History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 69

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 69

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Returning to his home in Cromwell, he continued for many years to eke out a scanty income as a mechanic, but every year he added largely to his scientific acquisi- tions, and developed more fully his intellectual and moral energies.

On the 3d of September 1821, occurred in the eastern part of Connecticut, one of the most violent storms ever known in this locality. Shortly after this, Mr. Redfield, being on a journey to the western part of Massachusetts, in company with his son, traveled over a region covered by marks of the ravages of the storm. He observed that at Middletown the gale commenced from the southeast, prostrating the trees toward the northwest; but on reach- ing the northwestern part of Connecticut and the neigh- boring parts of Massachusetts, he was surprised to find that the trees lay with their heads in the opposite direc- tion, or toward the southeast. He was still more sur- prised to find that at the very time when the wind was blowing with such violence from the southeast at Middle- town, a northwest wind was blowing with equal violence at a point less than seventy miles distant from that place. On tracing further the course and direction of prostrated

260

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

objects, and comparing the times when the storm reached of his enlarged views of his accurate knowledge different places, the idea flashed upon his mind that the storm was a progressive whirlwind. He little thought that the development of that idea would one day place him among the distinguished philosophers of his time. The idea that great storms are progressive whirlwinds was for the first time embraced nearly at the same in- stant by Redfield and Dové, although the conclusion was arrived at by totally different methods of investigation. The benevolent and practical mind of Redfield had no sooner established the law of storms than he commenced the inquiry, what rules may be derived from it, to pro- mote the safety of the immense amount of human life and property that are afloat on the ocean, and exposed continually to the dangers of shipwreck. The deduction from his observations were embodied in the publication of " The Law of Storms and its Penalties for Neglects," containing established rules for navigators, by which the mariner might ascertain the direction in which the gale strikes his ship, to determine his position in the storm, and the course he must steer in order to escape its fury. The most accomplished navigators, among whom may be mentioned Commodores Rogers and Perry, and Com- mander Glynn of the United States navy, have testified that within their knowledge, and in some cases within their own observation, many ships have owed their deliv- erance from the perils of shipwreck to a faithful observ- ance of the rules derived from Redfield's theory of storms.

Before the scientific world Mr. Redfield appeared ex- clusively in the character of a philosopher, especially of a meteorologist, but he rendered equally important ser- vice in the character of naval engineer, particularly in the department of steamboat navigation. Several disas- trous steamboat explosions had spread alarm through the community and created general terror of steamboats. Mr. Redfield was the first to devise and carry into exe- cution the plan of a line of safety barges to ply on the Hudson between New York and Albany. The scheme was to construct a passenger boat to be towed by a steamboat at such a distance from it as to avoid all ap- prehensions of danger to the passengers. This suggested to him the system of tow boats for conveying freight, which was established in 1826, and the fleets of barges and canal boats, sometimes numbering 40 or 50, which make so conspicuous a figure on the Hudson River, were set in motion by Mr. Redfield, and for 30 years he super- intended the first line established. The instances are rare indeed where the inductive philosopher so happily united with the practical engineer, each character bor- rowing aid from the other.

Another no less important subject engaged the atten- tion of Mr. Redfield, and brought into exercise his re- markable sagacity and forecast. He was the first to place before the American people the plan of a system of railroads connecting the waters of the Hudson with those of the Mississippi. His pamphlet containing this project, issued in 1829, is a proud monument

