History of Windham County, Connecticut, Part 93

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.

mill is built of brick, and is 50 by 200 feet in size and five floors high, including one floor in the roof. The old firm of S. & H. Sayles was dissolved in 1879, by the retirement of H. C. Sayles, and in 1882 took the name of the Sabin L. Sayles Company, by the admission of Charles A. Russell into the business, which re- ceived a special act of incorporation in 1883, by which its capital stock is fixed at $200,000. The new corporation received the business and property of the former company in October, 1883. The officers of the new company were: Sabin L. Sayles, presi- dent ; Charles A. Russell, treasurer ; and Benjamin Cogswell, superintendent. The water power for this mill is supplied from a reservoir of 1,300 acres, with a fall of seventeen feet, and a Risdon water wheel of 190 horse power. A Wheelock engine of 175 horse power is kept in reserve for use in emergencies. The works now employ about 250 hands, and use about 500,000 pounds of wool annually, the product amounting to about 325,000 broad yards of cloth. Certain parts of the work are carried over at the Elmville mills, which are run in connection with this estab- lishment.

The Dayville Congregational church was organized May 23d, 1849. Its constituent members were mostly dismissed from the three Killingly churches. The church had at first about thirty- five members, and for a time seemed to prosper. The former pastor of Danielsonville church (Westfield), Reverend Roswell Whitmore, served as pastor until 1857, completing a term of eight and a half years. By a change of the mill owners and the introduction of a new class of population the church suffered a decline. Only three or four of the original members are still living here. After Mr. Whitmore the church was supplied for a while. Reverend Daniel W. Richardson was settled here in the spring of 1862, and was dismissed in the fall of 1865. About that time the church had some seventy members. Reverend F. E. M. Bachelor served the church about two and one-half years. He had also been a supply previous to this time. John H. Mel- ish came in the spring of 1868, and served the church as pastor for three years. In 1871 Mr. Bachelor returned again, remaining this time about two years. Reverend Edward S. Huntress was pastor from about 1879 to 1883. Reverend John Parsons served the church from the spring of 1883 to the fall of 1884. He was followed by Reverend Henry Kimball, who remained from 1884 to the fall of 1888. Reverend Mr. Flint, from Martha's Vine-

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yard, commenced his pastorate in June, 1889. The meeting house was built in 1849. A parsonage was built in 1871. The present resident membership of the church numbers about twenty.

St. Joseph's Roman Catholic church stands in the west part of the village. Land for its site was donated by Sabin L. Sayles, the deed for the same being dated November 29th, 1881. The lot contains about three acres, and the church was built upon it soon after the date of the deed. This section was at first made a mission of the Danielsonville church. The first priest estab- lished here was Father Thomas Ariens, who had a parochial res- idence built about 1882. About the year 1886 the pastor was changed and Father T. J. Dunn took charge. He remains at the present time.

Marvin Waite Post, No. 51, G. A. R., was organized June 23d, 1880, with thirty-five charter members. It was named in honor of a son of Hon. John T. Waite, who held the office of lieutenant and was killed in the battle of Antietam. The post was organized in Dayville, and its first officers were : Albert W. Burgess, com .; James H. Rice, S. V. C .; James Adams, J. V. C .; Albert A. Ar- nold, adjt .; Thomas W. Stevenson, O. of D. The following have served successively as commanders of the post : Albert W. Burgess, 1880-81; James Rice, 1882 ; Thomas Stevenson, 1883; Newton Phillips, 1884-85; Henry E. Baker, 1886; Jabez R. Bowen, 1887; Alexander Bryson, 1888; Caleb Blanchard, 1889. The present membership is about thirty-five. The post meets in G. A. R. Hall in Webster's building. A Woman's Relief Corps, No. 31, is attached to it. This was organized in March, 1888. Miss Elizabeth M. Sayles has been president of it since its organization.

