USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Torrington > History of Torrington, Connecticut, from its first settlement in 1737, with biographies and genealogies > Part 44
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REMUS MARCUS FOWLER, M.D.,
A twin brother of Romulus J. Fowler, and son of Noah and Rhoda Fowler, is still living, and is in his eighty-fifth year. He resides at Washington Ct., and possesses much vigor of intellectual powers, and frequently makes professional journeys over the hills of Litchfield county. He inherited, in a marked degree the physical, intellectual and moral qualities of his worthy ancestors, and is very much like
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the old stamp of character, while in his profession he has kept along with the times with much energy of intellect, and skill in practice.
After having acquired a good English education and having some experience in teaching, he entered the office of his brother Warren as a medical student, where he enjoyed special privileges and practical advantages, and after a due course of study was examined and li- censed by the Litchfield County Medical Society. He soon after settled in New Marlboro, Mass., where he won the respect and con- fidence of the people, and of the profession in Berkshire county. Here he had an extensive and laborious practice, always riding on horseback in making his professional visits.
He married Harriet W. Childs of Litchfield, by whom he had two daughters, and in 1824, she died. In 1826, on the sudden and inournful event of the decease of his brother Warren, he was per- suaded to leave his field of work in Massachusetts, including the class of students then under his care ; his nephew E. D. Hudson being one, and settle as successor to his brother in Washington, where he has had a long and successful course in his profession, and where he has been highly esteemed by all classes of the people to the present time.
In 1834, he married Mary Miller of Torringford, by whom he had two children, one son and one daughter. Dr. Fowler has been a prominent and leading man in the medical profession of Litchfield county, and quite extensively known throughout the state. The honorary degree of medical doctor was conferred on him by Yale college. Besides being a member of the county and state medical societies he was also a member of the American Medical Association, and delegate to the New York State Medical Society. He has been a discriminating, cautious and successful practitioner, and his medical career and life work have been very honorable to himself and to all his friends.
He participated actively in free masonry, and stood high as a Knight Templar.
He has been a devout man in religion and morals, a good singer, and always at his place at church and in the choir when he consist- ently could.
He was a living epistle of temperance, and never drank intoxicat- ing drinks as a beverage ; his pleasant remark, in declining to drink, has always been that he was not old enough.
The anti-slavery cause and warfare received his hearty approval and cooperation.
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His fund of anecdote was equal to all occasions and topics of con- versation and discussion, and these were greatly to the amusement and entertainment of those who listened.
PARLEMAN BRADLEY FOWLER, M.D.,
Was the royal son of Noah and Rhoda (Tuttle) Fowler and the idol of the family. Their hearts were bound up in the lad. He possessed those qualities of soul and intellect, which gave, in the expression of his countenance and the movements of his bodily presence, the high born nobleness of his character, and the purity of soul he pos- sessed. There are some characters so transparent, and so undis- guisable that every body but those who are intellectually and spiritually disqualified, can easily discern the real soul life within. Such was this young man.
He diligently improved every advantage within his reach, for edu- cation. Having gone through with these, he tried a clerkship in a store, but found this so distasteful to his natural aspirations that he abandoned it and sought others. He taught school some time, and then entered upon a course of medical studies with his brother Dr. Warren R. Fowler of Washington, Ct., where he honored himself and his friends by his manly life, and success in his studies, and was licensed to practice medicine by the Litchfield County Medical Society in 1803. He then settled and practiced medicine in Bethle- hem, Ct., eleven years, when by exposure he became the victim of (petechial) epidemic spotted fever which prevailed so fearfully in Litchfield county and New England in 1813, and died while in the vigor of early manhood, in the thirtieth year of his age. His fall was deeply and extensively lamented as a public calamity. He was much esteemed by the Rev. Dr. Backus of Bethlehem for his moral and professional worth, and public spirit and character. His brother Warren grieved at his untimely death, and lamented over the short- ness of his career as a physician.
RAPHAEL FOWLER,
The fifth son of Noah and Rhoda (Tuttle) Fowler, was born in 1787 ; and inherited more than ordinary qualities of mind, and vigor- ous constitution, and in longevity he exhibited the fame of his family. His father, being a practical man of great industry and usefulness, desiring to see his sons well schooled and trained in some useful, productive pursuit, apprenticed him to acquire the art of shoemaking.
