USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume II > Part 22
USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume II > Part 22
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Alvan Talcott, M. D., born in Vernon, Conn., in 1804, was a son of Alvan and Philomela (Root) Talcott, and grandson of Benjamin Tal- cott. Doctor Talcott fitted for college in his native town, under tlie instruction of Reverend William Ealy, entered Yale in 1820, and after graduating in 1824, taught different academies for a few years, and in 1831 graduated from Yale Medical School and began practice in his native town. In 1841 he came to Guilford, where he practiced until a few years ago, when he retired. He married Olive N., daughter of
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
Abel Chittenden. She died in 1882. Their three children were: William H., who was lost at sea in 1856; Sarah, who died in 1866; and a daughter that died in infancy. Doctor Talcott died January 17th, 1891, leaving valuable genealogical manuscripts to the New Haven Colony Historical Society. A short time before his death he gave Yale College $25,000 to endow a Greek professorship.
Levi WV. Thrall, born in 1825, in Torrington, Conn., is a son of Lawrence and Sarah (Dutton) Thrall, and grandson of Levi Thrall. He came to Guilford in 1867, where he has since been engaged in raising fruit and garden truck. He married Amelia Beecher, who died, leaving nine children: Sarah, Martha, Laura, Beecher, Charles, Henry, Anna, Walter and Levi. His present wife was Antoinette Cole.
JOEL TUTTLE was born in Guilford, May 8th, 1792, and died one of the most respected citizens of that town. May 1st, 1855. He was the youngest child and only son of Joel and Elizabeth (Fowler) Tuttle, the other members of their family being five daughters. His mother belonged to one of Guilford's oldest families, and died Sep- tember 26th, 1842, aged a little more than 91 years. His father was a son of Joel and Rebecca Tuttle, of New Haven, where he was born, September 1st, 1746. About the beginning of the revolution he re- moved to Guilford, where his first wife, Anna Crawford, died, in Octo- ber, 1775, and where, in October, 1778, he married Elizabeth Fowler. He deceased November 30th, 1822. The Tuttles were lineal descend- ants of William Tuttle, who settled on Stony Creek, in East Haven, about 1645, and from that place members of his family removed to various parts of the county, where they prospered and became influ- ential citizens.
The boyhood education of Joel Tuttle, the subject of this sketch, was limited to the instruction imparted in the common schools of his native town, but he was a great reader and diligent student in his later years, becoming remarkably well self-educated. He early showed an inclination for business pursuits, and he was trained for mercantile trade, which avocation he successfully followed until about 1850. His store was on Broad street, west of the new residence which he occupied as a homestead in the latter days of his life.
He was very energetic and industrious, prospering in his affairs, and became one of the leading business men of this part of the county. The care of a farm also received his attention, and he was much in- terested in the construction of the Shore Line railroad. He had a clear judgment and his integrity was unsullied. Hence his advice on business matters was often sought, and many safely rested on his counsels. He manifested a warm interest in the affairs of the town, and his fellow-townsmen appreciated his worth by electing him to various positions of honor and trust. He was a judge of the probate court, and served as a representative from Guilford in the state legis-
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
lature. Although not a member of any Christian church, he lived a life of the strictest morality, and was esteemed a just and upright man.
Joel Tuttle was married April 23d, 1851, to Lucy E., daughter of Isaac and Harriet Sage, of Cromwell, Conn., and two children were born to them: Joel Edward, March 8th, 1852, died August 29th, the same year; and William Sage, December 28th, 1853, who died July 27th, 1867. He was a youth of unusual promise, and his intellectual development was, for one of his years, very brilliant. His mother fitly perpetuated his memory by giving the Olivet, Michigan, College a memorial library fund of $15,000. Mrs. Tuttle was a woman of many excellent qualities, and, like her husband, was much esteemed in this community. The Tuttle homestead is now occupied by her sister, Miss Clara I. Sage.
