History of Windham County, Connecticut, Part 5

Author: Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: New York, Preston
Number of Pages: 1506

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

mantic and Appaquage rivers, and a strip east of the Quinebaug which had been divided between the colonies of Massachusetts and Connecticut.

James Fitch, at first captain, and afterward known as major, was a man of great energy, shrewdness and business capacity. As soon as he gained possession of this land he threw it into the market. Personal interest, as well as the good of the public, led him to seek to dispose of these vast tracts to good and sub- stantial settlers-to colonies and towns rather than to indi- viduals and speculators. The northern part of the Wabbaquasset tract was under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, and to a Massachusetts company Fitch sold his first township. This was the town of Roxbury, which had grown so large that it was con- sidered advisable to send out some of its members to plant a new town somewhere in the wilderness. Accordingly, after extended deliberations and due consideration of the preliminary measures, a tract about seven miles square was purchased, and about the first of April, 1686, thirteen pioneers began to break up the ground and prepare for the improvement of New Roxbury, afterward Woodstock. The further particulars in regard to this tract will be given in connection with the history of Woodstock in another part of this work.

Four months previous to the division and distribution of land for actual settlement in the upper end of Windham county, steps . in a similar direction were being taken in the lower end of the territory. The fact that land here had been confirmed in title to Joshua, the third son of Uncas, has already been alluded to. By bequest this tract was granted to sixteen gentlemen of Nor- wich and adjoining towns. Their names were Captain John Mason, Lieutenant Samuel Mason, Lieutenant Daniel Mason, Reverend James Fitch, Captain James Fitch, John Birchard, Thomas Tracy, Thomas Adgate, Lieutenant Thomas Leffing- well, John Olmstead, Simon Huntington, William Hide, William Backus, Hugh Calkins, Captain George Denison and Daniel Wetherel1.

Joshua's will, granting the very extensive tract, which will be presently described, was allowed and established by the general court of Connecticut in May, 1678, and the persons named were allowed to possess all of Joshua's rights in the land, provided they should comply with the conditions therein named. Though the legality of Joshua's title to various other tracts conveyed by

HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

"this will occasioned much subsequent controversy and litigation, the Norwich legatees secured their portion with little difficulty and no apparent opposition. Robin Cassasinamon-governor of the surviving Pequots-was commissioned by Uncas to show these men the bounds of their tract, and soon after its confirma- tion by the general court he set out with a party of the legatees and a surveyor by the name of Bushnell into the wilderness north of Norwich. Passing through Mamosqueage, a strip north of Norwich reserved for Joshua's children, they followed an old Indian trail eight miles northward, the trail being known in those days as the Nipmuck Path, to a flag meadow which was · called Appaquage. Here their bounds were to begin. After , encamping for the night, the next morning they struck through .the woods ten miles to the Willimantic river, where they spent the second night. Thence they followed Robin down the Wil- limantic to Mamosqueage. Soon after this priliminary explor- ation Bushnell and Joseph Huntington were sent by the lega- tees " to measure down eight miles from Appaquage, by the said Nipmuck Path," which they did, "and marked a white oak at the end of said eight miles, west side of path." The lines of the whole tract were soon afterward run by Simon Huntington, Thomas Leffingwell, Jr., and Richard Bushnell, under the direc- tion of Uncas. In October, 1681, Captain Robert Chapman, Captain James Fitch and Thomas Buckingham were appointed administrators of Joshua's estate, and they, during the following winter conveyed according to the terms of the will, "a tract of land lying to the west of Appaquage, east from Willimantic River, south from Appaquage Pond, eight miles broad," to the legatees whose names have already been given.

The recipients of this princely gift were all gentlemen of high . character and standing. Samuel and Daniel Mason resided in Stonington, Mr. Wetherell in New London, and the others in Norwich. The following agreement was signed by the legatees February 17th, 1682 :

"I. God willing, plantation work shall be carried on and a town settled within the space of four years, that is to say, we, after the above-mentioned time is expired, will bear all such public charges according to our just proportion for the carrying · on plantation work.

"II. Those that find they are not in a capacity to manage the . several allotments for the carrying on of the true intendment

HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

and end of a plantation shall resign up their allotments to such wholesome inhabitants as the said company shall see reason to admit, upon reasonable and moderate terms.

