting-house was speedily ex- cuted. The edifice was only twenty feet square, ten from sill to plate, and was enclosed with palisades. It stood on the open green, (which may have been larger
dent from the relics of their implements often found on the shores. It is a fine sheet of water, which white people love to visit in summer, both for the pleasure of sailing and fishing.
FIRST MEETING HOUSE.
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than now,) a little west or north-west of the first English gravo yurd. This sufficed the people eighteen years ; eight after the second grant of land from the Indians.
From this house some important surveys were made, for in March, 1663, the General Court "granted that the bounds of Middletown be extended to four miles to the south from the meeting-house, five miles from the said house westward, and three miles from the great river eastward." Afterwards the territory was extended east- ward three miles more. By this grant we are not to un- derstand, however, that the township through its whole length from Wethersfield [the part of it now Rocky Hill] southward, was to be uniformly five miles in breadth west of the Connecticut, and six miles east. The west- ern boundary is a north and south line ; so that by this course, and the great bend in the river eastward, the breadth some part of the distance below the aforesaid starting point, expands to about ten miles. The breadth directly opposite, across the river, is much more than six miles, though less from Middle Haddam Landing, but more than six on an average.
In January, 1659, the General Court granted to Mid- dletown, Wethersfield and Farmington, all the vacant lands between their bounds and the bounds of Walling- ford, (then including Meriden and Cheshire,) for the pur- pose of making a new plantation. This grant covers the tract generally now constituting Berlin, to which a small section from the north-west corner of Middletown has been annexed.
As for the early settlers, John Hall, William Cornwall, William Smith, Samuel Stocking, Robert Webster, and Thomas Wetmore, were settlers in 1652, and settlers probably, some or all of them from the beginning .- Thomas Allen, Andrew Warner, Nathaniel Bacon, Wil-
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liam Markum, Nathaniel Brown, George Hubbard, Hen- ry Cole, Giles Hamlin, George Graves, William and Daniel Harris, Thomas Miller, and a man by the name of Martin, supposed to be John Martin, were settlers early in 1654, and probably earlier ; they may have been here as early as the settlers first named. John Savage, Samuel Stow, Robert Warner, John Wilcox, William Bloomfield, Matthias Treat and Nathaniel White, were carly settlers ; and so were persons by the name of Cheney, Clements, Bow, Eggleston, Lucas, Tappin or Tapping, Turner and some others.
Most of the very carly inhabitants settled in or near the city. The largest collection was about the Meeting- House Yard, and on the northern end of Main street, above Washington street. These were Thomas Allen, William Smith, Andrew Warner, Nathaniel Bacon, Wil- liam Markham, Nathaniel Brown, Samuel Stow, George Hubbard, Thomas Wetmore and John Hall. Others settled further south on Main street, several about the southern end of it. With these, new colonists were in- termingled from time to time.
A part of the carly inhabitants settled in the Upper Houses, and almost all these erccted their dwellings in the lower part of the village, on the street, midway be- tween Middlesex Turnpike and the river. These were Nathaniel White, Samuel Stocking, George Graves, Ro- bert Webster, Joseph Smith, Daniel Harris, John Mar- tin, John Savage, Thomas Ranney, David Sage, and John Kirby. Between the upper and lower settlements intercourse was maintained by a ferry across Little River.
In 1670 there were only fifty-two house-holders in the town, and but thirty-five surnames, those of the same surnames being generally relatives. These house-hold-
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ers had come here at different periods, but it was agreed that all should be considered as proprietors ; and as very many of the present inhabitants have descended from them, and not a few who retain their surnames, it may be well to give here the entire catalogue. This is as follows : Thomas and Obadiah Allen, Nathaniel Bacon, William Briggs, Alexander Bow, William Cheney, Jas- per Clements, Henry Cole, Samuel and Nathaniel Col- lins, William, John and Samuel Cornwall, and William Cornwall, jr., George Durant, Samuel Eggleston, Ed- ward Porter, John, Richard and Samuel Hall, and John Hall, jr., Giles Hamlin, William and Daniel Harris, George, Joseph, Daniel and Thomas Hubbard, John Hurlburt, Isaac Johnson, John Kirby, Isaac Lane, Wil- liam Lucas, Anthony Martin, Thomas Miller, Thomas Ranney, David Sage, John Savage, Samuel Stocking, Samuel, Thomas and John Stow, James Tappin, Edward Turner, John and William Ward, Andrew, Robert, and John Warner, Thomas Wetmore, Nathaniel White, and John Wilcox.
