History of Windham County, Connecticut, Part 74

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.

so glad if I had a whole pint of rum I drink it all down my- self." Excessive indulgence in the use of cider, and any other liquor they could lay hands on, accelerated the dying'out of these natives. Old Quaco, the last of his race, was tenderly cared for down to his last hours by the Perrin family.

In 1730 the privilege of the Great Falls was utilized by David Howe of Mendon, clothier, who purchased the point of land be- tween the Quinebaug and Mill rivers, beginning forty rods above the falls, from Captain John Sabin and his son Noah. A dwell- ing house, grist mill, malt house and dye house were soon set up and in motion, accommodating his own neighborhood and ad- jacent parts of Pomfret and Killingly. Thompson parish had now been incorporated, taking in all the east side residents north of the falls. Killingly hill was gaining new inhabitants. In- creasing development called for more roads and better traveling facilities.

Putnam as a town has been seriously incommoded by the un- certain tenure of its roads. It has been exceedingly difficult to trace the roads of three distinct towns to their original layout. In several cases it has been made evident that there was no lay- out, but that in confirmation of the modern development theory the roads were slowly evolved from Indian trails and "trod out " paths. This is very notably true of the original east side road, be- tween the Upper and High Falls, which must have existed as a trail or mode of communication from time immemorial. The road west side of the river was made, as we have seen, by order of the town of Woodstock, about 1700, crossing Mill river or Muddy brook just below Peter's brook, and thence southeast diagonally over the falls, past the old Killingly burying ground, and onward around the base of Killingly hill. In the deed describing Dea- con Eaton's farm west of the Quinebaug, the Providence road, it is said "crosseth its southeast corner," and another road passed through his land, "formerly laid out from Hartford to Mendon." This road, laid out before 1700, must have run nearly north up the Quinebaug valley and connected with what was known as the Old Connecticut Path at the crossing below the site of the present New Boston, but it was probably not a com- mon thoroughfare, as we find no other trace of it. It is alto- gether probable that there was a " trod out" road east of the river also, extending south to Plainfield and Norwich. As a matter of fact, we know that there has been such a valley road

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as far back as can be traced, that the first surveyors of this wil- derness land found a way to get there, and that a rude track had been trodden out and made passable before the actual settlement.

In consequence of the total lack of record of "Town Acts" in Killingly for more than twenty years after its organization, we are left in ignorance of its first attempts at road making. The country road, as it was called, leading from Plainfield to Boston, laid out by government before 1700, passed through Kil- lingly, and was nearly identical with the north and south road now passing through the same section. It has been twice re-sur- veyed and laid out, but no change has been made in its general bearings. The first surveyors found it easier to run their line west of Killingly hill, but in the "perambulation of 1731" the road was made to ascend "to a heap of stones on a rock upon the hill," and so on over its summit. In 1721 a cart path from Pomfret to Providence was opened under the supervision of Nathaniel Sessions, crossing the Quinebaug over Sabin's bridge, and thence over the former road cut through by Aspinwall, mak- ing it passable for wheeled vehicles. The above roads are all that can be identified prior to the establishment of Howe's mills. Efforts were then made to increase accommodations. A private road or bridle path leading from the bridge to Perrin's farm and the Gary district was improved and made a public highway, and a bridge thrown over Mill river in 1732.

Sabin's bridge was reconstructed or thoroughly repaired by Samuel Cutler, a distant relative of Captain Isaac Cutler, who was now living at the north end of Killingly hill. He then pe- titioned the general court for forgiveness of country rates, li- cense to keep a place of public entertainment, and for a commit- tee to lay out a road from Sabin's bridge over Killingly hill, past his dwelling, at a place called "The Four-fanged Oak," and eastward to intersect with the Providence road, thereby prevent- ing the long journey round the base of the hill. This new road he averred would be a great convenience to travellers, and in- deed was " now travelled on but not yet laid out." His requests were all refused, but undiscouraged he applied to the town au- thorities, who in August, 1732, warned a meeting "to consider of altering the country road that goes through the town towards Providence at the west end, in order to meet a road laid out by the town of Pomfret, at David Howe's mills." The town voted

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" not to alter the road," and thus it happens that the road lead- ing from Putnam to the north end of the Heights, was left to evolve itself, not having been laid out by lawful powers. This persistent refusal may have been caused by the fact that "Sam Cutler " was not considered as sound as some of his neighbors and was inclined to speculation. He succeeded in obtaining re- lease from rates for his services upon the bridge, but the "Four- fanged Oak Tavern " and highway passing thereby were not granted.

