History of Litchfield county, Connecticut, Part 81

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

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It was in 1778 that the massacre of Wyoming oc-

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HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

curred,-that scene of barbarity almost without a parallel. That beautiful valley of Pennsylvania then belonged to Connecticut, and was settled chiefly from our State. They had sent three hundred of their men into the Continental army, and while in this de- fenseless condition they were invaded by a large body of Indians and Tories. When the little band of de- fenders were overwhelmed, they were slaughtered and scalped by the Indians; many of those who surren- dered were butchered, regardless of the rules of war; some of the retreating were lured back by promises of safety, and then murdered; and the torch was ap- plied to their houses. Those of the women and chil- dren who escaped made their way through the wilder- ness to their former homes in Connecticut after un- told sufferings.

There were two families of Goshen who had gone to Wyoming in 1774, James Frisbie and Stephen Tuttle. Mr. Frisbie's son James was killed; he, with a younger son, was taken prisoner. They es- caped the fate of many ; were taken to Canada, and afterwards released. Stephen Tuttle is supposed to have been killed in the massacre, as nothing was known of him afterward. But there was one who fell there of whom we have positive knowledge, Ichabod Tuttle. His family were living here, and of him we learn by some surmise that " he was last seen flying for his life" from the merciless savages. There is no doubt of his fate. He was nevermore to enter his home in Goshen,-a home darkened by a sorrow so deep that the coming of a little son, who was born a few days after, could hardly bring light into that household, and well was he named, like his father, Ichabod,-" the glory is departed." Nothing in our history moves the heart of an American more than the mention of Wyoming, that beautiful valley we so loved, for evermore immortalized by the poet Camp- bell in his "Gertrude of Wyoming."

During this year (1778) Goshen promptly furnished her quota of ten men, whose names are not known. The system of classing came into use, and a class of thirteen was sent in 1782, and four more recruits soon after. The war was really ended by 1782, and the last British soldier left in November, 1783.

During the later years of the war our town, like other towns, was much troubled for want of salt. The town took measures to have ox-teams started for Boston to bring this much-needed article to Goshen :

" Daniel Miles, Capt. Beach, & Sammel Kellogg were instructed to transport the Salt now at Boston, provided by this State for this Town, to this town, in the most prudent manner they cao, at the expense of the town, aod distribute the same to each feovily in this town according to their number, they paying said Committee the price said salt standa the town in when delivered here."

All these toils and sufferings were cheerfully en- dured that ours might be a free and independent nation.

Among the many votes characteristic of these times was one in 1752, in which they declared themselves "uneasy under the ministerial performances of Rev.

Mr. Heaton, and requested him to desist from the work of the gospel ministry in this place;" and in 1771 and 1773 the selectmen were instructed to grant to those who wished " the priviledge of building Sab- bath-day houses and horse-houses." During one of the most trying years of the Revolution, 1777, at a town-meeting held in September, it was

"l'oted, that Fisk Beach he Chorister to tune the Paalm, and be head chorister, aod that Wait Hinmao be assistant choriater."

Also,

"Voted, that those persona, men and women, in the galleries who are akilled in einging paalma are desired to use the front seats in the gal- leries, both in the front and eide galleries, to carry on the divine service of singing psalma."

At a town-meeting held in 1781 it was

"J'oted, that Adna Beach sit in the high pero near the pulpit stairs, and Capt. Edmund Beach sit in the opposite pew."

In September following this town

"l'oted, To dignify the seats in the meeting-house; and that churchmen aod Anabaptiste be seated according to what they agree to pay."

We do not know much that occurred in our native town during the ten or fifteen years succeeding our Revolutionary war, save that our fathers pursued the even tenor of their way, depending chiefly for income on the tilling of the soil.

It is worthy of mention that there were twenty- eight blacksmiths in Goshen during the Revolution. Not only were guns made and stocked here, but many, if not all, our farming implements were made in our town. There were two lawyers here, whether kept busy by quarrels at home we cannot tell ; but we are sure of one thing,-Goshen people never lacked in independence of character.

We find illustration of the laws and integrity of the magistrates of that time in the following cases from a record of trials :

"The King v Renben Sweet. On Feb. 21, 1775, Reuben Sweet, of win- chester, io Sd county, l'ersonally appeared, and confest himself Guilty of Playing Cards, Contrary to the Statute law of this Colony, on the 16th Day of March last Past, at the Dwelling House of Joseph Hoakina, io Torriogton, io Sd County, whereupon this court gives Givea Judgemeot that Sd Ruben Sweet pay a fine of 34 Lawful money to the Treasurer of Sd Torrington, together with one shilling cost.

