USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume I > Part 35
USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume I > Part 35
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Hamden was incorporated as a town by the May, 1786, general assembly, to embrace the parish of Mount Carmel and the district of the 17th Military Company of the Second Regiment of the state militia, both being parts of the town of New Haven. Provision was made to give the inhabitants of the new town privilege, on equal terms with the inhabitants of the old town, "to catch Fish, Oysters, Clams and Shells within the bounds of said New Haven": and, on the other hand, the inhabitants of New Haven were not to be
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hindered "from getting Stone from the East and West Rocks as usual."
The bounds of the Military Company began "at the foot of the long bridge (so called) from thence a straight line to the dwelling house owned by Mr. Hezckiah Sabin, now in possession of George Peckham, thence on the north side of said house in a straight line to the southeast corner of the farm lately owned by Capt. John Hub- bard, deceased, thence in the line of said farm to the top of the West Rock, thence on said Rock northerly to the southeast corner of Wood- bridge, thence in the line of said Woodbridge to the southwest corner of Mount Carmel Society, thence in the south line of said Society to North Haven line, thence upon said line to the East River, thence along the middle of said River to the first mentioned corner."
The bounds of the parish of Mount Carmel, as finally fixed by the assembly, in October, 1758, were as follows: "Beginning at the south- east corner at the mouth.of Shepherd's Brook, where said brook falls into the Mill River: thence running westward a parallel line with the line on the south side of the half division, so called, unto the east line of the parish of Amity; thence northward in said line to Wallingford bounds, and to extend northward from the first mentioned bounds by said river, being the west line of North Haven Parish bounds, until it comes to the south side of James Ives's farm, and to run eastwardly a parallel line with the south line of said James Ives's farm, until it comes to a highway four rods wide; thence north by said highway unto Ithamar Todd's farm, including said farm within the limits of said Parish, and thence to the Blue Hills, so called, and to run east- wardly by a highway four rods wide, that is, by the southward side of the Blue Hill land, so called, until it comes to a highway six rods wide, that runs northwardly by the east side of Lt. Blacksley's house, to run by said highway until it comes north of the widow Todd's dwelling house, thence eastwardly on the southward side of the said Blue Hill until it comes to Wallingford bounds, at the east end of said hill, and thence westwardly, in the north side line of New Haven bounds into said Amity line."
These divisions will be recognized as constituting the southern and the northern parts of the present town.
The first town meeting was held on the third Tuesday of June, 1786, and Simeon Bristol moderated. He was also appointed town clerk and was one of the first seleetmen. His associates on that board were John Hubbard, Asa Goodyear, Samnel Dickerman, Moses Gil- bert. Other town officers elected were as follows: Constables, Sam- uel Humiston, George A. Bristol; listers, Samuel Bellamy, Jonathan Ives, Jr., Benjamin Gaylord, Jr., Stephen Goodyear, Job Todd, Medad Atwater, Abraham Alling, Stephen Todd, Samuel Humiston, Ben- jamin Wooding, Joel Goodyear; grand jurors, Samnel Atwater, Jr., James Bassett, Jr., Amos Peck, Alvin Bradley; tything men, Sackett
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Gilbert, Daniel Talmadge, Jr., Calvin Mallory, Elisha Atwater ; sur- veyors of highway, Samuel Humiston, John Hubbard, Thomas Mix, Joel Ford, Samuel Dorman, Amos Bradley, Caleb Doolittle, Hezckiah Bassett. Medad Alling, Joseph Johnson: fence viewers, Jonathan Dickerman, Stephen Ford; sealers of leather, Joseph Benham, Joel Hongh; sealers of weights and measures, Daniel Bradley, Eli Brad- ley; key keepers, Timothy Potter, Asa Goodyear, Ebenezer Beach, Caleb Alling. Benjamin Gaylord, Jr. Simeon Bristol, John Hubbard, Thomas Goodyear, Isaac Dickerman and Elisha Booth were appointed a committee to divide the town stock. poor, etc., with the town of New Haven.
Places for notification of public meetings were designated, at the sign post and two extreme taverns in the parish of Mount Carmel; and at one public house on the road at the East and West Farms or Plains.
At the special meeting held November 16th, 1786, Doctor Elisha Chapman was chosen clerk pro tempore. George Augustus Bristol was appointed collector of taxes laid by the state on the list of 1785. The highways were divided into districts, and Jabez Bradley was chosen surveyor, in room of Amos Bradley, who refused to serve.