of the topography of the vast country lying be- tween these great rivers, of his extraordinary fore- cast, anticipating as he did the rapid settlement of the the Western States, the magic development of their agri- cultural and mineral wealth, and the consequent rapid growth of our great commercial metropolis. The route proposed was substantially that of the New York and Erie Railroad, but his views extended still further, and he marked out with prophetic accuracy the course of the railroads which would connect with the Atlantic States the then infant States of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois. These, he foresaw, would advance with incredible rapidity the settlement of those regions of unbounded fertility, and would divert no small portion of the trade from Mississippi to the great metropolis of the East. At the moment when the Erie Canal, having just been completed, was at the summit of its popularity, Mr. Redfield set forth in his pamphlet, under nineteen distinct heads, the great superiority of railroads to canals, advantages which, although then contemplated only in theory, have been fully established by subsequent experience. He had even anticipated that after the construction of the pro- posed great trunk railway, connecting the Hudson and the Mississippi, many lateral railways and canals would bind in one vast net work the whole great West to the Atlantic States. "This great plateau," says he, "will in- deed one day be intersected by thousands of miles of railroad communications; and so rapid will be the in- crease of its population and resources that many persons now living will probably see most or all of this accom- plished." How well has this remarkable prediction, ut- tered in 1829, when there was not a foot of railroad in all the country under review, been fulfilled, and how truly has it happened that many of the elder members of the "American Association for the Advancement of Science " lived to witness its accomplishment.

The motives which impelled Mr. Redfield to spread this subject before the American people at that early day, when railroads were scarcely known in this country, were purely patriotic. He had no private interest to subserve in the proposed enterprise, and the whole ex- pense of preparing and publishing two editions of the pamphlet embodying these large and prophetic views, was defrayed from his own limited resources.

Few men have given more signal proof of an original inherent love of knowledge. His was a mind in love with truth, ever searching, ever expanding. In society he was courteous, sincere, upright, and benevolent; in his family, tender, affectionate, wise in counsel, and pure in example; in all his walk and conversation, and especially in the church of God, a devout and humble Christian.

In calm resignation to the will of his Maker, and in the full exercise of Christian faith, he gently breathed his last on the morning of February 12th 1857.

He built the Oliver Ellsworth for a Hartford Com- pany. It was built in the winter of 1823-4, in New York.

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261

CROMWELL-BIOGRAPHIES.

EBEN WILCOX.

Two brothers, Thomas and John, one of whom was the ancestor of Eben Wilcox, came from Hartford about 1650 and settled at Middletown Upper Houses, now known as Cromwell. For upwards of 230 years they have tilled the soil, and have demonstrated the fact as reported by the committee appointed by the General Court in 1648, viz .: that there was "subsistence on the plantation of Mattabesett for fifteen families."

Eben Wilcox, the subject of this sketch, was the only son of Eliphalet Wilcox and Abigail Shepard. He was born at Middletown Upper Houses, on the 29th of De- cember 1789. His educational advantages were con- fined to a few weeks' attendance at the public school of each year, the remainder of the time being spent in working on the farm for his father. Before he became of age he made three voyages to sea; for the time thus spent he was obliged to pay his father, as, under the then existing laws, the father was entitled to the services of his son until he became of age. He worked seven years for his father after he became of age, and during this period saved a sufficient sum to purchase the farin now occupied by his son, Frederick. By hard work and good management, he acquired several additional acres, and on the death of his father he bought his sister's in- terest in the homestead property, and in course of time became one of the largest land owners in Cromwell. His success as a farmer, together with the remarkable business qualifications displayed in his operations, brought him into public notice, and he was made a di- rector in the Middletown Bank. This afforded him the opportunity for the display of that great financial ability which was inherent. He not only proved a valuable assistant in the management of the affairs of the bank, but his own investments were almost uniformly success- ful, and he became one of the wealthiest farmers in his native town. His advice was sought by his neighbors and fellow-citizens on all matters of importance, espe- cially in the settlement of estates, divisions and appraise- ments of property.

In 1838, before Cromwell was set off as a separate town, he was chosen to represent the people of Middle town in the State Legislature, where he served with dis- tinction. During his life, he filled many positions of trust and responsibility in his native town. He was for three years county commissioner, and was for some years selectman of the town.

