USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Goshen > History of the town of Goshen, Connecticut, with genealogies and biographies based upon the records of Deacon Lewis Mills Norton, 1897 > Part 27
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47
This important discovery brought his name at once before the world at large, and was not slow in earning its reward. The Royal Astronomical Society presented him with a gold medal, and he was given the Salande prize from Paris.
Since that time his work has been recognized as it should.
351
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
He has become a member of the most important scientific societies of this country, and an honorary member of the royal scientific societies of England, France, and Russia. The two best universities of the country, Yale and Harvard, have re- warded him with honorary degrees and both given him that of LL.D. The very last honor conferred upon him is the Arago Medal, presented by the French Academy.
Personally, Professor Hall is a fine-looking man. He is tall and broad. His forehead is high and deep. His eyes are clear and bright in spite of years spent gazing at the stars. He has always been strong and healthy. He is fond of the open air and has always taken exercise. So in spite of his long years of hard work he is now in perfect health. He is pleasant toward those who wish to learn anything from him. His writings have appeared mainly in astronomical magazines and in the government reports of the work done in the Naval Observa- tory. They are all of a practical astronomical character and consequently are of little interest to most readers. He has often been asked to write something of a popular character, but so far he has never consented. Possibly, some time in the future he may consent to write something of popular interest about astronomy.
Since his retirement from active connection with the Naval Observatory in 1891, Professor Hall has kept up his work in Astronomy. He has worked steadily at his home and at the Observatory, where he still had a room for several years after his retirement. In 1896 he finished his computations on the perturbations in the orbit of the asteroid Neumasa, a work which occupied him a year and a half. In the spring of 1896 he received an appointment as lecturer at Harvard University for the year 1896-97, and he is now (January, 1897) giving a course of lectures on Celestial Mechanics to a small but en- thusiastic class of students in Cambridge.
Professor Bernadotte B. Perrin was born at Goshen, Sep-
35.2
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
tember 15, 1847. His father, the Rev. Lavalette Perrin, D.D., pastor of the Congregational Church, was a graduate of Yale, of the class of 1840, and was for many years, and up to the time of his death, in 1889, a member of the corporation of that University. The attention of the boy, therefore, was, naturally, and very early, turned towards that great institu- tion. Yale was to be the goal of his youthful studies, and also the destination to which the course of events would lead him in mature life, and the scene of his principal triumphs in erudite scholarship and vital, attention-compelling instruction. He at- tended the district school and the country academy at Goshen, then the graded schools at New Britain, whither his family had removed, and finally, for two years, the Hartford High School. He was graduated at Yale in 1869, having as class- mates there some such notable men as President Scott of Rutgers College, and Professor Beers of Yale, Terry of the University of Tokio, Japan, and Phelps of Smith College. He took prizes in English, and his standing in scholarship gave him a " Philosophical Oration," a rank which college men, aware of the application and kind of intelligence it involves, well know how to appreciate.
After graduation, Prof. Perrin entered upon his life work of teaching; first, however, having passed a brief period at the Yale Theological Seminary, and a longer one in post-graduate study, at the end of which he took the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. He began as a teacher of mathematics at his old school, the Hartford High School, was next a tutor in Greek at Yale, then returned again for a couple of years to the Hart- ford High School as its vice-principal. In 1876 he went to Europe, studied at the German universities, and traveled ex- tensively. When he came back from Europe in 1878, he took up his former position of tutor in Greek at Yale, but only to pass almost immediately again to the vice-principalship of the Hartford High School, which well-arranged, well-managed in-
.
353
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
stitution seems to have attracted him with a recurrent power of magnetism hard to resist. Nevertheless, when called to Adelbert College, or Western Reserve University, the educa- tional center of that prosperous region which was in its origin an overflow colony from Connecticut, and which was largely settled from Goshen, he accepted the call. This was in 1881, and he remained there nearly twelve years. His professor- ship was that of Greek; but he was not to be a mere Greek professor, of the dull and dry old school. He threw himself into instruction in this bygone tongue in a way that, besides bringing out the fine mental discipline it contains, made it live, and seem, to his interested students, the voice of a bright, enterprising, keen-witted, artistic, and courageous people. In 1890, he went to Greece, the fair land itself, that was the in- spiration of the famous works of literature. He interested himself much in the American School at Athens, the agency which is doing so much to give these studies a new human in- terest, and remove growing prejudice against them on the part of some over " practical " minds who would have them con- sidered obsolete. He was the companion there of such dis- tinguished archaeologists as Dörpfeld and Willamowitz, and at Troy, of the great excavator, Schlieman, himself. It is neces- sary to show mere readers of ancient texts that the Greeks lived, that they were warm and breathing men. The result of this visit to Greece was a well-equipped department of Greek archaeology at Adelbert, showing to a creditable extent the arts, the surroundings of daily life of the men who left us the Iliad and Electra, the Dialogues of the Dead, and the Re- treat of the Ten Thousand. Prof. Perrin has kept up his in- terest in the American School at Athens, and for many years past has been a member of its managing committee and the chairman of its committee on publications.