"III. We having received the land, and upon a view judge that it will afford an allotment for every thousand acres, accord- ing to the distribution made by Uncas (who was appointed by the deceased son to act), with some other allotments for public uses in the several divisions, first, second, and third of the land bequeathed to us.

"IV. It is agreed that the allotments be laid out in an equal manner, every one contenting himself with the place where God by his providence shall determine, by a lot drawn for that end, and the drawing of one lot shall answer for the home-lot and for the first division of upland and meadow. It is also agreed that Simon Huntington, William Backus, John Post and John Birchard shall lay out the same according to the order and manner above specified."

Three years passed without any material progress being made toward the settlement of this large tract. In February, 1685, it was agreed to make settlements in three different places, for the convenience of lands and meadows. By the following spring the surveys and divisions were completed and the land was ready for distribution. Beginning at Appaquage-"a flaggy meadow,"-now at or near the southeast corner of Eastford, the boundary line of the tract ran south eight miles, large measure, on the west side of Nipmuck Path; thence due west to the She- tucket, running a little south of the present site of Windham Green ; thence eight miles northwest, up the Shetucket and Wil- limantic, and thence ten miles east to Appaquage. A large part of the present territory of Windham, Mansfield, Chaplin, Hamp- ton and Scotland townships was comprised in this royal gift, which was laid out in forty-eight shares, each containing a thousand acres. Each share included a home-lot in one of the three villages planned, and portions of meadow, pasture and upland in different localities. The three village sites selected were the Hither-place or Southeast Quarter, now Old Windham village ; the Ponde-place, at Naubesatuck, now Mansfield Cen- tre ; and the valley of the Willimantic, near the site of the pres- ent borough of that name. Fifteen home-lots were laid out at the Hither-place, twenty-one at the Ponde-place, and twelve at Willimantic. Highways were laid out through each village

HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

plat and from the Hither-place to the Ponde-place. The com- mittee spent five days in making the surveys and measurements, and were paid for their services at the rate of three shillings a day, but those who ran lines received an extra shilling a day.

The allotments were made to individuals by drawing, on the 1st of May, 1686. The common owners were probably all pres- ent, either in person or by representatives. Captain John Mason, William Hide and John Olmstead, having previously died, were represented by their heirs or administrators. It is a fact worthy of note that these men assembled on this occasion recognized the superintendence of an all seeing Providence, and impressed with the thought that this was serious, earnest business, and that consequences far greater than they could foresee might hang upon the results of their work, did not enter upon that work until " after prayer for direction and blessing." They then drew lots for their respective portions ; some receiving one and some six shares, according to the royal pleasure of Uncas, who had ordered the distribution. Three shares were reserved for the ministry and other public purposes, according to previous agreement.

The settlement and improvement of this great tract was at first slow. This will not seem so strange when we remember that the events which we are noticing occurred about the time when the status of liberty in the colonies was wavering in the balance. Connecticut, like other colonies, was suffering from the encroachments of King James. Her privileges were cut off, her charter demanded, and her government assumed by that unsavory administrator, Sir Edmond Andross. Under his arbi- trary rule attempts at settlement were discouraged. He con- sidered an "Indian deed worth no more than the scratch of a bear's paw," and would have scouted the right of the legatees to land bequeathed by an Indian chieftain. There is no record of any attempt to secure confirmation of title from Andross. It was doubtless thought more prudent to wait in silence and in the meantime make what few improvements might be practica- ble until some turn of political affairs should bring them better opportunities.

Some transfers of title were made among the legatees, but no substantial settlement was made until after the restoration of charter government in 1689. Captain Samuel Mason in 1677 transferred a thousand acre right to his brother-in-law, Captain

HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

John Brown. In 1686 Captain James Fitch sold a similar right to Josiah Standish, of Duxbury, who conveyed the same to Jacob Dingley, of Hingham, two years later. May 26th, 1688, Richard Bushnell sold to Jeremiah Ripley, also of Hingham, a similar share. Daniel Wetherell at the same date sold to Joshua Rip- ley an allotment. During the same summer also Calkins sold a right to Jonathan Hough, and Backus a right to Hough, Abel and Rudd. In this way the different shares and rights began to be transferred and their ownership divided and subdivided un- til in a short time one who should attempt to follow them would find himself in a perplexing labyrinth of titles.

