USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Norfolk > History of Norfolk, Litchfield County, Connecticut, 1744-1900 > Part 32
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Once, I think at a sunrise prayer meeting, James Mars was asked to pray, unexpectedly, and refused. After the
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SAMUEL SMITH.
DEA. JAMES MARS.
MRS. BILHAH FREEDOM.
NORFOLK UNDER THE SNOW.
371
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
meeting he resolved never to refuse to pray again so long as he lived, and he never did, although he lived to be ninety- one,-dying in 1880. The last years of his life were spent here, and he was the most zealous Christian worker in town. One who was not prejudiced in favor of Christians, or colored people, said: "Dea. Mars was the best deacon in town."
Jupiter and Fanny Mars were slaves, owned by the Ca- naan minister, Mr Thompson, and ran away from him with their children when he was about to take them back to Virginia. They were concealed here in Norfolk for some time, and at last a settlement was made, by their minis- terial owner selling the two boys. James was bought for $100 by Mr. Munger, who lived on a farm west from the church, where E. L. Gaylord now (1895) lives, and worked for Mr. Munger till he was 21, for his freedom, instead of the $100, which it was customary to pay a boy when he was of age. One of his daughters went to Liberia to live. When Dea. Darius Phelps' first wife died leaving two little boys, Fanny Mars went and took care of them for awhile. Afterward her daughter, Charlotte, went there and re- mained in the family more than sixty years, till her death, at Mrs. Dr. Knight's in Lakeville. She was an excellent Christian woman.
Another colored family of worth in the long ago, was Peter Freedom and his wife, Bilhah. Peter for some time worked in the grist mill, 'tended mill, as it was called. He was a very respectable man. They lived for some time in the old house which stood where the Eldridge house now stands, and later in what was Mr. Edmund Akin's law office. They also lived once in the old Ebenezer Burr house, which stood a few rods south of Mr. Ralph Crissey's present home. Aunt Bilhah used to make gingerbread and sell to the children, and a lady is living in Winsted, (Mrs. Wil- liam Norton,) who remembers buying gingerbread of Aunt Bilhah when she lived in the old Burr house, probably nearly seventy-five years ago.
Peter died and Aunt Bilhah, as everybody called her,
372
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
went and lived for a time in N. Y. State with her daugh- ter, Amanda, but later they returned here, Amanda having several children. Aunt Bilhah was famous as a cook, and was in demand on Thanksgiving days, at weddings, and the like. Her home the last years of her life was the small building, built and used as a shoe-shop by Mr. Oliver But- ler. She was respected and loved by everybody, and died from a cancer, November, 1871, aged nearly 89."
Few persons in the whole history of the town, regardless of name, race, color or condition, have been more respected and loved than was 'Aunt Bilhah,' as she was called by almost everyone. In the south she would have been to everyone, 'Mammy.'
Some of those who loved and esteemed her in life, caused to be placed at her grave a monument of enduring marble, which bears the following inscription :---
" BILHAH FREEDOM, WIDOW OF PETER FREEDOM ;
BORN IN LITCHFIELD, CONN., JANUARY, 1783. LIVED IN THIS TOWN, GREATLY RESPECTED AND BELOVED. DIED NOVEMBER 10, 1871. OF AFRICAN AND PRINCELY DESCENT. OF QUEENLY YET DEFERENTIAL DEMEANOR. GRATEFUL AND HAPPY IN HER HUMBLE LOT, TENDER AND TRUE. GIVING THANKS ALWAYS FOR ALL THINGS UNTO GOD AND THE FATHER, IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST."
Peter Freedom died April, 1837, aged 63. Clorony, his wife, died July, 1809, aged 35. Clorinda, their daughter, died 1869, aged 74. Amanda Van Ness, daughter of Peter and Bilhah Freedom, died June, 1867, aged 53. Jupiter Mars died June 23, 1818, aged 67.
