USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Seymour > History of Seymour, Connecticut, with biographies and genealogies > Part 9
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Gen. Humphreys was always ready to honor the memory of his brave com-patriots. At a town meeting held April 12th, 1813, he introduced and the following resolutions, which were passed unanimously :
Resolved, that Isaac Hull, Esq., a native of this town, Captain in the Navy of the U. S., and lately Commander of their Frigate Constitution, with the aid of his gallant officers and ships company and the smiles of Providence, having led the van in the career of our naval glory, capturing his Britanic Majesty's Frigate Guerriere commanded by Captain Dacres, has in our opinion deserved well of his country and is an ornament to the place of his nativity.
Resolved, that joining cordially in the universal applanse, bestowed by our coun- trymen on Hull, Jones, Decatur, Bainbridge and Lawrence, and their brave and skillful associates in perils and triumphs, for their glorions naval achievements, we judge we have a right in our corporate capacity withont showing an undue partiality to the first mentioned officer or stepping aside from our municipal duties, to notice more particularly his exemplary merits from having better opportunities of becoming acquainted with them.
Resolved, that Messrs. John L. Tomlinson, William Humphreys and Pearl Crafts be a committee to collect and digest such distinguishing and illustrative facts ou the subject matter now before us as may be attainable and that they will cause the result to be communicated to the public in such manner as they shall deem most proper.
Resolved, that from the interruption of our Fisheries and navigation by war, silver and gold we have not, to offer in costly demonstrations of respect and esteem in imitation of richer towns, yet what we have we freely give, to wit, a tribute of gratitude.
Therefore, voted that Isaac Hull, Esq., being already constitutionally entitled to the freedom of this corporation, the thanks of this town be presented to him in a box made of heart of oak, the congenial growth of his native hills.
Voted, that the committee take order from the Selectmen for the performance of this service and report their proceedings to a future meeting for the express purpose that a town Record be made for the perpetual remembrance of these transactions.
Voted, that the committee above named be directed to transmit to Capt. Hull a certified copy of the foregoing resolutions.
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While the fathers were intent on raising sheep the boys had their depart ment in the new industry, and busied themselves to raise the teasels used in dressing the cloth. Gen. Humphreys organized the boys of the factory into a trainband, and furnished them with the articles necessary for drill. The silk flag, beautifully embroidered by Lady Humphreys, is now in the possession of Carlos French, Esq. The inscription is as follows:
HUMPHREYSVILLE. ERJAM NOVA PROGENESA
PERSEVERANDO.
S SHIELD WITH VINES. S
PACTA SEMPER SERVANDA
MDCCCX.
Reverse : Semi-circle of 16 stars, "HUMPHREYS VILLE," eagle, arrows and state emblems.
Gen. Humphreys died in 1818. His remains were interred in New Haven Cemetery. Upon the monument is the following inscription on two tablets of copper inserted in the pedestal :
David Humphreys, LL. D. Acad. Scient. Philad. Mass. et Connect. et in Anglia Aqua Solis et Regia Societat. socius. Patria. et libertatis amore accensus, juvenis vitam reipub. integram con- seeravit. Patriam armis tuebatur, consiliis auxit, literis exornavit, apud exteras gentes concordia stabilivit .- In bello gerendo maximi ducis Washington administer et adjutor ; in exercitu patrio Chiliarehus; in republica Connecticutensi, militum evocatorum imperator ; ad aulam Lusitan. et Hispan. legatus. Iberia reversus natale solun vellere vere aureo ditavit. In Ilistoria et Poesi scriptor eximius ; in artibus et scientiis excolendis, qua vel decori vel usuni inservinut, optimus ipse et patronus et exemplar. Omnibus demnm offieiis expletis, cursug; vita. feliciter peracto, fato cessit, Die XXI Februar. Anno Domini MDCCCXVIII, emm annos vixisset LXV.