Charles W. Walkley, born in 1837, is a son of Roswell S. and Jeru- sha B. (Stone) Walkley, grandson of William, and great-grandson of William Walkley. Mr. Walkley is a fisherman and farmer. He mar- ried Jane E., daughter of Henry W. and Eliza A. (Morse) Lee, and granddaughter of Frederick W. Lee. They have two adopted daugh- ters: Addie S. and Louie H.
William E. Weld, son of George and Mabel (Fowler) Weld, grand- son of Edmund and Charlotte (Stone) Weld, and great-grandson of Joseph Weld, was born in 1815. In early life he was a carpenter, lum- ber dealer and builder, but now devotes his attention to farming. He married Myrta M. Holcomb. Their children are: Jennie C. (Mrs. Charles Shelton), William Edwin, and Julia A., who died in infancy.
Richard C. Wilcox, born in 1846, is a son of Almon O. and Ruth D. (Kennedy) Wilcox. Mr. Wilcox is a farmer. He married Lucy, daughter of Edgar and Jane (Robinson) Page. Their children are: Lewis C., Elmer E., Edgar A. and Richard L.
Eleazer Woodruff, born in 1819, in Killingworth, is a son of Alonzo and Hannah (Davis) Woodruff. Mr. Woodruff is a farmer. He kept the Guilford town mill for 23 years. He married Harriet A., daugh- ter of Christopher B. Davis. She died December 14th, 1890. Their children are: Richard H., Lucy and Edwin C. Richard H. married Isabell Parmelee, November 1st, 1882. She died April 27th, 1885, at the age of 26 years, leaving one son, Henry. He afterward married Nellie R. Brewer, and has two children, Hattie and Alva. Richard H. is a farmer. Lucy, now Mrs. Frank Griswold, has one son, John. Edwin C. was a graduate of Yale College, class of '72, graduating at the age of 20 years. He married, July 15th, 1884. He died May 17th, 1886, at the age of 34 years. He was town clerk and judge of pro- bate in the town of Guilford at the time of his death.
Joel Fullle
CHAPTER IV.
THE TOWN OF MADISON.
Location and Description .- Settlement and Settlers .- Old Houses .- Civil Organization and Civil Officers .- Madison Green .- Highways .- Industrial Interests. - East River. -North Madison .- Madison Village .- The Beach. - Physicians .- Educational and Religious .- Lodges .- Cemeteries .- Military Affairs .- Biographical Sketches.
T HE town of Madison occupies the southeastern part of the county. It extends north from the sound, between the East and the Hammonassett rivers, about nine miles, and averages about four miles in width. The northern part is very broken and a considerable portion still remains as woodland. Along the coast the soil is sandy, but has been made fairly fertile by the use of guano and menhaden fish, of which large quantities are ploughed under annually. This system of fertilization was begun in 1798.
The streams of the town are small and unimportant. Near the southern central part is Tuxis pond, which has a small and sluggish outlet. Off the shore is a small island by the same name. At various points near the shore are upheavals of rock, which have been quarried for flagging stone, and large quantities have been shipped out of the town. The shore presents a few irregularities, but is mainly an 1111- broken beach. The principal points are Hogshead, in the southwest, and Hammonassett, in the southeast. The East river at the lower end divides Madison from Guilford, and the sound forms a long neck of land, which is a part of Madison. The river between the railroad to the sound is a natural bed for oysters and clams, both of which are finely flavored and often numerous. Of their value a citizen has re- cently said, that he "would rather own the river than the whole town of Madison." The fishery gives occupation to about a score of regular oystermen.
Title to the Indian lands in the town was early acquired by the " English Planters of Menuncatuck," as is related in the account of Guilford, of which Madison was a part more than a century and a half. Under the direction of Guilford the first settlements were made. As early as 1645 a part of what is now Madison was improved as a com- mon field for the planters, and regulations were made concerning it. In this territory the Indians had cleared a large tract, upon which the planters were encouraged to settle. In 1656 some of the uplands of the town were surveyed and divided according to the proprietors' list.
