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 5
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HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
and then Hill two, for the accommodation of those who were going to and from " Western lands.' About half way between the house of Ebenezer Hill, Jun., and the house lately occupied by Elisha Buel, now by Watts Brooks, stood the house of Asa Hill,* another son of Ebenezer, first mentioned. A little north of the present house of Watts Brooks, near the flat, stood the house of Benjamin Frisbie .* A little North of Frisbie's house as we ascend the hill, and precisely where stands the house of Joseph Beardsley, lived John Dibble,' with a numerous fam- ily from Wallingford. Afterwards Jolin Dibble, Jun., kept a store in the house for several years, and then built him a store about ten rods South of his house, near the house of Frisbie, and traded there .* It was called the red store, because it was painted red. Proceeding North until we come within four rods South-east of the present brick house of Samuel Ives,2 and there lived Noah Wadhams, from Middletown, the pro- genitor of all those who have ever lived in Goshen bearing the name of Wadhams. He was prosperous in business, and reared a numerous family. About 28 rods North of Noah Wadhams, lived on the West side of the road, Jeremiah Howe* from Wallingford. The next neighbor to Howe at the North, was Samuel Pettibone, from Simsbury. His house stood a few feet North of the present brick house3 of Thomas Gris- would, on the same side of the way. He was the first Lawyer in Goshen, and for some time was King's Attorney. He was much employed in the early business transactions of the town; but being overcome, and thrust down, by the Strong Man from the West Indies, he terminated his earthly existence at the old house formerly occupied by Harvey Brooks. About 115 rods North of the house of Pettibone on the West side of the road, stood the house of Christopher Grimes,* from Wal- lingford, the old well still designating the location of his dwell- ing. North of the house of Grimes, and about 60 rods South of the house long owned and occupied by Deacon Augustus Thompson, but now owned by Abraham Norton and his son
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William, stood the house of Gideon Hurlbut,4 from Wethers- field, on the East side of the road.
A few rods North of Hurlbut's, and on the west side of the road running North and South, and North of the road then leading to Town Hill, stood the house of Zachariah Cur- tis, from Wethersfield. The Town Hill road came into West street road at that time, between Gideon Hurlbut's and Cur- tis'; 40 or 50 rods South of where it now comes in. North of Curtis', and opposite to the house of Abraham Norton,5 on the west side of the road, stood the house of Benjamin Phelps, from Windsor. He soon afterwards sold to Timothy Gaylord of Wallingford, father of the late Joseph Gaylord, and Grand Father of Joseph Ives and Willard Gaylord. The next house North, on the West side of the way, near where now stands the barn of Truman Starr, was the house of John Wright, who was the ancestor of those who bear the name in this town. A little north of this, on the same side of the way, and a little North of the late Woodruff house, stood the house of Deacon Gideon Thompson, from New Haven. This house was pali- sadoed against the Indians. At this house a town meeting was held in May, 1741. From this house there was no road open either North or West in 1745; but all was forest with the exception of a settlement in Canada Village, so called.
In 1739 or 40, Benjamin Frisbie, of the South end, moved into that place, and built him a house* a few rods North of the present house of Augustus Miles, Esq. In 1742, he built a Saw Mill, where stands now the Woolen Factory, and soon after he built the first Grist Mill in town. This stood a little distance from the Saw Mill, and occupied the ground, which is now improved as a tannery by George Miles. Undoubtedly the inhabitants of this village are indebted to this same Fris- bie for the name of their village. Capt. Jonathan Buel, who can remember 80 years says that it was called Canada as long ago as he can remember, and he always understood that it came by its name as stated in the Historical Collections, viz.,
.
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that this Frisbie was ever talking about removing to Canada, and never went. The wags of his time wearied with his story of Canada, told him he should live in Canada, and if he would not remove to Canada, they would bring Canada to him, and from that time they called the place of his residence Canada. West of Canada Village, in 1745, there was no road, and no settlement, until we came to Cornwall. We will return then to Town Hill. Here were but three families and all South- westerly of them in this town of wilderness. On the top of Town Hill, on the West side of the road, and a little South of the present dwelling of Gen. Moses Cook, stood the house of Joseph Curtis, from Wethersfield. He sold out in 1750 to Daniel Cook, Father of the present Moses Cook, Senior, who still survives. About twenty-five rods South of Gen. Moses Cook's present dwelling, on the East side of the road, stood the house of Joseph Cook,* from Wallingford, Father of Daniel Cook, and Grand-father of Moses Cook, Senior. Joseph Cook lived here until the time of his death, Nov. 7, 1764.
