USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Norfolk > History of Norfolk, Litchfield County, Connecticut, 1744-1900 > Part 49
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In the "History of Litchfield County Bench and Bar," it is said: "Mr. Mills never figured conspicuously as an advocate in the higher courts, but was regarded by the ablest lawyers as one of the best men in the state to prepare a case. Most people know how very liable members of the legal profession are to make enemies in discharging the duties of their calling, but in this Esq. Mills was peculiarly fortunate. Being of a happy and generous disposition, whatever he said or did never partook of ill will or malignity." "He married Sarah Pettibone, grand-daughter of Col. Giles Petti- bone. One son, Frederick Ira, graduated at Yale College, 1827; was a young man of great promise, and died at the age of 23, soon after completing his law studies. His younger son, Michael G. Mills, was for a time Judge of Probate, and died December, 1846, aged 33. His daughters, Margaret, who married John A. Shepard, and Sarah, who married John K. Shepard, spent their lives in this town. Esq. Michael F. Mills died August 2, 1857, aged 81."
"On the road leading from the Loon meadow road toward Pond- town Deacon Jared Butler lived." Mr. Butler, who married Eliza- beth Dorchester, was the sixth man elected to the office of Deacon,
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after the organization of the Congregational Church here. He died in 1822, aged 76. He had four sons, Nathaniel, Elisaph, Jared and Luther. His daughter Elizabeth married Mr. Allen Holt, and lived in this town. His daughter Mary married David Sexton. He died July, 1854, aged 80. She died August, 1851, aged 71. They spent their lives, most excellent Christian people, on the farm occupied after their death by Samuel Canfield, who married their daughter, Rebecca Sexton. Mr. Canfield sold the place a number of years after Mr. Sexton's death to Mr. Richard Curtiss, who now lives there.
Elisaph Butler, son of Deacon Jared, had two sons, Levi and Jared. He died March, 1843, aged 75.
Nathaniel Butler, son of Deacon Jared, had two sons, Uri and Edwin, and two daughters, Miriam and Matilda. He died April, 1841, aged 60.
Uri and Edwin Butler were well known and highly respected citizens of Norfolk until middle life, when they removed from town. Their sister, Miriam, married a Mr. Pierce of Canaan. Matilda married Mr. Witherell.
Jared Butler, son of Deacon Jared, had seven sons and two daughters. The sons were Timothy, Almon, Albert, Miriman, Wil- liam, Sullivan and Styles; the daughters were Laura and Celia. These all emigrated from town. William married Harriet Merwin, lived in town several years and then went west.
Sullivan married Celestia, daughter of David Gaylord, spent the larger part of his life in town, and now lives in East Canaan.
Luther, son of Deacon Jared Butler, married Rosanna Mills, was a highly respected citizen of this town, owned and died in the Col. Giles Pettibone house, September, 1855, aged 69. His daugh- ter Rosanna married Mr. Edward Hubbard of Salisbury. Their daughters, Mrs. Lyman Johnson and Mrs. Silas Palmer, are resi- dents of this town. Ellen, daughter of Luther Butler, married Mr. George Dodge of Salisbury.
Nathaniel Stevens, was fifth in descent from John Stevens, who came from County Kent, England, and settled in Guilford, Conn., about 1640. The family afterward removed to Killingworth, now Clinton, where representatives are now living. He was born at Clinton in 1739, and removed to Norfolk early in its history. He was by occupation a clothier and hatter. He built a house in 1784, still owned by his descendants. He was noted for his piety, and was a man of influence in the community; represented the town at eighteen sessions of the Legislature and died in 1808.
In speaking of the removal of this family, with others, the his- torian says: "They continue to be respectable in Church and State there."
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Nathaniel Stevens, Jr., second son of Nathaniel Stevens, was born in 1763. He remained at the homestead in Norfolk and suc- ceeded his father in the business of hatter. He took a prominent part in public affairs, was a major of militia, and represented the town at sixteen sessions of the Legislature. He died in 1825. He had four sons and three daughters.
