USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Norfolk > History of Norfolk, Litchfield County, Connecticut, 1744-1900 > Part 31
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TEMPERANCE ORGANIZATIONS.
In the early days of the agitation of the temperance question, as all along the years since, there have been
359
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
earnest advocates of and workers in this cause. In 1829, in this town, a branch of the "Litchfield County Tem- perance Society," auxiliary to the State Society, was organ- ized, and carried on an active, aggressive work for several years. This was in the early days of the total abstinence movement and of the agitation of the temperance question; and not very long after Dr. Lyman Beecher, then of Litch- field, preached and published his "six sermons on the na- ture, occasions, signs, evils and remedy of Intemperance," and which book in a little more than a year from May, 1827, reached its fifth edition. His answer to the question, "What, then, is this universal, natural and national remedy for intemperance?" was, "It is the banishment of ardent spirits from the list of lawful articles of commerce, by a correct and efficient public sentiment, such as has turned slavery out of half our land, and will yet expel it from the world." The "pledge," which was signed by the pastor, the deacons and other prominent men in this town, "in 1831 had received 340 signatures,-144 men, 136 women and 60 juveniles."
The pledge was as follows: "We will abstain from the use of distilled spirits, except as a medicine in case of bodily hurt or sickness; and we will not allow the use of them in our families, nor provide them for the entertain- ment of our friends, or for persons in our employment; and in all suitable ways we will discountenance the use of them in the community."
Up to the time of this temperance movement the use of strong drink in every family, and probably by almost every individual, was the almost universal rule. When making his pastoral calls the minister expected the "decanter of rum" to be set before him, and not to do this would have been considered discourteous. In later years, about 1850, there was for a time a flourishing organization of "Sons of Temperance" here. In about 1875 the "Murphy Blue-rib- bon movement" had here a brief run, when a great number "put on the blue ribbon," and in a short time took it off again.
360
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
The following is from the Town Records, and shows the carrying out of a state law that doubtless had but a brief existence, as there is no record of its having been com- plied with but one year.
"October 6, 1815.
"The town being required by law to appoint three Commissioners to regulate the sale of wines and spirituous liquors, they appointed by ballot Philo Smith, Harry M. Grant, and Darius Camp, to act in that capacity for the ensuing year."
These special Commissioners "having approved of Amos Petti- bone to be a retailer of wines and spirituous liquors in Norfolk, subject to the laws recently enacted in this state, hereby give him license to commence and continue said sales, restricted to Medical and Mechanical uses only."
Amos Pettibone refused to accept the appointment, and later the Commissioners appointed E. Grove Lawrence & Co., William Lawrence and James C. Swift to be retailers of wines and spirituous liquors. They were required to keep a correct register of the names of the persons sold to, and the quantity and kind sold him at the time.
This law was perhaps repealed at the next session of the Legislature, or became a dead letter. License, fifty-five years ago, did not solve the problem. It has not yet done it, and never can do it. Licensing a wrong then could not make it right. "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear."
At a time when there was no active temperance organi- zation here, Dr. Eldridge secured John B. Gough, then in the early years of his fame and wonderful work, to come and deliver a lecture in the church, which he did in the winter of 1853. A few years later, in a temperance sermon preached one Sunday afternoon, Dr. Eldridge gave, as an illustration of the necessity of having our example wholly right at all times, a bit of personal experience, and a lesson, as he said, which he himself had received; and although he was the victim of shrewd Irish wit, he appreciated the situation, and enjoyed it afterward fully. He said he had been annoyed by finding his man, Patrick, at times a little exhilarated, and unusually and unduly suave and polite,
361
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
and one day took the opportunity to reprove Pat mildly, telling him of the danger of touching strong drink in the least, and that total abstinence was the only safe course for every one. Pat listened most intently and politely, and when the Dr. ceased speaking Pat said, Yes, but I notice your reverence has his barrel of cider in the cellar, and takes a glass now and again! Dr. Eldridge said, I have that at the recommendation of the physician, and when I have a little bilious difficulty in the spring he orders me to take a glass of cider with my dinner. Pat was ready, and said, "Indeed, your reverence, its right; ye'er very right, and the doctor is right; a glass of cider does ye good; a drop of whiskey does me better."
