USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > New Canaan > Readings in New Canaan history > Part 19
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"OLD MAN GEOGRAPHY"
In the course of the century, New Canaan progressed far beyond the era when local manufacturers were limited to supplying the most primitive needs. New practical necessities such as sashes and
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blinds, scales and carriages, and even luxuries, such as cigars and per- fumery, were produced at different times in our village.
A perfumery factory was started by William E. Raymond and Edward F. Ayres in a small building in Mr. Raymond's yard, now Dr. White's place on South Main Street. The business was greatly increased by the acquisition of a man named Corning, who "drove around the country with a beautiful pair of horses, selling perfum- ery," and was removed to a more adequate building. Mr. Raymond's success in business and his public spirit have left their mark in the Raymond Building erected by his estate after his death, to replace the earlier wooden building which was burned; also in the Raymond Fund, left to the Congregational Church and used to support home mission work in this state.
Mr. Stephen B. Hoyt, 2nd., in his plea for consolidation, (New Canaan Advertiser, January 19, 1933) has picturesquely portrayed the New Canaan of 1889 trying its best to be a real factory town - while "Old Man Geography chuckled under his long whiskers, and nudged his son Physiography, who smiled grimly and said, 'Isn't it odd how dumb man can be!'" They had no vision to see that the future of New Canaan was not factories but homes - a pastoral retreat for the New York business man of wholesome taste and refined discernment. "The sound of the factory bells and whistles at seven, twelve, one and six was music in their ears - a constant chal- lenge to the restless spirits who saw an industrial future for the town. Factories had thriven here. Why not more of them?"
One misdirected effort of nearly twenty years earlier had been the attempt to establish a factory to make Waterbury sewing machines. A brick building was erected near the railroad, machinery installed, and the village eagerly awaited the blast of the new whistle - when the scheme fell through and the machinery was sold in Stam- ford in 1871. The Era, the weekly paper of the day (of which more later), after patiently and hopefully reporting the progress from week to week, finally announced "the successful suicide this day of the town of New Canaan, for want of ten thousand dollars." It was to this building, on the site of the present Stamford Mason Supply Company that the perfumery business was transferred until it was bought out by a man named Tappan and moved to New York. Early in the eighties the building was transformed into a factory for the
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production of Perfection Scales, and was eventually burned down.
In this passion for expanding manufactures, New Canaanites encroached on residential sections as they could never have done with a zoning law in effect. After Mr. H. B. Rogers had built his residence on Park Street (the town parking lot 1949) which is now the Com- munity School, a shoe factory just below the corner of the present Perkins' lawn rolled its black smoke over the neighborhood. When the Fancher Brothers failed, Mr. Rogers in self-defense bought the property and had the factory moved away.
But "Old Man Geography" finally saw the village wake up to its true roles. Dr. Willard Parker was the first to come from the metropo- lis and buy property here. This eminent surgeon had the distinction of originating the operation for appendicitis. It has already been recorded that he bought, in Civil War times, the Church Hill Insti- tute property, made alterations, and lived there for a number of years.
SUMMER RESIDENTS
The building of the railroad in 1868 made this potentially a com- muters' town, and more and more farmers sold their places to summer residents. The pastoral quiet sought by the newcomers was not to be found, however, in a factory town, and as they came in increasing numbers the factories gradually relinquished. Finally even the pet industry of shoe-making was discontinued. The Benedicts, not car- ing to compete with larger concerns by lowering the quality which for over a century had been associated with the name, gave up the manufacturing of shoes and changed to the retail business in 1893.
A letter to the Messenger written about 1885 seems to apply to an intermediate period when manufactures had dwindled and the new residential era had not yet begun. Although the village had increased in stores, the outskirts had "dwarfed greatly," for the householders had lost their boarders - factory workers and journeymen who had been used to bringing "stuff to make up, or tree out, or bind," making the entire outskirts lively and busy and at the same time using up the products of the farm and giving a free circulation of money."
One industry, however, beginning in a small way in the middle of the century, fitted so perfectly the destined role of the village that it has thriven and grown into an institution known throughout New England. The establishment known as the Hoyt Nurseries had its
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real beginnings in the purchase by Captain Stephen Hoyt 2nd, in 1837, of 163 acres of worn-out rocky land known as the "Shaker Farm."
