USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men > Part 107
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" At a town meeting holden the 20th March 1774 El- nathan Stevens Esq. was chosen Moderator, Theophilus Morgan and Mr. George Eliot was chosen to attend the Congress to be holden at Middletown and make return of their doings at the next town meeting."
" At a town meeting holden the 13th day of Septem- ber 1774, Martin Lord, Aaron Elliott, Capt. Samuel Crane, Caleb Baldwin, Capt. Nathan Griswold to be a Committee of Correspondence with such other commit- tee as shall be appointed by other towns."
"At a town meeting legally warned and holden on the 13th day of December 1774, Elnathan Stevens was chosen Moderator, Col. Aaron Eliot was chosen Town Clerk. The inhabitants of said Town, taking into con- sideration the abridgement of the natural and constitu- tional rights of the American Colonies by the operation of several late Acts of the British Parliament and the operation and resolves of the Constitutional Congress holden in the City of Philadelphia on the 5th day of September A. D. 1774, being read and the Acceptance and Recommendation of the Honorable House of Rep- resentatives of this Colony convened at New Haven on the 2d Thursday of October last, being deliberately con- sidered, recommending the same to be strictly adhered to, by the several towns in this Colony, it was there- upon
" Voted: nemine Contradicente, that this Town do approve of the said Association and the several Resolves therein included, and do hereby recommend the same to be duly observed in this town and accordingly it was Voted, That Docr Samuel Gale, Benoni Hillard, George Eliot, Caleb Baldwin, Elisha Crane, and Aaron Stevens be a Committee of Correspondence and inspection and they are requested to use all proper measures to see that the resolves of said Congress be faithfully observed and that they publish the names of any who shall presume to violate the same.
" And then this meeting was adjourned to Prox day in April next. * * * "
"At a Town Meeting holden at Killingworth this 22d day of June 1775 Mr. Stephen Wilcox was chosen Mod- erator for this meeting. Mr. Daniel Redfield, John Wil- cox, Capt. Stephen Lane, Samuel Sheather were chosen in addition to the former committee of correspondence. " At a town meeting holden in Killingworth March 27,
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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
1777, Doct Benj Gale was chosen moderator for s'd meeting. Voted: That the town would abide by the stating of all the Articles that are enumerated in the Act of Assembly, agreeable to the request of the Governor and committee of safety-and that the town will supply the soldiers that are or shall be enlisted into the Conti- nental service with all those articles that are mentioned in the orders from the Governor and Committee safety agreeable to said orders-Voted likewise that Messrs. John Pierson Esq. Dea. Abd Wilcox, Capt. Stephen Lane, Mr. George Eliot Lt. Noah Lane, Lt. Martin Lord be a committee for the above service. Voted. That 40s. should be given to each soldier that has or shall enlist into service over and above what is already given for the encouragement of soldiers in this town, and that two pence on the pound be granted for raising of said sum, and to. be made on the list of the year 1776."
" At a town meeting holden at Killingworth March 19, 1788, George Eliot chosen moderator of said meeting. Capt. Stephen Lane, Benone Hillard, Elisha Lane, Levi Hull, Daniel Towner, John Spencer, Daniel Parmalee was chosen a committee to procure cloathing for the sol- diers according to the Resolution or Requisition of the General Assembly.
" At a town meeting holden in Killingworth Decem- ber 8, 1778. George Eliot Esq'r was chosen moderator of said meeting. Col. Aaron Eliot was chosen Town Register. Mr. Benj. Carter, Capt. William Morgan, Mr. John Spencer, Mr. Daniel Parmelee, Mr. Josiah Red- field, Mr. John Lane, Daniel Towner, Capt. Josiah Baldwin & Ezra Nettleton chosen a committee of supply."