It will be perceived that in this, catalogue, some early settlers who have been mentioned, do not appear. This is true of William Bloomfield, Nathaniel Brown, George Graves, William Markum, John Martin, Wil- liam Smith, Joseph Smith, Matthias Treat, and Robert Webster. These either removed from the town or died before 1670. With two or three exceptions, the fifty- two house-holders were of English extraction. They came hither directly from the British Isle, from towns in the east part of Massachusetts, or from earlier settled towns in Connecticut .*
After 1670 the population of the town gradually in-
* Note B.
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creased, and on the 11th of November, 1679, "the town by vote, agreed to build a new meeting-house, thirty-two feet square, and fifteen feet between joints"; and seems to have gone forward the subsequent winter, and made preparations for fulfilling their agreement ; but in the meanwhile the people in the Upper and Lower Houses, en- tertained different views as to the site on which it should be raised. In May 1680, however, they mutually conde- scended for peace' sake, and jointly agreed to set it on ground which they minutely described. It was south of the first meeting-house, on Main street, on the east side -but standing in the street-and about opposite what is now Liberty Street. In this all the inhabitants worship- ped at least twenty-three years, and the greater part of them more than thirty-five.
By the time this was opened for religious worship, Wm. Roberts and John Cotton became inhabitants. Solomon Atkins, Maybe Barnes, Samuel Bidwell, Daniel Mark- ham, Job Payne, William Southmayd, and Comfort Starr, not far from this time, became inhabitants also ; others settled here at different times. Among those who became settlers before the close of the 17th century, were Thomas Andrews, James Bennet, Jonathan Gilbert, Ed- ward Higbee, Edward Shepherd, and William Sumner, John Gill, Richard Goodale, John Stancliff, John Clarke, Joseph Rockwell, John Thompson, George Phillips, Abra- ham Bartlet, Daniel Prior, and Benjamin Hands, though they may have come in an order varying much from that in which their names are given. These, with the de- scendants of earlier settlers, spread themselves exten- sively over the limits of the Lower and Upper Houses.
The inhabitants of the Upper Houses became so nu- merous, that in January, 1703, " the town agreed they might settle a minister and build a meeting-house, pro-
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vided they settled a minister within six, or at most twelve months from that time." The Legislature incor- porated them as a parish in May following.
The settlement of Middlefield was begun about 1700, and of Westfield about 1720, the settlers being mostly from the two first parishes. The former was incorpora- ted in October 1744, and the latter in May 1766.
Though forty rights of land were laid out to the pro- prietors on the east side of the river in 1675, (the re- maining twelve being laid out on the west side, in the neighborhood called Maromas ; ) though some of these rights covered land of a fine quality, on which improve- ments were soon made; though the Wongonk meadows carly attracted the attention of the people, both in the Lower and in the Upper Houses, only two families are known to have lived on the east side of the river before 1700. Another settler was there about 1703, and there were nine or ten settlers in 1710. In May, 1714, thirty- one persons petitioned for parish privileges most of whom may have been heads of families. From their names it is apparent many of them were from the west side of the river. The petition was granted and the parish was named East Middletown.
The settlement in Middle Haddam was commenced about 1710, but had a slow growth. In October 1748, twenty-six persons, with twelve from Haddam Neck, a part of Haddam, petitioned for incorporation as a parish and their desires were gratified in May 1749. A smal- ler proportion of the settlers here were from the west side of the river than in East Middletown.
The three miles granted to Middletown in 1683, con- stitute the parish of East Hampton, and a small section attached to Westchester, a parish in the town of Col- chester. A long time after this was granted the ques- tion arose how it should be divided among the inhabi- 4
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tants ; the proprictors of the town, or their representa- tives, claiming it wholly, while others insisted upon a share of it as it was given to the town after their fathers became settlers, At length this friendly compromise was adopted, that it should be divided to the proprietors of the town according to their original list, and the list of 1714 united, and to others according to the latter list only.
On this tract no settlement was made until 1743, when thirty-two persons came into the place, many of whom were doubtless heads of families. They were drawn thither particularly by the excellent mill-seat at the out- let of Pocotopogue Pond, where a forge was established. The people were formed into a 'separate parish in May 1746.
Thus the population spread, and five entire local par- ishes were formed in the township, and most of a sixth before 1750. Westfield, as already stated, was incorpo- rated some years later.
All these were Congregational parishes ; and before 1750 a Church was organized by inhabitants of the first parish of Middletown and Westfield, called a " Strict Congregational Church," which as such, years since ceased to exist.
