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 5
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The town was represented by soldiers in some of the French and Indian Wars, and in 1758 the larger part of a company in Colonel Whiting's regiment was composed of Hebron men under the command of Captain Edmund Welles, and Amos Stiles as First Lieutenant, who by the way, died in the service. Perhaps this large representation in this regiment caused our ancestors to overflow in their expressions of loyalty and patriotism at the fall of Louisburg, which closed that campaign. This occasion which gave the town the name of "Pump Town" I describe in the words of another who described the scene many years ago.
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FIRING OF THE PUMP.
"In 1758 during the war between Great Britain and France, the then North American Colonies, made a noble effort (aided by an army of regulars) to close a war waged with savage ferocity, by the combined forces of the French and Indians in taking Louisburg a strong fortress and key to the Gulf and River St. Lawrence which was gloriously accom- plished by the troops, under the command of General Amherst. The glad tidings were wafted on eagle wings to every hamlet in the suffering country, gratitude warmed every heart and joy lightened up every countenance, warm greeting cheered every bosom and enormous pumpkin pies smoked on every board. It was necessary that some demonstration of loyalty should be made by the inhabitants of Hebron to show more clearly the love of the King and country that entwined around their hearts, caps were thrown high and a full chorus from stentorial lungs grandly echoed from the surrounding hills. But alas, this did not reach the poles. The Sanhedrim assembled; after much deliberation a decree went forth that a cannon should be fired. No life destroying instrument of that description had ever broken the silence of this part of the new world. Yankee ingenuity was placed on the rack, a new article was in- vented and would have been patented forthwith, had fashion led the way. A tremendous oaken log was brought from the forest and without delay transformed into a cannon of the calibre of a hundred and twenty pounds. To make all sure and establish the character of this new species of artillery a son of vulcan placed thereon massive hoops of iron. A three fold cord is not easily broken. In accordance with this truth a cordon of wood hoops were driven over all so that the infernal machine looked like a mum- my dressed for the tomb. The work was accomplished, the powder horns brought together and emptied of their contents. The gun was literally crammed and removed to the summit of the highest hill, that the thunder thereof might be heard to the ends of the earth. The torch was lighted, the assembled multitude stood afar off in breathless anxiety, the awful moment was approaching, the torch was applied to the train, the minion of mischief crept slowly toward the chamber of sleeping dust like the serpent to the car of our Mother Eve.
'Lightly the brilliant sparks from grain to grain, Runs the quick fire along the kindling train. On the pained ear drum burst the sudden crash, Starts the red flame and death pursues the flash'."
In an instant hope and fear together with the object of adoration were wafted to terra incognita in a fiery chariot. However, the fame thereof went to the uttermost parts of the earth and was written in the Chronicles of George III who in the plentitude of his goodness, provided a substitute made of pure brass that his faithful subjects may ever after sing praise to his victorious arms. This mark of his Majesty's favor was lost in passing the Atlantic Ocean.
As fashion governs the tenants of this planet, in 1775 the patriotic tune had turned. The inhabitants again assembled and raised a high pole, surmounted with the cap of liberty, which possessed the talismanic property of turning the hearts of all the people from King to Congress and they swore that liberty should have an abiding place in their dwellings forever.
A traveler noticing their fiery zeal, wrote the following lines and nailed them on the body of the liberty pole on Godfrey Hill near Esq. Phelps'.
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"I am thy God cut from the stump, You sing my praise and fire your pump."
In this connection it may be interesting to note that the engraving upon the program of to-day's proceedings is a fac-simile of a post office dating stamp made by the late Lucius J. Hendee, postmaster of this town about sixty years ago.
The fall of Louisburg occurred, according to a letter published in the Connecticut Gazette of Sept. 9, 1758, upon the 27th of July previous and the news arrived in this part of the colonies about Sept. 1st, so that it was probably not far from this part of the year that this notable firing of the pump occurred.
PLANTING OF THE ELM
Soon after this occurred another great event, the results of which have lasted nearly to this present day. I refer to the planting of the old elm which most of us remember. This elm was set out by David Barber in 1763, then a tavern keeper on the land now occupied by W. S. Hewitt's house. He was assisted by his 6 year old daughter Patience, afterward the wife of Hon. Sylvester Gilbert, and the progenitor of a numerous and honourable family and who transmitted the details of the story to her descendants.