At a town meeting holden the 22d 1779. George Eliot was chosen moderator. A committee appointed to provide for the soldiers in the Continental Army, John Wilcox, Capt. Silas Kelsey, Stephen Wilcox, Simeon Wil- cox, Jonathan Kelsey, Cornelius Parmelee, Gurdon Hull, Samuel Redfield,"
" At a town meeting holden in Killingworth Decem. 14, 1779, Esq'r George Eliot was chosen moderator. Col. Aaron Eliot was chosen Town Register. Amos Kelsey, Elisha Kelsey, Jonah Buell Jonathan Kelsey, Israel Stevens, John Pierson Esq., was chosen a Comit- tee to supply Soldiers' families."
List of soldiers who marched from Killingworth for the relief of Boston, etc., in the Lexington alarm, April 1775: Samuel Gale, captain; Job Wright, ensign; Joseph Hilliard, Nath'l Redfield, sergeants; privates, Levi Kel- ly (Kelsey), Joseph Wilson, Reu. Hurd, Jesse Cone, Titus Teal, Timothy Teal, Nathan Wright, John Buell, Sam'l Lewis, James Wright, Samuel Wilcox, Dan Chapman, Giles Wilcox, John Chatfield, Martin Redfield, Job Buell, Jonathan Murry, Elnathan Hurd, Robert Wilki- son, Reuben Buel, George Nettleton, David LeBarva; number of days in service, six; billeting, at Is. 6d. per day, total cost, £23 25. 2d. (See Redfield Genealogy).
It is said that the town of Killingworth furnished 100 men in the Revolutionary war.
OCCUPATION OF THE SETTLERS.
The occupation of the early settlers of Killingworth was mainly agriculture. To obtain something to eat and something to wear was their first pressing need. There is no evidence or tradition that any one of them had money to pay for the necessaries of life. Each family supplied its own needs for food and clothing. They first sowed the flax, and when ripe pulled it by hand, threshed out the seed, rotted it, broke, dressed, hatcheled, spun, and wove it, before a shirt could be had. The sheep must grow, the wool be sheared, picked, carded, spun, woven, and the cloth cut and made up before a coat could be had. All this was done in the family. There were no factories and no machines; all the work must be done by hand. It is said that they caught oysters and carried them to Hartford, where they were exchanged for rye for bread, and such other things as they needed. They had plenty to eat, for there were oysters and fish in abundance. Shad were so plenty, after nets were made to catch them, that it was considered almost a disgrace for well to do families to place them on their tables. The poor could have them.
The first settlers were not fortunate in securing dis- tinguished men to settle with them. Some who had agreed to unite in the enterprise failed to come. Mat- thew Allen, a prominent magistrate of Windsor, and af- terward of Hartford, was expected, and a home lot was reserved for him, but he did not come. They were emi- nently poor men. It was 40 years before they obtained an act of incorporation, with town privileges, but they had church privileges in 1667.
The grand list of the town in 1689, 26 years after the settlement, was £2,430; in 1693 it was {2,218; in 1696, £2,404; in 1698, £2,785; in 1703, £3,299; in 1710, £3,875 19S .; in 1714, £4,102 IS. 8d .; in 1716, £4,225 I4S.
About 1710, Mr. Robert Carter settled in town and commenced building vessels. Not many years afterward a market for wood and timber was opened, especially for staves, hoops, ship timber, etc. Trade with West India sprung up, and with it a demand for horses, cattle, sheep, fowls, hay, and oats.
The growth of the town from [720 to 1776, was very satisfactory, as the old houses still standing, built during that period, show, and the little old comfortless houses that were built earlier, and were standing 60 years ago, also show.
The largest estate probated previous to the year 1800 was that of Theophilus Morgan, in 1788. This estate in- ventoried a little more than $ 15,000.
Shipbuilding continued to flourish. It was mostly con- fined to coasting vessels of less than 100 tons, but five ship-rigged vessels and several brigs have been built here at different times. Up to 1840 the reputation of Killing- worth for producing small vessels for the coasting trade was unexcelled. The master builders best remembered were: Elias Crane, who died August 15th 1829, aged 68; Samuel Buell, who died July 29th 1852, aged 84; Benja-
425
KILLINGWORTH-TOWN OFFICERS.
min De Wolf, who died September 5th 1863, aged 79; Daniel Buell, who died April 18th 1859, aged 66; and Samuel Buell jr., who died January 8th 1881, aged 84. After the retirement of these builders the business sud- denly stopped, and has not been revived.
