History of Litchfield county, Connecticut, Part 43

Author: J.W. Lewis & Company (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1532

USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > History of Litchfield county, Connecticut > Part 43

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Elisha Smith, Esq., from Torrington, bought of Enoch Palmer the Noble J. Everitt place, about a hundred rods south of Winchester Centre, which he occupied nntil 1776, when he sold to Martin North and returned to Torrington, where he spent his re- maining life as a farmer and trader, occupying a high position as a magistrate and representative of the town.

Reuben Thrall, from Torrington, bought and occu- pied until his death, May 23, 1777, a farm immediately north of Roswell Coe's, in the southwest part of the town, afterwards a part of the Wade farm. He died May 20, 1777.

The new-comers of the year 1773 were Abram An- drews and his sons, Theophilus, Abram, Jr., Daniel, and Eli, John Austin, Rev. Joshua Knapp, Hawkins Woodruff, Reuben Miner, and Gideon Wilcoxson.

Capt. Abram Andrews, Sr., from Danbury, bought a farm of eighty acres, lying north of the old Everitt honse, in the Danbury Quarter, now in part belonging to Mr. Tibball's farm, a part of which he occupied until his death.

TRAVELING TINKER.

Theophilns Andrews, son of the foregoing, is de- scribed by a cotemporary as "a Yankee dyed in the wool ; by profession a tinker, he traversed the northern part of the county, with his kit of tools in a pair of leather saddle-bags swung over his shoulders, mending brass kettles and molding pewter spoons and buttons." He continued his peregrinations as late as 1810, and afterwards went to live with a son in Central New York.

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WINCHESTER.

Abram Andrews, Jr., is described by the same co- temporary as " a Yankee diverse from 'Theof.,' but of equal doodle. Both were wiseacres, but neither of them added more than a cubit to his ten-acre patri- mony." He removed to Central New York after 1805.

Ensign Daniel Andrews, third son of Abram, Sr., " was a man of sense, energy, industry, and upright- ness." He built and occupied until his death, July 20, 1828, aged seventy-nine, the lean-to house a little east of the Danbury school-house.

Eli Andrews, fourth son of Abram, Sr., lived on a part of his father's original farm until his removal to Central New York after 1801.

Daniel Andrews, son of Ensign Daniel, married Sarah Platt; she died Dec. 16, 1848, aged seventy- two; he died Oct. 4, 1854, aged eighty-two.

John Austin bought this year of David Austin thirty-five acres of land within the present village of Winsted, and sold the same to John Walter in 1779.

Rev. Joshua Knapp, from Danbury, the recently ordained pastor, purchased and lived on a lot next south of the homestead of Eliphaz Alvord, Esq., at the northwest corner made by the parting of the east and west road to Winchester Centre, from the north and south Dugway road.

Hawkins Woodruff bought and lived a few years on the farm now owned by Frederick Murray, on the old road from Winsted to Winchester.

Reuben Miner came from New London, was a blacksmith by trade, and first built a house and shop near the original meeting-house, from whence he re- moved in 1775 to the centre of the township, and built and occupied until his death the old house now owned and occupied by Joel G. Griswold, on the old road from Winsted to Winchester. He was a man of carn- est piety and zeal and an estimable citizen.

Jonathan Sweet first owned the B. B. Rockwell farm, between the two ponds, and afterwards a tract of land on Blue Street, adjoining Goshen line.

Gideon Wilcoxson, from Stratford, owned and is supposed to have lived on land lying north and north- east of the Little Pond, probably the Daniel Beckley place. He served in the Revolutionary war, and died while a prisoner in the Sugar-House in New York.

The new-comers of this year (1774) were Ozias Brownson and his sons, Ozias, Jr., Levi (second), Sal- mon, Asahel, Abijah P., and Isaac; Joseph Frisbee, Phineas Griswold, Ambrose Palmer, Joel Roberts, Peter Corbin and his sons, Peter, Jr., and Daniel; John Videto and his son John, Jr. ; Stephen Wade and his son Amasa; Ichabod Loomis, William Castel, Benjamin Preston, and Gideon Smith.

