History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 100

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 818

USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men > Part 100

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HADDAM BAPTIST CHURCH.

This church is located in the lower part of the town, [ in the locality known as Shailerville. A few Baptist families resided here previous to the organization of a church. As early as 1792 some members of these fami- lies joined the Baptist church at Chatham. Meetings were held here in private houses for several years. In 1793, a sect called "Separatists," erected a meeting house here and conducted worship in it until 1800, when their minister, Mr. Charles Smith, died, and their meet- ings were suspended. In 1803, the Baptists obtained the use of it and ever afterward occupied it. A distinct

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HADDAM-LOCALITIES-THE NECK.

church organization was effected by a council in 1822, and in 1833 a new church, the present building, was erected on a site but a few rods north and on the oppo- site side of the road from the old one. Previous to the organization the pulpit had been supplied since 1806 by Elders Simeon Dickinson, Amasa Smith, Simon Shailer, Samuel West, and William Palmer. Since 1822, the pas- torate has been filled by Elders Simon Shailer, 15 years; Davis T. Shailer, I year; William Denison, I year; Sam- uel West, I year; Alfred Gates, 2 years; Ebenezer Loomis, I year; Frederick Wightman, 3 years; Russell Jennings, 2 years; A. D. Watrous, 5 months; and Albert Baldwin, 21/2 years. The present membership is about 90. The Sunday school numbers 75. Elder Jennings gave the church a parsonage April 26th 1878. He also donated the church a fund of $4,000, for the support of the gos- pel ministry in 1883.

LOCALITIES.

Brainerd District .- This is the northwest district of the town. Samuel Brainerd, Richard Bonfoey, and Shubael Crook were among the first settlers here. Sam- uel Brainerd and his family owned a large tract of land here. He settled about the year 1734. Elisha Spencer settled about the year 1750, a mile west of the present school house. A saw mill located about half a mile northwest of the old homestead of Samuel Brainerd was

owned and occupied by his descendants previous to is a triangular point of land between the Connecticut and 1840.

Candlewood Hill. - Elijah Brainerd and Stephen Smith settled here about the year 1734. William Scovil, Daniel Spencer, and others settled about the same time or soon after. A saw mill, the ruins of which still stand upon the land of Andrew Peck, was established as early as 1825. The site was occupied by a previous saw mill, which tradition says was burned.

Little City .- The first settler here was Pelatiah Clark, who came here about the year 1740. Didimus Johnson, Joseph Burr, and a Mr. Seward settled at a later date. A saw mill in the southwest part, now owned by Phi- lander Burr, was built in 1840. An old one had occupied the same site more than 100 years ago. The cemetery in this locality was laid out December 30th 1822.

Ponset .- Jared Spencer -and Daniel Hubbard, who came from Middletown, were among the first settlers here. The old burying ground here was opened in 1761; the new one was, laid out January 16th 1828. Ashel and Anson Bonfoey established a clothier's works here about 1814. It was abandoned before 1840. A grist mill once occupied a site on a small brook that empties into the Ponset Brook. It stood on the Haddam and Killingworth Turnpike, and was formerly owned by Samuel Hubbard and afterward by Ebenezer Wilcox.

Burr District .-- This occupies the southwest part of the town. Nathaniel Burr, Stephen Smith, and John Wilcox were among the first settlers in this locality. The burying ground was laid out January 10th 1828.

Turkey Hill .- Cornelius Higgins and Azariah Dickin- son were early settlers here. The house where Chaun-

cey Dickinson lives was kept as a tavern by Obadiah Dickinson nearly one hundred years ago. The burying ground was laid out in 1815.

Tylerville .- A grist mill and saw mill once stood on Roaring Brook, a stream that flows into Clark's Creek. The mill stood between the old country road and the turnpike. The grist mill was built soon after the Revo- lution, and was probably abandoned about 1825. The saw mill, having been in operation many years, was given up about 1850. The burying ground was opened in 1782, though one grave at least had been made on the spot many years earlier. This was the grave of Mr. Solomon Bates, who died of small-pox July 13th 1759.

Beaver Meadow .- A saw mill, established about one hundred years ago, is now in operation here. A carding mill which stood on the stream about one-fourth of a mile above, was operated about forty years ago by War- ren Pardee, who afterward made buttons there. Another ancient saw-mill site is marked by some of its ruins about one-fourth of a mile further up the stream. This has been abandoned 40 or 50 years.

HADDAM NECK. BY HENRY M. SELDEN.