"SHAKER FARM"
The story connected with this property is dramatic enough to deserve a digression. The house had been built by Stephen Fitch, who had grown to manhood in the old John Fitch place just to the south "about one-eighth of a mile below Priest Eells' house and of similar construction." Stephen Fitch achieved unenviable fame by his ill treatment of his wife. It is a somber picture we have of this poor woman's life in the new house with her mother-in-law (we know nothing against her, but she lived to the age of 104) and her brutal husband. Three baby sons, Bushnell, Benjamin and William, were one by one laid to rest in the little Fitch plot opposite the house. When Stephen threatened to hang his wife in the garret, Mrs. Fitch fled in terror to the house of Ebenezer Carter, her nearest neighbor. He took her to Jacob Seleck (site of the present Eberhardt Schmidt place Carter St.) whose wife was also a Fitch, but apparently of dif- ferent stripe as the runaway wife found sanctuary there (in the house later known as the Jared Ayres place). We are glad to know that Mrs. Fitch was later granted a separation by law, but the terms sug- gest that the modern divorce court with all its faults may mark an advance in civilization and justice. Stephen Fitch had to pay his wife the sum of $150; he then took all his children to the Shakers at Leba- non and persuaded them to buy his farm. The name of the religious sect was derived from their curious custom of dancing or "shaking" as part of Sunday worship. Their peculiar ways evidently gave no offence, for we read that they lived in harmony with their neighbors. The original house, which stood near the present Hoyt Nursery barns, was burned in 1882.
CAPT. STEPHEN HOYT 2ND
It was this property which passed in 1837 into the hands of Captain Stephen Hoyt, 2nd, whose career with its contributions to the life of our village is worthy of yet another digression. His father, the first Captain Stephen, son of Justus Hoyt who lived opposite the library, had married Polly Carter in 1794 and had lived first in an old house on the site of the "Big Shop" (Main Street and Locust Avenue),
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where he and his older brother Goold had kept a store. The younger Captain Stephen, his only son, was born in 1800 and lived until 1879. He was educated in the little red school-house and at the Academy of Trowbridge Eels on Clapboard Hill. At 23 he married Siley Benedict, daughter of "Boss" Caleb, and the young couple went to housekeeping in the old Burtis home where the Raymond Block now stands. The next year he achieved his title of Captain by holding that office in the New Canaan Militia. One of his early duties was con- ducting his company to Norwalk to assist in paying honor to the Marquis de Lafayette when he visited this country in 1824. A dozen years later, when Captain Hoyt represented New Canaan in the legislature, he used to drive his own horse and carriage to the State Capital and back. Matthias Hubbel, of Norwalk was his companion on these journeys and paid the tolls as his share of the expense.
HOYTS TO CARTER STREET
Captain Hoyt, 2nd, following in his father's footsteps, had been keeping a general store on the corner of Main Street and East Avenue (later the establishment of Andrus Weed and Benjamin Hoyt) but feeling that his ten children could be trained better "in the country," he moved his family out to Clapboard Hill in spite of the protests of four sisters who "idolized hime" and hated to see him go so far away. Captain Hoyt's wife, being one of the 15 Benedict children of "Boss" Caleb Benedict, was used to a large family. At their marriage, Stephen Hoyt's father had built for them the house which stood where the library now stands, so that it was natural that the sisters in the old Hoyt home across the way should miss such a center of young life as that must have been. This house, taken away to make room for the library, was purchased by B. F. Weed and moved across Cherry Street where it is now occupied by him.
Captain Hoyt 2nd, was active in all good works and held many offices in town. One of the organizers of the Cemetery Association, he was president from its beginning until his death, and such an essential part of it that his biographer wrote: "It can almost be said that he was the Cemetery Association."
Such was the citizen who achieved well-deserved success with Hoyt Nurseries. At first raising onions in a small way, it was more
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than ten years after his purchase that he formed the partnership with Lewis Scofield and began propagating fruit trees which was the beginning of the present extensive establishment. This industry, un- like the shoe and other manufactures, was in the nature of the case in no danger from city competition, and was fitted to serve alike the na- tive New Canaanite and the metropolitan new-comer. It became accordingly a valuable, permanent feature of the village. It is today one of the oldest institutions with unbroken exclusive family owner- ship in America.