" The one shilling is paid.

" EBENT NORTON, " Justice of Peace."

" The King versua Oliver Griswold. Oliver Griswold, of Goshen, son of Zacheus Griswold, Jr. (a minor), appeared in court, and Coofeat him- self Guilty of breach of Law; by profanely playing on the Sabbath, in the time of publick Worship in the meeting-house in Sd Goshen ; on the 4th Day of April last; in voluntarially smiling oo the Cloths of one that was near him, and Lawfing and wispering; whereupon this Court givee judgement, for the Sd Oliver Griswold to pay a fine of 38. Lawful Money to the Treasurer of the Town of Sd Goshen, for the use of Sd Town, and 18. for thia Judgemeot.

" This Judgement ia satisfied.

"EBENEZER NORTON,

" Justice of Peace.

" GOSHEN, June 14, 1775."

It seems a matter of surprise that the population of Goshen should have increased so much during the Revolutionary war. From 1774 to 1782, only eight

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GOSHEN.

years, the increase was from 1098 to 1439, a gain of 341. Hartford had only reached 5313, and New Haven had lost about 100. Middletown had lost 262, while Litchfield had gained 509, having a population of 3018.

We do not know the census of Goshen between 1782 and 1800, an interval of eighteen years; but we are surprised to find it in 1800 but 1493, a gain of only 54 in eighteen years. This can only be accounted for by the fact that emigration to the West had pre- vented our increase to a great extent.

Some things surprise us if we may assume that our early records of births, deaths, and marriages are com- plete. Three deaths (all in one family) are recorded during 1739, the first year of our existence, and none the next year ; in the following year, 1741, there was one death; then there was a period of five years in which death did not visit our little colony, and the sum of deaths during the first ten years is only seven.

But there are five births recorded our first year ; the next year six, and some years twelve and thirteen, making, in the same first ten years of our history, seventy-eight births against seven deaths.

Then the record of marriages is a good showing. The first couple married in Goshen were Daniel Harris, Jr., and Abigail Fanning. Rev. Mr. Heaton married them the first month he was here as a " pro- bationer." One more couple followed their example that year, the next year four couples, and during our first ten years there were 22 marriages. The next ten years recorded 25 deaths, 45 marriages, and 173 births. This was with an average population of less than 610, as shown in 1756. Starting at 1759 (during the French war), the next ten years show, in a population esti- mated at 850 (as an average number) : marriages, 42; deaths, 33; and births, 227. This must be called our increasing period, when almost 25 per cent. were added to our population by the excess of births over onr deaths. Perhaps the next ten years, however, will exhibit almost as rapid increase. This is from 1769 to 1779, when our population, from the census of 1774, -viz., 1098, and that of 1782 of 1439,-would justily the estimate of 1100 as the average number of our in- habitants. This period shows : marriages, 23; deaths, 21; and births, 268, making an increase of 22 per cent. Now we will venture to suppose that our popu- lation in 1740 was 240 seuls; in 1782 it was 1439. The gain during the first forty-three years of our his- tory was 1199. There had been during the forty-three years 89 deaths and 784 births. The gain by births, then, was 695, leaving 458 of the gain to be accounted for by the coming in of outsiders ; and, of course, to this 458 must be added enough to make up for all who had removed from town. Our population at the close of the Revolutionary war was considerably larger than at the present time.

them, Abraham and Andrew Parmele, had lingered until 1795. Among the many deaths during that century which were regarded as public calamities were those of Deacon Moses Lyman, Deacon John Beach, Deacon Nathaniel Baldwin, Asaph Hall, Esq., and Col. Ebenezer Norton, to which I might add the names of many other noble fathers of that time.

THE FIRST MERCHANT.

If we glance briefly at the business of our town in its early history, we find our knowledge less than we desire. It is known that wheat and rye were raised much more extensively than at the present time, our families using flour made from their own grain.