South of Curtis' and about midway on the hill, on the West side of the road, stood the log house of Deacon Moses Lyman, from Northampton, Mass. His son, Col. Moses Lyman, afterward built the present brick house, now owned by the Hon. Moses Lyman, on the spot where stood the house of Deacon Lyman.7 This first house was built upon elevated underpinning, and the windows were made high in the walls of the house, to prevent the Indians from firing into the win- dows, in case the family were invaded by them. It has been said that Town Hill received its name on account of the early impression that there would be the centre of the town, but that is hardly probable. At the North side of Town Hill, we find Dog Pond. Leaving Town Hill on the North side, and passing East towards Samuel Pettibone's, now Thomas Gris- would's,3 and just before we reach the bottom of the hill, we see a Saw Mill,* a little at our right, on the South side of the road, which is supplied with water taken by a small canal,
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HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
from the natural channel made by the waters which flow from Dog Pond. This Mill was built in 1742 by Benjamin Phelps, and others. Proceeding on Eastwardly by Samuel Petti- bone's3, and crossing the meadow precisely as the road now runs, we shall come to the house of Zacheus Griswould,* from Windsor. His house stood a very little North of the present house of the widow and heirs of John Griswould. He was the Father of all those inhabitants of this town who have borne the name of Griswould. He lived more than one hundred years, and his wife attained to just one hundred. His daugh- ter in law, the wife of his son Giles Griswould, still survives, and has attained to her ninty-ninth year. A little further to the North and we come to the house of Abel Phelps,* from Simsbury. It stood a few feet South-east from the present dwelling* of Beebe Wadhams. Proceeding North, we do not find a habitation until we reach the residence of Capt. Samuel Thomson, from New Haven. His house stood on the West side of the North and South road near the present store* of Moses Lyman, Jun. The road from West street came into Middle street, where it now does, and proceeding East by the first Meeting House, at the old ash tree, proceeded directly to East street, and came out nearly opposite the road that comes in from Torrington. On the South side of this East and West road, and ten rods East of Mechanic's Hall,8 on Middle street, lived* Amos Thomson, from New Haven. Proceeding North on Middle street, till we come to the garden now improved by Simmons Scoville, and here we find the site of the dwelling of Rev. Mr. Heaton.9 This garden belongs to the house and lot now owned by Nelson Wadhams 1ยบ of Canada village. There was no other house between Mr. Heaton's and the second Meeting house. At this date there was no road directly East from the Meeting house and none directly West. There was no house from Amos Thomson's to East street, and none on Beach or Lucas Hill. There was a road open to West side, so called, but no house from the Meeting house. till we come
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HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
to the house* of Timothy Tuttle, which stood on the East side of the road, nearly opposite to the present house " of his Grand-daughter, Mrs. Huldah Tuttle. Some thirty or forty rods North of Tuttle's we come to the house of Daniel Rich- ards, from Hartford. His house stood a little North-west from the present three story Hudson House.12
Passing onward to the North-west till we cross the outlet of Narshapogge Pond, we come to the house of Cabal Beach, standing near where Russel Richard's house now does. At the Barnum house, South of the West side grave yard lived Daniel Harris, Jun., from Wallingford. A little West from this place and in the present garden of Lewis C. Wadhams, on the East side of his house, stood the house of Benjamin Deming,13 from Middletown, Father of Wait, Elias and Jon- athan Deming. Still farther North, about sixty rods, on the East side of the road, stood the house of Thomas Marvin, from Litchfield. Near the house occupied by Philo Collins and now by William Miles, 14 stood the house of Benajah Williams, from Stonington, an original Proprietor in two rights. He did not remain long in town, but sold his large and beautiful farm of more than 400 acres to Ephraim Williams of Weth- ersfield, whose son Jacob Williams, came and lived on it. Pur- suing this road North until we come to the present house of Acros Lawton,15 we come to the house of Jonah Case, from Simsbury. From this house North, all was Wilderness, and no road. There was no house North of the Meeting house, and West of Humphrey's Lane, until we came to West side street, already described. We must return then to the Center, and before we go to East street, we must visit the beautiful hill of Andrew Norton, Jun., three-fourths of a mile South-east from this house. On the East declivity of this hill, on the South side of the road, and about fifteen rods East of the old house of Andrew Norton, Jun., stood the house of Lenus Ward, from Wallingford. In the autumn of 1745, Ward sold out to William Walter, who brought up a family there. At a little
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HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
later date than the time of which we are speaking, came David Norton, from Durham, and built a house on the North side of the road, on the top of the hill almost on the same spot where now stands the new house of Andrew Norton, Jun.16 He was a young man of unusual enterprise and substantial char- acter.
