USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men > Part 18
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SHERIFFS.
William W. Parsons, Middletown, 1785-91; Enoch Parsons, Esq., Middletown, 1791-1818; J. Lawrence Lewis, Esq., Middletown, 1818-27; Gideon Higgins, Esq., East Haddam, 1827-30; Linus Coe, Middletown, 1830-39; Charles Arnold, Haddam, 1839-45; Charles Stevens, Clinton, 1845-52; Curtis Bacon, Middletown, 1852-54; Harris Burr, M. D., Killingworth, 1854-60; Charles W .. Snow, Deep River, 1860-66; John I. Hutch- inson, Essex, 1866-72; Arba Hyde, Middletown, 1872- 75; George N. Lewis, Essex, 1875, died in office; Timothy Ranney, of Cromwell, was appointed to fill the vacancy and served till 1877; John I. Hutchinson, 1877 to present time.
COUNTY TREASURERS.
Jonathan Lay, Westbrook, 1796-1806; Elijah Hubbard, Middletown, 1806-09; Seth Overton, Chatham (now Portland), 1809-30; John Fisk, Middletown, 1830-48; Elihu Spencer, Middletown, 1848-54; A. B. Calef, Middletown, 1854-56; Elihu Spencer, Middletown, 1856-58; George W. Harris, Middletown, 1858.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
The office of County Commissioner in Connecticut was created by the Legislature of that State in 1839. The following is a list of the Commissioners of Middlesex county from 1839 to 1884, together with their official years:
Gideon Higgins, 1839-43, 1860, 1861; Joseph Chidsey, 1839-42; Benjamin Dowd, 1842, 1843; John Stewart, 1842, 1843; Joshua L'Hommedieu, 1843-45; William J. French, 1843-45; William Marsh, 1843-45; Erastus Strong, 1845-47; Horatio N. Fowler, 1845, 1846; Benja- min Dowd, 1845-47; Friend Dickinson, 1846, 1847; John Markham, 1847, 1848; John Bushnell, 1847, 1848; Ephraim Pierson, 1847, 1848; Linus Parmelee, 1848-51; Giles Blague, 1848-50; David Evarts, 1848-50; Wolcott P.
60
HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
Stone, 1850, 1851, 1867, 1875; Samuel C. Silliman, 1850, 1851; William J. French, 1851-53; Asher Robinson, 1851-53; Jedediah R. Gardner, 1851-53; Isaac Arnold, 1853, 1854; Wyllys D. Kelsey, 1853, 1854; Bulkley Ed- wards, 1853, 1854; William H. Buell, 1855, 1856; Selden M. Pratt, 1855, 1856; Cornelius Brainard, 1855, 1856; Ely Warner, 1856-58; Watson Davis, 1856-58; Joseph U. Holmes, 1856-58; John R. Farnham, 1858-61; Wil- liam Woodward, 1858, 1859; Smith Ventres, 1858-60; Philo Bevin, 1859, 1860; Cyprian S. Brainard, 1861, 1862; Michael H. Griffin, 1862; Augustus Bushnell, 1861, 1862; Henry M. Stannard, 1868-70; Nelson Shepard, 1869-71; Henry Smith, 1871-73; John P. Johnson, 1872-74; Curtis Bacon, 1874-79; Daniel B. Warner, 1875-77; Emory H. Peckham, 1876-78; Rufus C. Shepard, 1878, 1879, 1881-83; Miner C. Hazen, 1879, 1881-83; William R. Clark, 1863-67; Benjamin W. Coe, 1866-68; Willis E. Terrill, 1881-83; Elias Wellmann, in office; Silas R. Holmes, in office; Delos D. Brown, in office.
CORONER AND MEDICAL EXAMINERS.
Coroner-Lovell Hall, Middletown.
Medical Examiners-Sylvester W. Turner, Chester; Albert B. Worthington, Chatham: Silas E. Peck, Clinton; J. Francis Calef, Cromwell; Rufus W. Mathewson, Durham; Charles H. Hubbard, Essex; W. M. Knowlton, East Haddam; Miner C. Hazen, Haddam; Ambrose Pratt, Chester, for Killingworth; George W. Burke, Middletown, for Middlefield; Daniel A. Cleveland, Mid- dletown; Cornelius E. Hammond, Portland; Edwin Bid- well, Saybrook; John H. Granniss, Old Saybrook; G. C. H. Gilbert.
