USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Seymour > Seymour and vicinity. Historical collections > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19
Charles Stearns moved into the parsonage in May, 1847, and remained two years in charge of this circuit. He found us com- mencing the new church. The old house was sold for one hundred dollars. Jared Basset, assisted by Isaac Bassett, built the stone work. He got the steps out of stones that he found in different fields around, and many wondered where Uncle Jared found such stones.
stone was laid. Rev. E. W. Smith, of, to Seymour. In his second year the Society
On Saturday, June 19, 1847, the corner Birmingham, was the speaker. Sylvester Smith deposited the case under the stone after announcing its contents. C. Stearns and Mr. Curtiss of the Congregational Church took part in the serviees. Amos Hine, of Woodbridge, was the contractor for the building, except the stonework. Mr. Martin, an Irishman, was the pamter. In November the bell, from Meneeby's foundry in Troy, was raised to its place. Its weight was eleven hundred and fifty pounds. In this year a board of trustees was appointed by the pastor in charge, and vacancies were afterwards filled by the " official board."
The house was dedicated on Tuesday, January 18, 1844, by Bishop Jones, who preached from Ezra 6: 16. In the evening he preached again. The collections amount- ed to $292.83. The whole cost of the house, bell, and furniture, was 85,800, and of this the Society owed $800. On the day of dedication the slips rented for $580, and
the average amount of annual rents in the first ten years was about $550,
All of the elm trees near the church were obtained and set by Win. E. Smith, under the direction of Sylvester, his father, with- in one year after the dedication. The first two in front nearest the house of Mr. Theker were set on the day of the presi- dential election in 1848. He was killed in the war, September 1st, 1864.
In May, 1849, Seneca Howland was in charge of what in the next year was set off from Derby as the town of Seymour. He remained two years, and some additions were made to the church. Twenty-tbree came forward as seckers at his first watch- meeting. David Osborn was pastor of Sey- mour and Ansonia one year, from April, 1851, to April, 1852, and it was a prosper- sions reported. Mr. Osborn confined his labors to Seymour the second year. His successor for two years was Rufus K. Rey- nolds, a solid and useful man. Wm. T. Hill came on after him, and confined bis labors to this place and Great Hill. In his first year, which was his first appointment, we had 67 conversions and 50 additions to the church here. S. Smith baptized 15 adults at one time. 24 of the converts were from the Sunday school. Next Thomas Stephen- son had two good years in the town, and some additions to the church. He was a good preacher. In 1859 L. P. Perry was the pastor and confined his labors to this village, and was a faithful and useful min- ister.
Albert Booth was the pastor in the hard year of 1861-'62. At the Conference of 1862 George Lansing Taylor was appointed raised $1,200 dollars towards paying off the church debt. In the summer of 1864 his successor, A. B. Pulling, held one festival in a car-shop on the flat, and later in the season, another in Messrs. Day's new brick factory above the paper mill, and the avails of the two netted $500, and the church was out of debt! He remained until the spring of 1866, when Sylvester Smith was appointed to the charge for one year, and the church edifice was painted outside. It being the centennial year of American Methodism, Mr. Smith preached eight sermons on the subject. Nineteen persons who had on the previous year joined on probation were re- ceived in full. Joseph Pulman was the next pastor, and was eminently successful, receiving 65 probationers at one time near the close of the first year. Ben- nett T. Abbott was the next pastor, and was successful in improving the finances of the church. Joseph Smith had this field of labor the next three years, and proved
34
himself an able minister of the New Testa- ment. In former years Mr. Smith, as a local preacher, residing in Waterbury, had done much good service here in connection with our pastors. E. H. Frisbie and James Wiswel, local preachers in New Haven, also rendered much good service. Sylves- ter Smith, during his forty years residence here was a most active laborer and liberal giver in the church, but four fires and other serious losses compelled him to retire from business.
Ency Johnson, who died March 9th, 1788, who was buried in the grave-yard adjoining the church, was the first white person. NAU-KO-TUNK.
NOTE .- In the above dates it should be remem- bered that in some of the earlier times the con- ference year was from May to May, in later years from April to April. In the 8th line of the article for David read Daniel; 14th line, for Setaneut- Setanket ; 20th line, for Isaac-Styles; for Stubbs- llull.