For many years this tract appears to have been uninhabited and unoccupied except as an occasional hunting ground. The Indians had left it many years before, and the white settlers were slow in improving it. John Cates is said to have been the first actual settler upon it. Having bought an allotment of Dan- iel Mason at the Hither-place, he built a house upon it in the summer of 1689. Some other lots were fenced in, ground pre- pared and timber made ready for building during that summer. A division of pasture land was also laid out and distributed. The second settler is said to have been Jonathan Ginnings, who bought land of John Birchard, and took possession in 1690. Other settlers soon followed, but it is a fact which may be men- tioned as somewhat a curiosity that none of the original lega- tees made any actual settlement or improvements upon their rights. The nearest to such a thing done by any of them was that the share of Reverend James Fitch was improved by his son John ; William Backus resigned his rights to his two sons; Huntington's right was made over to a son and nephew; and John Birchard's land was occupied by two of his sons. The other legatees sold their rights, in accordance with the compact, "to wholesome inhabitants."

Some improvements were made during the year 1691. Joshua and Jeremiah Ripley, John Crane, Richard Hendee, Thomas and Joseph Huntington, William and Joseph Backus and John Lar- rabee, had broken land, built houses and established themselves in the Hither-place. This was on what is now the west side of Windham street. Crane was a blacksmith and bought land of Calkins. Hendee bought land of Captain James Fitch. It is somewhere recorded that the young Backus brothers sold their accommodations in Norwich "to remove to the new, nameless

HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

town springing up in the wilderness ten miles northwest of Norwich."

The social conditions soon began to run in the channels usual to civilized communities, as nearly as the peculiar surroundings would permit. Family affairs were not forgotten. The first child born in the settlement was a daughter to Jonathan Gin- nings, and the date was February 10th, 1691. The first public meeting of the settlers of which we have any knowledge was on the 18th of May, 1691. Joshua Ripley, Jonathan Crane, William Backus and Joseph Backus were then directed, "To run the town lines from Appaquage eight miles south, and thence south west to Willimantic River." This work was accomplished by the 28th of the same month. During this summer a grist mill was established and set in operation by Jonathan Crane. This stood on the site of the present Bingham's Mills. A pound was also constructed on the Hither-place, and preparations were made for settling at the Ponde-place. Religious services were held occasionally by the Reverend Mr. Fitch and his son Jabez. On such occasions the settlers and their families, with whatever wandering natives happened to be with them, assembled under a tree to listen to the preaching and engage in the other exer- cises of the hour. These settlers were mostly connected with the Norwich church, and attended divine worship there when- ever practicable. The old Nipmuck Path, on the east of the tract, and a rough way made by the first surveyors, connected the settlements. In the fall of that year (1691) the prospects of the settlement becoming permanent were sufficiently bright to . encourage the settlers to petition the general court of Connecti- cut to grant them a charter as a town. This resulted in the or- ganization of the town of Windham under authority of an order of the court granted May 12th, 1692, and consummated by the act of the people on the 12th of June following. Further par- ticulars of this will be found in the chapters of this work de- voted to the history of Windham town.

We have now reviewed in brief the purchases from the In- dian's and the first steps toward settlement in the two great and early sections of Windham county civilization. These are the north end and the southwestern part. There was still a large tract of undeveloped land in the southeastern part, called the Quinebaug country. Here was the third center of civilization in the present limits of the county. This Quinebaug country,

HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

extending from the junction of the Quinebaug and Assawaga rivers to the north bound of Norwich town, and from the Appa- quage or Little river eastward to Egunk, was claimed by two powerful parties,-the heirs of Governor John Winthrop and Major James Fitch as guardian of the Indian Owaneco. The Winthrop claim was founded on the deed of 1653, which has previously been noticed in particular; while Fitch was the ad- vocate of the hereditary title of the Mohegan sachems. The general court of Connecticut had to some extent recognized both claims. It had "allowed the Governor his purchase, and it had also allowed Uncas to dispose of Quinebaug lands to Owaneco."