"Another colored family, but of a very different class, lived in a house of my grandfather's, Asa Burr's, west of his own house. "Old Charles Danforth, Old Phebe," and their son, Jupiter, constituted the family. 'Jupe' was mar- ried while they lived there, and Mr. Eldridge performed the ceremony at the Danforth home. After the ceremony was ended Mr. Eldridge started to leave: No, no, said old Charles, you can't go yet, and taking from the cupboard a bottle of rum, poured some of it in a tumbler and added molasses and nutmeg, and proceeded to taste of it. More
373
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
than half had disappeared before he was satisfied that it was right, when his wife said, hold on there, Charles, I want some of that. He then offered it to Mr. Eldridge, who, tempting as it was, declined it, and old Phebe had the re- mainder. Again Mr. Eldridge started to go: Not yet; we are not through yet, said Charles. A tin of gingerbread was then brought from the cupboard, and passed to Mr. Eldridge, who declined that also. "Well, we must send some to Miss Eldridge," they said, and so a large piece was done up for her, with which doubtless she was greatly pleased. "Now what do you tax?" was the next remark. "I haven't any price," was the reply. "People pay just what they choose. If they wish to pay something they do so, and if not I marry them for nothing." "You must have something this time," said Charles. "It is a cold night and you have come a long way, and I guess a quarter will be about right." Then feeling in all his pockets, he said, "Why, I had a quarter; where can it be?" Not discovering the quarter, he said, "Well, I'll make a basket for you. If Miss Eldridge would like a clothes basket I'll make her a nice one." Upon being told that that would be satisfac- tory, Mr. Eldridge was permitted to start for home. (At latest advices the clothes basket had not yet been de- livered.)"
Another colored man of excellent character, half a cen- tury ago known in the town by everybody, was Samuel Smith, who in all the early part of his life was a trusted employee of Esq. Joseph Battell, and known to many as 'Sam. Battell.' The last half of his life he was Mr Robbins Battell's farmer. For many years he was janitor of the church, in the days when the church bell was rung in sum- mer at 'high noon,' and in winter at nine o'clock in the evening,-the old 'curfew,' which meant, 'put out your candles and get to bed.' One summer day Sam. made a slight mistake, which for an hour stirred up the whole community Looking at his watch he called the time five minutes of twelve; started post-haste for the meeting-house to ring the bell, and as soon as the town-clock was through
374
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
striking, he rang the bell as usual. People hearing the bell, listened intently, and said at first, 'I wonder who is dead?' It was the custom then to ring the bell whenever anyone died in town, and toll one stroke for each year the person had lived. By the second or third stroke of the bell on this summer's day people who were listening said, 'why, it isn't the death bell,-it's noon; what a short fore- noon it has been!' Farmers within sound of the bell turned out their teams and hastened to their homes for their din- ners, to be told, 'dinner is not ready; it's only eleven o'clock.' Sam simply had read his watch, five minutes of twelve, when it was just eleven o'clock. When twelve o'clock came he rang the bell again, and the usual equilib- rium of the town was restored.
ELEVATIONS.
Norfolk, in addition to its charms of natural scenery, has the distinction of lying at a greater elevation above tide water than almost any other town in the state. The elevation of the R. R. Station-1,250 feet-is greater than that of any other station in the state. From elevations taken a few years since by Mr. E. W. F. Natter of the U. S. Geological Survey, we find that "the highest point of land in the State is Bear Mountain in Salisbury,-a peak of the Taconic range, which is 2,355 feet high." Mt. Everett, in Mass., west of Sheffield, 2,624 feet, is visible from almost anywhere in Norfolk. Mt. Bradford, in Canaan, is 1,930 feet; Bald Mountain, in Norfolk, 1,763; Mohawk Mountain, in Cornwall, 1,653; Ivy Mountain, in Goshen, 1,633; Hay- stack Mountain, in Norfolk, 1,633; Peak of Summer Hill, 1,633; Dutton Hill, in Norfolk, 1,632; Lake Wangum, in Canaan, 1,437; The Hillhurst, in Norfolk, 1,312; Norfolk Summit, 1,336; The Railroad Station in Norfolk, 1,250; Pond Hill, 1,560; Winsted, 725; Torrington, 589; Water- bury, 256; New Haven, at tide water.
SINGING SCHOOLS.
In the year 1824 Mr. Joseph Battelle gave a sum of money to the Ecclesiastical Society, the interest upon which sum
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HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
would, if properly invested, be $50, annually, which the donor specified should be used for the improvement of Sa- cred music. The custom was adopted in the early history of this fund, of having a series of singing-schools once in two years, expending $100. For many years until his re- moval to the west in 1852, Deacon Darius Phelps was the very efficient teacher of these schools, and also the leader of the church choir. The schools opened in the fall and there was a session usually two evenings each week through the winter. The old Conference-room used to be filled at these singing schools, the young people attending regularly from all parts of the town. They were taught the rudi- ments of music thoroughly; reading at sight and voice culture. The series of schools closed in the spring, often with a concert, more or less grand, and from these classes recruits were taken for the large chorus choir of the church, which when full numbered from forty to fifty voices. Nor- folk was famous in those days as having the best choir and the finest church music in Litchfield County at least. The music was that of trained, cultivated voices, the only in- strument used in the singing schools, and in the church for years, was Dea. Phelps' tuning fork, and even that he rarely needed to use in taking the correct pitch. He was also the leader of the "Litchfield County Musical Society;" taught in many of the towns through the county and ar- ranged and conducted the county concerts, which in those days were unsurpassed. The first teacher after Dea. Phelps, was a young man, Mr. Scholes, who taught in the winter of 1853-4. J. Bidwell Peck of Litchfield, a brother-in-law of George F Root, came next, and after him a Mr. Hinman, who was succeeded by our efficient townsmen, Mr. Robbins Battelle and Col. Horace B. Knapp, each of them teach- ing for many years.