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR APPROACHING
This event of course "cast its shadows before" for, many years pre- vious to its actual occurrence, two parties, Patriots and Loyalists, were gradually crystallizing themselves and marshalling their forces in oppo- sition to each other. It is idle for us to fondly suppose that all the best families were included in either one of these parties, but until the conflict was fairly begun there was a vast difference of opinion in regard to pro- priety of or necessity for war. A reason why this was emphasized strongly in this town was the prominence of some of the loyalist party. In the forefront of these stood the Rev. Samuel Peters who was rector of the Episcopal Church, a man of not only strong loyalist principles but as his biographer says "of an iron will as well as an iron frame, and whatever he undertook he pursued with a spirit of indomitable perseverance". His troubles with his neighbors culminated in two attacks upon him by the "Sons of Liberty" August 15th and Sept. 6, 1774. Upon this last occa- sion, under the threat of tar and feathers, from the immediate execution of which, he was rescued by Dr. Pomeroy, the Congregational clergyman, and others of the more level headed people of the community, he con- cluded that "discretion was the better part of valor" and left the country for England, where he remained a pensioner upon the King's bounty until after peace was declared.
The battle of Lexington occurred Wednesday, April 17, 1775. On the Sunday after, a warm and pleasant day, a large congregation was present in the old meeting house on the green. In the afternoon a man rode up with great speed and was received by Col. Hosford. He brought the news of the battle which was given to the congregation by Dr. Pomeroy. Church services were discontinued and orders were given for the militia to turn out. Everyone left for home, the women riding on the pillions behind their husbands, and many of them in tears. When home, the men prepared by running bullets and the women cooked provisions for the march. The next morning a company of about 60 men started, commanded by Worthy Waters as Captain and Roger Phelps, Lieutenant. This was the beginning of the town's services in the Revolutionary War, but through its entire duration the people of this town were not found wanting, and furnished both men and means in abundance. One regiment
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of militia alone, commanded by Col. Obadiah Hosford and Lieut. Colonel Joel Jones contained not less than 125 Hebron men. These were in four companies, one fro mthe center of the town commanded by Capt. Joshua Phelps, the south company commanded by Capt. David Tarbox, the Gilead company commanded by Capt. John H. Welles, the Andover Company commanded by Capt. Eleazer Hutchinson and the Marlborough company commanded by Capt. David Miller. The number serving in other com- mands, a complete list of which I have not had the opportunity to obtain, would doubtless swell the total number of soldiers from this town to several hundred. Indeed it might be said that nearly every able bodied man of suitable age saw some service during the war.
REVOLUTIONARY WAR CLOSED
After the close of the war the industry and enterprise of our people was diverted into more peaceful channels. Immediate improvement in both morals and finances resulted. These improved conditions were shown in the interest taken toward the betterment of civil conditions. The county of Tolland was proposed in May, 1785, and in October of that year the county was incorporated embracing its present number of towns with the exception of Coventry. In May, 1786, Coventry was annexed, but the town of Hebron made great objection to being included in the new county. The legislature at first voted to set Hebron back to Hartford county, but the town of Tolland showed the general assembly that it had gone forward in good faith and had nearly completed the county buildings which they had promised to provide to the county free of charge as a condition of the establishment of the new county. The legislature there- fore reconsidered their action upon the memorial of the town of Hebron and reaffirmed the original organization of the county, thus leaving Hebron in the new county. At this time, 1786, Hebron was the wealthiest town in the county and it was, of course, very desirable that they should be retained as part of the same. The first judge of the county court was Samuel Gilbert of Hebron; the first State's Attorney was Sylvester Gilbert of Hebron, and John Gilbert of Hebron was Deputy Sheriff. During those earlier days a very large portion of the county officers were from this town, a circumstance which may have been a balm to the wounded feelings of our town's politicians.
PROBATE DISTRICT
Hebron was in the probate district of Hartford until 1741, when the distriet of East Haddam was constituted, to which Hebron was annexed, and furnished a good share of the Probate Judges of that district until 1789, when the probate district of Hebron was constituted. This in- cluded the towns of Bolton, Coventry and Hebron. The first judge was Samuel Gilbert of Hebron, and in fact Hebron furnished the judge for this district with the exception of two years until the present probate district of Hebron, composed of this town alone was incorporated in 1851.
In 1790 that part of the town of Lebanon which was included within the religious society of Andover was annexed to the town of Hebron, making a small addition to the northeast corner of the town.