Halsey Stevens, youngest son of Nathaniel Stevens, Jr., was born in 1803. He succeeded his father in business. He married Dasiah Humphrey, youngest daughter of Giles Pettibone, Jr., and died in 1837.
Jonathan H. Pettibone, eldest son of Halsey Stevens, was born in 1830. He studied medicine under Dr. Wm. W. Welch, and gradu- ated at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, in 1852. He served a term in Bellevue Hospital, and made several trips to Europe as surgeon on board ship. In 1855, after the death of Dr. Erasmus Hugins, he became associated with Dr. Welch in practice at Norfolk. In 1861 he was appointed 1st Asst. Surgeon 4th C. V., afterwards the 1st Conn. Heavy Artillery. He experienced the fortunes of war during Mcclellan's Peninsular Campaign. He re- signed his commission on account of his own ill health and that of near relatives. He continued the practice of his profession at Norfolk till 1885, when he died very suddenly at the age of 55 years.
Mr. Hezekiah Butler lived next to Mr. Stevens. He was a shoe- maker. One of his sons, Oliver B. Butler, was a shoemaker, built a shop and worked in it for several years. It was the house in which Mrs. Bilhah Freedom died."
"Mr. Joseph Smith lived in a house north of Mr. John K. Shep- ard, in West Norfolk.
On the west side of the brook Mr. John Turner lived. He was a tanner and currier of leather." This seems to have been near where Mr. Levi Shepard built his tannery later.
"In the district that was called 'Paug,' on the road that ran south from the Maltbie place, which was on the old turnpike, a man named Blakeley lived, half a mile or so south." Blakeley pond doubtless received its name from this man.
"Mr. Roswell Grant lived near where Mr. Richard Beckley and his son, William Beckley, lived. His brother, Joel Grant, lived on the opposite side of the street. He was killed by the fall of a well- sweep in his own yard "in the memorable storm of 1796." The house was burnt many years later."
Esq. Joseph Riggs left a memorandum, as follows :- "Timothy Gaylord lived near Mr. Jud's; came to town 1768; Gaylord built his house 3 or 4 years after." (This Judd house was the first house south of the Methodist church.) "A. D. 1768, Miles Riggs came to
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Norfolk and Justus Gaylord lived at the old house near or on the ground where Mr. Akins lives; house now stands." (Miles Riggs was the father of Esq. Joseph; he died 1836, aged 88. The house "where Mrs. Akins lives" was the house still standing opposite the Doctor Welch house, which house Mr. Lemuel Akins owned, and his family occupied for several years after his death in 1834.) "Miles Riggs thinks he had been told that Samuel Gaylord, the father of Justus Gaylord, had lived in a house a little west of the highway, near the grist-mill bridge. Thinks the Watsons bought said Justus Gaylord's property, and John and Titus Watson built the Akins house and sold out some time after to E. Phelps."
In an extended interview most fortunately had with Mr. Nor- man Riggs, a week only before his death, in March, 1900, the writer learned many things of interest concerning the old settlers and former residents in the South End district, where Mr. Riggs was born and where he spent the eighty-four years of his life.
I will follow somewhat in the order taken by Mr. Riggs. Two sons of Asahel Humphrey of Goshen settled on the Winchester road in the extreme south part of the town. In the time of the Revolutionary war the whole family were said to be tory sympa- thizers, and on that account it was said they settled in that remote part of the town. Levi Humphrey lived near the line between Norfolk and Winchester. His son, Timothy, settled in Winchester, near his old home. His son Lloyd and daughter Nancy never mar- ried, and spent their lives on their native place. Lloyd at one time was said to have been well off financially, but lost his property and died penniless. James, the other son of Levi, owned for some years a large farm near Grantville, which he sold to Col. Willis Griswold, later known as the Beckley farm, and afterward he kept a hotel in Winsted.
