USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Farmington > Farmington town clerks and their times (1645-1940) > Part 14
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" 'It appears, that from 1723 to 1786, the town by their Com- mittee for the exchange of Highways and removing encroach- ments, had been in the practice of selling lands reserved for highways and other purposes, subject to the approbation of the proprietors meetings. - The proceeds of these sales were appor- priated for the purchase of highways, and for other necessary
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expenses of the town. - The town, by their vote of 27th De- cember 1784, directed that the avails of land, thus sold, should in future, be appropriated for the use of schools in the several societies. - The Proprietors, at a meeting on the first Monday of March, 1786 by vote, and resolves, approved of the doings of the town, except in one instance, from 1723 to that time; - and also authorized the town to make sales of all the then re- maining reserved lands, not necessary for highways, and ap- proved of the vote of the town appropriating the future avails of such sales to the use of schools - and also appointed agents to apply to the General Assembly, for an Act satisfying what had been done, or should be done, in conformity to their votes. " 'The General Assembly, at the session of May, 1786, passed an act of Affirmation and satisfaction accordingly. ---
" 'The Commitee are of opinion, that the effect of these pro- ceedings of the town and proprietors meetings, and of the Gen- eral Assembly was to transfer, to the town, all the right and interest that the proprietors previously had, in the unappro- priated or reserved lands, within the limits of the town. - Since 1786, the Committee of the town have sold the reserved lands at the Round Hill, and between the mountains; - and the town, by a vote, have authorized or permitted the erection of an Academy, on the Meeting House yard. - It does not appear that the building of the Meeting houses and District School houses, which have, from time to time, been erected on the green, was ever authorized, by any special vote of the town or proprietors meetings; - it may thence be inferred that these were erected, in conformity with the object of the original reser- vation. -- With this view of the subject, it would seem that the town, alone, has now the right to control the property in the Meeting house green. - and that it has a right to dispose of the use of the same in any manner not inconsistant with the objects, or purposes, for which it was originally reserved, by the first proprietors, viz: for houses for public and religious meetings and schools - and for parades. - Horsesheds, are undoubtedly necessary and proper buildings for the accommo- dation of those of our citizens living at a distance, when attend- ing upon public or religious meetings. - The Committee are
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therefore of opinion, that the town, in town meeting, have a right to grant permission to individuals, inhabitants of the town, to erect, under proper regulations, suitable horsesheds - and that any person, having such permission, may safely erect, and freely enjoy the same. - The Committee would therefore recommend the adoption of the following vote; -
"'Voted that the Selectmen of this town, for the time being, be authorized and directed to locate, to any person or persons, inhabitants of this town applying for the same, a suitable place for a horseshed, or horsesheds, on the outer margin of the Meet- ing House green; - Provided said location shall not extend more than twenty feet from said margin: - and that an annual rent of not less than at the rate of twenty-five cents, for every two hundred square feet thereof, be reserved, to be paid by the applicant, or applicants, their heirs or assigns, for the use of the same.
Ozem Woodruff L. Whitman Asa Hawley
Committee' "
THE
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Mocrace Carles
1833-184I
THE brief eight years during which Horace Cowles served Farmington as its town clerk climaxed the many duties he had assumed and discharged, so ably, during his mature years.
He was born October 18, 1782, son of Colonel Isaac and Lucina (Hooker) Cowles, in the house recently rebuilt by his grandfather, Captain Solomon Cowles, of recent Revolutionary tea-cup fame. Across the street, in a house also rebuilt after the War, now Oldgate, lived Horace's uncle, Zenas Cowles. Here too, lived his playmate and favorite cousin, Julia Cowles. The young people of that day and set had great good times, with picnics "under a bowery," attending commencements at Dartmouth and Yale, dinners at nearby taverns owned by such famous keepers as John Hurlburt Cook, Solomon Langdon, William Lewis and Seth North, with balls in the new houses and late suppers afterward. Julia Cowles kept a diary and be- cause of it we know of the gay and happy life of the young people, but always with the impress of deeply serious belief and practice of their religion.