Fishing with wiers (brush and stakes) was one of the early methods of catching fish. These weirs were built on sand bars, bare at low tide, something after the man- ner of pound fishing at the present day. Short seines were used as early as 1740, and were enlarged from time to time. They were first used in the harbors and creeks, but, about 1800, longer ones were made to sweep off into the Sound. Fine mesh seines were introduced about 1806, to catch white fish for manure. This method of manuring land more than doubled the production of crops, and gave life and profit to agriculture, until the establishment of large factories to convert the fish into oil. Agriculture is not encouraging at the present time, although the owner of land, having good health, great ambition, and no mortgages, can live and prosper.
Commerce and navigation were profitable in Killing- worth as early as- 1740, and probably before, and con- tinued to flourish till the commencement of the Revolu- tion. Great Britain ruled the sea then, and stopped the market for staves and hoops, and cattle, horses, and sheep.
As early as 1777 the American army needed supplies, and the farmers of Killingworth liad a market for all they could produce of hay, grain, beef, and pork.
At the close of hostilities, and before the British Army evacuated New York city, the trade with New York commenced, and was very remunerative for the time. Before the war of 1812 commenced this trade for Kill- ingworth had become unproductive, and continued so until 1815, when the market for firewood, fowls, eggs and vegetables became profitable, and as many as six vessels (market boats), of 40 to 60 tons, found steady employment from Killingworth to New York. This continued until about 1840. The opening of the Great West, and the construction of railroads, destroyed all this trade, and for 20 years past scarce a vessel loads at the wharves where such activity once prevailed, unless it be with railroad ties. Some hay and straw pressed in bales are marketed in Newport, R. I., at the present day. The ocean attracts young men, and has employed many of them.
The town formerly furnished all the mechanics neces- sary to build vessels: carpenters, riggers, painters, and sail makers. In 1884, only the remnant remains of what was once a profitable occupation.
CIVIL LIST.
Representatives .- The Representatives for Killing- worth from 1670 to the present time have been:
Edward Griswold, 1670 M., 1670 O., 1671 O .- 1680 M., 1681 M.,-1682 O., 1683 O .- 1685 M., 1686 M., 1686 O., 1689 M .; Henry Farnum, 1670 M., 1670 O .; Thomas Stevens, 1671 M., 1683 O .; William Kelsey, 1671 M .; Josiah Hull, 1671 O., 1574 M .; Henry Crane, 1675 M.,