Malachi, the other son of Asahel Humphrey, lived on the farm next north of his brother Levi. He was a man vigorous of mind and body, of about 225 lbs. weight, a good farmer, a shrewd busi- ness man, in good circumstances, a good citizen, an expert at stone-work, and somewhat of a joker. He built a porch over his front door, and his family physician, Dr. Whitmore, said of it: "Why, Uncle Pal, as he was familiarly called, I shall never dare go under that thing." Mr. Humphrey replied: "Then I shall build one just like it over my hatchway door, and see if I can't keep you out of my cellar." His sons were Horace, Joel, Carlton, Loyal, Chester and George. Horace remained on the old farm, engaged in nursery business, raising pears, horse-radish, mulberry trees, etc. Almira, the daughter of Malachi Humphrey, married James Stan- nard, and was the mother of Appleton and Malachi Stannard.
James Stannard lived farther north, on what is still the Stannard
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farm. He died suddenly in 1827, of heart disease, at the age of 39 years. His son, Appleton, spent his life on the old homestead, an excellent citizen and a good farmer. His son Obed succeeded his father on the farm.
A man named Mason built the first house on this place, and sold to James Stannard.
The first settler on the Riggs farm, as it has been known during the entire history of the town, was a Mr. Roberts, who "built a log house under the hill," where he lived a few years. Miles Riggs came from near Danbury and bought part of this farm in 1771. He was a carpenter; built some houses in Canaan and some of the old houses in Norfolk. He married first Patty Bull; they had three children. He served in the Revolutionary army, as the record else- where will show. As he reached home at one time from the army he found two of his children lying dead in the house, and his wife died before the next morning of "camp-distemper." His surviving child, Miles, settled in Canada and lived to be nearly ninety years old.
His second wife was Abigail, daughter of Amasa Cowles, and widow of Eden Mills. The children of this second marriage were Joseph, Eden and Lewis, and a daughter, Delina, who married a Mr. Harvey, lived and died in Texas.
Miles Riggs died in his old home Sept. 20, 1836, aged 88 years. His son Eden, it has been said, succeeded Owen Brown, on part of the Stannard farm, and for some years carried on tanning and shoemaking there, and later bought a farm near South Norfolk, which was originally owned by Oliver Burr. He was an indus- trious, successful farmer, accumulated a good property, was a well- informed, intelligent man, and a most exemplary citizen. He rep- resented the town in the Legislature in 1844. He had three sons, Hiram Harman, Lewis, who was a physician, and Miles. Harman, as he was called, and Miles, both spent their lives on the old home- stead. Were excellent farmers and business men, and most worthy Christian men and citizens.
Lewis Riggs (son of Miles Riggs) was a physician, an able, educated man; settled in the state of New York, at Homer, and represented his district in Congress at one time.
Joseph, the eldest son of Miles Riggs by his second wife, spent his life on the old farm. He was a well educated and a well in- formed man, was a skillful surveyor, did a vast amount of survey- ing in this and the adjoining towns; was for some years the county surveyor; was for many years a justice of the peace and transacted much business, such as drawing wills, deeds and the like. A great number of papers in his handwriting, and the minutes of surveys of lands, laying out and altering highways, etc., which he made
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are still to be found. He was the surveyor when a large number of the alterations of the "Greenwoods Turnpike" were made.
Esq. Riggs, as he was called by everybody, married Annis Clark of Burlington, Conn. Their children were George, who set- tled in Wisconsin; Chauncey, who spent his life in Torrington, Connecticut; twin daughters, Mary, who married Frederick Bron- son, and spent her life in East Canaan, and Maria, who married Luman Foot, son of Pliny Foot of this town, and whose home was also in East Canaan, where she died.