In the early '70s there was a most flourishing Good Tem- plars organization in the town, which did most excellent work in driving the saloons and liquor dealers out of town. In August, 1876, a correspondent of the Springfield Re- publican wrote as follows, the main facts of which article are said to be correct:
"Nearly all the young people in town belonged to the Good Templars, and all other means having failed, they de- termined to stop the sale of liquor at the Village Drug Store by seizing the liquor under the Maine Law. Having legally accomplished this, and stored the casks and hogs- heads in a cellar, apprehension was felt lest by some legal dodge it would be recovered. Hence at a full meeting of the order it was voted to carry the liquor over the state line into Massachusetts, a few miles distant, and there to destroy it. So on a bright moonlight night the young people assembled at the rendezvous, loaded the casks into a big four-horse wagon, and a procession of car- riages with banners followed, starting off with song and cheers. All along the route people turned out and har- nessing up, in hot haste followed the procession into Mas- sachusetts. The druggist had by this time got wind of the proceedings, and hastened in such rapid pursuit that the Good Templars dared not stop to recover one cask that, falling from the wagon rolled down a hill. Arriving in
362
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
Massachusetts the casks were unloaded, their heads knocked in, and a circle formed about the stream of liquor that flowed away, while "Sparkling and Bright" was sung to a merry tune, and general jollity undulged in. Next day legal process was served on the whole party, and the re- sult of a series of lawsuits was that it cost the Good Tem- plars $880, and eventually put an end to the order in Nor- folk."
In his Centennial address at Litchfield in 1851, Judge Church, in speaking of the temperance reformation, said: "Many years before the modern movement was suggested, such a project was conceived in this town, Litchfield, and encouraged by the most prominent men here. A Temper- ance Pledge was signed in May, 1789, repudiating the use of distilled liquors, by 36 gentlemen, men well known and remembered here. The results of this grand effort have been as successful here as elsewhere. If any special cause has operated to retard the final success of this charity, it has been the strangling, death-ensuring embrace of party politicians,-the scathing curse of many a good thing. As long ago as 1816 there were distilleries in every town in the county, and in New Milford as many as 26, and in the whole county 169; and besides these, there were 188 re- tailers of spirits, who paid licenses under the excise laws of the United States, to the amount of $3,760 Whether there be a distillery now in the county I am not informed; I believe but very few." It is to be hoped that equally good progress has been made during the last fifty years of the century.
CULTURE OF SILK.
Probably but few persons now living, (there are a few,) ever knew or heard that the culture of silk had at any time received any attention in Norfolk. Anyone who will take Vol. 14 of the "New American Cyclopaedia," at page 651 may read: "In Connecticut the culture of silk was under- taken at an early period, and was encouraged by the home government, as in the other colonies. In 1790 about fifty
363
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
families in New Haven were engaged in the business, and in Norfolk about thirty families raised and spun '1200 run of silk.'" For how long a period any attention was given in this town to this industry the writer has been unable to learn. Mr. Obadiah Smith, now nearly eighty years of age, living near Grantville, well remembers that about 1830 his father, Mr. Philo Smith, raised mulberry trees from the seed, and his not too willing son had as part of his daily task to cultivate the young trees, help pick the leaves which were fed to the silk-worms, (a great worm as large as a man's thumb, which they handled as readily as Nor- folk's trout fisherman now handles angle-worms), and these made the silk cocoons, from which the silk was reeled, etc.
Other Norfolk men who at about the same time engaged in silk culture with more or less success, were Mr. Stephen Tibbals, then living near the present residence of Mr. H. H. Bridgman, and Dea. Darius Phelps, then living in the house which is now Dea. Ralph I. Crissey's residence; and prob- ably there were others.
OUR INDIAN STORY.
So far as the writer has been able to ascertain from record or tradition, this town was never famous as the camping-ground, hunting-ground, or burial-ground of any of the Indian tribes that in the early Colonial days were found, especially in Woodbury, in the south part of the county, and along the course of the Housatonic River. The "great wigwam" of the Housatonic Indians was on the site of the town of Great Barrington. From the blood curdling stories, such as the killing of poor defenseless women and children, in Gt. Barrington, Stockbridge and many other towns, we are happily spared. The finding of a few Indian implements of stone, a few arrow heads, etc., in the vicinity of some of our ponds, is evidence that the Indians pursued their avocation of fishing and hunting at times in this town. The one story to have a place in this volume is of a good Indian. That "the only good Indian is a dead one," let this disprove. While all may not acknowledge that the first
364
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
part of the story is really good, most may be led to say it is not bad. The narrative is from "Travels in New England and New York," by President Timothy Dwight of Yale Col- lege, and the location was Litchfield County The writer is convinced from internal evidence that this good Indian had that day, fished, hunted, travelled and was acquainted in Norfolk; hence this insertion. Dr. Dwight, with char- acteristic caution remarks, "this story may be circumstan- tially erroneous; in substance I believe it to be true."
