USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > History of Litchfield county, Connecticut > Part 155
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" J'oted, That tho Solect Mon taka Charge of the Burying ground near the meeting llouse, for the purpose of puting It in fonce & repair, the front next to the Streot to have a pina board fence, with Sills & Braces.
" Voted, That tho old Highway leading from M". Joseph Rennet's to Mr. David Taylor's, from a few Rods North of sd Bennet's until it comes to a polut where the New Road, leading by Juhez Swift's, Joins to sd old Highway, Ba Sold by the Select Men, The avails to pay for the ad Now Road, or be for the Benefit of the Town.
" l'oted, That Daniel Pago's Town Rate en Lysander Curtis's Rate bill be Abated.
" Voted, That Nathaniol Swift, Ebenezer Tannor, & I'lutt Starr bo n Committee to draw the School inoney.
" Adjourned Sini Dei.
" Test, JOHN TALLMADGE, Reg".
"At n Town Meeting Legally Worn'd and holden In Warren on .Mou- duy the 4th day May, 1795.
" L' Samuel Carter Chosen Moderator.
" Voted, that all the Votes passed last December respecting the burying ground bo reconsider'd.
" Voted, that the Select Men be directed to apply for and obtain a Deed of the burylug ground, nonr the meeting honse, of the owners of the Summe, and give a lonso of the improvement of the Same to the Rovd Peter Starr, his helrs and Assigns, upon obtaining ed Deod, Undor such reatric- tlons as shall be agreed on by the Revd l'eter Starr & the sd Selectmen, & when this business is so finish'd, the Selection ho directed then to bulld n good Stone Wall in front of 8º Burying ground.
" Adjourn'd.
" Test, JOHN TALLMADGE, Town Clork.
" At a Town Meeting Legally warn'd and holden in Warren ou Mou- day the Seventh day of December, 1795.
" Samuel Carter Chosen Moderator,
" Voted, To purchase the highway through William Spooner'e Land 08 appris'd by Messrs. Eli Thompson and Daniel Beebe, viz., at £8 0.
"The following appointments were mada :
" Messrs. L. Samuel Carter, Capt. Peleg Sturtavant, & Lt. Ebenezer Tanner, Select Men.
"John Tallmadge, Town Clerk & Town Treasurer.
"Samuel Eldred, Renben Beach, Constables.
" Nathaniel Spooner, Milton Curtis, Grand Jurors.
" Cyrue Berry, Alexander Sncket, Abel Fuller, William B. Spencer, Levi Shove, Seth Kent, John Thomas, David Webb, Benjamin Carter, Eben Strong, Asa Turney, Josiah Webb, Nathaniel Lyon, Jeremiah Giles, Surveyors of Highways.
"Samuel Weston, Benjamin Sacket, Fence Viewers.
" Nathaniel Spooner, M. Luther Comstock, Samuel Haws, Reuben Beach, Alex' Sacket, Listers.
" Reuben Beach, Collector of Town Texas.
"Capt. Joseph Carter, Leather Sealer.
"Salmon Brunson, Joseph Bennet, Benjamin Saunders, Tithing men.
" Elisha Eldred, Wheeler Gillet, Junr, Packers.
" Capt. Joseph Carter, Key keeper.
" Platt Starr, Daniel Beeman, Sextone.
" Voted, that Capt. Joseph Carter's Barn Yard be considered as a Pound for the Current Year.
" Voted, To lay and Collect a tax of half a penny on the pound on the list of 1795.
" Voted, Tu authorize & enipower the Authority & Selectmen to make the Necessary Abatements on Samuel Eldred's Rate Bill.
" Adjourned.
" Test, JOHN TALLMADGE, Register.
" At a Town Meeting Legally warn'd & holden at Warren on Monday the 11th day of April, 1796.
" Nathaniel Swift, Esq', Moderator.
