USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Seymour > Seymour and vicinity. Historical collections > Part 4
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The first mention of Paugusset of New Haven is 7Ist N. H. Col. Rec., p. 74, 4th, 3rd month, 1642. "Two of bro Wakemau's men is exeused fro watching for the present because of their imploymt att Pawgassett."
Winthrop's Journal, Savages' edition, Vol. 2. p. 328, year 1616, "The merchants of New Haven had purchased some land of the Indians, *
* * to the North-West of them, upon Pautucket River, and had set up a trading house. The Dutch Governor made a protest against it
and sent it to Mr. Eaton, claiming the place to be theirs and within ten Dnteh miles of Fort Orange. Mr. Eaton answered the protest acknowledging no right in the Dutch, but alleging their purchase and offering to refer the cause. The Dutch Governor by letter complained of it and the Gov- ernor of Massachusetts. The Governor of Massa- chussets informed Mr. Eaton hereof (the Com- missioners being then to meet at New Haven) and tendered it to their consideration if it would not be expedient to call Mr. Whiting, (then a magis- trate at Hartford) to give account of these speeches, seeing the Dutch would expect satis- faction. Mr. Savages' note says: "Though the name is very plainly written, we can hardly doubt that Winthrop was mistaken. I presume the word was Peguusset or Pegusset; Indian geogra- phy is exceedingly indefinite. Probably the place was the same soon after called Derby, where the Naugatuck unites with the Housatonic. No doubt some points of resemblance caused the naming of the Connecticut plantation, and that of our neighboring town of Watertown, (Mass.) where the Indian title was Pegnusset."
Another evidence that the place referred to was Paugussett, is found in the Derby Records, in the sale of land by Thos. Wheler of "Pagasset" to Alexander Bryan of Milford, of land "bounded with Potatuck River southwest, Nagatuck River northeast, & bounded on the northwest with trees marked by Towtaemoe, sachem, containing forty acres, more or less." Here, surely, the Potatuck can be no other than the Honsatonic.
It appears by the N. Y. Col. Doc. and map therein, that the river "Mauritius" mentioned in the N. H. Col. Doc. was the Hudson as therein surmised. The valleys of the Housatonic must have been better places for Indians to dwell in than the lower Hudson with its steep banks, very narrow valleys and high lands. The Dutch map of 1616, (N. Y. Col. Doc.) looks as if the valleys between the Hudson and Connectient were more thiekly inhabited than the Hudson itself. The Indians of the Naugatuck and Housatonie are there called "Makimanes."
The Dutch mile is stated in Murray's guide to Holland to be 3.634 1000 English miles. The name Pantucket used in Winthrop reminds one of "Poktatuek," a branch or village of the Pangus- sets, in the neighborhood of Newtown. Southbury and Woodbury. The Paugussets, DeForest says, had a fortress not far above the union of the Housatonic and Naugatuck.
In May, 1716, Serjt. Joseph Hawkins of Derby, was by the General Assembly granted "the liberty to keep a ferry over Stratford River, where the said Hawkins house now stands by the said river, at the same fare with the ferry at Strat- ford ; and so often as he shall have occasion at the said place to carry or ferry over the mouth of the Naugatuck River, he shall have the same allow- ance as aforesaid ; and when to eross both, eight penee for mau and horse."
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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF SEYMOUR.
BY DR. J. KENDALL.
To-day these hillsides and valleys are dotted with pleasant houses; to-day we have the busy tread of men and the cheer- fnl hum of machinery; to-day these hill- sides and villages are threaded by roads and these streams are spanned with bridges. Two hundred years ago the dnsky savage might have been seen stealthily making his way among these hills, or cronching near some path made by wild beasts seeking to slake their thirst at some of these numerons streams. Or the enrling smoke might have been seen from an Indian wigwam floating among the tree tops from some shaded glen. Two hundred years ago, and this valley was almost an impassable tangle of tree, shrub, vine and driftwood ; these hills were covered with forests that never heard the sound of woodmen's axe. Picture to yourself this scene of two hundred years ago, and you can hardly imagine a more forbidding spectacle.
