USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Granby > History of Simsbury, Granby, and Canton : from 1642 to 1845 > Part 7
USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Simsbury > History of Simsbury, Granby, and Canton : from 1642 to 1845 > Part 7
USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Canton > History of Simsbury, Granby, and Canton : from 1642 to 1845 > Part 7
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* In an Inventory of the estate of Joseph Parsons, who died in 1687, the candlewood belonging to the estate was appraised at £1 10 0. This article was almost universally used for lights at this time. It consisted of dry pine knots, and other portions of pine trees strongly saturated with pitch, and split
· into sizes convenient for use. But a few articles of household furniture belonged to this estate, all of which (exclusive of one bed, set in the Inven- tory at £2 15 0,) would not be appraised, at the present time, over six dol- lars ;- although the deceased was comparatively a person of wealth for those times.
t During many years after the commencement of the settlement, the inhab- itants were much annoyed by wild beasts. Bears and wolves were so plenty, as to be particularly troublesome as neighbors. So disastrous were the ravages of the latter, that the town, for many years, allowed a large bounty for their destruction, payable from the treasury. Wolf pits were frequent, some of which are still to be found in the forests. On Drake's hill, north of the meet- ing-house, is an excavation which is supposed to have been made for this pur- pose. About 1700, Joseph Phelps was attacked by a wounded bear which, in the encounter, so lacerated his right hand as to deprive him of its use thereafter. But the bear was conquered and killed.
Deer were so numerous as to supply, in a great measure, meats for the inhabitants many years. This food was sold at a cheaper price than beef, pork, or mutton. Great care was taken to preserve these animals by con- «tructing parks for their confinement. One of these parks, according to
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HISTORY OF SIMSBURY.
The boundary line between Simsbury and Windsor, after a long controversy, was surveyed and designated in 1679, by acommittee appointed by the General Court. This line, it is supposed, remained as then run, until a portion of Sims- bury was annexed to Bloomfield in 1843.
The first mills erected in town were situated on Hop brook, near the present site of Tuller's mills, and were built in 1679. These consisted of a grist and saw mill, and were put up by Thomas Barber, John Moses, John Terry and Ephraim Howard, who contracted with the town to keep the mills in good repair,-to grind grain for the tolls allowed by law,-to sell to the inhabitants boards at four and sixpence per hundred,-and not to transport oak to any other town. In consideration of which, the town allowed them the mill privileges,-the right to take timber on the common lands,- a lot of good timber land,-and twenty pounds payable in town rates. The place has been occupied as a mill seat up to the present time, a period of one hundred and sixty-six years. About the same time, a saw-mill was erected below the falls, in Scotland, by Ephraim Howard.
The first records of the town, as before stated, were burnt, and probably before 1680. Many of the acts of the town however, passed before this time, appear on the subsequent records. The date of the first entry, in the present first Book of Records, is January 19, 1670-1, and relates to the allowance of a bounty for killing a wolf. The first record of the election of selectmen, then called townsmen, is in 1677, when sergeant John Griffin, Joshua Holcomb, and Samuel Wilcoxson were chosen. John Terry was elected register, or clerk, at the organization of the town in 1670 ;- a few years afterwards, and before 1680, John Slater was appointed.
In 1683, the town " voted to give Thomas Barber ten shillings yearly for the beating of the drume on the sabboth
tradition, was on the hill between the houses of Elisha Phelps Esq. and the Rev. Mr. M'Lean. As late as 176S, Mr. Thomas Case had a park at Wea- tauge. It is believed few if any deer were found in the town after 1775.
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HISTORY OF SIMSBURY.
dayes." This practice of using a drum to call together the people on days of public worship, was continued about seventy years after this time. Andrew Robe was the last person employed in this service .* The same practice, it is believed, extended very generally throughout the Colony.
The following copy from the records of the town, shows, better than can be otherwise expressed, the sentiments of our forefathers concerning matters of a controversial nature. It would have been well had the principle, then adopted, been adhered to in subsequent times, when the inhabitants of the town obtained some notoriety for their proneness to settle all disputes by the adjudication of courts and juries.