"Not many years after the county of Litchfield began to be settled by the English, a strange Indian came one day into an Inn in the town of Litchfield in the dusk of evening, and requested the hostess to furnish him with some drink and supper. At the same time he observed that he could pay for neither, as he had had no success in hunting, but promised payment as soon as he should meet with better fortune. The hostess refused him both the drink and the supper; called him a lazy, drunken, good-for-nothing fel- low, and told him that she did not work so hard herself, to throw away her earnings upon such creatures as he was.
A man who sat by and observed that the Indian, then turning about to leave so inhospitable a place, showed by his countenance that he was suffering very severely from want and weariness, directed the hostess to supply him what he wished, and engaged to pay the bill himself. She did so. When the Indian had finished his supper he turned to his benefactor, thanked him, and assured him that he should remember his kindness, and whenever he was able would faithfully recompense it. For the present he ob- served he could only reward him with a story, which if the hostess would give him leave, he wished to tell. The hos- tess, whose complacency had been recalled by the prospect of payment, consented.
The Indian addressing himself to his benefactor, said: "I suppose you read Bible?" The man assented. "Well," said the Indian, "Bible say, God made the world, then he took him and looked on him and say, 'It's all very good.' Then he made light, and took him and looked on him and
365
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
say, 'It's all very good.' Then he made dry land and water, and sun and moon and grass and trees, and took him and looked on him and say, 'It's all very good.' Then he made beasts and birds and fishes, and took him and looked on him and say, 'It's all very good.' Then he made man, and took him and looked on him and say, 'It's all very good.' Then he made woman, and took him and looked on him,- and he no dare say one such word." The Indian, having told his story, withdrew.
Some years after, the man who had befriended him had occasion to go some distance into the wilderness between Litchfield, then a frontier settlement, and Albany, where he was taken prisoner by an Indian scout and carried to Canada. When he arrived at the principal settlement of the tribe, on the southern border of the St. Lawrence, it was proposed by some of the captors that he should be put to death. During the consultation an old Indian woman demanded that he should be given up to her, that she might adopt him in the place of a son whom she had lost in the war. He was accordingly given to her and lived through the succeeding winter in her family, experiencing the customary effects of savage hospitality. The following summer as he was at work in the forest alone, an unknown Indian came up to him and asked him to meet him at a place which he pointed out, on a given day. The prisoner agreed to the proposal, but not without some apprehensions that mischief was intended him. During the interval these apprehensions increased to such a degree as to dissuade him effectually from fulfilling his engagement.
Soon after, the same Indian found him at his work again, and very gravely reproved him for not performing his prom- ise. The man apologized, awkwardly enough, but in the best manner in his power. The Indian told him that he should be satisfied if he would meet him at the same place on a future day, which he named. The man promised to meet him and fulfilled his promise. When he arrived at the spot he found the Indian provided with two muskets, ammunition for them, and knapsacks. The Indian ordered
-
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HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
him to take one of each and follow him. The direction of their march was to the south. The man followed without the least knowledge of what he was to do or whither he was going, but concluded that if the Indian intended him harm he would have despatched him at the beginning, and that at the worst he was as safe where he was as he could be in any other place. Within a short time therefore his fears subsided, although the Indian observed a profound and mysterious silence concerning the object of the ex- pedition. In the day time they shot such game as came in their way, and at night kindled a fire by which they slept. After a tedious journey of many days, they came one morn- ing to the top of an eminence presenting a prospect of a cul- tivated country in which was a number of houses. The Indian asked his companion whether he knew the place. He replied eagerly that it was Litchfield. His guide then after reminding him that he had so many years before re- lieved the wants of a famishing Indian at an Inn in that town, added, "I that Indian; now I pay you; go home." Having said this he bade him adieu, and the man joyfully returned to his own house." Finis.
NORFOLK BANKS.
The Norfolk Bank was Chartered in 1856, with a Capital of $100,000, and was opened for business in the fall of that year in the room in the second story of the store at the north-east corner of the Park; the store being then occu- pied by Curtiss & Co. The Incorporators and first board of Directors were Egbert T. Butler, who was also the first President, Samuel D. Northway, Robbins Battell, N. B. Stevens, John H. Welch, O. J. Wolcott, John K. Shepard; Peter Bierce of Cornwall, and Kneeland J. Munson of Ca- naan. Mr. Asa G. Pettibone was the first Cashier.
The erection of the Bank Building was begun in 1856, the builder being Mr. Elisha Kilbourn of Winsted, a brother of Dea. Jonathan Kilbourn of this town. The building was finished and occupied by the Bank in 1857.