POPULATION.
The population of Middlesex county, according to the several census reports, has been as follows: 1756, 13,071; 1774, 17,569; 1782, 17,712; 1790, 20,217; 1800, 19,847; 1810, 20,723; 1820, 22,405; 1830, 24,845; 1840, 24,879; 1850, 27,216; 1860, 30,589; 1870, 36,099; 1880, 35,580.
The population of the several towns, according to the same reports has been as follows:
Chatham, 1774, 2,397; 1782, 2,873; 1790, 3,230; 1800,
3,295; 1810, 3,258; 1820, 3, 159; 1830, 3,646; 1840, 3,413; 1850, 1,525; 1860, 1,766; 1870, 2,771; 1880,
1,967.
Chester, 1840, 974; 1850, 992; 1860, 1,015; 1870,
1,094; 1880, 1,177.
Clinton, 1840, 1,239; 1850, 1,344; 1860, 1,427; 1870, 1,404; 1880, 1,402.
Cromwell, 1860, 1,617; 1870, 1,856; 1880, 1,640.
Durham, 1756, 799; 1774, 1,076; 1782, 1,061; 1790, 1,079; 1800, 1,029; 1810, 1, 101; 1820, 1,210; 1830, 1, 116; 1840, 1,095; 1850, 1,026; 1860, 1,130; 1870, 1,086; 1880, 990.
East Haddam, 1756, 1,978; 1774, 2,808; 1782, 2,625; 1790, 2,749; 1800, 2,805; 1810, 2,537; 1820, 2,572; 1830, 2,664; 1840, 2,620; 1850, 2,610; 1860, 3,056; 1870, 2,951; 1880, 3,032.
Essex, 1850, 950; 1860, 1,764; 1870, 1,669; 1880, 1,855.
Haddam, 1756, 1,241; 1774, 1,726; 1782, 1,950; 1790, 2,195; 1800, 2,307; 1810, 2,205; 1820, 2,478; 1830, 3,025; 1840, 2,599; 1850, 2,279; 1860, 2,037; 1870, 2,071; 1880, 2,410.
Killingworth, 1756, 1,458; 1774, 1,997; 1782, 1,853; 1790, 2, 156; 1800, 2,047; 1810, 2,244; 1820, 2,342; 1830, 2,484; 1840, 1, 130; 1850, 1,107; 1860, 1, 126; 1870, 856; 1880, 748.
Middlefield, 1870, 1,053; 1880, 928.
Middletown, 1756, 5,664; 1774, 4,878; 1782, 4,612; 1790, 5,575; 1800, 5,001; 1810, town, 3,368, city, 2,014; 1820, town, 3,86 1, city, 2,618; 1830, total, 6,892; 1840, town, 3,699, city, 3,511; 1850, town, 4,230, city, 4,211; 1860, town, 3,438, city, 5,182; 1870, town, 4,203, city, 6,923; 1880, town, 4,906, city, 6,826.
Old Saybrook, 1860, 1,105, 1870, 1, 215; 1880, 1,302. Portland, 1850, 2,836; 1860, 3,657; 1870, 4,693; 1880, 4,157.
Saybrook, 1756, 1,931; 1774, 2,687; 1782, 2,738; 1790, 3,233; 1800, 3,363; 1810, 3,996; 1820, 4,165; 1830, 5,018; 1840, 3,417; 1850, 2,904; 1860, 1,213; 1870, 1,267; 1880, 1,362.
Westbrook, 1840, 1, 182; 1850, 1,202; 1860, 1,056; 1870, 987; 1880, 878.
O
TOWN AND CITY OF MIDDLETOWN.
BY HENRY WHITTEMORE.
GEOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE.
M IDDLETOWN originally included the present towns of Chatham, Portland, Cromwell, Middle- field, and a small part of Berlin. It was sixteen miles in length from east to west, and nine in breadth between north and south. As now constituted, it is bounded on the north by Berlin, in Hartford county, Cromwell, and the Connecticut River, which separates it from Portland; on the east by Cromwell and the Connecticut, which also separates it from Chatham; south by Haddam and Dur- ham; and west by Middlefield and Meriden, in New Haven county. Its greatest length from northwest to southeast is about eleven miles, and its average width is about four miles. It includes the city of Middletown.
