USA > Connecticut > Tolland County > Coventry > Historic sketch of Coventry, Connecticut on the occasion of the two hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of the town and of the organization of the First Congregational Church > Part 2
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Coventry has no high school, but sends its pupils who wish high school work to Willimantic, Rockville, or some other nearby sec- ondary school.
In the fall of 1911, the School Board voted to ask the State to grant us a superintendent of schools. In January, 1912, Mr. George W. Emerson assumed charge in that capacity. He is also in charge of the schools in Lebanon and Columbia.
Training Bands
Almost coincident with the building of the first school, in 1728, was the establishment of two military companies. The first com-
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pany was in command of Samuel Parker; the second, in charge of John Bissell.
The green on Monument Hill and High Street was used as a training ground.
Industrial Development
With provision made for the spiritual welfare of the settlement, for the education of the children, and for its military affairs, the development of the farming opportunities in the little settlement went on.
Upon each farm, both outdoors and in, were carried on in mini- atnre many of the various industries which now involve immense machine-equipped plants scattered broadcast throughout the land. The contrast between the home two hundred years ago and the modern home is almost as great as that between the stage coach and the aeroplane.
What would Madam Burchard, Madam Rust, if such there were, or any other of those pioneer dames who lived in their rough homes in the wilderness, have thought if they could have stepped to the telephone and ordered brought to their door bread, pastry, etc .; butter and cheese; hams, bacon, sausage and lard; dried beef, corned beef or cuts of fresh meat; canned vegetables and fruits; soap and candles ; to say nothing of fresh fruits from many lands, tea, coffee, spices and many another luxury for the table?
Not so was it indeed in the days two hundred years ago. Bread they had, to be sure, but only after the rye had been sown in pre- pared ground; the grain harvested, threshed, winnowed and ground ; and the bread made, kneaded into loaves and baked. All these processes, except, perhaps, the grinding, had to be performed by some one of the family, or possibly a very occasional helping neighbor. So with many of the other above articles of food, the processes necessary to prepare or preserve must be carried on at home. In those days the yearly or semi-yearly cheese making, candle and soap making were important events.
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What was true of food was true also as regards articles of cloth- ing. If my lady needed even a pair of stockings think of the labor involved for different ones of the family : the care of the sheep, the washing and shearing of the wool, the carding, spinning into yarn, reeling into skeins, dyeing and finally knitting. For most other woolen garments weaving took the place of knitting and then the cloth must be fulled, cut and sewed by hand into the article re- quired.
Now it is possible for the mother to step into an automobile, be whirled away to an adjoining city, and secure almost any desired garment all ready to wear.
The early specialists along domestic lines were the dressmaker and tailoress and the cobbler and bootmaker, who went from home to home to help make clothing and shoe the family, often number- ing more than a dozen.
Scattered about, especially near Mansfield, one occasionally sees a gnarled old mulberry tree. Some attention was given to raising silkworms in Connecticut as early as 1760. The industry was inter- fered with during the Revolutionary War. Later it was revived, and at the time of the War of 1812, when importation of raw silk was hindered, Mansfield furnished raw silk for coach lace to a man- ufacturer in Newark, N. J. This was said to be superior in strength and luster to the best imported silk .*
An occupation outside the regular work of the home and farm was thus opened. Women were often employed. They received the munificent sinn of 42 and 50 cents per week and board. Calico dresses were at that time a luxury, to be worn only to church or on some especial occasion. At that time calico cost 64 or 67 cents a yard and girls often worked an entire season picking the mul- berry leaves and feeding the worms to get a printed dress, seven yards for $4.50, which was not homespun.
From now on the change in the industrial life was rapid. In June, 1712, an entry in the town records says that a committee is appointed to arrange for the establishment of a town mill for grinding the settlers' corn.
*Hunt's Merchant's Magazine, Vol. II.
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Arrangement was made with Jonathan Hartshorn in 1716 for building and maintaining one. Part of the agreement is as fol- lows :
"That Jonathan Hartshorn for and in the consideration of the said sixty acres of land secured by deed unto said Hartshorn upon consideration of his full compliance for himself, his heirs, his executors, administrators and assigns, for all times, forever, here- after * * * shall at his and their own proper cost and charge build and erect a good and sufficient grist mill, within the said town of Coventry, on the brook that issueth or runneth from the Great Pond, near the meeting house, and shall also keep and maintain the said grist mill in the said place forever in good repair so that it shall be sufficient to grind all the corn that the inhabitants of the said town shall at all times hereafter have need to be ground, for their use making as good meal as is or shall be generally made by other mills within the aforesaid colony."
