History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 82

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 82

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Mr. Kilbourn removed to Colchester, after remaining at the mills and doing a successful business for nearly 20 years, and died on the 14th of October 1785, in the 79th year of his age. On his tombstone is the following inscription :

" He was a man of invention great. Above all that lived nigh; But he could not invent to live, When God called him to die."

Captain Jonathan Kilbourn, the son of Jonathan Kil- bourn, was the successor at the mills, and for several years, in partnership with his brother, David, carried on an extensive business. The manufacture of oil was con- tinued, also the fulling and carding mill. Captain Kil- bourn was born in Colchester, April 12th 1742, and was about 42 years of age when he took control of the prop- erty. He was a man of enterprise and public spirit, as was also his brother David, who was associated with him. They carried on an extensive and successful business for nearly 20 years, when misfortune seemed to dawn, and the hitherto successful career of the family seemed to be on the wane.

In the year 1800 there was living at the Landing a family of Lords, who came from England but a few years previous, and to this family the Kilbourns became somewhat involved. They (the Kilbourns) were anxious to enlarge their works and to develop more fully the re- sources of the place, but cruel fate proved unrelentless, and about the year 1806, the mortgage was foreclosed. The property came into the possession of Samuel P. Lord, and was controlled by his sons, Richard and George, who associated with them one Josiah Barber, who by marriage was in some way connected with the family. It was claimed by the Kilbourns that they had been grievously wronged by the Lords, and actually de- frauded to the amount of several thousand dollars, and. tradition says that they pronounced " a woe and a curse" upon the place.

Jonathan Kilbourn and his successors, Captain Jona- than and David, whatever may have been their misfortunes, most certainly evinced determined and enterprising spirits, and their positions, socially and'

removed to New York, where he died at the residence of his son, Samuel A. Kilbourn, in Liberty, Sullivan county, August 6th 1812, aged 68 years. Captain Jonathan died about the year 1795. Captain Kilbourn left an- other enduring monument to his memory, in the shape of

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EAST HADDAM-LEESVILLE.

a large stone basin, capable of holding two or three bar- rels of water, which now stands, as it has stood for years, in front of the Kilbourn residence. This basin was dug out of solid rock, and served as a reservoir; a hole was drilled through the bottom and connected with the spring on the hill by a wooden pipe composed of bored logs. Into this cool reservoir for many years there bub- bled up a spring of pure cold water, affording a conven- ience and a comfort which the farmers of the present day seldom enjoy.

In 1806, the Lords took control and proceeded to further develop this splendid water power which was still in its infancy. Samuel P. Lord was a man of consider- able wealth and influence in the town, and resided at the Landing. Mr. Lord died at the Champion House in 1809, and bequeathed to his sons, George and Richard, the entire amount of his large property. About this time their business at the Landing was closed up, and the two brothers moved to Leesville (then called the Hollow), in order that their whole time and entire ener- gies might be devoted to the prosecution of their new business. On the site of the old oil mill they proceeded to erect a woolen factory and clothiers' works; they also built a bark mill and enlarged the saw mill which had been first erected by the Kilbourns. Instead of one saw as heretofore they introduced eight, and sawed a length of 70 feet. The woolen mill contained five machines for spinning, and used about 10,000 pounds of wool annu- ally. Richard lived in the house occupied and owned by the late Charles D Wright, and George resided in the house now owned and occupied by Hobart Wright. Jo- siah Barber, who married into the Lord family, was at this time associated in the business and the firm name was Lord & Barber. The name of the place had changed to "Lords' Mills." Business continued pros- perous for seven or eight years. On the night of March the 30th 1815, these mills, with nearly all their contents, were consumed by fire, and the loss occasioned by the sad disaster was about $25,000.

The Lords were not disheartened, nor did their ener- gies relax in the least. During the next summer they erected a fine brick building, 65 by 35 feet on the ground, and four stories high, with a roomy attic. This building was supposed to be fire proof, the floors, as well as walls being laid with brick. In 1816, they introduced abont 500 additional spindles, and were putting forth every ef- fort to increase and otherwise enlarge their business. They had, in connection with their works, a machine shop, where all the necessary machinery was made and repaired; but they had encountered heavy losses and were compelled to mortgage their property heavily to the State of Connecticut, on account of loans received from the school fund, and in 1822, a foreclosure was the re- sult. George and Richard were both arrested and con- fined in jail for debt, subject to the limits; Richard escaped his creditors by running away to New Connecti- cut, which he subsequently purchased, and George died on his limits in Haddam, in the house opposite the court house.