Like the other towns in the northern portion of Mid- dlesex county, its surface is greatly diversified with moun- tains, hills, and valleys, and it has but little level land. As in other uneven regions there are here many streams, all of which are affluents of the Connecticut River, and they afford excellent water power, which is extensively utilized for driving the machinery of mills and manufac. tories. Of these streams there are three principal ones, supplied by small tributaries.
Ferry, or Little River, the largest, rises in Farmington Mountain, passes through the town of Berlin, and, flow- ing in a southeasterly direction, forms the boundary line between Cromwell and Middletown, entering the Connec- ticut River at the northern boundary of the city of Mid- dletown.
A branch of this river rises in a spring, eight or ten rods in circumference, at the foot of Bluff Head, the easternmost point of Totoket or Branford Mountain, a little north of the source of a river which runs southerly into the Sound. It takes a course nearly north, runs through Durham and Middlefield, forming the boundary line between the city of Middletown and Staddle Hill District, where it assumes the name of West River, and forms a junction with Little River about a mile from its mouth.
Sumner's Creek has two important branches, viz., Miller's Brook and Pameacha River. The former rises in Miller's Pond in the northeast corner of Durham, pur- avenues of ingress and egress.
sues a northerly course till it strikes Pameacha River, when it turns eastward and flows thence northward, and empties into the Connecticut River. Pameacha River has its source in hills near the borders of Durham, runs northerly till it strikes Warwick's Brook, where it turns eastward, and passes on between high, rocky banks, to the other branch.
The surface of the country is strikingly and pleasantly undulating and diversified, and the prevailing soil an argillaceous loam, rich and fertile, which reposes gene- rally upon a bed of clay slate rock. The western sec- tion of the township embraces the eastern branch of a greenstone range of mountain, being generally a succes- sion, but in some places a continuity of elevated hills. In this district the greenstone constitutes the upper stratum, and it is underlaid by and reposes upon argilla- ceous schist.
It is traversed in all directions by highways, which, by reason of the unevenness of the surface over which they pass, are irregular and tortuous. Prior to the construc- tion of railroads some of these roads were turnpikes which had supplied means of travel and transportation between this town and others in the interior of the State, and had been links in thoroughfares between distant points. The Middletown and Colchester Turnpike ex- tended eastward, the Middlesex northward and south- ward, the Middletown, Durham, and New Haven south- westward, the Middletown and Meriden westward, and the Middletown northwestward. These were important items in public economy and gave to this town the best facilities then known for communication with other towns in the interior of the State and with distant places beyond its boundaries, The establishment of the modern sys- tem of thoroughfares has taken from these roads their importance, and within the last thirty years they have all been discontinued.
The principal avenue to and from the outer world in former times was the Connecticut River, but with the development of the great railroad system throughout the country this thoroughfare has dwindled into comparative insignificance, and the railways that pass through the town and intersect at Middletown city are now the great
62
HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
THE ABORIGINEES.
As we search among the tombstones, trying to de- cipher the inscriptions nearly obliterated by age, for the purpose of obtaining information relative to the original white settlers of this locality, we naturally inquire, Who were the original settlers? Where did they come from? How did the red man acquire his title to the property which he conveyed to the first white settlers for a mere trifle? Much has been written by those who have in- vestigated this subject, but, unfortunately, there is much that still remains in obscurity.
De Forest, in his " History of the Indians of Connec- ticut," says:
" Below Hartford, and stretehing to a considerable distance south of Middletown, we find a population which, in after times at least, was known as a distinet tribe, under the name of Wanguuks. Their chief- tain, Sowheag, was sometimes called, by the English, Sequin, although this was apparently not his real name, but only another version of the word sachem, a king. When first known to the whites, he resided at Pyquag, or Wethersfield, but afterwards, on account of a quarrel with the settlers, removed to Mattabesett, now Middletown.