Joseph Riggs, with his father, built the house which is still standing in good condition on the Riggs farm, in 1816. In June of that year, on the day of the total eclipse of the sun, he went to Torrington for a load of brick. As the eclipse was nearing totality he met an acquaintance, Mr. Hayden, who was in great consterna- tion, as he said: "The day of judgment has surely come." Mr. Riggs, who understood about the eclipse, assured his terrified friend that the darkness was caused by the moon crossing the sun's track, and that all danger would soon be past, and added: "But the day of judgment is coming."
Norman, the third son of Joseph Riggs, was born March 10th, 1816; spent his life on the old Riggs homestead, and died there March 26, 1900. He was an unusually intelligent, well-informed man, with whom, to the close of liis life, it was a pleasure to con- verse regarding occurrences in this town, which he remembered back more than three-quarters of a century, and many most inter- esting facts that he heard in early life from his grandfather and other early settlers of this town. He held at various times the office of selectman and other town offices, and positions of trust and responsibility, and was through life a respected and esteemed citizen. He was not successful in accumulating or retaining prop- erty, and in the last years of his life was said to be in straightened circumstances. He was a man of wide general information; read and thought much, and in the last interview said to the writer: "My best thoughts have always come to me in the early morning, when just awakened, refreshed by sleep."
Captain Hosea Wilcox, whose service in the Revolutionary war is mentioned elsewhere, lived north from the Riggs place, toward the Stannard farm. His house was across the road from Deacon Edward Gaylord's. In that interview, Mr. Riggs said: "You come down some pleasant day after the ground is settled and I will go with you and show you where all those old houses stood" ;- but he did not live to do it.
Sterling Miles lived for a time in a small house north from the Riggs place, the house standing on the east side of the road.
A Mr. Goff, a tanner and shoemaker, moved this Mills house a
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little distance north from the Stannard corner, and used it for a bark-house. He had a small tannery on the south-east side of the road, where Mr. Stannard now has a small pond, his house being on the opposite side of the road.
Owen Brown, the father of John Brown, who was the "Hero of Harper's Ferry," in December, 1859, bought out Mr. Goff about 1795, and carried on tanning and shoe-making there for about four years, when he sold out and moved to Torrington. Josiah Board- man bought out Mr. Brown, and Mr. Eden Riggs occupied the place some years later, it is said.
Owen Brown, who was born in West Simsbury, February, 1771, married in March, 1793, Ruth, daughter of Rev. Gideon Mills, in his autobiography says: "In the fall of 1789 I went to Norfolk and worked at shoemaking all winter, mostly around at houses for families. I returned to Simsbury, afterward called Canton Center, where I lived until about two years after I was married, when I went to Norfolk, bought a small farm with a house and barn on it. Found there friends in need and friends indeed; set up shoemaking and tanning, and did a small, good business. My first child, Salmon, was born in Canton, June, 1794, and died in Norfolk, Feb- ruary, 1796. My daughter Anna was born in Norfolk, July 5, 1798. I sold my place in Norfolk in February, 1799, and moved to Torring- ton, where my son John was born May 9, 1800. In 1804 I made my first journey to Ohio; purchased land at Hudson, Ohio; returned to Connecticut in the fall. June 9, 1805, I started with my family with an ox team for Ohio, and arrived in Hudson, Ohio July 27th." After he became famous it was said by some natives of Norfolk that they played with John Brown as a school boy in South End district, which was clearly a mistake.
Captain Joseph Case, the father of Mrs. Solomon Cowles, built the house, which is still standing, on what was long known as the Ferry farm, and sold out to Captain Thomas Ferry, and went west. Mrs. Ferry, probably the mother of Thomas Ferry, died in 1810 at the great age of 101 years. Capt. Ferry sold out to Levi Wright and Hiram McNeil. Later the farm was owned by S. & L. Hurlbut of Winchester.
The first death in the town recorded in Dr. Roys' list was Samuel Cowles, who died in 1762.