At the South end of East street, we come to the place of Cyprian Collins,17 the fourth son of the Rev. Timothy Collins, of Litchfield. The first house of Cyprian Collins stood on the West side of the road, near the horse shed of Capt. Timo- thy Collins. His second house was the one now owned and oc- cupied by Capt. Timothy Collins. In 1745 there was no road from Litchfield to meet East street road, and at a town meet- ing in 1749, a committee was raised to " treat with Litchfield men, about their laying out a road to meet our East side road."
Leaving the place of Cyprian Collins, and proceeding North, we come to the house of Benoni Hills, standing near the North-west corner of the present barn of the late Samuel D. Street. The road then ran West of this barn. About nine rods West of the present house of William Lyman, the late residence of Capt. Jonathan North, and West of the road as it then run, stood the house of Joseph North, from Farmington. This house was palisadoed or fortified against the Indians. A little further North, and just where the barn stands that was lately owned and improved by Dudley Henderson, stood the house of Capt. Samuel Hinman, an original proprietor from Litchfield. This house was built in the fall of 1738. About thirty rods North of Hinman's, and a little South of the turn- pike road, as it comes into East street from Sharon, stood the house of Stephen Goodwin, from Simsbury. Here Goodwin kept a tavern some years. Afterwards he built about twenty rods South-east, and there he kept a tavern. We hear of him in the War of the Revolution. A few feet North of the pres- ent brick house of Joseph Goddard, built by Birdsey Norton, Esq.,18 stood the log house of Deacon Ebenezer Norton* from Durham. A few years afterwards he built the house which
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HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
stood a little North-west of the present brick house, and in this he lived until his decease.
About thirty rods North from the house of Deacon Ebene- zer Norton, and a little North-east of the red house once oc- cupied by Deacon Samuel Norton, and now owned and occu- pied by Adam Bentley, stood the log house of Samuel Nor- ton,* from Durham. This house was palisadoed against the Indians.
Proceeding North we come to the dwelling of Nathaniel Stanley, from Farmington. His log house stood about two rods North-west from the North-west corner of the present house so long occupied by his Grand-son William Stanley, and his Great-grand-son Deacon George Stanley, but now owned by Adam Bentley.19
A few rods North-east of the East street burying ground, on the East side of the road, stands the same house which stood there in 1745, and is one of the oldest houses in the town .* It was originally the house of Barnabas Beach. Daniel Miles, Esq., succeeded Mr. Beach. It was long known as the resi- dence of Samuel Chapin, Esq., and is now the home of widow Emily Chapin. On the same side, about twenty rods South- east of the dwelling of Jesse Beach,20 stood the house of Adna Beach. A little North of the house occupied by Norman Aus- tin, on the same side of the way, stood the house of Edmund Beach,18 the third son of Capt. John Beach. A little at the North of the old house now spoken of, on the same side of the way, opposite to the house of Eber Bailey,18 and North of the road running East, stood the house of Captain, or Deacon John Beach,* the place where the Rev. Mr. Heaton was or- dained.
From Deacon John Beach's house we proceed North till we come to the garden of Robert Palmer, on the East side of East street and on the South side of the road leading Eastward, and there stood the house of Samuel Towner, from Waterbury. Just North of Towner's house, and near the spot where Robert Palmer's21 house now stands, stood. the house
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HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
of John North, from Farmington. He did something as a merchant there. He built what was called the Blue house, deriving its name from the color of its paint. It stood pre- cisely on the spot where now stands the house of Robert Pal- mer.21 About twenty rods at the North of the Blue house, on the West side of the road, stood the house of John Thom- son, Jun.,22 from Wallingford.
North of John Thomson's, and fifty rods South-east of the yellow house built by Asaph Hall, Esq., stood the log house of Elkanah Hall,* from Wallingford. His father, David Hall, was the original proprietor in two rights, but he never lived in Goshen. He afterwards was killed by a ball at Fort George, in the old French war. Asaph Hall, Esq., succeeded Elkanah at the log house, and lived there until he built the yellow house,23 and there lived until his death, about thirty-eight years ago.