This may be rendered as follows :
DAVID HUMPHREYS, Doctor of Laws, Member of the Academy of Science of Philadelphia. Massachusetts, and Connecticut ; of the Bath [Agricultural] Society, and of the Royal Society of London .- Fired with the love of country and of liberty, he consecrated his youth wholly to the service of the Republic, which he defended by his arms, aided by his counsels, adorned by his learning, and preserved in harmony with foreign nations. In the field, he was the companion and aid of the great Washington, a Colonel in the army of his country, and commander of the Veteran Volunteers of Connecticut. He went Ambassador to the courts of Portugal and Spain, and return- ing, enriched his native land with the true golden fleece. He was a distinguished Historian and Poet ;- a model and Patron of Seienee, and of the ornamental and useful arts. After a full dis charge of every duty, and a life well spent, he died ou the 21st day of February, 1818, aged 65 years.
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SEYMOUR AND VICINITY.
Mrs. Mills, the wife of the pastor of Fairfield, and sister of General Humphrey, died in 1815. When the British burned Fairfield, July 7th, 1779, she fled on horseback, having put her best feather bed across the horse, and came to old Derby. The parsonage and the church in which her hus- band had preached were burned to the ground. She afterward had built for her the house in the rear of that now occupied by Dr. J. Kendall, and there re- mained until her death.
The representation of Humphreysville on the opposite page is from a woodcut made either by Abial Canfield or by an English engraver in his employ, for use as a trade mark in the papermill, which may be distinguished in the woodeut by the water wheel outside the mill. Between the papermill and the dam was the gristmill, previously occupied by Nathan Stiles as a woolen mill. At the right of the papermill was the sawmill. The large building at the right of the sawmill was the woolen factory in which General Humphreys made the first broadeloth ever manufactured in the United States. At the right of the factory was the "Long House," built by General Humph- reys for dwellings for his employes. The building on the right and the smaller one adjoining were used by Gen. H. as an office and storehouse. The little building at the foot of the hill was a machine shop connected with the woolen factory. The barn on the hill beyond the office spire belonged to Abel Bassett.
There was a great revival in the fall and winter of 1816 among the Methodists. "Uncle Timothy" Hitchcock was one of the converts. Reuben Harris was in charge. He lived in the house with Stiles Johnson. The summer of 1816 was known as "the cold summer." There was frost every month in the year. In this year Worrull & Hudson sold out the papermill to Ebenezer Fisher and Henry LeForge.
In 1817 the Congregational Society was organized. Vide page 9. In connection with the sale of the old church to the Methodists the following from the records is of interest :
"Humphreysville, Oct. 31, 1817. At a meeting of the Brethren of the Methodist Society, convened at the house of Timothy Hitchcock, for the purpose of transacting business for the benefit of sd. society, Voted that Robert Lees, Bezaleel Peck, Timothy Hitchcock and Stiles Johnson be ap- pointed a Committee to arrange business with a committee appointed by the Congregationalists relative to the old Meeting House in Humphreys Ville.
Robert Lees, Moderator.
1-2nd, Voted, Newel Johnson-Secretary.
3rd, Voted, Stiles Johnson, Bezalcel Peck, Robert Lees, Thomas Gilyard, Timothy Hitchcock, Trustees for the said Methodist Society."
"Copy of the Deed of the old Presbyterian Meeting-house in Humph- reys Ville :
To ull people to whom these presents shall come, greeting : Know ye that we, Bradford Steele, Sarah Steele, William Kenney, Ira Smith, Phebe Stiles, & Philena Baldwin, of Derby in New Haven County, for the con- sideration of forty Dollars, rec'd to our full satisfaction of Stiles Johnson, Bezaleel Peck, Thomas Gilyard, Robert Lees and Timothy Hitchcock, do remise and release and forerer quitclaim unto the said Johnson, Peck, Gilyard, Lees, and Hitchcock, for the use of the said Methodist Society, and unto their heirs and assigns forever, all the right, title and interest, elaim & demand whatsoever, as we the said releasors hare or ought to have in or to one certain House in Humphreys Ville, adjoining the burying ground
KUMFAREYSVILL
IHHIL
ederson
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built for a House of Public Worship, to hare and to hold the said premises, with all their appurtenances, unto the said Releasees & their heirs d. Assigus forever, so that neither we the releasors, nor our heirs, nor any other person under us or them shall hereafter hare any right or title in or to the premises or any part thereof, but therefrom ire, and they are by these presents forerer debarred & secluded.
