USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Bridgeport > Reports and papers. Fairfield County Historical Society, Bridgeport, Conn. 1882-1896-97 > Part 39
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The next morning, the four leading New York dailies print- ed the speech in full, and one of them said : "Mr. Lincoln is one of nature's oratois, using his rare powers solely to eluci- date and convince, though their inevitable effect is to delight and electrify as well. The tones, the gestures, the kindling eye, and the mirth-provoking look, defy the reporter's skill. The vast assemblage frequently rang with cheers and shouts of applanse. No man ever before made such an impression on his first appeal to a New York audience." With such com- mendations, it is not surprising that nearly all New England read with avidity that great speech.
From the States, like our own, where elections were held in April, invitations to speak were showered upon him. It was not then generally known that he had spoken at a Whig Convention in Worcester, Mass .. presided over by his relative, Ex-Gov. Levi Lincoln, for Zachary Taylor, a slaveholder, in 1848. By a strange coincidence, Sept. 22, 1848, in Boston, both Wm. H. Seward and Abraham Lincoln, from the same platform made Whig speeches. The Boston Atlas the next
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day said : "Mr. Lincoln of Illinois next came forward and was received with great applause. He spoke about an hour, and made a powerful and convincing speech, which was cheered to the echo."
After the New York speech, Lincoln prepared to go to New Hampshire to see his son. Robert, who was then at Phillips Exeter Academy, preparing for Harvard. Cas- sins MI. Clay. of Kentucky, was then on the stump in this State. Happily for Bridgeport. soon after Lincoln's New York speech, Henry R. Parrott, Esq, of this City, went to New Haven for the purpose of securing Clay to speak in this City, and while Mr. Parrott was there in conference with the State committee. he was asked to accompany them to the station to meet Lincoln. who, then on his way to New Hamp- shire, had consented to stop over and confer with the com- mittee about his speaking in this State. U'nable to secure Clay to speak. MIr. Parrott endeavored to get Lincoln to come to Bridgeport, but Lincoln could not at that time ar- range it : however, after further appeals on the part of Mr. Parrott. Lincoln consented to speak in Bridgeport on his way back provided he could do so and leave for New York on an early train, and he promised to notify Mr Parrott by tele- graph, when he would come. On his return from New Hamp- shire, Lincoln spoke, March 5th. 1860, at Hartford : on the 6th at New Haven : on the 7th at Meriden : on the Sth at Norwich, and on the 9th at Woonsocket, R. I.
Mr. Henry T. Blake was also active in procuring Lincoln's visit. On the morning of March Sth, in New Haven, James F. Babcock, editor of the Palladium, introduced Mr. Blake to Lincoln. Mr. Blake writes : "Lincoln looked very tired and seemed to think that he could not take any more engage. ments in this State, but Babcock and I both urged the importance of Bridgeport, and he finally said that he was in the hands of the committee." Mr. Blake re- lates an incident which he witnessed nt the New Haven depot. There was a great crowd present It so happen- ed, that when Cassius M. Clay got off the train he was recognized by Stephen D. Pardec, who brought Clay into the
presence of Lincoln. These two great leaders of the West had never before met. After introducing them, Mr. Pardee loudly exclaimed : "We are going to nominate Clay for Presi- dent and Lincoln for Vice-President, or Lincoln for President and Clay for Vice-President, we don't know which ;" at this there was a great shout. Lincoln said as soon as he could be heard : "I. must tell you a little story." But the bell rang, both hurried into the cars and departed amid cheers.
On Thursday, March 8th. Mr. Parrott received a telegram stating that Lincoln would speak in Bridgeport on Saturday evening, March 10th, beginning precisely at seven and end- ing so as to enable him to take the 9:07 train for New York. Notice was therefore given in the Standard on that and the succeeding days, that the Hon. Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois. would address the citizens of Bridgeport in Washington Hall. precisely at 7 p. m., March 10, 1860. No other notice was required to secure for him a hearty welcome to this city.