In August, 1860, Mr. Kneeland J. Munson of Canaan was
367
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
elected President of the Norfolk Bank in place of Egbert T. Butler, resigned. August, 1861, Mr. Asa G. Pettibone was elected President of the Bank, in place of K. J. Mun- son, resigned, and John H. Welch was elected Cashier. August, 1862, John H. Welch was elected President in place of A. G. Pettibone resigned, and Joseph N. Cowles was elected Cashier. In 1870 the Bank voted to go into liquidation. In 1872 Joseph N. Cowles and Joseph B. El- dridge formed a partnership and carried on a general bank- ing business in this town, continuing for twenty-three years, going out of business in 1895.
The Norfolk Savings Bank was incorporated by the Gen- eral Assembly of this State at the May Session, 1860. The Incorporators were: Robbins Battell, William W. Welch, Egbert T. Butler, William K. Peck, Jr., John Dewell, John K. Shepard, John H. Welch, John C. Bates, Austin A. Spaulding, James M. Cowles, Anson Norton, Edmund D. Lawrence, Daniel Hotchkiss, Frederick E. Porter, Francis B. Smith, Plumb Brown, Asa G. Pettibone of Norfolk, and Kneeland J. Munson of Canaan, and George W. Stephens and A. N. Beach of North Canaan.
Robbins Battell or E. T. Butler were authorized to call, in the month of July, 1860, the first meeting of the said corporation, at some place in the town of Norfolk, which was accordingly done, and in the month of July the annual meetings of the Bank are held.
At the first meeting of the Incorporators, July 2, 1860, By-laws were adopted, and Robbins Battell was chosen President; Kneeland J. Munson, Vice-President; Asa G. Pettibone, Secretary and Treasurer; and the following Board of Trustees elected: W. W. Welch, J. K. Shepard, A. A. Spaulding, Plumb Brown, Geo. W. Stephens, E. T. Butler, J. C. Bates, W. K. Peck, Jr., E. D. Lawrence.
It was voted that the place of business or office of the company be at the Norfolk Bank.
Plumb Brown, W. W. Welch and J. K. Shepard were appointed to audit the accounts.
Robbins Battell was elected annually President of the
368
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
Bank, until his death in 1895. W. W. Welch was elected Vice-President at the annual meeting in 1862, and held that office until his death in 1892.
Robert C. Geer was elected Secretary and Treasurer of the Bank in July, 1863, and continued in the office for a short time.
Joseph N. Cowles was elected Secretary and Treasurer of the Bank in October, 1863, and held that office until July, 1895, when Myron N. Clark succeeded him, and still continues in that office.
After the death of Robbins Battell in 1895 Mr. Carl Stoeckel was elected President of the Bank, but declined to serve.
Hiram P Lawrence was elected President of the Bank in July, 1896, and Edmund Brown and John D. Bassett, Auditors.
Ralph I. Crissey was elected President of the Bank in July, 1898, and still holds that office.
By the Bank Commissioners' Report of October, 1899, the whole amount of deposits at that time is shown to be $169,538.93.
NORFOLK PRICES CURRENT, 1778.
The following from among Dr. Eldridge's oldest manuscripts, being the original document, written in 1778, is of interest. It is copied verbatim et literatim, so far as is possible. It is filed as follows: "Price of Articles Regulated A. D. 1778. Session of Asembly Feb. & March 1778 ;" and shows signs of much use.
" We the Subcribers agreeble to a Law of the State of Connecticut, maid at Thire Sescion in Febrr. & March AD. 1778, whirin Thay Directed the Sivil Athorrity and Surlect men of Each Town in Sd. State to make a List of the values of all Articals of Labor and Produce not Perticalerly Stated in Sd. Law as Therrein Set forth &c, Theirefore Agreable Thereto on the 11th Day of March AD 1778 We met and affixed the Sevrel Priecses Heareafter Mentioned not Affixed by Said Law (viz)
9 I 6 For a Good Narrer Ax & Sith Each 0 II 3 For a Good Broad Hoe O 7 s.
€
d. p.
" Labor in Apriel, May Jun July August and Seprr pr Day. o
4 2
4 Except Harvesting and moing in Sd. months which is pr Day .. Labor in The Rest of The month of The year pr Day . . 3 5 3 6 o For Shewing a Hors all Round and Steel Corking . 9
0
6 For Common Chanes & Plow pins pr pound . O
3
6
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
369
Joiners by The D from the Ioth of March to the 10th of Sept pr Day
O
and The rest of The year pr Day
O
5 3
Carpenders by The Day
O
7 O 0
Masons by The Day
O 7 IO 2
For Making Mens Shews by the Pare
O 5
3 0
Weaving Plane Cloth per yard .