Not much later than this two men might have been seen coming from below towards this place so wild and primeval. They The other's name was Washband. Ile, also, was one of this colony from New Haven, and is supposed to be the progen- litor of the Washband family that has always been connected with this locality, and is supposed to have settled in Oxford, which then was a part of Milford, near where Staples Washband now lives. each carried a gun, and very likely there was sling under the arm of each a powder- horn marked with various devices signifi- eant of their ocenpation, and a sheath knife in the belt of each. They were clothed to suit the times and their condition. They were hunters, well acquainted with the nse of the weapons they carried. They might have been drawn here by another man of a darker hne, but of similar pursnif. The three were skillful in the pursuit of Indian name was Man-we-hn. His father game with which these forests abonnded- deer, bears, wolves and wild turkeys were plenty here, and the men knew where these animals made their haunts. This last man, as well as the two first, knew how to beguile an hour around a eamp-fire, and if he could not speak English fluently, if he chuse he could talk turkey.
These three were gniet men, and not given to boisterous talk-their habits of but he soon went back and established watching and waiting, listening for the himself on the bluff near where is the sound of a foot-fall, the rustling of a leaf or |house in which Thaddens Fowler now lives
the breaking of a twig, had schooled them into habits of careful, quiet carriage, and the music of the forest had more charm for them than voices of men. When they met their meeting would not be demon- sfrative, but their conversation would be in low tones, for the three were men of the woods, always on the alert to eateh the sound of game. The name of one of these was Johnson, and he was one of the colony that came from New Haven to settle the town of Derby. They had petitioned to have this grant given them, but the fown of Milford remonstrated, and the High Conet at New Haven gave Milford the jurisdie- tion, as her charter covered this territory. He was the first white man that settled in what was then called Chose's Town, after- wards Humphreysville, and now Seymour. Derby was afterward made a town, and Sey- monr was incorporated into a town in 1850. Johnson built his cabin on land now owned by Carlos French, formerly owned by Beecher, then Gary, and last by the late Clark Johnson. It was situated about forty or fifty rods north of Carlos French's farm honse.
The last went by the name of Chuse from his manner of prononneing the word choose, which was a favorite word with him. His was a chief of the tribe of Pequots. When Derby was first settled the whites persnad- ed him to move down into their neighbor- hood, but he tired of this and came back fo Chiusetown and established his quarters again on what is called the Falls. After- wards the whites that had settled near where Dr. Thomas Stoddard now lives per- snaded him to make his residence np there,
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He became a convert to christianity and was connected with the church at Derby, under the pastoral care of the Rev. Daniel Humphreys. He made an effort to educate some of his children, and especi- ally his oldest son. He sent him to school at New Haven, and he appeared to do well for a time, but h' ran his father into debt, as many a white boy has learned to do since, and Chose had to bring him home, and history says he soliloquised thus-"Jo, I wished to make a man of you, but I find after all this ontlay, yon are nothing but a great drunken Indian." Chuse, himself, in the latter part is life, loved the firewater, and was met by his pastor when under the influence of strong drink, and it is said the parson stopped his horse and said, "Chinse!" Chuse immediately raised his hand and said, "Parson Humphreys, not a word, I am trying to walk the new style "-the time had just been changed from old to new style. The parson undged his horse and pushed along, leaving Chuse to practice his new step. The whites grew thick around him, and he moved np to Kent with his family, and within the last forty years there has been seen, almost every year till recently, several old Indian men and women sitting on the rocks on the west side of the falls, looking where once stood the wigwam of the Indian, but now covered with the mannfactories of the white man.
Time progressed, and the natural facili- ties began to attract attention, and these streams with their rongh and rugged beds offered inducements to men of enterprise. A man by the name of Daniel Stiles, who lived np near the corner where Dr. Thomas Stoddard lives, came in possession of this property on the falls, and threw a log dam across the chasin where we now have a solid rock dam, and put up an iron smelting work or forge, and carted his ore from Salisbury. Last spring, in digging for a new wheel-pit they found the old slag and many of the tools in use in that day, relics of work which took place over one hundred years ago. It did not prove a suc- cess, and Bradford Steel put up a saw mill and sawed the logs that the farmers haul-
ed up to 1808, when Gen. David Humphreys, a son of the Rev. Daniel Humphreys, who entered the War of the Revolution as cap- tain, was made chief of staff to General Patnam and remained with him for two years, when he attracted the attention of General Washington, and was transferred to Ins staff, made his private secretary and remained in his family till after the close of the war-was sent minister to Spain and Portugal, was the first to import merino sheep-bought the property on the falls and commenced operation for the mann- thetnre of broadeloth. He proenred a charter from the legislature in 1810, and was the first manufacturer of broadcloths in the United States, and Thomas Jefferson, when inangnratied president, was clad in garments the cloth of which was made in Seymour. He continued his manufactory till death, which transpired in 1818. He carried his habits with him into his after life. Ilis mill was run by what was then known as apprentices, which he gathered from all parts of the country. They were officered and drilled in military taetics and when he had visitors from abroad they were marched ont of the mill and made to pass in review, and to escort him and his visitors to the farm, where high carnival was held for the gratification of his friends . and the boys. These were entopian days for mill boys ; many a hard dollar passed the extended palm for some small favor done by the boys to the manufacturer of broadeloth.