In 1813, he married Lucretia Mildrum, of Middletown Upper Houses, now Cromwell, by whom he had eight children, viz .: Abigail B., born June 7th 1815; Lucretia, born June 9th 1817, died in California, July 1866; Fred- erick, born April 18th 1819; Maria, born October 24th 1821; Joseph E., born February 13th 1824, died May 18th 1877; James H., born September 21st 1826; Charles S., born September 5th 1829, died August 30th 1883; and George S., born May 31st 1834. Mr. Wilcox died on the 17th of March 1875. His wite died October 21St 1866.

Two of the sons, Frederick and George, reside in

Cromwell. Frederick has no children living. George has one daughter, named Sarah E. James is a resident of Napa, California. Mrs. Maria Haskell and her sister, Abigail B., reside together at Middletown. Lucretia mar- ried H. W. Chittenden, of Guilford, who died in San Francisco, California, leaving one son, named Charles R., who is still a resident of that city.

RUSSEL FRISBIE.

The old Scotch adage, that " Mony a mickle maks a muckle," applies with equal force to the formation of character as to the acquisition of wealth, and the repre- sentative men of New England are not of that mushroom growth that spring up in a night, but, like the sturdy oak of the forest, which is of slow growth, taking deep root in the ground before spreading out its branches. It is thus that the characters of our "solid " men are formed.

Russel Frisbie belongs to this class of men. He was born at Stony Creek, in the town of Branford, January 8th 1822. His ancestors were among the earliest settlers of that town in 1638 to 1644. His father was a seafaring man. Russel left home when he was but nine years of age and went to live with Captain Russel Dowd, a farmer in Killingworth, now Clinton, where he remained for seven years. His inventive genius and fondness for mechanical employments were early developed. He con- structed a corn sheller at this time which proved a great success and was highly appreciated by the neighbors. At the age of 16, he went to Chester, Conn., and com- menced learning the carpenter's trade of Potter & Whea- ton. Owing to the dissolution of the firm, at the end of 18 months he came to Middletown and entered the pat- tern maker's department of W. & B. Douglas. His familiarity with the use of tools and his quickness of perception, soon enabled him to master his trade. He was steady in his habits and accumulated some property. He remained with this firm for 26 years. During this period he invented several articles of small hardware, making the patterns himself. These were manufactured on a royalty by the Stevens Hardware Company of Crom- well. The officers of the company were not long in dis- covering his inventive genius and mechanical ability, and made repeated overtures to him to take charge of their works, finally offering him a one-fourth interest in the business, which he could pay for at his convenience. In 1866, he accepted the offer and took charge of the works. The business has largely increased under his supervision and an almost endless variety of toys and hardware nov- elties have been produced by him, which have always found a ready market. In addition to his other duties he is assistant treasurer of the company.

In the fall of 1876, his friends urged him to accept the republican nomination to represent them in the State Legislature. While the town had previously given a democratic majority he was elected by a majority of 52 votes. Since then he has been repeatedly solicited by his friends to accept public office, but has invariably de- clined, his other duties requiring his whole time and attention. He is president of the Cromwell Plate Com-

262

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

pany, a director in the Cromwell Savings Bank, the Middlesex Banking Company, of Middletown, the Pierce Hardware Company, Rocky Hill, and the Meriden & Cromwell Railroad Company. He has been for many years an active member of Central Lodge, I. O. O. F., of Middletown.

His success in life is owing to an unflinching courage, and indomitable will, and steady perseverance, which have enabled him to overcome all difficulties. He is a firm believer in the principle that " all men are born free and equal," and this has led him to lend a ready hand to lift up those beneath him by pecuniary and other aid. until they were enabled to "paddle their own canoe." There is scarcely a public enterprise in Cromwell but what has received the aid and support of Mr. Frisbie, and the rich and poor alike recognize him as their friend. He is modest and unassuming in his demeanor, and while he enjoys all the comforts of life there is no osten- tation or effort at display.

In 1844, he married Mary Ann, daughter of Samuel C. Brown, by whom he has had four children: Henry R., born in 1844; Agnes Melville, born in 1847; Charles B., born in 1849; and Carrie Elizabeth, born in 1854, died April 11th 1861.