THE SCENE CHANGES
The churches, the schools, the industries, which we have been try- ing to trace down to the threshold of our own century, played their part in a gradually changing environment. In the first quarter-cen- tury of its existence the incorporated town of New Canaan presented a fairly constant picture, but after 1830 the scene began to change.
The growing population felt the necessity for cross roads from east to west, for greater convenience and for new housesites; and Maple Street was cut through from Main Street to Park. Captain Stephen Hoyt 2nd and Thomas S. Husted opened up Cherry Street before 1864 as a private speculation and sold building lots. (Mr. Husted was for a time associated with Captain Hoyt's father in the manufacture of fine clothing for southern trade). The new street was well named, as every yard between Park Street and South Avenue had one or more big cherry trees.
ELM STREET CHANGED
Elm Street, (the present Railroad Avenue) had already in the fifties been cut through from Main Street, but only as far as where the Playhouse now stands. In Civil War times this central location was occupied by Charles S. Dann, who had a very large lot with an apple orchard on the north through which a diagonal path was worn as a short cut from Park Street over to North Main. His home stood on the present Playhouse site, and his barn and barnyard occupied the ground which is now the junction of Railroad and South Avenues. Where trim refrigerators have gleamed in Mr. Woundy's store window, there was once the tumble down blacksmith shop of
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Mr. Dann, with old rusty wagon tires and broken wheels lying all about. But little Phoebe-Jane Dann played on a fine piano on the spot where modern New Canaanites listen to Maurice Chevalier. For that was where once stood the old home, now moved away to East Maple Street (present home of Seth Gregory) and changed from its colonial guise, formerly occupied for a time by Padraic Colum, the Irish poet.
NEW STREETS OPENED UP
In its second lap Elm Street ran out to Park, but it was not until after 1857, as a map of that year proves, that it was continued to meet Seminary Street. This map shows us also that Broad Street, now South Avenue, at first ran from Elm Street only as far as Cherry. It must, however, have been cut much farther within a few years, as Mr. H. G. Benedict recalls that a certain relative was born in the old Robert Weed place (Dr. Brooks' Sanitarium) on that day in 1861 when Fort Sumter was fired on. This, he adds, was the only house on the street. (the present Carlton Manor, 1949. The house mentioned where the Ross family lived during the 1880 and 1890's was moved to Mead St. last on south side)
Many of the foregoing pictures of church, school and business belong in this period just preceding the Civil War. They have to be pieced together from random reminiscences as there was as yet no newspaper to chronicle outstanding events.
In his life of Lincoln, Isaac W. Arnold in a burst of rhetoric descriptive of the campaign of 1860, declares that "love of country, devotion to liberty, hatred of slavery, pervaded all hearts." We must qualify this statement by the suggestion that even as late as the begin- ning of the war there was no unanimity of feeling against slavery. We read that the Rev. Ralph Smith, whose pastorate of the Congrega- tional Church lasted from 1860 to 1863, had trouble keeping his flock together on account of their political disagreements. Such solidarity of feeling as existed was the product of 20 years of labor on the part of the abolitionists. One writer tells us that "it is impossible in these days to comprehend or hardly believe the strife and struggles that the abolitionists had to endure and surmount. It produced alienation of long-time friends, broke up the affections and harmony of churches and families."
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A History of New Canaan 1801 - 1901 ANTI-SLAVERY SOCIETY
One of the first anti-slavery societies in Connecticut had been organized in Georgetown (Redding) in December of 1838, and the Rev. Erasmus Hudson and the Rev. Nathaniel Colver had been appointed to face trials reminiscent of the ordeals of the early Christian martyrs, with the added indignities inflicted by the practi- cal joker. While the Rev. Mr. Hudson had been engaged behind closed doors in organizing the "Georgetown Anti-Slavery Society," one fertile minded opponent had expressed his feelings by shearing the tail of the lecturer's beautiful milk-white horse "so close it looked like a corn cob." The two abolitionists were driven out of town and . again from Danbury and Norwalk by abusive mobs who sometimes went so far as to stone them, and at the latter place assailed them with brickbats and burned them in effigy.