After the failure of the Lords the property was held in charge by Isaac Chapman, who acted as agent in behalf of the State. For some time the mills remained idle. In 1823, Mr. John Gray, of Lisbon, Conn., assumed the command, and the wheels were once again put in motion. The mill was filled with machinery adapted to the manu- facture of satinets, and the store, which had been opened by the Lords, was filled with a general assortment of merchandise. This property inventoried at the time of the failure, $28,000.

About the Ist of May 1825, Mr. Gray went down to New York, and there purchased $100,000 worth of stock and merchandise, which he had shipped to East Had- dam. One month afterward, he failed in business, and made an assignment to John Breed and Asa Childs, of Norwich, and to Nathan Sears, his general manager and superintendent. With the failure of Mr. Gray, at Lord's Mills, ended the manufacture of woollen goods at this place, and a new era was to be inaugurated. Looms were introduced, and machinery adapted to the manu- facture of cotton cloth. There were then in this village 17 dwelling houses, besides the. mill, store, saw mill, and storehouses, all of which were in good condition and re- pair. In the year 1826, Mr. Henry S. and S. H. P. Lee jr. bought the property from the State, and under the firm name of H. & S. Lee, commenced the manufacture of 4-4 cotton sheetings and cotton battings. They es- tablished the first post office, at which S. H. P. Lee jr. was postmaster, and gave the village its present name. The Wrights had leased the saw mill, and, as formerly, it was doing an immense business, and Salmon River in those days was the scene of busy commercial life. Vessels of light draught were built here, and launched and taken out during high water or times of freshet. The sloops Napoleon and Eliza were built at this place.

Leesville had, at this day, acquired quite a business reputation, and was the center of trade in the town for a long period of time. An immense quantity of timber was sawed here and boated down the river, and large rafts of logs were almost daily seen upon the waters of the Salmon.

In various ways, however, the Lees spent a vast amount of money and were obliged at various times to bor- row aid from their cousin, Samuel Parsons, Esq., of Hart- ford, who was at that time the cashier of the old United States Bank in that city. This state of affairs continued until 1832, at which time an assignment was made to Doctor S. H. P. Lee, of New London. Mr. Parsons again came to their relief, and Henry S. Lee was enabled to make settlement of their indebtedness, and resumed (S. H. P. Lee jr. retiring) manufacturing and continued until about 1840, when from pecuniary inability he was compelled to relinquish entirely. After the removal of the Lees, Samuel Parsons jr., came from Hartford to Leesville, and operated the mill for nearly one year, in order to run out the stock on hand, after which he went to Europe. and his father, Samuel Parsons, owned and had control of the property, which was leased by him in 1843 to the new firm of Richmond & Wheelock. In

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

1843 they commenced the manufacture of print goods. The career of this firm, however, was very short, and in 1846 they too were obliged to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors, and on account of the failure of Adams & Tiffany during this year they made an assign. ment. But again, for the sixth time, was business re- sumed. In the spring of 1849 a company was organized, composed of Stanton S. Card, Daniel B. Warner, and Martin Chapman, all residents of the town except Mr. Chapman, who lived in the adjoining town of Haddam.

The mill underwent a thorough renovation, new ma- chinery adapted to the new business was introduced. On the 8th of June 1854, N. A. Cowdery Esq., bought up the interest of Card, Warner, and Chapman, and as apears by record in the town clerk's office, on the next day after the purchase, sold the same to a company which has since been known as The East Haddam Duck Company. The amount of stock was limited to $30,000 and the or- ganization comprised the following named gentlemen, viz .: Stanton S. Card, president; J. R. Gardner, D. B. Warner, and Loren Cowdery, directors. The amount of capital stock actually paid in August 24th 1854, was $15,482.50. The company at once went to work, threw out old and put in improved machinery, and commenced the manufacture of cotton duck, with Loren Cowdery as general manager and agent.

On the night of June 19th 1861, by some cause which has ever been shrouded in mystery, this splendid mill, with all of its improved machinery, stock and goods on hand, was for the second time burned to the ground. Frothingham & Baylis about 15 years ago purchased the entire stock of the company, and to-day are the sole pro- prietors of the Leesville manufacturing property, although they are known at home and abroad as "The East Had- dam Duck Company." After the death of Mr. Silliman the affairs of the concern were speedily adjusted, and Mr. Nelson H. Bowers, a young man of considerable mechanical skill, was chosen superintendent by the firm, which position he now fills, not only with credit to him- self but with profit to his employers.