MISSIONARY SOCIETY
In 1798 occurred an event of no little interest. There was held a meeting of the General Association of the State of Connecticut (Congre- gational) on the 19th of June in Hebron, at the house of Rev. Amos Bassett, then pastor of the First Congregational Church here, at which were present 23 clerical members, also 3 delegates of the General Assembly
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of the Presbyterian Church. At this meeting was organized the Mission- ary Society of Connecticut. This is said to be the oldest missionary society in the United States which has maintained a continuous existence to the present time.
At the time of taking the first United States census, 1756, Hebron had a population of 1855 white persons and no return made of Indians and blacks. In 1774, a population of 2,337 of which 52 were Indians and blacks. In 1782, a population of 2,205 of which 70 were Indians and blacks. In 1790, a total population of 2,234 of which 20 were slaves. In 1800, a population of 2,256 of which 4 were slaves. At this time it had the largest population of any town in the county except Stafford. As we leave the town in 1800, it had a grand list of $69,873.00, the largest of any town in Tolland county, being nearly one-sixth of the total tax list of the county. There were but 18 towns in the state having a larger tax list. There were but 27 post offices in Connecticut, the nearest being at Col- chester and Windham. At this time postage ranged from 10 cents to 25 cents per letter, according to the distance carried. The chief judge of the County Court and the State's Attorney were both residents of Hebron. There were 3 practicing attorneys in the town and both the judge and clerk of the probate district resided in Hebron. In population, wealth and influence it stood in the front rank among the towns of the state, a posi- tion which continued for many years and doubtless will be more fully dwelt upon by the address which is to follow, covering the history of the second hundred years of the town.
Following another band selection, Dr. Cyrus H. Pendleton, the historian of the second hundred years was introduced.
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INTRODUCTION OF CYRUS H. PENDLETON, M.D. HISTORIAN OF THE SECOND HUNDRED YEARS.
There came to Hebron in 1865-over 43 years ago, a young man fresh from Amherst College and his studies in the Western Reserve Medical University in Ohio, who was to become a Good Samaritan to our people and one of the most successful practi- tioners in Eastern Connecticut. As a boy I remember him riding over the hills, just as likely as not with a Botany or Greek Lexicon in his hands and it may truthfully be said that he has been a student all his life. His own personal comfort has always been of secondary importance to him when contrasted with the op- portunity to relieve suffering and to minister to the afflicted in this and neighboring towns. For 44 years he has min- istered to the distressed, been present at the bedside of the afflicted and brought solace to the dying. He is beloved by his patients and esteemed in his community. There is no one better fitted to portray the second 100 years of Hebron's history, a very considerable part of which he has been so closely associated with and much of which he has helped to make. Although he needs no introduction to this audience, it is a privilege to me to have the pleasure of presenting Dr. Cyrus H. Pendleton as the historian of the second 100 years of this town's history.
HISTORICAL ADDRESS OF CYRUS H. PENDLETON.
Hebron at the opening of the 19th century contained a population, according to the census of 1800, of 2,256; was bounded by Bolton and Coventry on the north, by Lebanon and Colchester on the east, by Col- chester on the south and by Colchester and Glastonbury on the west, extending from Hop River on the north and east to near Marlborough pond on the west, about ten miles from north to south and near seven from east to west. Marlborough, Columbia and Andover were not yet incorporated. There were at the time four Congregational Ecclesiasti- cal societies wholly or partly within the town's limits, the first, or Hebron Society, and Gilead Society wholly, and the Marlborough and Andover Societies partly, with a church in each.
The Congregational Church in the first society had the Rev. Amos Bassett as pastor, whose salary at the time was $300 per annum raised subsequently to $350. He resigned his pastorate in Sept., 1824, after a service of 30 years, to accept a call to superintend the Foreign Mission
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School at Cornwall in this state. His successor, Rev. Lyman Strong, was installed August 17, 1825. His salary was $400, and his pastorate continued till his resignation in Feb., 1830. He was followed by Rev. Iliram P. Arms at a salary of $430, who was ordained and installed June 29, 1830, and dismissed by Council Oct. 11, 1832.
Since then the pastorates have been as follows :-
Moses T. Harris, installed Jan. 29, 1834, dismissed Jan. 7, 1835 Sylvester Selden, Oct. 6,1835, Mch. 9, 1841
Edward J. Doolittle,ordained May 18, 1842, "' Dec. 14, 1852
Wm. M. Burchard, supplied from Mch. 1853, to Apr. 1854
Merrick Knight, installed
June 28, 1854, dismissed June 18, 1860 Horace B. Woodworth, installed Feb. 27, 1862 Dec. 20, 1864 James J. Bell, stated supply from Chas. H. Gleason, ord. & installed Mch. 1,1865, to Mch. 1,1867 Nov. 20, 1867, dismissed Apr. 20, 1870 Nov. 1,1871 Aaron W.Field,stated supply from Nov. 1, 1870,
Salmon McCall, supplied from
Dec. 1871, to
Spring 1872
George S. Dodge, ord. & installed
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Aug. 14, 1872, dismissed Nov. 18, 1877 May 8, 1878, Jan. 20, 1880
Andrew J.Sullivan . .
