USA > Connecticut > Tolland County > Hebron > Hebron, Connecticut, bicentennial, August 23d to 25th, 1908 : an account of the celebration of the two hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of the town : 1708-1908 > Part 4
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At this time there were about fifteen thousand inhabitants in the colony of Connecticut, settled in thirty townships, chiefly on the Sound and upon the banks of the Connecticut and Thames rivers. The settle- ment of but few inland towns had been commenced, the nearest being Windham, Lebanon and Colchester.
The Rev. Benjamin Trumbull, D. D., born in Hebron in 1735, author of the first complete history of Connecticut, and who devoted a large part of his life to gathering the material for his history, in which it is well said
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that "fidelity and accuracy are so conspicuous", makes this statement, "The settlement of the town began in June, 1704. The first people who made settlements in the town were William Shipman, Timothy Phelps, Samuel Filer, Caleb Jones, Stephen Post, Jacob Root, Samuel Curtis, Edward Sawyer, Joseph Youngs and Benoni Trumbull. They were from Windsor, Saybrook, Long Island and North Hampton"
David Barber, born in Hebron in 1717, in his "Antiquities of He- bron" written about 1795 says that settlements commenced "about 1704 or 1705".
Rev. Samuel Peters, D. D., born in Hebron in 1735, in his manuscript "History of Hebron", written in New York City in 1822, says it was "settled in 1705".
Hon. Sylvester Gilbert, M. C., born in Hebron, 1755, in his manu- script "Hebron Statistics, Civil and Ecclesiastical" written in 1828, quotes from Trumbull's History above and gives date as 1704.
The late Ex-Governor John S. Peters, born in Hebron in 1772, in his manuscript "Historical Notes," written in 1843, says, "The first permanent settlers were William Shipman of Saybrook and Timothy Phelps of Wind- sor. They built log houses, on ground now occupied by Ira Bissell and Joel Willcox, in autumn of 1705". The foundation stones of one of the above houses were found in 1845 in digging earth to fill the cellar of the old house a few rods south of the one occupied by my father, Frederic P. Bissell, and now owned by myself.
Ex-Governor Peters in his "Historical Notes" relates the following anecdote:
"While the men were making preparations for their families in the summer of 1706 they brought their provisions with them and remained for weeks at their new home. Their wives being anxious for the welfare of their husbands and unwilling to be left too long alone, four or five started one shining morning for the promised land, twenty long miles through the wilderness, regulating their course by marked trees and crossing the streams on logs felled for that purpose. Night overtook them in the lower part of Gilead, they wandered from the line and brought up on the hill south of Nathan Smith's house. Fearing the wolves would regale themselves upon their delicious bodies they concluded to roost upon the top of the high rock on the summit of said hill. Here they proclaimed their lamen- tations to the winds. This novel serenade attracted the attention of their husbands, who wandered towards the sound until they fortunately but unexpectedly found their wives on the rock, which they had chosen for their night's repose. The gratification of the interview can be better imagined than expressed."
The location of this rock has been handed down to the present time and it is now known as "Prophet's Rock."
Again quoting from Trumbull the historian, "The settlement, at first, went on but slowly; partly, by reason of opposition by Mason and the Moheagans, and partly, by reason of the extensive tracts claimed by proprietors, who made no settlements. Several acts of the assembly were made and committees appointed to encourage and assist the planters. By these means they so increased in numbers and wealth that in about six or seven years they were enabled to erect a meeting house and settle a minister among them".
A petition from the settlers to the General Court in May, 1712, thus describes their situation. Regarding the proprietors and the settlement of the town it says "It is now above seven years since they began it, but they are so far from making any distribution or giving any suitable accom- modation to encourage the settlement of a good plantation as they were
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engaged to do, that no land can be had but at excessive rates, and they keep by far the greater part in their hands so that there is but a few scattered families in the whole plantation, who are altogther unable to live in any Christian or scarce so much as civil society. And now at last our titles are so far questioned by themselves as that of late they have solicited us to join with them to buy off Capt. John Mason's native right, the want whereof is indeed one great reason why the plantation is not well settled". (State Library, "Towns and Lands, III, 16").
