USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > East Haven > History of East Haven > Part 14
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193
The Green.
The trees of Congressmen Sperry and Lilley, also those of the two former governors, with that of the present governor, formerly donated by them, and planted by the club, were labeled with each one's name in large letters, and a small flag floated from the label. It was a pretty sight.
The "oak," wrapped in the flag of the Union, was conveyed from Mrs. Thompson's home in an automo- bile, with the governor, Miss Margery E. Thompson and Mr. H. H. Bradley, the master of ceremonies.
The ceremonies commenced by raising the flag. Every eye was turned towards its waving folds, and as it rose the school children repeated their solemn promise of loyalty, which they are taught on entering the public schools of East Haven. A prayer was offered by the Rev. Daniel J. Clark of the Stone Church. The tree was now brought into the circle, and carefully unwrapped. Mr. Albrecht Dick, the caretaker of the Green, placed it in its home and held it in position while the speeches were made. Mr. Bradley, on behalf of the Woman's Club, presented to the town the "Roose- velt Oak," which the President had sent for the occa- sion, in a very pleasing speech. On behalf of the town, Selectman John S. Tyler accepted the tree in a speech as follows :
Fellow Citizens, Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have met to-day to take part in an interesting and significant occasion, not only because we are to plant a memorial tree, presented to the Woman's Club of East Haven by our honored and beloved President Roosevelt, upon an historic spot where General Lafayette camped over night, but for the fact that we are by these acts and these lessons bringing before our citizens the necessity of planting trees and shrubs.
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History of East Haven.
It is a work in which we should all interest ourselves- the preservation of the forests. It is a glorious work in which all who understand must be interested and be teachers.
There are many things which everybody can do on Arbor day; some new trees can be planted, old ones rescued and trimmed and saved from decay. The children of our public schools can and are being taught the necessity and love for trees, and it is a duty of parents to encourage them.
The people of this country are only beginning to wake up to the necessity of legislation along this line in the matter of preservation of our forests, which have been shamelessly depleted and destroyed.
We, the citizens of East Haven, congratulate ourselves that we have with us to-day his excellency, the governor of Connecticut, and we congratulate and thank him for his great and untiring interest in tree planting and forest preservation.
A chart of this beautiful Green will be made, with the trees designated and from whom presented, filed and written upon our town clerk's records so that future generations may know the interest manifested by our Woman's Club of this town. It will also act as an incentive for those who may follow us to continue along this same line of work.
Upon behalf of the board of selectmen of East Haven, as town agent, I accept this beautiful "Roosevelt Tree." I trust it may live and be preserved, always remaining as a reminder of the good that may come from our Arbor days.
Mr. Bradley then introduced the governor.
THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.
Arbor day is generally believed to have originated in the mind of the late Hon. J. Sterling Morton, at one time secre- tary of agriculture of the United States. He came from Nebraska, the state of his adoption, and Nebraska abounds in prairies, where there are no trees. It was, no doubt, the contemplation of those vast and barren places that led him to awaken in the hearts of the school children of Nebraska and the United States a love for trees. And so Arbor day comes with the festival of spring and many a child learns
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The Green.
its meaning. Thus the foundation, or the roots of the future forests of America, are laid and nourished in the mind of a child. And as the children of to-day are the men and women of to-morrow, the whole nation is being educated to under- stand the priceless value of planting trees.
Almost every state in the Union has set aside an Arbor day to encourage the growth and preservation of trees.
This important day is celebrated in Connecticut and that is our purpose here. The people of East Haven have every reason to be proud of the delightful Green. It represents a fine example of village improvement and its influence reaches every home. For many years it has been your custom to secure from some well-known person a tree which you have planted here. Many of these trees have been presented by the governors of our state. Last year it was my opportunity to add another to this beautiful spot. This year the tree came to you from President Roosevelt, the man who is inspiring us to better things, and the man who is doing more than any other man in America for the preservation of the forests. In this regard Mr. Roosevelt says, 'You must con- vince the people of the truth-and it is the truth-that the success of home-makers depends, in the long run, upon the wisdom with which the nation takes care of its forests.'