At length, in 1892, he was called back to Yale - where he had modestly begun as a tutor - as full Professor of Greek,
23
354
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
a distinction merited by his course while on his excursion out into the world as narrated. He is considered as a most helpful, inspiring teacher. A younger man, also now a professor at Yale, speaks to me of him as the influence and involuntary prompter that made grateful to him, and drew him into, the same field of classical pursuits. Professor Perrin throws him- self with especial zest into the history and drama of the Greeks. There is probably nobody in Connecticut, at least, who knows half as much as he of Grecian history. In teaching the drama, he himself unconsciously develops a dramatic qual- ity, he acts it out; thus taught it cannot fall upon deaf ears. At the present writing, he is giving lectures and courses of study on the social and political life of the Greeks, as dis- closed in their old Athenian comedies and other literature. This is as it should be: once let a waft of the fragrance of Hy- mittus, a sense of the beauty of the broken marbles, of the misty blue islands on the voyage of Ulysses, and the wine-col- ored sea under his keel, be brought over the ocean to our side, and the class-room takes on a new complexion; there need no longer be talk of the uselessness of the study of the dead lan- guages.
Professor Perrin is president of the American Philological Association; and his opinion is highly respected besides in all matters of classical archaeology. For publication, he has put forth numerous papers in the transactions of the association above named, and in the American Journal of Philology. He published, in 1889, an edition of Caesar's Civil War. His lengthiest and most important work is an edition of the first twelve books of the Odyssey, included in the College Series of Greek Authors, of Ginn & Co. It has been in progress ever since 1889, appearing in successive volumes, and will be finally completed during the present year.
Professor Perrin's home at New Haven is an unusually bright, sunny, tasteful one, on the fine residence street known
355
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
as Whitney avenue. It looks off to the stately old " Whitney Place," with its spacious grounds on the south, and to the most characteristic landmark of New Haven scenery, the great red cliff of East Rock, on the east. He married a relative, Miss Luella Perrin, in 1881, of which marriage two sons were born. Bereft of this true helpmeet in 1889, he married, in 1892, Miss Susan Lester, daughter of Judge C. S. Lester of Saratoga, New York.
356
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
. CHAPTER XX.
MERCHANTS IN GOSHEN.
Merchants and the Cheese Trade.
John Smith, Jr., came to Goshen from Farmington. He lived in the old house then on the east side of East street, a little north of the road leading from East street to Hart Hol- low. It appears from an old account book of Nathanael Stan- ley, that he opened an account on the 21st day of September, 1745, with "John Smith, Goshen, Merchant," and doubtless he was the first merchant in the town. After two removals, in 1747 and 1750, he removed to the Center street, where he built a house on the east side of the road, a little south of op- posite the road west to Town Hill. At this place he continued to trade until the time when Uri Hill commenced business on West street, December 22, 1762. He also kept a tavern at this place. For several years he was successful; but, becoming in- temperate in his habits, he failed in business. A part of his business was the making of potash, by the brook a few rods east of the meeting-house, and this will explain to the boys and girls of this and future generations, how it happens that their winter skating-ground has been called "The Potash," for so many years.
John Dibble came to Goshen with his father about 1743. His house was on the west side of the present road, passing the Brooks place, on the south side of Brushy Hill, on or near the west line of the Esquire's Farm, and about 150 rods north from the Litchfield line. Here he was engaged in trade for several years. At the first, for two or three years, his goods were kept in his house; after which he built what was called
357
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
" the red store." He was an energetic man, but did not manage his business wisely. He became involved, was forced to sell his property, and failed. He deeded his property to Isaac Mann, of the city of New York, to whom he had become in- debted for the sum of 350 pounds. This was July 19, 1763, and was the close of his business here.