Henry R., the oldest, inherits all the ability and inde-

pendence of character of his father, preferring to " hoe his own row " rather than be dependent on his father. He resides in Canada.

Agnes M. was married, in 1870, to I. B. Prior. Charles B., married, in 1873, Emma, daughter of Abner Roberts.

Mr. Frisbie has an old piece of manuscript containing the following interesting record of his grandfather:

" Josiah Frisbie No 3 went to New York Reuben Rose Capt. about 3 or 4 months. Col. Douglas actin General Wadsworth in 1776.

" 1776 in the same under Edward Russell Capt. Col. Douglas, General Wadsworth Brigade inlisted for six months, time out Christmas dav.

" 1777 Benjamin Bodrin Capt. Col. Sabine, Lieut. Dwight, inlisted same at New Haven, General Ward six months.

" six months in Branford under Capt. Staples, on guard under the Direction of General Ward (inlisted for Peter Augur, one other summer under Capt. Staples as Guard.)

" inlisted under Capt. James Barker Short Company, to North River, General Ward Commander inlisted under James Barker Active under General Ward.

" Shipt on Board 20 Gun ship cald Oliver Cromwell .* Saild from New London out about 4 months. Capt. Seth Harden Commander."

* This ship was built by Capt. Uriah Hayden, of Potapaug (now Essex), in 1776, for the colony of Connecticut.

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TOWN OF DURHAM.

BY H. G. NEWTON.

GEOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE.

D URHAM is bounded northerly by Middlefield and Middletown; easterly by Haddam; southerly by Killingworth and Guilford, and westerly by Walling- ford. It averages four miles from north to south, and about five miles from east to west. It is said to have been first settled in 1699, and it became a town in 1708.

It was formerly known as Coginchaug. This name means, it is said, thick swamp, or perhaps long swamp; the characteristic physical feature of the town being a long meadow, extending from nearly the south line to Middlefield, on the north. This meadow, even now, in flood time, is sometimes covered with a sheet of water over three miles in length, and from a quarter of a mile to a mile and a half or more in width.

To drain this swamp, drain companies were very early formed, and the bed of the river has been much cleared out and improved, especially at the narrow part in Mid- dlefield.

At first, before the woods along the stream were cut and trenches dug, this swamp, constituting a considerable part of the town, must have been under water for a large part of the year.

Durham was not settled at the same time with the neighboring large towns. For a long time it was not known that there was any place for a town there. A glance at the map will show the reason for this delay.

The southwest boundary of Haddam extended in a straight line to what is now Middlefield, a little west of the Rich place, formerly the toll gate. Killingworth, bounded westerly by the Hammonassett River, was probably supposed to extend northerly to Coginchaug Swamp. and was probably supposed to include most of the arable land on that side between the swamp and Haddam.

The western part of the town was shut in between the swamp on one side and the mountain on the other; the passes at Reed's Gap and at the southwest corner of the town were the only ways of communication between it and Wallingford. There was no thought that the east erly and westerly parts of the town could be united, for an impassable and almost impenetrable morass, thickly

studded with swamp maple and underbrush lay between.

The then indispensable privileges of preaching and public worship would have been unattainable to occu- pants of almost any part of the town. The western part, called the West Side, was the most easily accessible to Guilford, and seems to have been considered in some sense as belonging to it. Many of the inhabitants of Guilford owned land in Durham. The first recorded meeting of proprietors of Durham was held in Guilford.

GEOLOGY OF DURHAM.

The following account of the geology of Durham was prepared for this history by S. W. Loper, A. B.

From many points nearly the whole township of Dur- ham can be brought within visual range, and to the eye of a geologist its hills and valleys present an impressive illustration of the wonderful changes which have been wrought in the countless ages of the past.

