History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 50

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1572

USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 50

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"Next to this place was a store occupied by E. M. White. It was removed to White Street.

" Following was a house belonging to Najah Wild- man.

"Next south of Najah Wildman stood a house where A. N. Wildman's residence now is.

"On the river-bank stood a mill. It was built in the last century by Daniel Comstock for a grist-mill, and occupied by Samuel C. Dibble. Afterwards for many years it served as a hat-forming factory, and was owned by Nirum Wildman. To-day the spot has again become the location of a grist-mill,-that of G. S. Disbrow. For some years it was used as a mill. . There was considerable feeling at one time in the community occasioned by this mill. The occupant wanted to build a waste-weir to empty into the stream at a point just below the opposite side of the street, but Mr. Knapp, who lived on the corner and owned the land, would not give him the right of way. The only alternative was to tap Mad River just above its junction with Still River, near to where is the rear of Nichols & Hine's factory. The plan did not work, however, as the grade did not give sufficient fall to carry off the water. As the grist-mill was a matter of considerable importance to the people; public senti- ment took a hand, and Mr. Knapp was induced to consent to the emptying of the weir in Still River in, the rear of his house. The mill-building was last oc- cupied by Holly & Wildman, wool-hat manufacturers. It was destroyed by fire in 1868.

" The building on the corner of Elm Street now owned by H. N. Fanton was at that time the home- stead of Samuel Tweedy. It has been made into stores and built on to considerable since then. In its rear stood a hat-factory occupied by Tweedy & Bene- dict. .

" Between White and Liberty Streets .- There have been more changes in that portion of Main Street be- tween these points than in any other part of the thoroughfare, and far less in Main Street as a whole

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than in any other street, except, perhaps, South Street.

"In 1815 there were but eight buildings on the east side of Main Street between White and Liberty, where is now an almost unbroken bank of business plaees. The spaee not immediately oeeupied by these build- ings was used for gardens and fields, principally pas- turage, while that portion in the neighborhood of the railroad buildings, up as far as White Street, was swamp. Except in front of the buildings the wall the length of the bloek was a stone fence. Mullein, doek, milk-weed, and brambles were conspieuous pro- duets.

" The first building, passing down the street, was a small brown tenement.

" Close to it was the dwelling of Mrs. Betsey Bene- diet. It stood where is now Sehoppaul's bakery. She owned a store-building, which was next in order, and was then rented by Irel Ambler. Previously, Eli T. Hoyt and his brother Russel occupied it. It stood where is now the station of the Danbury and Nor- walk Railway.

"There was no other structure until the dwelling of Lemuel W. Benediet was reached. It stood where is now the house oeeupied by David Pearce.

" Mr. Benediet's neighbor on the south was Samuel H. Phillips. Near his house was a little store run by Mr. Phillips. The same building now stands. It be- longs to the estate of the late Sturges Selleck, and is now oeeupied by Mrs. M. Harris. Mr. Phillips was a well-known character. He was deputy postmaster of Danbury, and kept the office in his store. Conse- quently, his place was a resort for the various lumin- aries, and Mr. Phillips perhaps heard more men- daeity than any other eitizen of Danbury. He was a quiet man, of a studious turn, and, having a well- balaneed mind, was rarely surprised into states of un- due feeling. One day a woman apparently very anxious for a letter eame in and gave her name. There was nothing for her.

"' I wish you'd look again,' said she, 'for I'm sure there must be a letter here for me.'

"He complied, earefully going over the stock-in- hand.

"'There is no letter here,' he said.

"' Well, that's strange,' she muttered. 'I was sure it must be here. When do you suppose I'll get one ?' History does not give his answer.

" Another well-known resident was the next neigh- bor to Postmaster Phillips. He was Eli Mygatt, a heavy gentleinau in knee-breeehes. His dwelling stood where is now Baldwin Bros.' drug-store, and just south of it he kept a drug-store himself. There must be something in the locality favorable to the existenee of the drug-business, as it has been used for that pur- pose by different parties sinee the day Uncle Eli be- gan his enterprise. Both his residenee and his store have long since passed away. Unele Eli had eharge of the Franklin Library, as it was kept in his store.

He did not do an extensive business, and made no effort to.