The mill, tenements, and other buildings connected 1 with the property are all in excellent condition, and the machinery used is all of first-class modern construction. The mill runs 1,000 spindles, uses 624 bales of cotton a year, and produces about 192,000 yards of sail cloth, or cotton duck. It contains 12 Patterson looms, and em- ploys about 25 operatives, with a monthly pay-roll amounting to $1,000. There is one more fact connected with the place which had almost been forgotten, and is worthy of record. Mr. Joseph Whittemore was for many years proprietor of the hotel at Leesville and was co- temporary with the Lords and Lees. The fact which we record is that he had a family of 14 daughters, all of whom were born, reared, and married at the old home- stead. Mr. Whittemore died in the year 1855, at the ad- vanced age of 74 years. If the manufacturing interests did meet with misfortunes and failures from year to year, the Whitternore family was most certainly a brilliant suc- cess. There is still another little incident with reference

to the hotel of Mr. Whittemore which we must not fail relate. The house was opened to the public in the year 1827, and Mr. Whittemore employed an old Scotchman by the name of Fisher to paint him a sign which would indicate or represent his various branches of business viz: ship building, navigation, farming, &c. The sign, when finished and put in position, represented on one side a view of Mount Tom, the mouth of Salmon River, with a scow boat fully manned, also a section of the Connecticut River, with a sloop heading up the river, under press of canvas; on the other side was painted an animal intended for a cow, but no one could tell to what species it belonged, as the hind parts resembled a hog, the shoulders an ass, and the head a fierce bull. The picture excited roars of laughter and many remarks, which, with some doggerel, the boys would sing (a specimen of which we quote) was the means of driving the poor old Scotchman from the place.

" But Joseph keeps a tavern and wants a good sign. Something neat and cheap, but appropriate in design; He called on friend Fisher, who said he could paint A cow or a scow or old Patrick his saint; But when he had done it, it looked like a fool For instead of a cow he had painted a bull.

CHORUS-Derry down down, hi derry down, A bran new sign is raised in the town.

"Now Joseph was pleased with the fun that was made, And cared not a straw for what people said:

Tho' most of his neighbors when by it they'd pass Would swear 'twas no bull, but a real jackass.

CHORUS-Derry down down, hi derry down &c.

Old Mr. Starr, of Middletown, the grandfather of E. W. N. Starr, had a government contract for making swords. The blades were forged in Middletown, and every one of them were ground and polished at Kil- bourn's Mills.

The Leesville of to-day is a pleasant village of about 15 families, the heads of which are worthy citizens, noted for honesty, frugality, and democracy.

HADLYME.

The society of Hadlyme was formed from East Had. dam Society and Lyme Third Society in October 1742. About two thirds of the society is in East Haddam. About the time settlements began at Creek Row, Samuel Spencer from Haddam settled in the upper portion of Hadlyme. As early as 1692, Thomas Hungerford was an inhabitant of this parish; and John Holms, from New London, was a resident there as early as 1710. Isaac, John, and Abel Willey, from New London; Thomas Harvey, from England: and John Marsh, from Braintree, Mass., were among the first settlers in this locality.

Here is a copy of the original record:

" Att a General Assembly holden att New Haven on 14th Day of October Ano: don-1742-Upon the memorial of Isaac Willey, Stephen Scovil, John Com- stock and other members of the first Society in East Haddam and the third Society in Lyme preferred to this Assembly in May Last and the Report of the Comittee

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EAST HADDAM-HADLYME.

thereon-to this Assembly in their present Sessions pro- posing that ye memorials: st be formed into a Distinct Society for Carrying on ye worship of God amongst themselves according to ye Bounds &c-Limits therein Specified. This Assembly Do Enact, Decree, and Order That ye said Isaac Willey, Stephen Scovil, John Com- stock and the Rest of the Inhabitants of the Parrish hereafter Described be and they are here by Imbodyed and made one Distinct Eclesiastical Society by the name of Hadlyme, and that the Bounds thereof to be as follows viz Beginning at a Whitoak Tree Standing by the Great River being accounted ye bounds between Lyme and East Haddam thence Running Southerly to William Clemans. In cluding Mr. Selden's farm by the River thence East ward from said Cleman's house unto ye house where Consider Tiffany now lives including that house thence running northwesterly to the South East corner of James Masses farm thence running northeasterly by s'd Masses his Land to the Repouted bounds of East Haddam. Then beginning at s'd Whitoak Tree by the River from thence Extending one mile and three quarters north To the River and from the Extreem of that Extent Easterly to James Booge's house including said house thence Easterly to Elijah Ackley's house including s'd House thence East unto the Line of Millington Parrish and from thence Southerly By s'd Millington Line unto the Line between s'd East Haddam and Lyme and by Last mentioned Line unto Mose his Land aforesaid."