" l'oted, That Mases Eldred be appointed a Surveyor for the North Dis- trict, in the Lieu of John Thomas, Removed.
"Justas Sacket, Esq", Reaben Sacket, Joseph Peters, Samuel Carter, & John Tallmadge aro request to Confer with Jabez Swift respecting the Highway by his Ilouse.
" Adjourn'd. Test, JOHN TALLMADGE, Reg".
" At a Town Meeting held in Warren by Legal Warning on Monday the 19th day of Septr, 1796, Capt. Joseph Carter, Moderator.
" Voted, That L'. Samuel Cartor, John Tallmadge, and Adautjah Carter be a Committee to examine Into the proprlety of Laying out a Road from from this place through Washington tu Derby & New Haven, & Report to the Solect-Mon; If in favr of ad Road's being Laid out, thon tho Select- men are Requested to Call on the Select-men of Washington to Lay out Sd Road whore it passes through Sd Town.
" l'oted, That the Above Sd Committee be requested to View the Road Leading from John Finney's to Stephen Strong's, & Report to the Town meeting whether alterations In S4 Road are necessary or not.
" Adjourn'd.
" Test, JOHN TALLMADGE, RogIstor.
"At a Town Meetlag Legally Warn'd & holden at Warren, October 31, 1796.
"Capt. Joseph Carter, Moderator.
" l'oted, to postpone the further consideration of tho propriety & expo- dleney of laying out a Road through the South East part of this Town, from College farme to Washington line, I'ntil the Annual Meeting in De- ceniber Next.
" Adjourn'il.
"Trat, JOHN TALLMADGE, Register.
"At a Town Meeting Legally Warn'd & holdon at Warren on the 5th day of December, 1796.
"Capt. Joseph Carter, Moderator.
" The following appointmente were made:
" L'. Samuel Carter, Capst. Josephi Carter, Judah Eldred, Select-mon.
" John Tallmadge, Town Clerk and Town Tronauror.
" Homer Sacket, Platt Starr, Constables.
" David Taylor, Josinh Wabb, Salmon Sackett, Amos Swan, Neziah Blisa, Augustine Curtis, Samuel Weston, Stephen Blake, John Tallmadge,
Peabody Smith, Eben Strong, Lovl Palmorleo, Surveyors of Highways. "Samuel Weston, Benja Sacket, Fonce Vlewers.
"Samuel lluwa, Salmon Sacket, Samuel Eldred, Joseph BenDet, Abner Everott, Listers.
646
HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.
" Platt Starr, Town Rate Collector.
"Capt. . Joseph Carter, Leather Sealer & Key Keeper.
" Solomon Carter, Samuel Carter, Jun, Grand Jurors.
" Lysander Cortis, Theral Kilborn, Tything-men.
" Tibbels Baldwio, Packer.
" l'oted, To Allow the Widow Green Twelve Dollars in full for the Dan- age she sustain'd in her furniture & Effects at the Bridge Neare Moses Hawley's.
" l'oted, That Benjamin Sacket, Nathaniel Spooner, Thomas Beeman, & Joseph Peters be a Committee, with the Authority & Select men to Dis- trict the Town for Highway work, to remain uatil revosk'd by the Town. " l'oted, To Raise or Lay & Tax of one penny on the Pound ou the list of Aug1.
" l'oted, To Abate David Hitchcock's Rate of Is. & William Ilitchcock's Rate of Is. Id. on Reuben Beach's Ratebill.
" Voted, To pay Mr. Samuel Eldred for Warning a Meeting of the School Society, the demand to be Liquidated & Allowed by the Select-nieD.
" Voted, To Accept of the Road lately laid out by Samnel Carter, John Tallmadge, & Adanijah Carter, as Committee, near Stephen Ferris', as an Ilighway.
" Test, JOHN TALLMAD ;E, Register.
" At a Town meeting Legally Warn'd & holden in Warren, Feb'y 9th, 1797.