"On the corner of Main and Liberty Streets, where now stands Benedict & Nichols' Block, lived Mathew Curtis. Mr. Curtis was a butcher, and had his slaugh- ter quite convenient, it being on Liberty Street, in the rear of his house, and where now stands the Disciples' chureh. Mr. Curtis did not have a market : no one did in that day. He followed the course lately re- vived by Orrin Lessey, of selling his mneat entirely from a wagon. The slaughter was a favorite resort for the boys of that day, who are now gray-headed men, and it was also a place frequented by frugal housewives of very limited means, where a sheep's- head or pluek could be got for a mere song, and a whole beef's liver for two or three pennies.

" West Side .- On the corner of Elin Street, the premises now owned by J. S. Taylor, stood the tavern of Dr. Jabez Starr, a prominent Revolutionist. Dr. Starr's swinging sign bore the simple inscription 'The Inn.' It was the headquarters on training-days of the up-town military companies, which consisted of a cavalry and an infantry organization. The in- fantry used to parade in the square fronting the tavern. On one of these oeeasions-in 1812, we believe-a corporal was to be elected. It appears that the ladies, who favored the military, had the privilege of select- ing the candidate for this honor. Their suffrage was given in behalf of a blushing youth from Great Plaiu Distriet, then eighteen years old. On his eleetion be- ing announeed, it was ineumbent on him to step to the front and pledge himself to faithfully perform the · duties of the office. The ladies were assembled in front of the residenee of Samuel Tweedy, on the oppo- site eorner, and the youth, in making his aeknowledg- ment, was obliged to face them,-an ordeal that very nearly prostrated him, but he got through with it. The eighteen-year-old boy was Deaeon Eli T. Hoyt.

"Peek & Wildman's grocery was then an unpre- tentious dwelling, little dreaming of the glory it was in time to ripen into, with a gorgeous landseape as a forepiece.

"The dwelling and church in the laue, both the property of the Sandemanian Society, were standing then.

" The St. George Tavern, now the property of Mrs. Urana Barnum, was then oeeupied by her father, William Dobbs. Long before the period of which we write it had ceased to be a hostelry.

"Next in order was the resideuee of Moses Hateh,- or Judge Hateh, as he was ealled. It is now owued by his grandson, Alexander Wildman, and is unoeeu- pied. He had au offiee built on the street-line, and now moved to rear of the post-office building. Moses Hateh was a prominent member of the bar. He de- fended Amos Adams, a negro exeeuted in Danbury in 1817 for rape. Mr. Hateh died at the early age of forty-one, at the threshold of what promised to be a brilliaut eareer.

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"The residence of the venerable E. Moss White stood where is now the library building reared by the liberality and public spirit of his sons. He was both a successful farmer and merchant of Danbury, a man well known, thoroughly trusted, and sincerely re- spected by his fellow-townsmen. The old homestead became the residence of the late Col. N. L. White, and after he vacated it it was used by the library as- sociation until the present building was started, when it was moved to Library Place, where it now stands.

"Benajah Starr occupied the present residence of Hon. Roger Averill.

"Next to him lived Deacon Thomas Tucker, grand- father of the late Col. White. It is now the residence of Mrs. George W. Ives.

"Next came the residence of Asel Benedict, grand- father of the Benedict Brothers, shoe-dealers. The present residence of Edgar A. Benedict occupies its site.

" Mrs. Huldah Starr's house followed. Her prem- ises took in the corner of West Street. The dwelling and lot were bought in 1864 by J. S. Taylor, who built up the present block of stores and tenements. The old homestead is among these, but its identity is completely lost.

From Liberty Street to the Court-House .- Maj. Seth Comstock lived in a substantial residence on the corner of Liberty Street. He was a merchant, and had a store just south of his dwelling. Maj. Comstock was a man iu good circumstances, and once in his life created quite a sensation in the community. He had a son doing business in New York City. The son was to be married, and desired the ceremony to take place in his father's home. He sent word to that effect, directing his father to fix up the place in the best possible style, aud he would make good the ex- pense. The major accordingly proceeded to make the homestead into a wedding-bower. Carpenters, painters, and upholsterers were set to work, and for days the transformation went on. Summer-liouses, arbors, and grottos were put up iu the garden. The entire front of the house was changed by elaborate additions placed thereon, and the premises blossomed into the appearance of a small paradise. The place was daily visited by Danbury people, who were filled with pride and admiration as they viewed it. Even abroad went the fame of the change, aud people from neighboring towns came to see the Comstock palace. The transformation was all the talk of the day and supplanted every other subject. The wedding was in keeping with the preparation therefor, and filled the street in the neighborhood with curious people.