In witness whereof we hare hereunto set our hands & seals this 22nd day of Septr, Anno Domini, 1818.
BRADFORD STEELE, [seal]
SARAH STEELE, [seal]
IRA SMITH, [seal]
PHEBE STILES,
[seal]
WM. KENNEY, [seul]
PHILENA BALDWIN. [seal]
Signed, sealed & delivered in presence of
John Humphreys, Jr., Phebe Stiles, Elias Baldırin.
New Haven Co. S. S., Derby, Sept. 22, 1818, personally appeared B. S., S. S., I. S., P. S., W. K. & P. B., signers and sealers of the fore- going instrument, and acknowledged the same to be their free act d' deed before me. John Humphreys, Jun'r, Justice of the Peace."
In 1818, Stiles Johnson gave by will to the Methodist Society the ground on which the church stands, with the green in front, also $334 in money, of which $134 was to be applied to repairs on the church, the $200 to be kept as a perpetual fund, the interest only to be applied for the support of "regular Sabbath preaching." Following is a copy of the clause of his will making the bequest to the church :
2nd .- I will und bequeath to the Methodist Society in Humphreys Fille the land on which the meeting house wow stands, together with the Green in front of said House, to be in the care of the Trustees of said house, for the benefit of said Society, and I also gire three Hundred and thirty-four dollars of my Estate to be applied to the support of the Methodist traveling Preachers as long as there shall be regular Sabbath preaching in the aforesaid Meeting House, which money shall be raised and paid out of my Estate as though it was a Debt to the Trustees of said House and the Interest annually applied as aforesaid. But if it should be thought by the aforesuid Trustees more for the benefit of said Society, they may apply any sum not exceeding one Hundred and thirty-four dollars to making further repairs ou said House, and the remainder to be applied as aforesaid. But if the Traveling Connec- tion should neglect or refuse to supply said House as aforesaid then the Interest of said money shall be giren to such local preachers as shall for the time being supply their place according to the diserection of the Trustees.
In May, 1822, the Humphreysville Manufacturing Company was incor- porated by aet of the Legislature and organized with a capital of $50,000. John H. De Forest was the first president and J. Fisher Leaming, secretary. D. R., Vol. 22, p. 439. The falls property was purchased of Lewis Waln of Philadelphia Aug. 1st, for $10,000; being described in D. R., Vol. 22, p. 432, as follows :
Beginning "a few rods north of the east abutment of the Rimmon Falls bridge, at the corner of the highway, thence bounded northerly on said De Forest, theuce easterly and south- erly ou said DeForest, theucc easterly on highway to Bladen's Brook, thence northerly on Bladen's Brook to Naugatuck River, thence on said Rirer to the dam, including the whole of the dam and all the water privileges appertaining thereto, then bounded southerly ou said Naugatuck Rirer to a point where the highway strikes said rirer, thener easterly on highway
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to said first mentioned bounds, with all the mills, manufactories, & buildings standing thereou, (one piece of land-north of "Promised Land" to Bladen's Brook,) *
* * one other piece of lund on the west side of Naugatuck River, opposite the manufactory, bounded west- erly on highway, southerly on highway to the channel, where the stream sometimes croxses the roud, then bounded easterly on said channel to the Rimmon falls rock, thence running on said Full rocks, bounded easterly on suid Naugatuck River to the north side of the pathway leading from the river up the hill to the road bounded northeasterly ou John, William and Elijak Humphreys' land, to the bars on the top of the hill at the highway, reserring a passicay to the said John, William & Elijah Humphreys' land & to the burying ground, * * contain- ing about Sixteen acres, more or less, with the full, absolute & exclusire water privileges on both sides the river," &'c.