The petition of those honored town fathers, Captain Joseph Cady and Jonathan Eaton, for a better road to Thompson meet- ing house, met a very different reception. A committee was at once appointed to consider their needs and those of other church-goers. In point of fact they did little more than to es- tablish roads already existing in a crude form, the town having voted " that every person that shall move to this town to have any way altered or removed, it shall be done at the petitioners' cost and charge." September 12th, 1737, the committee reported a road laid out, " beginning east end of the bridge over the Quine- baug, near Mr. David Howe's, thence extending along the path or road, leading from said bridge to Captain Cady's; thence northeast by pine trees and great rock, east of an old ditch in Mr. Simon Bryant's land, to a corner between Bryant's and Wil- liam Larned's, thence in the same corner to the southeast cor- ner of Larned's fence, keeping the path leading thence to John Lee's ; thence to the brow of a hill of Deacon Eaton's land ; thence over Hosmer's field into the road to Thompson meeting house," near the site of the present residence of Mr. George H. Nichols. This connection with the West Thompson road instead of the direct road from Killingly hill to Thompson, is an indirect testimony to the existence of the valley road previously referred to as passing near Deacon Eaton's. Hosmer owned land now in the vicinity of Mechanicsville. The road from Captain Cady's, " as trod," winding back nearly to the river, so as to accommo- date William Larned, John Lee and Deacon Eaton, must have been laid nearly in the form of a horse shoe.

A bridle road with gates and bars was also allowed "as the path is trod " from Jonathan Hughes, near the country road, past the dwelling houses of John Pepper and Phinehas Lee to William Larned's ; also a bridle road from "land of Simon Bry- ant to the country road from Plainfield to Oxford, upon the path

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on which said Bryant usually travelleth from his own door to Thompson Meeting House." This bridle road is probably iden- tical with the present road passing Mr. Holland's residence. The rapid growth of this neighborhood and the need of open access to Howe's mills transformed the first named bridle road in a few years. "March 4th, 1749, Voted, to allow and accept an open road from Capt. Daniels' bridge as the road is now trod along by William Larned's house and by Phinehas Lee's and Mr. Gay's, &c., into the country road by Edmond Hughes', three rods wide, excepting through Mr. Gay's land, where there is now a stone wall on both sides, and there it is to be but two rods wide, and if the wall must be moved to make it two rods wide the surveyors that mend the road are to move the wall, and it is to be understood that the men that own the land where the road is allowed and accepted appeared in the meeting and there declared that they would give the land for the said road two rods wide as is above mentioned, and the road was allowed and accepted upon those terms." This is the ancient road now pass- ing over Parks hill and winding round to the brook near Mr. Olney's, and the moss-covered walls now tumbling into ruin are the same that Mr. Lusher Gay refused to remove in 1749.

Several changes had occurred at that date. In 1742 the Howe mills passed into the hands of Captain Nathaniel Daniels, to- gether with dwelling house, barn, malt house, shop and the whole manufacturing stock of Quinebaug valley, viz., "ye con- veniences of three coppers, two presses, one iron screw, two pairs shears, two iron bars, a blue pot, paper for pressing and sear- cloth for malting." Noah Sabin had succeeded to the mansion house and valley land of his father. Peter Aspinwall had dis- appeared from public life and was probably sleeping in his own grave yard, though no stone perpetuates his memory. Captain Joseph Cady was succeeded by his son Justice Joseph, a man of equal probity and influence, the richest man in the community, and, according to tradition, " the first man to own a coach." Wil- liam Larned died in 1747, leaving his homestead to his son, Cap- tain William, who sold the same to Isaac Parks, whose name still clings to the historic hill and neighborhood. Captain Da- vid Cady, Jonathan Cady and other descendants of Captain Cady, Sr., were settled on farms west of Killingly hill. John Felshaw had opened a popular house of entertainment at the north end of the hill. The first practicing physician of this : c-

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gion, Doctor Thomas Moffatt, had his residence upon the hill, as also Noah, youngest son of Justice Joseph Leavens. Simon Bryant died in 1748, leaving his homestead to his grandson, Si- mon Larned. Deacon Jonathan Eaton died the same year. His successor in the deacon's office, Lusher Gay, of Dedham, pur- chased the farm originally laid out to Samuel Lee in 1738. Sam- uel Perrin was rearing a large family in the pleasant Perrin homestead. Jonathan Dresser, Samuel and Seth Paine, were residents of the Quinebang valley. Captain Isaac Cutler and his numerous sons still held possession of the mills and priv- ileges of the Assawaga, eastward.