Lincoln arrived at the old depot, then located at the foot of Union street, on the afternoon of the 10th, and was met by Mr. Blake and Mr. Parrott. Mr. Blake took Lincoln directly to the Sterling House, where he rested for awhile Mr. Par- rott prepared for the meeting. Afterwards Lincoln called at the office of Treat & Blake. in the Sturdevant Building, who about 5 p. m. took Lincoln to the Hon. Frederick Wood's residence on the corner of Washington avenue and Coleman street, where Mr. Charles H Sanford now lives. In that house, still standing, Abraham Lincoln was most cordially re. ceived and entertained. He was nearly exhausted from the great strain of constant travel and frequent speeches, and he beartily appreciated the kindly and bountiful hospitality which Mr. and Mrs Wood extended to him.
In his tired condition he gladly slipped into an easy chair, offered to him, in which he took so much comfort, that he re- marked to his host on leaving, that he wished he could have the chair placed in the car going to New York that night. so that he could sleep in it and rest himself. That historic chair now belongs to Mr. Charles F Wood, who kindly placed it on exhibition in the Historical Society's rooms.
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One other incident of his stay illustrates that Lincoln was not unmindful of the pleasures of the table and that he pos- sessed a discriminating palate. He ate with a great deal of relish some extra large and fine raw oysters. He took one up on his fork and incredulously asked : "Do I understand, sir, that that is a single oyster ?" A few years afterwards, when Mrs. Wood attended one of his receptions in the White House . and was introduced to him, he at once responded, "O, yes. I remember your house ; that is where I got those fine oys- ters." He also rer arked about those oysters to other Bridge- port people, all of which goes to show that our boasted bivalves made a strong impression upon him.
Washington Hall was the central part of the first floor of our present City Hall. and that evening the State street en- trance was closed and the Bank street entrance left open. in order to make room for the expected crowd. Shortly after 6 o'clock, Marshal J. D. Alvord on horseback, and the East Bridgeport Club, headed by the then recently formed Wheel- er & Wilson, band, under their leader, Mr. Thomas, came down through the streets to the hall. Major L N Middle- brook com; anded the Wide Awakes, who escorted Lincolu, in company with Wood, Treat and Blake, from Mr. Wood's house to the hall.
Long before the opening of the meeting the hall was pack- ed, and hundreds of people were turned away.
Henry Elliott, Esq . promptly called the meeting to order, and the following well known citizens of that day, were ap- pointed its officers :
President, Hon. A. A. Pettingill.
Vice-Presidents : D. H. Sterling, Silas C. Booth, Horace Nichols, Stephen Nichols, Clapp Spooner, William Staengel, C. B. Hubbell, Sherwood Sterling, Capt. George Wheeler, Bartlett Doten, F. W. Parrott, Samuel C. Trubee, James Wilson, Henry MI. Hine, Capt. J. Gould. George Keeler, Frederick Wood, Morgan Seeley. Hanford Lyon, Abijah Haw- ley, Emory F. Strong, George B. Waller. Russell Tomlinson, John Conrad, Sherman Hartwell. S. Tomlinson, George Wade, J. D. Alvord, R. T. Buss, Lewis C. Segee, Stiles Hall, Charles Foote.
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Secretaries : S. C. Kingman, J. T. Shelton, H. Elliott, H. R. Parrott.
A quartette consisting of Levi W. Eaton, John S. Atkin- son, James W. Crossley, and Mortimer Griffith. sang a song. "Land of the West," in honor of Mr. Lincoln, and then fol- lowed music by the Wheeler & Wilson band. both pieces be- ing finely rendered.