"Southwest of the principal seats of the Wangunks, a large extent of. country was held by a son of Sowheag, named Montowese. The able bodied men in his tribe were only ten in number. His mother must have been the daughter and heiress of some deceased saehem, for it was through her that he obtained his land."
Where the tribe came from, when they came, and from whom descended, is all conjecture. DeForest says: " There is strong reason to believe that all the Connec- ticut clans except the Pequots, were only fragments of one great tribe or confederacy of tribes, the principal branches of which were the Nehantics and the Narra- gansetts."
Sowheag or Sequin, as he was called by the English, was chieftain or sachem of the Wangunks. His charac- ter has been greatly misrepresented by some modern writers, who lose sight of the fact that he was human, and that his hostility to the whites was provoked by them, they being invariably the aggressors. His name is first mentioned in connection with the settlement of Wethersfield. Before the settlement of Mattabesett com- menced, Sowheag conveyed to Governor Haynes, of Connecticut, for a consideration, a large portion of the township. This title was not wholly extinguished until 1762, when the following deed from the Indian proprie- tors of the town of Middletown was executed: .
"This writeing made the twenty towerth of January 1672 between Sepunnames Joan alias Weekpissiek, Maehize, Wesumpha, Wamp- hanch, Spunnoe, Sachamas, Taceomhuit proprietors of Midleton, alias Mattabesett of the one part, and Mr. Samuel Willys, Capt'n John Tall- cott, Mr. James Richards, & John Allyn, in behalfe of the inhabitants of Midleton on the other parte, Witnesseth : That the said Sepunna- mos Joan alias Weekpissiek, Machize, Wesumpsha Wamphaneh Spun- noe Sachamos, Taccomhuit, being privy to & well acquainted with Sow- heag the great Saehem of Mattabesett, his gift of great part of the township of Midleton to the Honored Mr. Haynes formerly & for a further & full consideration to us now granted & payed by thie sayd Mr. Sam'll Willys Capt. Jolin Tallcott, Mr. James Richards & John Allyn, have giveu granted bargained, sould & confirmed & by these presents doe fully & absolutely give, grant & confirm unto the sayd Gent'n all that tract of land, within the foloweing abuttments, viz., on Wetherfield bounds on the North, on Haddam bounds on the South, & to run from the Great River the whole bredth towards the East, six miles, & from the Great River towards the West, soe farr as the Gen- erall Court of Connecticutt hath granted the bownds of Midleton shall extend. To Have & to Hould the afoarementioned tract of land as it is bounded, with all the meadows pastures woods underwood stones quarries brookes, ponds, rivers, proffits, eomodities & appertenanses whatsoever belonging theirunto, unto the sayd Mr. Sam'll Willys,
Capt. John Tallcott, Mr. James Richards, in behalfe and for the use of the inhabitants of the town of Midleton, their heirs and assignes for ever, allways provided their be three hundered acres of land within the township of Midleton on the East side of Coneetieutt River, layd out, bounded & recorded to be & remayn the heirs of Sowheag & the Matta- besett Indians and their heirs forever, as also, one pareel of land on the West side of the Conecticutt River, formerly layd out to Sawsean shall be recorded & remayn to the heirs of the sayd Sawsean forever, any thing in this deed to the contrery notwithstanding, & the foresayd Sepunnamoe Joan alias Weekpissick Maehiz Wesumpsha, Wamphaneh, Spunnoe, Saehamus aliat Taccomhuit for themselves, doe covenant to & with the sayd Mr. Willys, Capt. Tallcott Mr. Richards & John Alyn, in behalfe of the inhabitants of Midleton, that they the sayd Sepunna- mos, Joan Machiz Wesumsha &e. have onely full power, goodright & lawful authority to grant, bargayne sell and eonvay all & singlar, the before hearby granted or mentioned to be granted pr'mises with their & cvery of their appertenanees, according as is above expressed, unto the sayd Mr. Willys, Capt'n Tallcott, Mr. Richards & John Alyn in be- halfe of the inhabitants of Midleton afoarsaid, their heirs and assigns forever, & that they the sayd inhabitants of Midletone shall & may by foree & virtue of these pr'sents from time to time & at all times forever hereafter lawfully, peaceably and quietly have, hold use oecupy & pos- sesse & enjoy the afoarsayd parcell of land, with all its right members & appurtenanees & have, receive & take the rents issues and proffitts theirof, to their own proper use & behoufe forever, without any lett, suitt, trouble or disturbanee whatsoever of the sayd Sepunnamoe Joan alyas Weekpissick, Maehize Wesumpsha, Wamphaneh, Spunnoe, Sacha- moss Taceomhuit, their heirs or assignes or of any other person or persous clayming right by from or under us, or any of us, or by our means, act consent privity or procurement & that free & clear & freely & clearly acquitted exonerated & discharged or otherwise well & sofisently saved & kept harmless by the sayd Sepunnamoe, Joan Mach- ize Wesumpsha, Wamphanch, Spunnoe Saehamoss, Taccomhuit, their heirs executors & administrators of & from all former & other grants, gifts, bargaines, salls titles trobles demands & incumbranees whatsoever had made eommitted suffered or done by the sayd Sepunnamoe Joan Maehize Wesumpsha Wainphaneh Spunnoe, Saehamnose & Tueamhuit.