John North came to Goshen from Farmington, in 1745.' He built the Blue House and commenced the mercantile busi- ness there, according to accounts, probably correct, as early as November, 1751. In the summer of 1761 he is called a " mer- chant," in the accounts of Nathanael Stanley. As a trader he was cotemporary with John Dibble, and it is not a little remarkable that they were forced to sell their homes at about the same time.
Uri Hill was born in Wallingford and died in Goshen of small-pox, December 29, 1766. The disease was contracted while in New York, buying goods. His house was on the west side of West street, about twenty rods south of the family graveyard, at the place where the road leaves West street for Town Hill. The north part of his house was devoted to mer- cantile purposes. From the books of Nathanael Stanley it ap- pears that he was trading as early as August, 1759. He did a thriving business, was much respected, but had feeble health and a weak constitution.
Isaac Pratt was born in Hartford, March 8, 1734, and died in (toshen, September 3, 1814. He made his first purchase in Goshen, March 9, 1759, of Asa Hill, of land in the south part of the town, where he always afterward lived. His house was on the east side of the road, on the same ground occupied as a residence by Watts Brooks, about 60 rods north of the Litchfield line. He was a man of good ability and character, esteemed in private life, and was frequently called to sustain the common offices of the town. He was active during the War of the Revolution and well-sustained the reputation of a
358
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
patriot. His name frequently occurs in our Goshen Revolu- tionary history. Like most of his compatriots he was original in his spelling as well as in many other things that make a man's character interesting. The following entry is found on the last page of one of his day books: "June 26, 1776, to Sun- dres of Stoers Set out for the North Army 100. 0 , 0."
As giving an indication of the trade in those days I copy from the same book the following items in the order in which they are recorded:
" John Wadhams Det to two Galons Rhum 0, 9, 0
Ebenezer Buel Juner Det to a Galon Rhum 0, 4, 6
David Landon Det to a Galon of Rhum 0, 4, 6
Zachues Griswold Det to 2 Qts of Rhum 0, 2,3
Jonathan Buel Capt Det to a Galon of Rhum 0, 4, 6
Joseph How Det to a Galon of Rhum
0, 4, 6
Mr Nuel Reverend paster Det to 2 Quarts of Rhum
2, 0
John Hoy Det to 8 Galons of Sider John Hoy Ord By Money 0, 4, 6"
It will be noticed above that the clergy, then, as now, ob- tained a discount from regular prices.
Ephraim Starr came to Goshen from Middletown, and was employed as clerk in the store of Uri Hill, on West street, at the time of his employer's death. After his death he con- tinued in the store and attended to the business of settling the estate for the executor. He married the widow of Mr. Hill in 1769. He continued the business for several years, and was greatly prospered. After the close of the Revolutionary War his facilities for business were greatly increased. Before the British troops had left New York he went to the city and purchased of persons who were connected with them and who wished to leave there a large quantity of goods at a very low price. These goods were brought to his store, and it is safe to say that they were not sold at a low price. Just at that time there was no other merchant in the town, but one in Litchfield, none in Norfolk, Cornwall, or Torrington, and the people in
359
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
Litchfield traded as much with him as with their own mer- chant. Mr. Starr bought large quantities of produce from the farmers, butter, cheese, pork, and many white ash oars. For this produce he paid no money but always in goods from his store. He employed many teams in the transportation of this produce to New Haven and Derby, and in bringing back the goods for his store. This was all done by teams of oxen and with carts or sleds.
John Carrington purchased of Nathanael Stanley, Jr., February 24, 1769, the land on which he built his house, on the west side of East street, a few rods south of the grave- yard. He commenced trading at this place, built a store south of his house, and did a small business in this way for two or three years, before Lewis & Norton commenced business. He went to New York to purchase goods, caught a fever, came home and died in 1783. He was in comfortable circumstances, and was somewhat noted for keeping good horses and oxen.
Daniel Miles purchased, December 3, 1778, of Stephen Hopkins of Waterbury, the farm then lately owned and occu- pied by Barnabas Beach, northeast of the East street grave- yard. Soon after this (his second purchase in Goshen) he built the room on the south end of the house and commenced trad- ing there. Before this he followed his trade of carpenter, and is said to have been the master-workman at the building of the meeting-house in Goshen, in the spring of 1770. During the War of the Revolution he was intrusted with various offices in the town connected with the prosecution of the war, pur- chasing provisions for the army, etc.