" Among those who came from out of town was a young mau hailing from the extremely rural district of Wolfpits, below Bethel. He was barefooted and timid. He had heard of the grand house and the beautiful garden, and he wanted so much to sec them that he walked to Danbury for that purpose. But when he got here and saw how grand was the place

he dared not step on the premises. More than that, he feared to go on the same side of the street, but kept on the opposite side. Even at that he shrunk from stopping in front of the place, so timid was this rural lad. He walked slowly up the street and then back again, feasting his eyes upon the architectural magnificence and bucking against numerous people in his eagerness to look alone at the house. That was fifty years ago, and the barefooted farm-boy so over- come by the display that lie dared not stop iu front of it is Mr. Charles Hull and the present owner of the property.

"The transformation of the place into a bridal- bower cost a number of thousand dollars. In the place of the residence and his store stands Mr. Hull's block of business places.

" Rachel Barnum's dwelling came next. It stood where is now Almon Judd's store and home.

. "Next came the residence of Friend Starr, father of Charles F. Starr, and now occupied by the latter. Mr. Starr had a shoe-store where the Pahquioque Bank now is. The following anecdote is related of Charles F. Starr when he was a boy : One of his duties was to go to the pasture and bring home the cows. He rode a horse for this purpose, and, being of a social turn, generally came home with several playmates perched on the animal behind him. In fact, the horse was full of boys. Old Mr. Starr got out of patience, finally, with making an omnibus of the steed, and he told Charles one day that if he came home at night with any boys behind him on the horse he would severely punish him. When the cows came in that evening, there was the horse as full of boys as ever. But every mother's son of them was in front of Charles. That conscientious youth was poised well back on the animal's rump. His father gave up the point.

" Where Martin H. Griffing's residence now is lived Zalmon Wildman, father of Hon. F. S. Wildman. Just north of his house was a small hat-finishiug shop, and on the south was a store. The dwelling was re- moved to the rear, ou East Liberty Street, where it is used as a tenement.

"The Pahquioque Hotel was thien a private resi- dence, and was occupied by Elijah Sanford, grand- father of Librarian C. H. Sanford. He had a saddlery at the north end of the building. Iu company with Friend Starr he conducted a tannery, which stood on Liberty Street, at the junction of Railway Avenue.

" Abel B. Blackman lived in the house now occu- pied by the family of the late Lyman Keeler. Mr. Blackman was a shoemaker, and had his shop on the north side of his house.

" David Foot's house stood on the site occupied by Dr. W. F. Lacey. Mr. Foot was a tailor. His shop stood in the southwest corner of his door-yard, where is now the doctor's drive-way entrance. Mr. Foot was a prominent man in that day, and was for many years a trying justice of the peace.

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" Benjamin Smith lived where is now the residence of Samuel Stebbins.

" His neighbor on the south was Horace Bull. He lived where now stands St. Peter's church. His house was removed to the since-opened Centre Street, and is now the parsonage of St. Peter's church. He was the father of the children's great friend, Miss Mary Bull. Mr. Bull was a tailor. He was also a noted singer, and for over thirty years was the chorister of the First Congregational Church. He was the first milk- peddler Danbury had, peddling on the street from a cart and ringing a bell at the customer's door. This was in 1850, we think. Up to that time people bought their milk from neighbors who owned a cow, sending the children for it; and at this time every fourth family had its cow. A tribute to Mr. Bull's musical talent was a remark Judge Dutton, then of the Su- perior Court, made when in Danbury. He said, 'I heard Mr. Bull ring his bell this morning, and there was really music in it.' Mr. Bull's sales amounted to about forty quarts a day.

"There was no house between his place and what is now the Turner House, but was then a tavern kept by David Wood. The land lying between, and run- ning clear back to Town Hill Street, was a vacant lot, boggy at the front with meadow at the rear. This piece belonged to the First Congregational Society, and the use of it was given to the pastor.