1676 M., 1677 M., 1678 M., 1679 O., 1680 O .- 1682 M., 1683 M., 1684 M .- 1685 O., 1587 O., 1691 M., 1693 M .- 1696 M., 1700 O., 1701 O., 1702 O .; Joseph Gris- wold, 1689 O .; Samuel Buell, 1692 O., 1793 O., 1696 O., 1697 M., 1698 M., 1698 O., 1700 M., 1701 M., 1702 M., 1704 M., 1704 O., 1706 M., 1708 M., 1710 O., 17TI O., 1714 M., 1715 O .; Deacon Griswold, 1697 M .; John Griswold, 1697 O., 1698 M., 1699 M., 1699 O., 1701 M., 1702 M .- 1704 O, 1707 O .- 1709 M., 1710 M., I711 M., 1712 M., 1712 O., 1715 O., 1716 O .; Robert Lane, 1699 M., 1700 O. 1701 O., 1703 O., 1705 M., 1706 O., 1707 M., 1709 O., 1711 O .- 1715 M ; John Crane, 1703 M., 1705 M .- 1707 O., 1708 O., 1709 O., 1710 M .; John Kelsey, 1713 M., 1714 O., 1715 M., 1716 M., 1717 O., 1718 O., 1721 M., 1721 O., 1725 M., 1725 O .; Peter Ward, 1713 O., 1718 M .; John Lane, 1716 M., 1717 M., 1718 M., 1719 M., 1720 M., 1720 O., 1722 M., 1723 M .- 1724 O., 1725 O, 1727 O., 1728 O., 1731 M .- 1734 O., 1736. M. - 1737 O., 1738 O., 1739 O., 1740 O., 1741 O. - 1743 M .; Josiah Stephens, 1717 M., 1719 O .- 1720 O., 1724 O .; David Buell, 1717 O., 1718 O., 1719 M., 1719 O., 1721 M .- 1723 M., 1724 M., 1725 M., 1726 M .- 1728 0., 1730 O., 1731 M., 1733 O .-- 1736 M., 1738 M., 1739 M., 1739 O .; Abram Pierson, 1722 O., 1723 O., 1728 M., 1731 O .; Joseph Wilcox, 1726 M., 1730 M., 1738 M., 1741 M., 1742 M., 1743 O., 1744 O., 1754 M .- 1755 M., 1760 M., 1766 O .; John Stephens, 1726 O., 1727 M., 1729 M., 1729 O., 1730 O., 1732 O., 1736 O., 1743 M., 1744 O .; Jonathan Lane, 1729 M .- 1730 M., 1737 O., 1738 O., 1739 M., 1742 O., 1743 0., 1744 M., 1745 O., 1747 O., 1748 M., 1749 M., 1750 O., 1752 M .-- 1753 M., 1755 O .; Daniel Griswold, 1732 M., 1733 M., 1735 M., 1735 O .; Elnathan Stephens, 1737 M., 1741 M., 1744 M., 1745 M .- 1747 M., 1748 O., 1749 O., 1750 M., 1751 M., 1753 M., 1757 M., 1757 O., 1758 O., 1759 O., 1761 M., 1761 O., 1763 O., 1767 O., 1771 M., 1771 O., 1772 O .- 1773 O., 1774 O .- 1775 O .; Isaac Kelsey, 1740 O., 1745 M., 1746 M., 1746 O., 1747 O .- 1748 O., 1749 O., 1750 M .; Nathaniel Parmelee, 1741 O .; Benjamin Gale, 1747 M., 1749 M., 1753 O., 1754 M .- 1755 O., 1756 O .-- 1758 M .. 1759 M., 1759 O., 1760 O., 1763 M., 1764 M., 1765 M., 1765 O., 1766 O., 1767 M., 1769 M., 1770 M., 1770 O .; Nathan Kelsey, 1750 O., 1751 M .; Aaron Eliot, 17.52 M., 1759 M., 1762 O., 1766 M., 1767 O., 1771 O., 1772 M., 1783 O., 1785 O .; Joseph Eliot, 1752 O., 1760 M., 1762 M .; Theophilus Morgan, 1753 O., 1758 M., 1758 O., 1760 O .-- 1761 O., 1763 M., 1763 O., 1764 O., 1768 O. -1770 O., 1772 M., 1773 M., 1774 M., 1782 M .- 1783 M .; John Pierson, 1762 M., 1762 O., 1764 M., 1765 M .- 1766 M., 1767 M., 1768 M., 1768 O., 1769 O., 1773 O., 1775 M., 1782 O .; John Crane, 1764 O .; Thomas Morgan, 1768 M .; Stephen Wilcox, 1771 M., 1772 O., 1776 M .; Hezekiah Lane, 1774 M., 1774 O., 1775 O .- 1779 0., 1780 O .- 1781 O., 1784 O .- 1788 M., 1790 O .; Samuel Gale, 1776 O., 1777 M., 1778 M .; Daniel Redfield, 1777 O .; George Eliott, 1778 O., 1784 M., 1785 M., 1786 M., 1786 O, 1787 O .; Samuel Crane, 1779 M .- 1780 O., 1784 0, 1787 M., 1788 M., 1788 O .; Aaron Kelsey, 1780 M., 1782
426
HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