The old mill was standing during the memory of many residents and the old millstone near the factory of T. II. Wood Co. now marks the spot.
Thus early was the power of the stream issuing from the Great Pond utilized. It was about a hundred years later before the water power began to be applied to any extent to manufactures.
In 1816 John Boynton built a wool carding mill. Here the farmer's wool could be carded into rolls ready for spinning into varn. The relief from hand carding left the families with so much extra time that they employed it by doing extra knitting of socks and mittens for sale in New York City. It is said that farmers brought their wool for fifteen miles around to avail themselves of the help which machine work gave.
Mr. Boynton was the inventor of a card machine which was in use in various woolen mills at that time and had a machine shop in which they were made. Other carding machines were in use in the town about this time. A Gazeteer of Connectient, published for the years 1810-18, gives the following statistics: The manu- factures and mechanical employments exclusive of those of a
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domestic character consist of one cotton factory, two paper mills, one glass factory, one manufactory of carding machines, three small distilleries, five tanneries, three grain mills, six saw mills and five carding machines. There are seven mercantile stores.
Many mills were burnt. Some of the business enterprises were failures. The following articles are recorded as having been manu- factured in Coventry : cheap wool hats for the slave trade, satinets, goods with a cotton warp and good all wool filling, cloth dressing and fulling mill, hooks and eyes, gun cartridges, cotton picker, cotton yarn, cotton cloth, cotton batting and sewing silk.
In Cole's History of Tolland County, published in 1888, the following manufacturers are mentioned as flourishing: A. Kings- bury & Son's paper box factory, the Phoenix Metallic Cartridge Co., A. D. Bottum's sewing silk, C. II. Kenyon & Co.'s woolen mill, A. Washburn & Son's silk mill, T. H. Wood silk business. J. M. Wood, woolen goods.
At present, in 1912, the list is as follows : The T. H. Wood Co .. silk throwsters and fish lines ; Eugene A. Tracy, Inc., wool extracts; John A. Dady Corp., silk throwsters; Kingsbury Box & Printing Co. ; Wm. F. Wood & Son, manufacturers of toric lenses ; II. K. & W. A. Washburn, silk throwsters; Valley Mills Co., wool extracts ; WVm. Il. Armstrong, wagons, hubs, spokes, etc .; South Coventry Paper Co.
Roads
As the early map of the town shows, provision for highways within the settlement was made in the early surveys. After the coming of the settlers from Northampton, Windsor, Hartford, etc., there must have been the broken paths of their making if similar trails had not previously existed.
As the town grew and there was surplus farm produce, such as beef and pork, butter and cheese, trade is said to have been carried on with Norwich landing, ox teams carrying the merchandise in and fro.
Shipping was carried on at that time between Norwich and the West Indies.
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In 1769 a petition was sent to the General Assembly for permis- sion to shorten the route between Coventry and Hartford. Later, pikes were established.
' In 1797 the Boston Turnpike Co. was incorporated for estab- lishing and keeping in repair a road from Hartford through East Hartford, Bolton, Coventry, Mansfield, Ashford, Pomfret and Thompson to the Massachusetts line. Toll gates were established along the road, but there was none on this pike in Coventry.
The list of tolls and regulations are, however, inserted here :
Every travelling four wheel pleasure carriage & horses
ets. mls. 25-0
chaise, chair & sulky 12-5
6. loaded wagon or cart 12-5
empty do or cart
6-3
single horse cart
6-3
empty horse cart
. 1-0
Horses, cattle & nmles each
2-0
Every pleasure sleigh
6-3
Every loaded sled or sleigh
1-0
empty " . .
1-0
Man & horse 1-0
Sheep & swine each
1-0
"Provided always, that persons travelling on the Lords day and other days to attend publie worship where they ordinarily attend : persons travelling to attend funerals : farmers passing through said gates to attend their ordinary farming business: all persons living within one mile and a half of either of said gates, and not passing said gate further than one mile and a half : persons going to mill on horseback : persons travelling to attend society, town and free- man's meetings, and persons obliged by law to perform military duty, travelling to attend training, shall not be liable to the pay- ment of said toll."