The first merchant in Goshen was John Smith, who had a store in East Street in 1745. Mr. Smith re- moved to the Centre in 1750, where he afterwards kept tavern, and finally failed in business. The next one of whom we know was Mr. Uri Hill, in West Street. In his store there we find a man as clerk who after- wards comes to the view as the most noted merchant of Goshen. His name was Ephraim Starr. Mr. Hill died, and Mr. Starr married his widow in November, 1769. Mr. Starr was then twenty-four years old, and his wife the same age. He was greatly prospered in business. Daniel Miles was also a merchant in East Street in 1778.

Mr. Starr built the Starr Honse, now owned by Mr. James Wadhams, before 1770, and there can be no doubt that there has been more money made in the part of that house then used as a store than in any other building in Goshen. His trade was extensive before and during the war, but in 1783 he secured a large quantity of goods which the Tories sold very cheap when they were compelled to leave New York. These he had conveyed to Goshen, and having the entire trade of Goshen, Cornwall, Norfolk, Torrington, and perhaps half that of Litchfield, he accumulated a large fortune, and retired from business in 1793.

Before this time, Elihu Lewis and Birdseye Nor- ton had a store in East Street, and Lewis & Lyman were in partnership by the time Mr. Starr retired. This was Mr. Moses Lyman, whom many of us re- member, and who in after-years was in company with his brother, Erastus Lyman. They were long in busi- ness on the corner near the house of Mr. Moses Ly- man. The firm of Wadhams & Carrington, then Wadhams & Thomson, occupied the corner near the house of Moses Gray, and Birdseye Norton continued to trade in a store built near his new brick house. This house was erected in 1804, and was the most ex- pensive house ever built in Goshen.

During the time Mr. Starr was in business, about 1783, there was a mercantile company formed in town, consisting of thirty-two men. One object of their uniting was to make sale of white-ash oars. The making of these beat-oars had become quite a busi- ness in our town, and complaint was made that Mr.

Of the forty-six first owners of Goshen, we find only sixteen who remained permanently here, and those sixteen had all passed away before 1800. Two of . Starr would not purchase their oars. But this mer-

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HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

cantile company was not a success, and one after another they retired from it, leaving a large quantity of oars unsold. But their agent in New York, Mr. Holbrook, one of the company, was fortunate enough to meet an old captain of a French ship, to whom he made sale of the whole lot, much to the relief of many people in Goshen.

While we do not follow the history of mercantile business farther, we should glance at another business which has long been of great importance, the mak- ing and selling of Goshen cheese. The trade in cheese in early times, so far as we can learn, was like that in grain or other articles,-each man took his cheese away from Goshen and disposed of it as best he could. This trade in its present shape had its be- ginning in an experiment of Mr. Alexander Norton's, who took the first Goshen cheese to the South in 1792. He was successful, and continued in the business ten or fifteen years. But Birdseye Norton soon engaged in the trade, and was followed by other merchants, M. & E. Lyman and Wadhams & Thomson, and no doubt some others at an early date; but the trade in cheese never assumed its present proportions until it was extended largely beyond the limits of our town by the firm of A. Miles & Son.

We have been accustomed to think that we make more cheese now than our fathers and grandfathers did in 1799, but this is very doubtful. There were only one hundred and two less of horse and neat cat- tle in our town in 1799 than in 1875, and in 1806 the number of cows-viz., 1869-must be as large as are now kept for cheese-making. It is noticeable that in 1798 there were 646 horses in Goshen, against the number of 250 in 1875. The time for sheep seems to have been 1827, when there were in town 5528 sheep.

To Goshen also belongs the notoriety of origina- ting the manufacture of pine-apple cheese in this country, in 1808, by Lewis M. Norton, and at a later date, 1843, the starting of the first cheese-factory in our country. It is believed that Goshen cheese had attained its high reputation as early as 1800, if not sooner. This business has added much to the wealth and prosperity of our town. The following tribute by Mr. Barber, in his "Historical Collections of 1836," is from one competent and impartial :

" Large quantities of cheese ars annually mads, the fame of which is widely and justly celebrated, and the inhabitants are generally in pros- perous circumstances. In neatness in and about their dwellings, and in the appearance of general comfort and prosperity, they are not ex- ceeded, if equaled, by any town in the State."

There was a furnace or forge in Canada village for some years previous to 1813, the iron ore being brought from Salisbury. The woolen-factory business was started in West Goshen in 1813 by the firm Wad- hams, Thomson, Walter & Cobh. This business was carried on by different firms for many years, until more recently changed to a cotton-yarn factory. From first to last it has not proved as profitable as could be desired.