Julia Cowles died at the age of eighteen, attended by her beloved minister, Dr. Washburn, her devoted physician, Dr. Eli Todd and her sorrowing fiance, John Treadwell, son of Governor John Treadwell.
After years of devotion, Horace Cowles and Mary Ann Steele Smith, daughter of Samuel and Hulda Smith, announced their engagement April II, 1802. They were married October 23, 1803. Horace had passed his twenty-first birthday by five days at his marriage. They went to live in the house built by Captain Judah Woodruff for Mary's father, Samuel Smith, in 1769.
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Captain Woodruff had also built the Isaac Cowles house, the new John Mix house, the Samuel Deming house, the Martin Cowles house, the William L. Cowles house, the William Whit- man house, the Elijah Lewis house, the Noadiah Woodruff house, the Major Hooker house which was rebuilt from the old John Hooker homestead, and the long Smith house, south of the Samuel Smith house.
George Dudley Seymour says in his Researches of an Anti- quary: "It is clear that Captain Judah Woodruff must be ranked among the best of our early native self-taught architects and builders, worthy of place with such gifted later men as Ithiel Town, David Hoadley and Samuel Belcher." During his most active years, Captain Woodruff either built or rebuilt Farmington's best houses, as well as its church.
Captain Judah Woodruff was consulting architect when the First Church of Christ was built in New Britain in 1767, being requested by Moses Andrews, Captain Jonathan Lewis and Timothy Stanley to "finish the unfinished work of the Meeting House" such as making the seats and completing the wood work.
Judah Woodruff had an eventful and profitable life. He was the youngest son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Curtice) Woodruff and a descendant of Matthew Woodruff, one of the early set- tlers and one of the eighty-four proprietors of Farmington. He was born here September 30, 1722. He learned the trade of carpenter and became expert in the use of small tools and fa- mous for his original designs and workmanship. He served in the French War, receiving a commission as First Lieutenant, dated March 22, 1759. He was at the Battle of Ticonderoga and continued with the army until the close of the war. His services in the French war fitted him for the Revolutionary War in which he served as Captain. He married Eunice (-). His daughter Asenath was born August 19, 1753, Charles was born November 9, 1757; and sons Noadiah and Judah and daughter Lowley were mentioned in Captain Woodruff's will as well as his grandchild Charity.
That Captain Woodruff was independent and courageous in thought and action, as well as in his chosen work, was proved in the later years of his life when he remained away from the
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church for so many successive Sundays, that those of the church who considered themselves their brother's keeper, complained about his absence, and requested an explanation.
In order to appreciate the seriousness and dignity of the proceedings it is necessary to remember that the church was the center of life in those days, and particularly so in a small town. No one conceived of a future for himself or his neighbor if the outward form of religion was omitted. Every one went to church or became a social and moral outcast.
Well, Captain Woodruff stopped going to church! The church which he had designed and built, for which he had undertaken long journeys to Boston and Maine, through dangerous forests, for architectural ideas, and fine lumber, and which he had finished lovingly with his own hands, failed to hold him. Per- haps he believed it to be only an outward symbol. At least we have a short account of his change of viewpoint in a letter which he wrote after he had been summoned to appear before the Church Society to give his reasons for remaining away. The complaint was made by Noah Porter, whose son was later pastor of the church for sixty years.
Noah Porter said: " ... a member of said church hath, in violation of his most solemn covenant engagements, for a long time wholly neglected to attend on the public worship of God, on the Lord's Day, and on the sacrement of the Lord's Supper; that I have told him his fault between me and him alone, and he would not hear me; that afterward I took with me Martin Bull and Roger Hooker, two of the brethren of said church as helps and witnesses and he would not hear them, and now I tell it to this church, that they may proceed against him as they shall judge the laws of Christ's kingdom require.
"Dated at Farmington April 19, 1796.
(Signed) Noah Porter."
