USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Seymour > Seymour and vicinity. Historical collections > Part 13
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At the electors' meeting in April, 1853, II. B. Munson was elected rep- resentative by a majority of 82 in a total vote of 329.
Prof. Gay, a graduate of Yale, opened a "high school" in Glendimming Hall in August.
At the October town meeting Leman Chatfield, Harpin Riggs and Jabez E. Pritchard were elected selectmen, and B. W. Smith, town treasurer.
On Sunday, Nov. 13th, there was a heavy rain all day, and during the afternoon the river rose rapidly, until it was seventeen feet and three inches above low water mark at Derby. Such a flood had not been known for many years, the water was said to have been four feet deep in the coppermill. The south half of the railroad bridge was carried away, with the south abutinent, and many other bridges above and below Seymour, including those at Pines- bridge, Beacon Falls and Ausonia. In the evening the Ansonia bridge was carried away, and with it a young couple whose eries were heard far down the river, but all attempts to rescue them.in the darkness were unavailing.
On Wednesday evening, Jan. 8th, 1854, there was another freshet which again swept off the railroad bridge and also the dam of French, Swift & Co. The next forenoon the dam which stood a little above where the rubbermill dam now is was carried away. It continued to be an unusually rainy season
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[1854-57
for two months, and the JJuly and August following were as exceptionally dry.
At the elector's meeting in April, H. B. Munson was elected representa- tive by a majority of 65 in a total vote of 293, and S. Y. Beach, Leman Chatfield, Isaac B. Davis, Samuel R. Hickox, Daniel L. Holbrook, Philo Holbrook, H. B. Munson, Luzon B. Morris, George P. Shelton and Charles B. Wooster, justices of the peace.
From Thursday, April 22nd, to the following Sunday morning there was heavy and continuous ram, resulting in a flood on Sunday, when the water rose eight or ten inches higher than in the November freshet. Great damage was done throughout the valley. Derby Avenue was washed out from Broad street to Pine to the depth of three feet. The water at Derby was 19 feet 8} inches above low water mark. A special town meeting was called and a vote passed to build a breakwater at the west end of Broad street and to fill Derby Avenue where washed out. The work was done immediately and so substantially that there has been no farther trouble at that point.
Feb. 7th, 1855, the mercury stood 12º below zero, and the 11th, 100 below. At the April election Luzon B. Morris was elected representative by a majority of 45 in a total vote of 315. In October Jabez E. Pritchard, Henry Bradley and Philo Holbrook were elected selectmen, and B. W. Smith, treasurer. Charles B. Wooster was town clerk from the first election after the incorporation of the town until he removed to New Haven in the winter of 1862-63.
The winter of 1855-6 was remarkably severe. The snow lay from eigliteen inches to two feet in depth all through January, '56. The mercury stood 13º below zero Jan. 9th at 7 a. m., 8º below Mar. 4th, and 10º below Mar. 14th. The next summer was unusually warm. June 23rd the mercury stood at 100° in the shade, and the 17th of July at 1020.
At the April election Luzon B. Morris was elected representative by a majority of 58 votes. The justices elected were H. B. Munson, Henry Bradley, C. B. Wooster, Philo Holbrook, D. L. Holbrook, Sheldon Church, L. B. Morris, David Beach, B. W. Smith and Joseph Chipman.
A vote was taken upon the proposition to change the name of the town from Seymour to Humphrey, the change being defeated by a vote of 117 to 81.
At the October election of 1856, Sheldon Church, Miles Culver and Daniel L. Holbrook were elected selectinen ; Hiram W. Randall, town treasurer ; and George F. DeForest, Philo B. Buckingham and Luzon B. Morris, school visitors. This was the first election of school visitors by the town. Previous to this time they had been elected by the School Societies, of which there two, the first comprising the school districts on the east side of the river, and the second the districts on the west side.
Land was purchased of Alfred Blackman by Rev. James Lynel of Bir- mingham, Sept. 24th, 1851, for a Roman Catholic Church. The land was deeded to Rt. Rev. Bernard O'Riley of Providence, R. I., June 5th, 1855. Work was commenced in the fall of 1855, and the edifice completed and dedicated in the fall of 1856.
A vote for presidential electors, Nov. 4th, 1856, was-democratic, 192; republican, 129 ; et al, 6.
Jan. 22nd, 1857, at 7 a. m., the mercury was 4º below zero ; 23rd,-13º; 24th,-230; 25th,-10°; 26th,-200.