Mr. Pettingill was then the editor of the Standard, and a man of great force. integrity and ability. About his intro- duction of Lincoln to the audience. Mr. Roger H. Lyon, who was present, writes: Though brief it was so appropriate and impressive that I have never forgotten it He said: "Fellow Citizens, I have the honor and pleasure of presenting to you the man who dared 'to beard the lion in his den : the Douglass. . in his hall."" It was a happy allusion to the then recent de- bate between Lincoln and Douglass.
As Lincoln arose and faced the audience. his tall, gaunt, awkward form, his long arms and big hands, and his ill-fit- ting clothes elicited astonishment, smiles and cheers In a slow, deliberate way. he stated his propositions so clearly. presented his reasons so cogently and humorously, and reached his conclusions so logically, that we were soon spell- bound, and forgetting all about his personal appearance were completely charmed by his forceful eloquence.
Having gone early and obtained a good seat near the stage, I was able to take it all in, and never before or since that time, have I heard a speech which so delighted and in- structed me, as that masterly speech of Lincoln's.
Illustrative of the effect of the speech on the people, T. B Fairchild relates that Seymour Curtis and James Booth, of Stratford, sat together at the meeting. When Lincoln stood up, Booth said : "Seymour. he is the homeliest man I ever saw in my life." While he was speaking. Booth carefully scrutinized him, and as he warmed up in his speech, Booth became very excited and he brought his hand down with a whack on Seymour's knee, and said to him: "I swear he is not so homely as he looked. He is good looking. He is handsome, and I swear he is the smartest man I ever heard."
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The speech in Bridgeport was the same in substance as his, famous New York speech; only it was more enlivened with humor and illustrations. I need not further describe it, as the same in effect has been frequently published.
When he closed tremendous applause shook the hall for Honest Old Abe, and the cause he so well advocated. The quartette sang another song, "Hurrah for Old New England," . the band again played, and in a thrill of excitement, the crowd slowly dispersed, many following the band and the Wide-Awakes, who marched to the depot where more rousing cheers were given as the train with Lincoln thereon left for New York.
Both Julius S. Hanover, chairman of Town Committee, and B. W. Maples, then of Bridgeport, claim the honor of private- ly escorting Lincoln from the hall to the depot and remain- ing with him there until the train left.
Seymour Curtis and Lemuel J. Beardsley, of Stratford, af- ter attending the meeting, hurried to the depot. While there, Lincoln came and took a seat near them. Mr. Curtis at once grasped his hand and shouted : "You will be the next Presi- dent of these United States." Lincoln replied: "Oh, that is a long way off." Mr. Beardsley shook his hand and said to him : ' If you are not, you ought to be." And Lincoln answered : "Ought to be? There are many men, who are able and capable of being President of these United States, but there are few who can place their hands on the pulse of the nation, and recognize the wants of all its citizens, North, East, South and West, and deal with them in accordance with justice and wisdom." An immense crowd then rushed in and until the train left kept Lincoln busy shaking hands. This was the last visit of Lincoln to New England.
On June 15, Lincoln was nominated for the Presidency, and in November, 1860, this State chose for its Presidential electors : Chauncey F. Cleveland, Roger S. Baldwin, Samuel Austin, Benjamin Douglass, Augustus Brandagee and Fred- erick Wood, who cast the electoral vote of this State for Abraham Lincoln which, with other votes, duly elected him President of the United States.
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Hitherto, Lincoln had never held an executive office, nor handled large concerns. He was known to be honest and firm, and to have large views on public questions. He had won distinction as a matchless debater. Many had grave doubts as to his capacity to discharge the duties of the high- est office in the world, especially in a time of such extreme peril. When Charles II, of England, was told that he never said a foolish thing, nor ever did a wise one, the King ob- served: "That is easily accounted for, my discourse is my own, my acts are those of iny ministers." Our President can use no such subterfuge ; both his speech and his acts are his own. It was a great risk, but time and events vindicated fully the confidence reposed in Lincoln. He showed even greater wisdom as an executive, than as a public speaker, and by common consent, H. W. Grady, a Southern orator, at a New England festival correctly voiced the impartial judg- ment of all intelligent and patriotic persons thus : "From the union of the colonists, from the straightening of their pur- poses, and the crossing of their blood, slow perfecting through a century, came he, who stands the first typical American, the first who comprehended within himself all the strength and gentleness, all the majesty and grace of this Re- public, Abraham Lincoln."