The Methodist Episcopal Church.
BY W. C. S.
1791, First Methodist Sermon in what is now Seymour, by Rev. Jesse Lee, Presiding Elder.
1792, Rev. John Allyn, Circuit Preacher.
1793, Rev. Benjamin Fisher, "
1794, Rev. Daniel Ostrander,
1795, Rev. Evan Rogers,
1796, Rev. Joshua Taylor,
1797, Rev. Michael Coate, Organization of the Society.
1798, Rev. Angustus Jocelyn.
1799, Rev. Ebenezer Stevens.
1800, Rev. James Coleman.
1801, Rev. Freeborn Garrettson.
1802, Rev. Abner Wood.
1803, Rev. Nathan Emery.
1804, Rev. Ebenezer Washburn.
1805, Rev. Lyman Andrus.
1806, Rev. Moses Osborn. 1807, Rev. Reuben Harris.
1808, Rev. Phinchas Rice.
1809, Rev. N. W. Thomas.
1810, Rev. Oliver Sykes.
1811, Rev. Zalmon Lyon. 1812, Rev. Aaron Hunt.
1813, Rev. Ebenezer Washburn.
1814, Rev. Elijah Woolsey.
1815, Rev. Benoni English.
1816, Rev. Jesse Johnson.
1817, Rev. Nathan Emory. 56 members.
1818, Rev. Arnold Scofield.
1819-20, Rev. David Miller.
1821, Rev. James Coleman.
1822, Rev. Eli Barnett. 1823, Rev. Laban Clarke.
1824, Rev. Eli Dennison.
1825, Revs. I. Fields and Sizer.
1826, Rev. Samuel D. Ferguson.
1827, Rev. Valentine Buck. 1828. Rev. A. H. Sanford.
1829, Rev. Reuben Harris.
1830. Rev. John Lovejoy.
1831, Rev. Daniel Smith.
1832, Rev. Robert Travis.
1833, Rev. Chester Wm. Turner.
1834, Rev. Humphrey Humphreys.
1835. ) Rev. Thomas Ellis. 1836, ( Rev. Josiah Bowen.
1837, ) Rev. Oliver Sykes.
1838, ( Rev. David Miller.
1839, Rev. J. Bowen.
1840, ) Rev. Eli Barnet.
1841, § Rev. Thomas Sparks.
1842, ) Rev. Ezra Jagger.
1843, ( Rev. L. Atwater.
1844, Rev. M. Blydenburgh.
1845-6, Rev. George L. Fuller.
1847-8, Rev. Charles Stearns.
1849-50, Rev. Seneca Howland.
1851-2, Rev. David Osborn.
1853-4, Rev. Rufus K. Reynolds.
1855-6, Rev. William T. Ilill. 1857-8, Rev. Thomas Stevenson.
1859-60, Rev. L. P. Perry. 1861, Rev. Albert Booth.
1862-3, Rev. George L. Taylor.
1864-5. Rev. Alonzo B. Pulling. 1866, Rev. Sylvester Smith.
1867-8. Rev. Joseph Pullinan. 1869-70, Rev. Bennett T. Abbott.
1871-2-3, Rev. Joseph Smith.
1874, Rev William R. Webster.
1875, Rev. Edward H. Dutcher.
1876, Rev. Charles A. Tibbals
Rev. Joseph Smith is the only pastor who preached in the Seymour M. E. Church three consentive years, viz. : 1871-2-3, and when his time expired by limitation, ar- cording to disciphne (no pastor being allowed to remain in one place longer than three years conseentively), he was gener-
35
ally beloved and esteemed by the members of the society for which he had labored faithfully, earnestly and impartially.
Rev. Wm. R. Webster officiated as pastor of the church from April, '74, to April, '75, I classleaders, trustees and superintendant, laboring with much zeal wherever there seemed to be a prospect of doing good.
In April, 1875, Rev. E. H. Datcher was sent by the conference for the ensning year. The dissensions which seemed at the time of his coming to be ended, rapidly revived during his pastorate, and had a disastrous effect upon the interests of the society.
