USA > Connecticut > Historic towns of the Connecticut River Valley > Part 14
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NEWINGTON.
Another captain of the militia company was Deacon Charles Churchill, who built one of the largest and finest houses in that part of the town. This old-time residence was famous for years. It had a reputation for hospitality that extended for many miles around. There were four large ovens in the house and it was sometimes necessary to use them all, in order that sufficient food might be prepared for the great number of guests in the hospit- able old mansion. It is tradition, that Washington and Lafayette were guests of Captain Churchill. Besides the ovens, the house contained other features that were somewhat unusual in those days. There were seven of those great fireplaces, in which four-foot logs provided heat and light, and stimulated sociability and good-fellowship among the guests. Captain Churchill fur- nished supplies for the army and was paid for them in the depreciated bills of the day. One of the rooms in his house was papered with these almost worthless bills.
The people of Newington in the early days seem to have lived a peaceful, quiet life on their fertile farms, with little or nothing to distract their attention from the cultivation of the soil and attendance at Church. The nearest approach to any happening of a really exciting nature, was the dispute in regard to the loca- tion of the second church edifice.
In such a peaceful atmosphere lived Mr. Andrus, a man who was notable for his conscientious, peaceful religious life. He seemed to be a perfectly contented and serenely happy man. It is not strange, therefore, that his choice of a wife excited great interest and surprise, for she was reputed to be "the most ill-natured, troublesome woman in the neighborhood ". Being in Yankeeland, where people ask direct and searching questions, Mr. Andrus was requested to tell his neighbors the reason for his odd choice. Mr. Andrus gratified their inquisitiveness by telling them, that his life had been particularly free from trouble and annoyance, so much so that he feared he would become too much attached to this life and the good things in it. He thought, that if he could experience some of the afflictions of life he would become more weaned from the world; for that reason he had married such a woman as he believed would accomplish his object.
The community was small and the distractions few, so it was
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but natural that the story should finally reach the ears of the purveyor of his hoped for afflictions, by way of one of the human newspapers of those days, of the spinster variety. Mrs. Andrus's anger was great and she declared that she was not going to be made a pack-horse to carry her husband to heaven. In a spirit of revenge she entirely changed her life and became one of the most pleasant and dutiful of wives, and poor Mr. Andrus became more enamored of this world and its joys than ever.
GLASTENBURY.
N OTABLE, as originally a part of Wethersfield, the oldest town on the Connecticut River, Glastenbury, is also notable for being the first town in Connecticut made by dividing one of the original towns, for it was cut off from Wethersfield and incorporated in 1690.
The original territory of Glastenbury as granted by the In- dians, was measured by rods up and down the river and by miles east from it. These long, narrow lots retained their gen- eral shape for a great many years. As time went on and the property was sold, or descended to the heirs of the original owners, some of the lots were sub-divided. There is at least one instance of a sub-divided lot being sold, that was but eight rods wide and three miles long.
Of the original proprietors, the more prominent families were the Welles, Wylis, Hale, Hollister, Kimberly, Talcott. The Welles estate, purchased by Thomas Welles from the great In- dian Sachem, Sequasson, generally known as Sowheag, was in the family for more than 200 years. Of this family were Samuel Welles, the well known banker of Paris, and General Arnold Welles, who married a daughter of General Warren, of Bunker Hill fame. The old Talcott house was used as a fort, or place of refuge, in case of an Indian raid. A descendant of this Tal- cott family was Colonel Talcott, who was superintendent of the United States Arsenal, at Watervliet, New York, in 1836.
Glastenbury is noted for its varied, beautiful and extensive views. Back from the immediate neighborhood of the Connecti- cut River flats, the surface begins to rise gradually till five miles back, toward the east, it is a mass of high, steep, tumbled-up
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GLASTENBURY. 173
hills of nearly a thousand feet elevation. The view from Kongs- cut (now called Skunkscut hill) near Diamond Lake, is espe- cially fine and extensive, in all directions. This Indian word, Kongscut, means the goose-country, as the wild goose was found there, and on Diamond Lake, in great numbers. It is little wonder that the territory comprised within the bounds of Glas- tenbury was a favorite with the Indians and that they loved the hills and the valleys, through which the many streams flow into the Connecticut, for the Indians had a silent appreciation of
GIDEON WELLES HOUSE, GLASTENBURY.
natural beauties and, too, the forest abounded with game and the streams with fish. A small band of Mohawks had a perma- nent village of Glastenbury, probably for no other reason than to keep watch of the tributory Indian tribes, and to make life a burden to them by the fear they inspired.