The people of Connecticut love to start things right and then watch and enjoy the development. There is not a place on earth where they have a larger affection for trees. We love to plant them and to watch them grow. What would the city of New Haven be without its Green and its elms? All her fame surrounds that center, and there stands one of the great universities of the world. Let us plant this tree to-day with patriotic hearts, fixing our minds upon those men and those times when this commonwealth was founded.
And may the tree show forth all the traits of endurance that made the lives and the deeds of our great ancestors sturdy and triumphant.
Some of you who gather to observe this day and this deed may never live to witness another such ceremony, but there are children here who will live on for many years. A time will come when they shall point out this tree to
196 History of East Haven.
their children's children. It will be one of the charming and instructive incidents in their lives to tell of the observance of Arbor day in East Haven and of its significance to mankind.
At the close of the speech the school children again took an active part in the exercises, and rendered with great effect "My Own United States."
Mr. Bradley now introduced Miss Olive Andrews, the daughter of Mrs. Florence R. Andrews, postmaster of East Haven since 1892, who recited a poem written by her mother on the state flower-the mountain laurel. The exercises closed by all singing "America," and the actual planting began by the governor throw- ing in the first spadeful of earth. Thus ended a very pleasant and memorable occasion to all, and a very gratifying one to the club, whereby East Haven became the possessor of an oak, with the distinction of its being given to the little town by one of the greatest of Presidents, Theodore Roosevelt.
CHAPTER VIII. THE OLD CEMETERY.
ERY little can be said of the Old Cemetery in East Haven for several years, because there was little to record; but we will trace out its history as far as possible, from the date of the sequestration of the ground.
The agreement to sequester reads thus :
13th June, 1707. "Agreed to sequester a piece of land for a burying place, on the south side of the pond on the Forthill so called, as much as may be spared from highways and watering cattle."
It seems the Quinnipiac Indians had a fort there to defend themselves from the combined attacks of the Mohawk and Mohegan tribes. This also accounts for the deep depression now existing on the east side of the ground. Naturally it was a pond, fed by a spring which no doubt was deepened and enlarged by the Indians for the twofold purpose of supplying them with water, and earth for breastworks for their defence in time of siege. Our forefathers seem to have been very economical in the use of their pasture lands, as the several extracts from the town records will show. Very little attention was given to the bury- ing ground for many years, until people began to let their cattle feed in it. In 1777 a vote was taken that
198 History of East Haven.
March 13th, 1786. At an adjourned meeting Voted, "A Committe to take care of the Burying-place be Jacob Brad- ley, Samuel Shepherd, Joseph Hemingway, to set out the Burying-place and to provide a lock to the gate. The Burying- place not to be fed with cattle or horses, but liberty to feed it with geese, sheep and calves." (E. H. T. Rec.)
Jan. Ist, 1788. Voted "That Mr. Jacob Bradley should let out the Burying-yard." (E. H. T. Rec.)
"The burying ground should not be fed with anything but sheep and calves." (E. H. Town Rec.)
Jan. 3d, 1791. Voted, "Stephen Bradley, Azariah Bradley and Stephen Woodward be a Committee, for the purpose of letting out the Ferry and Burying Ground, for the year 1791. (E. H. T. Rec.)
1792, Voted, "That the Selectmen are authorized to let out the Burying Ground to the highest bidder to be fed with calves and sheep." Amos Thompson was to have the letting of the Burying Ground for pasturing sheep and calves, and to procure a new lock for the gate. (E. H. T. Rec.)
The first death recorded as belonging to East Haven was Thomas Gregson, who was the first white settler building his house at the Cove in 1644, six years after the first settlement of New Haven in 1638. He was a wealthy and influential man in the colony, and in 1647 sailed for England as agent for the colony to obtain a land patent from the English Parliament. The vessel in which he sailed was faultily built, and all were lost at sea.
Before 1707, with a few exceptions, the dead were buried in New Haven on what was called the "Upper Green," back of Center Church. From 1644, the date of the first settlement, to 1707, the time of the seques- tration of the burial place, one hundred and three deaths are recorded. Thirty-eight of these were child, ren under ten years, mostly infants a few weeks or
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The Old Cemetery.
months old. This left sixty-five persons of maturer age some of whom were fathers of families, and men of affairs in the little colony.