Col. Ozias Brownson lived on the farm now owned by Reuben Chase, about a mile and a half southerly from the Centre. He was a blacksmith and a farmer, und is described by a cotemporary as a " professor of religion, somewhat fierce and overbearing, industrious

and thrifty, abounding in horses. He had children, -one daughter and six sons. These sons were of gigantic strength, and the colonel worked the five oldest to a great profit." He served as a lieutenant and captain of militia in several tours of duty during the Revolution. He died March 12, 1810, aged sixty- eight.

Ozias Brownson, Jr., built the house at Winchester Centre now owned by Rev. Frederick Marsh, in which he lived until 1802, when he sold out to Rev. Archibald Bassett, and soon after removed to Amster- dam, N. Y. He married, Jan. 12, 1792, a daughter (Grace) of Daniel Coc Hudson, of Torrington,* and called his eldest son George Washington Jefferson, a name which somewhat dumfounded Parson Robbins at the baptism. "He could build a house, a cart, or a plow, or any other article of wood and iron. He worked all day at the anvil or on his land, and jour- neyed two-thirds of the nights. At length he pulled up stakes and moved to the German Flats to grow hemp."

Levi Brownson, second son of Ozias, Sr. (known as Levi Bronson, second), owned and occupied until his death an extensive farm near the southeast corner of Norfolk, living in the red house near the Norfolk line.

Salmon Brownson, third son of Col. Ozias, lived and died on the farm now or lately owned by his son, Luther Bronson.

Asahel Brownson, fourth son of Col. Ozias, lived and died in the house on Blue Street lately occupied by Archibald Dayton, now deceased, who married his widow.

Abijah Peck Brownson, fifth son of Col. Ozia-, lived on Brooks Street, north of Nelson T. Loomis, until his removal to Vernon, N. Y., abont 1800. "He was the Anak of the family, -a man of pleasant tem- perament, and brimful of courage and fortitude." Many a strong will colt did he shoe; many a will steer did he yoke ; and many a time did he bind his neighbor, John Lucas, n respectable man, but strong and occasionally crazy.

Isane Bronson,t youngest son of Cdl. Ozias, and the only one born in the town, built and resided until his death in the house at the Centre now owned by his son Theron. He was the largest land-owner in the town. He was also a trader for many years, and a large dealer in dairy products from his own farms, and purchased from others. He was a prominent and influential man in the town,-a justice of the peace,

· The compiler heard Mir. Drowuson relato an Incident of his marrlago Illustrating the customs of that any. On the morning nfor the wedding ho started from Tarringford to Winchester In a sleigh, with his bride and a two-gallon bottle of rum, and on his way home found the road fenced up in three successivo places, with gatherings of uelghtours at each fence prepared tu salute his wife or bottle beforo allowing him a passage homeward.

t The "w" was retafuel in the name of the Winchester Brow neons until aßer 1810,-by some of them, an appears by their recorded deeds, as lato ns 1825.

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HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

and three times a representative to the General As- sembly.

Lois, daughter of Col. Ozias Brownson, married, Dec. 9, 1779, Seth Wetmore, and in advanced life Maj. Benoni Bronson.

The family of Bronson, once the most numerous with one exception in the town, has but few repre- sentatives remaining.

Ensign Joseph Frisbie, from Torrington, first lived on Lot 6, in the southwest corner of the town, and afterwards, in 1782, removed to a Jot opposite the original meeting-house, with a saw-mill thereon, probably erected by him.

Elijah Frisbie, son of Joseph, in 1791 owned the Silas Hoskin place in Winsted, which he sold to Benjamin Whiting in 1793, and afterwards owned and occupied the Samuel A. MeAlpin place, about a mile south of Winchester Centre, until his removal to Vernon, N. Y., about 1800.

