USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Oxford > History of the town of Oxford, Connecticut > Part 5
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The name "Washband" seems to have been a corruption of the name "Washburn", some records spelling it one way and some the other, but the tavern seems generally to have been known as the "Washband" Tavern. It is the building still standing on the east side of Oxford Road known for many years as the Pope house and is now the resi- dence of Mr. Stanley Seccombe. The original building is said to have been a small one story and attic house, built by John Twitchell in 1714 and containing "but one room below with pantry and cupboard, and one of these was under the stairs". How long John Twitchell held the property is uncertain, but he seems to have removed to Oxford Center some time prior to 1741, for in that year he was one of the "North Farmers" who signed the petition for the creation of Oxford Parish. This indicates that he was living in his house on Academy Road, and this is further corroborated by the Derby Land Records which show the house as being his at that date.
If John Twitchell sold the little house to the Washband family around 1741, it must have been John and Sarah Gunn Washband who were the
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purchasers, for their son, Josiah Washband Sr. was at that time but four years old, he having been born in 1737. He, Josiah Sr., married Sarah Harger, and their son, Josiah Washband Jr., born in 1769 is said to have "run away" to Long Island in 1793 (when he was twenty- four years old) and married there, to Catherine Smith. From the ex- pression, "run away" it would seem that there was some opposition to the match in the family, but nevertheless the young couple returned to the Washband family homestead in Oxford some time before 1803, when Josiah was appointed tavern keeper. His mother, Sarah Gunn Washband had died in 1790, and young Catherine, upon her coming to Oxford, apparently "took over". She is said to have been a very smart young woman and to have figured largely in the success of the tavern under Josiah Jr.'s management.
Josiah Washburn Sr. had operated the house as a tavern before his son, and some time before the Revolution had enlarged the house. He further enlarged it around 1794 or 1795 at the time when New Haven was building the "long wharf" so as to make that city a "port of entry". Soon after this there was large trade for many miles around, and much of it came over the new Oxford Turnpike and passed the Wash- band tavern.
The second enlargement really constituted a separate house, "set at the same angle as the old one. It was built in the best style, with plank siding to make it warm and strong. The rooms were large, facing the south, one on each corner, the front door and stairs being between, in addition to the great chimney and fire places. These rooms have low ceilings but are exceedingly pleasant, looking out upon the gentle slope of the lawn to the bridge and Little River, and off to the hills.
"Back of the front room was the bar room, extending the length of the house, making another pleasant room, the bar proper being at the east end and somewhat secluded by a little partition. The work on the rooms was of the best order. In the bar room was a long mantel above the great fire place, and above the mantel it was finished in woodwork something like a large panel painted a dark brown and grained by the painter in a most artistic way, still remaining in its original form. In the east front room, there is a corner closet decorated with fancy wood work, as is the rest of the room. Above the mantels of these rooms, it is finished in wood. The entrance to the bar room is principally through a large door on the west side, a door which is set in about four feet, having little windows at the sides. The large ball room is above, where history has been made. In the height of the season this room was fitted out with several cord bedsteads to accommodate a goodly number of persons. The house contained seventeen rooms, nine below and eight above so that many could be accom- modated at one time."
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. (The foregoing account of the Washband Tavern is taken from "Seymour Past and Present", by W. C. Sharpe, edition of 1919.)
The house is listed in the Connecticut Tercentenary program as "the Pope House" it then being occipied as the residence of Mr. Albert Pope.
The Washband (or Washburn) family occupied the house for at least four generations. As to the spelling of the name, it is given as "Washband" in the 1803 vote appointing Josiah as tavern keeper. Deeds dated 1847 spell it "Washburn" while others dated 1853 give it as "Washband", and the latter spelling is used on the 1868 map of Oxford.
The Capt. John Wooster Tavern (As described in "Seymour Past and Present" by W. C. Sharpe)
Located near the north west corner of Oxford and Park Roads stood the building known in the time of the revolution as the Capt. John Wooster Tavern. "There had been a mill property there prior to 1747 for there is a record of the sale of such a property in that year, the description of which indicates that it was at this location. Capt. John probably came there near 1750. South of the tavern was a fine level meadow of many acres on both sides of Little River. The old house is said to have been red at first but later was yellow, a large two story dwelling facing the east and Oxford Road, the back roof long and slop- ing to one storey. The general plan of the house differed but little from others of that date. The chimney was very large, being made of stone, with the usual fireplaces including one in the basement room, the corner of the house towards the corner of the roads. In later years, this basement room was used as a cider room. The rooms were large and a good number of them adapted for the purposes of a tavern. In the attic there was a place built for smoking hams.
