USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Oxford > History of Oxford, Volume 1-2 > Part 8
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John Tibbals, in 1711, had land "upon the great neck, on the east and westward side of the westward branch of the Five Mile Brook, bounded northward with Samuel Riggs and John Hull's their Lands * and westward with Woodbury Road and com- mon land."
John Hull's land was described May 14, 1711, as "in Quaker's Farm Purchase on the east side of the country road not far from Quakers Farm, is bounded westward by Woodbury road, north by land of Samuel Riggs," etc.
John Pringle's land at Good Hill, over the Eight Mile Brook, was bounded west on Samuel Nichols' land, otherwise on undivided land, in 1711.
V
Samuel Riggs is recorded as having his land Dec. 10, 1711, on Five Mile Hill, bounded "southward with land of John Tibbals."
The Quaker Farms Purchase extended easterly to the Nauga- tuck river, and beyond, and therefore included not only a large proportion of the southern part of Oxford, but a considerable part also of what is now Seymour, the Indian deeds overlapping one an- other. The list of names of proprietors in March, 1722, is here giv- en as the best available record of the heads of families here at that time.
"Here followeth a list of names which is ye augmented List which is the Rule for Deviding the Lands in Quakers Farm Purchace that are yet undevided which is as followeth :
John Munson 18
0 0
En: Nikols 90 0 0
Joseph Nikols 32 0 0
Abraham Person 72
7 -
Steaphen Peirson Junr 76 10 0
€ s. d.
Steaphen Peirson Snr 78 0 -
Ens Sam" Bassit
28
Mr Pinto 29 0
George Black .. ....
21 0 0 John Pringle.
32
-
Sam" Bowers
76 12 - John Pringle. 85 10 0
86
OXFORD. .
Sam1 Brimsmaid
22 10 0 Ebin : Riggs
102
Abiram Canfield
23
0 - Edward Riggs
69
-
John Chatfield 113
Lt John Riggs
240 18 0
John Davis. 70 4
En& Sam" Riggs
88 10 0
Micah Denman 74 0
-
Andrew Smith 132
6
0
Mr John Durand
87 12 0 Ephraim Smith. 36
0 John Smith Junr
20
0 0
Abel Gunn
157 17 6 John Smith Snr
98 10 0
Capt Sam" Gunn
1
Joseph Smith
46 10 0
Ebin : Harger
135 10 0 Benj: Stiles
26 5
123 2 6
Joseph Hawkins.
201 15 0
Jonathan Hill
21 0
0
Isaac Tomlinson 192 0
0
Deacon Abel Holbrook. 129 7
6
John Tomlinson 76 10 0
0 Sam" Tomlinson 49
5 6
Capt Joseph Hull Jur 366 5
25
- John Towner. 48
0
-
Coll: Ebenezer Johnson 219
1
9 John Twitchel 78
0 0
Ebenezer Johnson.
72 16 -
Samll Washbon. 74
2 0
Jeremiah Johnson 159 0
0
Wm Washbon 117 0 0
John Johnson 49 10
0 John Weede 82
2
0
Joseph Johnson 42
0
- Selvester Wooster 39
- -
- Thos Wooster 175 10 0
Jonathan Lumm
70
4
0
Timothy Wooster 117 0 0
Sam" Moss
43 0
0
Wm Moss. 147 15 0
5285 7 9
0
0
Francis French.
135 0
Jabiz Harger 23 0
0
John Tibbals
Abraham Tomlinson
I
John Hull. 103 3
0
Wm Tomlinson 58 10 0
James Humphres
Peter Johnson 123 0
The deed of the Wesquantuck and Rock House Hill purchase is here given as of interest as showing what Indians until then were considered the owners of the land, the spelling being that of the original record and without punctuation other than the very few marks there found. Weescantook and Weesquantook, later Wes- quantuck, will be recognized as the original of the present name, Squantuck, where the "Great River" flows about forty feet above the sea level, from whence in a distance of only a mile in a direct line there is a rise of 550 feet to the top of Rock House Hill.