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HISTORY OF TORRINGTON.
When he had served his term of years, and made himself master of the trade, he went westward, to Whitesboro, N. Y., and settled in business. He then married Hannah Byard, a good woman, member of the Presbyterian church of that place. He was an extensive reader, and acquired a fund of general intelligence, and was an es- teemed member of the community.
He reared a large family of children ; sons and daughters, and with them removed to Michigan, where, having been respectably educated, they became honorably allied by marriage ; held important positions in business, and became inhabitants of Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Georgia.
At the advanced age of eighty-three years, he suddenly deceased Jonesville, Michigan.
ROMULUS JULIUS FOWLER,
The son of Noah and Rhoda (Tuttle) Fowler, was a twin brother of Dr. Remus Marcus Fowler. With the most affectionate and assidu- ous care of a devoted sister, he grew up into the stature of a noble and manly youth. He possessed the finest and noblest qualities of mind and physique, and evinced a spirit more exalted and etherialized than is exhibited by ordinary mortals. He gave early indica- tions of great intellectuality and goodness ; and was altogether a too shining mark to escape the shafts of the destroyer. He deceased in the year 1806, in the fourteenth year of his age.
SIBYL CATLIN FOWLER,
Daughter of Noah and Rhoda (Tuttle) Fowler, was born Aug. 7, 1787, and in intellectual endowments was the shining one of the Fowler family. She was never married and therefore, as might be expected was regarded as queer and unsocial, although she could entertain a company as could but few women in her day. She was fair and comely, and possessed an amiable disposition, and manifested very early qualities of superior character and refinement. When quite young, if she found herself in the society of those who were not entertaining, she would quickly withdraw to the reading of some book, or into the garden or field to entertain herself in the study of the flowers or insects or other wonderful works in the natural world. What to many would have been time wasted, was to her knowledge that refined the intellect and purified the heart, and fitted her to live in time and eternity ; and therefore was she deemed, by some, quite eccentric.
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BIOGRAPHIES.
As she ripened in years she improved every advantage of schools, of reading, and of self culture, aided by the contributions of her brothers who were more highly favored in having access to books and literature. Her natural aspiration after knowledge, and enthu- siastic industry to obtain it, enabled her to acquire more than an ordinary amount of scientific knowledge, and of general literature. The revelations of nature she seemed to receive by intuition, and with great delight. Her poetical genius was inspired by every object around her, whether on the hill or in the vale, or amid the flowers, the fields, the woods or in her home. There was a spirit of joy to her in all the wonderful things in the great world she inhabited.
Her aspirations were intellectual, spiritual and pure, as manifested in the following utterances :
" My native land with mountains crowned, Huge rocks and caverns deep, -- Whose wide-spread shores, old ocean bound Where does thy genius sleep ! Thy beauteous vales and streamlets clear, Why do they not inspire The breast of Poet - Painter - Seer, To steal that sacred fire ? From fair Italia's orange grove, And sculptured marble dome, Come from that land of song and love,
Melodious spirit come."- Addressed to EOLUS.
" Daring flight on fancy's wing As Phænix soars on high, Now while winds are murmuring, I am sad, and sigh.
Eolonian harpings mingling slow Lays its pinions fluttering While a requiem whispers low I can't follow where you go.
Never, never does it say (Solemn sound) till that great day, Last of days, shall we then meet ? O, that thought is passing sweet With our righteousness complete."
Her mind was analytical and philosophical, which characteristics she inherited from her father. She often denominated the place of her residence " Orthodox hill " for the reason of its being near the residence of Dea. Cook which had been the ecclesiastical rendezvous from the beginning of the town history. While she revered her
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HISTORY OF TORRINGTON.
When he had served his term of years, and made himself master of the trade, he went westward, to Whitesboro, N. Y., and settled in business. He then married Hannah Byard, a good woman, member of the Presbyterian church of that place. He was an extensive reader, and acquired a fund of general intelligence, and was an es- teemed member of the community.
He reared a large family of children ; sons and daughters, and with them removed to Michigan, where, having been respectably educated, they became honorably allied by marriage ; held important positions in business, and became inhabitants of Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Georgia.