Joseph Cowles was one of the early settlers in the South End district. He built an eight square house, twenty feet in diameter, on the site where his son Ebenezer, and his grandson, Moses Cowles, spent their lives also. Mr. Miles Riggs helped to build this house. Moses Cowles and his son-in-law, William C. Phelps, pulled down this old house about 1835, and built the house now occupied by Ed- ward Canfield. Mr. Joseph Cowles, when an old man, in walking to
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meeting, fell on the ice on the old Goshen road, on what was then the Tibbals place, and his death resulted from injuries received in this fall, in 1782. His son Ebenezer succeeded him on the old homestead, and died there in 1827, at the age of 78 years.
Solomon, son of Ebenezer Cowles (an e having been added to the name in this generation), lived a short distance south of the old homestead, where he built a good house and other buildings, and had a fine farm, in an excellent state of cultivation. Many of the massive stone walls standing on the farm in good order today are monuments of his energy and enterprise. He was one of the most thorough and successful farmers of his day; a good citizen, a very positive character. He was the man who placed the round horse-block near the present stone chapel, bringing it up from the oil-mill on Blackberry river, as mentioned elsewhere. He was at first strongly opposed to fencing the green and planting it to trees. He married Keturah, daughter of Capt. Joseph Case. She was a most excellent, devoted Christian woman. She died October 4, 1869, aged 84. He had four sons, William, Loyal, James M. and Grovenor. The house which he built and occupied was burned a few years since, and the farm seems to have been almost aban- doned. , He died April 7, 1858, aged 79, and his son William, who a short time before had returned to live with his father, died the 23d of the same month, at the age of 43.
James M. Cowles when a young man bought of Jesse Maltbie the farm on the Goshen road in the south part of the town, where he spent his life and where he died in December, 1871, at the age of 64. This farm was, earlier in the history of the town, owned by Daniel Pettibone, who for some years kept a tavern there, when the New Haven and Albany turnpike was quite a thorough- fare. Mr. Cowles was an energetic, thorough farmer, who had his farm in a fine state of cultivation, and in 1843 built a very nice farmhouse for those days. He was a prominent man in town affairs. Was first selectman in 1844, and the same year, with William Lawrence, represented the town in the Legislature. He was a deacon of the Congregational Church several years, which position he held at the time of his death. He married a daughter of Mr. Amos Baldwin. His three sons, Joseph, Loyal and William, are all residents of the town, William occupying the homestead. His daughter Louise has for more than thirty years been a teacher in Mt. Holyoke Female Seminary.
Mr. Moses Cowles spent most of his life on the old Cowles homestead. He was an excellent citizen, but had not the strength, vitality and enterprise of his brother. He enjoyed life, took things rather easy, was an inveterate smoker and fond of telling stories. His brother, Solomon, was sometimes annoyed at some of his easy
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ways, and once said in his presence: "I'm going to have a pound built to shut Mose up in, for he comes around and hinders my men so, forever telling them stories." This 'pound' never was built. Mr. Cowles married Hannah Betts, sister of Mrs. Nathan Green and half-sister of Mr. David Sexton. She was an excellent Christian woman. It was said she would not let her husband smoke when they were riding together. They had two daughters, Parna, who married Mr. William C. Phelps, now living in Winsted, and Abbie, who married Joel Grant.
Mr. and Mrs. Cowles spent their last years and died in Winsted.
Captain Asahel Case, one of the early settlers, built the house on the farm next north from Moses Cowles'. He had thirteen children. A man who once spent a night at his house said that in the morning Mr. Case went to the chamber stairs, called out all the names found in the Bible, and added, "and all the rest of you get up." He died in 1809.
