USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Sharon > General history of the town of Sharon, Litchfield County, Conn. from its first settlement, 3rd ed. > Part 2
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It will be observed that the committee who laid out the township, mention in their report to the legislature that there had been laid out in country grants about four hundred acres of land. This was the designation given to lands patented by the Colony to individual purchasers. The land thus described was near Hitchcock's Corner. It was laid out in two parcels, one of three hundred acres to Samuel Orvis, of Farmington, and an- other of about one hundred acres to Jonathan Bird of the same town. Both pieces were surveyed by Mr. Lewis about the time of the original survey of the town. This grant included lands of the very first quality, and extended as far north as to in- clude the farm of the late Southard Hitchcock, Esq. Orvis and Bird never occupied their lands, but before 1734 sold them to one Daniel Jackson, and the patent was taken out in Jack-
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
son's name, and the land for many years was called Jackson's Patent. Daniel Jackson was the first New England man who lived in Sharon. His house stood where the house lately owned by the Sharon Manufacturing Company stands. He was orig inally from Newtown, in Fairfield County, but at the time of bis purchase he resided in Dover, N. Y. His son Jehiel Jackson, who once lived where George Maxam now lives, in the Great Hol- len, was the first white child born in Sharon. Mr. Jackson lived but a few years in town. In February, 1739, he sold his patent to Garret Winegar, and removed to Great Barrington, Mass.
CHAPTER II.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE MEASURES PROPOSED AND EXECUTED FOR THE SALE AND SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWNSHIP.
AT the session of the Assembly in May, 1738, it was ordered that the township should be sold at public auction at New Haven on the second Wednesday of the following October. Samuel Eels, Esq., Joseph Whiting and Capt. Isaac Dickerman were appointed a committee for that purpose. It was divided into fifty-three rights, or shares, as they were called, one of which was given to the first minister, one was reserved for the use of the ministry in the town, and one for the support of schools, and the debts accruing from the sale were secured by the bonds of the purchasers, and when collected the avails were divided among the other towns in the colony for the support of schools therein. The following is a list of the original pur- chasers of the town :
Nathaniel Skinner,
Thomas Skinner,
Ichabod Foot, Stephen Calkin,
Nathaniel Skinner, Jr.,
Samuel Hutchinson,
Samuel Calkin, 2 rights, Samuel Gillet,
Timothy Pierce, 3 rights, James Smith,
Joshua Lyon,
Ebenezer Mudge,
Joseph Skinner, John Pardee, Niles Coleman, Matthew Judd,
John Sprague.
Samuel Butler, 3 rights,
Benjamin Johns, James Talmadge,
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON
Jabez Crippen,
Daniel Hunt,
William Goodrich, 3 rights,
Thomas Spafford,
Jonathan Petit,
John Goold,
Zephaniah Swift,
Benjamin Owen.
Joseph Parke,
Ebenezer Norton, 3 right:
Joseph Holley,
Samuel Comstock,
Caleb Chappel,
Jonathan Peck,
Josiah Gillet, Jr.
Jonathan Caso.
Samuel Beach,
Moses Case,
Joseph Monroe,
John Woodin.
Eben Case,
These purchasers formed a legal corporation, whose desig- nation was and is, The Proprietors of the Common and Undirided Land in the Township of Sharon. The clerks of the corporation have been Nathaniel Skinner, John Williams, Daniel Gris wold, Samuel Canfield, Samuel E. Everitt and Eben W. Chaffee. The corporation had power to set out to each proprietor in sev- eralty his share of the lands, and at different times they have been thus deeded, and each right has furnished to its owner nearly seven hundred acres of land. The average price of each right was about one thousand dollars, and each deed to the purchaser contained the following condition, which would ensure the speedy occupancy of the lands :
" Always provided, and these presents, are upon this con- dition, that if the said , shall by himself or his agent, within the space of two full years next after the date thereof, enter upon the said granted premises, build and finish an house thereon not less than eighteen feet square, and seven feet stud, subdue, clear, and fence six acres of said land, and continue thereon for the space of three successive years, commencing after the two years aforesaid, (unless prevented by death or inevitable Providences, ) and do perform all duties and orders, pay all taxes that shall be granted, then the aforesaid deed shall remain in full force and virtue."
The records do not show how much, if any of the pur- chase money was paid on the sale, or that any other security than the personal bond of the purchaser were required before giving the deeds.