Phineas Griswold, from Wethersfield, lived until 1784 near Torrington line, on the old South country road.

Ambrose Palmer, son of Job, of Litchfield, lived on a part of the John J. Fanning farm, in the Danbury Quarter, until 1791, when he returned to Litchfield.

Benjamin Preston, from Goshen, lived near the Widow Everitt place on Brooks Street, in Danbury Quarter. He was a cripple from his birth, and lived by making baskets, birch brooms, and splint chair- bottoms.

Joel Roberts owned and lived on a farm now ab- sorbed in the B. B. Rockwell, J. G. Griswold, and Emory Coe farms until his death in 1780.

Capt. Peter Corbin, with his sons Daniel and Peter, Jr., came from Danbury, and lived on the Asaph Brooks farm in the Danbury Quarter. His house stood on the east side of the way, opposite Mr. Brooks. He removed to Colebrook in 1805, and spent his remaining life with his son Peter, Jr. He was captain of the first company of the Alarm Regiment of Connecticut in 1780.

Peter Corbin, Jr., lived in the old part of the house of Asaph Brooks, above mentioned, until his removal to Colebrook, about 1805.

Daniel Corbin lived on a hill, west of Asaph Brooks, about half way to the house of Lloyd Humphrey, in Norfolk.

John Videto, a foreigner, came from Danbury, and lived on the old South conntry road, next south of the Widow Everitt farm, until his death, Nov. 29, 1799, at the age of eighty-five years and eighteen days.

John Videto, Jr., came with and lived in the same house with his father until his removal to Austin- burg, Ohio, in 1807, with his son Jasper.

Stephen Wade moved to Branford, where he mar- ried Maria Abigail Hoadley. He came with his son Amasa to Winchester in 1774, where they settled on the farm recently occupied by Isaac Wade, in the

southeast part of the town. He died Feb. 8, 1817, aged ninety-three.

Amasa Wade resided on the same farm until his death, Aug. 30, 1838.

Stephen Wade lived on Brooks Street, Danbury Quarter, until his removal to Vernon, N. Y., about 1825.

Amasa Wade lived on a farm adjoining his father's, and, in partnership with his brother Isaac, owned and carried on the tannery afterwards owned by the El- mores.

Ichabod Loomis migrated to this town from Tor- rington in 1774, and died July 31, 1785. He lived on a farm in the Danbury Quarter, lying on a road parting northeasterly from the South country road, a little south of the Widow Everitt house.

Thaddeus Loomis lived near Goshen line, north of the Norfolk road, on land that was afterwards a part of the farm of Levi Bronson (second). He removed in 1802 to Salisbury, Herkimer Co., N. Y., where he was for many years a justice of the peace, and for four years an assistant justice of the County Court. He married, May 26, 1789, Lois Griswold, daughter of Phineas. She died in 1827; he died in Holley, N. Y., June 14, 1832.

Capt. Abiel Loomis lived in Winsted, on Spencer Street, in a house that stood on the site of Widow Lucy Coe's residence, until about 1809, when he re- moved to the farm now owned by William Johnson, on the Dugway road, in Old Winchester. About 1815 he purchased the Dudley tannery in Winsted, and removed to the house on Main Street next west of the tannery, where he died Oct. 16, 1818, aged forty- five.

David Alvord (brother of Eliphaz), from Chat- ham, came from Torrington in 1774, as appears by the records of births. In 1776 he bought the lot on which the parsonage house of Rev. Mr. Booge was afterwards erected, on which he lived until 1785.

William Castel, from Ridgefield, owned land and resided in the old society.

Elijah Castel, son of William, owned and lived on land south of the Edward Rugg farm in Danbury Quarter.

John Beach came into town this year from Tor- rington, and lived on the farm recently owned by Artemus Rowley, near the south end of third tier, first division, until 1781, when he returned to Tor- rington.