The first land laid out in this disputed section was the six hundred acres, already mentioned as being sold from the pos- sessions of Uncas to make restitution for damages committed by his men in burning the New London county prison. This tract comprised some of the richest land in the Quinebaug valley, on both sides of the river. By deeds bearing date June 23d, 1680, it was conveyed to John, Daniel and Solomon Tracy and Richard Bushnell. They at once took possession of it and their occu- pancy was undisputed. A neck of land, below the river island, Peagscomsuck, granted by Owaneco to Fitch, was also laid out in 1680. Other large tracts in this territory were given by Owaneco to Fitch. The boundaries in these are described as follows, in part :- "Land and meadow east of the Quinebaug, bounded south on Norwich town line, thence northeast to the great brook that comes in at Peagscomsuck," (excepting that al- ready sold to John Tracy); "Land both sides the Little River. that comes in at Wequanock, bounded south on Norwich town line, west on New Plantation, land of Joshua, deceased," &c .; and " Land east side of Little River, taking all the corne and plaine, improvable land, a mile in breadth from Appaquage to the Quinebaug, bounded north on the Wabbaquasset Country, east on the Quinebaug, west on New Plantation and south on common land."

Neither Fitch nor the Winthrops attempted settlement of this land during the troubled years of the Andross administration, but as soon as practicable after the restoration of charter gov- ernment, both were in the field. This conflict of claim was a hindrance to settlement. No organized company would venture to settle upon such ground. But the natural features of the ter-

HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

ritory were attractive, and venturesome individuals, in a hap- hazard way assumed the risks and began to improve the land. The confusion of titles forbids tracing the order of settlement, as deeds subsequently pronounced invalid were not recorded on the books of the town afterward organized. The Winthrop sons, Fitz John and Wait, in October, 1690, asked the general court to confirm their title, for the benefit of those about to set- tle there, but no action was taken in that direction by the court. The plantation, however, was begun. A number of Massa- chusetts families took possession of Quinebaug land, east of the river, purchased of the Winthrops soon after 1690. The greater part of them located south of the present village of Plainfield, though some took up land as far north as the mouth of Moosup river. Most of them received deeds for their land from the Winthrops, but a few bought land from Fitch. Connecticut families were also represented in the settlers of this section. It will be interesting to know who some of these early, independ- ent settlers were, and where they had come from.

Timothy and Thomas Pierce came from Woburn; Thomas Williams from Stow; Joseph Parkhurst, Jacob Warren, and Ed- ward, Joseph and Benjamin Spalding from Chelmsford; Mat- thias Button and James Kingsbury from Haverhill; Ebenezer Harris and John Fellows from Ipswich; Isaac Wheeler, Isaac and Samuel Shepard, and their stepfather Nathaniel Jewell from Concord ; Peter Crery, James Deane, William Marsh and Edward Yeomans from Stonington: William Douglas and others from New London and that vicinity. Several sons of Captain John Gallup, of Stonington, purchased land here, and perhaps settled upon it. James Welch, Thomas Harris, James and John Deane, and Philip Bump purchased land of Fitch and John Tracy. The most northerly settlers were the young Shep- ard brothers, who were sons of Ralph Shepard, of Malden, then deceased. Their land at the mouth of the Moosup river was that which had been given by Owaneco to Samuel Lathrop, of Norwich.

Very little is known of the early days of the Quinebaug plan- tation. No organization was effected, nor indeed was any at- tempt made in that direction for several years. The settlers broke up their land, built rude habitations and made some few improvements. The valley of the Quinebaug was found to pro- duce very good crops of corn, and in spite of Fitch and Tracy

HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

injunctions, was used by the settlers as a common cornfield. Parts of this field were set aside for their Indian neighbors, who were then quite numerous, but peaceable and friendly. Fears were at first entertained on their account, and garrison houses were provided, but it does not appear that they were ever called into necessary use. No attempt was made to lay out any public highways. The old Greenwich Path had then been trodden out and led from here to Providence on the east. A continuation of it westward to Windham, became in after years a much used thoroughfare between Hartford and Providence. Besides this, rough paths were trodden out to Norwich and New London, and by means of these communication with the neighboring towns was maintained.