A council, consisting of Rev. Messrs. Stephen Hos- mer, George Beckwith, and Thomas Skinner, Elders, and Deacon Jeremiah Gates, Daniel Ely, Esq., Benjamin Colt, John Gates, Henry Champion, and Deacon Eleazor Smith, Messengers, convened at the house of Lieutenant John Comstock, on the 26th of June 1745.

This council drew up, for those who desired to be em- bodied into a church, a confession of faith and other articles of confederation, " to which they all assenting and consenting, signed the same as follows:"

"Grindal Rawson, Pastor; John Hungerford, Samuel Crosby, Ephraim Fuller, John Millard, John Comstock 2d, John Comstock, Samuel Dutton, Christopher Holmes, John Comstock 3d, William Comstock."

They had employed various candidates to preach to them, before the organization of the church and the set- tlement of Mr. Rawson.

" December 9th, 1742, a Society Meeting (of which, Capt. JOHN HUNGERFORD was the Moderator) proceeded to make arrangements for the building of a Meeting House.

" Att the same meeting it was then and there voted the Meeting House which said society have a Greed to build shall be in length forty and six foot, and in width it shall be thirty and five foot, and the post to said house shall bee twenty foot long. 'Same time ' it was voted that the place for the meeting house to stand upon, should Bee on the Nole west of JOB BECKWITH'S house."

committee 'to the Legislature to obtain liberty to raise the same.' "

" It was taken down in the fall of 1840, and the pres- ent edifice erected on the same site, was completed the same year, and dedicated on the 6th of January, 1841."

At a meeting held "May ye 28 1745 it was then and there voted that wee Will Give ye Rev. Mr. Rawson to- wards building his house in s'd society if he Settles in the work of the ministre amongst us the sum of one hun- dred pound old tenor in Labor to be payd in the time that we way his settlement."

The Hadlyme parsonage, the large brown house on the hill, was built about 1746, Mr. Rawson lived here dur- ing his ministry. Afterward his son, Rev. E. G. Raw- son, brought up a large family here; in fact, for over 100 years, it was the home of the ministers.

The pastors of this church have been: Rev. Grindal Rawson, who was installed, September 18th 1745, and and died, March 29th 1777, in the 70th year of his age, and the 32d year of his pastorate.

Rev. Joseph Vaill was ordained February 9th 1780, and died November 21st 1838, aged 87 years, having been 52 years pastor of this church.

Rev. Ralph S. Crampton was installed May 23d 1832, as colleague with Mr. Vaill and was dismissed November 5th 1834.

Rev. George Carrington was installed as junior pastor February 25th 1835, and was dismissed February 2d 1842.

Rev. Stephen A. Loper commenced here in February 1842; was installed May 15th 1845, and dismissed June 3d 1850.

Rev. E. B. Hillard was ordained and installed March 14th 1855, and was dismissed April 11th 1860.

Rev. Daniel W. Teller began January Ist 1869, was ordained and installed April 19th 1870, and was dismis- sed January 2d 1872.

The following have been acting pastors, who served a year or more:

Revs. Matthew Scribner and Samuel Collins, from 1777 to 1780; William Goodwin, 1850 to 1851; Jamies Noyes, 1851 to 1853; William D. Sands, 1853 to 1854; Henry WV. Jones, 1860 to 1866; Charles Cutting, 1866 to 1867; Henry M. Vaill, 1872 to 1875.

The following have been deacons in this church:

June 8th 1746, Samuel Dutton, probably died 1749; June 8th 1746, Samuel Crosby, probably died 1755; January 1750, Christopher Holmes, died April 12th 1792, aged 77; March 1756, Samuel Selden, was a col- onel in the Continental Army; died a prisoner of war in the Old Brick Church, N. Y., 1776, aged 52; April 1792, Jabez. Comstock, excused 1802, died 1807, aged 84; March 1780, Israel Spencer, excused 1802, died 1813, aged 82; October 1802, Israel S. Spencer, excused 1833, died 1837, aged 74; June 1803, Israel Dewey, died 1806, aged 52; June 1815, Ithamar Harvey, died 1847, aged 82; January 1828, Selden Warner, excused 1833, died

"Said Meeting House was probably raised in the sum- mer of 1743, after sending CHRISTOPHER HOLMES as a '1843, aged 82; March 1833, Samuel C. Selden, excused

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

1846, died 1852, aged 65; May 1833, Elijah Comstock, excused 1846, died 1858, aged 84; September 1846, Isaac Chester jr., dismissed April 1852; November 1854, Frederick A. Tiffany, left the place in 1868; November 1854, Joseph Selden, dismissed in 1859; February 1866, William C. Spencer; May 1869, Almon Day, dismissed in 1874; September 1874, Silas R. Holmes.