As to their law suits regarding their landtitles, Ex-Governor Peters says, "They become emminent for their tactics in managing their suits and producing testimony to support their respective claims and their hard scrambles for the things that perish gave rise to a remark of the eccentric Mr. Whitfield in a sermon delivered in the town "You Hebronians are more fond of the flesh than of the spirit and of earth than heaven '.
These land controversies with adjoining proprietors and towns continued for many years and petitions to the General Court for assistance and advice are found as late as 1738. About this time the town bound- aries seem to have been practically settled, although some changes were made considerably later, probably caused by local conditions.
INCORPORATION OF TOWN
In May, 1708, the following petition was presented to the General Assembly by the inhabitants of the township "To the Honourd Generall Assembly now sitting in Hartford, May 13, 1708.
Whereas the Generall Assembly in May last granted liberty for a township at a place then called Hebron and whereas there are nine familyes allready settled there and divers more desiring to come as soon as they can. we being far from any meeting house and being desirous to set up ye wor- ship of God amongst us do pray this Honed. Generall Assembly now sitting to grant to us the inhabitants of Hebron all ye privilidges of a town that thereby we may be inabled to take such methods as most suitable and agreeable to our present circumstances to raise money for the support of the gospel and defraying other necessary charges amongst us as well as for chuseing town officers amongst us and dividing our lands and all other things proper for us as a town without which we find that we shall not be able to continue here and we shall submit to such regulations as this Honed. Assembly shall think fitt.
Jacob Root in the name of the Rest".
(State Library, Towns and Lands, III, 14.)
The record of the action of the General Assembly under date of May 26, 1708 is as follows, "This Assembly, upon the petition of Jacob Root and the rest of the inhabitants of the town of Hebron, do grant to them the privilidges of a town that they may choose town officers and be enabled to raise money for civil and religious uses". (Printed Colonial Records, V. 64).
This action of the General Assembly completed the incorporation of the town, the event which we celebrate to-day.
EVENTS FOLLOWING INCORPORATION
The town having been incorporated it was in a position to transact its own business by means of town meetings. The first one of these, or at least the one upon the first page of the first book of records of town meet- ings, is upon a leaf which is frayed by age, and the date is indistinct, but is probably September 20, 1708. The leaf is torn so that the names of the officers chosen cannot be given accurately.
The first complete record of election of town officers is under date of
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December 21, 1709. At that time the following town officers were chosen : Nathaniel Phelps, Town Clerk; Edward Sawyer, Constable; Stephen Post, Timothy Phelps, Samuel Palmer, Townsmen; Morris Tyletson, Surveyor of Highways; Samuel Curtic, Lister.
A white oak between the houses of Edward Sawyer and Nathaniel Phelps was designated as a sign-post and the town brand for cattle was voted to be a diamond. From that date to the present, the records of town meetings are apparently complete and contain a vast amount of interesting matter, throwing much light upon the town's history.
It may be interesting to note some of the business transacted at the earlier meetings.
In 1710 a petition to the General Court was authorized, a tax for civil and religious use laid, and the transportation out of town of timber, wood, hay or stone forbidden. Joseph Dewey was voted "the privilege of the stream between us and Colchester for the use of a corn mill". A highway laid out from Samuel Palmer's lot to the lot next north of Edward Sawyer's. Voted that "Aron Porter of Hadley should be sought out to came and preach among us". Meetings to be held at dwelling house of Ebenezer Willcox.
In 1711 two men were chosen to go down to Saybrook to endeavor to hire a minister for one-fourth of a year, and the house of Caleb Jones was voted to be the place of meeting on Sabbath days.
In 1712 the widow Jones' house was voted to be the place of meeting on sabbath days. The right in the stream southeast of Moris Tillotson's given to anyone for a saw mill for the towns use, (this was the stream near George C. Tennant's, thereafter known as "Old Sawmill Brook"), 180 acres of land laid out for the encouragement and settlement of first minister and 50£ salary offered. Another committee appointed to endeavor to procure a minister, and a tax laid to pay the town's debts which then amounted to 13£ 17s 8d.
In 1713 the principal business of the town meetings appear to be endeavors to hire a minister.