" December 1, 1681. We the inhabitants of Simsbury, being met together the first of ye 10th moneth 1681, being desireous hence forward to live in love and peace, mutually to the glory of God, and our own peace and comfort,-to prevent after animosi- ties and uncomfortable variences, do make this act, __ that when- soever any difference may arisse in any of our civill Transactions, yt after we have given our reasons mutually one to another, and cannot by the meanes be brought together, that to a finall issue of our difference, we will committ the matter, with our reasons pro. and con, to the worshipefull Major Talcott, and captain Allyn, to heare as presented in writing ;_ and that we will sit downe to their award or determination ;- this voted and concluded, for a standing record for hence forward."
But a small portion of the inhabitants had the means of enclosing their improved lands by fences. And as their horses, cattle and swine were, from necessity, suffered to roam at large in the forests for subsistence, the crops, being left unprotected, were consequently often destroyed. This perhaps, more than any other cause, increased the embar- rassments of the people, by subjecting them to an additional weight of poverty, or, as the case might be, by depriving them of food for sustenance.
To remedy this evil, resort was had to the formation of common fields by town enactments, or voluntary associa- tions. But, as these orders or agreements were not complied
* 1746, December. In society meeting ;- “ Voted, that the standing com- mittee cause the drum to be beat on sabboth days, to notify ye parish when to begin meeting."
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HISTORY OF SIMSBURY.
with by all the proprietors, and, in the then state of society, could not be enforced, the scheme proved ineffectual, and, after a few years was abandoned.
In this condition of affairs a town meeting was convened to consider the subject, and adopt measures for redress. The meeting resolved to lay the whole subject matter before the General Court by a petition for relief, and appointed the selectmen to manage the affair. The following is a copy of the petition presented. It is a document no less inter- esting than strange if, as it undoubtedly does, it correctly delineates the condition of the town at that time.
. "From Simsbury, this 14th October 1687.
To this Honored General Court .__ The petittion of the under written is as followeth ;-
That whereas, we the Inhabitants of Simsbury, and planters in this place, by the blessing of god upon our labours, have been from year to year in Good hopes and expectation of a comfortable and considerabl harvist, as may be made apparant by the fair and promising show upon our lands ;__ yet are we yearly so Destroyed and devoured one of another_When we have bestowed our labours and Charges, and se apparently good hops of a comfortabl harvist, then is our labours devouored and destroyed one by his Neighbour, and every man of and by one an other without reliefe, that it is a most grevious and perplexing consideration : and have tryed many wayes to prevent such Intolerable losses by layeing out fences to such lands here in Simsbury and enclosurs as has ben for use both for corn and grasse : yet our orders and labours has not ben attended, so that to this day our Cornfields lye exceed- ingly hazerdous and our labours to be destroyed, which if there be not som speedy care taken of us that our meadows and corn fields be secured, and our crops preserved, we shall be very much empoverished : neither shall we be able to carry on any publique deuties, either in ecclessiastical matters or civill affayres : and see- ing that it is wondered at why Simsbury men are so poor, the judi- cious may easily discerne the reason of the same : so that in sense thereof we do most earnestly begg, pray and Implore this honnered Court to take vs and our most sad estate, into your serious Con- siderason and find out some way for our reliefe and welfare, or else we may labour yearly, and the earth by the blessing of god bring forth much, and yet it will be as it hath been frequently destroyed : so that we pray entreat your worships to afford us some reliefe. And in hopes shall crave leave to subscribe our selves your hum- ble pettitioners.
JOSHUA HOLCOMBE, SAMUEL WILCOCKSON,
JOHN HIGLEY,
Selek men of Simsbury."
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HISTORY OF SIMSBURY.
By means of this and similar applications, a committee, consisting of Samuel 'Talcott, Nathaniel Stanley and Cyp- rian Nichols, all belonging to Hartford, was appointed, who, after hearing the parties and viewing the ground, decided and ordered, December, 1689, that " the meadows and other improvable lands," lying upon the river from Farm- ington bounds to John Higley's farm, be fenced on each side of the river-thus making two large common fields, divided by the river, extending about seven miles in length. The lines were staked out, and the proportion of fence to be built by each proprietor designated. These lines enclosed nearly all the lands at that time improved within the pres- ent boundaries of Simsbury. They did not, it is supposed, cross the two main roads running on each side of, and para- lel with the river, except at east Weatauge, but were laid out near to them.
Many of the proprietors were strongly opposed to this decision of the committee, on the ground of alleged ine- quality in the division of fences ordered to be built, and refused to comply with the order; whilst others, from ina- bility, neglected to build their portions as required. It was many years before all these fences were built. Several per- sons were prosecuted for offences growing out of these transactions. In May, 1698, as the record states, " John Umphrie, of Simsbury, was fined 40 shillings, for breaking down some part of the common fence."