The portion of Haddam early called Haddam Neck, Salmon Rivers, four miles long and four miles broad across its northern line. From its geographical position it should have been called Middle Haddam, as it is mid- way between Haddam and East Haddam-a name it afterward gave to the ecclesiastical society composed of it and the western half of the adjoining town of Chat- ham; a name continuing to the ecclesiastical society, and now also applied to the latter, though inappro- priately.

The surface is quite hilly and rocky, the ranges run- ning generally north and south. The scenery viewed from their summits-of the Connecticut River and val- ley, and the hills and villages on the opposite shore, and of East Haddam to the eastward, with its village of Moodus-is varied and very beautiful. A large and valuable meadow, enriched by the annual freshets of the river, extends along the shore from the northern line southward about one and a half miles with a width of from 80 to 100 rods. This was early known as the Great Meadow, and so described for many years in deeds of the lots.

Another large meadow extends from the foot of the hills southward across from the Connecticut to Salmon River Cove, and terminates at the junction of the two rivers just above the Upper Landing of East Haddam. This tract is called the Cove Meadow, and most of it is excellent land. Several smaller meadows lie between the two men- tioned. These meadows are divided into narrow and long lots of varying width, and generally front on the river.

The land, generally meadow and upland, was originally

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

surveyed into comparatively narrow and long lots of from 80 to 160 rods long, and early described as the Ist, 2d, 3d, etc., tier of lots. The best land is meadow and intervale near the Connecticut River, although much good land is found on and among the hills.

Wild animals were numerous for many years after the settlement among which were bears and wolves. The latter were seen as late as 1770, and tradition says were successfully hunted by the men turning out en-masse (probably assisted by others, from the adjoining settle- ments) who formed a long line across the hills and ravines with diminishing intervals as they advanced, and drove the wolves before them to the Cove Meadow, where they were shot.

The hills and valleys were heavily timbered, and the former generally underlaid with a system of ledges, or one continuous ledge extending from the north part of Chatham through the Neck and across and under the Connecticut River, and cropping out at frequent inter- vals. There are veins, however, some of them large, of gneiss stone of an iron gray color, excellent for building, curbing, and paving stone, which have been used quite extensively, and as far south as New Orleans.

There is a vein of fine dark blue stone occasionally found running through the principal range of rocks un- derlying the more elevated portions. This vein, from its early discoverer and worker, David Allen, is called the Al- len Vein. It is of a free rift, with close seams and easily splits with a smooth surface.

The principal quarry of gneiss stone on the Neck was opened by Deacon Ezra Brainerd in 1762, and was suc- cessfully worked by him many years, and a numerous force employed, until, through the competition resulting from the opening of other quarries elsewhere, it and the other quarries in the place are not now worked. The principal openings were from 50 to 70 rods from the river, on a hill of considerable height and quite extensive, from which the descent is difficult, known as Quarry Hill. This and other quarries have been worked by Ansel, Capt. Roswell, Alfred, Deacon Cyprian S., Henry S., and Hezekiah Brainerd, the Shailers, and Elys, of Haddam, and others. Feldspar is abundant, and of good quality. The first quarried in the United States was in this place about 40 years ago, by Alfred Brainerd jr., and was sent to England. He, years after, in company with Diodate Brainerd and Harris Cook, opened several quar- ries, and built a large mill in Higganum for burning, grinding, and preparing it for use. They also shipped much in its native condition, and carried on quite an ex- tensive business. Quarries of trap rock, mica, and graphite have been worked.

Among the different minerals found here are: Albite, anthophyllite, allanite, beryl, chrysoberyl, chlorophyllite, feldspar, feldspar crystallized, garnet, graphite, horn- blende, iolite, iron pyrites, kyanite, lepidolite, mica, mag- netic iron, crystals, ferruginous, rose, and smoky quartz, black, green, and red tourmaline. It is probable that several of the minerals credited to Haddam by Dana are to be found here, viz .: Automolite, adularia, columbite,

epidote, molybdenite, spinel, sulpuret of bismuth, and zircon.

On the hill rising from and extending back from Rock Landing, is a singular depression in the plain-like sur- face. It is apparently about eight rods long and six rods wide, and from 20 to 30 feet deep. The shape is oval with the outline and slopes regular and unbroken. Years ago this was a favorite place for base-ball playing. It was probably caused by the action of water when sub- merged during the glacial period, and later may have been used as a place of resort and place of defense by the Indians for which it was well adapted.