There was a great freshet Feb. 7th, the water at Derby being 22 feet 3 inches above low water mark. The Housatonic bridge at Birmingham was carried away. Henry C. Johnson was elected representative in April by a majority of 41. The "Bank of North America," corner of Main and Maple
SEYMOUR AND VICINITY.
streets, had been incorporated in 1851 with a capital of $100,000. In 1854 the General Assembly authorized an increase of the capital stock to $200,000, but the increase seems not to have been made, as on the 1st of January, 1856, George F. DeForest, the president of the bank, reported the stock worth ouly $116,775. In June, 1859, an addition of $100,000 to the stock was authorized, and in June, 1860, permission was given to remove the bank to Ansonia. The name was changed to Ansonia Bank in 1861.
The Naugatuck Railroad Company was incorporated in 1815. Timothy Dwight, William DeForest and and Anson G. Phelps being among the petitioners for the charter. The capital stock was at first $600,000 with the privilege of increasing to one million dollars. The time in which the road was to be built was extended in 1848 and 1853, and the stock increased to $2,000,000.
The Eagle Manufacturing Co. was organized June 27th, 1850, with a stock of $50,000, for the manufacture of goods from silk, wool and cotton. Geo. Rice was the first president of the company. The stock was increased to $100,000 Oct. 28, 1852; Geo. F. DeForest, president. In January, 1855, Geo. P. Shelton, pres., and Harrison Tomlinson, sec., certified to estimated losses of $27,000 and assetts of $42,000, the indebtedness of the company being about $60,000.
In 1851 the capital stock of the Humphreysville Manufacturing Co. was estimated at $300,000, and the estimate was approved by a committee of the Legislature. Pr. Acts, Vol. 4, p. 803. In 1859 the stock was reduced to $150,000 by the distribution of property to the stockholders.
The Humphreysville High School Association was incorporated in 1851, as follows :
SEC. I. Resolred by this Assembly, That Raymond French, Harrison Tomlinson, George F. De Forest, Lucius Tuttle, Eli S. Cornwall, Samuel Bassett. Philo B. Buckingham, E. F. Bassett, George II. Merick, Nehemiah Robbins, Oliver HI. Stoddard, Clark Wooster, and all others, who now are, or shall hereafter become associated with them, and their successors and assigns, be, and they are hereby constituted a body politie and corporate, by the name of "The Seymour High School Association," and by that name they are hereby authorized and empowered to purchase, take, hold, occupy and enjoy, notes, bonds, mortgages and estate, real and personal, to an amount not exceeding twenty thousand dollars ; and the same to sell, transfer and convey at their pleasure; and shall also be capable of suing and being sued, pleading and being impleaded, defending and being defended in any lawful court; to have perpetual succession, and to have a common seal, and the same to alter at pleasure.
SEC. 2. The stoek of said corporation, consisting of the building or buildings, for the use ol said high school, such as may be from time to time ereeled, together with the lands which now are, or may hereafter be owned by said corporation; and all moneys, funds, notes, bonds, mortgages, real and personal estate of any description, which now belong, or may hereafter belong to said corporation, excepting donations, legacies, devises and bequests, shall be divided into shares of twenty-live dollars each; and each share shall entitle the holder thereof to one vote at all meetings of said corporation; and said shares shall be deemed and held to be personal estate, and shall be transferable in such manner as shall be prescribed by the by-laws, rules and regulations of said corporation.
SEC. 3. For the management of the affairs of said corporation, the members thereof shall, at their first meeting, elect five trustees, who shall hohl their office for the term of one year, at least, from the time of their election, and until others may and shall be chosen by said corporation, to snp- ply Their places ; said trustees shall have power to fill any vacancies which may occur in their number. during the time of holding their office; they shall have the immediate management and control of the funds, property, and general concerns of said corporation, receive and disburse all moneys belonging to said institution; regulate the course of instruction and the price of tuition, and if they think proper, prescribe the terms of admission of scholars ; they shall have the
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power of enacting such rules and regulations concerning the conduct of students while members of said high school, as they may deem proper; and a majority of thetu may, at any time, expel or dismiss, or suspend, as the case may require, such students as, for any reasonable cause, they may consider it improper to retain in the school; always provided, that the by-laws, rules and regulations shall not be repugnant to the laws of this state, or of the United States.
SEC. 4. That in all meetings of the trustees, a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to form a quorum for transacting business of any kind; and a vote of the majority of those present shall be necessary to render any act doue by them binding on said corporation.