"In Witness hhareof they have signed, sealed & delivered this writ- ting with their own hands the day & yeare first above written.
Signed, sealed & delivered
in the presence of us as
JOAN alias [L. S.]
WEEKPISSICK
MAMECHIZE [L. S.]
GEORGE GRAVE
WESUMPSHA [L. S.]
THOMAS EDWARDS WAMPHANCH [L. S.]
ROBARD SANFORD
SPUNNOE [L. s.]
SACHAMAS [L. s.]
TACCUMHUIT [L. s.]
Midleton April the eight on thousand six hundred seventy and three Paskanna Raehiashk, Massekump Robin Pewampsskin with the consent of the natives whoe signed and sealed this deed above written were ae- knowledged to be interested in this land reserved to them theirin and for themselves, their heires & assignes, did and by these presents doe give, grant & confirm unto the inhabitants of Midleton their heires and assignes forever, all their right title interest in all that tract of land granted by the above written deed unto the sayd inhabitants of Midleton as fully & largely as is expressed in the above written deed as witness our hands the day & yeare first above written
Signed scaled and delivered
in the presence of us PASKANNA [L. S.]
NATH WHITE
MASSEKUMP [L. S.]
JOHN HALL ROBINS
[L. S ]
SAMUELL STOCKEN
PEWAMPSKIN [L. S.]
RACHIASH [L. s.]
This above written is a true record of the deed of the land within the township of Midleton from the Indian proprietors
pr me JOHN HALL Reeorder.
Either the death of Sowheag occurred in the interim, or his imbecility prevented him from taking any active part in the affairs of his nation.
The reservation on the west side of the river was in the neighborhood of Newfield, where the Indians had had a a cemetery previous to the settlement of the English among them.
The Little River, where the bridge crosses it from the city to Newfield, was the head of navigation for their water craft. They held lands there until 1713.
The Wangunks remained for some time in Middletown and Chatham, living on three separate reservations.
SEPONNAMOE [L. s.]
on the other side
JOSEPH NASH
63
MIDDLETOWN-INDIANS-SETTLEMENT.
The last sachem but one of the Wangunks was called Doctor Robbins. He died previous to 1757. He left a son named Richard Ranney who was brought up among the whites, spoke and wrote the English language, learned the trade of a joiner, and became a professor of reli- gion.
In 1764, while the tribe still numbered between 30 and 40, only two squaws with their three children remained. One of these, Mary Cuschoy or Tike, was the blind and aged widow of Cuschoy. the last sachem of the tribe. She had been for some time supported by the town.
In 1764 a committee appointed for the purpose sold a large part of the lands; and on the first of June, 1765, reported that they had on hand funds to the amount of £163 195. in Continental bills and about £100 in obli- gations not collected. As late as 1772, f90 of this had been used for the support of Mary Cuschoy.
The third religious society of Middletown being desir- ous of purchasing the land of the Wangunks, who were willing to sell, a committee was appointed in 1765 to sell the land and use the proceeds for the benefit of the pro- prietors. A portion of this was disposed of, and in 1769 Samuel Ashpo and nine others, then living at Farming- ton, obtained permission of the Assembly to sell their remaining lands at Wangunk. In 1785 a committee was appointed by the Legislature to collect all the money due on the Indian lands at Wangunk and pay it over to the proprietors who had all left the place.