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X
Annual Meeting
FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE
Fairfield County
historical Society,
April 20th, 1897.
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AK XXIII
ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
The annual meeting of the Fairfield County Historical So- ciety took place April 29th, 1897, in the rooms of the society, Barnum Institute. The first vice. president, Mr. G. C. Waldo, presided, and the meeting was called to order at 8:30 o'clock. The minutes of the last annual meeting were read by Secretary Howard N. Wakeman, followed by the annual report of the treasurer and curator, Mr. Edward Deacon.
The annual report of the secretary was then read and ac- cepted. Then followed the election of officers for the ensu- ing year. As first vice president, Mr. G. C. Waldo was in line for the presidency, and Mr. Curtis Thompson nominated him for the place. Mr. Waldo declined unconditionally, however, and in turn nominated Mr. Curtis Thompson, who was pre- vailed upon to accept. The following officers were then duly elected and installed :-
CURTIS THOMPSON, President. Vice-Presidents,
GEORGE C. WALDO, OLIVER G. JENNINGS. ALEXANDER HAWLEY.
EDWARD DEACON, Treasurer and Curator. HOWARD N. WAKEMAN, Recording Secretary. JAMES R. BURROUGHS, Corresponding Secretary.
The resignation of Mr. Charles Burr Todd as vice-president and member, Mr. Todd having moved out of the state, was accepted, and Mr. Todd was unanimously elected an honorary member of the society. Mr. Henry T. Blake of New Haven was also elected an honorary member.
President Curtis Thompson presented to the meeting a minute upon the death of the late president of the society, Deacon Rowland B. Lacey, which was adopted and ordered spread upon the records.
The meeting then adjourned.
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REPORT OF THE TREASURER AND CURATOR.
Some extracts from the report presented at the annual meeting, April 29th last, may be worth preserving.
"Your Treasurer ventures to suggest the propriety of mak- ing our membership a matter of more value than it appears at present to be, by giving the members advantages not other- wise received.
For years past we have practically given the public, freely, all that the society is able to offer: Our lectures are public ; our records are refused to none who ask to consult them ; our rooms are open free to all. There being nothing more that we can offer, our membership becomes in a measure, of an eleemosynary character, and appeals to but a few in the com- munity. Would it not be well to change this condition, and to see if we cannot give something in return to those from whom we receive.
Could not our Lecture Committee arrange a course of one lecture a month during the winter, to be given by noted pro- fessors or historians on imminent topics which would be free to the members by ticket, the public being almitted on a small payment, thus enhancing the value of membership ?
Again, I would suggest that a portion of our exhibition room be partitioned off and devoted to the library ; that the volumes be arranged scientifically and catalogued, and re- served for the use of members only, and students visiting us from distant places. It seems reasonable to suppose that by some such method steadily pursued, as here suggested. our membership would become of more value and its number in- creased.
In the past it has taken about all our available receipts to pay for publishing our report every two years. The society has now issued the following valuable publications, many of them illustrated :
I
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Rev. John Jones, March 10, 1882.
First Anniversary Report, April 14, 1882.
Roger Minott Sherman, Nov. 28, 1882. Bridgeport Bank, Nov. 14, 1884.
Fourth Anniversary Report and Papers Read, April 10, 1885. Fifth Anniversary Report and Papers Read, April 9, 1886. Study of Locks by A. C. Hobbs, 1887.
Annual Report and Papers, April 15, 1887. Report and Papers for year 1839.
Report and Papers, year ending 1892.
By-laws, Officers and Members, 1894.