At the first annual meeting held December 11th, 1786, Jesse Good- year was chosen the first treasurer, a tax of 4 pence on the pound was voted to defray the expenses of the town for the ensuing year and John Hubbard was appointed collector, his pay to be £10 sterling money, out of the town treasury.
In November, 1787, the town voted on the question of approval of the United States Constitution-yeas 5; nays 73. Theophilus Good- year was chosen to represent the town at the Hartford convention on this matter, to be holden in January next.
In March, 1788, the town refused to grant liberty to Doctors Aaron and Joseph Eliot to set up a "Hospital for the purpose of Enocu- lation," at the dwelling of John Hubbard.
In May, 1788, the town voted to oppose the memorial of Captain John Gill and others who wished to be annexed to the town of North Haven.
The Woodbridge town line received attention in 1792, and the New Haven line in 1797, committees being appointed in each case to attend to the matter.
Respecting the state constitution of 1818, the town favored the adoption of such an instrument and chose Russell Pierpont as its dele- gate to the convention.
In 1821, "voted, that the selectmen be requested to invite some able physician to settle in this town."
The poor of the town received early care. In 1795 the town voted that Simeon Bristol, Isaac Dickerman and Caleb Alling join the selectmen in "devising a plan for the more easy and comfortable
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support of the town's poor," and to report at the next town meeting. No record of the same appears. After the custom of those times those who were likely to become public charges were warned to "de- part the town," and those who were really the care of the town were sold at a public outcry, under the direction of the selectmen. In such cases the buyer was placed under bonds that he would not abuse those placed under his care. December 11th, 1815, "Voted, That if any person shall appear to bid off all of the afforesaid town poor for a less sum than they shall amount to singly, they shall have the privi- lege: all under the care and direction of the selectmen."
"Voted, That whoever shall bid off the whole of the town poor for the ensuing year, shall be required to give a bond with sureties to the selectmen, in the sum of $1,500, conditioned that the poor, so bid off by him, shall be provided and furnished with comfortable food, clothing, lodging and fire wood, during the time for which he under- takes to support them."
Later more humane methods were adopted. As early as 1834, the question of providing an almshouse was agitated, but no definite ac. tion was taken until early in 1850. That year the Tuttle place was purchased and was used as a poor farm more than ten years. In 1861 it was sold and the present poor farm occupied. This had been con- ditionally willed to the town by Enos Brooks, an esteemed citizen of the town, and was also subject to a life lease of his wife, Mrs. Roxana Brooks. By paying Mrs. Brooks an annual sum the town obtained unrestricted possession of the farm, and adapted it to its present use. The improvements cost more than $4,000, and the buildings so far have proven ample for the proper accommodation of the inmates, num- bering from ten to fifteen per year. The town farm which is in the extreme northern part of Hamden, consists of 118 acres and is valued at $5,750. The property other than real estate is valued at $2,084. The town expends for all classes of the poor over $3,000 per year, $1,700 being devoted to the inmates of the town asylum.
The generous legacy of George Atwater, a citizen of Hamden, has provided a fund which has been placed in care of the trustees of the "Connecticut Hospital for Insane," for the benefit of the insane poor of the town. It is known as the Atwater Fund and originally amounted to $21.254.03. The proceeds afford fine relief and the act of Mr. Atwater merits commendation.
The earliest action of the town in regard to a hall or town house was at a meeting January 7th, 1793, when it was " Vo.ed. that Theophi- lus Goodyear, Simeon Bristol, Moses Gilbert, Joshua Munson, Alvan Bradley and Samuel Bellamy, be a com'tee for the purpose of pro- curing subscriptions for building a Town House." There is no evidence that success attended their efforts, if they made any, and in 1805 the matter of building a hall was again considered, but without
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definite results. Subsequent meetings were held at various places, usually in private halls.
The first action in regard to the present fine hall was at a special town meeting held at Warner's Hall. January 2d, 1888, pursuant to a call for the same, signed by forty citizens. At this meeting it was decided to build a hall and William P. Blake, Henry Munson, G. S. Benham. L. H. Bassett and E. W. Potter were appointed a committee to confer with the selectmen as to site, cost, etc. They reported, February 6th, 1888. and their report and suggestions were adopted by 151 ayes to 122 nays; $13,000 was appropriated and J. E. Andrews, A. J. Doolittle and G. T. Benham were appointed a building committee. They adopted the plans prepared by architect D. R. Brown, of New Haven, which provided for a building one hundred feet in length by fifty and sixty feet in width. This would permit a town hall proper, 50 by 75 feet, the room being one story high and elevated a few feet above the ground. An entrance was provided on the south side and also by means of a hallway through the front building. This is sixty feet wide and two stories high. In the lower part are the town offices, supplied with vaults, closets, etc .; in the upper story are the spacious hall and ante-rooms of Day Spring Lodge of Masons, fitted up, on a ten years' lease. The building is constructed of stone, brick and slate, with hard pine finish inside, substantial and most complete, and is in every way attractive. It stands on one acre of land northwest of the principal streets at Centerville and cost complete about $15,000. It was first publicly used at the general election November 6th, 1888, and was finished early in 1889. At this time the selectmen were John E. Andrews. William I. Munson and Edwin W. Potter.