In the spring of the present year the an- nal meetings of the society, held under the statutes of the state, were broken up and a decision made by the pastor in charge and sustained by the Presiding Elder, that there was no such thing as the Methodist society, after it had been known as sneh for seventy-nine years (since Feb., 1797). As the property was deeded to the Methodist Society, if that society no longer exists, it is a question which we leave for others to discuss-to whom does the pro- perty now belong ?
In April of the present year the confer- ence appointed Rev. Charles A. Tibbals, son of Rev. Nathan Tibbals, well known as a Methodist minister since 1841, and now the head of the firm of N. Tibbals & Sons, publishers, of New York.
The published minutes of the New York [tinned for a fime.
East Conference show the following The superintendents since the reorgan- amounts credited to this church for the ization of the school, so far as we have conference years commencing in April of been able to learn, are : 1-67, 865.75; 1868, $107.33; 1869, $91.95; 1841-2, Samnel Hickox. 1870, $158.73; 1871, $64-50; 1872, $68.22; 1843-8, Engrand Sharp. 1873, 867.00, 1874, $61.00; 1875, $13.00. 1852, John Adams. Engrand Sharpe was appointed chairman 1853, Frederick Durand. of the "missionary committee," or collector, 1854, Win. A. Hughes. in each of the above years, but in the last 1855, Wm. Mallory. Rev. E. H. Dutcher took it out of his hands.
Under the new statutes of the State of Connectient, the trustees were first elected by the adult male members of the church Sept. 3, 1866. The following is the list in the order recorded: A. W. Lonnsbury, Sheldon Miles, Willis Umbertield, Jared Bassett, Smith Botsford, Wilson E. Hon- dryx, Sylvester Smith, W. N. Storrs, War- ren French. Since the last election of trus- tees the list has been Lugrand Sharpe, T. S. Ladd, A. W. Lonusbry, Win. B. Johnson, W. C. Sharpe, J. R. Adams, H. B. Beccher, Sheklon Miles, W. N. Storrs.
The lot adjoining the church on the east was purchased of Mr. Edwin Smith in 1-70, with the mtention of building a parsonage thereon as soon as should seem practicable, Mr. Smith selling the lot at less than he considered it worth, to help the church. Mrs. M. A. Sackett canvassed the society for funds to pay for it, and by her zealous perseverance succeeded in collecting the
larger portion of the amount. The balance was paid subsequently from funds received from the legacy of Mrs. Kirtland. At an official meeting, consisting of the stewards, held at the parsonage, April 26th, 1875, the pastor presiding, it was voted to offer the " Kirtland Place" and the parsonage for sale, preparatory to building a new par- sonage. An offer being received the board fof trustees met and appointed Warren French an agent to sell the parsonage for $2,000, and W. C. Sharpe, Warren French and Lugrand Sharpe were appointed a building committee. Plans and estimates were obtained, and the contract awarded to Thomas Sharpe for the parsonage, ont- building, well-enrb and feuce on two sides for $2,300. The parsonage, with the hand- some shade trees around it, is said to be the pleasantest in the Nangatuck valley.
THIE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
George Kirtland came to Seymour in 1825, and in 1826 or 7 he started a Sunday school with five children of his own, the number increasing the first year to 27. Ile tried to establish a library for the Sunday school, both himself and a Mr. Fisher contributing books and money. He kept up the Sunday school 6 or 7 years, when it was discon-
1856-7, Albert W. Lonnsbury.
1858, Win. Mallory.
1-59, Warren French.
1-60-1, W. N. Storrs.
1862-5, H. W. Benedict. In 1862, 777 vol- umes in the library. In 1865, 851 volumes. 1866-7, W. N. Storrs.
1-68, Sheldon Miles.
1869, W. C. Sharpe. Average attend- ance, 88. Missionary collections in first quarter, $39.34.
1-70, W. N. Storrs. Average attendance 72.
1871, W. N. Storrs. Average attendance, 61. 358 volumes in library.
1872, W. W. Dibble. Average attend-
ance, 63. 1873, Samuel Butler. Average attend- ance, 81. 301 books in library.
1874, C. N. Blanchard.
1875. Samuel Butler.
1876, E. N. Botsford.
292 volumes in library.
36
The Indians.
