USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > East Haven > History of East Haven > Part 4
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SAMUEL FORBES, 1728.
Samuel Forbes is mentioned in 1728 and was employed in shipbuilding on the point below the mill.
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Settlement of the Town.
This is all the early record that was given of him. It has always been a tradition in the family that he was a Scotchman. Certainly the thrifty, cautious, skillful and successful habits of his descendants, male and female, display the acknowledged traits of the "canny Scot." As a people, they rather avoid participation in public affairs; but when once enlisted they always show the same fidelity of purpose and exact observ- ance of duty that they manifest in their own concerns. At the present time, Mr. Frederic Forbes is one of the successful business men of the town. Mr. Albert Forbes, who so lately has been called from us, filled many offices of public trust for many years, and was one of the solid men of the town.
DEODATE DAVENPORT, 1729.
Deodate Davenport came from Stamford and appears first on record, 1729. He was the great-grand- son of Rev. John Davenport of New Haven, 1639. Mr. Davenport's grant of six hundred or more acres on the east side of the Quinnipiac had lain dormant till this great-grandson came to New Haven, and had the land which the Davenport family owned surveyed and located. He was the son of John Davenport, 3d, who was the third pastor of the church in Stamford. The farm, or tract of land, was in the northwest part of the town, what has since been called "Hemingway town," Dana Bradley's farm and vicinity. He was one of the early deacons of the church and a public- spirited man. The name has been extinct for many years.
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History of East Haven.
JOSEPH BISHOP, 1751.
Joseph Bishop came from Guilford. Only one son, Ichabod, is accounted to East Haven. His sons were men of great activity and enterprise. His son Elias was known in several states as an extensive dealer and shipper of horses and mules; his son John was a lifelong resident of East Haven on the old homestead in South End, a very worthy and reliable man, warden of St. James Episcopal Church for a long period. One grandson is Professor William H. Bishop, formerly professor at Yale, author, and now consul general at Palermo, Italy; another grandson is J. Halsted Bishop of Chicago. None of the family is in town now.
All the early settlers have been sought out and recorded as far as possible; facts have been looked up from different reliable sources, and if any have been overlooked, who seem entitled to notice, it is because nothing could be found of them. That there are many names of families who are not mentioned is very true. In every community there are scores and scores of good men, capable in every way, men of family, wealth and social position, who never drift into public affairs,- they do not like the notoriety, they shrink from the responsibility, they cannot bear public criticism, by nature not being adapted to it. It is not their fault; we see this difference between brothers in the same family. On the other hand, others without any appar- ent effort float along on the stream of public activities, as easily as a duck takes to water, the more they are buffeted the better they like it, and it seems to stimu- late them to greater action.
43
Settlement of the Town.
We have now seen that East Haven was settled by the very best people of the New Haven Colony. They were all men of principle, not only that, but of piety as well. They walked as they believed. They had left country, home and relatives to found a new govern- ment on new principles founded upon the law of the Scriptures, as they saw the right. Besides, they were a class of intelligent, religious, heroic men. "God sifted a whole nation that he might send choice grain over into this wilderness."
There are some expressions which it may be well to explain. One is "granting land" to individuals. At the present time it has the smack of pauperism; not at all so in early times. It was not receiving anything from the town; it was giving title to land bought. It must be remembered that all the land bought of the Indians was in trust for all the people, and no sale could be made without the consent of the town, or court as it was sometimes called. The expression freeholder, or inhabitant, may not be understood. No person could be an inhabitant till he was the possessor of real estate; that made him a freeholder, but he could not be a freeholder unless he was a church member; and if he was a church member, then by a vote of the town he could be granted real estate, or land. Thus he had a voice in both church and state. This was the pet idea of Rev. John Davenport, which he formulated in Holland while an exile before coming to America. The New Haven Colony consisted of New Haven, Branford, Guilford, Stamford and Southold on Long Island. This church member rule was in use in the Massachusetts and Plymouth colonies.
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History of East Haven.