Of the original proprietors these became inhabitants of the town :
Nathaniel Skinner,
John Sprague,
Nathaniel Skinner, Jr.
John Pardee,
Jabez Crippen,
Joseph Skinner, * 1
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
Stephen Calkin,
William Goodrich,
Samuel Hutchinson,
Jonathan Petit,
James Smith,
Joseph Parke,
Ebenezer Mudge,
James Talmadge,
Joseph Holley,
Daniel Hunt,
All the above names have become extinct in the town ex- cept those of Pardee and Calkin, each of which is represented by a bachelor, one of the age of eighty-six years, and the other not in a condition to afford much hope of progeny. There are many now remaining in the town who are descendants from the first proprietors through female lineage.
Many of the original purchasers sold their rights to those who were also among the first settlers of the town. Some of them were as follows :-
John Williams,
David Hamilton,
Ebenezer Jackson,
Thomas Hamlin,
Jonathan Dunham,
Bartholomew Heatlı,
Caleb Jewett,
Samuel Hulburt,
Obadiah Chapman,
Jonathan Lord,
Caleb Strong,
John Marvin,
John Corbet,
Jonathan Rowley,
Caleb Curtice,
Matthew St. John,
Ebenezer Frisbie,
John Tickner,
Benjamin Fuller,
Bazaleel Tyler,
John Gay,
George Way,
Immediately after the sale of the township, a number of the purchasers came on for the purpose of exploring, and to determine in what part of the town the settlement should be made. After exploring the lands and viewing their situation, it was found that the centre of the township was very unfavorably situated for the town plot. It was on a high ridge of land, where the face of the country was forbidding and un- comfortable. After mature deliberation, it was determined to fix the settlement on a street, laid out from Jackson's Patent to Salisbury line, and the place designed for the center, or site of the public buildings, was laid out in squares of a half mile each.
All the individuals who came on to explore in the fall of 1738, returned to their families except one, who was William Goodrich. He brought his family with him, and spent the winter, which was a very severe one, with no other neighbors
IHISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
than the Indians, nearer than the Dutch settlements in the Oblong. The next Spring, however, brought a large accession to the number of inhabitants, and from that period the settle- ment of the town may be said to have commenced.
The first division was into lots of about eighty acres cach, which was to furnish the Home lof or residence of the proprie tor. A Committee was appointed to lay out a lot of eighty acres, which was called the Standard lot, and all the other lots were made to conform to this in value, the quantity to be more or less according to the quality. Some of the home lots were laid out wholly on one side of the street, and some on both sides, according to the situation of the land. The Standard lot was the one adjoining Jackson's Patent, owned by the late Charles T. Lovell. The settlers principally located on the main street leading from Jackson's Patent, now Hitchcock's Corner, to Salisbury. Some, however, settled on the mountain and some in the valley, and in the course of a year or two nearly the whole territory of the first society was occupied. A large pro- portion of the first inhabitants of Sharon were from Lebanon and Colchester, in the county of Windham ; some few were from Norwalk and Stamford, in Fairfield county, and several families were from the Old Plymouth Colony. As they removed into the town they located themselves upon the several Home- lots which they had taken up, and by the next fall, were all comfortably provided with homes and other necessaries,
CHAPTER III.
INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN-FIRST TOWN MEETING-LIST OF OFFICERS CHOSEN-SETTLEMENT OF REV. PETER PRATT- FIRST MEETING HOUSE-ALARMING SICKNESS.
DURING the process of locating and settling the township, the inhabitants enjoyed no corporate privileges, nor had the town received any other name than that given it by the com- mittee who laid it out in 1733. After so many inhabitants had removed into the town as came in the Spring and Summer of 1739, it became important that they should be invested with the usual privileges of Towns, and they should receive a cor- porate name. A meeting was accordingly holden, and Captain Jonathan Dunham was appointed agent to make application to the assembly for a charter, with the usual privileges of Towns. The character, principles and expectations of the settlers are forcibly illustrated in their petition to the Assembly for an Act of Incorporation, which is as follows :-
To the Honorable, the Governor, Council and Representatives in General Court assembled at New Haven, 2d Thursday of October, Anno Domini, 1739 :-
"The memorial of the subscribers hereunto, being the per- sons who, by your Honors' favor were allowed to purchase the southernmost township on the west side of the Ousatonic River, which we have presumed to call by the name of Sharon,
THE OLD SEDGWICK HOUSE. ( Residence of C. Swan Sedgwick.)