At the advanced age of eighty-three years, he suddenly deceased Jonesville, Michigan.
ROMULUS JULIUS FOWLER,
The son of Noah and Rhoda (Tuttle) Fowler, was a twin brother of Dr. Remus Marcus Fowler. With the most affectionate and assidu- ous care of a devoted sister, he grew up into the stature of a noble and manly youth. He possessed the finest and noblest qualities of mind and physique, and evinced a spirit more exalted and etherialized than is exhibited by ordinary mortals. He gave early indica- tions of great intellectuality and goodness ; and was altogether a too shining mark to escape the shafts of the destroyer. He deceased in the year 1806, in the fourteenth year of his age.
SIBYL CATLIN FOWLER,
Daughter of Noah and Rhoda (Tuttle) Fowler, was born Aug. 7, 1787, and in intellectual endowments was the shining one of the Fowler family. She was never married and therefore, as might be expected was regarded as queer and unsocial, although she could entertain a company as could but few women in her day. She was fair and comely, and possessed an amiable disposition, and manifested very early qualities of superior character and refinement. When quite young, if she found herself in the society of those who were not entertaining, she would quickly withdraw to the reading of some book, or into the garden or field to entertain herself in the study of the flowers or insects or other wonderful works in the natural world. What to many would have been time wasted, was to her knowledge that refined the intellect and purified the heart, and fitted her to live in time and eternity ; and therefore was she deemed, by some, quite eccentric.
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BIOGRAPHIES.
As she ripened in years she improved every advantage of schools, of reading, and of self culture, aided by the contributions of her brothers who were more highly favored in having access to books and literature. Her natural aspiration after knowledge, and enthu- siastic industry to obtain it, enabled her to acquire more than an ordinary amount of scientific knowledge, and of general literature. The revelations of nature she seemed to receive by intuition, and with great delight. Her poetical genius was inspired by every object around her, whether on the hill or in the vale, or amid the flowers, the fields, the woods or in her home. There was a spirit of joy to her in all the wonderful things in the great world she inhabited.
Her aspirations were intellectual, spiritual and pure, as manifested in the following utterances :
" My native land with mountains crowned, Huge rocks and caverns deep, - Whose wide-spread shores, old ocean bound Where does thy genius sleep ! Thy beauteous vales and streamlets clear, Why do they not inspire
The breast of Poet - Painter - Seer, To steal that sacred fire ?
From fair Italia's orange grove, And sculptured marble dome,
Come from that land of song and love, Melodious spirit come."- Addressed to EOLUS.
"Daring flight on fancy's wing As Phænix soars on high, Now while winds are murmuring, I am sad, and sigh.
Eolonian harpings mingling slow Lays its pinions fluttering While a requiem whispers low I can't follow where you go.
Never, never does it say (Solemn sound) till that great day, Last of days, shall we then meet ? O, that thought is passing sweet With our righteousness complete."
Her mind was analytical and philosophical, which characteristics she inherited from her father. She often denominated the place of her residence " Orthodox hill " for the reason of its being near the residence of Dea. Cook which had been the ecclesiastical rendezvous from the beginning of the town history. While she revered her
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HISTORY OF TORRINGTON.
uoble ancestors, she received with weighty consideration and modi- fication their puritan Calvinistic faith and doctrines, which had caused a very serious mental affliction to her mother. The fourth com- mandment, given to the Jews as a distinctive people, she regarded as shadowing the Christian state of spiritual rest, as inaugurated by the spirit and example of Jesus and his apostles.
On one occasion, she was stopping with the family of Esq. B., in Torringford, and the Rev. Mr. McE., of New London, on exchange of pulpits, was there also. The family were up late on Saturday evening, and on Sunday morning, breakfast being late, there was considerable tumult in the preparations for meeting ; when she addressed the minister with the inquiry : "Mr. McE. do you think those persons justified who stoned the man to death for picking up sticks on the Sabbath day ?" He replied with some confusion, that he thought they were, and asked, "don't you think they were ?" " If I did," said she, " I would retire from this scene to a solitary place." The lesson there ended. To her " consistency was a jewel ;" but because she spoke out such things many thought her queer. She was constitutionally modest and retiring, but was nobly endowed with moral courage to set her face against every species of enslavement, by church or state, or the covering of iniquity with a cloak. Moral and religious complicity and cowardice were rebuked by her with all the severity and sarcasm of which she was capable.