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
In 1666 the meadows in the East Quarter were divided; and in 1675 all the lands at that place were fenced as a common field.
John Meigs was one of the first settlers of the town. He came from New Haven and bought a hundred-pound allotment at Hammonas- sett in 1653, but did not remain permanently in the town. His father, Vincent Meigs, an old man, was with him and died in the town in 1658. Not long thereafter John Meigs removed to Killingworth, but his son, John Meigs, Jr., afterward came to East Guilford, and from him have descended the numerous family bearing that name in Madi- son, for more than two hundred years. In the war of the revolution the Meigs family rendered valiant service.
Nathan Bradley and his brother, Stephen, came from England be- fore they had attained their ages. They had intended to land at New Haven, but were obliged to land at Saybrook, and starting for their point of destination through the wilderness, concluded to remain in Guilford. In 1658, when their names first appear in the town records, Nathan was twenty and Stephen but sixteen years of age. The former settled in the eastern part of the town, near the Killingworth line; the latter lived on Neck Plain. Nathan Bradley became a great hunter, and in pursuit of game was the first to ascend the Hammonassett to its source in the small lake, which was called in his honor, Nathan's pond. It is said that in his lifetime he killed several hundred deer and bears, besides many other smaller wild animals. He lived to an advanced age.
Another early settler on Neck Plain was Dennis Crampton, who, prior to 1660, lived on South lane, in Guilford. In his new home he became wealthy and the descendants numerous.
Before 1672 Joseph Hand came from East Hampton, Long Island, and joined the East farmers; and later, Jonathan Hoyt, of Windsor, who received liberty, December 9th, 1671, to remain in Guilford over winter, became a part of the same community.
" In 1672, as appears from an official letter of that period, the fol- fowing persons resided in what is now Eastern Madison: Ebenezer Thompson, Nathan Bradley, William Leete, John Scranton, James Hill, John Meigs, Joseph Hand, Thomas Cruttenden and Thomas Wil- lard. The latter came from Deerfield soon after. Still later came Joseph Wilcox, from Middletown. In Liberty street Thomas Dowd was an early settler .*
"In the Neck, were Benjamin Stone, Stephen Bradley, Daniel Blatchley, Caleb Parmelee, and Dennis Crampton, in about 1660 or earlier, and afterwards Josiah and Caleb Bishop, James Lee, Ebenezer Chittenden, and Samuel Leete, all from Guilford; also, Thomas Wil- cox, from Middletown; Jonathan Bassett, from Chester; and Seth Stone, from Guilford, about 1760. John Scranton, John and Ebenezer French,
*From the Reverend James A. Gallup's Historical Discourse, November 16th, 1877.
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
John French, Jun., John Grave, Nathaniel Evarts, Cornelius and John Dowd, and Thomas Hotchkin, from Guilford; Jonathan Hoyt, from Windsor; and Ebenezer Field, from Deerfield, Mass., were among the first settlers in the central part of the town; also, Nathaniel and John Alis, from Bolton; and Jonathan Judd, from Farmington.
"Jonathan Murray came from Scotland, and settled about 1688 in the neighborhood called Scotland, which took its name from him; John Bishop, from Guilford, also located there.
" Benjamin Hand located north of 'Short Rocks.' John Hotchkin and Ebenezer Dudley, from the Center; and Jedediah Coe, from Dur- ham, settled in the neighborhood of the . Horse Pond.' In the Woods District were John Wilcox, from Middletown; Moses Blatchley, from Guilford; Nathaniel Stevens, from Killingworth; Joseph and Janna Hand, Jared Willard, Samuel Field, Joseph and Hull Cruttenden, sons of settlers in the south part of the town; also Christopher Foster, from South Hampton, L. J., in 1745. West of the Woods School House were Abraham Dowd and Josiah Dudley, from Guilford; John Grave, from Hartford; and David Field, son of Ebenezer Field.