His trade was never very great or profitable. About the close of the war, a large number of men in Goshen united to form a mercantile company and placed Mr. Miles at the head of it. It was designedly in opposition to Mr. Starr, and orig- inated in dislike to him, and in the wish to share the profits of the trade which he had so long monopolized. There were
360
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
thirty-two men associated in the enterprise, of whom the fol- lowing only are recollected :- Abijah Holbrook, Fisk Beach, Samuel Hopkins, Abraham Parmelee, Cyprian Collins, Ste- phen Goodwin, Medad Hills, William Stanley, Moses Lyman, Isaac Pratt, Jonathan Buell, Amasa Cook, James Thompson, Jonathan Kettle, Solomon Wadhams, Nathan Holbrook, and Giles Griswold.
This association, embracing a large proportion of the sub- stantial business men of the town, did not succeed very well, although for a time they had a brisk trade. The partners with- drew from the concern, one by one, without much, if any, loss. At that time a great many of the inhabitants were en- gaged in making oars. In fact, they furnished the most con- siderable article of barter and transportation from the town. Mr. Starr would take but few of these, and for these few he would pay but three farthings a linear foot and in goods from his store. This company took all the oars that were offered, paying in goods. A large stock was accumulated, and was not cared for properly, but permitted to lie out uncovered, exposed to all weathers, until they became stained and dirty in appear- ance. Abijah Holbrook was at length sent to New York with the entire stock, to dispose of them if possible. For some time the case appeared hopeless, when a French man of war came into the harbor. He commenced negotiations, which ended in his selling the entire lot to the French captain. He was paid the specie for them, and returned to Goshen to glad- den the hearts of not a small number of the people.
Birdsey Norton entered into a partnership with Elihu Lewis, October 26, 1785. Mr. Lewis then lived at the place so long occupied by his father, Ebenezer Lewis, on the east side of East street, where the turnpike from Hartford comes in from the southeast. In the north part of this house the goods were kept. Their business was quite large. By their books it appears that this partnership was dissolved about the
361
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
last of the year 1793, and that the partnership of Lewis & Lyman commenced about the same time. Moses Lyman of Middle street was the new partner of Mr. Lewis.
Birdsey Norton built a new store in 1793-94. It stood a little northwest from his old house, and but a few feet from it. In this store he continued to do a large mercantile busi- ness until the time of his death, March 27, 1812.
Samuel Richards was one of the clerks of Lewis & Norton. He continued in the store with Mr. Norton until Nathaniel Norton and Birdsey established a store in Canandaigua, N. Y., when he went.there. He was a talented young man - never married - and lived but a few years after he went to Canan- daigua. John C. Bush was there as a clerk after Richards left and later came in as a partner, afterwards going into business in New Haven. Theron Beach became a member of the firm when Bush left, and the firm remained Birdsey Norton & Co. until his death. Mr. Norton was an active business man and possessed good judgment.
The expense of taking a load to New Haven and bringing one back was 3 pounds 10 shillings. The merchants paid .5 pence a pound for cheese; sold salt for 7 shillings, 6 pence a bushel; very dark sugar for 6 pence per pound; New England rum for 2 shillings and 6 pence and 3 shillings per gal- lon. The price of molasses was 2s. 6d. the single gallon. These prices obtained in 1788, and at that time Lewis & Norton sold more rum in a year than Norton, Bush & Co. were selling several years later.
Theron S. Ludington was in trade at North Goshen for sev- eral years and during a part, if not all, the time was asso- ciated with a partner under the firm name of Riley & Luding- ton. Mr. Ludington died in 1817.
Moses Lyman was brought up a farmer. Before he en- gaged in trade he was accustomed to teach common schools during the winter months. At that time there were no schools
362
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
of a higher grade in the town. In 1790 he commenced the purchase of stock, cattle, horses, mules, etc., and was fre- quently in New York, Hartford, New Haven, and Boston. He built his store and commenced the mercantile business about 1792. In November, 1793, he entered into a partner- ship with Elihu Lewis, of East street. This partnership was dissolved in December, 1797. From that time he continued in business by himself until October 12, 1802, when the part- nership between Moses and Erastus Lyman was formed. They continued in trade at the same, or nearly the same, place, until the first of January, 1827, when they both retired from busi- ness and gave their attention to their farms until their death. The partnership was not dissolved until the death of Moses Lyman, May 22, 1844. They divided their real estate in the winter of 1828,- making a division themselves as nearly equal as possible and bidding for the choice, which Erastus secured by paying to the company $400.