To all to whom these presents shall come Know ye that wee Neighbour Rutt Cockapaton Sachom Nonnawauk Gyousoon Keux- on Raretoon Tazchun Corroon Rashkannoot proprietors of Wees- cantook with ye consent off our Saggamore for twenty pounds in hand rec'd & divers other & good consideracion us thereunto mov- ing have sold & do by these prests fully and absolutely sell alienat & assigne set over give grant & confirme unto Wm Tomlinson senior & Junior and ye Widdow Hannah Tomlinson James Hard, Jonathan Lume Timothy Worster off Derby in his Majesties Col-
-
0
87
THE EARLY SETTLEMENT.
ony off Connecticott & ye County of New Haven & their heirs executors administraters & assignes a certaine tract off land call'd and known by y" name off Weesquantook & Rochoushill bounded South with ye four mile brook North with ye 5 mile brook East with Woodbury road yt now is & West with the Great River for them y" aforesaid Purchasers their heirs and assignes to have hold use occupy possess & enjoy as their own proper estate & Inher- itance from ye date of these prest for ever without any manner off lett hinderance molestation, disturbanc denyall challenge clayme evict'n ejection trouble or demand & w' soever off or from us ye above said Indians or heirs executors or administrators or from or by any other person or persons for from by or under us affirming our selves to be ye true Propriaters off ye above sd tract of land & yt we have in our selves good right & full power to sell ye same & do free & clear & freely & clearly acquitt exonerate & discharge ye above sd tract off land from all other & former gifts grants bar- gaines sales mortgages dowries joyntures wills entailes rents taxes & incumbrances whatsoever And we do further engage & covenant firmly by these prests for or selves our Heires executors & admin- istrators to & with ye afor sd purchas their Heires & assigns to signe seal & deliver any other & former deed & conveyance off ye afore sd Tract off land as ye sd Purchas their heires & assignes shall be advised by their Council learned in y" law In witness wroff & for confirmation off all weh wee have to these prests put to our hands & seales in Derby this fifthteenth off August 1698
Signed sealed & delivered in
ye presence off us Jno James Eleazer Browne Mawquash x his mark Cheshconeeg x his mark
Neighbor Rutt x his mark Cockapatouch x his mark Nonnawauk x his mark
Gyouson x his mark Keuxon x his mark
Raretoun x his mark
Tazchun x his mark
Rash koinoot x his mark Thomas seet x his mark
The above nam'd Proprietors appeard before me & ac- knowledged y“ above written Instrument to be their act & Deed yª date above
Ver a Copia
Ebenezer Johnson Justice
Entered March 19 1700 lea 1701
88
OXFORD.
THE "CAMP'S MORTGAGE" PURCHASE.
Dec. 23, 1700, Ebenezer Johnson, Wm. Tomlinson and Samuel Riggs were appointed a committee to buy the mortgage of Nicholas Camp. On Jan. 13, 170} it was voted "that ye Indian mortgage bought off M' Nicholas Camp off Milford shall be paid for by ye Town of Derby, four pounds to be pd." On Jan. 15, 1703 it was voted "That Capt. Ebenezer Johnson Ensigne Sam1 Riggs Serjeant Brinsmead Jnº Bowrs Timothy Worster & Jnº Riggs survey & measure ye tract off ye Indian Purchase bought off Mr Nicholas Camp off Milford."
This purchase was confirmed by the Indians Mar. 5, 1702, as follows, omitting the legal verbiage.
"In confirmation of a mortgage made to M' Nicholas Camp off Milford containing a certain tract off land lying and scituate within ye bonds of Derby bounded as specifi'd in that mortgage viz South- ward with Derby Purchase Westward wth a range of swamps near on to Moose hill Northward with a little River known and com- monly cal'd by ye name of little River eastward with Naucatuck River well is a parcel off land ab' three mile square, be it more or less * * * give grant and confirme unto ye town of Derby ye afore sd Tract of land 5th of March 1703."
This deed was signed by Cockapatani, sagamore; Ahuntaway, sachem; Will Dr, Rowangusook, Tijachome, Will Toto, Jnº Toto. The witnesses were Arkumi, Artownhood, Jnº James, Mary James.
In 170 2-3 it was divided up among the proprietors, and high- ways four rods wide were laid out through it.