The old house became famous because of Graham, the traitor, about whom more will be told herein in connection with the Revolution.
The Thomas Wooster Tavern
(As described in "Seymour Past and Present"). The tavern kept by Thomas Wooster (3d) was located at the south east corner of Oxford Road and the road leading to Rimmon Hill (now known as West St.) and just opposite the tavern kept by Capt John Wooster. It was a storey and a half house, facing west, standing a good distance back from the main (Oxford) road, on a natural rise of ground several feet high and much larger than the usual storey and a half house. Covering a large foundation, it was built on a generous plan, with high ceilings, with a large hall seven yards long and wide in proportion, the stairs being enclosed. On each side of the front door was a large hall win- dow. The south front room was the bar room, and later used as the
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parlor. Among the four rooms on the ground floor, the largest was the sitting room, directly back of the hall, which was also seven yards long, containing the big fireplace and oven, which would indicate that this room was at first intended for the living room and kitchen as well as the dining room, and was extensively used in the busy tavern days. The growing demand led to the building of a large ell on the north east corner, containing the dining room, kitchen etc. The house burned down in 1894.
The fact that three taverns, Capt. John, and Thomas Wooster, and Washband existed so close together is good evidence of the density of traffic along Oxford road in the 1700's.
The Oxford Hotel
Judge Wilcoxson, in his 1776 Centennial Address says, "The hotel building, now styled "Oxford House" was erected in 1795 by Daniel and Job Candee. The same was first and for many years occupied by Daniel Candee as inn holder." This was probably from 1795 to 1811. Daniel's wife was Lydia Wilmot.
Judge Wilcoxson says further that Daniel Candee was the first Oxford Postmaster, but the records in Washington say that Walker Wilmot was the first to hold that office. He was the brother of Lydia Wilmot. The Judge continues, - "David Candee succeeded Daniel Candee as inn holder for forty years," (probably from 1811 to his death in 1851) His wife was Hannah Catlin.
The historian, Rockey, says "the Lums followed the Candees as inn keepers and re-modelled the house". The 1868 map of Oxford shows the hotel under the name of D. R. Lum (David R. Lum).
The foregoing coincides in general with a recent search of the Oxford Probate Court Records although there is a little confusion in early dates. The Probate Record is that David Candee came into ownership by inheritance in 1852, whereas he died in 1851, and Judge Wilcoxson says that David succeeded Daniel as inn holder for forty years, indicating that he started running the inn in 1811 or so. At any rate, Frederick Candee inherited the place from his father in 1853 and ran it for some twelve years. In 1865 David R. Lum inherited it. His name is shown as the owner on the 1868 map of Oxford and in that year Mary B. Lum inherited it and in 1873 she sold it to Franklin Lum. The next owners in succession were Harriet Warner and Charles M. Walcott. Then in 1885 George B. Oatman purchased the hotel and ran it for fourteen years, when in 1899 it was bought by Willa Gertrude Riley. About 1904 or possibly earlier, William A. Gabler ran it for the Rileys and then in 1910, Gabler bought the place. He died the next year, 1911, and his wife, Fannie O. B. Gabler owned (and presumably ran) the hotel for twenty eight years, when she died in 1939. Then her daughter, Erma Gabler Seeley inherited it and her husband, Eldridge E. Seeley had a Mr. Rapp run it. Then in 1941
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+
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The Oxford Hotel
XFORD HOTEL
MOTEL.
The Oxford Hotel in Early Automobile Time
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OXFORD HOTE
The Oxford Hotel after being moved 30 ft. back from the highway.
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The Seeley Residence, Formerly the Oxford Hotel, (now Oxford House)
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---
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The Washband Tavern
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Mrs. Seeley died and in that year Mr. Seeley discontinued the hotel and remodelled it for his residence.
At the time that Oxford Road ( Route 67) was concrete paved, the building was moved back thirty feet. In 1950, Mr. Seeley having died, the building was purchased by James and Dominica De Maio who opened "Oxford House" as a country restaurant.
The Hawkins Inn at Quaker Farms.
In the George Washington papers in the Library of Congress, a record is included which mentions one Zechariah Hawkins as "an Inn- keeper of Derby" during the Revolution, and old records in the pos- session of the Hawkins family corroborate this statement. It is thought to have been located on the west side of Quaker Farms Road at Seven Mile Brook.