And now we come to the house of Deacon Nathaniel Bald- win, one of the first characters of that day. He was originally from Guilford, but came first to Litchfield, and at the settle- ment of this town he purchased two rights and came to Go- shen in 1739. His house stood on the West side of East street, and on the South side of the narrow road leading to Humphrey's lane, a few rods South-west from the brick house of Asaph Hall. On the East side of the road and nearly oppo- site to Asaph Hall's brick house, on the North side of the road which leads to Hart Hollow, stood the house of John Smith, from Farmington. Here he commenced trading, and was the first merchant in the town. After about two years, he removed to the Towner house, just South of Robert Palmer's;21 and next he came to the lot on which Erastus Lyman, Esq., now lives. He built a large house between Mechanic's Hall,8 and the house of Esq. Lyman,* afterwards called the Kettle house.
We return to East street, and proceeding North from Smith's house, we come to the present store of Putnam Bai- ley.24 Here stood the house of Timothy Stanley, from Farm- ington. From this house there was a highway, existing in
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HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
name, a little distance North of the present house of Collins Baldwin,25 but the whole country North and East was yet in possession of the tenants of the forest.
In Humphrey's lane, as it is called, a road running par- allel with East street, South of the North meeting house and a little West of East street, there were two families. On the West side of this lane, about ten rods from where the road from the meeting-house comes into the lane, stood the house of John Wilcox, from Farmington. The other family in this street was Samuel Humphrey. His house was thirty or forty rods South of Wilcox, on the East side of the road as it now is, but on the West as it then was.
The house of Abraham Parmelee,* from Guilford, stood about 130 rods North-west of Whist pond, on the North and South road running West of the pond, and near where the East and West road from Robert Palmer's comes into the pond road.
I have now presented you with a map of this town, as it was when the original Proprietors were fairly settled on their lots. And we can hardly fail to see that some parts of the town were then as thickly inhabited as at this day. This was the case with West street all the distance to Litchfield line. It was so on West side from Timothy Tuttle's to the house of William Miles, and on East street, from Cyprian Collins' to Putnam Bailey's store. But other parts of the town were either thinly inhabited or remained a wilderness as at the be- ginning."
* No building on the spot, 1896. 13 Austin Allyn, 1896.
I Brennan, 1896.
2 Stryker, 1896.
3 Stewart, 1896.
4 Bentley, 1896.
5 Whiting, 1896.
6 Iticas, 1896.
7 Smith of New York city.
8 Stoddard, 1896.
9 Mrs. Bradley, 1896.
Io Mrs. Emeline Wadhams, 1896.
HI Dan Lucas, 1896.
12 Wm. Griswold, 1896.
14 Same name, 1896.
15 Barton Place, 1896.
16 Innis. 1896.
17 Franklin Burton, 1896.
18 Vacant for many years.
19 Lyman Hall, 1896.
20 Widow Edward Beach, 1896.
21 Welch, 1896.
22 Louisa Thompson, 1896.
23 Palmer, 1896.
24 Opposite Quain's, 1896.
25 Ludington Place.
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HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
CHAPTER VI.
GOSHEN IN THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR -1754-1763.
The town, so recently settled, was represented in this con- flict, which brought a succession of disasters to many of the border settlements of New England.
Timothy Gaylord, one of the original proprietors, was a lieutenant, company not known, but probably in Major Rogers' corps of "Rangers." Colonel Bezaleel Beebe of Litchfield (who died in 1824) reported that, during one of the " forest fights," when each man was fighting in Indian fashion, from behind a tree, he chanced to be near Lieutenant Gaylord. He had just spoken to Gaylord and at the moment was looking him in the face for a reply, when he observed a sudden break of the skin in his forehead, and the lieutenant instantly fell dead - a ball from an enemy's musket having passed through his head.
John Doud served as a soldier, with rank of sergeant, dur- ing several years of the war. He was in a company com- manded by Captain MacNeil of Litchfield. While on the march up the North River, this company, with several others, halted for refreshment While the officers were eating, a small bird was noticed to alight on the top of a high tree near by. Captain MacNeil said to the officers, "I've got a boy in my company that can take off the head of that bird." Some doubts were expressed, and John Doud was called. "John," said the captain, " Can you take off the head of that bird with a bullet? " " I don't know, I can try." " Well, get your gun." He fired and the bird fell. It was found that the ball had taken off the top of the head, leaving the bill.