Some dissatisfied with this law came to Connecticut and settled at Hartford, Windsor and Wethersfield, and other towns, which became the Connecticut Col- ony, where church membership was not required.
In 1639 the first constitution for the Connecticut Colony was made, permitting all men to vote who had taken the oath of allegiance to the commonwealth. All men were equal before the law and each man had a voice in the government. This is why Connecticut is called the "Constitution State," and upon which principle the United States constitution is founded.
It has often been a source of inquiry why Rev. Mr. Davenport left his people in New Haven, after many of them had followed him to Holland, and then with many more had crossed the ocean to New Haven. When New Haven Colony submitted to the union with Connecticut, it gave Mr. Davenport a shock of dis- appointment which fell upon him like a blow. He could not bear to see the extinction of the little sover- eignty whose foundation he had laid, and for which he had so strenuously contended. He lost interest in his dearly loved colony. His cherished idea of church membership government was sacrificed and New Haven no longer was attractive to him. It was rather the monument of a great defeat and sorrow. In a letter to a friend he writes, "Christ's interest in New Haven Colony is miserably lost."
Just at this time he received a call to the First Church in Boston to champion the cause of orthodoxy against the "half-way covenant." His church was loth to give him up and never did give a full consent. He determined to accept the invitation, contrary to the wishes of his church and congregation, and arrived in
SPEAR HEADS AND ARROW POINTS FOUND ON THE HUNTING GROUNDS OF THE QUINNIPIAC INDIANS. COLLECTED AND OWNED BY CAPTAIN GEORGE EDWIN LANCRAFT.
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Settlement of the Town.
Boston May 2, 1668, but his ministry was of short duration. He died in Boston, of apoplexy, March 15, 1670, in the 73d year of his age. Thus passed away East Haven's first minister. He was as much theirs as New Haven's, as he was the only minister and East Haven was New Haven.
Mr. Davenport was succeeded by the Rev. Nicholas Street, who was the great-grandfather of Rev. Nicho- las Street of East Haven. He was born in Bridge- water, England, a graduate of Oxford in 1624, came to New England between 1630 and 1638, and was a colleague of Mr. Hooker in Taunton, Massachusetts, and afterwards had sole charge of the church there till he came to New Haven, November 23, 1659, when he was installed teacher. Dr. Bacon says, "The dis- tinction between pastor and teacher was theoretical, rather than of any practical importance. Both were in the highest sense ministers of the gospel; as col- leagues they preached by turns on all public occasions and had an equal share in discipline. The pastor's special work was to attend to exhortation, and therein to administer a word of wisdom. The teacher was to attend to doctrine, and therein to administer a word of knowledge. The pastor and teacher gave them- selves wholly to the ministry and their studies, and accordingly received their support from the people. They might properly be called clergymen at the present day, pastor and assistant." [Bacon's Hist. Dis.] This custom was a relic from the Church of England, where three grades of ministers are often found in one parish, viz .: rector, vicar and curate. After the first ministers in New England died, only one person offi-
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History of East Haven.
ciated as minister of the parish, and was generally called pastor. Properly speaking, Mr. Street was the second minister of Center Church, New Haven, from 1668 to the time of his death, April 22, 1674.
This family has always been a noted one in the annals of New Haven Colony, and to his great-grand- son, Nicholas Street of East Haven, stands one of the grandest monuments of his labors which can be found in the whole of Connecticut, if not in the whole of New England, "The Old Stone Church," erected in 1774. Typical of the Puritan by its solidity, strength and endurance; of the times by its refined absence of ornament.
Rev. Nicholas Street left four sons, two of whom had no sons to perpetuate the name. The sons of Nicholas Street were Philip, Edwin and Owen. The former died in early life, leaving no family. The latter, Rev. Owen Street, graduated from Yale in 1837 and was a successful pastor of several churches, finally settling in Lowell, Massachusetts. He was present at the "Centennial Celebration" of his grandfather's church in East Haven, 1874, gave the invocation prayer, and contributed two original hymns, which were sung at the time; also an after-dinner address of much historical interest.