The dam was soon rebuilt, the watercourse to the mills widened and cotton machinery put in. There was then one store in the valley and one ou the hill near the Episcopal Church, De Forest lived at first in the Roth house, on west side of south Main street, opposite Pearl street, till he built the house How occupied by Raymond French, Esq., in which he lived until his death in 1839.
The shop in the fork of the road near the M. E. Church was built in 1825 by Newel Johnson, Isaac Kenney and Jesse Smith owning a portion of the building. The upper part of the building was used by Johnson for a carpenter and cabinet shop and what coffins were required in the village were made there. Newel Johnson built the houses of Denzel Hitchcock and others. Johnson's father lived in the house now ocenpied by Jeremiah Durand.
In 1828, Samuel R. Hickox, a local preacher from Sonthbury, moved into Humphreysville and took charge of the grist mill near the falls. Rev. Amos Pettengill was the pastor of the Congregational church, Rev. Stepheu Jewett of the Episcopal church, and Rev. A. H. Sanford of the Methodist church. In this year a bell was first procured for the Episcopal church and a stove put up in the church. Previous to this, foot stoves were the only means of producing artificial warmth in the churches. About this time Judson English came from Hotchkisstown, now Westville, and bought out the tannery on the premises now owned by Arthur Rider, previously run by Benham. The bark mill was further south on the brook just below the rail- road crossing. About ten years later English sold ont to George Kirtland and removed to Great Hill. The father of Judson was one of the early Methodists, and Judson was a class-leader when living in Hotchkisstown. Always a very hard working man and strictly temperate, few men could beat him in the field until he was nearly seventy years of age. He was always a working member of the church of his choice, and a trustee and steward of the Great Hill Society until his death.
In 1830, Leveret Pritchard was living on the knoll opposite the saw mill still standing near the upper end of Maple street. Previous to that time he lived in the house in the rear of Dr. J. Kendall's.
Chester Jones, a paper maker, built the north "Kirtland house," and kept a store in it. He afterward moved to Ohio, returning in a year or two, and was for several years superintendent of the Humphreysville Mauufac- turiug Co's Papermill, living in the house close by. His wife was a daughter of Dea. Bradford Steele. The house afterward owned by William Kinney, was built by Jones. He afterward moved to Erie and died there. Ezekiel Gilbert had kept a store below Squantuck on the river road, but about this time he came to Humphreysville and kept the tavern on Broad street about two years, when he built the store now kept by H. W. Randall. Moshier
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then moved back into the hotel and occupied it until his death. While Gilbert was in the hotel Moshier lived in Mrs. Bliss' house, corner of north Main and Day streets, and built the paper mill.
In 1831, George Kirtland on behalf of the Methodist Society paid $110 for the land for the parsonage, including the place now owned by Evan Llewellyn, corner of Pearl and Grand streets, and the lot on the opposite corner now owned by Edwin Smith, Grand street not having been opened until many years after. The parsonage was built the following year.
The Humphreysville Manufacturing Co, commenced the work of paper- making in May with four employes, Chester Jones, Wm. Bates, Jane Patchen and Lois Thomson; but increased the number during the month to sixteen.
In 1832 business was prosperous and local industries remunerative. The Humphreysville Manufacturing Co. employed 18 hands and the 16th of April commenced running night and day, making paper for the New Haven Palladium and other papers. The mill produced not only news but tissue and colored papers.
Bethany was incorporated as a town in this year, having previously been a parish of Woodbridge.
At this time the store and house, corner of Pearl and Hill streets were occupied by David Sanford, and Lyman Smith kept the store across the road, in a building since removed. Sanford was called "Pitchfork Sanford." Years before he kept the blacksmith shop on the Woodbridge road, and one day in an altercation he killed a man with a pitchfork. Sanford was tried, branded and made to wear a cord around his neck the remainder of his life.