George B. Cutler,
June 14, 1882, Apr. 1,1884
May 18, 1884, Sept. 4, 1888
Geo. E. Chapin, stated supply fromMay 1, 1889, to Dec. 27, 1891
Henry B. Mason, ord. & installed June 28, 1892, dismissed June 1895 Commencing with his pastorate the parishes of Hebron and Gilead were united under one pastor residing in Gilead and holding services in both parishes each Sunday.
Wm. P. Clancy, stated supply from Sept. 1896, to Apr. 1,1900
Robert J. Kyle, Apr. 1, 1900, now in charge
The pastor of the Congregational Church in Gilead society at the beginning of this century was the Rev. Nathan Gillett, on a salary of 1106, to be reduced to 100€ after ten years. He was installed in 1799, resigned in 1824, and was followed by Rev. Charles Nichols, who was ordained Sept. 22, 1825, and dismissed Oct. 21, 1856.
Since that time the pastorate has been :-
William A. Hallock ordained Oct. 24, 1860, dismissed Aug. 24, 1864
Daniel Gibbs, installed Sept. 12, 1866, . . Mch. 27, 1867
Albert W. Clark, ordained Nov. 19, 1868, July 23, 1872
Win B. Danforth,
July 9, 1874, died
July
4,1875
Josiah A. Mack, began Oct. 1, 1876, dismissed May 1,1883
May 1,1884, July 1,1885 John II. Kopf,
Charles Preston, ordained
Nov. 6, 1886, .. Sept. 16, 1888
Rev. W. P. Waters and Rev. H. R. Baker, with others supplied till the Rev. Henry B. Mason in 1892 took charge of both Hebron and Gilead parishes and since then one pastor has had charge of both.
The rector of St. Peter's Protestant Episcopal Church was Rev. Evan Rogers, who was in charge until 1803. Since then the rectors have been as follows, occasionally a period intervening without a resident clergyman and with religious services but a part of the time and conducted by lay readers :---
Ammi Rogers, 1815 1819
William Jarvis, D. D ..
1821 1826
During his rectorship the present church was built.
George C Shepard, 1827 1829
AAlpheus Geer,
1829
1844
Solomon G. Hitchcock,
1846
1849
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J. Lee Nott,
Charles R. Fisher,
1850 Jan. to Oct.
William Warland, 1851
1865
Hilliard Bryant,
1865 1880
During his rectorship the present rectory was built.
Jared W. Ellsworth, May 1880 Feb. 1889
Edwin C. Johnson, Sept. 1889 Oct. 1892
John Farrar, Apr. 1893 Apr. 1895
John H. Fitzgerald became rector in Spring, 1897, and now in charge.
At the beginning of the century the societies had no parsonages, and there was no heating of the churches in cold weather. The ladies to keep their feet from freezing were in the habit of using a foot stove, which was a small square box of tin inside of a wooden frame with a receptacle inside for coals. The first mention I find of any heating of the churches was a vote passed in 1825 in the First Society "That the Society are willing to have a stove in their house".
The location of the Congregational Church in Hebron Village was on the green nearly opposite the present dwelling-house of Everett G. Lord. This continued to be occupied till 1828, at which time land was deeded to the society by Judge Sylvester Gilbert on which to erect a new church, which was dedicated Jan. 1st, 1829 and the old building was torn down. In 1806, the society voted to borrow $400 to loan to its pastor, the Rev. Amos Bassett, to aid him in erecting a dwelling-house, he to repay the society $100 annually. The house erected was the one now occupied by Mr. H. Asa Bissell.
Early in the century there was a Methodist Church organized, the church building standing on Burrows Hill on the east side of the road, a short distance south and east of the former residence of Benj. and Nathan Taylor. These facts are shown by a deed, on record, from Daniel Burrows to Joseph White, Ezekiel Daniels and others, trustees, of land "with a meeting house standing on it", dated March 25, 1805. The deed provided that as trustees they should "permit the ministers and preachers of the Methodist Church to preach in and occupy and improve the meeting house according to the established order and discipline of the M. E. Church". This church was probably in use till 1828, when a school house was erected in the First School District, the upper story of which in consideration of $100 contributed towards its erection by the M. E. Church and $260 by the town was to be used jointly by the church for religious meetings, and by the town as a town hall.