The double land claim of Fitch and Winthrop kept society for a long time in an unsettled condition. The friends of these conflicting claimants were at open war with each other. There was no local organization, and consequently no law to protect local interests or secure the peace of the community or the pro- tection of individual rights. The court of New London county was the nearest tribunal that had any jurisdiction here, and much violence and misdemeanor might be practiced before re- dress could be obtained through appeal to that body. Its pro- tection was, however, frequently appealed to. Cutting grass on land claimed by another, gathering crops of grain belonging to others, personal assault, refusal to pay rent, profanity and threatening the life of another, extortionate demands of land- lords and creditors, oppressive acts of officers of the law, stealing timber, hay, logs, rails and other depredations upon property and person were among the charges brought against individuals by others who had suffered from their injustice. The New Lon- don court was largely occupied with cases from the Quinebaug

country. Fines were levied and whipping and imprisonment inflicted. The Gallups were leaders of the Winthrop faction, and the largest resident landowners. One of them, according to tradition, gave such offense to the planters, by greed and over- measurement, that he was driven out of the plantation as a "land grabber." In 1699 the Winthrops attempted to bring the question of proprietorship to an issue by entering complaints against Major Fitch and Judge Tracy for entering upon lands belonging to the plaintiffs. The cases were tried before the court of common pleas for New London county, and resulted

HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

in a verdict for the defendants. An appeal was taken and the question remained unsettled indefinitely, while each party con- tinued to sell and occupy what land they could. In spite of these disturbances the Quinebaug plantation gained in numbers and strength.

We have now noticed the three first settlements of Windham county territory while in their first or unorganized condition. The brief glance which we have given to the subject of the ac- quirement of Indian title covers the whole territory of the county, with perhaps a few unimportant exceptions. Fitch, as the representative of Owaneco, claimed the northwestern part of the county, by virtue of the conveyance of the latter in 1684. More particular delineation of the acquirement of title, division of land and organization of government will be given under the particular head of each town. It may be proper to mention be- fore dismissing the subject, however, that the Whetstone coun- try, a considerable tract on the east of the Quinebaug, was owned by the colony of Connecticut and remained unoccupied for many years, though grants of land, in consideration of ser- vices rendered by individuals, were occasionally made with very indefinite descriptions. On this territory Killingly was laid out in 1708, and about the same time Voluntown was surveyed and distributed to a large number of military volunteers.

CHAPTER I.V.

EARLY EVENTS.

Windham County Organized .- General Condition of Society .- Valuations of Property and Productions .- Public Morals .- Their Houses .- Social Condi- tions .- Organization of Courts .- Court House and Jail .- Militia Organiza- tion and Training .- Woodstock Annexed to Worcester County .- Transferred to Windham County .- Organization of Probate Districts .- Emigrations of Inhabitants .- Colonization to Wyoming, N. Y .- The Susquehanna and Dela- ware Companies .- Settlement of Wyoming.

W INDHAM COUNTY was organized in 1726. By that time many improvements had been made in the wil- derness of northeastern Connecticut. The present ter- ritory then contained eight organized towns, namely, Ashford, Canterbury, Killingly, Plainfield, Pomfret, Voluntown, Wind- ham and Woodstock. Forests had been leveled, roads con- structed, streams bridged, and land subdued and brought under cultivation. The aboriginal inhabitants were fast passing away. The wigwam was superseded by the farm house, and the toma- hawk by the woodman's axe and the plow. Several hundred families were now settled here, with comfortable prospects ahead. Some favored towns had made rapid progress while others had been impeded in growth by vexatious land title con- troversies and other obstacles. In each, however, a church with a " learned and orthodox minister," and schools had been estab- lished, and military organization effected. Mills and tanneries had been set up, and public roads had been opened. By these roads each town was connected with one or all of the leading business centers of New England-Boston, Hartford and Provi- dence-and so great was the travel on these thoroughfares that almost every house on them served for a tavern. The town of Woodstock was then claimed by Suffolk county, Mass .; Wind- ham and Ashford by Hartford county; and the other five by New London county.

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History of Windham County, Connecticut, Part 5

Author: Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather) Publication date: 1889 Publisher: New York, Preston Number of Pages: 1506

Author: Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: New York, Preston
Number of Pages: 1506