There is a similar but large depression, of circular form, on Little Neck, between the junction of Pine Brook and Salmon River; and another in Leesville, on Basin Hill, to which it gives the name. Several small ravines, near the Connecticut River, were, according to tradition, caused by great water spouts occurring since the settle- ment. There is a small cave in the rocks near the south- ern extremity of the high ground of the Neck, with an entrance of about four feet in height, opening into a room several feet in diameter and height.

The Indians remained on their reservations in the town for many years. They had a place of resort, in a deep hollow on Haddam Neck, called Indian Hollow, on land of William C. and Henry M. Selden, where a num- ber of their wigwams remained standing several years after 1740. The brook rising at Chatham line and pass- ing through it bears the name of Indian Hollow Brook.

MILLS AND MANUFACTORIES.

The principal stream of water on the Neck, is Pine Brook, having its source in Lake Pocotopaug, in the par- ish of East Hampton, town of Chatham, and running in a southerly direction empties into Salmon River Cove. It is a large and durable stream, excellent for power pur- poses.

Near its mouth a company saw mill was early built, owned by Reuben R. Chapman and several of the name of Brainerd.

Years after this, another saw mill was built still nearer the mouth, by Dudley Brainerd. This was afterward enlarged and improved by Henry Williams.

Still further up the stream than the first saw mill, House & Co. built, in 1847, a large paper mill, which was burnt April 18th 1871. Above the site of the paper mill of House & Co. was early a sword factory, built by Starr & Sage, of Middletown. This was in use in the time of the war of 1812, and the swords were used in that war. It was afterward changed into a scythe factory by Oliver Green.

This in time was abandoned, and three oakum mills were built (as one after another were burnt), by R. & D. Rand & Co., of Middletown; James Tibbals, manufac- turing agent.

Oakum mill No. 3 was afterward managed by Deacon Edward Root till 1849, when he moved to Middletown, and R. & D. Rand & Co. sold to the Pine Brook Duck Co., who enlarged the mill and manufactured cotton

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ducking. This was burnt, and the property was pur- chased by Daniel Wetherell, who built a new mill and manufactured cotton batting until 1882, when House & Bro. purchased and greatly enlarged the mill, using it for the manufacture of paper.

On a stream in the western part of the Neck, Lieu- tenant Simon Brainerd built a saw and grist mill. On the same stream, further up, and in the limits of Chatham, was early a company saw mill, built by Robert Clark, Captain Thomas Selden, several of the name of Smith, and others.

There were, early, several small tanneries and a bark mill in the upper part of the Neck, and saltpetre works at the time of the war of 1812.

Ezra S. Gillette commenced the manufacture -of bas- kets in 1852, and has continued to the present time, as- sisted by his sons, Charles O. and Merit P. Gillette. They have two factories, and manufacture 1,200 dozen baskets per year. Several others do a smaller business in the same line.

Under an appropriation by the government, Salmon River Cove was dredged in the autumn of 1883, to admit larger steamboats, a small one having run regularly, in the summer of 1883, from Scovill's Landing to Middle- town. Sloops and scows formerly ascended as far as Leesville.

CEMETERY.

The cemetery for the use of the people of Haddam Neck was laid out in 1734, on the east side of the road leading to and near Rock Landing, on a sandy knoll 12 rods square, and overlooking the river. It has connected with it a hearse and hearse house. There are several fine marble and granite monuments. On the opposite side of the highway, another yard has been laid out by Jarvis A. Morgan, and a few fine monuments already erected.

SHIPBUILDING.

The town early set apart a tract of land, below and ad- joining the present lower wharf at Rock Landing, for the use of the people in ship building, and for depositing timber and wood. The lower wharf, built by individ- uals, is 96 feet long, and the upper wharf is 80 feet long.

Robert Clark built a sloop at Rock Landing, and after- ward built another at Ben. Clark Landing.

Elias Selden, Esq., and Colonel Theodore H. Arnold, built, at Rock Landing, the sloop Coret, of which Asa Goff was the captain. Simeon Selden, Calvin Brainerd, and Jacob Tucker built, at Rock Landing, the sloop Lark, of which Horace Chapman was the captain.

Edgar and Caleb Smith built the schooner Thomas HI. Seymour, near the old Selden house, in 1.848.

Captain Chauncey Brainerd built the schooner Mary Ann, in 1815, at Town Rock, near the house of Edgar Smith, and he was her captain. The keel was laid on Friday, and every important part was commenced on Friday; launched on Friday, sailed from New York on Friday, and, it is supposed, was lost on Friday, with Captain Brainerd and all his crew,

For many years after the settlement a large amount of wood, timber, rails, and posts were shipped to different places but mainly to New York, and goods in part re- ceived therefor, which, being divided among those inter- ested, easily supplied the lack of a store.