Assawaga Lodge, No. 20, A. O. U. W. (Ancient Order of United Workmen) was instituted at Dayville May 29th, 1883, with nine- teen charter members. The first officers were : Day F. Lovett, past master workman; Charles J. Sweet, master workman ; Newton Phillips, foreman; W. P. Kelly, receiver; Eugene Peck, overseer; F. W. Bennett, recorder; F. H. Cummings, financier. Successive master workmen have been: Charles J. Sweet, 1883; F. W. Bennett, 1884-85; Calvin H. Frisbie, 1886; A. H. Bosworth, 1887; Doctor H. L. Hammond, 1888; Charles E. Young, 1889. The present membership is about eighty. The lodge is in a flourishing condition. It has lost

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

two members by death-Charles J. Sweet and Benjamin Cogs- well, the families of each of whom received $2,000 benefit from the lodge.

John Lyon Lodge, No. 45, Knights of Pythias, was organized at Dayville February 27th, 1888, with fifty members at the com- mencement. The lodge was named after Past Grand Chancellor Lyon, of the state, who had then recently died. The first officers were : H. L. Hammond, P. C .; W. H. Edwards, C. C .; John B. Tucker, V. C .; G. E. King. P .; James Purnett, M. of E. ; E. M. Randall, M. of F .; F. J. Sayles, K. of R. & S .; George S. Brown, M. of A. ; N. E. Bowen, I. G .; H. M. Burgess, O.G. The officers for the term beginning July, 1888, were: C. A. Stokes, C. C .; George S. Brown, V. C .; H. F. Harrington, P. Officers begin- ning January, 1889, were : George S. Brown, C. C .; H. F. Har- rington, V. C., to May 7th, 1889, when he resigned and Thomas Richmond was elected in his stead; Fred. A. Hopkins, P. The lodge has a nicely furnished hall in Sayles' Building, called Pythian Hall. The furniture and equipments, including a cab- inet organ, cost about $600, and the lodge has a financial show- ing of $900 in bank. It is in a prosperous condition, and the membership has now reached about seventy. Mr. H. S. Garce- lon, of this lodge, is District D. G. C. for the Thirteenth district, which includes Danielsonville, Dayville and Putnam. The mem- bership of the lodge includes nearly all the business men of the village and vicinity, including congressman Charles A. Russell and others of wide reputation.

Division No. 1, of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, was or- ganized in May, 1888. The following officers were then elected, and they remain to the present time unchanged; William Pen- dergast, president; Henry Quinn, vice-president ; Philip Moffatt, recording secretary ; John J. Quinn, financial secretary ; Peter Flinn, treasurer. The present membership of the lodge is about twenty.

At Williamsville on the Quinebaug, in the western border of the town, is a factory village, the initial factory of which was erected by Caleb Williams in 1827. That first mill was what is now the north wing of the mill, in size 144 by 44 feet and four stories high. After Williams the mill was owned by S. & W. Foster. In 1849 they formed a corporation composed of Sam- uel and William Foster and John Atwood. The company has remained to the present time, except that some of the owner-

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

ship has passed to the heirs of individual owners. The original Samuel Foster, however, is still the president and treasurer of the company. H. C. Atwood is now secretary and assistant treasurer. The present main building is 417 feet long by 49 feet wide and four stories high. Of the length of the build- ing 165 feet was built in 1860, and the remaining 252 feet length was built in 1876. The entire building, old and new, is of stone. It contains 600 looms and 23,000 spindles. Cot- ton shirtings are manufactured. Water is used, and four steam boilers stand ready to do the work when the four water wheels fail to furnish power sufficient. H. C. Atwood is the superin- tendent of the works. The village which surrounds the mill belongs to the company. There are 105 tenements. A building for school and church has been built by the company for the vil- lage. A school is kept by the district in the basement, and the upper room is used for a church. The building was erected about 1868.