Ship building had become a great business in East Middletown, and had begun to flourish at the landing in Middle Haddam before the incorporation of these parishes, in connection with East Hampton, as a town, in October 1767. The name of Chatham was therefore given to it, in allusion to Chatham in England, by rea- son of the extent and importance of this branch of in- dustry and enterprise. East Middletown became the first parish of Chatham. But in 1841 when this parish had increased so much in population and business, that
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it was formed into a separate town, it was necessary it should have a new name. Ship building had not ceased, but the quarrying business had become the more impor- tant concern. The new town therefore was called Port- land from Portland in England, whence free stone in immense quantities is transported to London and other parts of that country, as the free stone from our Port- land is carried to New York and other cities and towns in the United States. And who knows but Middle Had- dam landing may so resume ship building and carry it on, that the name of Chatham will be very appropriate hereafter. The site and population of the village favor the suggestion, and a few enterprising spirits may carry it into execution. Should the manufacturing enterprise of East Hampton cast big guns on the site of the old " Iron Works," this will render the name still more ap- propriate.
A company are now again zealously working the " Co- balt Mine." The probable mineral riches of the hill in which this is found, excited the attention of the celebra- ted and philosophical John Winthrop, Governor of Con- necticut, before there were any settlements in Chatham, and the story was that precious discoveries were made. It may have engaged the attention of his son, John Fitz Winthrop, afterwards Governor. Several companies and individuals at different times have collected quanti- ties of the ore, and sent it to foreign countries. The present company have gone further, and made prepara- tion for extracting its contents, and done so to a limited extent. Should operations prosper here, as it is hoped they will ere long, the Mine will augment the business of the landing, and increase the population of the town.
Reference has just been made to the increase of in- habitants in Portland. The United States census now
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being taken, shows a very considerable increase of popu- lation in this place for the last thirty years, and also in the city of Middletown; but as a general thing the in- crease of population in all the six parishes of which we have been speaking has been slow. The population of what is now Middletown, Portland and Chatham in 1756 was five thousand six hundred and sixty-four ; in 1820, sixty-four years afterwards, nine thousand six hundred thirty-six ; it is now, thirteen thousand two hundred and twenty-one .* Why is it not twice and thrice this num- ber ? The descendants of some of the early settlers, and in truth of some of the later settlers, are now very numerous. The general reason is, the temptations to emigrate have been so many. At first families went off from time to time to the newer settlements in Connecticut where lands were cheaper, to Western Massachusetts, to Vermont, where one of the towns is called Middletown after this town, because some of the settlers went from this place, and to the borders of New York. They then went to Central New York, whither Hugh White, a na- tive of the Upper Houses, led the way. He has drawn fame after him, because he was the first American who ventured beyond the German Flats, to the region of the Oneidas, soon after the Revolution, in the Spring of 1784. The town called Whitestown, in honor of him, at first had jurisdiction over all the western portions of the Empire State, bordered south and south-west by Pennsylvania, and thence by Lake Eric, Niagara river and Ontario. At Mr. White's death, in 1812, the ter-
* In Middletown there are eight thousand seven hundred and ninety-one inhabitants, in the city four thousand two hundred and fifteen, in other parts four thousand five hundred and seventy-six ; in Portland two thou- sand nine hundred and five, Chatham one thousand five hundred and twenty-five.
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ritory had nearly three hundred thousand souls and has many hundred thousand more souls at the present time. It is a territory intersected by canals and railroads, eon- tains cities, large villages and charming townships, chur- ches, colleges, academies and schools and great Lake ports, from which numerous steamers traverse our in- land scas. How many think you, from Middletown, Portland and Chatham are now dwelling within the first limits of Whitestown ? An honored native of this town,* was in the company that settled Marietta, the first town settled by the English in Ohio. A native of this place also,t was commissary in the first surveying company that went to the Reserve in the same State, and landed at Concaut Creek. The large rude log building, which they erected on the cast shore of the stream, and which served both as a store-house for their provisions, and a dwelling for their families was called "Stow Castle." A town also in Summit county bears the surname of the same individual. How many think you from the differ- ent parts of the ancient town of Middletown, are now dwelling in the great State of Ohio? And how many in the great West beyond, which has seemed to be reced- ing and spreading as settlements have advanced towards it ? Your kindred and friends are scattered in all diree- tions through the country.
The character of the carly settlers of Middletown may be given in few words. It is not pretended they were a perfect community. They had their faults as other early settlers of New England. But their faults were not peculiar to themselves; they pertained to the
* Col. Meigs.
t Joshua Stow, Esq.
4*
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age in which they lived, and are susceptible of much palliation from the circumstances in which they were laced. This admitted, they were as a body, a very religious people, possessed of much practical knowledge, not derived altogether from experience and observation, but also from reading and intercourse with literary and well informed men ; friends of liberty, constitutional liberty, regulated by righteous laws.