The same condition prevailed in 1714 with the variation of a bound- ary dispute with Colchester, and a meeting house was voted to be built 30 feet long, 24 feet broad and 18 feet high. This is to be located, accord- ing to the committee's report, "in the highway, or supposed highway, that comes into the street or highway that runs northerly and southerly by Mr. Nathaniel Phelps, that comes in southerly at a field wholly taken in by Dr. Hosford * * * southerly of the Doctor's said field". A committee was appointed to proceed and endeavor toward the settling of Mr. Samuel Terry in the work of the ministry (this endeavor as well as that toward Aron Porter of Hadley was evidently unsuccessful, although Mr. Terry preached a few months in 1714.) A tax was laid for the building of meeting house. Benjamin Skinner, then of Colchester was voted the right of the west brook for a corn mill (this was at Hope Valley), and the town having increased in inhabitants, three places were designated as public sign posts, the former sign post, which was the tree between Phelps' and Sawyer's, Joseph Dewey's door and a post near Dr. Hosford's house.
In 1715 the endeavors for procuring a minister seem to have borne fruit, for it was voted that John Bliss should have the 100 acres already laid out for a minister, and instructions were given regarding the building of a house for him, his salary, already voted to be 506, was to be added to 5{ yearly, until it amounts to 70 or 756, and furnish him with firewood. The places for meetings on Sabbath days were to be at the houses of Nathaniel Phelps and David Barber; and the first tavern keeper was chosen, Nathaniel Phelps.
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In 1716 an additional notice for town meeting was to be posted on Benjamin Skinner's mill, (at Hope Valley) and the first representative to the General Court was chosen April 24th, the record reading as follows: "Nathaniel Phelps was chosen to represent the town at the General Court in May next".
About this time the question of the erection of a meeting house began to be a burning one, and the influence of the northern part of the town appears to be felt, for in July, 1716, it was voted that the meeting house shoukl be built "between the northwest corner of Dr. Hosford's new field and the southermost corner of the minister's meadow". (This is north of village, on road to Gilead and near Humphrey T. Fuller place). The southern men evidently rallied to the support of their convictions, for in August, 1716, they repealed the former vote and "voted that it should be set south of Dr. Hosford's new field in the supposed highway". (This was on the green, in front of Hendee house.) To this last vote of repeal Thomas Brown with eight other northern men entered their protest. The General Assembly appointed a committee in October for settling this question and on November 9, 1716, they reported a place for the building of the meeting house, where it was finally erected, on the green. In the meantime Mr. John Bliss was employed as a minister and meetings were held in private houses and in Dr. Hosford's barn, pending the building of the meeting house.
April 5, 1717 it was voted that the male members of the church, in full communion, should determine the date of Mr. Bliss' ordination. The names of these male members were given in the vote and are Jacob Root, Nathaniel Dunham, Samuel Caulkins, John Porter, John Gott and Benjamin Skinner. The ordination of Rev. Mr. Bliss finally took place Nov. 19, 1717 but the meeting house was not completed for several years, as we find votes from time to time appropriating money for completing it. The seating of the meeting house was ordered April 15, 1720 and the seaters were directed, after the Rev. Mr. Bliss had the first choice for his wife and family, to consider the age, rateable estate and what each person paid toward the ministry and building the minister's house and the meeting house. This was called "dignifying" the meeting house. All the members between 16 and 21 years old were also to have seats assigned them according to their age and the dignity of parents and masters.
In 1723 it was again voted to finish the meeting house by plastering up as high as the lower girths and putting in glass windows, and to send to Boston for glass and lead.
In 1724 the floors in the gallery, the gallery stairs and seats were completed.
In 1727 they added 20f to the Rev. Mr. Bliss' salary, and in 1729 they increased his salary to 100g, but to this latter vote Daniel Birge entered his solemn protest.
In 1730 more pews were built over the gallery stairs.
SETTLEMENTS FOLLOWING INCORPORATION
As stated in the petition to the General Court there were but nine families in the town at its incorporation in 1708. Other settlers followed, slowly at first, but as the land controversies became settled they came in greater numbers. At the time the map of the town was made in 1744 there were 151 houses upon it. The names of some of these early settlers are as follows:
From Windsor: Owen, Gaylord, Palmer, Hosford, Barber, White, Phelps, Skinner, Strong, Birge, Bissell and Porter.
From Saybrook: Merrill, Welles, Shipman, Tillotson, Waters, Jones, Post, Ingham, and Bushnell.
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From England: Slade, Bond and Sutton.
From Lebanon: Buell, Mann, Mudge, Newcomb, Chappell, and Gillett.