M., 1783 O., 1784 M .; Martin Lord, 1783 M., 1791 O., 1796 O., 1798 M., 1798 O., 1800 M .; Job Wright, 1781 M., 1789 M .- 1790 M., 1795 O., 1796 M., 1813 O .; Abra- ham Pierson, 1788 O .- 1790 M., 1791 M., 1792 M .- 1796 M., 1797 O., 1801 M., 1801 O., 1802 0., 1803 O .- 1804 O., 1805 O., 1806 O., 1809 M .; Joseph Wilcox, 1790 O .- 1794 O., 1797 M., 1801 O .; Joseph Wilcox 2d, 1795 M., 1798 O .; William Morgan, 1796 O., 1797 O., 1798 M., 1804 O., 1805 M., 1806 O., 1807 O., 1809 M., 1810 M., ISII O., 1812 M .; Houd Edward, 1797 M .; Abner Graves, 1799 M., 1799 O., 1800 O .; Nathan Wilcox, 1799 M .- 1801 M., 1802 M .; Nathaniel Wilcox, 1803 O., 1804 M .; Asa Buel, 1802 M .; Daniel Lane, 1805 M., 1806 M., 1808 O., 1809 O .- 1810 0., 1813 M., 1813 O., 1814 O., 1818 0 .; George Elliott 2d, 1802 O., 1803 M .; George Elliott jr., 1805 O., 1806 M., 1808 M., 1808 O., 1809 0., 1810 O., 1812 O., 1813 M., 1818 O .; Austin Olcott, 1807 M .; Da- vid Kelsey, 1807 M., 1808 M., 1811 M., 1811 O., 1814 M., 1815 M .- 1817 M., 1822; Austin Olcott, 1811 M .; David Griswold, 1812 M., 1812 O .; William Carter, 1814 M., 1815 M., 1815 O .; David Dibble, 1814 O .; George Carter, 1816 M., 1817 M., 1818 M., 1826, 1827; Benja- min Hurd, 1817 O .; Jedediah Harris, 1817 O., 1821, 1823-26, 1829, 1831; Benjamin Hill, 1818 M .; Jared El. liott, 1819 M., 1820-22; Moses Wilcox, 1819 M., 1820; John Stanton, 1823-25; Rufus Turner, 1827; Charles Stevens, 1829; David Wright, 1830, 1831; Elisha Kelsey, 1830, 1834; David Dibble jr., 1832, 1833; Luther Hall, 1832, 1833, 1835; Joseph Stannard, 1834, 1835; James A. Pratt, 1836, 1837; David P. Kelsey, 1836; Philander Stevens, 1837, 1838; Josiah C. Chittenden, 1838; Leon- ard Davis, 1839, 1840; Alanson Pratt, 1839, 1840; Jerry Parmelee, 1841, 1855, 1856; Jeremiah Griswold, 1841; Nathan Griswold, 1842; Wyllys D. Kelsey, 1842, 1843; Jedediah Stone, 1843, 1844; Julius Dudley, 1844, 1845; John Wilcox, 1845, 1846, 1848; Ebenezer Griswold, 1849, 1847; Abel Wilcox, 1847; Joseph J. Buell, 1848, 1846; Nathan Lane, 1849, 1850, 1862, 1871, 1872; Henry Harris, 1850, 185 1; Harris R. Burr, 1851, 1852; Henry Hull, 1852, 1853; Chauncey Parmelee, 1853, 1854: Joseph Maddox, 1854-56; Abner Parmelee, 1857, 1858; Henry D. Davis, 1857; Daniel Francis, 1858; Le- ander R. Blatchley, 1859, 1860; Charles Davis, 1859, 1860; E. H. Parmelee, 1861; Nathan Griswold, 1861; WV. F. Wilcox, 1862, 1863; Hibbert Francis, 1863, 1864; Lyman E. Stevens, 1864, 1865; Andrew W. Burr, 1865, 1866, 1877; Washington E. Griswold, 1866, 1867; Moses N. Griswold, 1867, 1868; Randolph P. Stevens, 1868, 1869; C. D. Kelsey, 1869, 1870; U. S. Hull, 1870; Henry Kelsey, 1871, 1872; Isaac Kelsey, 1873, 1874; Horace L. Parmelee, 1773, 1874; Leverett W. Parmelee, 1875, 1876; Charles G. Rutty, 1875, 1880; Sherman E. Griswold, 1876, 1877; Henry Hull, 1878; J. Philander, Lane, 1878, 1879; J. C. Nettleton, 1879, 1880; Augus- tus W. Stevens, 1881, 1882; Sydney T. Davis, 1881, 1882; David K. Stevens, 1883, 1884; Myron St. Clare Burr, 1883, 1884.