"Samuel Carter, Moderntor.
" l'oted, To give Nine pence for every Crow that is Killed within the limits of this town, from this time to the first day of Jaly next, & the Head thereof delvd to the Town treasurer.
" Test, EBENEZER TANNER, Clerk Pro Tem.
" At a Town meeting Legally warn'd & holden nt Warren, April 10th, 1797.
" Samnel Carter, Moderator.
" Voted, That this Town will lay out n Road from the Forks of the Road Eastwardly from Capt. Abner Averitt's, on the South Side of the Swamp, Near Ben brook, to Washington line.
" Yoted, To Apoint Ebenezer Tanner n Surveyor for sd Rond, & to super- intend the laying out the work on ad Road, included in a Subscription for that purpose.
" l'oted, to Refer to the Selectmen the propriety of Abating the Rates of Joseph Crofut on Platt Starr's Rate bill.
" Voted, To give Liberty to the Widow Sarah Fuller to build an House on the High Way, tho East Side of the Road, about Northeast from Jolin Brunson's Dwelling house, where the Ceasar house stood.
" Voted, to Adjourn.
" Test, JOHN TALLMADGE, Clerk.
" At a Town meeting Legally warn'd and holden in Warren on the 2nd day of May, 1797.
" l'oted, That they will Reconsider the Vote that was pass'd in Town meeting the 10th day of April last, which Vote was to lay out a Road from the Forks of the Road Eastwardly from Capt. Abner Everett's to Waslı- ington line.
" Test, NATHI SPOONER, Clerk Pro Tem.
" At a Town Meeting Legally Wuru'd & holden at Warren on the 25th day of Septr, 1797.
" Justns Sacket, Esqr, Moderator.
" Voted, to Direct the Select Men to make Such alterations in the Road between Capt. Everitt's & the four Roads East of sd Everitt's as they shall think best, provided the same can be done withont Expease to the Town.
" Voted, To direct the Select Men to lay out & Road from the Crotch of the Road below Joseph Peters' Iloase, thence Sontherly through sd Pe- ters' & Asahel Widg's Land, & by sd Widg's House through the College land to the Road leading by Wm. B. Spencer's.
" Adjourn'd.
" Test, JOHN TALLMADGE, Clerk.
" At a Town Meeting Legally warn'd & holden nt Warren, Decr. 4th, 1797. " Samuel Carter, Moderator.
" The following persons were appointed to office :
"L4. Samuel Carter, Judnh Eldred. Peleg Holmes, Select Men.
"John Tallmadge, Town Clerk & Town Treasurer.
" Platt Starr, Josialı Finuey, Constables.
" Joseph Burnet, Augustine Curtis, Grand Jurors.
" Samuel Carter, Jun, Nathaniel Swift, Esqr, Benjamin Sacket, Daniel Hines, Solomon Carter, Theral Kilborn. Nathaniel Johnson, Nathan Al- gar, John Williams, Asahel Widge, Benjamin Swan, Jehiel Kilborn, Ly- sander Curtis, Abner Everett, Neziah Bliss, Isaac Wedge, Surveyor of Highways.
"Samuel Weston, Benjamin Sacket, Fence Viewers.
"Samuel Eldred, Joseph Bennet, Abner Everett, Howard Faller, An- thony P. Hopkins, Listers.
"Josiah Finney, Collector Town Rate.
" Howard Fuller, Leather Sealer.
" Amos Strong, James Beardslee, Tything Men.
"Tibbels Baldwin, Packer,
"James Beardslee, Key keeper, & his Barn-Yard & Stable a Pound.
" Platt Starr, Daniel Beeman, Sextons.
" Voted, to Abate Six Shillings for Sam1 Eldred.
" Voted, To Raise & Rate of Five Mills on the Dollar on the List of 1797. " Toted, to Direct the Select Men to lay out a Road to the Mill Across Capt. Tanner's & M. Andrus's Land, from the Highway East of Capt. Tanner's, If they think it expedient.