ANECDOTES.
When the old meeting-house was taken down preparatory to building the new one in 1813, it was made quite an oc- casion in the town. It was a matter of universal interest,
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HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
and people gathered from far and near to witness the fall of the old church so dear to them all.
The frame was stripped, and the posts sawed nearly off, ropes attached, and everything in readiness before noon. It was thought advisable to adjourn for dinner, and then assemble for the grand climax. While the majority were still at their dinner, a few of the carpenters who had fin- ished their meal came around the frame and began "fool- ing" with the ropes.
One gave a little stronger jerk than he intended, and suddenly, without warning, down came the structure with a crash, nearly catching the unwary carpenters in its fall and adding tragedy to comedy. The only other witnesses were a few children. Great was the consternation of the carpenters, and great the indignation of the good people when they realized their disappointment, to which some tried to give expression by marching around the ruins, and firing blank cartridges at the offenders.
When the church was finished, in 1814, and the vane, its crowning glory, added, there was great rejoicing. Bar- zillai Treat, a man of versatile accomplishments and a dare devil withal, gave expression to his elation by climbing to the apex of the steeple one training day, and sitting astride the vane while he played his violin.
The military company had assembled on the Green one morning for 'training,' and the spectators heard a violin, and for some time could not locate it, and were wonder- ing "where on earth that music comes from." Someone finally thought it must come from heaven, and looking up soon discovered the veritable 'Barzel' astride of the new vane, playing "for his own and the people's amazement," as Jupiter Mars once said.
The fool-hardy act was witnessed by numbers of people, who often alluded to it in later life. One young man was so uncomfortably affected by the sight that he turned aside and threw up his breakfast.
Another incident connected with the new church was the climbing of three or four little girls into the belfry,
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HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
and getting outside the railing and holding to it, chasing one another around in a game of "Catcher."
Men below, looking up and seeing their perilous position, were so alarmed they dared not shout to them, but hastily ascending the stairs, each took in a child without saying a word.
Someone once asked Dr. Benjamin Welch, Sen., what he did for himself when he got sick? His reply was, 'I just go to bed, stay in bed all day and eat nothing; let the old mill grind out.' 'What do you do the second day?' 'Just the same treatment; stay in bed and eat nothing.' 'The third day what do you do?' 'Oh, I am always well again the third day.'
SUMMIT ROCK.
On the Goshen Road, about a quarter of a mile south of the residence of Mr. Marvin, is a massive rock which is said to be just at the summit, or the 'divide,' as it is some- times called; and it is said that the rain which falls upon the south side of this rock runs south into the Naugatuck River; the rain which falls upon the north side runs north into the Housatonic River, and from a point near there the water runs east and falls into the Farmington River, which is a tributary of the Connecticut-'Quonektacut' was the Indian name.
Mr. Joshua Beach lived in the south part of the town and made cheese casks, in which the great cheese, made by some of the farmers were packed and shipped. He kept no team, and delivered his casks to Esq. Battell's store on his wheelbarrow. He had thirteen children. Upon one of Parson Robbins' pastoral visits at Mr. Beach's, the whole flock were called in to meet the minister, who laid his hand on the head of each child with the patriarchal benediction, 'the Lord bless you my child.' When the entire family had been presented, turning to the father, Mr. Robbins said, 'I trust, sir, you realize that these children are a bless- ing, sent to you from the Lord.' Mr. Beach replied, 'I trust, sir, I do; but sometimes I feel that I have been blessed al- most-to death.'
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HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
LENGTH OF OLD PASTORATES.
In the early history of this and other towns in the vi- cinity the settlement of a minister usually meant for life. The average length of the pastorate in twelve of the Litch- field County towns is 42 1-6 years, given in Boyd's Annals, as follows :-
"Dr. Joseph Bellamy, Bethlehem, 1738 to 1789 51 years.