AN EARLIER DEED OF THE SOUTHWEST PART OF OXFORD.
This Indentar made this sixt day of Agust in ye year of our lord christ one thousand Six hundred eighty & Seaven and in the third year of the Reign of our Soveraign Jaems the Second of england Scotland france & Ireland King defender of the faith &c: Between cockapatouce: John banks: Jack chebrook: stastecksam: & Sunka- qene: mneshilling: tackamore: pussekes: & mamosen: cockapotane. wamunka: wecalope: indians proprietars of wesquantack & putta- tuck & of the Land in the great Neck at Derby in the county of New Haven & Collony of Conecticut in New england one the one parties: & linete: Ebenezer johnson edward woster & Abell Gunn agents for the town of derby in the county & collony afore sª in Newengland wittneseth that we cockapotouce John banks: &c: the indians above s": for & In consideration of twenty one pound in
89
OXFORD.
good indian pay to be paid att Mr. Nicoles Campes att Milford within six months from this date where with we doe confess our- Selves fully sattesfied contented & paid; have sold & by these presents have freely clearly & absolutely Bargained & sold to the sd lieut eb: Johnson, ed: Woster & Abell gunn together with the inhabetants of Derby proprietors with them: one percell of land being & liing in the great Neck: at Derby: Bounded on the South east with the four mile Brook & another littel Brook yt fals into the littel River & Bounded North & North east with the little river that Runs into nagatuck River: & Bounded north west & west with the eight mile Brook: & Bounded west & South west with the west chanill of puttatack River, & woodbury path from the six mile Brook to the four mile Brook: All this above mentioned land the above Said cockapatouce John Bankes: &c indians and proprietares of the sd land doe fully freely Absolutely & clearly sell & alienate to the sd inhabatants of Derby," &c.
Signed by Cockapatouce, John Banks, Joshua Lee, John Sristen, Jack, Cockapotany, Tackamore, Meshiling, Chebrook, Nanoques, Stastockam, Wanxacun, Sunkaquene, Wetupaco. Pusseckes, Nan- awag.
The other "little brook y' falls into the little river " is evidently the brook that flows along the south side of Moose Hill.
The following deed, given Jan 31, 1710, appears to include the eastern part of the present town of Oxford.
"In consideration of six pounds current silver money by Ens. Samuel and Lieut. Joseph Hull of Derby, agents *** have sold *** a certain tract of land bounded as follows, south by the Little river so called, westward by Woodbury bounded up to two chestnut trees marked, which are the bounds between Waterbury, Wood- bury and Derby, and then the line runs in the line dividing the township of Derby and Waterbury until it comes to the middle of Towantick pond, which is the northerly bounds of the land, thence Southwardly by marked trees until it comes to the brook that runs down the west side of Towantick hill unto the Little river. This deed was signed by Nanawaug, Jack, Charles, Tackamore, Mes- killing, Mackwash, Durgen, Ackcutrout. The Indian witnesses were Curens and Wattakis.
The Rock House Hill and Five Mile Hill road appears to have been laid out before 1676, as on Feb. 28 of that year it is recorded that "At a meeting of the Committee appointed by the General
90
OXFORD.
court May r3, 1675, to state a place for a ferry (at Derby) and a highway from it to Woodbury, after deciding about the ferry," also "They do apoynt a highway of foure rods wide from the said fery by the Rivar Side upwards to wards Wodbery, unto the upper eand of the above said old feld and then up to the hollow at the upper eand of the said old feld unto the high way that is now used to wards wodbery," other records indicating that the highway referred to was over Great Hill, Rockhouse Hill and Five Mile Hill, and through Quaker Farms.
The variations in the spellings of the Indian names was prob- ably due to the fact that in all cases they were written by white men, the Indians only making their mark, and were doubtless written as they seemed to be pronounced, and varied by each who had occasion to write them, including the town clerks who copied the deeds upon the records. For instance the name of the Sachem Nonnawauk is also spelled Nonnawaug, Nannawaug, Nonawaux and Wonawak. Mauquash, the last sachem of the Pootatucks, is also written Mawquash, Mackwash and Mockwash.