From the northwest slope of the Pisgah Range, look- ing northward and westward, the view is peculiarly grand and impressive, and the story of creation-of alternate elevation and depression of the surface of the earth, in the progression of time, can be distinctly read upon the rocks and hills which here lie outspread in rare and picturesque beauty. The center of the town rests upon a formation of sandstone and conglomerate, irregular and undulating upon its surface, and rising gradually to an height of about 500 feet above the sea level near the Middletown line.

This sandstone nearly marks the eastern border of the Triassic formation; on either side are valleys which were once the bed of powerful currents of water, at a later period becoming sluggish bayous, or estuaries, and finally were swamps and now are fertile fields rich with the allu. vium of centuries.

To the east rise the granite and gneissoid hills of the Haddam Range; these, in the southern part of the town, merge into a greenish chloritic gneiss, and in the south- east into an anthophylite formation.

To the westward, beyond the Coginchaug Valley, or great swamp meadows, the Wallingford trap range rises like a wall along the whole western line of the town, pen-

264

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

etrated by narrow passes at Reed's Gap and at the head of Paug Pond.

To the southwest the northern termination of the To- toket Range overlaps the Wallingford Range, with a nar- row valley opening from Durham to Northford.

On the south the town line passes eastward over in- durated limestone, isolated trap dykes, and conglomerate ridges. Several inferior trap dykes traverse the southern and western sections of the town, showing greater vol- canic disturbances in those localities. In all parts of the town, hills formed from the local drift of later ages may be seen. These show at the base strata of rounded peb- bles overlaid with gravel and river debris, and oftentimes to a great depth, with clean water-washed sand.

In the southwest district many deep basins and sinks in the surface indicate caverns in the underlying lime- stone. There also the trap may be seen overlapping the sandstone of early Triassic times, while at nearly adjacent points the trap has sunk down and is covered with sand- stone shales of a later formation. In the surface sand stones are tracks of Triassic birds and reptiles. North of the southwest school house, in the bed of the Aramit River, strata of bituminous and limestone shale are ex- posed; fossil fishes and species of calamites are here found, but the fossils are much injured from the heat of the adjacent trap when in a state of fusion. Still further south, on the Maltby farm, these shales are again accessi- ble, and here the fossils are most beautifully preserved. Species of ferns and cycads are found which are not ob- tained at the other locality.

Of the fish, species of ischypterus and catopterus are most abundant. A new species of ptycholepis was found here and named in honor of Prof. Marsh Ptycholepil Marshii.

In 1873, the first specimen of a noble Triassic fish three feet in length, was discovered, entirely different from anything previously described, necessitating even the establishment of a new genus. The same fish was found a year or two later at Boonton, N. J. It was named by Dr. Newberry diplurus longicandatus. Both specimens are in the collection of Columbia College.

In these shales are also seams of bitumen and carbon- ized limbs of trees which have suggested to many the idea of possible coal veins, and much labor and money has been expended in the hope of finding such deposits, Borings have been made to the depth of 1,000 feet. There are however, no geological indications of coal, and no fossils of the carboniferous period have ever been found.

These shales were evidently formed subsequent to the limestone which outcrops in the vicinity, and the life represented existed in the shallow and brackish waters which covered the locality after the uplifting of the sur- face had forced southward the waves of the ocean.

The glacial epoch is represented in Durham by pol- ished surfaces upon the trap, traversed by scratches and groovings running nearly from northeast to southwest. A most interesting illustration may be seen south of the road on the hill near the West Side school house.

Several boulders of this epoch, " strangers from afar," are scattered through the town; one huge conglomerate lying upon a bed of trap north of the New Haven road, not far from the creamery, attracts every eye.

Few minerals are found in Durham. The granites contain quartz crystals, coarse beryls, and tourmalines; there are also beds of excellent feldspar and massive quartz, suitable for pottery and porcelain. It is said that galena with a small percentage of silver has lately been found.

In the trap rocks are angite and amethyst crystals, prehnite and chalcedony, with traces of copper. At several places good sandstone for building purposes can be quarried.

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History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 69

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