Town Clerks .- October 2d 1665, Josias Hull was chosen town recorder. He held the office till November
5th 1675, and died November 16th 1675. He was suc- ceeded by Henry Crane, whoheld the office from Novem- ber 5th 1675, till December 29th 1707. The next clerk was Capt. John Crane, who was elected December 29th 1 707, and continued in office until his death, October 18th 1711. His successor, John Kelsey, was chosen De- cember 18th 1711, and served till December 8th 1747. Col. Aaron Eliot was clerk from December 13th 1748 till his death, in 1785. Lieut. Abraham Pierson was chosen February Ist 1786, and continued in office till October 1814, when he resigned. October 3d 1814, Eli- sha Kelsey jr., was elected. He served 20 years, or un- til 1834. Gen. Julius Dudley was clerk from October Ist 1834 to October 3d 1836. The present clerk is Hen- ry Hull. He was first chosen, October 3d 1836, and has held the office continuously from that time to the pres- ent, except one year, from December 1841 to December 1842, when Abner Parmelee was clerk, and one year, from November 1847 to November 1848, when Sylvester W. Turner held the office.
Probate District .- The town of Killingworth was set off from the probate district of Saybrook in 1834, and was named Killingworth. In 1838, the name of the dis- trict was changed to Clinton. In 1861, the present town of Killingworth was made a district by itself. The judges since that time have been: Henry Hull, 1862-74; Lyman E. Stevens, 1874-83; Orlando E. Redfield, 1883, present judge.
THE PRESENT KILLINGWORTH.
The Killingworth of to-day is an offshoot of the orig- inal settlers of Main street in Clinton. The grandchil- dren of the original Nathaniel Parmele, Thomas and William Stevens, William and John Kelsey, Joseph Wil- cox, Edward Griswold, Samuel Buell, Josias Hull, Elea- zer Isbel, Henry Crane, and John Nettleton, gradually worked their settlements and homesteads northward, their fathers and grandfathers taking up land for them. The north boundary of Killingworth was for many years " the wilderness," and not until these settlers had sub- dued the hills and built houses did the line become fixed where it now is. It was a wilderness immediately north of Main street (Clinton) when the first settlers located there, and there was room for their sons to live and sub- due the land without going north far from their parents. But the grandchildren pushed their way farther north, taking land set off to their fathers. No one man owned large tracts. Each one (if he owned a homestead) could obtain grants of land through a committee appointed annually by town meeting. So these fathers provided homes for .their posterity, paying nothing except the committees' fees. The original territory was divided into small tracts, new comers were voted proprietors without cost, and each of these annual layouts was re- corded in the town records and called " divisions." As many as nine divisions are named on the records.
To say that these men were a hardy race is drawing it
.
427
KILLINGWORTH-SETTLERS-CRIMES AND ACCIDENTS.
mildly, when one goes over this ground and notices the amount of labor expended in felling trees, building fences, erecting shelters for their families, and a house of worship as early as 1735. It is generally admitted that these layouts of land commenced in North Killing- worth in 1716.