MERCHANTS.

The pioneer merchant was Robert Clark. The next was Dudley Brainerd, who built the house now occupied by Captain Charles S. Russell, in the basement of which he had his store. This store was next managed by Selden Huntington one year, succeeded by Elias Selden and Colonel Theodore H. Arnold, under the firm name of Selden & Arnold, then by a Mr. L'Hommedieu, and in rotation by Lavater R. Selden, James S. Selden, Lucius E. Goff, Captain Charles S. Russell, Albert S. Russell, George E. Russell & Co., and Joseph Griffin. Chauncey Arnold built a store near his house which was managed by his family. It is now used as a place for voting.

Robert Clark being the last surviving member of the Episcopal church in the eastern part of the ecclesiastical society, took it down and removed it to the Neck for his own use.

SETTLEMENT.

The date of the early settlement of Haddam Neck is involved in obscurity, but it is supposed to be about 1710 or '12, by the following persons, some of them settling later than others: William Brainerd, his wife Sarah Bidwell, and their children; James Brainerd jr., his wife Anne; Thomas Selden, his wife Sarah, and their children; Sylvester Dudley; Gideon Goff jr., and per- haps his father; Jabez Brooks Esq., and perhaps Thomas Brooks; Dr. Joshua and Deacon Gideon Arnold, their sisters, and possibly their father, John; - Cone; Robert Chapman; Benajah Clark, and perhaps Deacon Ebenezer Smith and William Markham; - Stocking. Of these, William Brainerd, the fifth child of Daniel and Hannah (Spencer) Brainerd, one of the original pro- prietors of Haddam, married Sarah Bidwell, December 13th 1698, and built his house between the foot of Quarry Hill and the house of the late Deacon Cyprian S. Brain_ erd. Their children were:

1. Sarah, married Deacon Gideon Arnold, one of the settlers.

2. Sergt. William J., married Esther

3. Hannah, married William Smith.

4. Samuel, married Esther Brainerd, daughter of Jabez and Hannah (Clark) Brainerd, and settled in Brainerd District in Haddam.

5. (Rev.) Chiliab, graduated at Yale, minister in Eastbury, town of Glastonbury.

6. Lieut. Josiah sen., twice married. He built his house on Quarry Hill in 1737. The house was torn down in 1883. He served in two expeditions to Canada; was with Gen. Wolfe, at the capture of Quebec; and also served in the Revolutionary war.

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

7. Nathan, twice married. He built his house where the house of Oliver B. Arnold now stands.

Serg't James Brainerd jr., son of Deacon James and Deborah Brainerd, of Haddam, who was the fourth child of Daniel and Hannah (Spencer) Brainerd, a Haddam proprietor. It is not now known where his house stood. He died October 2d 1776. His children were:

I. Benjamin, whose house was across the road from, and nearly opposite, the house of Henry L. Brainerd.

2. Jedediah, who served in at least one expedition to Canada in the French and Indian war, and was father of Jedediah jr., Amos, Candace, and others. He built where the house of Hamlin F. Johnson now stands, which last was built by Jedediah jr. His son, Amos, built the one- story house on the corner near, lately occupied by Daniel Wetherell.

3. Rebecca.

4. James.

5. Hannah.

6. Dudley.

7. Ozias.

8. Jonathan, who built the house now owned by Mrs. N. B. Northam. He is mentioned in account of Revo- lutionary war. He died about 1825, aged 88.

Thomas Selden sen., from Lyme, son of Joseph and Re- becca (Church) Selden, of Lyme, and grandson of Thomas and Esther Selden, an English settler of Hart- ford in 1636, was born in Deerfield, Mass. He built his house at the western head of Cove Meadow near the river and about opposite the new cemetery in Haddam. This was burnt, and his younger son, Capt. Joseph, built a smaller one near the old site, the ruins of which still remain. His eldest son, Capt. Thomas, built on the central ridge, across the road from the house of William C. and Henry M. Selden, where the post office is now kept. Capt. Thomas was father of Rev. David.

Sylvester Dudley built, first, where Timothy Andrews lived; second, near the southern extremity of the high ground on the Neck and near Dibble's Creek, now known as the Ackley place.

Gideon Goff jr. built his house one-eighth of a mile north from the house of. Justin E. Arnold. It is now standing, but unoccupied. His father, Gideon sen., may also have lived there.