That some of the land in the Quaker Farms purchase was allotted to settlers as early as 1689 is evident from a record in 1703 of a vote that Capt. Ebenezer Johnson have liberty to take up land in Quakers Farm Purchase, land not previously laid out, he to take up said land "according to his list that was when ye land was pitched upon, viz: 1689, & upon ye foregoing termes have ye like priviledge with his neighbors there."
The prices of produce to be received in payment of the tax of one penny on the pound in 1703 were-wheat 6d. per bushel, rye 4d, Indian (corn) 3d, oats 2d, flax 9d per pound.
91
OXFORD.
Punkups, Pleasant Vale, Riverside and Zoar Bridge.
The valley on the easterly side of the Housatonic river, from the Five Mile Brook to and for some distance above' Zoar Bridge, was known for more than half a century as Punkups, as it still is by some of the older people of the surrounding territory. Eight Mile Brook was the dividing line between the towns of Oxford and Derby, and in consequence the people south of the line went to Derby to vote, while those north of the line voted in Oxford, and as in the earlier times the lines of demarcation was not always closely observed, some took their choice of a voting place and went to the nearest.
Derby was a Whig town, while Oxford was Democratic, and this with other reasons was incentive enough to incite a sterling old Democrat named Lum, familiarly known as "Uncle Harry," to engineer a set off that should put all of Punkups and part of Squantuck into the town of Oxford.
Punkups at that time was a flourishing neighborhood. There was a woolen mill, a foundry, an axe factory, an auger factory, a bellows factory, a cotton mill, a sawmill and a tannery. The tan- nery had its own primitive arrangement for grinding bark. A huge circular block of granite was leveled on the surface and over the bark, laid on this, a granite wheel about a foot thick and five feet in diameter was rolled to crush the bark, just as apples were crushed in the ring mill of that day. A ring mill was a circular trough into which the apples were put and a circular disk made of wood, weighing some hundred pounds, propelled by a horse hitched to the end of a pole that went through the center of the wheel, as a shaft, crushed the apples. As the season for making cider was a short one the ring mill in this case was available the larger part of the year for crushing bark for the tannery.
But the progress of events changed Punkups. The old indus- tries mostly languished and died out.
About 1840 two brothers, Webb and Beach Downs, from Mon- roe, entered on the scene. They had built by contract a break-
ZOAR BRIDGE.
É
-
93
PUNKUPS, PLEASANT VALE, RIVERSIDE AND ZOAR BRIDGE.
water at Black Rock, near Bridgeport, and had thereby cleared three or four thousand dollars. With this capital Beach took the sawmill at Punkups, and as he and Webb owned land across the river they conceived the idea of moving Zoar bridge down where it would be convenient for them to bring their logs over. The Zoar bridge was then a big covered bridge. This they took down and moved it down, but without thinking it necessary to buy the stock of the bridge company. The result was that when they applied for a charter and toll rates the old company opposed them on the ground that they were within a mile of the place where the old company was exclusively authorized by the legislature to collect toll. The Downs bridge was then nearly a mile and an eighth from the original location, but the charter of the old company did not restrict them to the exact location and they could if they chose build further south and this would preclude the proprietors of the Downs bridge from getting a permit to collect toll.
A charter for the Downs bridge was therefore refused, and as the old company immediately built a new bridge for the accommo- dation of Zoar people, the Downs bridge was thrown open to the public. It was a losing game and the Downs brothers never recov- ered from the financial loss. The bridge was carried away by a flood Nov. 13, 1853, and only small remains of the old abutments Inark the place where it stood, a few hundred feet above Otter Rock.
Early in the nineteenth century it occurred to the inhabitants of Punkups that some kind of a place of rendezvous was desirable, and, as a church was the proper thing, one was built on the "bee" plan. Some gave land, others timber, others labor, and a few money.
The only stated services for years were by Methodist ministers, who, "riding the circuit," came around once a month or oftener. Between times anybody occupied the church, Mormon apostles, Quakers, Second Adventists, and, in one case, a man who talked in an unknown tongue.