SEC. 5. All meetings of tho trustees shall be called at such times, in such manner, and on such notice, as the trustees by their by-laws shall prescribe. And a meeting of the corporation may at any time be called by vote of the trustees, or by a written request presented to the secretary or the trustees or corporation, and signed by members of the corporation, who are owners of at least one-third of the stock of said corporation ; and each meeting of the corporation shall be warned in such manner as the trustees shall direct.
SEC. 6. In all meetings of the corporation, all the stockholders may vote in person, or by proxy, and one vote shall he allowed for each share.
SEC. 7. The books and records of said corporation shall be always open to the inspection of any of its stockholders.
SEC. 8. The use of such buildings as may belong to said corporation, shall be under the direction of the trustees, and shall be appropriated to no other purposes than that of a school, unless by the consent of a majority of the trustees expressed in writing under their hands, and prescribing the terms on which, and the purposes for which, they are to be used.
SEC. 9. The members of this corporation shall have the power of appointing a committee to consist of at least two, to procure such instructors as may be necessary, and agree with them in re- lation to the terms ; and in case they shall neglect to do so, it shall be the duty of the trustees to procure such itstructors as may be required.
SEC. 10. The first meeting of the corporation shall be called by George F. DeForest, Es- quire, or in case of his inability or neglect, by Raymond Freuch, of the town of Seymour, at such time and place, and with such notice as he shall direct; provided always, that this act may be altered, amended or repealed at the pleasure of the general assembly. (Pr. Acts, Vol. 3, p. 20.
In 1852, Geo. P. Shelton, Raymond French, Philo Holbrook, Henry S. Mygatt, Sheldon Kinney, George F. DeForest, Harrison Tomlinson, John W. Dwight, John Clark and Sylvester Smith were incorporated under the style and title of the Seymour Savings Bank.
The Union Mercantile Co., was established Jan. 6th, 1852, with a capital stock of $4,000, in shares of $25. There were sixty-four stock-holders, taking from one to eight shares each. B. W. Smith was the first president of the company, and Jolin J. Rider the second. The store was in the building on the north side of Broad street, at the west end of the Naugatuck bridge.
The American Car Co. was organized in the spring of 1852, with a stock of $150,000, one half of which was certified to be paid in May 14th, by I. H. Lyman, Pres., and T. Dwight, R. French and J. W. Dwight, a majority of the directors. Sey. Town Rec., Vol. 3, p. 76. The stock was increased Sept. Ist, to $200,000. Of the additional shares J. W. and Timothy Dwight each took 800 and J. H. Lyman 400. S. R., Vol. 3, p. 82. Five large shops were built on the "flat," with track laid to each, and a large business was done for a time, until the business was moved west.
The Humphreysville and Salem Turnpike Co., organized in 1825 and incorporated in 1832, was discontinued in 1856.
The New Haven and Seymour Plank road company was incorporated in 1852. The parties named in the act were William II. Ellis, Zelotes Day and William Hull of New Haven, Bevil P. Smith and Thomas Sanford of Woodbridge, William A. Clark of Bethany, and Sylvester Smith and Sharon
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Y. Beach of Seymour. The capital was not to exceed $100,000, and the road to run from Seymour through Woodbridge and Bethany to Westville bridge.
The Woodbury and Seymour Plank Road Company was incorporated in 1852. Lewis B. Candee, Norman Parker, Charles B. Phelps, Reuben H. Hotchkiss, Lewis Judd and William Gaylord were among the first stock- holders. The road from Seymour through Oxford and Southbury to Wood- bury is now the only road from Seymour on which toll is collected.
The Upson Manufacturing Co. was organized in 1852 with a capital of 86,000, by Hiram Upson, Horace A. Radford and Lucius Tuttle, for the manufacture of augers, bits, &c. The business was carried on where the Douglass Manufacturing Co's lower shop now is, at the mouth of Little River. The property was sold by H. A. Radford to Charles Douglass in 1859. The shop was originally built by Timothy Dwight, Sr., son of Pres. Dwight, in 1837, and by his heirs sold to H. A. Radford.