" John Munger, grandson of Nicholas Munger, John Pierson, from Killingworth; and William Bartlett, an Englishman, immediately from Barbadoes, settled in ' Flanders.'
"In the 'Copse' were Ebenezer Grave, son of John Grave, the elder; Ebenezer Field, 2d, and Josiah Everts. North of these was Jonathan Lee, from Guilford; and to the west, over Neck River, was Ebenezer Munger, brother of John Munger.
"' Nicholas Munger, who came from England when a youth, settled north of Neck River, on the public road, as soon as 1651. Samuel Stone settled near him, and Reuben Norton a little west; they were both from Guilford.'
" At the Quarter were James and Jonathan Evarts, Bezaleel Bristol, and at an early period Samuel Chittenden."
The same writer says: "From the famous ship's company, East Guilford appropriates the names of Bishop, Chittenden, Leete, Stone, Dudley, Norton, Cruttenden and Naish," and added in honorable array later "the names of Munger, Willard, Meigs, Smith, Crampton, Kel- sey, Hill, Hart, Todd, Grave, Iloyt, Hull, Bradley."
" The name of Field is an East Guilford trophy," that famous family having a clear Madison origin; so also honor is reflected upon the town by the names of Hand, Scranton, Bushnell, Dowd and Lee, all of whom can trace their lineage back to the time when these hum- ble beginnings were made in East Guilford and North Bristol societies.
The town never became very populous nor wealthy. In 1800 there were in the First society, 939 inhabitants; and in North Madison. 489. Thirty years later the latter society had only 480 inhabitants, while the former had 1,262. In 1880 the total population was less, being but 1,672, and the grand list did not reach $800,000. The population in 1880 was 1,429.
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
In Madison, as in Guilford, many old houses may still be found, sixty or seventy being more than a hundred years old. Among the very old ones remaining are, at Hammonassett, the Nathan Bradley house, built in 1680; in Madison village, the Deacon John French house, built in 1675, and the Deacon John Graves house, built in 1680; in the Neck district, the Bassett house, built in 1680; in the Woods district, the Return Jonathan Wilcox house, built in 1680; and in the North Madison section a house owned in 1890 by Nelson A. Taylor, built in 1689. Madison warmly united with Guilford, in September, 1889, in celebrating the 250th anniversary of the settlement of the town, the services being begun September 8th, by the exercises in the Madison church, when the Reverend J. A. Gallup preached the historical ser- mon. Much of the data for this sketch has been gleaned from his researches.
As the east end of old Guilford became more populous, the farmers living there petitioned the town for liberty to become a village, etc. Such a request, made in 1699, was refused, rather curtly, because of the displeasure of Guilford at the act of the planters in asking priv- ilege to pay minister's rates at Killingworth (to which place they were five miles nearer than to Guilford), which the legislature had granted in 1695. Nothing daunted, the petition was renewed, and with better success, as will be seen from the following extracts:
"To the inhabitants of the towne of Guilford, honored and much respected Gentlemen and friends, we whose names are underwritten, your humble petitioners sheweth that whare as the providence of God hath far stated the lands of our habitation, as that we cannot without great difficultie and inconveniency, attend the publick worship of god in his house and ordinances with yourselves in guilford, which present surcomstances continuing as they liave bene, and are preiodisiall to us, so they will be of equall preiodice to our children and posteritie; Whereupon we account it our duty to seek releuef and desier your favorable judgment for the upbuilding the publick worship of God among ourselves, in order to ferder adress to the General Cort for con- farmation.