They were a very religious people. All attended pub- Die worship. Before they had a meeting-house, they worshiped God under the boughs of a tree, and in less tlan two years they built them a Sanctuary, and eigh- ten years after, another. These were humble struc- tures it is true ; but they were grateful for the accom- modations they afforded. They sccured regularly the services of a minister of the gospel. Not long after the settlement commenced, the people employed Mr. Samuc} Stow, a native of Concord, Mass., and graduate of Har- vard College as a candidate for the ministry. He preached to them a number of years. Mr. Nathaniel Collins succeeded him as a candidate, and was ordained the first pastor Nov. 4th, 1668. At this time the church was organized, consisting of ten male members, includ- ing himself, a nucleus around which others were gathered.
In the carly settlements of Connecticut, people were assembled for public worship by the beat of a drum, and the place was guarded by armed men, as a security from attacks by the Indians. The smallest guard allowed by law consisted of eight soldiers with a sergeant, and this was the number on guard here for a time. The beat of the drum was necessary to collect the soldiers, and it collected also the congregation. Mr. Giles Hamlin gave a drum to the town and to the train bands, and never did a chime of bells sound sweeter. The people did not
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need it, that they might know that the Sabbath had come. It was on their minds through the week, and be- fore the sun sunk in, the west on Saturday, wordly con- cerns were laid aside that their minds might be free to keep the day in a holy manner. But this told them when the time arrived to start for the sanctuary ; and while there was danger from the Indians, when they might go with safety, A drum was used in the Upper Houses more than sixty years after the settlement began.
The people were mindful of the great duty of living in peace. This is apparent from their plans and mea- sures, when difficulties were rising, to have them adjust- ed. When different views were entertained by the peos ple of the Upper and Lower Houses about a site for the second Meeting-house, for "peace sake " they conde- seended to each other, and agreed upon a place for set- ting it. When the question arose how the lands granted to the town in 1683 should be divided among earlier and later settlers, the matter was arranged by conces- sion. Another fact illustrates this characteristic in re- gard to the inhabitants of the first society. After the people in Upper and East Middletown had become dis- tinct parishes, they undertook to build a new Meeting- house, much larger than either of the houses which had previously existed within their limits. Different por- tions of the inhabitants wished for its location at the north, west and cast corners of the great square, lying between Main and High streets ; but lest their prefer- ences should lead to abiding alienation, they agreed the point should be decided by lot. But as there were four corners to the square, it was suggested it would be well to put them all to the solemn trial. This was done and the south corner was drawn, which none had really desired. But as the lot was considered as expressing
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the divine will, the people went forward and built there, and there they worshipped more than eighty years.
The original mode of singing among the Puritans was Congregational, and the psalms were lined. But into this house a choir was introduced. It was large and admirably trained. The elder President Adams, who attended worship here in 1771, says of the singing : " I heard the finest singing that I ever heard in my life : the front and side galleries were crowded, with rows of lads and lasses, who performed all their parts in the ut- most perfection-a row of women all standing up and playing their parts with perfect skill and judgment, ad- ded a sweetness and sprightliness to the whole, which absolutely charmed me."
The settlers possessed much practical knowledge, the result of observation and reading, and intercourse with the wise and good. The early clergy were superior men, men of talents and learning, and the magistrates and public men were well informed. The people them- selves were able to read ; most of the males at least to write and keep accounts, and they united their efforts with those of their superiors for the right training of the young. Family worship and government were main- tained with strictness. Attending public religious in- struction with their children, they welcomed their minis- ters to their dwellings and ordered their families so as to have their visits the most profitable to their entire house- holds. The Bible, that inexhaustible source of know- ledge, and what other books they had, were more read, more studied at home by old and young, and their con- tents made the subjects of more reflection and conversa- tion, than are found now in the abodes of their descen- dants.
Nor let us think too meanly of the common schools
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which were established by law, and the people were re- quired to maintain. All deemed them indispensable to the diffusion of knowledge through the entire community. Hence we find the town in March 1676, when their means were small, agreeing to pay a Mr. Webb twenty- five pounds for keeping school a year. Mr. Samuel Stow, who was so many years a candidate for the minis- try, Nathaniel White and Jasper Clements, three of the proprietors of the town, made bequests for the support of common schools, the benefits of which are felt to the present time. Parents were glad to send their children to school ; ministers visited the schools and encouraged the children to learn ; yea, they often took youth into their own houses and instructed them themselves.
Common schools have accomplished unspeakable good here and through the State, and wherever they have been established.
Our common schools are now improved in some in- stances, here and there, and it is encouraging to witness their advancement. Where circumstances admit of it, let a High School be established for the older children, as has been done in this city, and the means of a higher education opened to all, and the happy results will soon be felt.
In places of far less population and wealth much may be done. Let a few energetic and decided men tako hold of the subject, and they will arouse their neighbors to the importance of improving the schools, and as these become what they should be, the minds of the young will be filled with a thirst for knowledge, which will seek gratification when the period of schooling is passed, They will be ready to form associations and use means which will diffuse an enlightening and elevating influence around them.
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