Butter sold at fourteen cents a pound and oak wood at three dollars a cord. Factory girls paid $1.12} per week for board. A horse and wagon could be hired to go to New Haven for one dollar. These were fair samples of the prices of those times and illustrate the comparative purchasing value of a dollar then and now.
A "Caravan of Wild Beasts" exhibited near Moshier's tavern, in the summer of 1834 and excited considerable interest, being probably the first exhibition of the kind which ever passed through the village.
There was a great flood Jan. 31st, 1835, overflowing the lowlands, but doing no great damage. May 4th was the annual training day and a general holiday in the village.
The hard times of 1837, following years of prosperity and undue specu- lation, when the banks of New York and New Orleans alone failed to the amount of a hundred and fifty million of dollars, could but seriously affect the fortunes of Humphreysville, though far less in proportion than larger places generally, which had launched more deeply into the tide of inflation. Most of the factories and shops continued their work, though compelled for a time by a lack of a reliable circulating medium to do business principally by barter. The Ilumphreysville Manufacturing Co. however reduced its em- ployes to seven, and May 6th stopped entirely until the 9th of October, and the Cotton Factory shut down and remained idle until January 16th, 1838.
At this time there were three auger factories in the village, as follows : Raymond French, Blueville, where Rubber factory now stands.
Gilbert & Wooster, forges in Bennett Wooster's blacksmith shop, east of row of maples shown in cut on page 67, filing room in the south part of Gilbert's building on the corner of Main and Hill streets, and finishing room under the sawmill shown in cut of Humphreysville.
Walter French, near house now occupied by Warren French.
Wm. Burritt, now living in Waterbury, carried on the stove and tinware
VIEW OF THE CENTER IN 1838.
FROM BARBER'S HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS.
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business in the Lyman Smith Building, as successor to Burritt & Lewis, whose store and shop was in the Wheeler Building, at the foot of Falls Ilill. The firm had been dissolved in the fall of 1836, Edward Lewis going to Birmingham, where he still continues in the same business. In the spring of 1839 Burritt removed to Norwalk. Henry Bradley was then learning his trade with Burritt, and went with him to Norwalk to complete his engage- ment, returning a few years later to pursue the same business with M. Brad- ley, now in Westville, under the firm name of H. & M. Bradley.
The merchants of the place were-Ezekiel Gilbert, store adjoining his house, corner of Main and Hill streets ; Wakeman & Stoddard, (Cri and Thomas,) store in Kinney's Building ; and Andrew DeForest, store in the building now kept by Mr. Randall. Ezekiel Gilbert afterward sold out to Humphrey & Wooster.
Jeremiah Coggswell, an Indian, was shot on Great Hill Jan, 30th, 1838, by James Driver, in the house of the latter. From the evidence at the ex- amination held at Moshier's tavern three days after it appeared that Coggswell was drunk and quarrelsome, and was killed in self-defence.
There was a great flood Jan. 7th, and considerable damage done to the paper-mill and other property.
Raymond French's auger factory was burned on the night of the 15th of July, 1841, but with characteristic energy he soon rebuilt.
Miles Culver built a house on the upper plains. He was a valuable member of the Congregational Church and also opened his doors to the Methodist ministers, services being frequently held in his house by Revs. Oliver Sykes and Sylvester Smith.
The Humphreysville Graveyard Association was organized in 1842. Anything relating to the last resting places of so many of our deceased rela- tives and friends must always be an object of mournful interest and no apology is needed for copying here the concise preamble and articles of association from the Derby Records, Vol. 32, page 51.