The first of these was Matthew Rowe, who died May 27, 1662, the father of that family and name in the country. Also the same year, William Luddington, the first of that name, died. In 1668 Francis Brown, the ancestor of that family; also Matthew Moulthrop, the founder of that family. In 1669 Matthias Hitch- cock, one of the first purchasers of South End, and a signer of the plantation covenant at New Haven, June 4, 1639. In 1673 Benjamin Linge, one of the wealthy men of the colony and the first settler at Stoney river, East Haven, since known as "Bogmine" and its vicinity. He left no children, and his widow married Colonel Dixwell, one of the regicides who con- demned King Charles I of England, and who lies buried back of Center Church, or is supposed to be buried there. Also in 1673 Thomas Morris, the father of the Morris family, who bought on March 16, 1671, the land since occupied by that family ; he was a shipbuilder and designed to carry on that business, but two years after, death claimed him as her own. In 1674 John Thomp- son, father of all the East Haven Thompsons; he settled at Stoney river, and was a farmer. In 1679 Ralph Russell, who came to Stoney river as an iron worker at "Bogmine." In 1688 Deacon John Chidsey, deacon of the First Church in New Haven, now called Center Church, died after a residence of eight years in East Haven. He was the father of all the Chidsey family, a tanner and shoemaker. His home was on the north side of the Green and in the granting of lands IO acres were set off to him on the north side of what
200 History of East Haven.
is now Main street and Peat Meadow road, west side. The hill has always been called "Chidsey's Hill." In 1700 George Pardee, the pioneer of all the East and North Haven Pardees. In 1707 Sergeant John Potter, father of the Potter family.
Thus in sixty-three years there were sixty-five adult deaths, being a little more than one per year out of a population not exceeding 210 people, all told, in the year 1707. From this time on it is presumed most of the burials took place on the sequestered ground, known as "The Burying Ground," and they were generally south of the hill on low ground. The oldest stone found bears the date of 1712. It is doubt- ful if there are any earlier dates.
March 13, 1797, after a lapse of ninety years, the town voted to enlarge the Burying Ground. Thus far the northern boundary was north of Rev. Jacob Heminway's stone, about midway between that and the present Thompson monument. It was voted to run a straight line "from the northwest corner of Moses Thompson's house, running westward in a straight line, leaving Nehemiah Smith's house 57 feet to the south of said line." The ground was enlarged, but for some traditional reason the fence was not built on that line but fifty-seven feet south of it.
The ground was a free burial place, and after another period of fifty-two years it was very evident that "what was everybody's business was nobody's." It was now in a very sad state, over-run with sumach and other bushes, briars, and rank weeds of all kinds. The fences were old, broken, and in places none at all, and not infrequently cattle were seen within its
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The Old Cemetery.
precincts. Everyone deplored the situation, but no one took the initiative to remedy the state of affairs.
In the history of events, when things have reached the worst state it often happens that some unforeseen circumstance takes place which removes the evil. It was so in this case. In the winter of 1849 the Ladies Sewing Society of the Congregational Church held their annual sale, supper, etc., in the town hall. Before the close of the evening, a solicitor, with book and pen in hand, and with a winning smile and polite request to every one to "join our society," passed around asking a renewal of membership for the ensuing year.
At one side of the hall was gathered a bevy of lively, jolly, laughing, chattering girls, none of whom felt disposed to join the staid and matronly Dorcases. After the solicitor had passed, some one said, "Let us have a society." "Oh, that would be gay !" came from several voices. "Will you join our society?" "Yes, if you have one." "Well, why can't we?" It was decided then and there to form a society. Then the question arose, For what should they work? After some discussion it was decided that the Burying Ground was the most needy object. They all pledged themselves to meet the next afternoon at the home of Miss Eliza J. Barnes. Accordingly every- one was present, and some brought others with them.
While they were talking over their plans, Mr. Jeremiah B. Davidson, an uncle of Miss Barnes, drove up and came in. He was a jovial, pleasant man, and always enjoyed young people's company. He seemed surprised at the gathering and inquired, "What is up now?" They gathered around him and unfolded their plans. He listened very attentively, and said, "Go on,
.