The new-comers of 1774 in Winchester Society were Lemuel Bassett, Daniel Loomis, James Sweet, Jonathan Sweet, Reuben Sweet, Hezekiah Elmer, John Miner, and Elisha Wilcoxson.

Lemuel Bassett, from New Haven, first owned sev- enty-three acres of land, embracing a considerable portion of Winchester Centre village, which he sold in 1777, and afterwards bought and lived on a small lot near Col. Ozias Bronson's.

Daniel Loomis, son of Ichabod, of Torrington,

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WINCHESTER.

lived on the old country road, immediately north of his brother Ichabod, and south of Widow Everitt's.

James Sweet, supposed from Goshen, owned a lot on Blue Street, north of the stone school-house.

Reuben Sweet owned the lot next south of James Sweet's, which he conveyed to Jonathan Sweet in 1777, and moved to Wallen's Hill in Barkhamsted, near the first Winsted meeting-house.

Jonathan Sweet owned lands adjoining those of James and Reuben, and also a part of the B. B. Rock- well farm, between the two lakes, all of which he disposed of in 1771 or earlier.

John Miner, from New London, brother of Renben, of Winchester, came from Torrington, and settled and died on the farm lately owned by Emory Coe, deceased.

Hon. Phineas Miner, second son of John, lived in the old parsonage of Mr. Booge until his removal to Litchfield in 1816. He died in Litchfield in 1839. Mr. Miner, with only a common-school education, studied law under Judge Reeve, of Litchfield, and entered on the practice in Winchester in 1798. By close study and faithful preparation of his cases, as well as by his ardor in trying them, he early attained a good standing at the bar, and eventually ranked among the allest advocates in the county. He was by nature unfitted for legal trickery, or for any dis- honorable act. IIe repeatedly represented Winches- ter, and afterwards Litchfield, in the Legislature, having served in this capacity during eleven sessions. He was chosen to the State Senate in 1830 and 1831 ; was elected a representative in Congress during the sessions of 1832 and 1833, and was judge of probate for Litchfield district at the time of his death.

William Miner, third son of John, owned and lived in the Daniel Murray house, on the Dugway road, until his removal to Ohio in 1816.

Capt. Elisha Wilcoxson, from Stratford, was here in 1775.

The new-comers of the year 1776 were Philip Priest, Daniel Forbes, Martin North and his sons, Martin, Jr., and Rufus, Truman Gibbs, Joseph Agard, and Gershom Fay.

In 1777 the following came into the society : Na- than and Peter Blackman, Samuel Clark, Joseph Dodge, Timothy Fay, William Fay, James Stevenson, Joseph Sweet, and Jonalı Woodruff.

The new-comers of this year (1778) were Lemuel Stannard, Sr., Seth Griswold, James Ilale, and Wil- liam Barbour.

In 1779, Elijah Hubbard, Daniel Clark, and Chris- topher Whiting came.

In 1780 came Stephen Spencer, Simeon Hurlbut, John Church, Thomas Cannon, Stephen Seovil, Ben- jamin Woodruff, William Barnstable, and Prince Negro.

1781 .- Elijah Andrews, and his son, Elijah, Jr., James Adkins, Isaac Adkins, Richard Coit, Aaron and Joseph Agard.

1782. - Daniel H. Cone, John Deer, Jonathan Deer, John Marshall, Levi Norton, Samuel Roberts, Chauncy Smith, Elijah Thompson, and David Ward. The freemen admitted this year were Reuben Miner, William Barbour, Jonah Woodruff, and Jonathan Alvord.

1783 .- The new-comers of the year were Benoni Brownson, William Chamberlin, and William Cham- berlin, Jr., Jedediah Coe, Timothy Cook, Joseph El- more, and Joseph B. Elmore, his son, Isaac Filley, Benjamin Judd, Joseph Platt, Samuel Smith, and Be- najah Smith, his son, Ephraim Smith, Samuel Stan- cliff, Josiah Wade, Daniel Ward, Hopkins West, Na- thaniel White. The freemen admitted this year were Capt. Peter Corbin, Levi Brownson, David Ward, Ichabod Loomis, Stephen Spencer, Samuel Smith, William Fay, David Austin, Jr., John Church, Be- . noni Brownson, and Levi Norton.