Again on April 19, 1797, the following letter was sent to Captain Woodruff by Reverend Joseph Washburn, pastor, by direction of the church, the society apparently having waited in vain for explanation and repentance:
" ... whereas you have been convicted of a breach of the laws of Christ's kingdom in neglecting to attend public worship
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on the Lord's Day and abstaining from the sacrement of the Lord's Supper; and as great patience has been exercised, and no marks of repentance or disposition to confess your fault appear, it has become necessary that public admonition be dispensed to you as an appointed means of the gospel, in order to bring you to repentance. This is, therefore, in the name and by the authority of the Lord, to require you to appear before this church, in the meeting house, on the thirtieth day of April, it being the Lord's Day, then and there, at the close of the after- noon service, to receive public admonition for the sin aforesaid."
The back of the citation bears the signed statement of Roger Hooker, that "I then read this citation in the hearing of the within named Judah Woodruff."
A second summons, dated August 24, 1797, calling upon the unrepentant brother to appear, "on the third day of September to receive public admonition for sin aforesaid" leads one to believe the first reprimand had never been delivered.
Captain Judah's energy and strength of mind had not de- serted him with the passing years, and he wrote at least two letters to the minister, expressing his convictions, and differ- ences of opinion from the ways of the church. On December 18, 1797, the following letter was sent to the Captain: "Whereas you have been guilty of a censurable breech of the laws of Christ's kindgom in having neglected for many years to attend upon public worship of God - withdrawing yourself from this church and uncharitably censuring them as not a church of Christ, And whereas the gospel steps have been taken, due patience exercised, and public admonition given the first and second time, we are therefore bound in duty and faithfulness to proceed to the final step. This is therefore to require you to appear before this church in the meetinghouse, on the twenty- fourth day of December, then and there at the close of the afternoon service, to receive the sentence of excommunication agreeably to God's rule and the vote of this church."
Whether the backslider appeared is not recorded, but it is to be feared that he did not do so, having so flagrantly neglected the previous citation. His views on religious observances are given in part in a document which has since been made public:
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"You say I neglect my assembling with you and what do you assembling together 2 hours in every seven Days. You are ordered to exhort one another daly but what is the discours through the week, nothing but the things of this world. Christ said by their fruit ye shall know them. At the grate Revival of Religion in Whitfield's day their was a powerful preaching by many ministers which I believe took effect on my hart by which I joind with the Church after that there was a dul time of Re- ligion until they that was called Separates which I believe came with the same spirit of the aforesaid Religion which this Church was aposed to trying to hinder their preacher and persuading the people not to hear him. Even Deacon Porter of this church came to a window of the north schoolhous where there was a Mr. Winchel a preaching and cryes out is this preaching this is no preaching. He did deni that which I call gospel preaching, and I dont see anything that the church differ with him. I do think no man can preach the gospel without the influence of the spirit of God, which this church is too indifferent about which is most important to our Eternal Happiness."
Captain Woodruff's former pastor, the Reverend Timothy Pitkin, who was pastor of the church during the erection of the new building, leaving in 1785 to accept a position at Yale col- lege, must have known the captain's heart was in the right place and his spirit safe, for "he officiated at his funeral and bore testimony to his earnest piety" in 1799.
The Cowles Genealogy tells us: "Horace Cowles entered Yale in 1797 where, despite a growing disability he remained at his studies until the second term of his senior year, and al- though invited by the faculty to be present with his class at their examinations for degree, he chose not to avail himself of the opportunity and in consequence was never enrolled with them as a graduate. Soon after his return to Farmington he engaged himself as a clerk to Captain Samuel Richards, with whom he later became partner. In 1803 he entered into business as a merchant with his younger brother Solomon. He was jus- tice of the peace, selectman, town clerk, representative of the town in the legislature, teacher of the church choir, member of the Missionary, Temperance, Anti-Masonic, Anti-Slavery
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societies and 2nd vice president of the Hartford County Agri- cultural Society. He was a man distinguished for his public spirit, of singular benevolence, great practical wisdom and consistent and steadfast piety."
Ten children were born of his marriage to Mary, of whom seven died in childhood. Among those surviving were Samuel Smith Cowles who held many positions of trust in the town. He was school visitor, commissioner of the Superior Court, judge of probate, and treasurer of the Farmington Savings Bank, 1853- 73, which was organized 1851 in his home, formerly that of his father Horace Cowles. Other children were Charlotte Lucina Cowles who married Reverend Joseph Darling Hull of New Haven and Mary Ann Cowles who married Aaron Atwood Hardy. After the death of her husband she made her home in her father's old house. Horace's first wife died April 8, 1837. On November 8, 1838 he married Elizabeth Hurlburt of West Hartford who survived him. He died February 6, 1841, leaving an estate of $7,231.97.