Captain Nathaniel Daniels carried on his various business en- terprises for a number of years, and was prominent in many public affairs. In 1760, he sold the whole establishment, viz., land, water privilege, mills, dwelling house, together with his " clothier's, fuller's and grist mill tools and utensils," to Benjamin Cargill, then of Mendon, Mass., a descendant of Reverend Don- ald Cargill. Captain Cargill at once took possession of his pur- chase and by shrewdness and good management increased and extended the business and became very widely known through- out the section. Rival mills at the Upper Falls now established by the sons of Deacon Eaton made business more lively. A new road to Thompson was laid out "from Capt. Daniels' land to an- other highway between Landlord Converse's and Martha Flint's " in 1763-now known as " the Mountain Road " between Putnam and Thompson, passing Origin Alton's and Stephen Ballard's. Messrs. Jared Talbot and David Perry had set up grist and saw mills upon the Assawaga at the site of the ruined Daniels' mills.

Killingly hill had now received another practicing physician, Doctor Samuel Holden Torrey, son of the famous Doctor Joseph Torrey, of South Kingston. His young wife, Anna Gould, of Branford, brought with her four slaves as part of her marriage portion. His brother, Joseph Torrey, settled east of Killingly hill, marrying a daughter of Reverend John Fisk. Deacon Ebenezer, son of William Larned, whose wife was one of the eight capable daughters of Justice Joseph Leavens, also occupied a farm on the same road near the Cutler farms. His brother, James Larned, a shrewd business man and reputed usurer, re- sided near Felshaw's tavern. Among other residents upon homesteads now within Putnam limits were Isaac Cady, Samp-

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son and Pearley, grandsons of Captain Sampson Howe, Heze- kiah and Benoni Cutler, Benjamin and Noah Leavens, Benjamin, Jonathan, Nedebiah, Joseph, David and Isaac Cady, Jonathan and Samuel Buck and Joseph Adams. West of the Quinebaug the residents were not numerous, the land being held mostly by the Perrin and Sabin families. "Cargill's bridge" below the High Falls, was rebuilt in 1770-John Grosvenor, Samuel Perrin and Benjamin Cargill, committee. An attempt to lay out a more direct road from Cargill's westward was defeated.

In the various wars in which the colonies were concerned, the future Putnam bore her proportionate share. Ensign Samuel Perrin served actively in the French and Indian war, his wife supporting her family mainly through "the hard winter" of his absence by a crop of carrots raised by her own hands. Samuel, oldest son of William Larned, served as first lieutenant of Cap- tain David Holmes' regiment. James Wilson was so unfortu- nate as to be carried captive into Canada, returning just in time to save his wife from a second marriage. As the revolutionary war came on the whole valley was stirred. The old Cady home- stead, upon the decease of Captain Joseph Cady, was purchased by Darius Sessions, son of Nathaniel Sessions of Pomfret, and then deputy-governor of Rhode Island, one of the prominent lead- ers among the revolting patriots. The house, already " old," was thoroughly reconstructed, enlarged and beautified, transformed into a stately, colonial mansion. Governor Sessions also took much pains with his grounds and farm, making, according to President James Manning, "truly wonderful " accommodations. In this fine country seat many patriots found a safe retreat from the constant alarms and perils of the seaboard, making it almost a war office and place for general consultation. Killingly hill, with its lofty banner and bonfires, the South Neighborhood Elm, a noted place of rendezvous, are memorable revolutionary local- ities. Even more sacred is the little triangular common at the junction of the Woodstock and Pomfret roads, west of the Mill river, where Captain Stephen Brown paraded with his company before marching to Cambridge after the Lexington alarm. Three giant Sabins were in this company, of whom at least one, Icha- bod, was slain at Bunker hill. Elihu Sabin was also in that bat- tle, and lived to delight many hearers with the story of his ex- periences, and especially of that last charge of ammunition which he kept in reserve until hotly pursued by a gallant British

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officer. "And did you kill him?" the boys would ask eagerly. "Well, I don't know exactly," he would answer, "but the last I saw of him he was getting off his horse."