SETTLEMENT OF MIDDLETOWN.
Middletown was first known by its Indian name, Mattabesett. As early as 1639 the following record was made of the action of the General Court concerning the Indians here:
"The menifold insoleneyes that have beene offered of late by the Indians, putt the Court in mind of that w'ch hath beene too long neglected, viz: the execution of justice upon the former murtherers of the English and it was uppon serious consideracon and debate thonght necessary and accordingly determined, that some speedy course be taken herein, and for effecting hercof it was concluded that 100 men be levyed and sent down to Mattabesecke, where severall guilty persons reside and haue beene harbored by Soheage, notwithstanding all means by way of persuation haue beene formerly used to him for surrendering them upp into or hands; and it is thought fit that these counsells be imparted to or friends at Quinnipi[ocke] that prvition may be made for the safety of the new plantacons, and upon their joynt consent to preede or desist."
It appears that, prior to this, some provocation had been given to Sowheag and his tribe by the people of Wethersfield, and that some of these Indians had aided the Pequots in an excursion that they made against that town, in which they killed six men and three women, and carried away two girls. Sowheag entertained the hostile Pequots, treated the people of Wethersfield in a haughty and insulting manner, refused to give up the murderers, even after the conquest and destruction of the Pequot tribe, and was guilty of hostile acts toward the English; hence this action of the General Court of Connecticut. The New Haven people were notified of this action, but the governor of that colony deemed it expedient to dissuade the Connecticut colony from the execution of its purpose.
Though there were at that time settlements above and
below Mattabesett, the hostile attitude of the Indians here prevented the influx of settlers.
Some months prior to the autumn session of the Gen - eral Court, in 1646, however, it appears probable that steps had been taken toward a settlement here, for at that session Mr. Phelps was appointed an additional member of a committee, which already existed, for the planting of Mattabesett. What steps were taken by this committee toward the establishment of a settlement is not known. Probably a few immigrants established themselves here, though rapid progress does not appear to have been made, for on the 20th of March 1648, the addition was made of " Samuel Smith, senior, to the committee about the lands at Mattibeseck, in the roome of James Boosy." This committee reported that these lands might support 15 families, but a greater number than that were soon here. These were settled north and south from Little River, and the records (1651) state:
"It is ordered sentenced and decreed that Mattabescek shall bee a Towne, and that they shall make choyce of one of theire inhabitants. according to order in that case, that so hee may take the oath of a Constable, the next convenient season.
"It is ordered that Mattabeseek and Norwaulk shall be rated this prsent year in theire proporcon, according to the rule of rating in the Country, for theire cattle, and other visible estate, and that Norwaakk shall present to Mr. Ludlow, andMattabeseek to Mr. Wells, in each Towne one inhabitant, to bee sworne by thein Constables iu theire severall Townes."
In the next year it was decreed by the General Court that
" Thomas Lord having engaged to this Court to continue his abode in Hartford for the next ensuing yeare, and to improve his best skill amongst the inhabitants of the Townes uppon this River within this Jurissdiction, both for setting of bonesand otherwise, as at all times, oc- casions and necessityes may or shal require; This Court doth grant that hee shall bee payd by the Country the sum of fifteene pounds for the said ensuing yeare, and they doe deelare that for euery visitt or journeye that hee shall take or make, being sent for to any howse in Hartford twelve pence is reasonable; to any howse in Wyndsor, five shillings; to any howse in Wethersfield, three shillings; to any howse in Farmington, six shillings; to any house in Mattabeseek, eight shillings; (hee haning promised that he will require no more;) and that hee shall be freed for the time aforesaid from watching, warding, and training; but not from finding armes according to lawe."
The town was represented in the General Court in the autumn of 1652, and in November 1653, " the General Court further approved that the name of the plantation commonly called Mattabeseck, should for time to come be called Middletown." The reason for the selection of this name is not known, but it is thought that it was so named from some town in England from which some of the settlers came, or for which they had a particular regard.
In 1654, the "Persons and Estates" in the town were rated. The number of taxable persons was 31, and the amount of the estates was £2,173.
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