In 1810 our population had reached 1641, a gain of 148 in ten years, while Litchfield had reached its cli- max, 4639, outnumbering the city of Hartford, which, without East Hartford, had only 3955, 104 less than Litchfield, and New Haven had only 5772. Passing to the census of 1820, Goshen had fallen off to 1586, a loss of 55; Litchfield lost 29; Hartford had over- taken Litchfield and showed 4726; and New Haven had 7147 inhabitants. Emigration to the West must account for this our first decrease in number.

WAR OF 1812.

We have passed 1812, the period of our last war with England. We were not called upon for great sacrifices at that time, but we to-day make honorable mention of three men from Goshen who served in that war. Their names are Harlan Humphrey, John Wilcox, and Alfred C. Thomson. Mr. Humphrey still lives. There are two others now residing here not natives of Goshen who did service in that war, viz., Thomas Robinson and Abial R. Bragg.

In 1819 there occurred a meeting here of too much importance to pass by without notice. It was the oc- casion of the ordination of the first missionaries to the Sandwich Islands, Messrs. Bingham and Thurs- ton. It was a movement great in its results upon those islands, now so thoroughly Christianized.

Fifty years later, on Sept. 28, 1869, a most interest- ing meeting was also held here in memory of the one in 1819, at which Mr. Bingham, one of the two mis- sionaries, was present.

In 1823 our Goshen Academy was erected, and in it was established a school of a bigh order, which has done much towards giving intellectual ability to the people of Goshen.

GOSHEN ACADEMY.

Previous to 1823 there had been a select school in Goshen, called some of the time an academy, for in the Litchfield Monitor, Jan. 6, 1807, a " Mr. Joseph Edwards" advertised himself as teacher of Goshen Academy. Our fathers, only four years after they came here, in 1738, leased their school right for nine hundred and ninety-nine years, and voted that the proceeds should be used to support two schools in the east part of the town, one in the south, and one in the west part of the town. The next year, 1743, they ap- . pointed "Deacon Baldwin, Amos Thomson, and Dan- iel Richards a committee to hire a school-master or masters, or a school-mistress or mistresses, to teach school."

It is not certain that any schools were taught here during the first ten years of our history ; but from 1748 to 1800 our schools afforded a fair education in common English branches, excepting grammar, al- though geography was little taught; but between 1800 and 1825 the standard of education here had greatly advanced. It is doubtful whether there has been much advance in our common schools in Goshen since 1825.

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GOSHEN.

However this may be, it is certain that the Goshen school-boy of 1755, then at the age of five years, looked back from his stand-point in 1825, at the age of seventy-five, and could truly boast that he had learned something. He remembered back seventy years, when he first saw a stove, an open one. He also heard then of lightning-rods, and wished we had one on our house in Goshen. In 1760 he is surprised to see people wear collars on their shirts, and hears that ladies in some places ride on a thing with wheels, called a chaise. `In 1770 he asks his father if we cannot have one of those wooden clocks, so as to know what time it is in a dark day (for he knows they cannot afford one of those expensive brass ones from Eng- land). On the 4th of July, 1776, he starts for East Street, to help the boys put up a liberty-pole; but when he comes home he sees that his mother has been weeping, and learns in the evening that father has made up his mind to leave them all and go to the war. He makes up his mind that if father goes he shall go too. In 1780, after their return home, with his bride at church, he sees some one carrying a thing over their head, which he learns is called an "um- brillo." Twelve years later he tells his wife he means to get the start of anybody in this town, and have a carpet for their best room ; but she thinks they must be queer things to walk on. In 1795 he tells her he has made up his mind to lay aside his knee-breeches and wear what they call "pantaloons." In 1807 he hears that a Mr. Fulton ran a boat up North River by steam. In 1815 he buys one of Terry's clocks to regulate his old verge watch by,-a watch that has uniformly deceived one hour a day in time, and which he found it necessary to regulate anew every time he wound it. In 1817, feeble and aged as he finds he is becoming, he is glad to find a stove in the meeting- house, so he need not go to the "Sabba-day" house at noon. This year his son, just returned from pur- chasing goods in New York, tells him he has sailed on a steamboat from New York to New Haven. He is astonished at his son's recklessness in thus risking his life. In 1822 his son makes him a present of a steel pen, which he likes, his hand having become too tremulous to make a quill-pen. In 1832, at the age of eighty-two, his son tells him of his first ride on a railroad, and produces what he insists is the greatest discovery ever made, viz., a box of matches. The boy of 1755 is indeed astonished to see that old tinder- box, steel, and flint laid aside nevermore to be used.