1784 .- David Gaylord, Samuel Hawley, Didaymus Shepard, Peleg Sweet.

1785 .- Salmon Hawley, Charles Kent, Zeba Mea- cham, Simeon Moore, Jr., Capt. John Nash, Abra- ham Nash, Daniel Sandifouk, Nathan L. Wade, Jus- tus Wright.

1786 .- William Keyes, London, a negro.

1788 .- Zalmon Benedict, John Benedict, Nathan Bronghton, Ephraim Foot, Roswell Grant, Hewitt Mills, Jacob Kimberly, Jacob Kimberly, Jr., David Murray, and Heman Smith. Roswell Grant joined the Continental army when seventeen years old, and endured hard service with characteristic forti- tude. When Baron Steuben was selecting his corps for special discipline, he passed in front of Grant's company while on parade. Grant was surprised to find himself the only man taken from the company, being, as he said, "such a little nubbin' of a fellow, I had no idea he would take me." While in the High- lands, he was posted as guard on one of the bleakest points in extremely cold weather ; the army moved without recalling him, but he stuck to his post until relieved two days after. Going to Litchfield in his advanced life on foot, a neighbor intrusted him with a letter to be delivered there. He had reached within a mile of his home, after dark, on his return, when he discovered that he had brought the letter back. HIe immediately turned and walked fourteen miles to Litchfield, delivered the letter, and came home be- fore daylight the next morning.

1789 .- Francis Bacon, John Bacon, Levi Brownson, David Deers, John Lucas, Deacon Levi Platt, Syl- vester Platt, Daniel Thompson.

1790 .- Isaac Skinner.

1791 .- Adna Beach, Rev. Publius V. Booge, Nathan Brown, Levi Coy, Silas Fyler, Roman Fyler, Theodore and Russell Goodwin, Cupt. Moses Hatch, Simcon llatch, Josiah Hull. The freemen admitted and sworn this year were John Spencer, Elijah Frisbee, Levi Brownson, Salmon Brownson, Silas Hurlbut, Roman Fyler, Jonathan Deer, Ezra Stannard, Elisha

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HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

Hills, Peter Corbin, Jr., Noah Benedict, Zebina Smith, Chauncey Mills, Nathan Wheeler, and Benjamin Wheeler.

1792 .- John B. Hall, Elind Taylor, Waite Hill.

1793 .- William R. Case, Reuben Marshall, John MeAlpine, Jr., Sanmel Wheaden, Rufus Crane, John Joles.

1794 .- Maj. Lloyd Andrews, Francis Bacon, David Bebee, Dr. Nath. Elmore, Gillett Hinkley, Epaphras Loomis, Deacon Lorrain Loomis, Orange Mott, Daniel Wells, Erastus Thrall.

1795 .- Roger Coe, Joshua Beach, William Crocker, Phineas J. and Mathew Griswold, Luther Holcomb, Levi Marshall, Loami Mott, Daniel Phelps, Daniel Phelps, Jr., John C. Riley, Seth Holmes, Ezra Holmes, Silas Taylor, D. T. S. Wetmore, Reuben Tucker, Jr., Miles Wilkinson.

1796 .- Roger Barber, Ephraim Bowers, Levi Daw, William Gray, Sylvester Hall, Nathaniel Hoyt, Deacon Micajah Hoyt, George Kingsbury, David Strong, Elijah Starkwether.

1797 .- Eli Frisbie, Clark MeEwen, Stephen Gay- lord. The freemen admitted and sworn were Daniel Corbin, Thaddeus Loomis, Daniel Wells, Sylvester Hall, Asahel Bronson, Asher Loomis, Eli Frisbie, Israel Douglass, Roger Coe, Amos Tolles, Seth Lucas, and Daniel Eggleston, Jr.