The broad plain extending along the western portion of the town, from Roaring Brook (which the Indians called Nayaug, or Noisy-water) to the Hartford line was, and still is called Hanabuc, or Naubuc. The Rev. Dr. Chapin gives three possible definitions for the Indian words used to designate this plain.
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Hanabuc means, more clear, or open, or the plain; Naubuc, means · blood and so conveys the idea that great battles were fought on the plain, probably between the River Indians and the Mohawks. Another possible meaning is the east-side. The English settle- ments were first made on the west bank of the river and those portions of the towns across the Connecticut were spoken of as the east-side, so it is possible that the Indians compounded Nop, meaning cast, and uc, meaning place or side or locality, thus making Nopuc, or Naubuc. It is quite evident that Dr. Chapin himself was uncertain which definition is the correct one.
The first purchase of land was made from Sowheag, it is generally stated, but as a matter of fact, that was not the name of the fierce chief of the Mattabesetts. His name was Sequas- son and the full name and title of the Sachem was Sequasson- Sequin-Sowheag, which in English is, Hard-Stone, King-of-the- South-Country.
The second purchase, of 1673, was from several Indians, whose names and their English equivalents were; Tarramuggus, or Bear-catcher; Massecuppe, or Great-fierceness; Wesumpshye, or Great-cater; Wumpene (the old records give it as " One peny ") or Belt-of-wampum; Nesaheeg, or Instrument-of-death ; Seockett, or Wild-cat ; Pewampskin, or Fair-complexion.
The first military organization on the east side of the river was in Glastenbury. On May 18, 1653, the General Court passed an act exempting the inhabitants on the east side of the Con- necticut from training with the towns on the west side, and em- powered William Hill to call the men of the east side together for training.
Before the incorporation in 1690 the people of Glastenbury .paid their share for the support of the Church in Wethersfield. After the incorporation, Glastenbury had its own Church and the first minister of the town was the Rev. Timothy Stevens, who was called on July 28, 1692.
Mr. Stevens was a son of Timothy Stevens, of Roxbury, Massachusetts, and was a graduate of Harvard, in the class of 1687. He married Eunice Chester of Wethersfield, May 17, 1694. She died in 1694, and in 1701, Mr. Stevens married Alice Cook. He was minister of the Glastenbury Church front 1693, to the time of his death, in 1726.
GLASTENBURY. 175
At an early day in the history of Glastenbury the people offered inducements to thrifty, honest and otherwise desirable families to settle in the town, by granting a small farm from the Common lands, with the stipulation, that the land should be improved within a given time. Like many of the other river towns, Glastenbury made laws for the protection of the trees from wanton destruction. In 1700, no person was permitted to cut pine, or " candlewood ", as they called it, for the purpose of obtaining pitch, and the penalty for doing so was a fine of twenty shillings each load and the forfeiture of the wood.
THE HOLISTER HOUSE BUILT BY ONE OF THE ORIGINAL PROPRIETORS.
Glastenbury increased in population rather rapidly. In 1693, there were thirty-four householders; in 1714, there were sixty- four tax payers all of whom were probably householders as well ; in 1723, there were 118, and in 1757, there were 191. The increase was so rapid that the first meeting-house of 1693, was too small so, in 1706, the people voted to enlarge its seating capacity by building galleries, or "leantos", as the committee thought better.
In 1701, a number of persons from Wethersfield and Hartford
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went to Glastenbury and "squatted " upon public land, in the eastern part of the town, but they were all expelled after con- siderable trouble.
The Revolutionary period was an exciting one in Glastenbury. The men of the town had had experience under arms, and were well acquainted with the hardships of war and army life in the old French War. They knew the hardships to be borne in a country covered by a wilderness, with supplies hard to obtain and often not to be had. In fact, the mortality in that war among the men from Glastenbury was so great, that after the first enthusiasm, due to patriotism, had died down, it was diffi- cult to get enlistments for the Revolutionary army. No doubt this also was partially due to the high prices of the necessaries of life. So Glastenbury, as did many other towns, provided for the families of the Continental soldiers of the town, in such cases where it was necessary, and made liberal provision in clothing and food for the men themselves.