" Voted, to give Liberty to the Inhabitants of the Town to Erect Sab- bath Duy Houses, or Horssheds, on the Sides of the Highway Near the meeting House, under the Direction of the Select Men.
" Adjourn'd Sine Dei.
" JOHN TALLMADGE, Clerk.
" At A Town Meeting Legally Warn'd & holden at Warren on Monday the 12th day of March, 1798.
" Sanınel Carter, Moderator.
" Voted, To appoint a Committee to examine the ground & Report the Practibility & propriety of laying out a Ruad from the Centre of this Town, or Near Parson Starr's, to the Southerly part of the Town, so as to accomodate the Road leading to New Milford & Washington, & Report to this Meeting at the time to which it may be adjourn'd.
" Voted, That Nathaniel Swift, John Tallmadge, Joseph Peters, Adanijah Carter, Ebenezer Tanner, Ashel Wedge, Cyrus Berry, Abner Everett, Ward Eldred, & Platt Starr, With the Select Men, be a Committee for the parposes above express'd. (Meet the 1st thursday, April next, at Platt Starr's.)
" l'oted, To give Liberty to the Physicians of this Town to inocalate for the Small Pox any of the Inhabitants that may wish to take it, under the direction of the Authority & Select-men, for one year from this Date. Also the Inhabitants of any other Town, who may obtain permission therefore from the Select-men.
" J'oted, To adjourn until Freeman's Meeting day, in April next, to be Open'd immediately after Freeman's Meeting.
" Test, JOHN TALLMADGE, Tewn Clerk.
" At an adjourn'd Town Meeting April 9th, 1798.
" l'oted, that Jacob Cumings be a Surveyor highways the insueing year in the lieu of Benjamin Swan, who has Sold his farm & expects to leave this Town.
" Toted, to discontinue the Small Pox in this town from this date.
" Adjourn'd Sine Dei
" JeHIN TALLMADGE, Town Clerk.
" At a Town Meeting Legally Warn'd & Holden at Warren on Monday the 3rd day of December, 1798.
" Nathaniel Swift, Esquire, Moderator.
" John Tallmadge chosen town clerk.
" l'oted, to appoint
" Samuel Carter, Judah Eldred, Peleg Holmes, Select Men.
" John Tallınadge, Town Treasurer.
"Josiah Finney, Benja Carter, Constables.
" Samuel Weston. Adanijah Carter, Fence Viewers.
" Darius Carter, Joseph Taylor, Arnold Saanders, James Kidney, Jacob Cumins, Jun", Timothy Palmerlee, Matthew Algar, Junr, Joseph Bennet, Josiah Fiuney, Nath1 Spooner, Peabody Smith, Stephen Strong, Anthony P. Hopkins,.Joseph Peters, Newton J. Morris, Milton Curtis, Surveyors of Highways.
"Joseph Peters, Anthony P. Hopkins, Platt Starr, Josiah Finney, Arnold Saunders, Listers.
" Benjamin Carter, Collector Town Tax.
"Howard Fuller, Leather Sealer.
"Salmon Sacket, Jabez Swift, Grand Jurors.
"Samuel Carter, Jun, Joseph Taylor, Tithing Men.
" Platt Starr & Daniel Beeman, Sextons.
" __ lJaward, Reconsider'd.
" Tibels Baldwin, Packer.
"Solomon Carter, Key-keeper, & his Barn Yard a Pound.
" Isaac Wedge, Key- keeper, & his Barn Yard a Pound.
" Benjamin Carter & Eben" Tanner are sppointed a Committee to Draw the school money of the State.
" F'oted, to Raise a Tax of three Mills on the Dollar on List of 1798.
RESIDENCE OF HENRY H. MOREHOUSE, WASHINGTON, CONN.
G
647
WARREN.