This would seem to have been occupied by the church till 1838, when a church building was erected at the east end of Hebron Green and the land on which it stood deeded to the trustees by Jonathan G. Page. This building was occupied as a church till the society broke up as near as I can ascertain about or soon after 1850. The church building on Burrows' Hill was sold in 1815 to Samuel A. Austin, taken down and the material used in building the house about a half mile east of the village, now the residence of the Simon brothers. The church building in the village was sold to the town for a town hall in 1863. After the breaking up of the Methodist Society the members were divided between the Congregational and Episcopal Churches with some going to Hope Valley. The Hope Valley Methodist Church, it would appear, was organized about 1849, as March 24 of that year a conveyance was made of 33 rods more or less of land with a house of worship thereon by David Chapman to "Joseph White, William Gray and others, trustees of the Wesleyan Methodist Church", stip- ulating that "said trustees and their successors shall in no wise sell or permit to be sold the slips in said house of worship, but shall guarantee that said house shall ever be a free house, that said house shall be open for the promul-
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· tụà
Ton Sylvester Gilbert M. 1755-1846.
NORTH SIDE OF GREEN BEFORE FIRE OF 1882. OLD CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH BUILT 1828.
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SOUTH SIDE OF HEBRON GREEN SHOWING. DR DAN ARNOLDS HOUSE AND STORE. DRAWN BY WD. J.ANNABLE, ABOUT 1840
gation of all the moral enterprises of the age that have for their object the moral culture of man, or the advancement of the principles of universal brotherhood provided and it is understood that this freedom of the house shall not conflict with the regular hours of worship on the Christian Sabbath". Of the subsequent history of this church I have been able to obtain scarcely anything definite. There would now seem to be in con- nection with it no regular church organization, and the trustees are now all residents of Colchester, and services are held in the church just sufficient to use up the income of a small fund bequeathed by Samuel Skinner, a former resident of Hebron, and a member of the Methodist Church on the green.
To go back to the town's civil history, the first post office in Hebron was established in the Andover part of the town on the Hartford and Norwich post route, Jan. 1, 1802, with Simon House as postmaster. In June, 1814, Abner Hendee was assistant postmaster of Hebron, but it seems that a post office was not established in Hebron Village till 1818, removed at that time from Andover by Abner Hendee, though I am not aware that the office in Andover was discontinued. There was no post office in Gilead till 1830, when Peyton R. Gilbert was appointed post- master. There was a post office established in Hope Valley in 1833, and in Turnerville not till 1864. In 1802 the Hebron and Middle Haddam Turnpike Co. was chartered, the road to extend from the meeting house of the First Society in Hebron to Middle Haddam, and six years later a charter was granted to the Columbia Turnpike Co., the road to extend from the aforesaid meeting house in Hebron to Windham.
In May, 1803, there was a petition of Joel Foote and others, inhabi- tants of the Society of Marlborough to the General Assembly praying to be incorporated into a town. The town of Hebron not taking kindly to losing a part of its territory, Sylvester Gilbert and John T. Peters were appointed agents of the town to oppose said petition in the General Assem- bly. The opposition was without avail and the town was incorporated.
In the early part of the century cattle and swine, if not also horses and sheep, were allowed to run at large upon the commons and in the highways sometimes, if not generally, with the express consent of the town. For instance, in Nov., 1808, it was voted in town meeting that swine be permitted to run at large on the commons "provided they be at the time well ringed;" and again in 1821, "That neat cattle be allowed to run at large on the commons;" and also in 1824, that swine be permitted to run at large "on being well and sufficiently rung". The first record of restraint I have found was a vote of the town in 1822, that horses, asses, mules and sheep be restrained from running at large upon the commons. Ten years later, in 1832, it was voted to restrain horses, mules, neat cattle and sheep from going at large in the highways, except that a person having but one cow might allow her to go at large in the highway. This last elause of the vote was reseinded about 1844. In Oct., 1845, in con- nection with a vote of restraint of horses, asses, mules, neat cattle and sheep from running at large, there was a vote passed that any person allowing any of the above animals or swine to run at large on the Sabbath should forfeit $1.00 to whoever should prosecute the same to effect. This vote, or bylaw, it was directed should be published for four weeks in the Hartford Times and in the Hartford Courant.
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