The present pike to Hartford was built in 1808 and the lilac- overgrown cellar where the toll house stood may be seen not far from the house now occupied by J. C. Ayer. An elderly friend, who used to live near there, has told me how, as a child, she de- lighted to run and open the gate for the passer-by.
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Travel
Travel was largely on horseback during the early history of the town. Richard Hale, writing to his sons, Nathan and Enoch, at Yale, tells them he will either send them horses for their home- coming or have them procure some in New Haven.
The stage coach in the early part of 1800 was the next step in the transportation of passengers. Austin Dunham, who was born in South Coventry in 1843 and was taken soon after that to Hart- ford to live, used as a boy to visit his great-aunt, who lived in the Jesse Root house on Ripley Hill. In some sketches of the olden
Main Street in South Coventry, Methodist Church and Postoffice on the right, store of W. L. Wellwood and site of Booth- Dimock Library on the left.
times he mentions the coach trips between there and his home in Hartford. As I write I can see from my window the old house, with the pike in front, and can almost fancy the lumbering old coach with its four horses standing there with its occupants laugh- ing when the farewells are made and great-aunt hopes Austin will soon come again, although he always makes her twice glad-glad when he comes and glad when he goes. We present-day residents have had a taste of coaching. Previons to the time of the trolley,
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1909, a coach with two horses used to run between South Coventry village and the depot, meeting the various trains. Now that, too, is but a matter of history.
Trains on the present Central Vermont road commenced run- ning about 1850. The road was then known as the New London, Willimantic and Palmer.
Taverns
Soon after the settlement of the town, among the other officers elected for the year 1915, Nathaniel Rust was named as tavern keeper. Thus early was arrangement made for the traveling public.
WSO. COVENTRYNO
Central Vermont Railroad station, showing Mr. Robertson's coach that antedated the trolley.
The old-time legal requirement for a tavern was a spare bed and stable room for two horses.
Someone has said the "Taverns supplied in some degree the place not only of our hotels and eating houses, but of clubs, news- papers and postoffice. What general news ever reached the town was circulated by the nightly gatherings at the tavern."
Some of the older taverns of Coventry are as follows, accord- ing to statements made by old residents of the town for Cole's book in 1888:
The oldest one remembered was at the house or location of Win. Gardner on Ripley Hill, the place now occupied by Albert Baker. The next was at the south end of South Street, with Novatus Cush-
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man as landlord. The main road from Hartford to Windham and Brooklyn passed there at that time.
The old tavern on the Hartford and Boston mail stage road is now known as the Pollard place, near the Willimantic River.
The house west of the Jesse Root house, now occupied by George Freeman, was an old tavern. The old sign was in the shape of a shield. On it was the picture of a man with a bird in his hand and a bush with a bird in it, accompanied by the old proverb, ".1 bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." "Roderick Rose" was the nanie upon the sign.
After the Ilartford pike, running through the town, was opened, a hotel was kept just below Mr. Kolli's harness shop by the follow- ing landlords: Azel Edgerton, Charles Carpenter, Mason Dimock and John Bard. John Rose had a hotel at the present Rose place by the Green. Royal Manning succeeded him. At his death, in 18441, the hotel was discontinued. One was kept in the present Thomas Wood place, opposite the Nathan Hale Monument, by Martin Lyman.
The present Bidwell House was opened in 1822 by Solomon Bidwell, whose son and grandson succeeded him.
Mails
The early mails were carried on horseback. Cole says, Bezaleel Hutchison was mail contractor for several years, with the compensa- tion of $75 a year. The average mail in 1820 was only about two letters a day. Then it took from four to six days between here and New York, and news a week old was hailed with a zest similar to ours over news fresh from the wire. About 1826 the mail was car- ried between Hartford and Providence by stage. At first, mails were carried but three times a week, but soon daily mails were inaugurated. Transportation of mails was made by steam train about 1850.
Post Offices
The first postoffice is said to have been opened in 1810 at a house in North Coventry at the top of the hill west of the church. Silas
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Hubbard was first postmaster. The first office in South Coventry was ten years later, in the house opposite the Nathan Hale Mon- ment, with Jeremiah Parrish as postmaster. The postoffice in North Coventry has now been discontinued. The South Coventry postoffice is in the drug store conducted by L. M. Phillips at the corner of Main and Mason Streets. The territory outside the vil- lage is fairly well covered by rural free delivery routes. One starts from the South Coventry office and two from the office in Rock- ville, while a wagon from South Willington covers a small portion of the town, as does also one from Andover.