The Indians had nearly disappeared from their native hills and vales. The merciless Mohawks from New York raided over this section, and the Connecti- ent Indians fled to their forts in terror. So that Litchfield county, New Haven county, and the western portion of Hartford county, became nearly depopula- ted. A clan of Indians known as the Potatucks resided in Woodbury or Pom- peraug, Southbury and Newtown. In 1742 the legislature gave this clan the schooling privileges in Waterbury that they possessed in Newtown. Ansantawae was sachem of the Milford Paugusetts, after whon. is named the encampment of Odd Fellows in Waterbury; and Weranmang, sachem of the New Milford Indians, has his name preserved by one of the largest lakes in the state. Those who lived in this vicinity the last half of the last century were a branch of the Pequot race.
Joseph Manwee was the son of Gideon Mauwee, a Pequot Indian. Joseph was brought in his boyhood to Derby Neck to live with a Mr. Durand till he arrived at manhood, then was married to Sarah, of the Farmington In- dians and settled in the south part of Derby near Turkey Hill, but afterward removed to Naukotunk, now Seymour. Joseph lived at first near the Falls, afterwards in a frame house built for him on the site where Dr. Thomas Stod- dard now lives. Hle afterward moved back to the Falls, and then to Scaghticook, in Kent, where he died. He had eight children, two sons and six daughters. His oldest son, Joseph enlisted as a soldier and went to Boston when hostili- ties commenced. After his term of service closed on his way home he was poisoned and died, probably by the opposers of the war. Three of Joseph Mau-we-hu's children died in childhood. Elihu, his youngest son was an un- usually intelligent Indian. The tribe of which Chuse or Joseph Manwee was a member, claimed the land as far north as Mattatuck or Waterbury. When the Indian census was taken by the colony a hundred years ago (in 1774,) there were four of Chuse's band in Waterbury, where the first settlers were not par- ticular to higgle with the Indians concerning the ownership of the land but paid both the Farmington Tunxis and the Derby Paugusetts for it. They were paid in hard cash, too, and not with the baubles sometimes used to cheat the Indians of their lands. The first deed was dated 1674, but the same land was bounded more definitely and again purchased in 1685, and the third time the Derby Indians were paid 25 shillings for "a small piece of land north of the Derby bounds, west of Naugatuck river and south of Toantick brook."
"The day of the Indian is passed, and that of the railroad and telegraph has come; but we do not need to ride or walk far from our daily haunts to find a few mixed descendants of the first owners of the soil. These are mainly offshoots from the Pequots. They have lived for a long time in a narrow valley where a small stream and a large one unite, a spot which they have named, as Mr. Lossing tells us, Pish-gach-ti-gock-"the meeting of the wa- ters." The name on white lips got corrupted to Scaghticook, and the Indians became therefore, to all the neighborhood, the Seaghticook Indians. During a former generation these wards of civilization used to frequent all our coun- try, peddling the painted baskets and small wares which they knew so well how to make, and gaining a livelyhood of as much thrift as they cared to enjoy.
The last full blood Indian of this tribe, now reduced to a mere hand- ful, mixed with negro and white blood-was the locally famous Eunice Man- wee. She lived, as her dwindling descendants now do, on a state reservation,
37
SEYMOUR AND VICINITY.
and died in 1859, aged about 104 years. Her father was the last chief who ruled, and she was consequently, of royal blood-a princess, in fact, as she would have been in name, had the tribal condition of her people continued.
Until within a few weeks of her death, she often talked with freedom of the Indians and their habits. It was interesting to hear her pronunciation of the Indian words which have now become local property, and are attached to so many places. In almost every instance the modern use of them is merely a reduction of larger and more unmanageable ones-words which, as they are now used, have been shorn of a half or a third of their original syllables. She was intelligent, and accustomed to talk, and remembered, of course many curious things. She made a striking statement that she saw, when a little girl, an old Indian who had seen King Phillip. The Indian was telling her father of the personal traits and appearance of this doughty hero, and
narrating, perhaps, some of his unrecorded exploits; and she was a wrapt listener to the conversation. To see an Indian who had seen King Phillip was like putting your hand backward upon the vessel which landed on Ply- muoth Rock. When one sits down to think the matter seriously over, it does not seem so long as it did since Columbus discovered America, or since William the Conqueror set foot in England, or in fact, since anything ancient happened, when a few memories pasted together cover an are of time."