Glastenbury was not menaced by Tories as were some of the shore-towns, but still, there were two prominent citizens against whom charges were preferred. They were, Ralph Isaacs and Abiathar Camp. These men were tried and found guilty of being Tories and were sentenced to live in Eastbury, there to be in the charge of the Selectmen and to maintain themselves at their own expense. Isaacs was afterward moved to Dur- ham, because of failing health, and Camp took the oath of fidelity to the State and later was removed to Wallingford.
It is not generally known, that in 1777, in the heat of the first days of the Revolution, that Glastenbury became the home of a portion of Yale College. The price of board was so high in New Haven, on account of the high price of all kinds of provisions, that the several classes were distributed over the country. The Freshman class was sent to Farmington and the Sophomore and Junior classes to Glastenbury, where they were under the charge of the Hon. Nehemiah Strong, the professor of mathematics. The students boarded in the homes of the village and made their headquarters at the home of William Welles, who was a gradu- ate and a tutor of Yale.
In 1792, an Academy was established on the Green and later, an Academy was established at South Glastenbury. Both Schools
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flourished and turned out very creditable students. Two of the teachers were Noah Webster and Elihu Burritt, better known as " The Learned Blacksmith ".
In 1701, Glastenbury had a school and Robert Poog was the schoolmaster. He was employed to teach for three months and longer if he gave satisfaction. His pay consisted of his board, the keep of his horse and £3 for the first quarter, and £2 for each additional quarter.
The Indians of Glastenbury and the white settlers lived in
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OLD TALCOTT HOUSE. Used as a fort in times of Indian troubles.
peace and good-will, notwithstanding that the Indians were numerous within the bounds of the town. The Nayaugs lived in a glen near the mouth of Nayaug, or Roaring-Brook, as the word means in English, where is now the village of South Glas- tenbury. Here they lived in a natural fortification which pro- tected them against the bitter north wind, the chill and damp of the east wind, and those more dangerous enemies, hostile bands of other Indians. They had two look-outs from which sentinels could easily see the approach of enemies. On the river side, was
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Red-hill, rising abruptly from the meadows and the other was Chestnut-hill, giving an extensive view to the north, east and south. Along the shore of Roaring-Brook, at the foot of a cliff, the Nayaugs, it is said, dug a hole in the rock, to a depth of two feet and a half and two feet across the top, which they used as mortar for pounding Indian-corn with a great pestle, to make it into Nasaump, or samp as the white settlers called it. While there is no evidence that the Indians did not make this mortar, there is an equal lack of evidence that they did. It is probable that instead of making the hole in the solid rock, they adapted a pot-hole that had been made by Roaring-Brook with the help of a pebble. This mortar is still there and is, or was, covered by the artificial pond from which one of the mills obtained its power. The Nayaugs lived in harmony with the white settlers and the following anecdote is of the only fight known between one of the Nayaugs and a white man.
John Hollister, who lived on the west side of the Connecticut, owned land on the east side which he cultivated. He was known as the most powerful and athletic of the settlers. One morning, as he was at work on his land on the east side, an Indian of the Nayaugs, who was equally noted among his people for his great strength and agility, challenged Mr. Hollister to a trial of strength. The challenge was promptly accepted.
They fought till both were exhausted when, by agreement, they sat upon the same log to rest and then went at it again. They continued their rounds and rests till sun-down, when they agreed that it was a draw. The admiration of each for the other was great and they became fast friends and the two most notable men, in the opinion of the Nayaugs, in all the country.
Although " Father " Stocking was not a native of Glastenbury, he was for many years a resident of that town and was closely connected with the history of Methodism there. The Rev. Jere- miah Stocking was born in Chatham, in December, 1767, his " schoolin'" ending in his ninth year. His father was a sea- faring man and was away from home much of the time. From the age of nine till he was thirteen, Jeremiah lived in Haddam, and in his thirteenth year he joined a privateer, at about the close of the Revolution. When he left the ship, he went into trade till he was twenty-one and in 1790, he married and moved
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GLASTENBURY.