The experience of young Selleck St. John (later Postmaster and president of the bank, built the house in White Oak Shade now occu- pied by Mrs. W. H. Gilbert, where the giant sycamores and the iron grill work are outstanding), is illuminating as revealing the amazing bitterness aroused in our community. Although he could not have been in sympathy with such demonstrations, it was in spite of a strong prejudice against abolition and abolition lectures that he was induced to attend a meeting against slavery in the winter of 1840- 41. The speaker, founding his argument on morality and the Scrip- tures, made a profound impression on this spiritual-minded man, who applied the test of the Golden Rule to his decisions. There followed a period of agonizing indecision, in which Mr. St. John, hoping, "almost praying" that he might see his way clear to "do right" without becoming one of the hated abolitionists was beset by anxious friends who sought to save him from "utter ruin and disgrace." The climax came when his beloved pastor joined "to snatch a brand from the burning."
Starting out one evening to attend an anti-slavery meeting, Mr. St. John stopped at the parsonage. His revered friend with "prayer- ful earnestness - set before him as only a master hand can do, the grand and glowing prospects that were opening before him as a young man, in business relations, in society and in the church. - He passed out of his friend's door into the darkness of the night with a heart full almost of agony and eyes raining tears down his face. As
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he went slowly down the street he reasoned with himself. Worldly ease and ambition tempted him to give up and yield to the entreaties and try to believe that the slave was better off as he was than he would be to be a 'free nigger.' But a good spirit said, 'How about the Golden Rule? Would a slave-holder be doing as he would that others should be doing unto him?' And John Wesley says 'American Slavery is the sum of all villainies.' and I believe it. I will be an abolitionist and accept the consequences. Thank God for this decision. I know I am right."
All the tribulations prophesied, and more too, came upon him as he gave his consistent support to the "poor, despised 'Liberty Party' fanatics," then to the Free Soil Party, until the cause emerged from ignominy and became the "grand and glorious mission" of the Republican Party.
CIVIL WAR TIMES
We have a glimpse or two of our village carried out of its narrower interests and thrilling to the crisis of the nation in 1860 and the years that followed. The biographer of Lincoln already quoted writes: "This presidential campaign has had no parallel. The enthusiasm of the people was like a great conflagration, like a prairie fire before a wild tornado."
Gleams of this fire glowed in our village streets on a night in 1860 - tallow candles starring the windows, while 500 flaring lamps swinging on poles shone on the soldier caps and oilskin capes of the marching wide-awakes, many carrying huge broad axes in honor of the "Rail Splitter" who was to banish slavery and save the Union. From all the neighboring towns they had come, bringing many bands, among which that of New Canaan was far from least. Indeed the local musicians had already distinguished themselves in a large parade in New York.
Less than two years after this political tumult and shouting the young men of the village were gathered on Main Street. On a fine day in the early spring of 1862 a group of volunteers met in front of the hotel (the Birdsall House) whence wagons took them to the Darien station to go by rail to the training camp at Bridgeport.
Two or three months later, the young men of Company H of the Seventeenth Regiment of the Militia of the State of Connecticut
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assembled once more on Main Street to listen to the parting words of the village pastors. When the Congregational minister's turn came to speak the crowd must have felt as if they were listening to Abra- ham Lincoln himself, for the Rev. Ralph Smith, with his tall angular figure, and his "patient rugged features lighted by a kindly smile," bore a close resemblance to the president.
One more picture: Lieutenant Hunnewell brought home for burial, and so many townsmen there to do honor to their first patriot dead that the Methodist Church could not hold them all and the service had to be held outside on the lawn.
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
To aid us in picturing the period shortly after the Civil War we turn to the files of the New Canaan Era. For now to supplement our casual reminiscences we have at least the weekly issue of a news- paper - the first really worthy of the name - which ran for three years beginning October 3, 1868.