Southford Inns.
That part of the town of Southbury which later became known as Southford, was so close to Oxford, particularly to "Red City" that its taverns and inns must have been used by the people of Oxford. "In the period of time when the Oxford Turnpike was the great thorough- fare between New Haven and Litchfield, Southford being twenty miles from the former place and twenty five miles from the latter, hotels were kept there and well patronized. The Bartholomew Hotel was kept in the old, long, one storey house about 1800 which stood a little to the east of where (in 1892) was the Turnpike bridge over the railroad. The Sherwood House was subsequently the private residence of Henry Hinman. The hotel known as the Oatman House for thirty five years was built by George Thompson in 1806 and first kept by him and then by his brother-in-law, Benjamin S. Hurd, followed by John Peck. Enos Foot was the landlord in 1845.
CHAPTER 9
THE REVOLUTION
In 1764 the English Parliament, under Prime Minister Grenville proposed the hated "Stamp Act", which was the first attempt of the English government to impose a tax on the colonists, and even though this particular form of tax was as little obnoxious as any tax could be, nevertheless it was the principle of having a tax fastened on them which their own legislatures had not passed, to which the colonists objected. In other and familiar words, "no taxation without represen- tation." No doubt the citizens of Oxford joined in the hullabaloo which followed the passage of this act.
Protests against the act became so strong that in 1766 Parliament repealed it. The next year, however, the so-called Townshend acts were passed, imposing duties on various articles including tea. A board of customs commissioners was set up in Boston to administer the act, and as it was very unpopular also, British soldiers were sent to Boston to protect the officials. Their presence was still more un- popular and there was constant friction between the soldiers and the populace. Finally, on March 5, 1770, a guard of British soldiers in Boston fired into a crowd, killing several, and the fracas became known as the "Boston Massacre".
In the meantime, Parliament had repealed all the duties except that on tea, and things quieted down somewhat for a time. But in 1773, England proposed to let the East India Company sell tea, which it had stored in England, direct to the American colonies. When the ships came to Boston, the citizens decided that the tea should not be allowed to land. A number of them disguised themselves as Indians and on Dec. 16, 1773, boarded the ships and threw the tea into the water; this was the famous "Boston Tea Party". Parliament retaliated by closing the port of Boston until the tea should be paid for. But resistance merely became stronger, and Massachusetts appointed a Committee of Safety and Supply who armed and trained Minutemen "to be ready for military action at a minute's notice".
As early as Nov. 29, 1774, a special town meeting was called in Derby to consider "the doings of the Reputable Continental Congress held at Philadelphia, Sep. 5th 1774, Daniel Holbrook, Moderator". They agreed that the proposal of Congress was "a wise and judicious plan", and resolved that they would "faithfully adhere to and abide by the association entered into by said Congress". The meeting also
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voted that the gentlemen hereafter named be a committee to see the same carried into execution; viz. Capt. John Holbrook, Mr. Henry Tomlinson, Maj. Jabez Tomlinson, Mr. John Picket, Capt. Thomas Clark, Mr. Abraham Smith, Henry Whitney, Capt. Joseph Riggs, Lieut. Bradford Steel and Lieut. Ebenezer Buckingham."
On the night of April 18, 1775, British troops marched on Concord, Massachusetts, to seize powder which Massachusetts had stored there, and to arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock who were stay- ing in Lexington. The same night, warned that the British had started on their way, Paul Revere and William Dawes started on their famous rides "through every Middlesex village and farm", shouting the news that the British were coming. The next day came the battles of Lexington and Concord and the British retreated to Boston.
The sentiment through all of New England was strongly in favor of aiding Boston in its fight to redress the wrongs committed by England. As an instance of that feeling in the vicinity of Oxford, we may cite the case of Capt. Isaac Tomlinson of Woodbury, whose descendants set- tled later in Quaker Farms. He enlisted May 15, 1775 (when he was 52 years old) under General David Wooster (who incidentally was an old Oxford boy) in the 3d Company. Capt. Tomlinson "marched for the relief of Boston, in the Lexington alarm" and his company served at the siege of Boston. He was discharged Dec. 1, 1775.