Four years after the death of General Humphrey, in 1822, this mill, with the pro- perty pertaining to it, passed into the hands of John W. DeForest, Lewis Waln & Jeremiah Fisher Leaming, and was by them converted into a maunfactory of cot- ton cloth, and was so occupied within the memory of many now present.
For many years after the settlement of this place intercourse was maintained be- tween this and Derby what in new con- tries are called bridle-paths, and the settlers were obliged, when they went to Derby to elnich, to go on foot or ride on horseback. For a number of years they buried their
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dead at Derby and transported them by strapping a horse between each end of two long poles and placing the corpse on the pole between the horses.
The first manufacturer of angurs in this section of country was Walter French, the manufacture of which has ever since been the staple business of the place. To name all who have been engaged in this business would take more time and space than this paper will permit.
The inhabitants of Seymour have thus far been a working community, and have not grown very rich. There has been an equality sustained between the well-to-do and those who have required that the storm should be tempered to their shorn condition that no manufacturing village in this val- ley can boast of. Our neighbors-in-law have been in the habit of placing us among the hards and roughs; they may be right, but if they are we take the credit of making greater advancement in morals than they, 1
for we have less drunkenness and less rowdyism than they, our streets are safe for ladies or men to pass by day or night. No town in this valley has done so little according to its population to colonize onr states prison or reformatory schools as Seymour. We have not done onr whole duty in providing the needful appliances for the education of our children, neither have we gone to the other extreme, and put up palatial edifices and burdened the tax-payers; but to-day our scholars are as well educated in all rudimental branches as our neighbors. Our churches are the best and onr pastors excel all clergymen- and onr ladies are the handsomest we ever saw and as to their ability to minister to our inner comforts, just look and see these fields of delicate things ready to be de- voured, and finally we have a goodly heri- tage, let us one and all preserve it, for it is ours, and not anothers to keep.
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TRINITY CHURCH.
At the request of Theophilos Miles, Jona- than Miles and Benjamin Davis, a warrant was issued by Levi Tomlinson, a Justice of the Peace for New Haven County, directed to Benjamin Davis, an indifferent person, requesting him to give notice to all the inhabitants professing the religion of the Protestant Episcopal Church, residing with- in certain prescribed limits, to meet at the house of Dr. Samuel Sanford, on the 20th day of Feb., 1797 ; then and there to form an Episcopal Ecelesiastical Society.
The warrant was dated Feb. 12th, 1797, and was served on thirty-nine persons, viz: Reuben Lmm, James Manville, Nathan Mansfield, William Tucker, Benjamin Haw- ley, Russell Tomlinson, Martin Beebe, Enos G. Nettleton, Ephraim Wooster, Nathaniel Holbrook, Jeremiah Gillette, Josiah Net- tleton, Philo Holbrook, Edward Hayes, Nathan Stiles, Wilson Hurd, William Church, Abel Church, John Griffin, Daniel Davis, Bowers Washband, Alexander John- son, Timothy Johnson, Joseph Johnson, Charles Freneb, Israel Bostwick, Moses Riggs and John White. The persons met at the time and place named in the warn- ing, (the house now owned by Mr. Henry Wheeler), when Benjamin Davis was ap- pointed moderator, Samuel Sanford elerk, and Joel Chatfield, Israel French and Jonathan Miles Society's Committee. As there had been a union of the Parish of Great Hill with the Episeopalians of the new Parish it was eoneluded to call the new organization Union Church.