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
humbly showeth that the settlers on said tract of land are daily mereasing in numbers, and that there are at this present time twenty-eight families settled there, and a considerable number that are not head of families, and all are united in a desire that the plan may have your Honors' favor, protection and en- couragement ; that we may proceed with courage and resolution, not only to advance our estate, and temporal interest, but also the interest of religion there, and for that we humbly pray,-
1. "That we may be formed as a Town, and have the same privileges as are allowed and granted to other Towns in this Colony.
2. "That we may have your Honors' allowance to call and settle some orthodox minister of the gospel among us. This we the earlier ask, because we have a young gentleman now with us, in whom we think we can all unite, and who we think would be willing to undergo the difficulties of settling a wilder- ness country, that he might be instrumental in building up the interest of Christ there. Your Honors granting the favors prayed for will engage your memorialists ever to pray.
The petition was granted and the following is a copy of the act of incorporation :-
" Anno Regni Regis Georgii Seeundi 30.
Connecticut Colony-
" At a General Assembly holden at New Haven, in his Maj- esty's Colony of Connecticut, in New England in America, on the second Thursday of October, being the 11th day of said month, and continued by several adjournments until the 31st day of the same month, annoque Domini 1739. Upon the memorial of the inhabitants of the southernmost town on the west side of the Ousatonic river, showing to the assembly the number of settlers now in said town, and the circumstances they are under, and praying for the countenance and favor of this assembly, first in allowing them to be formed as a town, and to have the privileges of other towns in this colony, also to eall and settle some orthodox minister in the work of the ministry among then.
"Resolved by this Assembly, that the inhabitants of said town, qualified as the law directs, shall have and enjoy all such rights and privileges, and have such powers as are usually granted to other towns in this colony and that said inhabitants shall have liberty to call and settle some orthodox minister of
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
the gospel in the work of the ministry in that place, taking the advice of the ministers of the neighboring churches, and that the town hereafter be called by the name of Sharon. And cap- tain Jonathan Dunham of said town, is hereby appointed and empowered to cause the inhabitants of said town to meet in said town on the second Wednesday of December next, to choose town officers in said town for the year ensuing."
Captain Dunham, in pursuance of the authority given him, warned the first town meeting, and the town was fully organized for municipal purposes. For the information of the present generation, and to show in what way the business of this meet- ing was conducted, its proceedings are here copied from the records, preserving accurately the orthography of the original.
"The Inhabitance of Sharon aplying Themselves to the Genral assembly in October Last Past for Town Priviledges Cap Dunham was mad Choice of to Represent the Town to the Assembly, and having obtained the Desiar of the town he being ordered by the Assembly to Warn the Inhabitance in order To Chuse town officers which Being Dune the Inhabitance being met on the 11 day of December In ye yeare 1739 at the house of Nath 11. Skinner In Sharon And then opened the meeting as the Law Dricts
" Cap Dunham Was Chosen moderator
"Leu Jabez Creppen John Sprague and Cap Jonathan Dunham Was Chosen Select men for the year insewing
" Nath Skinner Was Chosen town Clark
"James Smith was Chosen Constable and Sworn as the Law Directs
"George Way was Chosen Granjuery and sworn as the Law Directs
"Ebenezer Mudg William Tickner Ebenezer ffrisbie and Cornelius hamlin Was Chosen Surveys of high Ways and Sworn as the Law Directs
"Jeremiah foster Samuel Mudg and Thomas Creppen Was Chosen fence vewers and sworn as the Law Directs
" Samuel Comstock Was Chosen Colector
"Nathl Skinner Jun Was Chosen Leather Sealer
"Nathl. Skinner Jonathan Dunham and John Sprague Was Chosen a Com'tt. to go after a Minister.
"Nathl. Skinner and Lew. Jabez Creppen chosen a Com'tt. to Lay out a Beuring Place.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
. It was further voted that a Note or Warning In writing set up at The house of John Sprague and Nathl. Skinner and at Garrit winegars mill Six Days before . town meeting Given Reasons of Said Meeting Shall be a | Wiul Warning for a town meeting.
"farther voted that Swin haven a nhg in their noses Shall be accounted an orderly Creator."