A Congregational church was organized here June 4th, 1883, with about thirty members. The first minister serving as pas- tor was Reverend E. S. Huntress, who served the church up to February, 1884. He was followed by Reverend A. C. Hurd, who came in May, 1884, and stayed till October, 1885. Reverend O. D. Hine began his ministry in December, 1885, and remains to the present time. The church has at present about thirty-five members. The Sunday school in connection with it numbers about sixty.

The borough of Danielsonville was created by an act of as- sembly in May, 1854. The boundaries given in the charter are as follows, comprising parts of the towns of Killingly and Brook- lyn: " Beginning at a stake and stones southeast of the Kies tavern, so called, thence north 19} degrees east, four hundred and twenty-five rods, to a heap of stones on the north side of the road leading east from the house of David Fisher; thence north 67 degrees west, two hundred and four rods to a white oak tree on the north side of the road leading from Westfield to the house of Jacob Danielson, a little east of the bridge over Five Mile river ; thence north 522 degrees west, thirty-eight rods on the north side of said road to a turn in the same; thence north 70 degrees west, eighty rods, to a heap of stones by a wall in Jacob Danielson's meadow; thence south 182 degrees west, four hundred and seventy-three rods and twelve links, to a stake

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

and stones eight rods southwest of the Cundall barn; thence south 712 degrees east, three hundred and seven rods and five links, to the first mentioned bound." The officers of the borough were to consist of a warden, six burgesses, a clerk, treasurer and bailiff, to be annually chosen on the second Monday in April. By the terms of the charter the first meeting of the borough was held at Rothwell's Hall, July 8th, 1854. Rothwell's Hall is now C. H. Bacon's furniture store.

In form the borough is nearly square; the easterly line is 425 rods long, the westerly line 473 rods, the southerly line 307 rods, and the northerly line 322 rods. It contains 883 acres, including ponds, rivers and all surfaces. The total length of streets in the borough is nine miles and seventy-four rods, all but 289 rods of which are on the Killingly side. In July, 1868, the legisla- ture amended the charter so as to give the borough the super- vision of street repairs, but in May, 1881, this right was relin- quished to the towns. The streets were first named by the borough authorities May 22d, 1862, and the sidewalks laid out and established. The borough hall was built in May, 1868, at a cost of $2,700, the lot on which it stood costing $300 additional. The growth of the borough may be inferred from the following sta- tistics. The number of houses and amount of taxable property in the borough at different dates have been as follows: 1855, 195, $176,680; 1862, 216, $225,156; 1867, 248, $862,589; 1870, 299, $1,- 104,426; 1875, 341, $1,131,895; 1880, 367, $1,129,563; 1884, 378, $1,- 215,786; 1889, 428, $1,350,110. There are in the borough forty- seven buildings, exclusive of dwellings, used as stores, school houses, churches, mills, shops and manufactories. In 1861 the population of the borough was 2,190. In 1885 it was 3,215. Of the last number the population on the Brooklyn side was 1,140, while that of the Killingly side was 2,075. Of the population of the borough Americans number 1,866, and French number 1,346. Of the Americans there are 267 on the Brooklyn side and 1,599 on the Killingly side. Of the French population there are 873 on the Brooklyn side, and 476 on the Killingly side. Of the American population in the borough there are 831 males and 1,035 females. Of the French population there are 582 males and 767 females. Of the American population 674 are under 21 years of age, and of the French population 872 are under 21 years of age.

The wardens of the borough have been as follows: George Danielson, 1854; A. D. Lockwood, 1855 ; Horatio Webb, 1856-61;

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

W. C. Tucker, 1862; E. L. Cundall, 1863-64; Samuel Hutchins, 1865; L. H. Rickard, 1866; Abner Young, 1867-68 ; Anthony Ames, 1869; B. F. Chapnian, 1870-71 ; George Leavens, 1872-73; E. R. Burlingame, 1874; L. H Rickard, 1875-76 ; B. A. Bailey, 1877; Anthony Ames, 1878; L. H. Rickard, 1879; Thomas J. Evans, 1880; William H. Chollar, 1881; M. P. Dowe, 1882; Joshua Perkins, 1883-85; George Jencks, 1886; Frederick A. Jacobs, 1887: Sidney W. Crofut, 1888-89.