1798 .- Elijah Blake, Elijah Blake, Jr., Jonathan Blake, Ilenry Blake, Ithnel Blake, Deacon Allen Blake, Capt. William Bunnell, Chauncey Humphrey, Asahel Wells. From 1810 to 1813 he kept tavern in the yellow store building, recently torn down, that stood in front of the new store of Theron Bronson. During the war of 1812 he was connected with the introduction of British goods to the States from Canada, a quantity of which were seized at Hartford as smuggled, thereby reducing him to poverty.

1799 .- John Breden.

1800. - Benjamin Wheadon, Eliakim Benedict, Lent Mott, Jr., Silliman Hubbell, Josiah Cowles, Augustus Humphrey, Caleb Beach, Arah Loomis, Isaac Wilcox, Jr.

1801 .- Richard Beckley, Roger Cook, Abel Pib- balls, Nehemiah Bailey. The following new electors were admitted this year: Abijah Wilson, Jr., Wil- liam Filley, James Gilbert, Newell Haydon, Eli Andrews, Levi Daw, Levi Filley, Jonathan Douglass, Elijah Benedict, Lorrin Sweet, Cyrus Butrick, Anson Cook, Reuben Rowley, Joseph Ellsworth, Levi Fox, Joel Wright, Jesse Porter, John C. Riley, Obadiah Platt, Levi Hoyt, Reuben Scovill, Joseph Mitchell, Luther Holcomb, Daniel Wilcox, David Holmes, Ebenezer Rowley, Stephen Knowlton, Samuel Wet- more (third), Orrin Bronson, Stephen Hart, John C. Barber, Moses Hatch, Nathaniel Hoyt, Micajah Hoyt, John Wetmore, Joseph Cook, Isaac Bronson, Chaun- cey Bronson, Eden Benedict, Joseph Preston, Amasa Wade, Andrew Pratt, Anson Allen, Lyman Doolittle, Ozias Spencer, Zenas Wilson, Stephen Hurlbut, Abel

McEwen, Levi Coy, Lloyd Andrews, Asahel Morse, Isaac Wade, Eliphalet Mills, Nathaniel Smith, Wil- liam Westlake, and William Chickley.

1802 .- Mathew Adams, Theodore Bailey, Timothy Bailey, Ithamar Bailey, James Barton, William Chickley, Jonas Ellwell, Benjamin Paine, Phineas Warren (second), Jesse Horton. The freemen ad- mitted and sworn this year were Deacon Josiah Smith, Nathaniel Baleom, Michael Grinnell, Silliman Hubbell, Abel Stannard, Levi Ackley, Gideon Hall, Asher Rowley, Levi Norton, Jr., John Wetmore, Jr., David Coe, Moses Camp, Samuel Camp, Salmon Treat, Horace Eggleston, Reynold Wilson, Josiah Apley, Arah Loomis, John Deer, Elijah Starks, Hawley Oakley, Fisher Case, Rufus Grinnell, James Henshaw, Ezra Rockwell, Truman Smith, Phineas Warner, Rufns Holmes, and Roswell Grant.

1803 .- John Hamilton, Jupiter Mars, Oliver Smith, Daniel Rice. The electors admitted and sworn were as follows: Phineas Reed, Amos Hungerford, Joel Kimberly, Elisha Kimberly, Samuel Hoadley, Rans- ley Bull, Ithamar Bailey, Jacob Seymour, Stephen Wade, Stephen Gaylord, James Barton, William Phil- lips, Nathan Potter, Timothy Bailey, and Eli Mar- shall.

1804 .- Elihu Everitt, Isaac Jacklyn, Seth Porter, Isaac Sweet.

1805 .- James Beebe, Jared Curtis, Levi Hoyt, Eli- jah Pinney, Isaac Tucker, Chauncey White.