With the adoption of the federal constitution and the quick- ening of business enterprise all over the United States, new life developed in the Quinebaug valley. Ebenezer Bundy came into possession of the Eaton farm and privileges after the removal of the Eaton families to western Massachusetts. He built a new dam or reconstructed the old one, his grist mill being set upon the rocks, near the bank of the river, the site now occupied by the north end of the mill owned by the Putnam Manufacturing Company. Great efforts were made to secure a road direct from this point to Larned & Mason's store in the South Neighbor- hood, which was now the headquarters of mercantile enterprise, but just at this juncture public men were too much occupied with the new town question to give attention to road making. Captain Cargill meantime was greatly extending his business operations, buying land east of the river, setting up a gin dis- tillery, building new mills and houses. In 1787 he completed the new grist mill, fitting it up with all the best art of the day, with three complete sets of grist mills and a bolting mill. A black- smith shop, and two trip hammers, a fulling mill, and mills to grind scythes and " churn butter " were among his achievements. Mr. Timothy Williams of Woodstock, speaks of Captain Cargill's new enterprise with much enthusiasm, "Viewed from lofts at Cargill's mills" (the first and second were used for mill pur- poses); "the third a Baptist meeting room; 4th, a large, con- venient, well replenished granary." With such accommodations and the best attendance, it was no marvel that the establishment took precedence of all other mills in the section, farmers in neighboring towns driving by their home mills because of the superior quality of Cargill's grinding.

The captain was a genial, whole-souled man, the life of the business and settlement, delighting in his large family and varied business enterprises. The rude rhyme in which he in- corporated the names of his eleven children almost parallels that of the famous " Hutchinson Family" song. His oldest daughter, Lucy Cargill, married as his second wife, Doctor Albigence Waldo, of Pomfret, the most noted physician and surgeon of his day, a man of varied gifts and attainments. Mrs. Waldo sym- pathized in her husband's literary tastes, and was herself a writer

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and poetess, especially noted for her proficiency in the " art of letter writing." Cargill's Mills was thus noted for literary society as well as a business center. The third meeting of the first medical society in,Connecticut was held at Cargill's, September, 1786. Still there were no residents at the mill beside the Cargill family and those employed by them. A block of three wooden houses was built west of the grist mill by Captain Cargill about this date, which survived some years after Putnam was made a town.

The " Pomfret Factory grave yard," west of the old factory, must have been opened at this time, as the children of Mrs. Waldo were buried there. Many of the descendants of Captain John Sabin were also buried there. His original homestead, the old historic Sabin house, had now passed into the hands of his grand- son, Cornet Jonathan. Not far from the house but on the east side of the road, so that it came within the limits of the present Putnam, stood a quaint old house with diamond windows, known as the "Silas Sabin place," and a little north of it stood the " Peter Sabin house." Silas and Peter Sabin were brothers, de- scended from Deacon Benjamin of Pomfret, who had contrived to get possession of some of the John Sabin land, for which, it was said, they paid a trifling yearly rental. The wives of Cor- net Jonathan and Silas Sabin were sisters, daughters of May, so that these three families were very closely connected. They were all of immense stature and fine singers, social and hospitable, and most heartily improved their remarkable social privileges. Still another pleasant Sabin homestead was that of the revolutionary veteran, Deacon Elihu Sabin, and his excellent wife, a favorite resort for young and old.