THE OLD TALCOTT HOUSE. " How dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhood."
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to Glastenbury. His health failing, his physician advised that he turn Post-rider so that he could be out in the sun and air. In 1799, Jeremiah began carrying newspapers between Hartford and Saybrook and in ISor he carried the mail. During the twenty-five years he was thus employed he traveled 150,000 miles and crossed the Connecticut River more than 8,500 times.
While living in Glastenbury he became a " half-way Covenanter " and five years later was " converted " by a Methodist preacher. Not long after he was " converted " to Christianity he, himself, became a Methodist preacher and spent considerable of his time, at first, in tirades against other denominations, but finally a deeper Christianity entered his heart, and from then on he lived in charity and good will with all. There is a very curious fact in regard to seven male members of his family, all of whom were in the ministry, of one or another denomination. It is, that all of their given names began with S. They were Sophronius H. Stocking, Selah Stocking, Solon Stocking, Sabura S. Stock- ing, Septerius Stocking, and Sabin Stocking.
" In 'old Connecticut', the better part, Glastenbury is nearest to the heart. Hail Glastenbury, with her hundred hills! Her verdent pastures and her flowing rills - Her flowery meadows and her rural shades - Her gallant yeoman and her beauteous maids."
FARMINGTON.
F ARMINGTON was settled from Hartford in 1640, and in 1645, it was incorporated as a town. The original terri- tory of Farmington included Southington, New Britain, Bristol, Berlin, Burlington and Avon. At the time of the settle- ment, it was inhabited by the Tunxis Indians and the river was known as the Tunxis, in other words, the Crane Indians who lived on Crane River. The people were no doubt attracted to Farmington by the great fertility of the meadows and so they braved the dangers from living in the midst of a numerous and fierce tribe of Indians, the Tunxis, which, according to President Stiles, of Yale, was the largest tribe on the Connecticut.
New settlers either purchased from the original proprietors or were given land by the Town. The population grew rather rapidly in the early days, there being forty-six property owners who paid taxes on property to the value of £5,519, in 1655, and this same year for a comparison, the number of tax payers in Hartford was but four times as large and the total value of their property was not quite four times as great. Down to 1700, the population increased and the settlement contained, in that year, as many dwellings as were in Farmington one hundred and forty years later, in 1840.
In 1672, the eighty-four proprietors divided the land, using Round Hill as a center from which measurements were made. A parallelogram was thus made, three miles to the north, five miles and thirty-two rods to the south, two miles and sixty-four rods . to the east and two miles to the west. This was called the reserved lands. A considerable part of it had already been taken up. The portion that was not, was reserved for town-commons, home-lots, pastures and "pitches". All the land outside of this parallelogram was surveyed, and divided among the eighty-four proprietors in proportion to the taxes they paid. The Rev. Samuel Hooker, their minister, received a double portion. The western portion of the town was divided into lots a mile east and west and eleven miles north and south. These lots were
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distributed so that each man owned one that was a mile long and of a width in proportion to the property he already owned. All other parts of the town were divided on the same plan. The survey for this work was completed in 1728, and it is upon this survey, that the titles to the land are based, within the towns that have been formed from the original territory of Farmington.
Generally speaking, the settlers and Tunxis Indians lived in harmony, but in 1642, there was considerable alarm caused by the gathering of many Indians about Tunxis, as a plot of some kind was feared. The General Court took prompt and vigorous action and nothing came of the gathering, probably because of that prompt action. At other times, later, there were Indian scares. In 1657, John Hart and all his family, except one son, were burnt to death in the home which had been set on fire by Indians and in the same year a settler, by the name of Scott, was killed. For the burning of the Hart home and family the Indians were re- quired to pay eighty fathoms (480 feet) of wampum yearly for seven years. In 1668, a complaint was made, probably to the General Court, that the Indians had fired bullets into the settle- ment from their fort, or encampment, and also that they had extended their hospitality to strange Indians. For this, they were ordered to move to another place. In 1689, and 1704, the people feared danger from a distance, possibly the Podunks or the Mohawks. For better protection several houses were forti- fied with double doors and narrowed windows.