which sd. grant as we aprehend being so reasonable for ous to desier, and yourselves to allow, we humbly submit to your serious and more maturer consediration and ever pray. dated at the esterly farms the 4 of March 1703
John French, Ebenezer French,
Janna Meigs, Benjamin Hand,
John Dudley, Jonathan Murry, John Scranton,
Jolin French, Jun., Caleb parmely, Ebenezer dudley, Joseph Parks, Jonathan hoit,
Thomas Willard, John Thompson, Joseph Hand, Nathan Bradley,
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
Moses blachly,
Obadiah Wilcoxen,
nathaniel Everts,
James Hill,
Daniel blachly,
Nathaniel Steevens,
Benjamin Stone,
Thomas Critenden,
Nathaniel Dudley,
Stephen Hand,
Thomas Hodgken,
Thomas Doud,
Ebenezer Field,
Cornelous Doud."
John Meigs,
To this Petition the following reply was made by the town of Guil- ford:
" At a Touwn meting held aprall ye 6, 1703, in answare to our sd. este farmers Petitioners dated march 4, 1703 the touwn then Voted, that the sd. este farmers on the east side of neck river, have libarty granted them by the touwn of Gilford, to be a societie by them selves and to procure a minister among themselves in case the General Coart aprove and confirme the same, they paying their dues to the minister of Guilford untill they have provided a minister among themselves."*
The town having assented to this proposition, Mr. Joseph Hand was directed to bear the petition of the inhabitants to the general as- sembly, at Hartford, and that body on May 13th, 1703, granted their request upon the same conditions as the town. In 1705 the East So- ciety was freed of town charges; and in 1707 the society was formally incorporated. Three years later the name East Guilford was first used. In 1753 the North Bristol society was incorporated.
After several futile attempts these two societies were incorporated as a town by the May, 1826, general assembly, Captain Frederick Lee and others petitioning that body in behalf of the two parishes. The town was named Madison in compliment to the president, and its bounds were ordered to be the same as those of the constituent societies.
The first town meeting was held June 19th, 1826, when the follow- ing were chosen: Clerk and treasurer, Walter P. Munger; selectmen, Ebenezer Dudley, Reynolds Webb, Joel Blatchley, Joel Munger; con- stables, Seth Ely, Galen Dowd; assessors, Nathan W. Hopson, Walter P. Munger; board of relief, Timothy Grave, William Blatchley, Curtis Wilcox; fence viewers, Stephen Stone, Elisha Bassett, Cyrus Bradley, Josiah Coan, Joseph Hill; grand jurors, Samuel Robinson, Truman Munger, Timothy Dowd; tythingmen, Hubbard Scranton, Julius N. Dowd, Gaylord Munger, Hubbard Munger, Truman N. Wilcox; hay- wards, Augustus Grave, Wyllys Munson, Truman N. Wilcox, Austin Evarts, Enos Rogers, Austin Chittenden; sealer of weiglits, Eber Judd; sealer of measures, Josiah Munger, Nathan Crampton, Jr .; pound keepers, Philip G. Hill, Simon L. Ely, Joel Blatchley, Frederick Will- iam Scranton, Pitman Wheaton, Josiah Coan, Abraham Hill.
*Guilford town records.
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
Walter P. Munger was the treasurer of Madison more than a quar- ter of a century, and in 1852 received the thanks of the town for his faithfulness to his trust. In 1837, when the town received its share of the United States surplus fund, which was accepted as a town de- posit, Walter P. Munger, Jedediah Field and William Blatchley were appointed managers of the fund.
In 1832 the town endeavored to secure Buell's Mills, on the Ham- monassett river, for its use, but failed to reach definite action. The meetings of the town were held alternately in the South and North societies, then more frequently in the basement of the meeting house, at Madison village. In November. 1837, this was so much out of re- pair that the town meeting was adjourned to the house of Frederick S. Field. The following year the town secured the right to meet in the basement of the new church by paying for the same. This has since been designated as the town hall. In the same locality, in recent years, a small fireproof brick building was erected, in which are the offices of the town. Substantial vaults have been provided for the records.