Four of the sons of Mr. Elnathan Street settled in East Haven. Mr. Benjamin Street answered the call of his country in the trying times of the Civil war. After 1850 Mr. Augustus Street settled in East Haven, was chosen town clerk in 1894, serving in that capacity till his death, April 30, 1902. Previous to that time he was town treasurer for many years, also treasurer of the East Haven Congregational Church. He was a
Settlement of the Town.
47
popular town officer, his name sometimes appearing on both political tickets. He left an only child, Miss Lottie E. Street, who was appointed assistant town clerk previous to her father's decease. Mr. Thaddeus Street was a very successful farmer and dairyman in East Haven, where he spent his whole life. He was elected deacon of the Congregational Church August 30, 1872, and died January 16, 1882. He left three sons, Sam- uel H., Frederick B. and Clifford Street, all active business men.
1
CHAPTER II.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UR schools in East Haven are under the management of the Town School Committee, consisting of nine members, three of whom are elected every year to continue in office for three years, the change from the old district system hav- ing been made in 1898. This committee is again divided into three sub-committees of three members each, one of which, the Committee on Schools, takes the immediate oversight of the schools, examines and recommends the teachers and the amount of salaries to be paid them, and attends to the various other matters relative to attendance, course of study, and discipline. Three more form a Committee on School Buildings and Fuel. These recommend the janitors and look after all details concerning the buildings. The third sub committee is the Committee on Books and Supplies.
The town, in its annual meeting, fixes the length of the school year, but the committee as a whole decides as to the date of beginning and closing, and determines the length of the three terms.
SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION.
As the Puritan colony of New Haven brought their schoolmaster with them, and a school was opened before the church was established, it may not be amiss
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Public Schools.
to give place to education for our second chapter. When the public school building on the corner of Lombard and Fillmore streets, New Haven, was erected and named, the question was often asked, "Who was Ezekiel Cheever?"
Probably to Horace Day, Esq., who was well versed in colonial lore, and who was connected with the public schools of New Haven for over fifty consecutive years, the name was suggested, as Ezekiel Cheever was the first schoolmaster in New Haven. He came over with Mr. Davenport and company, in the ship Hector, from London. He lived at the corner of Grove and Church streets, and opened a school in his own house. He was born in London January 25, 1615, coming to New Haven in 1639, and was thenceforth the schoolmaster of the plantation, receiving for some time a yearly stipend of f20, which in 1644 was increased to £30. He was one of the chosen twelve for the foundation work of the church and state, and occasionally preached, although never ordained. He was an author of several books, and was chosen one of the first seven magistrates for the plantation; was a deputy to the General Court, in 1646, and was probably the third man of influence in the colony; but, dissenting from the judgment of the church and its elders in respect to some cases of discipline, he commented on their action with such severity that he was himself censured in 1649. Soon after this he left New Haven and died in Boston, August 21, 1708, in the 94th year of his age.
There is no account of schools on record until the beginning of the last century (1700). Their deficiency in regard to even a common education was
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History of East Haven.
very great. Some of their public men,-men who sustained various offices and appointments of trust, were unable to write their names .- Their mark is made at the bottom of several instruments on record. Expe- rience taught them the necessity of paying more attention to the education of their children. January 13, 1707, a committee was appointed at a village meet- ing, "to see after the schools, and agree with a man to keep school in East-Haven, to teach children to read and write." The committee accordingly agreed with Mr. Hemingway to take charge of the school. (This Mr. Hemingway is supposed to be the Rev. Jacob Hemingway.)
In 1728 the village was divided into four districts, and the public money into as many parts, according to the number of children over five years and under fifteen years of age. The next year they agreed to employ a schoolmaster as near the middle of the vil- lage as was convenient-some part of the time at South End, and some part at Foxon, according to the number of children from eight to eighteen years of age. In 1732 it was fixed between six and sixteen years. At that time Foxon district included all the families north of the Bloomary brook, and a line running west to Claypit brook. A school was begun in Dragon district (now Fair Haven) in 1730.