The town clerks of Hamden have been the following: 1786-1800. Simeon Bristol; 1801 41, Russell Pierpont; 1842-75, Leverett Hitch- cock; 1876-90, Ellsworth B. Cooper.
It appears from the minutes of the general court that the first road or " common way," in what is now Hamden, was viewed as early as 1611, and probably did not extend further than the Plains. The best known of the highways is the old Cheshire road, which was laid out in 1686, as the Farmington road. Its course began "at the com- mon near the house of Jno. Johnson and continued where it is leading to the place called Shepherd's Plain, and so on to the end of the West woods and so forward to the end of our bounds and to be six rods wide." In 1722 the course of this road was again and more minutely described by a committee appointed by the town of New Haven. From their report it appears that the road had very much the same course as that which it has since retained. It is a natural thoroughfare of easy grades, on dry soil, and is readily worked. These conditions early permitted it to be put in good order, and it became popular a century and a half ago, and was for a long time the main road leading out of New Haven to Boston. Blake, in his History of Hamden, says,
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that it is probable that this road was the one used by Captain John Munson, who was granted in 1714, for seven years, the exclusive privi- lege to transport passengers and goods between Hartford and New Haven, making the round trip in a week, usually once a month.
In 1786 the new town of Hamden divided the highways then exist- ing into districts and placed them in care of the surveyors already named. In December, 1787, a committee was appointed to " join the selectmen to view the places proposed by the inhabitants of the Plains and East Farms for the purpose of a highway," etc., and public roads in other parts of the town were located soon after.
In 1798 the Hartford and New Haven Turnpike Company was in- corporated and the road built by the company extended from New Haven along Whitney avenue and crossed the river at Whitneyville, later by means of the covered truss bridge, still in use at that place. Thence it passed northward, east of the lake. Until about 1850 it was a very important thoroughfare and had a large amount of travel. At Whitneyville it was intersected by the road of the Cheshire Turn- pike Company, which was chartered in 1800 and whose course through much of its extent was along the old Cheshire road. Both turnpikes infringed more or less upon the old highways of the town and as a consequence opposition was awakened to such an extent that the citizens of the town were convened in a number of special meetings to protest and object against this encroachment. On the latter road, especially, a gate near Mt. Carmel meeting house was very objection- able and its removal was demanded by a meeting held in August, 1803. Failing to find relief, it was voted September 19th, 1803, to carry the matter to the general assembly and there have it righted. But as is usually the case in such affairs the corporations had the controlling in- fluence and the people finally dropped the subject.
It is claimed that the covered bridge at Whitneyville was one of the first truss bridges built in the Union .* It was designed and con- structed about 1823 by Ithiel Town, an architect and civil engineer. The material is good oak plank and timbers so arranged, without framing, that all the strength is utilized. The total length is 114 feet, of which 100 feet is in a single span. There are 42 trusses on each side, the plank crossing each other at an angle of 80°, and being four feet apart, center to center, the ends being attached to stringers. This secures a structure as strong at the top as at the bottom. When the Whitneyville dam was raised it was moved to its present site, higher up the stream, the work being done by Eli Whitney after many engineers had pronounced the removal impracticable and very costly. He employed methods such as are in use now by building movers, and safely put this bridge in its new place for $250. It is still very substantial and may last a half a century longer.
In recent years the town has cared for its roads and bridges in a *Blake's Hamden, p. 103.
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liberal manner. the appropriations for these objects being from $5,000 to $6,000 per year.