Rev. Nathaniel Roberts, Torrington, Jonathan Lee, Salisbury, 1743 " 1788 45
Daniel Brinsmade, Washington, 1749 " 1793 44 1752 " 1803 51
66 Daniel Farrand, Canaan,
66 Thomas Canfield, Roxbury, 1744 " 1795 51
66 Abel Newell, Goshen,
Noah Benedict, Woodbury,
1760 " 1813 53 66
Jeremiah Day, New Preston,
1770 " 1806 36 66
66 Ammi R. Robbins, Norfolk, 1761 " 1813
52 66
60 Asahel Hart, North Canaan,
1770 " 1775
5
66
66 Peter Starr, Warren,
1772 " 1829
57
"Here worshipped the fathers and mothers of the town and their offspring for fifty years,-a race of honest, hard-working, self-deny- ing, pious, rigid Puritans. ... The like of these and other worthies who here dispensed the symbolic bread of life, and di- gested the severe doctrines of the Calvinistic creed, is not to be found in these days of diluted orthodoxy."
CENSUS REPORTS.
The first census of the Colony of which there seems to be a record was taken in 1756, and the next census in 1774.
The figures of these two enumerations, not only of this town but of the other towns in this County, will be of in- terest to at last some readers :-
Census
1756
1774
Barkhamsted
18
250
Colebrook
0
150
Canaan
1100
1635
Cornwall
500
974
Goshen
610
1111
Hartland
12
500
Harwinton
250
1018
Kent
1000
1996
Litchfield
1366
1544
1741 " 1776 35 66
1755 " 1781 26
66
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HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
New Hartford
260
1001
New Milford
1127
2776
Norfolk
84
969
Salisbury
100
1980
Sharon
1205
2012
Torrington
250
845
Winchester
24
339
Woodbury
2911
5313
Westmoreland
1922
Norfolk in 1774 had "3 black residents;" probably slaves. Westmoreland, situated in the valley of Wyoming, Penn., was in 1774 one of the towns of Litchfield County.
The population of Norfolk as given in the various Cen- sus reports, subsequent to those of 1756 and 1774, given above, are as follows :-
Census of 1782
1246
66 1800
1649
1810. 1441
66
1820
1422
66
1830. 1485
66
66
1840.
1393
66
66
1850.
1643
66
1860
1803
66
66
1880
1418
66
66 1890
1546
66
1900 (Estimated)
1600
1870.
1641
NORFOLK BRICK.
To a limited extent the item of Brick should be added to the other manufactures of the town. Prior to 1850 Mess. Luke Beckwith and Salmon Swift made brick in what is called 'the old brick yard,' on land then owned by Michael F. Mills, Esq., on 'Lovers' Lane, north from 'The Hillhurst.'
A few years later, in the early '50s, brick of good quality were made in the same place for Capt. John A. Shepard, by Charles N. Hollister, and others. Of these brick, the Hosiery Company's 'Brick Building' was constructed, and they were used for building chimneys, and other purposes.
380
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
THE FRENCH WAR.
There were a number of Norfolk men in the French War, but it seems difficult, not to say impossible, to get a cor- rect list of their names. Some of those who served in this war were: Mr. Hopestill Welch, Dea. Edward Gaylord, Ja- cob Spaulding, Ephraim Parker, Roys Gaylord, and others. Dea. Edward Gaylord went from Boston, under command of Gen. Benedict Arnold, to Quebec, much of the way through a wilderness. This command of Arnold's did not reach Quebec until after the British had taken that city, and this gave the control of Canada to the British from that time on. Hopestill Welch was also in this expedition which made the long, dreary, forced march from Boston in about 1756, through the wilderness to Quebec, and doubt- less other Norfolk men served in the same campaign, and endured the same terrible hardships.
THE WAR OF 1812.
This war took but slight hold upon the hearts and minds of the people here, although it appears that some were drafted from this, as from the other towns, and were in the service for a time. The record of the Soldiers in the war of 1812 shows that Captain Sereno Pettibone, son of Colonel Giles Pettibone, was in the service for some months at New London in 1813, as "Commander," and doubtless there were a number of Norfolk men in the service at the same time. Some of the men under Mr. Pettibone had Nor- folk names, and may have been residents of this time, but to the writer it is not certainly proven, the names of the towns to which they belonged not being given. Some of the names were Zenas Barber, Harvey, Hosea and Jedediah Case; Aziel, Decius, George, Hiram, Oliver and Rufus Hum- phrey; Abiel Pease, Elisha Wilcox, and others. Joseph G. Barnes enlisted from Norfolk in the regular army at that time. Dr. Benjamin F. Calhoun of this town was a surgeon in the army during the War of 1812. Thomas Ferry was a Captain, and served at New London in this war.
381
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
In the Mexican War, Isaac Beach and Wolcott Warner are recorded as having enlisted from Norfolk; and there may have been others.