No longer a boy, but an old man, he goes to his rest, and it is not strange that some of his children, feeling the life and spring inspired by the world's rapid progress, should go forth from the old home and help to build up and people the towns and cities of the great West.

But we have reached the time of our greatest popu- lation, 1830, when we numbered one thousand seven hundred and thirty-four, a gain of one hundred and forty-eight in ten years. Litchfield had decreased,

Hartford nearly doubled, and New Haven grown one- half.

It is not strange that the people of our town in 1838 were resolved to notice in a becoming manner the centennial of the settlement of Goshen. There was a large and deeply-interested assemblage in this church on that day, Sept. 28, 1838. An address was delivered by Rev. Grant Powers, then a minister here, -an address well worthy of the occasion and the town. It will doubtless be preserved so long as Goshen exists. Some few Revolutionary soldiers were then living and present. There are none of them here to- day. They have passed from sight in that long pro- cession which is filing into our cemeteries,-a proces- sion of which we form a part.

Some are with us to-day not less brave or patriotic than our sires of old, who gave themselves to their country in the hour of peril at a later day. Perchance some of them may linger, with feeble step and tones tremulous with age and emotion, and tell a touching story to our children one-half a century from now.

Glancing backward again, it was in 1830, or a little later, that the speaker first looked upon, with a curi- ous gaze, what he had often heard of before but never seen, viz., an Irishman. I do not think before 1835 an Irish girl was ever seen in Goshen. The change in this respect is striking. The sons and daughters of an island well called the "Emerald Isle," in its verdure and beauty, have enabled America to make her wonderful improvements. They now form an im- portant portion of our population, and we may well ask how America could have reached her present po- sition without the aid of these her adopted citizens.

There were a few families from Ireland settled here between 1830 and 1840, and we find from the census of 1870 that, out of our population of 1224, 170 are natives of Ireland and England; those born in Ger- many, 32; in France, 21 ; in Switzerland, 3; making, in all, 226 born over the wave. The number of their children (native Americans) I do not know. It seems remarkable that during the six years since 1870 more than 350 persons have removed from Goshen.

THE WAR OF THE REBELLION.

As we approach 1860, that time so full of deep in- terest to us all, we pause astonished at the magnitude of the events through which we passed. We all re- member how our first little band of five resolved to rally round our flag,-a flag that had been one short month before descerated at Fort Sumter. On the morning of May 24, 1861, as they were about to leave to join their regiment at Hartford, many friends as- sembled to give them the parting hand and blessing. These five pioneers did good service for three years or more, and were all spared to return.

There were twenty-eight others from Goshen who enlisted in different regiments before the close of 1861, making thirty-three in all. The next year, 1862, there were forty-nine Goshen men enlisted,

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HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

forty-seven in the company commanded by James Q. Price, and two others in another company in the same regiment, the Nineteenth ; in the company of Capt. Rice were fifty-three men from Torrington, making one hundred and two. This was the largest cluster of Goshen men together during the war ; and when they left, on Aug. 21, 1862, and marched to their camp at Litchfield, we found the war had become a startling reality to us. Those men, who had left all the joys of happy homes on these hills of Goshen, car- ried with them our prayers and blessings. We fol- lowed them with anxious hearts during their eventful career. They were called through terrible scenes of blood, and when they who lived through were dis- charged in 1865, their's was a sad, although a heroic, record, for many a dear familiar face was nevermore to be seen on earth.

During their service 9 recruits joined them from Goshen, making 58 of our men in that company. Of these 58 men, 8 were killed and 11 more died of sickness, making 19 ont of 58, almost one-third,-a record that tells its own tale.

In 1863 there were 17 men enlisted : the 9 above, who were recruits in Capt. Rice's company, and 8 men who joined other companies. The whole number of enlisted men, counting two who enlisted in a New York regiment, and one who enlisted in a Ver- mont regiment, amounts to 101. Of this number there were killed, 12 ; died of sickness, 16; 1 killed in an explosion on the railway, making 29 in all, or almost 29 per cent., truly a sad record. Besides these 101 men, there were 46 substitutes furnished by Goshen men during the war. Of their fate we have no means of knowing .*

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History of Litchfield county, Connecticut, Part 81

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