O
O IO 2
For Sawing White Pine Inch Boards by The Thouson . and other Bards in Parpotion.
I
I 0 0
A Taler by The Day ..
O
5
3 2
O C
A Clother for Presing Thin Cloth by The yard
0
2
3
for Cowering and Presing Do
O
O
5
0
for Cowering Dying Presing Cheeps Cullered Cloths pr yard . for fuling Tanthering Thick Cloth pr yard .
O
7
O
for Presing Do Each Time .
O O
I
3
for Shearing Each Time
0 O
I
3
for a Good foot Wheal
I 4
6
O
For Stocking A Gun
O 10
6 O
For Making A barrel without Sap
O 6
I 2
For a Good Pale
O 4
4 2
Taven keepers for a Good meal of Vittles
O I
2 O Other Vittles in Porpopotion.
For keeping A Hors on Hay one Night. O
I
2
O
For Keeping a yoak of oxen one Night on Hay
0
I
9
O
For keeping Do. on Grass one Night.
I O
2 0
For Keeping Horse A Night on Grass
0
O IO 2
For Cyder by The Mug.
O O
7
O
New England Rum and Brandy and Jinn.
O O 8
A mug of flip made of Westingee Rum 2-4 other Rum Good flax by The Pound .
O I
8
0
Good Wool by The Pound
O 3
O
O
Good yard Wide Tow Cloth pr Yard
O
3 4
0
Good yard wide Cheet flanel pr yard .
O 6 0
0
Good yard Wide White flanel .
O
5
0
Good Wool Cards pr Pare
14
o
Good felts Hats pr Each
0 12 O o
Good Wool men Stockings pr Pare.
0 10
O 0
Taler by The Pound
O I
O 0
Good Marchentble Pine Boards in the Midel of The Town by The Thouson
2 10
9 0
Other Boards in Porpotion to Theree Quallity, and boards at Other mills and Places in sd Norfolk as usal.
O 7
0 0
Other flax seed in Porpotion
Lantched Oile by The Barrel by The Gallon.
O
8 9 0
Marchenttable English Hay by The Tun out of the Barn or Stack Do in the cock .
I 18
6 0
In SmallerQuantatys in the Same Porpotion.
For Hors Hire by The mile ..
0
0
3 2
One Yoak of oxen by The Day to work in Common farming Business at Half The Price of a man Days work at the Same Time.
Good Cyder by The Barrel at The Press
Do. oute of The Seller
0 18
8
O 14 O O 0
8
3
for Dying Common Brown by The yard .
O O
5
I
A Talerest by The Day .
O
O
O
Good Westingee Rum at a Gill
O I O
O I O
O
Machenttable flax seed
£ s. p. d.
6 I 2 0
2 12 6 0
370
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
Mortheglin by The Gallon
S. d. p Do. by The Quart .
2 2 O
Tobacer That is Good pr Pound
0 IO 0 Womans work by The week Spinning Twelve Run of Lining ..
7 O 0
Other work in Porpotion.
GILES PETTIBONE-Justis Pece.
MICHEL MILLS
TITUS IVES Surlete
TIMO. GAYLORD Men.
SOME OF THE COLORED PEOPLE.
The following facts, incidents, etc., left in the hand writ- ing of Mrs. Mary Oakley Beach were found among some of her papers after her death, and are of interest.
"Jupiter and Fanny Mars, the parents of Dea. James, Rev. John, and Charlotte Mars, lived,"- The sentence was left unfinished. "Some of the neighboring young people who were very fond of dancing would go to his house and give him a quarter, when he would play on his violin as long as they liked to dance. So fearful was he that they would not receive the full worth of their money, if they paused to rest he would say "time is continuous." When asked if he was not a great fiddler he said, "I plays sometimes for my own amazement."
"My father said that Rev. John Mars, one of the sons of of Jupiter, made the best prayer he ever heard. He preached in this church in April, 1872, at Dr. Eldridge's request, giving two most excellent sermons. He lived at my father's when I was a baby and was very fond of me. I used to pat his face as he held me, as I have been told, and he would say, "My black skin does not make any differ- ence to her."
"James Mars united with the Congregational Church about 1815, with many others. When it was his turn to go forward for baptism the pastor said to him, "Dost thou believe with all thy heart?" "I think I do," he replied. Then, turning to the congregation the pastor said, "Breth- ren, let not this Ethiopian rise up against you to condemn you."
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