War Times
Progress in Coventry, as throughout the country, was affected by the various wars.
French and Indian War
She escaped the earlier Indian wars before the time Coventry was settled, but participated to some extent in the French and In- dian War in 1755, as shown by town records, a few of which fol- low : "Ilenry Woodward of Cov. was killed by the Indians * * * 1756." "Simon Groves died at Fort Edward of Small pox in Oct. 1657." "Ebenezer Root died of fever in old French war near Lake George, 1758." "Noah Grant joined expedition against Crown Point in 1755." "Lient. Sol. Grant was ambushed and killed by Indians in this war."
Revolutionary War
At the time of the Revolutionary War Coventry ranked as a considerable town in the colony, with a Grand List of £20,856 and a population of 2,032 whites and 21 blacks. Right nobly did she do her part in the struggle for the independence of the nation.
In October of 1774 the Colonial Assembly of Connecticut re- quired the selectmen of the towns to provide a double quantity of powder, balls and flint. In January, 1775, the same Assembly ordered the entire militia to muster and drill once a week during the three months following. Stirring times there must have been
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on the old training green that winter. When the blow at Lexing- ton fell on April 19th, 1775, "horse expresses" carried the news throughout New England. This is Connecticut's response, written April 21st, from Lebanon, the residence of Governor Trumbull, to President Hancock of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress : "Every preparation is making to support your province. * * * The ardor of our people is such that they can't be kept back. The colonels are to forward part of the best men and the most ready as fast as possible, the remainder to be ready at a moment's warning." A hun- dred and sixteen soldiers are recorded as going from Coventry,
The Hale homestead, residence of Deacon Richard Hale, father of Nathan, now owned by Mr. P. Il. Peterson.
ranking well in numbers with any town in the colony. Twenty- seven days is the longest recorded period of service at that time.
In the long struggle which followed it is said that not a soldier had to be drafted in Coventry to fill the quota for the town. Meas- ures were adopted by the town to provide for the families of the absent soldiers and bounties were generously offered.
Encouragement by the citizens of the town in the way of cloth- ing for the soldiers and care of their families was freely given. It is said that Richard Hale, father of Capt. Nathan Hale, would
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often during war time forbid his family using the wool from the farm for themselves, that blankets for the soldiers might be made from it. The passing soldier was sure of food and shelter from this patriotic house.
The assistant commissary for the State was Jeremiah Ripley, who lived on Ripley Hill in Coventry. In May, 1722, Capt. Hunt- ington, of Norwich, was ordered to deliver 100 barrels of Continental powder to Cap. J. Rip- ley, of Coventry, to be carefully kept until fur- ther orders.
The Ripley homestead, erected in 1792 by Jere- miah Ripley, Assistant Commissary in the Revolution, now the residence of Mr. A. E. Peterson.
February 26, 1778, the same Jeremiah Rip- ley was directed by the. General Assembly to send under a guard so soon as might be, two tons of fine powder in his hands to Ezekiel Chevers, Esq., commissary of artillery at Springfield .*
Nathan Hale
Over a hundred Coventry men are recorded in the lists of Rey- olutionary soldiers. We honor all of these men who so bravely did their part, but the name which stands out pre-eminently in Cov- entry's part in the Revolution is that of Captain Nathan Hale.
At the time when the war broke out, Nathan Hale was teaching in New London. The news of the alarm at Lexington was brought thither by hurrying steed, and upon its receipt a town meeting at. once gathered. Nathan Hale was present and spoke as follows: "Let us march immediately and never lay down our arms until we obtain our independence." He enrolled a's a volunteer. The next day he met his pupils, "gave them carnest counsel, prayed with them and shaking each by the hand," lefi.
The stay at Lexington was probably not long, but was followed by a permanent connection with the army, a letter to his father
*Colonial Records of Connectient.
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saying that "a sense of duty urged him to sacrifice everything for his country."
. In a note of resignation to the school proprietors of his New London school, he says: "Schoolkeeping is a business of which I was always fond. * * * I have thought much of never quitting it but with life, but at present there seems an opportunity for more extended public service."
Hale's company was stationed for a short time at New London, and September 4th, 1775, was ordered to camp near Boston. Jan-
The Nathan Hale Monument and Nathan Hale Cemetery.
uary 1st, 1776, he was commissioned a captain by Congress. In April he went by way of Norwich to New York. But little is re- corded of ITale between this time and September.