Land from Cornet Sabin, and other tracts from various par- ties, increased Ebenezer Bundy's farm to at least five hun- dred acres on both sides the Quinebaug. Renewed petitions for a road from Larned's store to Bundy's mills excited much discussion and some opposition in Thompson. Though much addicted to road making, this young town was chary of cost. When it was decided in 1797 that a turnpike was actually to be laid out through West Thompson, renewed efforts were made to procure a direct road from Larned's store to Bun- dy's mills at the Upper Fall, and thence west to intersect the stage road near Abel Alton's. The committee reported in fa- vor of such road, but their report was rejected again and

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again. It was not until Mr. Bundy offered to build a good substantial bridge, at his own cost, over the Quinebaug, and the owners of the land volunteered to give what was needful, fence the road and make it passable, that the town reluc- tantly consented to allow it. This road, as laid out, began twenty-six rods west side the Quinebaug, then across the river where Eaton's bridge had formerly stood, then in a straight line up hill and down to intersect the old road from Thomp- son meeting house to Cargill's, near the house of Isaac Parks. It made a very direct route from Woodstock and the Quine- baug valley to Larned's store and on to Providence, but the steepness of the hills made it a very hard road to travel, and children going to Bundy's mill on horseback were often pitched head over heels descending these declivities.

Cargill's mills had now been thrown into market. The death of Doctor Waldo, and of some of his own children, had broken the health and spirits of the good captain, and he felt unable to compete with his enterprising rival above. In his adver- tisement in 1793 he sets forth in glowing terms the peculiar advantages of his "noted inheritance," with land of the most valuable kind, water sufficient to grind three hundred bushels the dryest day ever known, and prophesies that the place "is and must be a place of great trade." In 1798 he effected a sale to Moses Arnold and John Harris, of Rhode Island. In 1800 Arnold's share of this purchase was sold to Jeremiah and Nehe- miah Knight, of Cranston. "Knight & Harris " ran the various mills and works for a few years, under the superintendence of Mr. Nehemiah Knight, afterward governor of Rhode Island. A store was now opened in one of the three Cargill houses. Some local improvements were accomplished by Mr. Knight, who be- guiled his lonely hours in this isolated valley by laying out "a solitary walk " on the tongue of land between Quinebaug and Mill rivers. This walk, rechristened "Solitaire," was long a favorite rural resort. Captain Cargill removed to Palmer, Mass., with his widowed daughter and the remnant of their families, but his name and memory were long preserved.

While for a hundred years the vicinity of Quinebaug High Falls was widely known as a crossing place, fishery and mill site, it had few residents and fewer school and religious privileges. Its scattered families attended church and school in whichsoever of the three towns they chanced to be located. During the rev-

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olutionary war a strong Baptist element developed, through the labors and influence of President Manning of Brown University. A Baptist society was organized in the Quinebaug valley, taking in residents of Pomfret and Killingly. Reverend Mr. Kelley labored with them as a pastor, holding services in convenient residences, which were well attended and productive of much good. One of the rooms in Captain Cargill's mill was used for a Baptist meeting room. Mr. Manning was very anxious to estab- lish a Latin school in this valley, to serve "as a nursery for the college," foreseeing its probable development.

Methodism met with equal favor. As early as 1792 a noted Methodist itinerant, John Allen, was allowed to hold a religious meeting in Cargill's press room. His plain and pungent preach- ing struck conviction to the hearts of the hearers. A number of young women professed conversion, and soon were gathered into a class. They were joined by three young men-Elijah Bugbee, William Gary and Noah Perrin. The latter was ap- pointed class leader, and opened the hospitable Perrin house for public services. Pomfret was included in New London circuit, and made a regular preaching station. A number of respectable families joined with the Methodists -- the Sabins, with their grand voices, Perrins, Garys, Cadys, Bucks. etc. Wonderful meetings were held in the Perrin house and Cargill's meeting room. The Methodist singing and the fervid exhortations and prayers carried everything before them. In 1795 Pomfret cir- cuit was formed, with 169 professed Methodists; Jesse Lee, pre- siding elder; Daniel Ostrander and Nathaniel Chapin, preach- ers. Though meeting much opposition from the established churches upon the hill-tops, the Methodists continued to gain ground in the valley, and became an element of much power.

Killingly hill was now an important center, with its recon- structed meeting house and military gatherings, its common being one of the amplest and finest in the county. Doctor Robert Grosvenor, now established there in medical practice, was the leading physician and surgeon. Justice Sampson Howe had opened its first store. Its tavern was kept by Captain Aaron Arnold.

Putnam's cotton manufacture dates back to remote periods, the factory opened by Mr. Smith Wilkinson below the High Falls of the Quinebaug, in 1807, being the first of the kind in Windham county, and one of the first in Connecticut. Experi-

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History of Windham County, Connecticut, Part 74

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