" Voted, That one Sett of the Laws of the United States, & one of the Statute Law of this State, be circulated io the Town for the use of the Inhabitants, to be drawn out, one Vol. at a time, by one person, & re- turu'd within one month from the Drawing.
" Voted, to Adjonrn'd until Freeman's Meeting in April Next, thien to he open'd at this place after sd Meeting.
" Test, JOHN TALLMADGE, Clerk."
CONGREGATIONAL CIIURCII .*
"Six years previous to the organization of this church an ecclesiastical society was formed here, in July, 1750, called the Society of East Greenwich. It was a part of the town of Kent. In fact, it is said that the town of Kent was first settled in this part in 1737, and that the first white child in that town was born within our limits. This first child, born in 1738, seems to have been quite a historical character. Her father, Mr. Stephen Paine, came from Canterbury and located near the lake, on Potash Hill. His daughter Rhoda was not only the first in point of time, but she was also one of the first in the order of strength, being, as the story goes, 'able to lift a barrel of cider into a cart.'
"This society remained a part of Kent until May, 1786, when it was constituted a town and society by itself, receiving its name after Gen. Warren, who fell so valorously in the battle of Bunker Hill.
"The church was organized in 1756, with a mem- bership of eightcen, twelve males and six females. The first pastor, ordained on the 29th of June, 1757, at which time the church was admitted into the Litchfield Consociation, was Rev. Silvanus Osborn, a graduate of Princeton College in 1754. IIe is spoken of hy his successors as being an orthodox, plain, sensible preacher, and a man of eminent piety. He| married Miss Abigail, the daughter of Mr. Stephen Noble, of New Milford. His widow married Rev. Jeremiah Day, of New Preston, and was the mother of four sons and one daughter. The daughter died young. The illustrious President Day, of Yale Col- lege, was one of the sons. Mr. Osborn's salary was to be thirty pounds for the first year, to increase, until the fourth year it was to be fifty pounds, payable in al- most anything.
" This church had no house of worship until eleven years after Mr. Osborn's settlement. In the mean time they met for worship in private houses, and especially in a school-house, then standing on the hill beyond Deacon F. A. Curtiss'. The first meeting-house was raised in May, 1768, and completed the next year. It stood a little to the east of the present building, with doors on three sides, and was a very plain struc- ture, as became the times. It had no steeple and no chimney and no paint. It had a high pulpit, with the mysterious sounding-board still higher. The seats were in the pew form, and the occupants faced one another, as in a modern omnibus. The building of such a house, plain as it was, was a great work for such a people, few in number and very limited in re-
sources, with everything to do. The fathers had no church-building societies to call upon for help. They must help themselves, and they did, and the Lord blessed them.
"Mr. Osborn was succeeded by Rev. Peter Starr, who was ordained pastor March 18, 1772. The church was then composed of fifty-two members. Mr. Starr was the youngest son of Samuel and Abigail Starr ; he was born in Danbury, September, 1744, and gradu- ated at Yale College in 1764. He studied theology with Rev. Mr. Brindsmade, in Washington, and Dr. Bellamy, in Bethlehem, and was licensed by the Fairfield East Association in 1769. Before coming to Warren he preached (as a ' candidate,' it may be) in Danbury, New Canaan, Roxbury, New Milford, Greenfield, Winchester, and Morris. He was heard here first Sept. 21, 1771, and preached twenty-two Sabbaths previous to his ordination.