In the period of canal building the town became interested in such a water way, which was for a number of years a considerable factor, as a means of communication. The Farmington Canal Company was chartered in 1822 and organized the following year. Judge Benjamin Wright, of New York, surveyed the route. The work of construction began in 1825, under the supervision of James Hillhouse, with Davis Hurd as engineer and Henry Farnam as assistant. In that year and the following the canal through Hamden and Cheshire was built, fol- lowing in a general way the course of the Mill river and the old Cheshire road. In Hamden, especially in the Mt. Carmel region, the canal had considerable fall, which afforded water powers which were well utilized. The company experienced considerable financial diffi- culty before the enterprise was completed to the Connecticut river, in 1835, the cost very much exceeding the estimate. A re-organization took place October 27th. 1835, the property passing under the control of the New Haven & Northampton Canal Company. Ere long the new corporation also found its funds exhausted and until its abandon- ment in 1847 the canal was operated at a loss. From 1840 to 1846 the city of New Haven rendered assistance by paying for the water it used, which aided the company materially, but in 1843 a violent flood damaged the canal to the amount of $20.000 and the other extraordi- nary repairs were so heavy that the company never reached a sound basis.
The first boats that plied on the canal were small, the burthen not being more than 25 tons, and nothing but freight was carried. About 1838 a line of gay packet boats was put on, which afforded accommo- dations for passengers, and the trip from New Haven to Northampton could be made in a little more than a day.
In 1845 the attention of the owners of the canal was directed to the feasibility of building a railroad to take its place, and a survey for that purpose was made. A charter for a railroad was secured in 1846 and in January of the following year the work of construction was commenced, using as far as practicable, the tow path of the canal. In the course of another year (January 18th, 1847) the road was com- pleted and opened to Plainville, a short distance beyond the limits of the county. Being built mainly upon the old canal course, this railroad has ever since been locally known as the "Canal railroad." In more recent years it has been properly styled the Northampton Division of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Company. and as such is thoroughly equipped and well managed.
In the construction of the railroad several miles of the highway between Centerville and Mlt. Carmel were used as the roadbed, much to the detriment of the travel on the same. In 1881 this part of the road was vacated and the railroad line constructed along the hillsides.
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in the western part of the Mill River valley. The town aided in this work by appropriating $14,000 and secured as its benefits the unob- structed use of a very fine highway and a number of street crossings above or below track grade.
For many years the town had no station privileges afforded by the railroad, there being only an open platform at Ives's; but about fifteen years ago Mt. Carmel station was there established, with Riley Parmeter as agent. In 1882 the station was transferred to the new buildings, completed that year, north of the Mt. Carmel meeting house, Elam J. Dickerman being the agent. These buildings are pleas- antly located and afford all the necessary accommodations. The old depot building is devoted to mercantile purposes. Half a mile from the village of Centerville the railroad maintains a flag station. Easy and convenient communication with New Haven is also afforded by a line of stages, running between the city, the Hamden villages and Cheshire.
One of the first organized efforts in the town at transportation was the freight line established by Elam Ives, in the war of 1812. He was a son of James Ives and was born about 1762 in the town of Hamden. When but seventeen years of age he volunteered to defend New Haven against British attack. Again in the second struggle for American independence, when commerce by water was blockaded, he was equal to the emergency to provide for the transportation of goods from New Haven to Boston. He fitted up two wagons by using in each two cart wheels and two wagon wheels and putting on them a box body thirteen feet long, four feet wide and eighteen inches high, which was capable of carrying twice as much as an ordinary wagon. To each wagon were hitched two yokes of oxen and a horse for a leader and the teams were usually in charge of his sons, Parsons and Jason, twenty and fifteen years of age. Regular trips were made and a considerable quantity of valuable goods was carried until the coast- ing vessels again came into service.
Manufacturing is one of the chief pursuits of the people of Ham- den and many have been engaged in its attendant occupations. "At the Beaver ponds and near West Rock, also at Mill Rock, on Mill river and at Mt. Carmel." mills were early established; and at the latter place also a fulling mill." The power of Mill river was first used, and at the lowest site, at Mill Rock. William Fowler built a grist mill in 1645, which he sold to New Haven colony for £100. In 1659 Thomas Mitchell was the miller for the colonists, a position later held by Christopher Todd, who bought the mill before 1686, and it was long known by his name. The first dam was low, being but a few feet high, and the tide washed to its base. In 1798 this site was sold to Eli Whitney, by whom and his descendants it was subsequently much improved. Before this was done, there were within a mile of it, up
*Blake's History of Hamden.