The advanced position which this church occupies re- garding the temperance reform is shown by the rules which were adopted some years since:

1. "The church regards the manufacture, sale or use of alcoholic liquors as a beverage, in the midst of the light which now exists upon the subject, as inconsistent with the Christian profession.

2. "No person shall be received into its membership on profession or by letter, who manufactures, uses or sells such liquors as a beverage.

3. " If any member is known to do any of these, it is made the business of the Standing Committee to report the case to the church.

4. "The church recommends and requires all its mem- bers to use their influence in every legitimate way against such manufacture , use or sale."

MANUFACTURING.

C. A. Chester, of Hadlyme, was formerly engaged in the manufacture of shingles and small lumber.

About 14 years ago, he devoted his attention to irregu- lar turning of handles of every description. The busi- ness has become one of the principal branches of in- dustry in the town, and the facilities for work have doubled within a few years through the careful attention of the proprietor. Mr. Chester's goods are said to be the best in the market.

PROMINENT MEN.

DR. ELIPHALET NOTT.

East Haddam, and particularly Millington, has been the birthplace or residence of many prominent men, men whose names have been illustrious in connection with national and State governments; men who have adorned the higher and nobler professions of life; men, and women too, who can be referred to with pride. Many of them sleep in the church yards; many went forth and have never returned from the fields where they so nobly toiled; sonie still live to adorn their chosen professions.

"One of the most remarkable men of the age was Dr. Eliphalet Nott, who lived during several years of his boyhood on the old road running north from the old Austin Beebe house in Millington. He lived here with relatives, having been left an orphan at quite an early age. During his early life he had to endure many of the hardships of poverty. For want of shoes he was forced to go barefooted most of the year. When quite young he had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and not- withstanding his limited opportunities, and the obstacles he had to encounter, at the age of 19 passed a successful

examination for the degree of Master of Arts, and actually had the degree conferred upon him, by Brown Univer- sity, without his having attended college a single day, He chose the vocation of the ministry, and after the usual three years' study, was ordained at the age of 22. He was married soon afterward, and with his bride, on horseback, started on his wedding trip to what was then the far West. They stopped and made a settlement at the new village of Cherry Valley, about fifty miles west of Albany. Soon after his settlement the fame of his talents reaching Albany, he was invited to become the pastor of one of its principal churches, which invitation he accepted. While here he preached his famous sermon on the death of Hamilton, which attracted universal attention, and which still ranks as one of the most eloquent and strik- ing ever delivered in the United States. Seven years after he came to Albany he was called to the presidency of Union College, in the building up and management of which he displayed talents for business that would have sufficed for the government of a nation. He was also the inventor of the famous " Nott Stove," for burn . ing coal, the patents of which procured a vast revenue. so that when he died he was one of the richest men in the State of New York, west of Albany.

In the 50th year of his presidency he gave to Union College, as a permanent endowment, the sum of $610,000. He held his position during 61 years, and died in the 93d year of his age.

Born before the Revolution, inheriting an almost per- fect bodily constitution, with talents of the highest order, which were used only for the benefit of mankind, he lived to see the close of the Rebellion, bequeathing to the world a name and a fame that will never die.

GENERAL EPAPHRODITUS CHAMPION AND JONATHAN O. MOSLEY.

East Haddam boasts of the unusual honor of having two members of Congress at one time, both of whom were elected for several terms, under the old law for electing Congressmen by general ticket. These were General Epaphroditus Champion and Jonathan O. Mos- ley. General Champion lived at the old Tyler place, East Haddam Landing. He was a member of the Gen- eral Assembly in 1793. He had command of the 24th Regiment of the Connecticut State Militia before his election to Congress. Colonel Mosley lived but little over a mile north of General Champion, on the place now owned by William J. Morgan. He was a lawyer, and held the office of state's attorney for Middlesex county, from 1797 to 1805. He was elected to Con- gress for eight terms; had held command of a regiment of State militia, and was also a justice of the peace in town for a number of years. His granddaughter is the wife of the Hon. Hiram Willey. His grandson, William O. Mosley, resides in Hadlyme. His father, Thomas Mosley, was quite a popular physician; was a member of the State Medical Association, and was also a justice of the peace. Timothy Green, a resident of the Landing, was afterward elected to Congress under the district

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History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 82

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