Report and Papers for year ending 1895.
To carry out the suggestions previously noted, we need more funds. Our dues must be raised or our membership in- creased, or both. We have a splendid room, a fine exhibit, a growing library, an increasing constituency. It seems high- ly desirable that we retain our Autonomy intact, neither unit- ing with nor merging into any other society; pursue the line miarked out for us at our organization, put our shoulders together and see if we cannot make a fair use of the great advantages we already have, and work for the best results. No one man or two men, however able, can do this; it is only by the co-operation of every active member contributing his own talent, that we can achieve success.
Respectfully submitted, EDWARD DEACON, Treasurer.
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ANNUAL STATEMENT, FISCAL YEAR, ENDING APRIL 15TH, 1897.
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Received from 84 members, dues, as follows ;
22 Country Members, 82.00 each, - $ 44 00
62 City Members, at $3.00 each, - 186 00
7 Arrearages Paid, - 23 00
1 in advance 4 years,
8 00
Total,
$261 00
Received from Daughters of the American Revolution
for use of our rooms, - 15 00
Received for sales of our annuals,
5 00
Total receipts, year 1896-97, $281 00
Add balance on hand from last annual report, - 45 02
$326 02
DISBURSEMENTS.
Paid printing and mailing notices of meetings 12 25
Paid express charges and stationery, - 14 76
Paid for new show cases, tables, framing and shelving, etc., -
- -
- 24 16
Paid sundry small repairs and expenses,
4 70
Paid for books added to library,
3 50
Paid expenses for lectures, -
-
5 25
Paid the Standard Association in full, balance of old bill for printing last annual,
186 85
Total disbursements, .
8251 47
Leaving balance in hands of Treasurer,
74 55
Liabilities none. -
Thirteen resignations have been received the past year, and the society has lost by death 3 members including our honor- ed President.
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CARTER COMSTOCK FUND.
This fund was donated April 7th, 1892, by Mrs. Cornelia E. C. Comstock of New Cauaan, Conn, "for the purpose of preserving the Carter Family Burying Ground, for the use of the members of the Carter family in the present generation, whose parents have been interred therein previous to the date of this deed, and their descendants."
The Carter Family Burying Ground was deeded to the Fair- field County Historical Society, 21st November, 1891. The fund was deposited in the Bridgeport Savings Bank, April 11th, 1892.
Principal sum,
$100 00
Accrued interest to January, 1, 1897,
22 54
Total, January 1, 1897, $122 54
CURATORS' REPORT.
Your Curator reports continued interest in the exhibit of the society as manifested by the number of 3379 persons who visited the rooms from April 1, 1896, to April 1, 1897.
The Library is in constant receipt of the publications of kindred societies, with whom we endeavor to exchange. We have received a total of 253 pieces, consisting of books, pamphlets and magazines during the year, by donation from societies and individuals. The Connecticut Historical Socie- ty, the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia, the Oneida Historical Society, the Historical Society of Mon- tana, are regular contributois to us. To these may be added, U. S Department of Labor, Washington, and some of the patriotic societies, Sons of the Revolution, etc., likewise the Royal Academy of Sweden, Stockholm, Sweden, which has sent ns 45 publieations in the Swedish language. (Special notice of the Swan Library is given elsewhere. ) The Muse- um is continually being increased by gifts of friends, who seek to add to its attractiveness A list of donors to the so- ciety, since the last publication, will be found on another page.
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Since the above was written, viz .: April 1, 1897, the exhaus- tion of the fund subscribed by our citizens for the mainten- ance of the Barnum Institute, has compelled the closing of our Museum to the general public, the limited funds accru- ing from the society's dues being insufficient to bear the ex- pense of paying for a permanent janitor, an attendant and the cost of heating. As will be seen, this is after all largely in , line of the suggestions made in the Treasurer's report, and may not be regrettable. There is no question, the society was organized for historical research and not to maintain a pub- lic museum. The facilities at the disposal of the society, are just as available to the members as they ever were
An interesting and instructive lecture course for the season of 1897-8 has been arranged, the prospectus will be found published herein.