. 202 History of East Haven.
girls, organize, choose your officers, make your by-laws, and when I come back from the city, I will come in and see how you come on."
When he returned, they told him of their progress, whereupon he handed out a new crisp five dollar bill, saying, "Here, girls, is a starter." This was a cheer- ing afternoon's work. The membership fee was twenty-five cents; the fine for inexcusable absence ten cents. It was decided to meet weekly at 2 o'clock on Wednesdays, and stay until 9.30 in the evening, for in the evening the young men could attend. Each member was pledged to entertain in alphabetical order ; the refreshment to be "tea, biscuit and butter, and one kind of cake, nothing else allowed."
It being winter time, Miss Sarah E. Hughes pro- posed to organize an auxiliary branch in her part of the town, for convenience of attendance: it was to meet Thursdays and to cooperate entirely with the East Haven society. This was done with very success- ful results.
All worked with the enthusiasm and courage of youth, making useful and fancy articles, calculating to make a sale of something, large or small, at every meeting. Things had been progressing finely a few weeks, when Mrs. Betsy Bradley (then Miss Betsy Forbes) thought the young ladies should be aided to hasten their object by a general subscription from the townspeople. She proposed to Miss Hughes to make a house to house canvass for the purpose. Her plan was to ask for the very modest contribution of one dollar each, payable only unless enough pledged should ensure the completion of the object. Accord- ingly, Miss Forbes and Miss Hughes commenced at
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The Old Cemetery.
Tomlinson's bridge and went through to Branford line. The day after, they went to the Foxon district. Everywhere they were most cordially received, and good wishes expressed for their success. The next week Miss Barnes and Miss Hughes went through High street and Thompson avenue and the cross streets. Two days after, they took in the Cove and South End, so around up to the center. Miss Barnes solicited in Fair Haven, from those who had near friends buried here, and Miss Forbes in New Haven. Thus within one week the whole town was canvassed and the success of the object fully assured. The two societies unanimously voted Miss Barnes and Miss Hughes a committee to execute their plans.
It was now nearing April, and the first thing to be done was to clear the ground. "Uncle Asahel Bradley," as he was familiarly called, was recom- mended for the work. He was a man of some eccentricity, but a thoroughly honest and reliable one-his word was equal to his bond.
The committee gave him a call. At first he looked askance at them, over his left shoulder, with his half- shut eye, but they assured him of their purpose, and had the money on hand to commence. They showed him their subscription books, when he immediately brightened, and said, "Why, girls, you have the whole town at your back!" They saw they were making headway, and soon a bargain was made by his own proposition, under the following conditions : He was to have "no boss" but to do the work in his own way, and when it was done it would be right. Then in order to make his spring work effective, he wanted to again cut the ground over "in the old of the moon
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History of East Haven.
in August," and the next year at these same seasons. To this the committee readily agreed.
The next work was the fences. "Uncle Asahel" relaid the stone wall on the south side, and a contract was made with Mr. Street Chidsey, the leading master builder of the town (an uncle of the present firm of Chidsey Brothers), to build a picket fence on the east and front sides, and on the west side the division fence belonging to the ground.
On running the lines for the new fences, Mr. Chidsey proposed to bring out the fence to the present line on the front, thus giving a continuous and straight line from Hemingway avenue to the eastward. This was opposed by the town fathers, because a tradition existed somewhere in the past that the burial ground had once been a part of the Green and no more could be taken for any purpose whatever. The members of the society were so flushed with success that they would not endure any obstacle that could be reason- ably removed. So a search was made of the old colonial records, which unearthed the following vote :
May 12th 1720. "Mr. Jacob Heminway," (who was the first minister in East Haven) wishing to increase his domains, "petitioned for a part of the Green next to the spring where the burying place is." This was protested against and it was "Voted that the Green shall not be disposed of except it be for some public use, that it may be beneficial to the whole of the Proprietors."
It also brought to light the vote of March 13th, 1797, which has already been mentioned. The "Pro- prietors" named in the vote of 1720 had now become the inhabitants under town organization, and the vote of 1797 gave the right to bring out the fence fifty-
Body of the
REV. M. JACOM
HONTHG WAY !!