His son, Captain Aaron Case, spent his life on the old home- stead. His first wife took by mistake a dose of saltpetre instead of Epsom salts, as she supposed it to be, and died from the effects of it in a few hours. Captain Case was a resolute, eccentric kind of a man. Col. Phelps, a brother of his mother, was drilling a company of militia in which Captain Aaron did not "toe the mark" to suit him, and said to him, "I'll drill all the Case blood out of you." The retort was, "Then I shall be a 'blank' fool too, like our Colonel." Captain Aaron, as he was called, was taking home a load of potatoes in an ox cart. He always kept two or three rods ahead of his oxen. Going up a long hill the tail-board of the cart got loose, and his potatoes rolled out and scattered from the foot of the hill to the top. When he reached home and found his cart empty, doubtless 'the English language was inadequate to express his feelings.'
Time and space forbid telling of his once driving a pig some two miles without discovering that he had taken the wrong pig out of his pen. Captain Aaron Case died in 1842, aged 70.
His son, Hiram, succeeded him on the old homestead. He worked when a young man grinding scythes in a scythe shop, and died of "grinder's consumption" in March, 1856, aged 44.
Dea. Aaron, the youngest son of Captain Aaron, was for many years a somewhat prominent man in Winsted, where he died about January 1, 1900.
Captain Asahel Case, Jun., an older brother of Captain Aaron, spent his life on a farm near Grantville. Mr. James Swift, a life- long resident of this town, married one of his daughters. Mr. Philo Smith married another daughter, and succeeded Captain Case on this farm, where he spent his life and died in 1877, at the age
ROSCOE A. NORTON
CHARLES W. NORTON
-
ANSON NORTON
FRANKLIN ENGCO. BOSTON
ALBERT H. NORTON
11
" [WILLIAM J. NORTON
FIVE NORTON GENERATIONS.
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of 83; and he in turn is succeded by his son Obadiah, who still lives on the farm at the age of 80; and his son Arthur is following in the steps of the three generations of ancestors, with the next generation pressing on after him; all excellent citizens, thrifty farmers, as the farm bears witness, and all the generations regular church-going, Christian people. Mr. Obadiah Smith told the writer that under a certain chestnut tree on his farm, he, with his mother, his grand- father Case, his son and his grandchildren, five generations, he has gathered chestnuts. A rare record. Capt. Asahel Case, Jun., died in 1840, at the age of 84.
Mr. Joseph Mills was an early settler of the town, living on the farm north from the old Case homestead. He was the third inan elected deacon of the church here in the early days of its history, which office he held until his death in 1792. His son, Rev. Joseph Mills, was settled as pastor of the church in Becket, Mass. Another son, Roger Mills, lived in New Hartford. His sons, Con- stantine and Benoni, settled in this town, the latter living on the farm of his father. Daniel S., son of Benoni Mills, succeeded his father on the old homestead, and married a daughter of Gip Smith, a Mormon, of Canaan. At one time when Mrs. Mills was sick, a Mormon missionary came to their house, claiming to have power to heal the sick, and he cured Mrs. Mills so that she rose from her sick bed and prepared dinner for the family, but within a few hours she was again very sick. In the spring of 1858 Daniel Mills and his family sold out and went to California, and a few years ago he was living at San Jose Mission, Cal., with his son Smith, a Mor- mon, and his daughter, Mary Ann Mills.
Stephen Norton, an early settler of the town, built a large house at the corner of the Winchester and Winsted roads, a short distance south of the cemetery, in the South End district, where for many years he kept a tavern, the road passing there being at the time quite a thoroughfare. As is mentioned elsewhere. he built and for a time carried on a grist-mill, on a small stream that runs not far south of this place. He was born at Durham, Ct., in 1740; was the eldest son of Jonathan Norton, who was born at Say- brook, Ct., February 18, 1712, and died at Norfolk, October 27, 1801, aged 89. His wife, Ruth, died at Norfolk, Jan. 15, 1809. Jonathan was the eldest son of John Norton, who was born at Saybrook, October 3, 1686, and died at Durham, December, 1768. John was the youngest son of Thomas, born in England 1626. Thomas was son of Thomas, born in England 1588. Came to America, settled in Guilford about 1639; died at Guilford 1648.
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