"Whereas, B. W. Smith, Samuel Bassett and 93 others formed an Asso- ciation for the purpose of establishing a Village Grave Yard, and through Clark Wooster, Joshua Kendall and Wales French, a committee of trust, did purchase on the 26th day of Sept. 1842, one certain tract of land situated in Derby at Humphreysville bounded and described as follows, viz: Westerly on highway, southerly on land of Sarah Holbrook and John Lindley, easterly on the Nauga- tuck River, northerly on land of John Lindley, containing two and a half acres-now therefore for the well ordering of the affairs of said Association, and acting under the original articles of agreement, and in accordance with an act of the General Assembly of this state entitled an act concerning Bury- ing Grounds and places of Sepulture, approved June 2, 1842, do for ourselves and successors form a body politic and corporate under the following articles of Association, viz :-
Art. 1st. This Association shall be called and known by the name of the Humphreysville Grave Yard Association.
Art. 2nd. The tract of Land described in the foregoing preamble is hereby appropriated to be forever used and ocenpied as a graveyard, and for no other purpose, and each original proprietor thereof in consideration of three dollars paid by him or her shall be entitled to one family lot in said Grave Yard 12 by 21 feet, and the surplus of ground shall be held in common by this Association and may be disposed of in such manner as the Association shall from time to time direct.
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Art. 3rd. No Proprietor shall at any one and the same time hold in his own right more than five family lots in sd Grave Yard.
Art. 4tlı. This Association shall at any meeting called for that purpose have power to lay taxes and order the collection thereof for the purpose of defraying all needful expenses for repairs and improvements, provided that each proprietor shall be taxed according to his right title and interest in said Grave Yard.
B. W. SMITH, SAMUEL BASSETT, BURITT HITCHCOCK.
Humphreysville, Dec. 14th, 1842.
Curtis Randall, who died Oct. 2nd, 1842, was the first to be buried in the new grave yard.
The Humphreysville Manufacturing Co. sold their paper-mill to Hodge & Co. Aug. 17th, 1843. The firm consisted of G. L. Hodge, S. Y. Beach and Samuel Roselle. Rev. Moses Blydenburg, pastor of the M. E. Church, lived on Great Hill, the Great Hill M. E. Church being then in a prosperous condition. The son of this zealous laborer in his Master's vineyard is now a prosperous lawyer in New Haven.
In '42 and '43 Anson G. Phelps and others talked of building a dam at Bryant's Plain and taking the water on the west side to Birmingham. Parties along the line of the proposed canal generally were willing to sell at fair prices, but one, a Mr. Booth, who owned considerable land in the proposed line, demanded such an exhorbitant price that the project was dropped for the time. Mr. Phelps, however, made considerable purchases on the east side of the river in and above what is now Ansonia, evidently preparing in a very quiet way for the execution of some important undertaking which he was not fully prepared to announce.
In 1844, Raymond French, John Dwight and Timothy Dwight, under the firm name of Raymond French & Co., were manufacturing angers, chisels, plane irons, &c., in their mill at Blueville, and finding their business increasing beyond the capacity of the mill, they put up additional machinery in the building at the mouth of Little River. Looking about for increased facilities Mr. French went to "Kinneytown" and called on Sheldon Church, who owned considerable land along the river, and together they rowed up and down the stream, noticing the surroundings and capacity of the stream. Returning down the stream he noticed a ledge of rocks in the bed of the river. Stepping out of the boat into the water, which, was perhaps three feet in depth, he walked across, to ascertain the extent of the ledge. Finding it afforded a rock bottom nearly the whole width of the stream he immediately determined that he would build a dam there. Mr. F. immediately bought a large tract of land on both sides of the river and work commenced without delay, to the great surprise of the people in the village below, who thus saw the fruit plucked while they were talking about it. In a few days Mr. Phelps came up and in his blandest manner congratulated Mr. French on his enterprise, and wished him success. After that not a week elapsed during the building of the dam but that Mr. Phelps came up to note the progress made. As the work pro- gressed Mr. French found that the rock extended the whole width of the river, making a sure foundation ready for the superstructure. The bend at the west end was made to follow a turn of the rock. When the dam neared completion Mr. Phelps claimed a portion of the power on the ground of his owning so much land on either side where there was a fall below the dam. Mr. F. had however acquired sufficint land on the west side, as he supposed, to answer his purpose, either by actual deed or promise. Capt. Philo Holbrook
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