Jabez Brooks, or his supposed father, Thomas, built a little southwest of the house of the late Abial J. Brooks. He was an eccentric man, of whose ready wit anecdotes are told, and the first justice of the peace on the Neck. It is related of him that a customer employed him to draw a deed, which he prefaced with "Know one woman " etc., and on an objection being made, he re- plied, " It is all right. If one woman knows it, all men will!"

Dr. Joshua Arnold, son of John and grandson of Joseph, one of the original settlers of Haddam, a peti- tioner for the ecclesiastical society, and a constituent member of the church, is supposed to have built on the south side of the road leading to Higganum, as also Deacon Daniel, a son of Deacon Gideon.

Dr. Joshua is said to have introduced the common red hearted white cedar. A son, Jacob, built the Justin E. Arnold house. Deacon Gideon Arnold, a brother of Dr. Joshua, and son of John, was also among the early settlers, a petitioner for the ecclesiastical society, and a constituent member of the church, in which he was elected a deacon November 8th 1740, was father of Deacon Daniel, of the Middle Haddam church, and of Deacon Gideon, of the East Hampton church. His house was in the fields west of the Rock Landing road, and of the house of Martin B. Brainerd.

One of the settlers, named Cone, built his house near the present one of William H. Graham. He afterward, in 1751, exchanged farms with Benajah Clark, of Walk- ley Hill, a great grandson of William, an original settler of Haddam. Benajah immediately built his house (now standing and owned by Alexander M. Clark), at the foot of the hill since known as the "Ben Clark Hill." Ben- ajah was a brother of Peletiah, the ancestor of the Little City Clarks.

Robert Chapman of the fifth generation, and also fifth in name from Robert, one of the settlers of Saybrook, was settled just east of Pine Brook, and built a gambrel roofed one-story house close by where his only son, Reu- ben Rowley, afterward built and where his grandson, Martin, now resides. He was a teamster in two expedi- tions to Canada, during the French and Indian wars.

Josiah Brainerd jr., son of Josiah sen. and Hannah (Spencer) Brainerd, built a house (afterward burnt) where Samuel House built later. He next built the house near the river where his grandson, the late deacon Cyprian S. Brainerd, lived.

A Mr. Norton built his house near and just south of the barn of Luther Arnold.

Jonathan Cook built his house on the north side of the road to Higganum.

Two families of the name of Stocking early lived on the opposite side of the road, and a little south of the Methodist Episcopal church, one of whom probably was John, and the other Nathaniel Stocking. The house on the west side is now owned and occupied by Warren S. Williams.

Chiliab Brainerd, son of Josiah and Hannah (Spencer) Brainerd, built his house on the east side of the road, near the house of Enos B. Young.

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

The settlers were generally religious, and, retaining their membership or interest in the church on the west side, continued to attend public worship there, but it was very inconvenient, and they often found it difficult to cross the river. Those, also, living across the line in the western portion of the adjoining town of Chatham, then Middletown, were similarly situated with regard to the church in Middletown.

At length, with increasing numbers, " it being more con- venient for them to meet together than for each section to worship where they had done, they united, in October 1738, in a petition to the Legislature for incorporation

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HADDAM-THE NECK.

as a parish, and their request was granted in May 1740." The new parish, or ecclesiastical society, was named Middle Haddam which it still retains.

The history of this church from its organization to 1874 is given in the history of the town of Chatham.

After the departure of Mr. Hopkinson in 1868, tem- porary supplies only were procured while the old church continued to be occupied as the place of worship. Mr. Bentley, a former pastor, preached several Sabbaths, coming from his home in Berlin. Occasionally a neigh- boring minister would hold a late-in-the-day service to obtain a letter for some member to unite with his own church, so gathering the spoils which were thought to be destined to an inevitable distribution. Lay services were sometimes held, to the acceptance of those who as- sembled, by Deacon Samuel Skinner, of East Hampton.

For a long time no services were held in the church, the members attending other churches or remaining at home, and it became evident that the church which had existed for 130 years must either dwindle away and dis- solve or locate its sanctuary more centrally to that por- tion of the original parish which still remained to it.

Edward Davis Clark, a native and resident of the Neck, who died November 11th 1869, in his will, after the disposal of various legacies, set apart the remainder of his property, about $2,500, to accumulate until it amounted to the sum of $5,000, then to be paid to the Ecclesiastical Society of Middle Haddam, provided it at that time should have a church located on the Neck and near the school house.

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History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 100

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 818

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 818