SETTLEMENT OF THE COUNTY SEAT.
When Litchfield County was organized in 1751 there was much difference of opinion as to the location of the county seat. Litchfield, Goshen, Canaan and Cornwall urged their respective claims with much zeal, but the strongest con- test was between Litchfield and Goshen. Goshen was sup- posed to be the geographical center of the county, and many persons had settled there in expectation that the county seat would be established in that town; and when Litchfield was named as the county seat in the act incor- porating the new county, many of the contestants were sorely disappointed, among whom was Oliver Wolcott, afterwards Governor. Wolcott was appointed first High Sheriff and thereupon took up his residence at the County seat. William Preston of Woodbury was appointed Chief Judge, and Samuel Pettibone of Goshen, King's Attorney. Woodbury continued to manifest her dissatisfaction; peti- tioned the Legislature to be re-annexed to Fairfield County, and twenty years later made an effort to have the Legisla- ture organize a county to be called Woodbury, and laid a rate of a penny and a half on the pound to be applied toward erecting the county buildings.
STRONG FUND - PROBATE DISTRICT.
July, 1847, "The town came into possession of property devised to the town by the late John Strong, deceased. It was voted that said property shall constitute a Fund, which shall always hereafter be known as the Strong Fund, and all interest derived from this fund shall be credited on the books of the Treasurer in a separate account, and that the Selectmen shall be ex officio trustees and managers of the fund, and the treasurer of the town treasurer of the fund."
The Probate District of Norfolk, which was established
382
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
at an early date in the history of the town, included the towns of Norfolk, Colebrook and Winchester. In 1838 the Probate District of Winchester, which embraced the towns of Winchester and Colebrook, was created by act of the Legislature of the State, leaving the town of Nor- folk a Probate District, and such it still continues.
WHITEFIELD, IN NORFOLK.
In his Historical Discourse, delivered in July, 1876, Beach says: "During George Whitefield's seventh and last visit to America in 1769 and '70 he came into this neighborhood, and was listened to as always by attentive crowds, yet there was among Congregationalists a very strong objec- tion to his labors as tending to many excesses; a feeling which now can scarcely be comprehended. Mr. Robbins did not share it, but received the great preacher to his house and entertained him. The room in which he slept, the north-east front chamber, became afterwards an ob- ject of interest to the clergy from its association with him. He preached in a large barn, it is said, on the old Ives place, July 17, 1770, to a large and solemn audience. Robert Mc- Ewen, then a young man, living in the edge of Winchester, heard Mr. Whitefield preach, as is mentioned below. He soon after joined the Norfolk church, and at its organiza- tion took a letter to the church in Winchester, of which he became one of the pillars. He was the father of Rev. Abel McEwen, D. D."
Robert McEwen, one of the earliest settlers of Winches- ter, in an entry in his diary says: "July, ye 17, in yr. 1770. Heard ye famous Mr. Whitefield preach at Norfolk from John 5:25, which I hope was a word in season to me."
Invocation of the divine blessing at the collation at the Winchester Centennial Celebration Aug. 16, 1871, by Rev. Joseph Eldridge, D. D .:-
"Our Father in Heaven, we thank thee for thy providential gov- ernment over the world, and for the establishment and preserva- tion of thy church among men. We thank thee that thou didst extend thy care over those that came to this land and those who
383
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
have descended from them. We thank thee for all thy favor to those who one hundred years ago dwelt here; and for all the pros- perity and all the blessings conferred upon them and their de- scendants, and that in circumstances of so much favor we may meet on this beautiful day; and that this day we have been per- mitted to commemorate their history, and derive blessings from their experience and their service, and enter into the blessings that through thy grace they have transmitted to us. We thank thee for all the blessings of the past and of this occasion. May we de- liver the blessings granted to us unimpaired to those who shall come after us, so that when a hundred years have passed away, our descendants may look back towards us, as we now look towards those who dwelt here a hundred years ago; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen."
The following reminiscences of Dr. Eldridge, by Ex-Gov- ernor Lorrin A. Cooke, a former resident and student in the town, are of interest:
Dr. Eldridge was the most impressive speaker I ever heard. I remember subjects of his sermons, and much that he embodied in them, delivered when I was ten or twelve years of age. His manner sometimes in the pulpit was terribly earnest, and I went home frequently when a boy deeply moved by his powerful eloquence.
His visits to the little schools of the town were occasions of great interest to the children, and his kind interest in the work and welfare of each pupil is remembered vividly. On such occa- sions he let himself down from the great preacher and revered pastor to warm friend and helper of each child.
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