The only regularly organized religious society in the neighbor- hood came to be the Pleasant Vale M. E. Society. There being no objections, in process of time as services increased monthly to fortnightly, and later to weekly, the society practically occupied the church. A vote was taken to turn the old building over to the Methodist Episcopal presiding elder for the district, but the vote
f
94
OXFORD.
was said to be invalid, and the record of the vote being afterward burned. the building was still a neighborhood affair.
When a company was chartered to build a dam in the Housa- tonic below the church the question of legal ownership of the church became a practical one, and in the dilemma the general assembly chartered The Stevenson Union Church Association, giving the building to the corporation, in 'trust, for the benefit of the people in the neighborhood.
While Punkups was the name of the locality, the first postoffice was located in a little store at the east end of, Zoar bridge and the postoffice was named Zoar Bridge.
Years later the Postoffice Department issued an order forbidding the keeping of mail in a room where intoxicafing liquors were sold. As the Zoar Bridge postoffice was in a store in which liquors were sold, as well as groceries, the postoffice could no longer be kept there and in order not to lose the postoffice, R. S. Hinman, the proprietor of the "Pleasant Vale Boarding School for Boys," about a mile south of the bridge, took the office, and in doing so, changed the name to Pleasant Vale.
A few years later the boarding school was sold, and, as the pro- prietor was about to resign his office of postmaster, he received notice from the postoffice department that Pleasant Vale was so nearly like Pleasant Valley, a postoffice in Litchfield county, that it was necessary to change the name. The new postmaster chose the name of Riverside. Ten years later he resigned, and, as there were some who preferred the old name-Zoar Bridge, that was again made the name of the postoffice.
A few years later the building of a railroad up the west side of the Housatonic and the establishment of a postoffice at the sta- tion, Stevenson, did away with the postoffice at the end of Zoar bridge. Until this time the mail had been brought from Derby by market wagon, sometimes once a week, and again twice a week, Tuesday and Friday.
As the hour of its arrival was uncertain there was a world of comfort taken sitting in the dingy old store and discussing current events, both neighborhood and national, while waiting for the mail, but this excuse was now lost, and the store lost its popularity and was discontinued. The Riverside school district is still known by that name in Oxford. 1-2-10
95
PUNKUPS, PLEASANT VALE, RIVERSIDE AND ZOAR BRIDGE.
Zoar bridge still exists as shown herewith. The first bridge here is said to have been built before 1800, and the bridge com- pany incorporated and rates of toll established. The bridge was known as the Ezekiel Curtiss bridge about as much as Zoar bridge. It was built with logs bolted together for the sides, and was carried away by an ice freshet in 1835. In 1837 Elisha Hubbell built another bridge and kept the store at the east end, beside collecting the toll at the bridge. In 1840, at the time of the removal of the bridge by the Downs brothers, the following notice appeared in the New Haven Palladium of Jan. 9th:
ZOAR BRIDGE .- Notice is hereby given. that a petition has been brought to the General Assembly to be holden at New Haven in May next. (1840), for an act of incorporation authoriz- ing the Petitioners, or such others as may be willing to associate. to build a bridge over the Ousatonic River, at or near the former site of Zoar Bridge, lately taken down; with liberty to take such reasonable toll as may be established by the General Assembly. Dated at Monroe, the 28th day of February. 1840.
About 1842 Mr. Hubbell took Edwin Wooster in company with him. This Wooster was the man who went over the Derby dam in a scow and lost his life. In 1845 William A. Bradley took the store and collected the toll, until April 1 1848, when George Sharpe took the place and remained there six years. The store was on the north side at the end of the bridge, and on the south side was a house which was occupied by the bridge tender and his family. The bridge tender hired the bridge by the year, and collected the toll, his profit being in what he collected over and above the yearly rental.
On November 13, 1853, there was a great freshet which washed down the west end abutment and one third of the bridge went off, but it was immediately rebuilt, Philo Smith being the boss builder.
April 30, 1854, there was a freshet about two inches higher than the one in the preceding November, partially undermining the west pier so that it settled down eighteen inches. These were the two highest freshets ever known, said old folks who were eighty years old at that time. Walter Bradley, now living at Stevenson, was there and crossed the bridge when the water was at the highest mark, leading his horse across, and the water was running in the road between the barn and the east end of the bridge.