From Colchester: Gilbert, Skinner, Brown and Kellogg.
From Lynn, Mass. : Tarbox and Gott.
From Leicester, Mass .: Peters, Kneeland and Russ.
From Norwich: Rev. John Bliss, Calkins and Heaton.
From East Haddam : Rowlee.
From North Hampton, Mass. : Porter.
From Boston : Dr. William Sumner.
From Westfield, Mass. : Dewey.
From Lyme: Mack and Pennock.
From other places: Sweetland, Hutchinson, Beach, Curtis, Dunham, Wilson, White, Cass and Crouch.
DIVISION INTO PARISHES
Opposing opinions of the northern and southern parties, in regard to the location of the meeting house, had shown themselves at the settling of the first minister, but they now began to bear serious fruit. At a town meeting held April 4, 1733, fifty or more of the inhabitants appeared and petitioned to be set off into a distinct and separate society, provided the General Court should grant liberty, and asked that they should be forever released from paying anything for Rev. Mr. Bliss, provided they should maintain their own minister. The petition however was denied by the town. The ground of this trouble was not entirely a geographical one, but there was an underlying dissatisfaction with the Rev. Mr. Bliss. He had already been tried before a meeting of the south consociation of Hartford county at a meeting held in Hebron Nov. 16, 1731 upon several charges, notably that of "habitual intemperance." These charges were decided by the council as not proven and he was continued in charge until late 1733 or early 1734 when he was dismissed by this authority. This proved perhaps the most unwise action of all, for his friends, chiefly of the northern party, continued to hold meetings at his house for religious services, claiming that the action of the council in dismissing him was illegal, and that he was consequently the only regularly ordained minister
in town. This holding of schismatic services was not to be tolerated by the town authorities, as it was a grievous offense under the statute law, and Mr. Bliss and five of his most prominent supporters were presented before the Hartford County Court June 17, 1735 charged with having "carryed on divine worship contrary to the statutes of this colony". They were found not guilty, but the costs of court were taxed againstthem, amounting to about 5f to each person. They appeared before the Gen- eral Court in October, 1735 asking for redress, and one-half the costs were remitted.
The difficulties of Mr. Bliss and his friends regarding the holding of religious services were solved by their declaring themselves for the Church of England and organizing a parish in 1734 or 1735. A letter of the Rev. Samuel Seabury, missionary of the S. P. G. at New London, under whose care they placed themselves, says that in 1736 there were twenty families that belonged to this separation.
The Rev. Benjamin Pomeroy succeeded Mr. Bliss as the minister of the town, beginning to preach in 1734 and ordained December 16, 1735. He was (quoting from the Rev. Benjamin Trumbull) "A man of real genius, grave, solemn and weighty in his discourses * * * * he might be reckoned among the best preachers of his day". Was prominently identified with the great revival of 1740 and was one of the foremost "new lights" of the day. His usefulness was not confined to his own
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parish, for in spite of the law, he persisted in preaching in the adjoining towns without the leave of the resident ministers, for which he was con- demned by the General Assembly, and deprived of his salary for several years. He was a chaplain in the French War and also in the Revolution. Was one of the original trustees of Dartmouth College which conferred upon him the degree of D.D. He had charge of the Hebron church till his death, Dec. 22, 1784, for more than a year previous to which he had been entirely blind. He was succeeded by the Rev. Samuel Kellogg who had charge of the parish from June, 1788, to July, 1793. The Rev. Amos Bassett, D.D. succeeded in Nov., 1794, and he was in charge of the parish at the end of the first hundred years.
The causes which led to the dismissal of the Rev. John Bliss in 1734 still continued to exist and showed themselves in an agitation for the formation of other parishes of the Established Congregational Church within the town. The first meeting house too began to grow old, and the location of a new one added fuel to the flame. The town meetings on this subject were almost continuous, one meeting would vote to divide the town into religious societies and the next one would rescind the vote, but in May, 1747, the General Court incorporated the society of Andover, taking in the northeast part of the town with part of Coventry and Lebanon, and the society of Marlborough on the west with part of Col- chester and Glastonbury, and in the Fall of 1747 it was voted that the northwest corner of the town should be set off as a distinct ecclesiastical society. Application was made to the General Court in 1746 for the incorporation of this society, then popularly spoken of as the "Fawn Hill" society. In this application the name asked for the new society was "Rehoboth". The act passed in the lower house bestowing that name upon it but in the senate this name was changed to Gilead which is more familiar to our modern ears. The first meeting of the new society was held June 13, 1748. The Rev. Mr. Morrison preached a short time, the Rev. Samuel Lankton preached for a year or more but was not settled, but in 1751 a call was extended to Rev. Elijah Lothrop, Yale 1749, who was ordained pastor April 1, 1752. He died August 3, 1797. He was one of those of whom it may truly be said "there were giants in those days". For over two years after his death the church was supplied by various ministers, but in 1799 the Rev. Nathan Gillett was called to the pastorate and he was in charge at the end of our first hundred years.