At an early period, a controversy arose concerning a divis- ion of the "out lands," as they were then termed. The question was whether these lands, which included all that had not been granted to particular individuals, belonged to the original proprietors of the town and their heirs, or to the inhabitants, generally, of the town. At a meeting held in April 1672, the town voted to divide a portion of these out- lands amongst the then present inhabitants of the town. By this division, each inhabitant received an equal propor- tion, though but a small part of the lands was thus disposed of. But, at a subsequent meeting held in March 1680, the
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HISTORY OF SIMSBURY.
town, in consideration of the inequality of such a division, voted to rescind and reverse this act.
The town.also voted January 23, 1680-1, to divide, among certain persons, a tract of land lying in the vicinity of Salmon brook ; and in May 1688, it granted to sundry other persons a large portion of that part of Turkey hills lying east of the mountain. These last mentioned grants, how- ever, were annulled by the town in 1693, when another disposition of these lands was made.
Upon report of a committee, previously appointed upon this subject, consisting of the Rev. Mr. Woodbridge, Capt. Thomas Holcomb and Lieut. John Pettibone, the town voted, April 28, 1719, " that the right of disposal of the common or undivided land in the township of Simsbury is, and shall be, vested in all such, and in them only, who can derive their power so to do either from an act of the Gen- eral Assembly, and their heirs and assigns, or those who have been admitted inhabitants, and their heirs and assigns, by a major part of the town regularly convened, or shall be hereafter admitted inhabitants with that right and power of disposal expressly inserted in the town's vote for admission." And after making provision for a sufficiency of land suitable for a " commonage convenient as may be for the several squadrons of the town," the town voted " that the remain- ing land be sequestered to the town, qualified as above, to be granted as the major part shall allow of, said major part to be accounted, not by number of persons, but by a true list of their rateable estate."
These acts of the town gave great offense to the original proprietors, or those who held rights under them, but espe- cially to that portion who were large share holders ;-- they claiming the exclusive right to all the common and undivi- ded lands, and protesting, at every step, against the disposal of them by the town. But the town, possessing the numer- ical strength, and doubtless deeming the legal title to the property to be vested in the corporation, procceded to make grants to a large number of individuals, in pursuance of the town votes before stated. Accordingly, at a town meeting
8
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HISTORY OF SIMSBURY.
called " to consider how to divide the common land," held December 31, 1723, which was continued for three successive days, and nearly one whole night, (the night meeting being held at the house of Andrew Robe,) grants were made to the greater part of the inhabitants. This induced the pro- prietors to apply to the legislature for relief. But the relief sought for was not granted until some years afterwards, when a general law was enacted, which vested the property of unappropriated lands in the proprietors of the several towns and their assigns. After this, the common lands remaining undivided in Simsbury, were managed and con- veyed exclusively by a committee appointed by those who held proprietary rights, at meetings held annually. The last meeting of the proprietors was held about thirty years since.
None of the grants of land above mentioned, made in 1723, exceeded in quantity to any one person, (except in one case) two hundred acres. Five persons had each this quantity, and the others a less quantity, varying from one hundred and fifty to forty acres each. The grants were apportioned, it is believed, by the respective amounts of the grantees lists of estates. The exception, above referred to, was the grant made to John Griffin, which was very large, being nearly or quite one and a half miles square. Its boundaries were,-beginning at the island above the falls, thence northerly one and a half miles, easterly to the moun- tain, southerly to the river, and thence by the river to the island. This grant, it is supposed, was made in considera- tion of a relinquishment to the plantation by Mr. Griffin, of his title derived from the Indian deeds before mentioned.
1
The patent of Simsbury, in confirmation of the original grant of the territory made in 1670, was granted at the May session, 1685, and is dated March 11, 1685-6. It conveys to " Major John Talcott, Capt. Benjamin Newberry, Ensign John Terry, Mr. John Case, Mr. Joshua Holcomb, Mr. Samuel Wilcox, Mr. John Higley, Mr. Thomas Barber, and the rest of the proprietors of the township of Simsbury, and their heirs and assigns forever, and to each of them, in such
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HISTORY OF SIMSBURY.
proportion as they have already agreed upon, for the divis- ion of the same," all the territory, as originally granted and bounded, containing ten square miles. This instrument is signed, in behalf of the Colony, by the Governor, and Sec- retary, and was further recognized, and confirmed, by an- other act of the General Court, in 1703. [APPENDIX, B.]