Wm. A. Bradley rented it again for three years, from April 1, 1854, to April 1, 1857. In February, 1857, an ice freshet carried off one pier and two thirds of the bridge, but it was rebuilt the same year, and in the spring of 1858 George Sharp hired it again
96
OXFORD.
for three years. Charles Smith followed for a term, and others, until 1875, when it was carried off again, and then the stock com- pany decided not to rebuild it. Wm. A. Clark of Monroe owned the majority of the stock, and the vote went as he said. Wm. A. Bradley bought Clark out and he set out to have the towns of Oxford and Monroe rebuild, and there was some controversy over it. Bradley employed Judge Munson of Seymour, and the two towns decided to rebuild rather than stand a lawsuit over it, and a suspension bridge was decided on as less likely to be carried away by a freshet. It was built in 1876, at a cost of $13,225.78, the towns of Oxford and Monroe each paying one half of the expense. After it was built by the towns Charles Gilbert rented it (as the highest bidder) for three years or until it was transferred from the towns to the counties. The towns were authorized to take tolls until it passed over to the counties, when the charter was annulled by the Legislature, and the tolls were abolished, the bridge being kept in repair by the two adjacent counties.
97
OXFORD TAXPAYERS IN 1792.
OXFORD PEOPLE IN 1792.
The following is a copy of the tax list of the town of Oxford on the list of 1792, and is of interest as showing who were the landed proprietors and heads of families at that date. The warrant was directed to Josiah Strong, "Collector of the Town Rate of Derby, for the Society of Oxford," and was laid on an assessment of four pence on the pound. The warrant was signed by John Hum- phreys, Justice of the Peace.
Jabez Bacon,
£-
Moses Cande,
£31 17 6
Enoch Baley,
25 16
Caleb Candee, Job Candee,
77 39
Eliakim Bardsley,
55 10 6
29 2 6
Justus Barnes, 18
Abijalı Chatfield,
85 13 3
Abraham Bassit,
62 12
Benajah Chatfield,
30 0 6
Edward Bassit,
20 14 9
Gideon Chatfield,
43 7
John Bassit,
54 6 3
Isaac Chatfield,
38 15
John Bassit, Jr.,
41 16 6
John Chatfield,
21
2
Samuel Bassit, Jr.,
30 6
Samuel Chatfield,
31 12
Truman Bassit.
10
William Church.
39 6 3
T. Miles Bassit,
28
Abel Clark,
22 1 3
Elisha Bates,
44 16 6
George Clark,
24
9 6
Lewis Blackman,
23
Hezekiah Clark,
57
7 6
John Botchford,
20 53
Thomas Clark, Esq.,
116
Charles Bradley,
10 16 6
Thomas Clark, Jr.,
79 16 3
Isaac Bryan,
49 10
John Davis,
53 5
Andrew Buckingham, 26 17 6
Elijah Durand,
68 16 6
Ebenezer Buckingham,
46 13
Joseph Durand,
26 3
Ebenezer Buckingham, Jr.,
26 12 6
Nehemiah Durand,
35 12
Natban Buckingham,
92 9
Osee Dutton,
7 2
Charles Bunnel,
23 7 3
Abial Fairchild,
65 15 9
Isaac Bunnel,
7 83
Nathan Fairchild,
61 18 9
John Bunnel,
18
Daniel Finch,
27 9
Luke Bunnel,
20 19 3
Nathan French,
48 5 6
Reuben Bunnel,
20
Sherman Hatch,
20 11 3
William Bunnell,
29
Elljah Hawkins,
53 16 6
Benedict Burwell, Jr.,
18
Silas Hawkins
39 6
David Cande,
9
Zachariah Hawkins,
69 6 9
Euos Cande,
2
13
Hial Hine,
0 6
Gideon and Medad Cande,
43
6 6 Ebenezer Hoadley,
14 15 6
Justus Caude,
47 8 Joseph Hubbel,
21 16
98
OXFORD.
Richard Hubbel,
£39 13 6 | Ebenezer Riggs,
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