"Mr. Starr," says Mr. Bassett, "left behind some manuscripts, which I have had an opportunity to look over. Among them is a book in which he kept an account of his expenditures during the years preeed- ing his settlement, and which is interesting as show- ing very marked changes to have taken place since that day. While ministers of our time have some ex- penditures which the fathers were saved from, we have some advantages in this respect over them. For example : this young candidate for the ministry in 1770 charges himself with having paid 'one pound and fifteen shillings (about nine dollars) for a wig.' Not only was this wig a pretty expensive article to purchase, it also cost a good deal to keep it in order. Quite occasionally he puts down in the debtor column, 'For dressing my wig, fourpence.' Quite likely, however, the dignity gained well compensated for the expenditure. We find other charges still more fre- quent. For example: 'One quart of rum, one shil- ling twopence;' 'one quart of rum, eightpence ;' 'one quart of rum, tenpence.' Whether the 'rumn'- in these cases varied in quality with the price, or the young preacher took his refreshment at a more fash- ionable bar at sometimes than at others, does not appear. As he traveled about with his horse he would stop and feed, and then there would be a charge 'for oats and flip, fivepence.' This use of liquors was no peculiarity of Mr. Starr's, as we all know. Everybody in those days used them, as we use tea and coffee. They were among the prominent things always provided for every public entertain- ment. It may be doubted whether an ordination took place in the last century without a free use of such drinks. This habit continued through about one quarter of this century, when a more excellent way was learned. When Mr. Starr built his house in 1786, which is still standing, a cupboard was provided for the keeping of liquors (as can now be seen). He lived, however, to see the time when that cupboard could be at liberty for other purposes, and to do very 1 brave battle in the cause of temperance.
* Condensed from a historical address delivered at Warren, July 23. 1876, by Rev. William Elliott Bassett.
648
HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.
" Mr. Starr died July 17, 1829, aged eighty-five.
" He had lived to preach his half-century sermon, and to sustain the sacred office seven years after that. Fifty-two years its undivided responsibilities and labors rested upon him. He outlived every one of those who were members of the church when he came among them.
" Mr. Starr's first wife was Sarah Robbins, daughter of a clergyman in Branford, and sister of Mr. Rob- bins, fifty-two years pastor in Norfolk. Four of their children preceded him into the other world ; five sur- vived him and lived honored and useful lives. He was a member of the corporation of Yale College from 1813 to 1817. He made three missionary tours into Vermont in 1794 and '95, twice with Mr. Robbins, of Norfolk, and onee Mr. Hooker, of Goshen, accom- panied him. He married, for his second wife, the widow of Rev. John Stevens, of Massachusetts, daugh- ter of Elijah Smith, of Vermont."
THE REVOLUTION.
"Early in the ministry of Mr. Starr the struggle of the Revolution came on. While no utterances of his have come down to us, that he gave to it his warm sympathy we need no other evidence than his own training and character. This town was largely repre- sented in the activities of that holy strife. Eleazar Curtiss was a major in the service; Joseph Carter and Peleg Sturtevant were captains; Deacon Ebene- zer Tanner, Samuel Carter, and Nathaniel Swift were lieutenants. Besides them, Augustine and Lysander Curtiss, Deacon Fowler, Philip and Eben Strong, George Batterson, William James (colored), Chaun- eey Dennison, and John Holloway are known to have been connected with the army, and there were doubt- less others. Of the particulars of this service I have learned but little. Maj. Eleazar Curtiss was in the battle at Danbury, and caught Gen. Wooster as he fell from his horse in that battle. No one that knows to what hardships those fathers had accus- tomed themselves will doubt that they did good ser- vice in those days that 'tried men's souls.'
" The house of worship, which was pretty new when Mr. Starr first preached here, showed signs of age be- fore he did. It became, in process of time, very much dilapidated, occasioning the remark of one that he ' had heard often of the Lord's house, but never be- fore of the Lord's barn!' The aged pastor urged to a rebuilding. His text on one occasion was the one so often used in similar circumstances, Haggai i. 4: ' Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?' As a result, in 1818 the present edifice was commenced, and was fin- ished in 1820. It was patterned after the church in Norfolk, which had been recently built.