Two sporadic attempts at issuing a village paper had been made before. The first was a small affair with a large name, a four-page sheet called The New Canaan Omnibus and Fairfield County Agri- culturist," of which Volume I Number I had appeared as early as 1851, edited by a Norwalk dentist by the name of William D. Snyder. The title, obviously in need of an apology, was explained thus: "We propose to make our paper an Omnibus through which political parties, benevolent societies and individuals can present their principles to the public." Editor Snyder added that there was in New Canaan a demand for such a paper. The Messenger in after years questioned this "demand," stating that The Omnibus lived through only a few issues, and was not followed by a permanent paper for 26 years later. Thus, The Messenger ignores the three years' career of the Era, which, however, claims to have "baptized" this later paper.
"THE OMNIBUS"
The Omnibus seems to have been started in the interests of the Free Soil Party, and supported the candidacy of Captain Stephen Hoyt for senator. It is of interest to note that Editor Snyder was at that early date recommending the borough system, which actually first took shape nearly 40 years later.
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Sometime in the same decade another little sheet called more tersely "The New Canaan Awl," was born, but soon died for lack of patronage.
The New Canaan Era was started in October 1868, prompted by the great event of the Glorious Fourth preceding - the opening of the New Canaan Railroad. The editor of the new paper, indeed, was the depotmaster of the new railroad, Francis E. Weed. Its career seems to have been steady and long enough to confute the statement in the account of New Canaan in the History of Fairfield County to the effect that "The New Canaan Messenger was the first paper ever established in New Canaan." The Era was published in Stamford by the Gillespie Brothers in the office of The Advocate. The little "barque" launched by Mr. Weed is described as "a four-page paper with plate matter on the outside nearly a week old, the two inner pages devoted to a few advertisements and a very few items." But these few items, picked up by Editor Weed perhaps in his coign of vantage at the railroad station, furnish many a glimpse of New Canaan 65 years ago.
After the last issue of The Era in 1871 New Canaan was again without a newspaper, until five years later when The Herald was started. This paper, however, "after a precarious existence of a few months' duration, gave a last expiring kick at their new competitor, The Messenger, which began January 1, 1877, and then quietly gave up the ghost."
In the absence of any surviving copy of the shortlived Herald the nature of the "kick" may be surmised from the second number of the new Messenger, bearing the date of January 20, 1877. Laudatory editorial comment is quoted from ten neighboring newspapers wel- coming the newcomer to the ranks, but under the heading "From The New Canaan Herald" there is a signficant blank.
"THE MESSENGER"
Francis Weed of The Era was the first editor of The Messenger, which was established by William W. Gillespie, one of the pub- lishers of The Stamford Advocate, and which, like The Era of nine years before, was printed in The Advocate office. Editor Weed was succeeded by L. M. Monroe; then, at the purchase of the paper by Kirk and Weed, Will W. Kirk, "a graduate of the Advocate,"became
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editor and publisher. The first New Canaan home of The Messenger was the front room on the second story of Burtis and Mead's grocery store on the east side of Main Street just across from Railroad Avenue. Here it was printed on an old press brought up from the Advocate office, "a back-breaking one-manpower machine, operated by pull- ing a long lever." The paper moved later to a little one story building next to the old First National Bank building. This is the site of the southern portion of the present bank. The printer's devil in those years was young John Hersam, who thus made an early start in the newspaper world, and is now editor of The New Canaan Advertiser.
One outstanding service of The Messenger office was the publica- tion in 1889 of a town directory, containing the name, residence, and occupation of every citizen in New Canaan. The paper had no com- petitor until August 8, 1901, when G. Duff Nichols issued the first number of "The Fairfield County Republican." This paper, how- ever, suddenly ceased after five months of publication. Thus when on July 25, 1908 The Messenger was followed by The Advertiser, it was a peaceful succession, with no "expiring kicks" recorded.
Having sketched the newspaper history of New Canaan as far as the present century, let us return to that after-war period covered by the three years' life of The Era.
If the editor had had the gift of foresight he might well have characterized The Era by that much abused word of later coinage, "Mid-Victorian," for the life-span of his weekly stood exactly mid- way in the 64 year reign of the queen whose personality came to be symbolic of two generations.
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