The borough clerks have been as follows: Amasa Dowe, 1854 -56; Joshua Perkins, 1857-62; O. P. Jacobs, 1863-68; M. P. Dowe, 1869-71; C. N. Capron, 1872-75; C. H. Keach, 1876-80; E. L. Palmer, 1881-87; C. C. Young, 1888-89. The borough treasurers were William B. Tobey, 1854-55; William B. Knight, 1856-57 ; Joshua Perkins, 1858-62; O. P. Jacobs, 1863-68; M. P. Dowe, 1869-71; H. N. Clemons, 1872-73; C. N. Capron, 1874-75; C. H. Keach, 1876-80; E. L. Palmer, 1881-87; C. C. Young, 1888-89.

The borough at a very early date gave attention to protecting its people and their property against accidental fires. It was voted October 16th, 1854, that a fire engine should be purchased. The engine was purchased in Troy, N. Y., March 19th, 1855, at a cost of $990, and the burgesses named it the "Quinebaug." April 4th, 1855, the borough voted to purchase 500 feet of leather hose at 80 cents a foot. Minnetexit Fire Company was organized July 11th, 1855, and the name of the engine was changed to "Minnetexit," to correspond. A hook and ladder company was organized August 15th, 1855, with ten ladders and hooks, and the borough voted to purchase 300 feet of leather hose. Trucks for ladders and hooks were purchased in July, 1873, at a cost of $500. The steam fire engine, "Gen. Putnam," was purchased March 14th, 1878, of the Silsby Manufacturing Co., of Seneca Falls, N. Y., at a cost of $3,550.

In order to provide means for the successful operation of this apparatus the borough voted to build ten cisterns, August 21st, 1866; and September 15th, 1882, voted to build two more on the Brooklyn side, the first ten being on the Killingly side. These were built in the following locations: 1. Corner Mechanic and Academy streets; 2. Main street near Congregational church; 3. Main street near Logee's bakery; 4. Corner Main and North streets, near B. F. Chapman's; 5. Corner Mechanic and Oak streets, near William A. Chase's; 6. Reynolds street, near Thomas Brad- ford's; 7. Cottage street, near Bond street, near Loren Bates'; S.

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Corner Furnace and Franklin streets, near M. V. Woodworth's; 9. Broad street, near Christian hill; 10. Corner Winter and Spring streets, near Anthony Ames'; 11. Main street (Brooklyn side), near J. K. Green's; 12. Same street, near William Chapman's. No. 1 contained 447 hogsheads and cost about $500. The remaining eleven had each a capacity of 250 hogsheads, and cost $300 each. The borough is about to be supplied with water by the Crystal Water Company, of Boston, who are now at work putting in the pipes to supply the streets with water. A conduit from a reservoir, about three miles northeast of the borough, brings water down to the village, and another reservoir, on a hill near the village, is being constructed for high pressure pur- poses, to be used in cases of fire. This will give a pressure of seventy-five pounds to the square inch at the railroad cross- ing on Main street.

Street lights were established in May, 1882. The lamps and lamp posts, ninety-four in number, cost $7.25 each, and are owned by the borough. The burners are owned by the Globe Gas Light Company, who hold patents upon them. The lamps are lighted by this company for six cents per burner per night, for twenty nights every month. The Quinebaug Com- pany owns and lights six gas lamps for the borough on the same terms, making a round hundred lamps lighted at the expense of the borough. Electric lights are now being talked of, and negotiations are pending which will probably give the borough the benefit of them very soon, perhaps by the time this work comes into the hands of its readers.