Mr. Cowles was elected town clerk November 18, 1833, and served until his death.
The years of 1830-40 have seemed uneventful to others who have written of Farmington, and consequently little is to be found outside of actual records, of the people who lived here, or of their interests. We know their church, under Reverend Noah Porter, who was now in his third decade as their pastor, held their interest above all else, satisfying the desire for religion with "awakenings;" guiding their need for relaxation with sup- pers and entertainments in the Academy, or the church itself, and stimulating patriotic fervor with training days on the green, or, if stormy, in the church. The town was almost drowsy with good living, good homes and good people. One senses it in reading the records, and the meager bits of their life as we find it in their diaries and letters. In less capable hands trouble might have brewed, but still they watched and guarded the fruit of their labors of two centuries. Their celebration of the two-hundredth anniversary of the founding of the town, No- vember 4, 1840, was restrained and dignified, the closing words of the observance being a legacy to 1940 to do likewise.
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No zeal for reform, nor urge for change, agitated the towns- people. They built a new church, revised parliamentary rules, rebuilt their bridges and counted their money.
But if this was true of the village of Farmington, it was far from the situation in Unionville, the youngest and liveliest of the children. Here a spark had been touched off, and water- power was literally rolling fame and fortune into the laps of those with foresight and brawn. Mills were being built to take care of the new gadgets and inventions which, small as some of them were, soon made their way around the world.
Heads and hands were hard at work in Unionville, when only a few, isolated homes were there.
The Hammond gunshop on Zach's brook made firelocks for soldiers in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. It was here that Mr. Colton, who built on Colton Street in Farmington, learned his trade and superintended the work. Thomas and Joshua Youngs sold their old mill in 1832 to George Richards. It has been owned and operated for many years by L. H. Lawton. Small things made in Unionville included spoons, oyster-tongs, axe-helves, mousetraps, gunstocks, screws, nuts, rivets, bolts, clocks and paper for various uses. The water power there has been excellent for paper-making, which has been continued for over a century and a half.
The building of the Farmington Canal probably did more than any other one thing to aid the growth of that locality, as Unionville was placed at the head of the main water supply for the canal both from the Farmington river and through the feeder canal. The feeder canal and dam were built by Thomas and Joshua Youngs, John T. Norton, Abner Bidwell and James and Augustus Cowles. This furnished power in Unionville for further manufacture, principally of cloth, of cotton and wool, and iron products. These gentlemen received from the General Assembly a charter for their company, in May, 1831, known as Farmington River Power Company, with a capital limitation of $200,000. The first dam cost $9,000 and was completed 1831. A new dam was built about 1850 by James Cowles, with a reservoir north of the village of Unionville. In 1869 the head gates and canal were enlarged by James L. Cowles who in 1877
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sold out the entire water-power to various manufacturers hold- ing leases. These men formed the Union Water Power Com- pany and by further enlarging the dam, increased power to enable manufacturing on a large scale.
Horace Cowles, Frederick J. Stanley and Seth J. North were a committee which met October 13, 1832, at the tavern of Noah L. Phelps, now the Main House of the Porter School, to act as arbiters in settling a difficulty which had arisen between the proprietors of the water-power and Messrs. Pierpont and Tolles, one of the lessees, with reference to damages resulting from an alleged shortage of water. A detailed account of the early manufacturers in Unionville was written by James L. Cowles, who was deeply interested, both financially and so- cially.
The Goodwin house on Farmington Avenue in Unionville was built in 1775 and has original flooring and panels, although changed by so-called "improvements." Another beautiful exam- ple of early architecture is the present home of Mr. and Mrs. Everett M. Staples south of Farmington High School. Built in 1732 by Captain Elijah Gridley, it has extensive wainscoting and panelling throughout, great chimneys and fireplaces and has been little changed.