The first names were Isaac Kelsey, Esq., Deacons Josiah Hull, Joseph Wilcox, and Daniel Buell, John Wil- cox, Joseph Griswold, Nathaniel Parmele, Ebenezer Hull, Samuel Stevens, and Edward Rutty. Solomon Davis, Timothy Chittenden, Theophilus Redfield came and joined them from Guilford, and Harris and Graves from Saybrook. The above names are still the most prominent in the town. In 1735 they were organized into a parish.
" The early settlers of the present Killingworth located as follows: Isaac Kelsey on Cow Hill, a few rods east of David Loomis; Deacon Josiah Hull on Cow Hill west of Mr. Reuben Hinckley [now Isaac Kelsey]; Deacon Joseph Wilcox on Tower Hill, just north of Col. Jed'h Stones' place; Daniel Buell lived where Mr. Sherman Stevens now lives, on Roast Meat Hill; Joseph Gris- wold* lived in the Southwest District a few rods east of the house where the late Nathan Griswold lived; Na- thaniel Parmele lived near the house of Andrew Brooks; Samuel Stevens lived on Tower Hill near the Chas. Wil- liams place; Edward Rutty lived on Parker's Hill; Theophilus Redfield lived on Chestnut Hill. Fancy Dea- con Wilcox of Tower Hill, Isaac Kelsey of Cow Hill, Theophilus Redfield of Chestnut Hill, and Edward Rutty of Parker's Hill, all going to church, probably on foot, from three to four miles, through a keen, cold, blustering storm, snow, sleet, rain, sitting all day in the old open meeting house without a fire."
The grand list of Killingworth since the division of the original town in 1838, has been as follows: in 1838, $298,728; 1848, $265,276; 1858, $306,702; 1868, $289,- 653; 1878, $230, 159; 1883, $225,004.
The industries of Killingworthi, aside from farming, are: one paper mill, capable of making paper to the value of $150 per day; two flour mills, four saw mills, one axe handle factory, one store, one tannery, and one meat market.
The town records of the original Killingworth are by law kept by the present town clerk of Killingworth. These records are very full and complete, well written, and well preserved.
DEATH OF CAPTAIN JOHN LANE.
About the year 1773, Captain John Lane, captain of infantry in the Connecticut Militia, was killed in the lot next south of the Center school house.' A stone marked the spot until a few years since. One Joseph Watrous, who previously lived in Saybrook, and whio then lived in the old house now standing at the south of the street, in the center of the town, was suspected of having shot Captain Lane. . The company were going through the
manual exercise. When the order to fire was given, the guns were discharged and Captain Lane fell to the ground and immediately expired. There was no trial. The poor soldiers were dumbfounded; none could tell how it happened. Watrous denied having committed the dreadful deed, and continued to protest his innocence even on his death bed.
THE MURDERED CHILDREN.
About a mile and a half north of the Congregational church, in Killingworth, on the old road which runs parallel with the main street, is a group of dilapidated houses. In one of these ancient dwellings there for- merly lived a Mrs. Higgins, who was possessed of a most violent temper. October 14th 1779, after having quar- reled with her husband, she grasped a common case- knife and cut the throats of her three children. The victims of this bloody tragedy were buried in the old cemetery, in the Union District. There was at that time a belief almost universally indulged in that grass would not grow over the grave of a murdered person; and it is said that for a long time the lot where they laid these children was barren as a desert. The natural sterility of the soil, however, is a sufficient explanation of the phe- nomenon. Mrs. Higgins subsequently resided in the Pine Orchard District, near the Union Church. On that edifice there was a clock dial with stationary hands, and she was heard to say: " When those pointers come to- gether and stand at twelve, my sins will be pardoned." She also cherished the strange hope that her husband, who was separated from her would return, and that she would again be the mother of three children in place of her dead offspring. She is reported to have made an attempt on her own life at the time of killing her chil- dren, but was prevented by her husband, and in after years always wore a black ribbon about her neck to cover the ugly trace of her savage rage.
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