The first schoolhouse was on the "Green, or Market- place," and afterwards east of the present meeting- house. One stood on the hill near Matthew Moul- throp's house, west of Foxon; and in 1767 one was built a little north of Bloomary brook.
In 1742 the school money was divided thus: Two thirds for the schools below the Bloomary brook, and
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Public Schools.
one third north of that line, and so west, over to Nanny Capel's brook. Foxon district was then very thrifty and populous, but has since declined in wealth and population.
In 1743, "It was voted that the Southend children shall have their proportion of the school money from the age of 4 to 18." In 1769 the village was divided into six school districts. The public school money was derived from the sale of the public lands in Litch- field County.
Though the people of this town have been favored for more than a century with a college at their door, they have not availed themselves of that advantage to give their sons a public education. Only six have enjoyed that privilege, viz. :
Jacob Heminway graduated in 1704.
Thomas Goodsell
1724.
John Goodsell
1724.
Jared Potter " 1760.
Asahel Morris
' 1789.
Amos Pardee 60
1793.
Agreeable to the new law respecting the school fund of this state, a census of the children between the ages of four and sixteen has been taken every year in the month of August.
As soon as the town was divided into districts, the inhabitants of each erected a schoolhouse in accordance with the times. These were considered then very com- modious, but at the present day would be thought little better than common storehouses for miscellaneous articles. The houses were oblong in shape, with a narrow hall at one end and a huge stone chimney at the
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History of East Haven.
other. Inside was a wide-mouthed fireplace of six feet, to burn the four-foot "back logs and fore sticks." All around the three sides of the room was a shelving desk, fastened to the wall, for writing and "ciphering." The seats were made of the outside slabs of sawmill logs, rounding side down and not infrequently covered with the natural bark. On one side of the chimney was the "dungeon," for the smaller refractory juveniles; on the other, a closet for the teacher's belongings. The smallest children sat on lower movable benches without backs, in front of the older scholars. Another row of movable benches was placed near the fireplace, to accommodate relays at the fireplace during the day, in answer to the frequent request, "Please may I go to the fire?"
The school hours were from nine to twelve A. M. and from one to four P. M. School opened with prayer, then the reading of the New Testament by all who could possibly read words of five or more letters, two verses apiece, round and round the room, reading, writ- ing, "ciphering," with some grammar for the most advanced. The teacher wrote out all the copies in the writing books and made all the pens from goose quills brought by the scholars. All the working days of the week were school days, Saturday afternoon being devoted to learning and reciting the Congrega- tional catechism and a preparation for Sunday.
The teachers "boarded around," that is, each family boarded the teacher so many days for each child of their own, and frequently in case of sickness in the family, or other causes, boarded the teacher for their friends or neighbors. This practice, although quaint and obsolete, was not without its advantages to teacher,
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Public Schools.
parents and pupils. The school year was divided into two terms: the winter term commencing the "Monday after Thanksgiving," taught by a man teacher till about March or after; the summer term, commencing after "Training day in May," and closing during Sep- tember, taught by a woman teacher. After the boys reached the age of twelve they were employed on the farm, but generally the girls, except the older ones, attended school the year round; the boys all gathered into school when the man teacher took charge, and often continued till they were twenty years old. The women teachers followed the same schedule of instruc- tion, with the addition of sewing, muslin embroidering and "marking samples," with oftentimes lace embroid- ery, and the ladies of that period were as expert with the needle as they were with the spinning wheel.
After 1800 it was necessary to enlarge the number of studies and geography was introduced. New school- houses were built, and in place of the fireplace "Frank- lin stoves" were introduced, which stood nearer the center of the room, with a huge stovepipe running from the top of the stove across the room and entering the little chimney on the opposite side. This was con- sidered a great improvement, and doubtless it was, but we of to-day would not think of heating the ceiling at the expense of the floor. In winter the scholars had to bury their inkstands in the hot ashes, or put them under the Franklin hearth, to keep them from freezing. No provision was made for water. The scholars in summer brought their penny for a water pail and drinking cup, if the previous season's supply had given out. There were no refrigerators in those days, and the good housewife hung her butter, meat,
.