The place first used for burying the dead, was on the hill, westerly of the present burying place at Hop meadow. In 1688, the town voted to remove it lower down the hill-that it be laid out to the extent of two acres-and that the grounds be improved, both for a "training and burying place." The oldest monuments, now found, are of two deaths that occurred in 1688-Mr. John Drake, and Mrs. Mary Buell, wife of Mr. Peter Buell.
In 1684, John Terry was appointed " Ensign of the Train- band," this being the first military appointment, and the highest of grade then in the town. In 1690, Mr. Terry having deceased, Jolin Higley was commissioned as Lieu- tenant, Thomas Barber as Ensign, and Joseph Strickland appointed Clerk of the company. It was not until 1698, that there were soldiers enough in the town to make up the complement of a full company,-at which time, Lieut. Hig- ley was promoted to a captaincy-an office of great dignity in those days, and, with a single exception, the highest then known in the Colony-each county having, as chief mili- tary officer, a Major. "The military force" of the town was comprised in one company until 1716, when it was divided into two companies, and Thomas Holcomb ap- pointed Captain, Nathaniel Holcomb Lieut., and Joshua Holcomb Ensign of the north company ;- and Richard Case Captain, John Pettibone Lieut., and Joseph Phelps Ensign, of the south company.
For many years after 1700, the inhabitants residing in the north-easterly part of the town, were subjected to great inconvenience and loss, by a claim set up by Suffield, that they were within the limits of Massachusetts, and therefore liable to pay taxes to that town, which was then considered as belonging to that Colony. Their property was often
·
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HISTORY OF SIMSBURY.
seized, and carried into Suffield, and sold for payment of taxes ; and other trespasses were committed, by their Suf- field neighbors, under the same claim, much to their annoy- ance and injury. The legislature of this Colony, in 1705, passed an Act prohibiting them from paying taxes to Suf- field, and to punish, by a summary process, all persons who should attempt to extend the jurisdiction of Massachusetts over any part of Simsbury, or who should commit trespasses under color of acting under the laws of that Colony. Many prosecutions grew out of these transactions. The contro- versy, which was extremely vexatious to our people, was not entirely ended until 1750, when, on a re-survey of the boundary line between the two Colonies, it was found, not only, that these Simsbury people, but, that all the inhabitants of Suffield, belonged to Connecticut. In this year, Suffield was annexed to this Colony.
At the May session of the Assembly, 1723, a petition, signed by ninety-seven inhabitants of Simsbury, was pre- sented, asking for a township of land, seven miles square, to be laid out west of, and adjoining, Simsbury west bounds. The petitioners urge their application for the grant upon the following grounds :-
1. " That we are under a necessity for it, and avantage of pres- ent settlement, by reason of our propinquinity above any other.
2. But more particularly from the consideration of our promo- ting copper works which has brought about £10,000 into this, from foreign plantations, and likely to create a foreign trade, and all to the advantage of this Colony.
3. Also, for our encouragement in raising tar and turpentine for the supply of his Majesty's naval stores, and our only valuable commodity in foreign parts.
4. And also in consideration for our being a frontier for above this forty years ; whereby we were under necessity to bear a double part in the expense and fatigues of war, being fastened down,* by an act of this Assembly, on penalty of loosing our free- holds, which however just it might be for the present, yet challen- ges a consideration when the Assembly have wherewith, and leizure to do it.
* This " being fastened down" to their freeholds, had reference to a Reso- lution passed by the General Court, May 1704, by which it was ordered, that certain specified towns, among which was included Simsbury, and de-
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HISTORY OF SIMSBURY.
5. And to conclude, a part of the western lands we have the native purchase of, and have many years ago laid out lands upon ; and as it will create a great disturbance amongst us, so it will be an intolerable hardship, to have them granted to any other."
The name of the Rev. Mr. Woodbridge 'stands at the head of this petition, which was signed, it is believed, by all the inhabitants of the town. Notwithstanding the cogent reasons urged, the Assmbly did not see fit to grant the prayer of the petitioners. During a period of about fifty years from the first settlement of the town, among the very large number of petitions from it to the General Assembly, this appears to be nearly the only one which received the appro- bation, and contained the signatures, of all the legal inhab- itants of the place.