AMY Porce of
In the wu" year of
his Ages so you of his MINE TRY.
JACOB HEMINGWAY MONUMENT.
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The Old Cemetery.
seven feet-to the present line. Thus all objections were clearly and legally removed and all were perfectly satisfied.
The fifty-seven feet gave a fine tier of lots, besides a roadway east and west. Previous to this carriages did not go into the grounds, but were halted outside the fence, and the remains were carried on a bier to the grave by hand.
The undertaker for East Haven for a number of years was Mr. Frederick Barnes of North Haven. Living at such a distance, in order to save travel he always came with his own hearse bearing the casket, a few hours before the funeral. This custom allowed the old town hearse to disappear and the hearse-house and bier to fall to decay; standing on the northwest corner of the ground, it was swept away with all the other refuse.
The spirit of improvement seemed to be thoroughly aroused and all worked with a cordiality of interest truly pleasing. A day was appointed, and men from all parts of the town freely gave their labor and teams to plow and level driveways north and south, east and west. They also leveled off and made a driveway all around the pond, filling up several feet, and doing other work, thus enabling carriages to enter the grounds and return.
It was now the middle of May and a wonderful transformation had taken place in this ancient "God's Acre." The ground had been cleared with great thoroughness, the fallen stones reset, the leaning ones righted, and the southern wall relaid with much nicety, thus verifying "Uncle Ashael's" word, that "the work would be done right." In his early days
206 History of East Haven.
he had served in the Navy, and he always called the committee "my officers," and as long as he lived he never met Miss Barnes or Miss Hughes, either singly or together, but he always gave the naval salute, as "my officers," very much to their amusement and that of all bystanders.
The fences were rapidly progressing, and there was nothing now to do but collect the pledges of contri- bution. Miss Hughes had now gone away to school, and Miss Forbes thought that, as she had set the pace, some of the younger ladies must finish the race. Miss Barnes chose Miss Ellen S. Chidsey (now Mrs. Calvin C. Kirkham) in Miss Hughes' place. Mrs. Kirkham from the first had been a very active and efficient member of the society and was well qualified to render Miss Barnes the aid she needed in making the second canvass of the town. It was driving the nail of success down to its head which was left for these two young ladies to accomplish.
It was now the second year of the late D. W. Havens' pastorate over the Congregational Church. He was a young, enthusiastic man, fully abreast of the times, keenly alive and anxious for improvement. He gave out a call from the pulpit for all the young men of the town to meet him at the town hall. Specu- lation was rife among them as to what was his object. They complied, however, with his request. He told them that since the young ladies had proved so ener- getic and successful, he proposed that the young men should crown their efforts by erecting a gateway to adorn and complete the fence. The young men with one accord acquiesced in his proposal, and supported their young pastor by appointing him as agent to
The Old Cemetery. 207
carry out the plan. He employed Sidney M. Stone, then the leading architect in New Haven, to make a design, for which he paid $25. A few of the staid and steadfast ones wagged their heads, and thought the young people were "awfully extravagant," but the days of post and rail bars had gone by. For fifty- eight years the gateway has stood, a monument to Mr. Havens' interest and zeal, and his desire to share in the welfare of the people among whom he wished to be laid to rest.
A gateway of an ornamental construction was far beyond the dreams of the young ladies: they had aspired only to order and utility; but they were nothing loath to accept the pastor's "crown" which he had proposed and received it as a compliment to their work. Miss Barnes and Mrs. Kirkham had finished collecting, paid all expenses and the work of the young ladies was closed, their object accomplished, and their mission ended. They now turned over all their papers and books, with what surplus funds they had on hand, to Mr. Havens to proceed with the gateway. Mr. Chidsey followed the design, and a well-built and substantial gateway was the result, and everyone was pleased with his or her investment for the object. Thus in less than six months, what had commenced in jest among a knot of girls, ended in signal reality pleasing to everyone.
The feeling that was aroused at this time has never died out, although it has lapsed from time to time, for want of proper organization and leadership. Indi- vidually, people have given much attention to their respective plots of ground, but there are many places
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