" While speaking of this new house, I will notice a very interesting memorial of that day which has come to us. The cushion and connections in that new church were furnished by the ladies, and they
sewed up in the cushion, for the benefit of posterity, a paper, of which the following is a copy':
"' In the year of our Lord 1820, under the Presidency of Monroe, the Governorship of Oliver Wolcott, who was the first toleration Governor of Connecticut, and the 48th year of the ministry of Peter Starr, was built a new church in Warren, and this cushion made and placed in it on the first day of June, the day of dedication. When this cushion shall have turned into rags, then shall this paper be discovered, which ie de- signed to excite in the hearts of the grandchildren and great-graadchil- dren of those who, to their laud be it epoken, unitedly subscribed $30, aod purchased therewith this cushion and branches for the pulpit. Then, too, will it be known that this cushion was made by the hadde of three young virgins, whose names will be had evermore in tender remembrance: P. and F. Talmadge, and S. Saunders.'
" The first two of these 'virgins' afterwards had husbands whose labors had to do with 'pulpit cushions,' one being the wife of Dr. John Marsh, the apostle of temperance. The third lived single. All are counted with the dead.
" The good spirit showed in 1820 was followed afterwards, and we find in our cushion another paper, written by one who is remembered as the lamented wife of Dr. White, of New Orleans, who died in 1863:
""Ja the year of our Lord 1845, under the Presidency of James K. Polk, and the Governorship of Roger S. Baldwin, and in the second year of the pastorate of Rev. John R. Keep, the ladies of Warren observed that this pulpit cushion, under the influence of twenty-five yeare of sound orthodox preaching, had, in the language of our predecessors, 'turned to rags.' Subscriptione were accordingly made by the ladies, and a new cover purchased to conceal the ravagee of time. On Thurs- day, the 7th of August, assembled, for the purpose of re-covering the cushion, Mrs. Jane Sackett Hine, Mrs. Emily Sackett Comstock, Misses Lanra Taylor, Lucy C. Sackett, Marion B. Bradley, Evelyn Starr, Sarah Robbins Starr, Helen Talmadge, and Mr. Henry J. Taylor. Upon opeo- ing the cushion the paper of 1820 was, to our great gratification, discov- ered. Trusting that the design of that paper is answered in the renewed zeal with which it has animated us, we follow the example of those gratefully remembered ladies whose skillful needles preceded us, and deposit this paper, hoping that the generations who come after may be encouraged to like laudable efforts.
"' WARREN, CONN., Aug. 7, 1845.'
"' EVELYN STARR, Scribe.
"There is laid away in the cushion still another paper, of a later date :
"'In the year of our Lord 1859, under the Presidency of James Bu- chanan, the Governorship of Wm. A. Buckingham, and the first year of the ministry of Rev. Francis Lobdell, the members of the Ecclesiastical Society of Warren saw fit to remodel the church, which for forty years had served as a place of worship, and to give to it a modern style. After due deliberation, the work of repairing was commenced on the morning of August Ist. The ladies of the church, wishing to give expression to their generosity, met at the Town-Ilouse for consultation upon the best method of procuring funds for the purchase of carpete, cushion, and pul- pit fixtures, Ang. 10th. After much deliberation, Mrs. Jane Carter Starr, Mrs. Maranda Curtiss Strong, Miss Huldah Everitt, aod Mise Maria Gilbert were chosen solicitors to visit each family who are in the habit of attending our church, and ask of them a gift for the Lord's house. The work was entered upon, and to our grent surprise the hand- some eum of $120 was secured, every lady giving of her substance as she felt disposed, which by unanimous vote was appropriated to purposee aforesaid. The work progressed in all its parts till Saturday, October 1st, when it was pronounced complete, and ready for our essembling on the moroing of Oct. 2d, for divine worship. Having completed our work io behalf of the house of God, we would follow the example of our beloved predecessors, and deposit a record of our doings, hoping that their ex- ample, with ours, may serve as a stimulus to greater effort on the part of those who come after. When these gederoue bearts and active hande that have contributed so liberally of their substance and their labor
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