At the commencement of the settlement, the river and some of its larger tributary streams abounded with salmon and shad. One of these streams, Salmon brook, took its name from the great number of salmon found in it. So highly important was the fishing interest considered, that measures were taken quite early to protect it. About 1680, the town having granted permission to Ephraim Howard to build a mill at the foot of the falls on the cast side of the mountain, attached to the grant an express condition that the dam should be so constructed as not to obstruct at any time the free passage of fish.
For a long series of years, while the river remained free from obstructions, and the territory near its sources was uninhabited, vast quantities of salmon and shad were annu- ally taken. So plenty were salmon, that the buyers of shad were required to take a pro rata proportion of the former in their purchases,-though at a higher price, it is presumed, than was asked for shad. The supply of both
nominated " frontier towns," should " not be broken up or voluntarily de- serted," without permission from the Assembly ;- " and that no inhabitant thereof, having a freehold estate within the same at the time of any insur- rection or breaking forth of war," should be allowed "to remove from thence, with intent to sojourn elsewhere, without liberty as aforesaid, on pain of forfeiting all his estate in lands and tenements lying within such townships."
8*
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HISTORY OF SIMSBURY.
species continued in great abundance until about 1740, fur- nishing to the inhabitants no inconsiderable means of sub- sistence, and to the fisherman employment and profit.
The General Court at various times adopted measures to protect this fishery ;- at first by prohibiting the placing of dams or other obstructions in the river ;- and so long as these requirements were obeyed, and the river remained unobstructed, the fish continued plenty. Subsequently, however, it was found that the fishery was, in a great measure, monopolized by the people of Windsor, who were in the habit of using such nets and other apparatus, near the mouth of the river, as to prevent the passage of fish up the stream. This, too, was attempted to be remedied by other enactments.
At a later period, laws were passed prohibiting the pla- cing of wears or hedges, or stretching seines or nets across the river, without permission, obtained from the County Court. This permission, unfortunately for the fishing in - terest, was too often granted. The most beneficial portions of these laws, however, being generally limited in their duration, were sometimes suffered to expire, and at no time, as it would seem, were they so obeyed or enforced, espe- cially near the month of the river, as to afford that free passage for fish which was intended by the legislature.
Owing to these causes, the fishing interest became much impaired after about 1740, and continued to decline yearly thereafter ; though a strong effort was made in 1763 to revive it by legislative interference, which was attended with some success. At a later period, however, by the increase of population and business, an additional number of mills being required, or at any rate, strenuously de- manded, the legislature granted permission for the erection of dams, at first, with sluice ways so as to allow the passage of fish, but subsequently, without any restrictions. For some years before the commencement of the present cen- tury, the fishing business had so far subsided as to be of little value. Few ifany shad have been taken in the town since 1800 ;- the salmon disappeared much earlier.
CHAPTER VII.
Manufactures. Ancient Map. Bridges. Ferry. Services rendered in the French Wars and in the War of the Revolution. Miscellaneous. 1726-1845.
THE manufacture of steel was commenced in this town on a small scale in 1727, and this, it is believed, was the first attempt to make it in this country. In 1728, Samuel Hig- ley, who was a son of John Higley, one of the early settlers of the town, presented a petition to the General Court stating, that " he hath, with great pains and costs, found out and obtained a curious art, by which to con- vert, change or transmute common iron into good steel, sufficient for any use, and was the very first that ever performed such an operation in America, having the most perfect knowledge thereof confirmed by many experi- ments ; "-also, that he " has good reason to hope that he shall produce as good or better steel than what comes from over sea, and at considerable cheaper rate ;"-and praying for an exclusive right to manufacture the article for a term of years. His request was granted, and he with his asso- ciates were vested with the exclusive privilege of making steel for the term of ten years, on condition that they, during that term, should prosecute the business, and bring it to " a good and reasonable perfection," within the period of two years. Proof was adduced that he had made steel from iron manufactured at Turkey hills, which, by competent artisans, was pronounced to be "good steel." To what extent, or duration of time, he prosecuted this business, is not known. The probability however is that, like most operations of a similar nature, commenced at that early period without a competent knowledge of the art, or ade- quate means to carry it on, the project ended in loss and disappointment. It is supposed that Mr. Higley derived what information he possessed on this subject from some of
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