"Josephi Moss White, father of Col. E. Moss White, lived where is now the G. F. Bailey homestead. Mr. White was a surveyor, and held a county office as such.

"Maj. Comstock's store was an important eentre of business aside from its traffic in merehandise. In the day of which we write there was no bank here, and the only means of exchange was through an agency of a distant bank. The Phoenix Bank, of Hartford, had a branch in Litchfield, and Mr. Comstock was its agent here. Twice a week the stage plying between Norwalk and Litchfield passed through Danbury and took np the money and bills collected by agent Com- stock and carried them to Litchfield. The major did a business also in iron-ore. This was received from the mines at Brewster and piled up on the ground in rear of his place. Mr. Hull has frequently found pieces of this ore in excavating on the premises.

"Where now stands the store long occupied by the late Samuel Stebbins stood a shoe-shop, which as early as 1805 was oeeupied by Col. Ebenezer D. Starr.

" Zalmon Wildman, who lived where now stands the residence of M. H. Griffing, was a prominent man in the history of the town. He was appointed post- master in 1805, and held the office for a period of thirty years, when he resigned the position on being elected to Congress. This election occurred in the spring of 1835. In the winter following he died. Mr. Phillips was Mr. Wildman's deputy, and to him Mr. Wildman gave the income from the office.

" From West to Wooster Streets .- The first building

was a small one, and stood on the corner. Next to it was a store. Both structures stood where is now the garden of Mr. F. S. Wildman. The first was used for various purposes. Early in the century it was used as a comb-shop by Green & Barnum nntil 1815; after that it was occupied by a party named Leggett for fur-cutting. It also was used as a barber-shop, a school, and a stone-cutting-shop. Subsequently, Wil- liam Gray used it as a tailor-shop. It now stands on the Danbury and Norwalk Railway line, opposite the freiglit-depot, where it is oceupied as a tenement. The store was built in 1800 by Col. Timothy Taylor, who occupied it. In 1818 it was rented by Amos and Samuel Stebbins, who did business there until 1839, when the building was torn down. Amos died some years before this, and the business was conducted by his brother Samuel. When this place was removed, Mr. Wildman put up the building across the way, where the late Samuel Stebbins did business until his death.

"Next to the store, and where is now the Metho- dist parsonage, stood the home of Alanson Hamlin. He was a lawyer.

"Between this and where is now Mrs. Amos Steb- bins' residence there was no building. It was an open meadow with a pond at the front. In 1830 or there- about Thomas T. Whittlesey put up two buildings where now stands the Baptist church. One of these was built for a conference-room for the First Congre- gational Society. In 1838 it was occupied by Bene- dict & Nichols, who remained there nntil 1842, when they took the building now occupied by Almon Judd. In 1852 they built on the corner of Liberty Street, which they now own. After they vacated the confer- ence-building it was bought by Judge Homer Peters, who removed it to the foot of Liberty Street, where he now occupies it. The other building was used at one time for the publication of the Danbury Recorder. It stood on part of the ground now occupied by the Baptist church, and when it was built the building was moved south, where it still stands.

" West Side .- Where the house of Mrs. Amos Steb- bins stands stood at the beginning of the century a house oeeupied by Dr. Daniel Comstock. He was the physician of the village then, and a man of con- siderable mental attainments. There was an addition to the house in which, from 1812 to 1815 or there- about, was published a paper by Nathaniel Skinner. In the last-named year he removed his office to 4 Bridgeport.

" The next house was the house of Maj. Ezra Starr, who distinguished himself in the Revolution. It was built on the site of the one burned by Tryon's troops. In 1830 the property came into the possession of Starr Nichols, who moved back the major's house and built the one now owned and occupied by Hon. D. P. Nichols. Maj. Starr had a large family, but none of its members have a residence in Danbury now.

"The next house was occupied by Col. Elias Starr,

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and is now the residence of Edward Allen. The colonel was a teacher, and his school (private) was in the next building, now a tenement, and twenty years ago occupied by L. H. Boughton as a shoe- store.

"There was no other building until near the corner of Wooster Street, where stood the 'Academy,' a public school of the higher order. It is now a tene- ment belonging to St. Peter's parish, and adjoins on the north Vaughn & O'Brien's carriage-factory (the old church). For many years the lamented Irwin taught there, and a number of our gray-haired citi- zens drank in knowledge at that fountain.