The village is named after a Mr. Danielson who built a grist mill at this place many years ago, some notice of which has already been given in another chapter. The present vil- lage is the growth of but half a century. In that time it has gained a remarkable degree of maturity. Its streets are well laid out, handsomely shaded and lined with neat and home- like residences, though but few of them are gorgeous in ap- pearance. Upon the completion of the Norwich & Worcester railroad the depot became the central point about which the vil- lage was destined to grow up. Business and manufacturing be- gan on the opposite side of the river, but came over to the rail- way station, where now we find a large number of stores, churches, hotels, banks and other institutions. The principal in- dustrial support of the village is its manufacturing interest.

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

The largest establishment in this line, the Quinebaug mills, it is said furnishes the means of support for about one-third of the inhabitants of the village. The Quinebaug here is a powerful stream, and the Assawaga joins it at this point, in the lower part of the village. Very substantial bridges have been built over these streams at this place. An iron bridge over the Quinebaug was built a few years since, at a cost of about $9,000, the expense of which was divided between the towns of Killingly and Brook- lyn. Mr. Ezekiel R. Burlingame was first selectman at the time and was instrumental in having it built. A stone arch bridge was built over the Assawaga, near its junction with the Quine- baug, at a cost of $5,000. This bridge was completed in the early part of 1889.

In the great flood of 1886 this town did not suffer so heavily as some other towns did, but the event was one which is not soon to be forgotten. An account given at the time draws the follow- ing picture:

"As long as they live, the youngest people of the present gener- ation will never forget the exciting experiences of the great freshet of February, 1886. Early Friday evening the pouring warm rain upon the large amount of snow on the streets of the village, and the fields and roads in the vicinity, brought appre- hension of a severe freshet to many minds, especially to the agents and others connected with the manufacturing corpora- tions. By 10 o'clock Main street and the sidewalks were a river. At the corner of Spring street and near the Monument the water was high enough to cover rubber boots, and pedestrians who were out at that late hour reached their homes in the west part of the village with difficulty. Saturday morning the walks on either side of Main street were covered with light clay that must have come from a considerable distance.

" At early daylight a tide of people began to move toward the iron bridges across the Five Mile river, where the mad rushing waters seemed bent on the greatest possible amount of damage. Hundreds of people were at this spot all day, and one seemed fascinated as the surging tide rushed against the abutments and swept in a wild current over the dam, then under the bridges and dashed against the rocky impediments below. One crowd would leave the spot and move on to the Quinebaug river, where even a more fascinating spectacle would meet the eyes of the spectators, only leaving space for other groups; and so the pro-

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

cession kept passing through the day. The mills were stopped on account of back water, and in fact business of all kinds seemed to be suspended in the village for the day.

"Early in the day Selectman Burlingame sent a party out for two long timbers, and these were joined to the upper iron bridge by heavy chains, and this precaution was not taken any too soon, for in a few hours one side of that bridge began to settle. These heavy timbers alone saved it, and probably both, for if one had gone the other would probably have followed it. The loss will be only hundreds of dollars instead of thousands by this timely move.

"In the Quinebaug river the volume of water was immense, and as cakes of ice, wood and other heavy things struck the piers and embankments of that long bridge, there seemed danger that it might succumb to the furious assault, and that communication between Danielsonville and Brooklyn people-who have so many interests in common-would be imperiled for a season. And the danger began to be more imminent as the waters began to make a perceptible breach in the northwest embankment. By evening half of this embankment, reaching back more than a dozen feet, had been swept away, and the north side of the bridge hung over the river without any apparent support. The break, however, stopped, and the bridge is saved, to the surprise and gratification of the people of both towns. About noon, Sat- urday, the foot bridge across the Quinebaug river, belonging to the Quinebaug Company, after quivering for a time from the at- tack of ice, etc., gave way, and the debris went on its rapid course toward Long Island Sound. Water entered the old Tif- fany Mill, belonging to the Quinebaug Company, until it was nearly three feet deep in the first story."