We have seen that at the first towu meetings measures were taken to procure a minister to preach the gospel to the inhabitants. They evidently contemplated the employment of a minister in the early settlement of the Town, and such, too, it seems was the intention of the Assembly in sequestering two rights for the support of the gospel. This aid was afforded in order to assist a community which must necessarily have been weak and feeble in its infancy, in having a supply of the Word of Life, and the benefit of religious ordinances. Prompted by these encouragements, the first inhabitants of Sharon took early measures to settle a minister. The committee appointed at the first town meeting made application to Mr. Peter Pratt, of Lebanon, a candidate for the ministry, and graduate of Yale College, of the class of 1736, and on the 8th day of January, 1740, the Town called him "upon trial for some convenient time," and laid a tax of fifteen shillings on a right for the pay- ment of his services. His labors were acceptable to the people, and on the 14th day of March following, he was invited to settle over the church and congregation in the work of the ministry. The Town voted him a salary which would amount to about two hundred dollars per annum .* Mr. Goodrich and
* Town meeting. January 8, 1740. Voted that Mr. Peter Pratt shall be called by us npon trial for some convenient time.
Voted that Deacon Nathaniel Skinner, Capt. Dunham and John Sprague, shall be a committee to call Mr. Peter Pratt for some convenient time of probation for the settling in the work of the ministry, and that said committee is authorized to agree with him for nis wages.
March 14, 1740. Voted to call Mr. Peter Pratt to the work of the ministry among us in order to ordination.
March 20, 1740. Voted to Mr. Pratt for his stated salary 210 pounds a year in money which is as silver at 29 shillings per ounce, and for this year 140 pounds, and to rise ten pounds a year until it comes to the 210 pounds, and there to stand during the time of his ministry among us.
Voted, that if Mr. Pratt's necessity calls, and the ability of the town will allow it, then to give him more.
March 25, 1740. Voted that the day for the ordination of Rev. Peter Pratt shall be the last Wednesday of April next.
Voted that Capt. Dunham. Nath. Skinner, Mr. Goodrich. Mr. Sprague, Mr. Way are a committee to order the affairs for the ordination of Mr. Pratt.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
Mr. Sprague were appointed to treat with Mr. Pratt and to present to him the offers of the town. These were accepted by him, and the time fixed for the ordination was the last Wed- nesday in April. It is supposed that it took place at that time, and that the services were performed in a private dwelling, as no place of public worship had been provided at that time.
The records of the Congregational Church in Sharon for the first fifteen years are lost. The exact date of the organization of the Church cannot, therefore, be determined. At a meet- ing of the Church in Westchester, a parish of Colchester, Conn., on the 28th day of April, 1740, Nathaniel Skinner (deacon), Jonathan Dunham, Jabez Crippen, Benjamin Fuller, Nathaniel Skinner, Jr., Thomas Skinner, David Skinner, Jonathan Skinner, Jabez Crippen, Jr., Samuel Mudge, Micah Mudge, Cornelius lIamlin, Alexander Spencer and Josiah Skinner "received letters of recommendation, in order to be embodied into a Church at Sharon, where they have for some time resided."
At a meeting of the same Church, on May 18, 1740, (about three weeks after the former meeting) Jeremiah Foster, Mary Foster, Mary Skinner, Content Fuller, Elizabeth Skinner, Abigail Mudge, Mary Hampton, Mary Dunham, Mary Skin- ner, Jr., Eunice Mudge, Elizabeth Dunham, Lydia Crippen, Deborah Crippen, Thankful Crippen, Waitstill Heath, Abigail Skinner, Patience Fuller, Hannah Dunham and Martha Mudge received a letter of recommendation "to the Church in Sharon," which indicates that this Church was organized between the meetings of the church in Westchester.