Authorities differ as to the year the first Church was organized. Trumbull fixes the date as being October, 1652, and Noah Porter, Jr., sometime in the year 1645. The Rev. Roger Newton was the first minister. ITis wife was the Rev. Thomas Hooker's daughter Mary. In 1661, the Rev. Samuel Hooker, son of the great divine of Hartford, became the minister of the Church and his pastorate continued till his death in November, 1697. Mr. Hooker was a graduate of Harvard and was almost equally esteemed with his illustrious father. In 1662, the Rev. Samuel Hooker was one of the committee appointed to negotiate with the New Haven Colony for a union with the Colony of Con- necticut. He was the grandfather of that beautiful and pious thirteen-year old girl, Sarah Pierpont, of New Haven, with whom
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FARMINGTON.
Jonathan Edwards fell in love while a tutor in Yale, and finally married.
Farmington was an educational center from very early days down to the regretted closing of Miss Porter's school for girls, a few years ago. In 1682, the Town appropriated fio toward maintaining a school; the next year a similar appropriation was made and in addition four shillings a quarter was required to be paid for each child attending the school. Later, £30 was appropriated. This larger sum was evidently given because so much more was to be required of the ".man-teacher ". He was required to teach reading, writing and grammar and also, “ to be able to step into the pulpit to be helpful there in time of need "; and a little later an ability to teach Latin was required. Dr. Noah Porter gives the following fine description of the natural condi- tions in Farmington in early days :
During this period (the first sixty years) the inhabitants by degrees became more numerous, but with the exception of the colony near "the Seamor-fort" and two or three houses on the northern border of the " great plain ", they were scattered for two miles or more along the street. The upland ncar their dwellings had been slowly cleared and the forest still lingered in sight, along the foot of the mountain. The western woods were yet an unbroken wilderness, save the opening which had been made by the Indians, as they retreated in 1672, to their reservation across the meadows, and rallied around a new burying place for their dcad. On the south was " the white oak plain ", still unsubdued, and "the great plain " was thickly crowded with its growth of birches and tangled shrub-oaks. It was not till 1695, that a highway was laid through this district of the
* * The river furnished to the English and the natives, its town. *
overflowing abundance of shad and salmon, and the west woods abounded in deer, in wolves and panthers. In the forest, up the mountain, was their common place of pasturagc. The meeting-house lot was as yet a noble common of several acres. A canoe with ropes was furnished at the north end of the street, by which the river was crossed as it was not till 1725, . that the first bridge was erected at this place. At the annual town meeting, no man might be absent who valued his twelve pence. Then were chosen the townsmen, the register, the fence-viewers, the chimney-viewer, so necessary in those days of wooden mantles, of ill constructed chimnies, and of their enormous fires, their tything men, and last, not least, their one constable, who was to them the right arm of the king himself ; a function- ary treated with reverent awe, and obeyed with implicit deference. Who- soever resisted his power, resisted the ordinance of God. Two mich be- sides Mr. Hooker borc the appellation of Mr .; Mr. Anthony Howkin and
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Mr. John Wadsworth. Nor may we forget to name Captain William Lewis, Captain Stanley, Ensign Thomas Hart, and Sergeant William Judd.
Their communication with the other towns was infrequent. Occasion- ally a traveler would appear by the path from Hartford, with news from their friends and kindred there, or with a message of alarm from his Excellency the Governor, and now and then someone would emerge from the forest by the "New Haven path " with tidings from that commercial emporium, or from the lands beyond the seas. The Indians were still here by hundreds, their canoes might be seen every day filling the little creek that put in from the river.
The Sabbath was the great and central day of the week; a day of awful and yet of rapturous joy. As the drum beat with its wonted and pleasant sound of invitation, they resorted to the house of worship with cheerful steps. Here they were roused and comforted by the fervent Hooker. Here they forgot their weekly labors in the forest, their fear of famine; their terror of the natives, far and near; the armed guard that stood be- fore the sanctuary, and the necessity that had planted it there. From the house of God they return at evening, to spend the remaining hours of sacred rest upon joyful reflection upon the words there heard, doubly grateful for a church such as they loved, though it were in a wilderness. Then they instruct their children with strict and judicious care, and close the day by committing themselves and theirs to the care of the Almighty. To men situated as were they, His protection was more than a name; for desolate indeed was their lot, if He cared not for them.
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