The specialty of woman's liberty and rights, was not agitated in her day, excepting the duty and right as urged by Miss Abby Kelly, to plead in public meetings the cause of their enslaved sisters in the United States ; and the Debating Society of Torringford academy having resolved to discuss the question : " Who have the strongest intellectual powers, the men or the women? " sent a request to her to send in a contribution on the subject. Her response was as follows :
" Gramercy ! royal gentlemen, and lords of creation ! Before we're beat, we'll sound a retreat and take our lowly station ; But have a care ye men of war ; in flying we may wound ye, For by our art and not by strength, we surely shall confound ye, But if in a domineering mood, ye still presume to query, We'll make the sign of Katharine, and point you to Siberia."
She did not survive to behold the fulfillment of her prophecy, accomplished already in our day, when women authoresses, public speakers and lecturers should become as acceptable and popular as men. It was, when for a woman to appear and speak in public ; when it
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BIOGRAPHIES.
was deemed a scandal, and she was denounced as a " brazen faced Amazon," a " Jezebel," by the clergy and their orthodox, pro-slavery friends, who preached and lectured women down into their "appro- priate sphere," that she stood in her place, and gave her testimony and adherence to the right. For moral reasons, she was not afraid to give her judgment against popular vices and errors. At a social gathering, during which the tobacco pipe, and snuff box were freely used, she quickly retired and soon reported the following lines :
When smoke arises from my pipe Thus to myself I say : Why should I anxious be for life Which vanishes away. The social snuff box may convey The same idea, just ; As if it silently would say, Let us mingle, dust with dust."
She died at the old homestead March 15, 1855, aged 65 years.
URSULA FOWLER,
The youngest child of Noah and Rhoda (Tuttle) Fowler, was born in 1796, and was a woman of more than ordinary powers of mind. Her physical organization was slight, compared with other members of the family, and her temperament being strongly nervo-sanguineous, which rendered her exceedingly susceptible of nervous excitement, she had a morbid fear of thunderstorms, which at times was very prostrating to her system.
She was a great reader of history, poetry, and religious literature, and having a good memory retained very much of what she read, in the detail, as to events, dates, and sentiments, and also a general outline of all her reading. Her perceptive and reasoning faculties were large, and her conversational powers entertaining and instructive.
In her later years, when physical disability confined her mostly to the home, clergymen and literary characters, both young and old, delighted in her society and friendship, because of the elevating thought and genial sentiments which seemed ever to possess her mind and heart, and her Christian and philanthropic spirit was ever active, and manifested itself in behalf of all mankind.
In 1821, she married Rufus Curtiss, son of Uri Curtiss of Tor- ringford, a respectable farmer and lumberman. He was also fond of literature, and appreciated her remarkable genius. They had one child, a son, who inherited his mother's temperament and genius, but
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HISTORY OF TORRINGTON.
whose brief life closed at Stockbridge, Mass., in 1850, aged 30 years. Her husband died at Wolcottville in 1834, aged 39 years. Thus bereft, she took refuge with her nephew Dr. Hudson, several years, and finally with her niece Mary Hudson Rummell of Florence, Mass., where she deceased in June, 1873, aged 77 years.
CAPT. STEPHEN FYLER,
Son of Silas and Catherine (Drake) Fyler, was born in Windsor in 1755, and married there, Polly Collier in July, 1778. He spent some time in Torrington previous to settling here and before he was drafted as a soldier. How long he was in the Revolution is not known, but he drew a pension many years, and probably served in the war after his marriage and until the close of the contest. He settled in New- field, about 1781, where he spent his life as a farmer in clearing away the forests and bringing the soil under cultivation. He was an energetic, hard working man. He planted orchards, the remains of which are still to be seen ; had saw mills, a cider mill, brandy still, and a brick yard where he made thousands of brick, and his son Harlow after him. He built also a dish mill probably about 1790, where he produced dishes of a variety of sizes, made mostly from whitewood. This mill stood in the ravine south of Samuel Rowley's house, and was a manufactory of celebrity, because nearly every boy and girl as well as older person ate from wooden trenchers in those days, and would be likely to know the mill where they were made. Of these wooden dishes it is said that many people ate from them and had no others in their houses ; and when earthen dishes were introduced they were thought to be heavy and inconvenient, and for this opinion there was some reason. In the management of tough beef-steak, the day for which has not yet entirely departed, the fork could be pressed through the steak into the trencher and thus hold securely the unsubdued ox until a piece should be severed with the knife.