The ministry being thus established, the next business in order was to provide a place of public worship ; and to this object the attention of the Town was soon turned. On the 23d of June, 1740, the town voted to build a meeting house at some convenient time, 55 feet by 45, and 22 feet posts. This would have been a large house for those times, and as it was probably found to be more expensive than the circumstances of the town would authorize, it was abandoned for that year. In the mean- time the inhabitants met alternately on the Sabbath, for public worship, at the house of Captain Dunham, and at the house of Mr. Pardee, and in the milder season of the year the meetings were held in Mr. Pardee's barn. For tempory accommodation, and until a better house could be provided, it was voted, in the Spring of 1741, to build a meeting house of logs or poles, 36 feet
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
by 20. Where this temporary log meeting house stood is not now known It was used but a short time, as while it was building, measures were being taken by the town to build a house, which should be of sufficient dimensions to accommodate all the wor- shippers. It was voted that the new house should be 15 feet by 35, and 20 feet posts, and Capt. Dunham, Eusign Sprague and Ser- geant Pardee were appointed a committee to superintend its erec - tion. A committee appointed by the government, consisting of John Bostwick, of New Milford, and Samuel Lewis and John Mills of Kent, were called upon to fix its location, and it was de- termined that it should be erected in the middle of the street, directly opposite the tavern now kept by Mr. Perry Loucks. The building was commenced early in the spring of 1742, and in the course of the season it was so far completed, as that publie meet- ings were held in it in the following October. But it was five or six years before it was finished and glazed. The Hon. Philip Livingston, who had become a large owner of real estate in the town, generously offered to give a bell for the use of the meeting house, provided the town would build a steeple. It was voted that this should be done at the north end of the meeting house, and Messrs. Dunham, Pardee and Hutchinson were appointed a committee to return the thanks of the town to Mr. Livingston for his munificent offer. For some reason the bell was never procured, nor the steeple erected. The meeting house stood about twenty-five years, when it was found too small for public accommodation.
The first year (1739) was one of great promise and prosperity. The population rapidly increased and the productions of the soil richly rewarded the toil of its cultivators, but the month of May 1742 was marked by the commencement of a wasting sickness which overwhelmed the settlers with distress and threatened the entire breaking up of the enterprise. This calamity put it out of their power to comply with the condition of their bonds, and in their extremity they made application to the Assembly for relief. The following is a copy of their memorial, drawn up by the Rev, Mr. Pratt, which is a remarkable specimen of suppliant eloquence. It was addressed to the Assembly in the usual way and proceeded to say :
" That notwithstanding the smiles of Divine Providence upon us at our first settling in this place, in which we thankfully en- couraged ourselves, yet so numerous have been the frowns, and
* 5
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON.
so heavy the strokes of the Almighty in the year past, and so dark is the countenance of our present state, that we have not only been brought to uncommon continued distress, but even to despair of future prosperity unless relieved by your Honors' favor. In May last it pleased the Almighty to send a nervous fever among us, which continued eleven months, in which time more than one hundred and twenty persons were long confined with it, some have lain more than one hundred days, some eighty, many sixty, and few have been capable of business in forty days after they were seized with the distemper. By reason of which, many were unable to plow for wheat in the year past, many who had plowed were unable to sow, and some who had sowed una- ble to secure it by fence, and much wheat that was ripe, rotted on the ground. By reason of the sickness of the people, which was not only exceeding expensive to the persons and families sick, but also to those who were in health, their time being taken up in tending those that were sick, many of whom were obliged to suffer for want of help. Twenty are dead, many widows and fatherless children are left among us, not a man but that has sustained loss -many who were more than level with the world are impover- ished. The distress of the winter has been exceeding great and impoverishing. Our cattle are so destroyed that there is not a cow left to half the families in the town, and now many men are obliged to leave their business at home and go twenty miles to labor for bread and corn, and so must continue to do until har- vest, so that we are not now able to take up our bonds without being wrecked in our estates, some torn, others quite broke, so that not above three-quarters of us can save our home lots and pay our purchase. Neither can we maintain our minister or build our Meeting House, but must quit the place, or become tenants, we and our children, to neighboring rich merchants who are seeking our lands, but at their own price.
" Therefore, we, a withering branch of this commonwealth, and the poor of this colony, would now humbly pray for your Honors' assistance and gracious notice. And as our industrious improvements have been the admiration of all who have beheld our settlement, and far exceeding any other instance of late plan- tation, we trust we may not after three years' toil, sickness and want, be turned off from our lands ; become tenants, or seek another settlement under worse circumstances than when we settled in this place, which that your Honors would take into your wise
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SHARON
consideration, and upon it graciously act toward us, is the ear- nest and necessary prayer of your Honors' dutiful and humble memorialists."
The second application was successful to this extent, that the time for the payment of the bonds was extended some two or three years, and thus the settlers were able to meet their pay- ments without further embarrassments.
These memorials explain how Philip Livingston and Martin Hoffman became large owners of real estate in Sharon at an early day, a fact which before was obscure. They were undoubtedly the rich neighboring merchauts referred to in the memorial. The representatives of Philip Livingston are still proprietors of the common land in Sharon.
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