The only volume now in existence of the Records of the Civil Authority was begun in 1827 and continued until 1880. Horace Cowles was clerk of this Authority during his years as town clerk. Some of the records are of interest, as they tell us what the townspeople were doing, and how they were watching out for the well-being of their township.
"At a meeting of the Civil Authority and Selectmen of the Town of Farmington specially called on the 2nd day of April, 1832 Henry Farnum of the State of New York and Henry Nash of the State of Massachusetts were severally, by consent of said Civil Authority & Selectmen, admitted inhabitants of said town and entitled to the privileges and immunities of the set- tled inhabitants thereof.
"At a meeting held July 31, 1832, Montgomery Humphrey and Asahel Gleason under the name and firm of Humphrey & Gleason were nominated as being fit and suitable persons to
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keep an house of public entertainment in the place of Julius Hitchcock who has removed from this State. At a meeting held January 1836 it was voted that the nomination of taverners be suspended for the present and that Egbert Cowles, Edward Hooker, William A. Ives, Daniel Woodruff, and Horace Cowles be appointed a committee to inquire into the conduct of tav- erners and report to an adjourned meeting. Also voted that the board would meet at the Hall, quarterly, on the first Mondays of February, May, August and November at two o'clock on each day."
Other clerks of the Civil Authority were Fisher Gay, Thomas Youngs and Samuel Smith Cowles.
At a meeting held in January, 1837, Horace Cowles was chair- man and Sidney Wadsworth clerk. They appointed, by ballot, the following to serve as jurors in the County and Superior Courts the ensuing year: Calvin Lewis, William Crampton, Calvin Hatch, Samuel Dickinson, Leonard Winship, Edward Hooker, George Richards, Joshua Youngs, Chauncey Hills and Sidney Wadsworth. Timothy C. Steele, Virgil Goodwin and William Whitman were nominated as fit and suitable persons to keep houses of public entertainment. Occasionally differences of opinion arose. In 1845 the nomination of William Whitman, who kept a famous tavern at the corner of High Street and Hartford Road, was reconsidered and refused. Mr. Whitman was soon reinstated however, upon condition that he would not sell wines or spiritous liquors to any resident of the town. Noah L. Phelps, William Hitchcock and Asahel Gleason also made similar promises.
In 1832 Horace Cowles was a member of the Prudential Committee of the School Society; also a member of the com- mittee to nominate town officers. He was a member, with George Cooke and Adna Hart, of the committee to fix the site for a school in Unionville, by request of the inhabitants of that village.
On November 29, 1833, the Committee on Burial Grounds, appointed to find suitable ground for a new cemetery, the old one on Main Street being then restricted, reported three avail- able sites: One on lands owned by Horace Cowles and Lemuel
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Whitman in North District; lands owned by Zenas Cowles and Timothy Pitkin in the Middle District; and lands owned by Celestia Root, Sidney Wadsworth and Egbert Cowles in the South District; and recommended the purchase of lands in the Middle District. A special Committee was thereupon appointed with instructions to purchase of Timothy Pitkin and Zenas Cowles such quantity of land as they deemed needful for the use of the Society near Pitkin's Basin and to enclose and lay out the same so as to insure convenience and economy. It was voted to lay a tax of two cents on the dollar on the list of 1833 for the purchase of said land and for the expense of enclosures, and it was also voted that Pomroy Strong be appointed col- lector of the said tax, his commission to be two and one-half percent on the amount collected, provided that he make a settlement in full with the town treasurer by the first day of October 1834. It was also voted that the person taking charge of the meeting house should have charge of the hearse and the burial ground.
Some of the town officers elected with Horace Cowles No- vember 18, 1833, were Richard Cowles, treasurer, who had mar- ried Fanny Deming, Sidney Wadsworth, Samuel Dickinson and James K. Camp, selectmen, Pomroy Strong, constable and collector of taxes. The list of town officers had shortened con- siderably since the early days. Only other town officers elected were constables, grand jurors, tythingmen, committee to sell highways and remove encroachments, fence viewers, sealers of weights and measures, and pound keepers. These were elected upon the nomination of the Civil Authority.
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