" East Side .- The present court-house was built in 1823-24. Its predecessor was a box-shaped affair of two stories, with a little chunked cupola on its roof. The first floor was used for some time as a place of worship for the Universalists and until they built the structure across the way that in later years became the church of St. Peter's parish. In front of the old court-house stood the whipping-post and stocks, and both institutions passed away with the building. The stocks fell into disuse a long time before the whipping-post was abolished. Whippings were frequent in the early days of the century. The punishment was inflicted by justices' decisions as well as by court decrces, although much lighter in the former cases. The whipping was generally done by the deputy sheriff. The late Aaron Seeley and Samuel Wildman as deputy sheriffs, and Levi Starr as con- stable, presided at the post.

"The principal whipping-day was that which fol- lowed the close of the court session. The victims were relieved of their upper clothes in the jail. Then a blanket was placed over their bodies, and they were marched across the street to the post. The prisoner's hands were tied about the post above his head, the blanket removed, and his suspenders let down. Then the sheriff took position with the whip, carefully measuring the distance so the lash would just lay across the back in the stroke and not lap around the side. The number of blows adjudged the culprit, varying from five to twenty-five, were then adminis- tered. Blood was rarely drawn by the lash, but the stroke made heavy marks. These were red on the backs of white persons, and white on the persons of negroes. The whipping over, the victim's suspenders were put up, the blanket replaced over his back, and he was taken back to jail. There were cases where the hands were not tied to the post, but simply clasped to it. The whippings were conducted iu public, but were not largely attended, there being but few present to witness the performance, and those being mostly young boys and idlers.

" The last known case of whipping in this section was in Brookfield. The victim was a Danbury man. There was a reunion in Brookfield of the veterans of the war of 1812-14, and the attendance from neigh- boring towns was quite large. The village store, which

sold New England rum as well as other groceries, was doing an immense business. There were two open- ings in the counter above the money-drawer,-one for silver, and the other for bills. When the money was received it was put through these openings. The Danbury man (whose name it is not necessary to men- tion) lounged about on the counter, a most innocent- looking party. He had in his possession a bit of stick with tar on the end of it. When the merchant and his assistants ran to the door to look at the doings outside, he would push the stick down into the opeu- ing for bills, and by the help of the adhesive tar would draw up one. At uight the merchant discov- ered the loss. The Danbury man who had lounged ou the counter was suspected. He was followed to Danbury, arrested, and the money with tar-marks found in his possession. He was taken to Brookfield, confessed his crime, and was publicly and severely whipped.

"West Side .- The present handsome jail-building was erccted in 1872. Its predecessor was of stone, and was built in 1830. The building before that was a frame structure with barred windows, out of which a modern housebreaker would have made his exit in less than no time.

"There was no building between the jail and the present estate of the late Aaron Seeley. The ‘saddle- factory' was not built until 1836. At the time it was put up it was considerable of a building, and its busi- ness bade fair to be an extensive industry. It was occupied by Elias S. Sanford and William B. Fry in the manufacture of saddles and harness. The firm had a store in New Orleans. The manufacture was carried on for about four years, when the failure of the firm broke up the business. In 1840, or there- abouts, Stone & Wadhems rented the front of the building for a store, and remained there three or four years. James S. Taylor and his brother Granville did business there after that, and when they left the building became a tenemeut. Several years ago the greater part of it was destroyed by fire.

"The store on the Seeley estate stood where is now the residence. It was at one time occupied by Amos and Samuel Stebbins.

"Next to that was a tavern built of brick. It is now the residence of Mrs. George Meeker. The tav- eru was built by Maj. Whiting at the close of the last century. Henry S. Whiting, a son of the builder, kept the tavern until 1816, or thereabouts, when the late Aaron Seeley became its host, and remained in charge some fourteen years. The hotel was a popular resort, and a stopping-place for the stages that ran from New York to Litchfield. In those days its capa- cious yard and stabling were the scene of much activ- ity. Henry Whiting went to Herkimer, N. Y., from Danbury, engaged there in the tavern business, and died there. There is none of the family in Dan- bury.

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History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 50

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 1572

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1572