1806 .- Wait Loomis, Daniel Murray, Roger Root, Roger Root, Jr., Gurdon Root, Asahel Smith.

1807 .- Samuel W. Baldwin, Levi L. Hatch, Zenas Neal, Lancelot Phelps, Sr., Roger Starkweather.

1808 .- Asaph B. Brooks, Asher Case, Samuel Cone and Warren Cone, sons of Daniel Hurlbut Cone, Erastus G. Hurlbut, Ammi Murray, John Storer, or Story, George Tuttle. The electors admitted this year were Elijah Blake, Jr., Jonathan Blake, Joseph Coit, Jesse Clark, Elisha Rowley, Reuben Baldwin, Asa Mallory, Lemuel Hurlbut, Eben Coe, William Miner, Isaac Tucker, John Westlake, and Elisha Smith.

1809 .- Fisk Beach and Noble J. Everitt. The elec- tors admitted this year were William Chamberlin (2d), Asher Case, Lyman Strong, Daniel Burnham, and Roger Starkweather.

1810 .- Capt. Eli Richards and William Crum. The electors admitted this year were Ira Preston and Riley Whiting.

The following were here prior to 1830: Apollos Dean, Joseph Eggleston, James Bragg, Dr. Zephania Swift, Luman Whiting, Moses Drake, Moses Drake, Jr., Edward Griswold, Phineas Griswold, Jr., Lewis Hart, Samuel D. Gilbert, Ebenezer Cowles, Joel Clark, Henry Dayton, Benjamin Phelps, Frederick Phelps, Jonathan Saxton, Salmon Bail, Jonathan F. Baldwin, Randall Covey, George Chase, Dudley Chase, Reuben Chase, Sheldon Miller, Hiram Church, Samuel Bandle, Willard Hart, Rufus Drake, Harvey

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WINCHESTER.

Ford, John M. Galagher, Archibald Dayton, William S. Marsh, Daniel Beckley, Norris Beckley, Oliver Loomis.

THE FIRST GRIST-MILL.

" David Austin's name first appears as grantee in a deed from Cornelius Merry, of 1764, in which he is described as of Winchester. He probably came from Suffield. For thirty years or more he was, perhaps, the most prominent and enterprising citizen of the town. His first residence was on the Pantry lot. In 1769 he purchased the Ensign lot, extending east and south from the outlet of the Long Pond so far as to embrace the pond stream and all the village of Win- sted between Lake Street Bridge and Clifton Mill, a region then literally a howling wilderness, unap- proachable by reason of its jagged mountain ridge, and heavy growth of timber, shrubs, and brambles. In 1771, he opened a cart-path through the forest, down to Sucker Brook, and thence over the hills west of the pond to its outlet, by which he conveyed the materials for the first grist-mill in the town. This mill, and a saw-mill contiguous, were erected at the turn of Lake Street, near the summit of the hill. The mill stood where the road now runs, a little northeastward of the Henry Spring Company's shop; the road as first opened running down the hill close to the old white dwelling now known as the Factory House. The water of the lake was raised some three feet above its natural level, by a frail dam of hemlock logs and plank, about three rods south of the present causeway, and let out by a new channel through a bulkhead,-the decayed parts of which are still to be seen in their place,-and conveyed across the road nearly opposite the old stone-chimney mill-house, and thence on the cast side to the junction of Rock- well and Lake Streets, and then again turned across Lake Street and poured on the wheel of the mill.

" This mill was for about twenty years the eastern terminus of civilized habitation towards Mad River valley. Mr. Austin's first residence in Winsted was in a log house nearest to the pond outlet. Ile subse- quently built the stone-chimneyed lean-to house now known as the mill-house already mentioned. In one of the rooms he kept a small store of goods, at the same time personally attending his mill and saw- mill and his other concerns. A cotemporary says of him,-

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History of Litchfield county, Connecticut, Part 43

Author: J.W. Lewis & Company (Philadelphia, Pa.) Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1532

Author: J.W. Lewis & Company (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1532