The Humphreysville Copper Co., in addition to their works in Seymour, had a wharf and mill in East Haven, and were in 1853 authorized by the General Assembly to build a breakwater for the protection of their vessels from the surf and winds while loading and unloading. Pr. Acts, Vol. 4, p. 798. The stock was increased Feb. 3rd, 1854, from 12,000 to 16,000 shares. The stock was certified Jan. 30th, 1855, to have been paid in to the amount of 390,000, the property to be worth $525,000, and the bills receivable $75, 000; while the liabilities were $350,000. A new Humphreysville Copper Co. was incorporated in 1855, (Pr. Acts, Vol. 4, p. 799,) the stock being placed at $750,000 with liberty to increase to any amount not exceeding $1,000,000, and to purchase the stock of the old company. The parties named in the act of incorporation were John W. Dwight, Win. Cornwall, Geo. F. DeForest, Henry Bronson, Chas. Durand, Sheldon Kinney, Saml. K. Satterlec, Geo. R. A. Ricketts and Henchman S. Soule. The New Haven Copper Co. was organized Nov. 21st, 1855, with a capital stock of $400,000. John W. Dwight, president; Geo. R. A. Ricketts, secretary. Mar. 12th, 1856, J. W. Dwight and Wm. Cornwall certified that the stock amounted to $300,000, all paid in, Dwight having 4,080 shares, Cornwall 3,920, and Win. W. Goddard 4,000. S. R., Vol. 3, p. 226. The statement of the New Haven Copper Co., Jan. 20th, 1857, claimed assetts to the amount of $615,000 with $295,000 liabilities. 7900 shares of the stock were in the name of the Humphreysville Copper Co., 4000 were held by Wm. W. Goddard, and the remaining 100 by Dwight, Cornwall, DeForest and Ricketts. After various changes the company was re-organized in 1872, the stock being owned by Lazarus Lissberger, president, and Samuel Holmes, Thomas James and Frank Farrell, and under the present able management is one of the heaviest (both literally and financially,) and most reliable of the industries of the town.
The Humphreysville Library Company was incorporated in 1854. The following is the act of incorporation from Pr. Acts, Vol. 4, p. 1193-4.
Resolved by this Assembly, SEC. I. That P. B. Buckingham, B. W. Smith, G. II. Merrick, Raymond French, Sylvester Smith, Samuel Bassett, Henry S. Mygatt, Ransom Tomlinson, Ashbel Storrs, L. B. Morris and Andrew Bassett, and their associates and such other persons as shall here after be admitted members of said company, be and they hereby are made a body politic and corporate, by the name of the Humphreysville Library Company, and by that name may sue and be sued, and have perpetual succession, and may have a common seal, and may alter the same at pleasure, and may hold real estate to the amount of one thousand dollars, and may increase their stock in books to the amount and value of five thousand dollars; and the stock of said company shall be divided
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into such shares as by the by-laws of said company shall be ordained and established. And the first meeting of said company shall be held on the third Monday of July next, at such hour and place as shall be designated for that purpose, by notice signed by the said P. B. Buckingham and B. W. Smith, which shall be served by reading to each petitioner, or by copy left at his usual place of abode three days previous to said meeting; and thereafter the annual and special meetings of said company shall be held at such time and place and on such notice as the by-laws of said company shall prescribe.
SEC. 2. The company at their annual meeting shalt choose a secretary, a president, a vice- president, a treasurer and seven persons to be a board of directors, who shall continue in office until others are chosen to fill their places; and if the company shall hereafter increase, the board of directors may be increased, but shall at no time exceed eleven persons, exclusive of the president and vice-president, who shall ex officio be members of the board of directors.
SEC. 3. The board of directors shall have a general superintendance of the library ; direct in what manner it shall be kept, appoint a librarian and grant him such compensation as they shall judge necessary, adjust all accounts and exhibit the same once in every year to the company, select and purchase books for the use of the company, and regulate from time to time the manner in which books shall be drawn from the library.
SEC. 4. The board of directors shall have the sole power of making by-laws relative to the use of the company's books, and the fines, penalties, and forfeitures to be inflicted for any injury to, or loss, obstructions or undue detention of the same ; but no such by-law shall be of any foree until it has been engrossed and posted up fourteen days in the library room. Provided, that no fine, penalty or forfeiture shall exceed the assessed valne of the book or books so injured, lost, detained or destroyed.
SEC. 5. No person shall become a member of the company by purchase, without the consent and approbation of the board of directors.
SEC. 6. The proprietor of each share of said stoek shall pay annually into the treasury of said company one dollar on each share held by him; and if the proprietor of any share or shares of said stock shall neglect or refuse to make such payment for the space of thirty days after the same shall be duc, and after having been notified of such neglect, in a manner to be provided by the board of directors, cach proprietor neglecting or refusing shall forfeit all his right, title and interest in said campany, and shall cease to be a member of the same.
SEC. 7. These resolves may be altered, amended or repealed at the pleasure of the legislature.
The foregoing outline of the joint stock speculations of 1850-60, made from the records with very little comment, includes companies that have since prospered and been largely instrumental in building up the place, and others which by the heavy losses inflicted upon the stockholders, have since intimidated capital and sometimes hindered the development of merit- orious enterprises.