Among the variety of these dishes was the wooden bowl which being filled with corn meal pudding (which when cold was cut in small pieces), was set on the centre of the table, and the family gath- ered around, all ate from the same dish, and were usually taught how to do it with due propriety.
Next after the wooden dishes came the age of pewter ; giving pewter plates, platters, spoons, and pewter mugs for cider ; and of all these
V
STEPHEN FYLER.
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HISTORY OF TORRINGTON.
place became intensely excited, and Judge Seymour's father and one Ozias Lewis, when they met Mr. Fyler out of court, could only say : " stick !" and stick he did during the whole term.
When it was announced by the judge, that the jury were discharged from the further consideration of the case, the few democrats then in attendance were so elated that they took Mr. Fyler on their shoul- ders and carried him in triumph from the court room to the hotel. Osborn was at once discharged from prison. This trial is said to have been one of the most celebrated that ever occurred in Litchfield, because of the spirit of malice and persecution manifested on the one side, and the bravery and honesty of one man standing up boldly for the right.
HARLOW FYLER,
Son of Stephen and Polly (Collier) Fyler, was born December 21, 1795. He inherited a part of his father's homestead, where he re- sided over seventy-eighty years. He purchased land of his father's heirs until he possessed all the homestead in connection with his brother Juba, and then continued to buy land adjoining until he owned eight hundred acres or more, and much of it as good as any in Newfield. He was a man of great energy and business enter- prise, and pursued all honorable methods of obtaining success as a farmer.
He first attended to the cultivation of his lands in such a manner as to improve the soil and make the business profitable as to money. He kept from fifty to eighty cows, making butter in the spring and autumn and cheese in the summer, and in this arrangement he carried at one time nine hundred and ninety-nine pounds of butter to New Haven. About 1830, the dairying business became a great enter- prise, and as a consequence land became very valuable, worth much more per acre than before 1800, but since that time the market value has declined half and two-thirds, and much of it is left to grow up to woods, some parts which were beautiful fields, fenced with heavy stone walls, are now heavy forests.
Mr. Fyler had a brick-kiln and clay bed near his house from which he sold one hundred thousand brick a year, some times much more. He burned in one kiln two hundred and fifty thousand at one time and furnished of them sufficient to build the rubber factory at Naugatuck.
He also burned charcoal, some thousands of bushels a year, and one year delivered twenty thousand bushels to the brass mill at Wol- cottville, and also delivered wood from year to year at the same mill.
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BIOGRAPHIES.
He employed one and two men as coopers to make barrels, tubs, pails, casks and the like ; supplying casks for the brass mill many years.
In conducting these items of business it was necessary to keep a number of men employed the year through, and to keep them at work he took contracts in repairing roads; making new roads, bridges, brick school houses, and other buildings of brick, at con- siderable distance as well as near his house. He built a brick house for himself, which though now in good repair is standing unoccupied.
The principal product of the farm was grass. Corn, rye, buck- wheat and potatoes were produced in sufficient quantities for home consumption, usually not much more, except that of rye. Wheat never did well in that region, and the barberry bushes blasted the oats so that but little could be produced of that kind of grain. Clover and herds grass grew so thick and tall as to fall to the ground before it could be cut, and very often one man could not mow a quarter of an acre a day, and only very strong men could continue to mow from day to day without change of work. The old people say, work was so hard in those days that many men failed before they were thirty years of age and could never do hard work thereafter. Some men never did hard work, or if any, a very little at great intervals ; they would not, but others undertook double portions, and their strength being unequal to their ambition they failed before their race, apparently, was half run ; of such were Noah North, Remembrance North, and Stephen Fyler, Junior, and many others in the town.
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