Beyond the organization of the Society no other business appears to have been trans- acted at this time, and the meeting adjourn- ed tomeet at the same place at the end of the week, Feb. 27th. At this meeting they began in earnest to lay the foundation of a house for the Lord ; and Benjamin Davis, Edward Hayes, Nathaniel Johnson and John White were appointed a committee to furnish materials for the building of the Church. The land upon which the Church stands was purchased of Leverett Pritch- ard, and cost $60; the deed is dated March
23rd, 1797. The committee to whom was intrusted the provision of funds and ma- terials for a church building immediately commenced their labors, and if their ener- gy be judged by their success they are entitled to the award of industry and per- severanee. Early in the spring the corner stone was laid by the Rev. Edward Blakes- lee, then an assistant to Rev. Dr. Mansfield of Derby ; during the summer the build- ing was raised and before winter entirely enclosed. After the building had been in- elosed the committee found the funds at their disposal exhausted, and not willing to involve the Society in debt, concluded to suspend their work, and the finishing of the building was reserved for a later day. Seats were however provided, benches made of słabs. To accomplish this much great sacrifices were made ; for their num- ber was not only small and limited in their wordly means, but they also had to con- tend against what was termed the "estab lished order," viz: against the Presbyterian influence which had at that time complete power in the state, and which regarded every such effort as a direet attack upon itselť.
Of this Church Dr. Richard Mansfield was the first pastor, and for his support the Society voted to pay him 3d. on the £ on the grand list of 1797. He was at this time Rector of the Church in Derby. This connection between the 2 Parishes does not appear to have been harmonions ; for early in the year 1800, a committee was appoint- ed to devise some means for uniting Derby and this Society under one pastoral charge. How long Dr. Mansfield continued in the Rectorship of the Parish ean not be cor- reetly ascertained; but probably not longer than 1802; for in that year a committee was appointed to employ a elergyman for one quarter of his time. But as he had been settled for life, this Society assisted in supporting Dr. Mansfield after his pas- toral connection had terminated, and con- tinned to do so for eighteen years, until the time of his death in the year 1820. Jonathan Miles was appointed the first delegate to the Convention of this Diocese. He was a member of the 13th annual con- vention, held in the year 1798.
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In the year 1802 the Union Bank was established, out of which a fund was to be raised for the support of the ministry. Of this bank Abijah Hull was treasurer. The amount of subscriptions was about $2,000, by fifty-seven persons. This bank during its existance proved a bone of contention, and in 1811 action was taken for its diso- lution, and subsequently the notes and money which constituted the bank were returned to the original proprietors, they paying interest on the same up to the year 1808. After the resignation of Dr. Mans- field in 1802, the church remained for a year unsupplied. In 1803 a committee was appointed to confer with committees from Oxford and Derby, in relation to em- ploying a clergyman with power to agree with Derby and Oxford for one year, or to make proposals to the other committees, or either of them, to confer with a clergyman for a settlement and get his proposals, and report the same to a subsequent meeting. The clergyman abont whom they were to confer was Rev. Samnel Griswold. These conferences were unsuccessful.
The next year they succeeded in settling the Rev. Solomon Blakeslee; aud yet he only remained three months, when the ser- vices of the Rev. Calvin White was secured for six months, at the end of which time he removed. In 1805 the Rev. Ammi Rodg- ers was engaged for one-third of his time for three months. At the expiration of three months the engagement was renewed and a resolution expressing the satisfaction of the Society with his services was adopt- ed. This resolution was probably of his own proposal, and designed to varnish a character deeply stained with guilt. The Society subsequently became convinced of the charges made against him and he was dismissed. How long he continued in the Rectorship is not certainly known, but probably not more than one year; for in 1807 the services of the Rev. Ambrose Toud were secured for one-third of his time for one year. Who succeeded Rev. Mr. Todd the records do not show ; but the Rev. Mr. Blakeslee was again Rector in 1810, in which he continued nearly three years.
In 1812 an effort was made to unite this church and Oxford under one pastoral
charge but it failed. In 1813 the Rev. James Thompson became Rector, but he only remained one year. In 1814 the Rev. Mr. White was again employed. Like Mr. Thompson his connection with the Parish was of short duration, and the following year, 1815, wo find the Rev. Chauncy Prin- dle, Rector. In 1813 the Parish paid an assessment of $60 towards establishing a fund for the support of the Bishop.