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the stream, several other mill seats, which have by this new dam been submerged. A short distance above the present bridge was the Sabine mill pond, in which Mrs. Mary Edwards, the wife of Reverend Jona- than Edwards, of New Haven, was accidentally drowned in June, 1782. She had been riding into the country, on horseback, and had stopped at the pond to allow her beast to drink, when it is supposed it waded into the pond beyond its depth and both the horse and rider were drowned. The sad event greatly excited the community and when Mrs. Edwards was buried in New Haven she was followed to the grave by the largest procession that had ever been seen in that town. This property was later known as Waite's mill. In the same locality was formerly a paper mill, in which cotton goods were also manufactured. A clock manufactory was nearer the bridge.
The various improvements at Whitneyville have given that dam a fall of 35 feet; and the powers in the river above have, at Augerville. a fall of S feet; at the New Haven Web Company, 8} feet; at the Hall or Ives dam, 10 feet; at Beers' grist mill, 8 feet ; at Clark's pond, 8 feet; and at Mt. Carmel gap. 12 feet, the water of the pond being forced back but a little more than a quarter of a mile. Between these extreme dams the distance in an air line is about six miles. At the Mt. Carmel site there was in 1825, besides the carding and fulling mill, already noted, a good corn mill by James Wyles, who had. in connection, a dry kiln for preparing corn meal for Southern markets. About 3,000 pounds were thus prepared daily. in proper season, and carried in hogsheads holding 1,000 pounds, to New Haven, where they were loaded on vessels. These mills were also long known as Hunt's and Kimberley's. On the minor streams small mills were useful in their day and served the local demand made on them.
All the principal streams have been made to contribute to the water supply of the city of New Haven, the chief source being the Whitney dam. When it was acquired in 1798, by Eli Whitney, the dam was of logs and but six feet high. Now the overflow part is very nearly 35 feet high and the entire dam has a length of 500 feet. The cubic contents of the material in the dam are about 250,000 feet and the structure is one of the most complete of the kind in the country. One peculiarity of its construction is that the descending waters are thrown entirely away from the walls of the damn, upon a solid rock, by which means all jarring vibration is overcome, there being not so much now as when the dam was only six feet high, when the vibra- tion communicated to the buildings of the armory sometimes inter- fered so much that operations on the fire arms were interrupted. The dam cost more than $150.000 and its construction involved, by reason of the overflow, the abandonment of twenty buildings, three bridges, farms, gardens and roads. Almost the entire appearance at Whitneyville was changed by this improvement.
The life of Eli Whitney and his connection with affairs in Ham-
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den afford matter for one of the most interesting narratives, but which must here be briefly noted. He was born at Westborough, Mass., December 8th, 1765, and imbibed from his father a love for mechanic pursuits. He followed this bent of his mind to the detri- ment of his education when a youth, but at the age of eighteen years resolved to obtain a college education. In this purpose he was dis- couraged by his father, who thought his son was too old, but Eli was not deterred and finally his preferences prevailed. For five winters he taught school in Massachusetts, and with the small means thus secured obtained a preparatory education in Leicester Academy. In 1789, at the age of 23 years, he entered the freshman class in Vale College and in due time graduated, with the intention of becoming a lawyer. Being in financial want he could not do so at once, but en- gaged to become a tutor in the family of a South Carolina gentleman, at 80 guineas a year. Leaving New Haven he sailed for Savannah, Georgia, in the company of Phineas Miller, Esq., and the widow of the late General Greene, who resided on a large plantation near that city. Accepting their invitation to tarry with them, before beginning his duties as a tutor, he noted the work on the plantation and saw how unproductive cotton growing was, by reason of the difficulty of separating the seed from the fiber-all the work being done by hand and a few pounds a day being all that a person could prepare. His inventive mind quickly conceived the idea of making a machine to do this work and being released from his engagement to teach in South Carolina, he secured the patronage of Mr. Miller and Mrs. Greene, and set himself to the task of building one in the basement room of the Greene mansion. By the close of the winter of 1793-4 it was practically completed and March 4th, 1794* Eli Whitney, received a patent for his cotton gin-a machine which was destined to revolu- tionize agriculture in the South and which increased the lands of that section tenfold in value. Moreover, it gave an impetus to the system of American slavery, which now became exceedingly profitable; and was more than anything else the means of extending and perpetuat- ing it until it passed away amidst the throes of a civil war whose ob- ject in behalf of the system did not stop short of the dissolution of the Union of states. Infringements soon crowded upon Mr. Whit- ney's patent and "he had the mortification to see himself plundered of the benefits of his invention," on account of the defectiveness of the patent laws of that period. The cost of prosecution and main- taining his rights exceeded his returns from machines sold in the state of Georgia; but with the Carolinas he was able to contract on his patent so that a small pittance was left him.
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