Daniel Lee, a commissioned officer, was killed in a battle or skirmish at St. Johns. He was loading and firing as rapidly 5
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HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
as possible, when an Indian killed him with his tomahawk. He had said that he " would never flinch for an Indian."
Munson Winchell also had his adventure, as follows: He was out with others on a scouting expedition and was suddenly surprised by being fired upon by one of the enemy. The ball passed between his body and his arm. The man who fired turned to run, when Winchell shot him down, ran to him, took his knife and scalped him. He always kept this knife, which had twenty-four notches upon the back, indicating, as he sup- posed, the number of persons scalped with it.
Charles Richards, son of Daniel, served for nine months, under Colonel Howe of Canaan. He went to Lake George. He was chiefly employed in boating up and down the river. For his services he received a grant of land in Virginia from George III. The tract contained about one hundred acres and was surveyed under the direction of the then Governor of Vir- ginia. The deed mysteriously disappeared and the land never came into the possession of the family. This Charles Richards was the grandfather of Elbert S. Richards, residing in Goshen, 1896.
Josiah Royce, who came to Goshen from Wallingford in Jan., 1762, was in the service a short time.
Three sons of John Wilcox, Sr., John, Jr., Moses, and Thomas, were early in the service. John returned and re- mained in Goshen until the close of the War of the Revolu- tion, when he removed to Georgia. Moses and Thomas died in the service, but whether from disease or otherwise is not known.
Ashbel Humphrey, son of Samuel, was a lieutenant; John Munson or Musson was an Englishman, living in Goshen; John Wright, always called Lieutenant Wright; Elisha North, son of Joseph North, Sr .; Nathaniel Stanley, Jr., son, and Stephen Tuttle, orphan grandson of Nathaniel Stanley, Sr., and Benjamin Reeve, half-brother of Judge Reeve of Litch- field, comprises the list of Goshen soldiers, so far as it can be
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HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
ascertained. Elisha North died of sickness while in the serv- ice .*
Nathaniel Stanley, Sr., was accustomed to record local occurrences in his account book and from that book is ex- tracted the following memoranda :
" Lt. Daniel Lee went away with his company, July 12, 1759."
"Stephen Tuttle was the first man that was pressed to go upon the expedition for the relief of the forces above and went away Saturday evening and Nathaniel went the next morning, August 6, 1757."
The following is from the same book:
" Upon the same expedition The Government Debtor.
" For entertaining 2 soulgers four meals, lodging and pas- turing 2 horses. Aug. 9, 1757.
"Item. By 3 soulgers 6 meals, lodging and pasturing 3 horses.
" August 17. By billiting 2 soulgers one nite, 4 meals, horse keeping and lodging."
The following I find in the Colonial Records, Vol. XII, p. 214. Session, October, 1763:
" On the memorial of Joel Dibble of Goshen in Litchfield County, showing to this Assembly that he was a private soldier in the service of this Colony in the year 1755, and whilst he was in actual service near Fort Edward was taken captive by the enemy and car- ried captive to Canada, and there continued a captive about five years, and then returned home, poor and almost naked; and that when he was taken captive he received sundry grievous wounds, of which he is not cured nor is ever likely to obtain a cure, by which means he is unable to endure hard labor, the only method he has to support himself; as per memorial on file &c .: Resolved by this Assembly, that the Treasurer of this Colony be ordered, and he is hereby ordered and directed, to pay out of said treasury unto Captain Moses Lyman of said town of said Goshen, for the use of Joel Dibble, the sum of twenty-five pounds money or bills of this Colony, who is hereby ordered and impowered to use said sum according to his discretion for the comfort and support of the said Dibble."
* In History of Litchfield County, two additional names are given, viz .: " Manna Humphrey, killed; Humphrey, died."
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HISTORY OF GOSHEN.
CHAPTER VII.
THE STORY OF ELIZABETH (CARTER) OVIATT .*
Elizabeth (Carter) Oviatt was born about 1753. In the spring of 1763, the last year of the French and Indian War, her parents with two other families (one by the name of Dun- can,) removed from Cornwall, Conn., to a parting place of the river, called The Forks of the Delaware. They advanced about twenty miles beyond any other white settlement; cleared a small spot near the bank of the river and erected a building of logs in which the three families resided. The parents of Elizabeth had four children. Sarah, the eldest was eleven, Elizabeth was nine, a son of seven, and an infant. There were also several children belonging to the other two families.
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