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History of East Haven.
etc., down the well in pails. Often after the children had drawn a pail full of water from the well, with pole and sweep, which was no small task for their strength, it was caught up by the neighboring owner and thrown away, and the children told not to come again, because they had disturbed the improvised refrigerator.
Things worked along another generation, when the school days were reduced to five and a half, or five days one week and six the next, the day omitted always being Saturday. History was added to the number of studies, and a great improvement made in the text- books used. In 1830 Daboll's Arithmetic, the English Reader, and Murray's Grammar were no longer in use. Readers simplified and better adapted to the taste and understanding of the young were introduced, but Webster's Spelling Book held its own for a long time; and great prominence was given to the study of "fore part of Spelling Book," respecting the use, accent, etc., of letters, also abbreviations, and Roman numbers. That died out in the forties, as well as the every other Saturday custom, and five school days per week was the allotted time. People now began to realize the most unprofitable time of the year for study was during the hot summer months, and grad- ually the terms were changed to the present length.
It is supposed that the average life of the first schoolhouses built in East Haven was about thirty years, as it is known that the West or Woodwardtown second schoolhouse was built about 1800, and is still standing as a small dwelling house. A record has been found as follows: "A Committee consisting of Icha- bod Bishop, Samuel Holt and Daniel Hughes fixed the
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Public Schools.
site for the old yellow school house on East Haven Green Apr. 29th, 1799." It is inferred that the people could not agree as to location, as each man appointed was a non-resident of the district. This house was burned in 1862, and the district remained without a schoolhouse until about 1868. For several years a school was taught in the old Esquire Bradley house on Main street, in a very large room on the first floor, which had served the purpose for towa meetings, vot- ing places and justice courts, in the Squire's day. It is now owned by Mrs. Wyllis Baily. It was built in the first settling of Stoney river about 1645 by William Tuttle for his son John, who sold it and the home lot to John Potter in 1662. Josiah Bradley lived there in 1824. From there the school was moved up to another old house, corner of Hemingway avenue and River street, adjoining the Old Cemetery. In 1868 they erected a new schoolhouse on Main street on the west side of the Green, which has been enlarged and remodled into a dwelling house, the residence of Mr. S. W. Tarr.
In the middle district the old red schoolhouse gave place to a new one about the middle of the last century, standing on the same site on High street, which is now used as a freight house by the railroad. In 1882, when the west side of the town was annexed to New Haven, it took off the Quinnipiac, the west or Wood- ward, and a large share of the South End district, which left only three districts and a remnant of the South End district to East Haven. In 1894 occurred the death of John Woodward Thompson, who left a substantial legacy to the district, with the proviso that
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History of East Haven.
the east and middle districts unite in one and build a schoolhouse within three years after his death.
John Woodward Thompson, son of James, Jr., and Leura (Woodward) Thompson, was born in East Haven July 22, 1833. He was descended from two of the prominent families of the town, for he was a grandson of Capt. James Thompson, and on the mater- nal side a direct descendant of Rev. John Davenport of 1639 fame. He was educated in the public schools of the town in his very early years, and later was under the instruction of the late James Frisbie, a graduate of Yale and for many years principal of Branford Acad- emy, so he was well prepared for an active business life. In his personnel he was attractive and gentle- manly, very genial in his nature and agreeable in asso- ciation; he also liked a good joke, "which is relished by the wisest of men." He retired from business com- paratively early, and for several years was an amusing correspondent of the Shore Line Times.
In disposing of his estate, after remembering each of his cousins with a small legacy, and giving to St. Andrew's Methodist Society $1,000, in memory of his mother and grandmother, whose home was the site of the church, he gave the bulk of his property to char- itable institutions, and the residue to the Union School district, with the proviso, as stated above, that the east and middle districts consolidate and build a new house within three years after his death.
The first school meeting of the legal voters of the Union School district was held at the Town Hall on Thursday evening, January 24, 1895, by virtue of a notice issued according to the requirements of law, on Friday, January 18, 1895, by S. W. F. Andrews,
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