The Andover society had for its first clergyman the Rev. Samuel Lockwood, D.D., who served them until June, 1791, when he was succeeded by the Rev. Royal Tyler who was in charge at the end of the first hundred years.
The Marlborough Society had for its first minister the Rev. Elijah Mason until his dismissal in 1761, succeeded by Benjamin Dunning from 1762-1773. The Rev. David Huntington succeeded him till 1797 and after his dismissal the church was without a pastor for several years, calls having been given to several clergymen who declined, and at the end of the first hundred years the church was without a pastor.
Again reverting to the Rev. Mr. Bliss and his friends who had joined the Church of England, the society which was formed at that time was known as St. Peter's Church, a building was begun in 1735 upon land deeded to the S. P. G. by Mr. Bliss himself, but like the meeting house of the town it was many years before it was thoroughly finished, in fact it was in 1766 that it was reported as finally completed. Mr. Bliss offi- ciated as lay reader for several years and died on the eve of his departure for England to receive Episcopal ordination Feb. 1, 1741. The parish continued in care of missionaries of the S. P. G. and previous to 1758 three
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GILEAD CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH DEDICATED DEC. 19, 1838.
HEBRON LIBRARY BUILT 1898
GILEAD HALL OPENED SEPT 4, 1905
candidates set sail for England to receive holy orders. One was lost in shipwreck, one died at sea, and one was captured by the French, dying in captivity, but in 1758 Samuel A. Peters, Yale 1757, sailed to England, was ordained and took charge of the parish in 1760. After the accession of the Rev. Mr. Peters to the rectorship, this church seems to have taken a prominent place among those of the Church of England in the Colony. The convention of their clergy in Connecticut was held here June 5 1765. Peters was a pronounced loyalist and fled to England in 1774, leaving the church without a rector. His flock though not all loyalists, shared in the unpopularity of their shepherd, and it is easy to imagine that their position during the troublous times of the war of the revolution was not a pleasant one. During this period the Rev. John Tyler of Norwich visited this church a few Sundays every year, but the Sunday services were carried on by a lay reader, usually Mr. Thomas Brown, who lived on the Rev. Mr. Peters' farm, and a small congregation. This condition lasted until 1794 when the Rev. Tillotson Bronson was settled and remained until 1799 when the Rev. Evan Rogers took charge and was there at the end of our first hundred years.
Returning again to the situation of the town about the time that it was divided into religious societies; the first meeting house was in a ruinous condition, and there was much difference of opinion as to the location ofa new one. But the necessity for a new one was emphasized by the burning of the old. ' This occurred Oct. 8, 1747 and was caused by an incendiary hired for that purpose, a half witted young man, who was afterwards prosecuted and committed to jail for the crime. During the year in which the old meeting house was burned there were held ten society meetings regarding a new one. It was finally voted to build a new house 60 feet by 48 feet and 25 foot posts, on the place where the old house stood. The new house was built in 1748 and it contained some timbers that were already hewed for the addition for the first house, and saved from the fire. Some of these same timbers were afterwards used in building the new church in 1828, the building which many of us remember as standing until the fire of 1882.
MILITIA, ETC.
In those days every able bodied man belonged to the militia, and the organization .was perfected immediately after the incorporation of the town, giving an opportunity for many worthy men to enjoy at least a brief notoriety, though it must be remembered that the commanding officers were generally men worthy of respect and of the confidence reposed in them. Although it is not recorded that any disturbance with the Indians took place within the limits of the town, tradition says that a block house was built near the site of the old brick school house a mile and a half south of Hebron green, and that from fear of the Indians in the early times, the inhabitants repaired there nights for protection.
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