The town clerks of Madison from its organization to the present time have been the following: 1826-48, Walter P. Munger; 1849-61, Joseph W. Dudley; 1862-3, E. S. Smith; 1864-7, Henry B. Wilcox; 1868, Reuben Shaler; 1869-71, Henry B. Wilcox; 1872, Dennis Tuttle; 1873-90, Henry B. Wilcox.
In May, 1834, the general assembly constituted Madison as a sep- arate probate district, taking it from the district of Guilford. Samuel Robinson was the first judge, serving two years. Since 1872 Henry B. Wilcox has been the judge. Other judges, serving in order in the intermediate period, were: Reynolds C. Webb, Jesse Crampton, John R. Wilcox, Joseph W. Dudley, M. L. Dowd, Luman H. Whedon, Lu- cius B. Tuttle and William S. Hull. The clerks have been: Jonathan F. Todd, John R. Wilcox, Thomas C. Ward, Jonathan R. Crampton, Richard E. Rice, William B. Crampton, George C. Dowd, Charles M. Wilcox, Frederick T. Dowd, C. Henry Whedon, William S. Hull, Ezra S. Smith, Henry B. Wilcox, Joseph J. Meigs, Manfred A. Wilcox, H. Clifford Wilcox.
The following were the early justices of the peace of the East So- ciety: Jarena Meigs, Benjamin Hand, Thomas Hodgkin, John Graves, Josiah Meigs, Timothy Todd, Timothy Hill, Elias Graves, Jonathan Todd, Daniel Hand, Jr.
The public square, or Madison green, contains about four acres, lying near the present center of Madison village. For many years it was an open common, unimproved and neglected. In 1826 the First society voted to sequester the land for a "Publick square and parade ground, and for other publick purposes, for all citizens of this society and others to use, improve and enjoy." In 1842 it was voted inex- pedient to have any public building on the green, and in 1845 its im-
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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.
provement as a park was begun. This liberty was accorded to Thomas Scranton, Timothy V. Meigs, Baldwin Hart and others. The ground was now cleared, trees planted and a railing placed around the square. About half of the green was reserved for a parade ground. Around it, or near by, are the principal public buildings of the town, and in 1890 the locality presented a pleasing appearance.
The first bridge across the East river was built in 1649; the one across the Hammonassett in 1690. In 1714 the town directed that there should be an open highway to the bridge. The only turnpike in the town, the "Pettipauge and Guilford Pike," surrendered its char- ter after about sixteen years, and in 1840 the town voted to use it as a highway. The Shore road east has for more than two centuries been the main thoroughfare. Since July, 1852, the town has had the rail- way facilities afforded by the Shore Line Division of the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad. Stations are maintained at Madison village and East River. Prior to this the products of the town were shipped from the wharves on the sound or East river, several being in the town. In this period the vessels owned in Madison were valued at more than $50,000. A number were engaged in the white fishing business, which was here first begun in 1798, the fish being used for fertilizing purposes.
For many years the inhabitants of the town were almost exclu- sively devoted to agriculture, but later ship building and the timber interests of the town gave employment to many people. In the north- ern part of the town, which was heavily timbered, large quantities of charcoal were burned. At East River bridge Samuel H. Chittenden had a lumber mill, sash and blind factory, from about 1825 until before the civil war, which were extensively operated, and had the reputation of being one of the best establishments of the kind on the New Haven county coast. The machinery was removed many years ago. Near by Eber S. Hotchkiss built a small sloop, drawing it to the water's edge by oxen. Later he was an extensive builder of vessels in this locality, on the Guilford side. From the East River wharf packets plied to New York regularly. For some years Captain Henry Critten- den commanded one of these vessels, and was the first to bring a cargo of anthracite coal into the town. The shipment was but fifteen tons, but the supply lasted three years. . Russell Crampton and Captain Fred Bishop were also sloop owners. Philo Blatchley was one of the last to touch here regularly. Much ship timber was taken from this point, and a limited quantity is still sent forward by rail.
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