At a meeting of the Parish, Jan. 29, 1816 measures were taken to complete the church, which had up to this time remained in an nnfinished state. Abraham English, Josiah Nettleton, Theophilos Miles, Nathan- iel Johnson and Josiah Swift were appoint ed a committee to obtain subscriptions to- wards this object; and in March of the same year they were authorized to expend the money thus raised. The amount sub- scribed was $1250, contributed by sixty- three persons. The Church when finished was consecrated Sept. 2nd, 1817, by the Right Rev. John Henry Hobert, D. D., Bishop of the Diocese of New York. After the cousecration of the Church the Rev. Mr. Thompson again became the Rector and continued in that connection until 1819, when the Rev. Aaron Humphreys was elected.
In 1818 we find for the first time some- thing of the condition of the Parish, so far as its strength was concerned, viz : number of communicants, 45; number of families, 63; number of persons, 279; grand levy, $7,420.95. In 1819 the Parish was drawn into a law suit by its first Rector, the Rev. Dr. Mansfield. The Parish became remiss in paying its portion for his support, and to quicken its energies this suit was brought. The Dr. gained his canse and the Parish was compelled to pay np all arrearages. The death of the Dr., April 11th, 1820, aged 96 years, relieved the Par- ish from this onerous charge. In 1821 a new roof was placed on the church at a cost of $60. In 1822 the slips were first rented at public sale, the proceeds of the sale amonnting to $146.40. Up to this time the salary had been raised by a tax on the grand list. In the evening of the 1st of June of this year, 1822, the steeple
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of the church was struck by lightning; to repair the injury $182.88 was raised and $182.84 expended. In 1822 the Rev. Stephen Jewett became Rector of the Parish, and the following year made this report : num- ber of communieants, 50; Baptisms, 2; marriages, 4; funerals, 5; families, 55. Mr. Jewett continued in the Rectorship eleven years; and during his ministry there were baptised 127 infants and eight adults; 51 marriages were solemnized and 88 persons were buried. In 1827 the Sun- day School was started, and "the Society's committee were appointed to superintend and regulate its affairs and proenre such books as were required."
In the next year the bell was proenred at a cost of $256.19. It was first used Ang. 12th, 1828, to toll the death of a son of Mr. John S. Moshier. In the summer of the same year a sum was raised by sub- seriptions for the purpose of painting the church and fencing the burying ground, amounting to $251, all of which was done at an expense of $247. In the same year Mr. Isaac Kinney presented the Parish with a stove. Before this time the churhe had not been warmed. The first organ stand in said list and report the same to was placed in the church about the year 1831. It was built by Mr. Whiting of New Haven, and in 1850 was enlarged and im- proved by Mr. Jurdine of New York, at an expense of $505.
After the resignation of the Rev. Mr. Jewett in 1833, the Rev. Charles W. Brad- ley became Rector of the Parish and re- mained in that connection one year, when he was succeeded by the Rev. John D. Smith at Easter, 1834. Mr. Smith continned in the Rectorship eleven years. In the first five years he officiated in this church every Sunday ; the next two years he divided his services equally between this church and St. Peter's, Oxford. In 1841 this arrange- ment was discontinued, and Mr. Smith again confined his labors to this Parish. In 1841 the church underwent a complete repair at an expense of $150. The wood work in the interior was grained and the pulpit lowered about three feet ; it would have added much more to the convenience of the bearers as well as the speaker, if it ecclesiastical court and found guilty of
had been eut down five feet more ; but the small reduction in height was looked upon as a great inovation by some of the older members of the Parish.
At Easter in 1845, Rev. Mr. Smith re- signed the Rectorship of the Parish, and the Rev. John Purvis became the Rector. He remained two years and during his ministry he baptised six adults and twen- ty-six children, married three couple and attended sixteen funerals. At this time there were about one hundred communi- cants connected with the Parish. In the summer of 1845 the church was painted on the outside at the cost of $120, which was defrayed by the ladies' sewing society. The next spring the ladies furnished the church with carpets, lamps and curtains for the windows. After the resignation of the Rev. Mr. Purvis the Rev. Abel Nichols officiated as a supply one year, until Easter, 1848. At the annual meeting in 1847 a re- port was made of the indebtedness of the Parish, which was $285.46. At the same time the committee were "instructed to procure from the grand list of the town the amount the several members of the Parish
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