A portion of the town of Oxford was was annexed to the town of Sey- mour in 1854, as follows :
Resolred by this Assembly, That all that part of the town of Oxford lying southerly of a line chawn from the town bounds, standing between the towns of Seymour and Oxford in New Haven county, near the dwelling house of Mrs. Sabra Lindley ; thenee running in an easterly direction about one hundred and thirty-four rods, to a pile of stones on Diamond Rock, so called ; thence running easterly about one hundred and twenty rods from the Naugatuck railroad; thence running easterly to a pile of stones with a stake standing therein, on the town line between said Seymour and Oxford, easterly of the dwelling house of Miles Culver, and southerly of the south end of Rock Rimmon, so called, be and hereby is incorporated in and made part of the said town of Seymour, and that the aforesaid lines and boundaries be the boundaries between said towns. (Pr. Acts, Vol. 4, p. 1265
From Conn. Private Acts, Vol. 4, p. 1314 :-
Upon the petition of the Humphreysville and Salem Turnpike Company, showing that here- tofore, lo wit, at a general assembly of the state of Connectient, hohlen at Hartford on the first Wednesday of May, A. D., 1832, the said Humphreysville and Salem Turnpike Company was by a resolve of the general assembly, duly incorporated by the name of the "Humphreysville Turnpike Company," with power to construct a turnpike road from the Falls bridge, so called, then in the town of Derby, but now the town of Seymour, to Salem bridge, in the then town of Waterbury, now Naugatuck, and that said turnpike road was afterwards during the said year last mentioned laid out and constructed by said company, and has ever since been kept open for public travel by
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said company, until on or about the Ist day of January, A. D., 1853, when the same became useless and valueless to said company, and has ever since been abandoned by them, and praying that the said charter and resolve of incorporation may be repealed, as per petition on file :
Resolved by this Assembly, That the charter of the Humphreysville and Salem Turnpike Company, granted by a resolve of the general assembly, at its May session, A. D., 1825, and all powers and privileges therein couferred, be and the same hereby is revoked and repealed.
The following resolution was adopted by the General Assembly in 1856, and made of no avail by the vote before mentioned :
Resolved by this Assembly, That the name of the town of Seymour be and the same is here" by changed to that of Humphrey, and by said name of Humphrey, the said town shall hereafter be called and known. Provided, that this resolution shall not take effect until the same shall be ap- proved by a majority of the voters of said town, present at the next annual town meeting of said town, or at some special meeting of said town duly warned and held for that purpose.
At the October election Henry Bradley, Edwin Smith and Abel Hol- brook were re-elected selectmen; and B. W. Smith, town treasurer; Martin Kelley, James E. Fisher and John W. Bassett, tythingmen for the Episcopal Society ; Methodist, Smith Botsford, W. N. Storrs, John E. Blackman ; Congregational, David Tucker, Philo B. Buckingham, Joshua Kendall ; Baptist, S. Y. Beach ; Roman Catholic, Patrick Tracey, James Robinson ; Great Hill Methodist Society, Eli Gillett, Clark Hull. S. Y. Beach and Joshua Kendall were elected school visitors.
January, 1858, was noted as being remarkably warm, the mercury averaging nearly fifty degrees higher than in January, '57.
At the spring election Charles B. Wooster was elected representative by a majority of fifty-three, and B. W. Smith, Harpin Riggs, J. J. Wilcoxen, S. L. Bronson, Abel Holbrook, C. B. Wooster, Joshua Kendall, Ebenezer Fairchild, N. R. Wooster and Samnel Roselle, justices of the peace. When the announcement of the completion of the first Atlantic cable was received the people of Seymour, like the people of New England generally, united in a general rejoicing by ringing of bells and firing of cannon.
At the town meeting held Oet. 4th, the selectmen, town clerk and town treasurer of the previous year were all re-elected ; the "poke by-law" was passed, and it was voted to lay a tax of 20c. on the dollar. P. B. Bucking- ham was elected school visitor for three years.
On Tuesday, Jan. 4th, 1859, the snow fell to the depth of two and a half feet. On Wednesday, Aug. 31st, a strong wind, passing over the place, threw down the steeple of the Baptist church and cansed considerable damage in the vicinity. At the April election Samuel L. Bronson was elected repre- sentative by a majority of 61. At the October election Henry Bradley, Edwin Smith and Abel Holbrook were elected selectmen, Henry S. Johnson, town treasurer; and S. Y. Beach, school visitor.
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