In a paper prepared by Epaphroditus Peck for the Connecticut Tercentenary Commission in 1934, he points out that while the entire sympathy of New England was with Massachusetts in their struggle, feeling was divided on the wisdom and propriety of seceding from England and setting up an independent government. Mr. Peck begins his paper by saying, "A large proportion of Americans have been im- bued with the idea that the American Revolution was a spontaneous and practically unanimous uprising of the colonists against tyranny and oppression, and the Tories, or Loyalists were a small group of obstinate and evil minded persons who amply deserved whatever harsh treatment they received. Recent studies by impartial historians have shown, however, that this conception of our Revolutionary history is very far from true."
He continues, "In Connecticut the line of separation between the patriots who supported the Revolution and the loyalists who supported the King, was more clearly marked than anywhere else, and coincided generally with the line of denominational cleavage. The great body of Congregational ministers and their parishioners were firm in their resistance to the royal power, and, when the time seemed right for independence; while the Churchmen, or Anglicans, led by the clerg- men were equally united in loyalty to the king and in opposition to what they considered rebellion and treason." He quotes Prof. Siebert, who made a careful study of the loyalist party in Connecticut, that Connecticut had about 2000 male loyalists at the beginning of the
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Revolution. How many loyalists there were in Oxford and Derby is not known definitely, but the authors of "The History of the Old Town of Derby", give it as their opinion that in the whole town of Derby, (in- cluding as it did, the parish of Oxford), when the true feeling of the Englsh government toward the colonies became manifest, there were not over thirty families that definitely assumed the Tory platform.
The feeling of the extreme patriots in Derby at the outset of the Revolution is shown by the appointment Dec. 11, 1775 of a "Committee of Inspection", to "watch the movements of persons, lest ememies at home might be more harm than any abroad". It will be noted that this action was taken some six months before the Declaration of Inde- pendence. The members of this committee were:
Capt. John Holbrook
Capt. John Tomlinson
Mr. Henry Tomlinson
Daniel Holbrook Esq.
Col. Jabez Thompson
Capt. Zechariah Hawkins
Mr. Joseph Pickett
Sheldon Clark
Capt. Thomas Clark
Mr. Noah Tomlinson
Mr. Abraham Smith
Capt. Nathaniel Johnson
Mr. Thomas Yale
Capt. Timothy Baldwin
Mr. John Coe
Mr. John Howd
Capt. Nathan Smith
Mr. John Humphrey
Lieut. John Bassett
Mr. John Riggs Jr.
Capt. Joseph Riggs
Mr. Ebenezer Keeney
Lieut. Bradford Steele
Capt. Ebenezer Gracey
Capt. Ebenezer Buckingham
James Beard Esq.
Charles French Esq.
Mr. Agar Tomlinson
John Davis Esq.
Mr. Benjamin Tomlinson
Eliphalet Hotchkiss Esq.
Samuel Wheeler Jr.
By 1777 suspicion was still rife apparently in Derby as that year, all male citizens of lawful age were required to take or repeat the oath of fidelity.
Capt. Isaac Tomlinson of Woodbury was one of those who, while apparently a good patriot, highly indignant at Great Britain's treat- ment of Boston, nevertheless clung to the idea that the dispute could be settled peaceably. This is shown by the record of "The Ministers of the Governor and Council of Safety" dated January 1777, which reads in part: "Capt. Isaac Tomlinson was sent here by the Civil Authority of Woodbury as being a person dangerous to the community ---- Now he declared before this council that he never so well under- stood the state of the dispute ----- therefore it is resolved that he is permitted to return to his family at Woodbury and to remain in his own business within the limits of Woodbury and Derby"
Capt. Tomlinson was fifty-four years old at the time, and, from the conciliatory action of the council he must have been highly re- spected. Nevertheless, he was to remain "within the limits of
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Woodbury and Derby". His sons, Isaac Jr. (aged 25) and Russel (aged 23) were more pronouncedly pro-British. The following letters, the originals of which were preserved by the late Miss Mary Meigs of Waterbury, formerly of Quaker Farms, are now in the files of the New Haven Colony Historical Society. The first is from Isaac Tomlinson Jr. in Long Island, N. Y. to his brother Russel, still at home in Woodbury, Connecticut.
Long Island 12 Feby 1777
Sir:
I am at Last safely landed on Long Island among frens (sic) not so far to the westard as I could wish but the wind being High we dare not venture ourselves in the Sound, night being just on us. when I shall have another opportunity to write to you is un- certain but the first that offer I shall Embrace. do all you can to Live in peace a few months when I hope you and all our friends will be protected from the Rage of those usurpers who now bear rule. I am in good health and Remain your affectionate brother
Isaac Tomlinson, Jr.