At this juncture it was of utmost importance to General Wash- ington to learn if possible the plans of the British troops under Howe on Long Island. An appeal through Knowlton was made to the officers for a volunteer for this service of spying. Hale had been ill and was late in coming to the assembly of officers. Knowl- ton's request had previously met with no response, but when Hale learned of the need he met it with the words, "I will undertake it."
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His attitude toward the work which he undertook is perhaps best shown in the words with which he is said to have answered the entreaties of friends not to undertake so hazardous and, in a way, degrading task: "I think I owe to my country the accom- plishment of an object so important, and so much desired by the Commander of her armies-and I know no other mode of obtain- ing the information, than by as- suming a disguise, and passing into the enemy's camp. I am fully sensible of the conse- quences of discovery and capture in such a situation. But for a year I have been attached to the army, and have not rendered any material service, while receiving a compensation for which I make no return. Yet I am not influenced by the expec- tation of promotion or pecuniary reward. I wish to be useful, and every kind of service neces- sary for the public good becomes honorable by being necessary. If the exigencies of my country de- mand a peculiar service, its claims to the performance of that service are imperious."
The expedition was under- taken by him with the fatal re- sult which we all know. Sep- tember 22d, 1776, Nathan Hale was hanged as a spy. His last words are said to have been : "My only regret is that I have but one life to lose for my coun- try."
The depth of his patriotism, his unswerving devotion to duty
The Hale gravestone in Nathan Hale Cemetery; the inscription reads: "Durable stone preserve the monumental record. Nathan Hale Esq. a Capt. in the army of the United States who was born June 6th 1755 and received the first honors of Yale College Sept 1773 resigned his life a sacrifice to his country's liberty at New York Sept. 22d 1776 Etatis 22d. Mr. Richard Hale Junr born Feb. 20th 1757 died of a consumption in the Island of St. Eustalia Feb 12th 1793. aged 37 years they were sons of Deac Richard & Mrs. Elizabeth Hale of Coventry. Two daugh- ters of Mr. Richard Hale Junr and Mrs. Mary Hale one nam'd Mary born July 6th 1787 and died Dec. 10th 179], the other Polly born Jan 25th 1792 and died Oct 2d 1793. Their bodies sleep beneath this monument."
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as he saw it, his ardent desire to serve the public in fullest measure, his amiable, vivacious, upright Christian life, and the solemn grandeur of his death are all so full of inspiration to us in these later days and to our children after us that we should all be grateful for the memorials which have been erected to his memory and which serve to bring his life again and again to the minds of men. One stands at the entrance to the cemetery which bears his name. The old family stone in the same yard also records his life and death. The one pictured on the cover is in New York City. Two are in Hartford, one at the capitol and one in the Ateneum grounds. Still another is at Huntington, L. I., where he was supposed to have been captured.
War of 1812
That Coventry shared in this war is evidenced by the stones in the cemeteries of the town. In the different cemeteries of the North Parish seventeen soldiers in this war are buried.
Civil War
During this war, the town again voted premiums and bounties to volunteers. In September, 1862, the war committee reported "That forty-four men have enlisted, making three more than enough to fill the quota." It was also voted: "That a meeting of the citizens of this town be held at this house next Saturday even- ing at 7 o'clock * to speak a kind word to our volunteers, who are especially invited to attend." A committee was appointed to arrange for the Saturday evening meeting.
In January, 1864, record is made of the successful efforts of the war committee in procuring men to enlist to fill the quota of the town under the Proclamation of the President calling for 300.000 men, so that a draft will not be necessary.
Prominent Coventry Men of the Eighteenth Century
The list of Coventry men who have served the country either at home or abroad is one of which to be proud.
Confining our attention to the eighteenth century, one of the most interesting characters was Lorenzo Dow, the Methodist ex-
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horter. He was born in Coventry, Conn., October 16th, 1777. His parents, Humphrey B. and Tabitha ( Parker) Dow, were natives of the same place. A sudden illness at the age of 12 caused him to give attention to religious matters and led to his becoming a preacher of the Methodist denomination. He visited Treland and England, preaching to immense crowds. In the United States he traveled extensively, holding camp meetings in the woods, preaching in halls and houses when churches were not open to him. He was accompanied by his wife. Peggy, after his mar- riage, who shared his vicissi- indes. She died January 6th, 1820, and is buried in Hebron, Conn. Lorenzo died in George- town, D. C., February 2d, 1831. "Love to God and Man" is the sum of true religion.
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