David Wadhams commenced business in Goshen by form- ing a partnership with Elisha Carrington under the firm name of Wadhams & Carrington. Their store was a few rods northwest of the meeting-house in the corner of the lot, now (1895) owned by Moses Gray of Chicago. After the re- moval of Carrington he formed a partnership with General David Thompson. They did an extensive business for many years. The different dates of the commencement, firm changes, and close of this business it has been impossible to ascertain. Their two dwelling-houses, precisely alike, that on the west side for Wadhams, and on the east for Thompson, were built in 1803. They are now occupied by Albert Sperry and Moses Gray.
The Moses Wadhams who was born in 1797 seems to have succeeded to the business of Wadhams & Thompson, occupying their store and the house previously occupied by General Thompson.
363
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
Norton & Henderson had a store at the Center in 1831, and the succeeding year we have the firm of Norton & Porter, occupying the store now occupied by Charles J. Porter. The Porter of this firm was John P., the father of Charles J. They continued in business about five or six years.
In 1842, John P. Porter formed a partnership with Moses Lyman and transacted business in the store previously occu- pied by Moses & Erastus Lyman. They also had a store in West Cornwall, under the firm name of Lyman & Porter. They closed their business in Goshen about 1848, and in West Cornwall in 1850.
It was just about this time that H. N. Lyman commenced business in the store now occupied by Mr. Porter, and contin- ued there until his failure in 1853. Soon after this the Farmers' Union Company was organized, and occupied it until about 1857, when E. G. Brigham went into business there and con- tinued until April 1, 1860.
Brooks Brothers - at present bankers in Torrington,- commenced business May 1, 1860, and continued until May 1, 1871, when they sold their business to Weeks Howe & Son. During its occupancy by the Messrs. Brooks, they enlarged the building to twice its former size.
The store built and occupied by Wadhams & Thompson, and later by Moses Wadhams, was purchased by A. Miles & Sons - who also had a store at West Goshen. Moses W. Gray entered their employ as clerk, in 1841. At this time Mr. Miles and one son lived at West Goshen, and another son at the Center, with whom Mr. Gray boarded. At his death Mr. Gray managed the store for about three years, when he purchased a one-half interest and continued to manage it for several years under the firm name of Miles & Gray. He then purchased the interest of his partners and conducted the business alone, the sign over the door bearing the name of M. W. Gray. In 1857, he sold his stock of goods, and, removing to Chicago,
364
HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
engaged in the wholesale grocery business, which he carried on for many years. The store that had been occupied by these different firms was sold by Mr. Gray and moved across the street, where the front half now stands and is occupied as a harness shop and store.
Hart Brothers had a store at West Goshen, where they sold a great many goods and dealt largely in cheese. In 1870, the firm of Lucas, Hurlbut & Allyn was formed, succeeding Hart Bros., and comprised of Frederick A. Lucas, Frederick E. Hurlbut, and Wilbert M. Allyn. In 1877, Allyn withdrew and the firm became Lucas & Hurlbut. In 1879, Mr. Hurl- but sold his interest to Eugene E. Allyn, and the firm be- came Lucas & Allyn. In 1883, Mr. Lucas, compelled by ill health to retire from mercantile life, sold his interest to Mr. Allyn.
In 1870, Ralph F. Cook and Charles J. Porter formed a partnership under the name of Cook & Porter. They bought the store formerly occupied by M. & E. Lyman, and removed it to the lot now occupied by the Town Hall. In 1883, Mr. Cook sold his interest to his partner, and a year later Mr. Por- ter sold it to C. M. Allen, of Litchfield, who continued in busi- ness until 1887, when the store was burned. In November, 1884, Mr. Porter bought an interest in the store at West Go- shen, and was associated with Eugene E. and Dwight W. Allyn, in the firm of Porter & Allyn Brothers for one year, when Eugene E. Allyn purchased the interests of his partners. On January 1, 1886, Mr. Porter commenced business in the store now occupied by him, of which he is the owner.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.