Russel Tomlinson
The second letter indicates that Russel Tomlinson had joined his brother, Isaac Jr. in New York City, so apparently they had both espoused the British cause. It is written by their father, Isaac Sr. in Woodbury and is addressed to the older of his two sons, Isaac Jr. Capt. Tomlinson kept a copy of his letter, and it is this copy which has been preserved.
Woodbury, 15th Janury 1780
Dear Son,
I have received your Letter by Mr. Bull dated 15 Novr on the 10th. Instant in which you inform me of your good State of health together with Russel's, his wife and other Friends which gives me real pleasure to hear. My family with friends in general here are well and send their respects to you with Russel and other friends in New York hoping there may be some way to accomodate the unhappy differences which now separates friends and acquain- tances hope you will as often as opportunity serves inform me of your circumstances, I am your affectionate Father
Isaac Tomlinson.
(This document is marked on the back "Jany 15, 1780, copy of a letter sent to Isaac Tomlinson").
This letter was written just three years after Capt. Isaac was haled before the Council of Safety. Russel's wife, referred to in the letter was Agnes Courtelyou of Brooklyn, N. Y.
Zachariah Hawkins also was a Tory Sympathizer even though in 1775, he had been a member of a "Committee of Inspection" formed
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in Derby "to watch the movement of persons, lest enemies at home might be more harm than abroad". Apparently, therefore, he was one of those, who though feeling that England was wrong in its treatment of the colonies could not go along with the idea of armed resistance to the mother country. For in the Washington papers in the Congres- sional Library, there is record of the action of a man named Zechariah Hawkins, an innkeeper in Derby who confessed May2d, 1777 to having planned raids on American stores in Derby and New Haven. While the record does not prove positively that he was Capt. of Quaker's Farm, nevertheless, records in the possession of the latter's descendants do show that he kept an inn in Quaker's Farm, and that he had been sus- pected of being "Toryfied". Thus in the "Seymour Record" of March 29th 1894, an account is given of a visit to Vermont by Capt. Hawkins in 1780, as follows:
"In Revolutionary days it became necessary to require of strangers travelling in New England some guarantee of their pur - pose and patriotism."
Below is such a document given to Zachariah Hawkins who went to at - tend business relating to a farm of 200 acres which he purchased in Castleton, Vt; in 1773.
"Castleton August 5th A.D. 1780
May it please your Exelency Capt. Zachariah Hawkins is Come to this Town to Take Care of a farm he has here and some people say he is Toryfied which makes him afraid to Execute his Busi- ness But we have no suspicion of his being upon any Evil Design towards the United State.
This from your Humble Servants Percy Sturtevant : Reuben Moulton : Selectmen
Brewster Higby :
to Thomas Chittenden"
On the back is the following endorsement
"By the Governor
The bearer Capt. Zachariah Hawkins is permitted to Pass from this to Castleton about his Necessary Bizness he behaving him Self friendly to this and the United State.
Arlington, 15th August 1780 Thomas Chittenden
To whom it may concern"
Thomas Chittenden (born 1730 died 1797) was the first Governor of Vermont. Castleton is about 10 miles due west of Rutland, Vermont and Arlington about 40 miles south.
So Capt. Hawkins had bought a farm in Castelton, Vt., in 1773 and
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in 1780 journeyed there "to attend to business relating to the farm." It is said that cattle raising flourished there in Vermont about this time; the drovers driving them down to Connecticut where they were sold, so possibly this may have been what Hawkins was doing, i.e. raising cattle in Vermont for sale in Connecticut.
But despite his Tory leanings, Capt. Hawkins apparently did not forfeit the respect of the people of Oxford, as his memory was held in good esteem by succeeding generations as is instanced by the 1876 Centennial Address of Judge Wilcoxson in which he said that Capt. Hawkins was a "substantial man of sound judgment and a valuable citizen."
Derby went on record in support of the Continental Army in 1777 when a town meeting held Feb. 10th voted "that those of us who have beyond what we want for our own consumption, will readily and cheer - fully sell them for money or produce at the price in said act ( of Dec. 18, 1776) stated, and that we will esteem all persons who shall not do the same, enemies to their country, and treat them accordingly." On Dec. 8, 1777, a committee for this purpose was formed, consisting of John Coe, David De Forest and Capt. Thomas Clark.
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