While unfortunately our doors have been closed to the public, the society has never been more active in its own proper work. With this publication, is issued a list of the inscriptions of the old Greens Farms Burying Ground, also smaller private grounds in Weston, this being a distinct ad- dition to the literature on the subject. We have added to our records the inscriptions from 900 stones in the Coley Ceme- tery near Weston, and the Hull ground in Reading. One of our lady members is engaged in obtaining for us copies of the inscriptions in the Newtown Cemetery, and also in the Green- field Cemetery, to which will be added in the near future, in- scriptions from Stepney, and the East and West Cemeteries of Easton. We have on our list some nine separate grounds, all of which are being arranged to be recorded and the rec- ords placed in the rooms of the society. This work has all been done during the present year. Furthermore, we have added this summer to the manuscript records in our Library, a copy of the Episcopal Records, baptisms, marriages and burials, at Christ Episcopal Church, Tashua. We are also promised the opportunity to copy for our Library, the very valuable Registers of the church at Huntington. It may be well for the sake of reference to note here the copies of Reg- isters already in the Library of the society, which are as fol- lows :
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North Fairfield Congregational Church, Easton :
Births, Marriages, Deaths and Membership, from 1763. Episcopal Society of Fairfield :
Births, Marriages and Deaths, from 1785.
Church of Christ, in Unity and North Stratford (now Trum- bull) :
Birth, Marriages, Deaths and Membership, 1731 to 1808. Church of Christ, Stratfield :
Births, Marriages and Membership, from 1695.
Christ Church, Episcopal, Tashua :
Births, Marriages and Burials, from 1805.
It is our hope to have in time a complete record of all the Cemeteries in the county, and likewise copies of all the Church Registers, the value of which to future historians and gene- alogists will be inestimable.
EDWARD DEACON,
Treasurer and Curator.
SWAN LIBRARY.
The venerable Rev'd Benj. L. Swan, so well and favorably known in genealogical circles, has presented the society with a valuable collection from his library. numbering upwards of 60 volumes, including a set of Savage's Genealogical Diction- ary, Low becoming rare. These are kept by themselves, the society having provided a separate bookcase for their pre- servation.
REPORT OF THE RECORDING SECRETARY.
The following is the report of the Recording Secretary for 1896-1897 :
The work of the Fairfield County Historical Society since its last publication covering the years 1893, 1894 and 1895 has been carried steadily forward.
March 10th, 1896, the Lincoln Anniversary, a full account of which will be found in another part of this publication, was celebrated with great success.
June 5, 1897, Major L. N. Middlebrook read a paper upon Gen. Fremont's campaign in Virginia. December 15, 1 896 Henry T. Blake, Esq., of New Haven, read a paper upon "New Haven Green as the Seat of Judicial Tribunals."
January 5, 1897, Phillip H. Smith, Esq., of Pawling, New York, read a paper upon "Acadia, a Lost Chapter in Ameri- can History." February 23. 1897, Curtis Thompson, Esq., read a memorial upon the Life and Character of Thomas B. Fairchild, Esq., a recently deceased member, and Major L. N. Middlebrook read a paper upon Reminiscences of the War in Virginia, the Battles of Bull Run and Manasses Junction. The Daughters of the American Revolution have used the rooms of the society for their meetings. In March, 1897, the society lost by death its President, Mr. R. B. Lacey, whose faithful and devoted service to the society from its organiza- tion, and as its only President, made his loss keenly felt. Memorial resolutions upon his life and character were read at the last annual meeting of the society by Curtis Thompson, Esq., and placed upon the records of the society. This soci- ety needs the help and influence of those who are interested in preserving the local history of this vicinity and it is hoped that all will join and help sustain it in its present and future work.
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