Great interest has been taken in the public schools of this vil- lage. Two graded schools are in operation, one in each town. Commodious brick buildings have been erected, one in each dis- trict. The borough on the east side of the Quinebaug is District No. 1, of Killingly, while that part of the borough which lies west of the river is No. 9, of Brooklyn. In the former there are about 537 scholars, and in the latter 347. The school in No. 1 is accommodated in a handsome brick building, built in the sum- mer of 1871 at a cost of about $25,000. A high school, which is carried on in this building, belongs to the whole town, and re- ceives pupils from any district in the town without charge. The

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

high school was opened December 6th, 1871, and the first class graduated from it in 1872. Up to the present time the total num- ber of graduates has been 119. This school, including the graded school connected with it in the same building, employs ten teachers. The school in District No. 9, in Brooklyn, has an attendance of about three hundred, and employs five teachers. The building is a handsome brick structure, and was erected about the same time or a little previous to the other. The ca- pacity of these schools is hardly sufficient for the growth of the village, but they will be relieved by the opening of the Cath- olic parochial school, which is to accommodate a large percent- age of the foreign population.

Under the supposition that the remnant of the church which had worshipped in the Breakneck meeting house would recog- nize and allow their minister to hold services in it, some enter- prising persons built a meeting house in the western part of Killingly, in 1798. But being disappointed in their expectations, they proceeded to organize a church in the western locality and cut loose from the old church. Doctor Penuel Hutchins and Mr. Robert Howe gave the building site for this new house. The organization of the church was effected by a council, of which Reverend Josiah Whitney was moderator, August 25th, 1801. It was called the Church of West Killingly. The following were its constituent members: Zadoc Spalding, Boaz Stearns, Abigail Stearns, Zadoc Hutchins, James Danielson, Penuel Hutchins, Samuel Stearns, Shubael Hutchins, Elizabeth Hutch- ins, Mary Stearns, Sarah L. Danielson, Hannah Spalding and Anna Kies. The first pastor of the church was Gordon Johnson of Farmington, ordained December 12th, 1804. It made but slow advances for several years. The only additional members during its first eleven years of existence were the pastor and four women.

Mr. Johnson was dismissed from the pastorate in 1809. His successor, Reverend Roswell Whitmore, son of an old Killingly family that had removed to Ashford, was ordained January 13th, 1813. Mr. Whitmore was a man of much life and energy, ready to engage in any form of Christian labor, and the church was rapidly built up. James Danielson and Shubael Hutchins were installed deacons in March, 1813. For many years the church increased in proportion to the growth of the surrounding vil- lages, and enjoyed many seasons of special religious interest.

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.

Its Sabbath school was among the oldest in the county, being organized and well established in 1820. Isaac T. Hutchins, one of some fifty converts who joined the church that year, was elected superintendent. Testaments furnished by the town Bible society served for text book and library. The sessions were chiefly occupied in reciting Scripture verses that had been committed to memory. The revival of 1832 brought into this church about one hundred and fifty members. Adam B. Dan- ielson and Warren Stearns were chosen deacons in 1828. The various benevolent societies connected with this church were well sustained. Mr. Whitmore retained the pastorate until May 2d, 1843. He was succeeded by Reverend Thomas O. Rice, or- dained January 1st, 1845, and dismissed March 25th, 1856. Rev- erend Thomas T. Waterman was installed as pastor here Janu- ary 18th, 1858, and dismissed January 30th, 1861. Reverend William W. Davenport was ordained August 21st, 1861, dis- missed September 30th, 1868. Reverend Jeremiah Taylor was installed May 12th, 1869, and dismissed December 30th, 1871. Reverend Adelbert F. Keith was installed October 13th, 1874, and dismissed May 15th, 1877. Reverend James Dingwell has been pastor from December 1st, 1877, to the present time. -

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History of Windham County, Connecticut, Part 93

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