The Early Settlers.
Benajah Johnson and Timothy, his brother, who settled in what is now Beacon Falls, came from Derby, but were natives of New Haven. Their father lived in a house where the Exchange building stood in 1847, and had eight sons. The wives of Timothy and Benajah Johnson were grand daugh- ters of the Rev. Nathaniel Brewster, (son of Johnathan Brewster, who came to Plymouth in the Mayflower,) of Setauket Village, Brookhaven, Long Island, and great grandaughters of Roger Indlow, who was one of the four principal men who came over from England in 1630 with Gov. John Win- throp, and who began to settle the town of Dorchester, Mass. Mr. Ludlow was soon made deputy governor of Massachusetts. In 1636 he and and seven others were invested by Massachusetts with all the powers of the government of the new colony of Connecticut. He removed to Windsor, where he lived till 1640, having been in the mean time appointed deputy governor of Con- necticut and to other high offices of trust. In 1640 he and several others bought of the Indians Uncon, including the region now called Stratford, Bridgeport and Fairfield. The name belonged particularly to Fairfield, where Gov. Ludlow and his associates lived, and which was first discovered by Capt. Mason when pursning the Pequot Indians westward after their memorable defeat in 1637. Thompson, in his history of Long Island, speaking of Mr. Brewster says: "He was a nephew of the Elder William Brewster of the May Flower. He was a graduate in the first class of Harvard College in 1642, which consisted of nine young men.
During the Commonwealth, (from 1650 to 1660,) he was a minister in Norwalk, England, but on the restoration of monarchy, he returned to Amer- ica and was settled at Setauket, L. L., in 1665. His three sons, JJohn, Daniel, and Timothy had resided there several years before his arrival from England. His wife was Sarah, daughter of Roger Ludlow, one of the most eminent men of New England. Mr. Ludlow was a member of the council
·
0
38
SEYMOUR AND VICINITY.
and deputy governor of Mass. and Conn. He composed the first code of laws for the Connectient colony, which was first published in 1650. Mr. Ludlow's daughter Sarah, the wife of Mr. Brewster, was represented as a per- son eminently distinguished for her genins and literary attaiments. The three sons of Mr. Brewster were men of excellent character and highly useful dur- ing their lives. The wife of Benajah Johnson was first married to JJoseph Hawkins of Derby, son of John Hawkins, Nov. 17th, 1720, when she was 19 years old. He or his son Joseph, who was the ancestor of the Hawkinses of Derby, built the first house on Derby Point, where Birmingham now is, and a store for the purpose of importing and selling West India goods. This honse and store were torn down only a few years ago.
At this time the Housatonic below Derby was navigable for vessels which could come up to where now is the rolling mill of the iron works. This was the location of the store. There was no made land below the canse- way, east of Birmingham. Where the two rivers met was a kind of trian- gular lake, deep and free from mud. Joseph Hawkins died about the year 1725. He had a daughter Mary, born Sept. 5th, 1721, who married Ebene- zer Judd of Waterbury, Nov. 17th, 1742, and was the mother of Brewster, Enoch, Ebenezer, Sarah, David, Benajah and Amos Judd, also a son JJoseph, born April 30th, 1724, who carried on business in the store mentioned above. The widow Sarah (Brewster) Hawkins and Benajah Johnson were married Oct. 10th, 1728, and they soon occupied, as pioneers, the first house in Sey- mour, which was built at the foot of the first hill north of the house of Mr. Chatfield, opposite the present house of William Gilyard. She took her name from her grandmother, Sarah Ludlow. About 1750 he built the house which was recently torn down to make room for Chatfield's present honse. They had two children, Isaac and Zeviah. Isaac was born in 1735 and died April 10th, 1813, aged 78 years. Zeviah was born in 1733 and died May 29th, 1816, aged 77 years. Isaac marrie.l Lois Hopkins, danghter of John Hopkins, of Waterbury and first consin of the celebrated divine, Dr. Samuel Hopkins, who was the son of her unele Timothy. The date of their marriage was Jan- nary 21st, 1758, by Rev. Mark Leavenworth, the pastor of the church in Waterbury. Lois his wife, was born in 1738. and died Ost. 16 h, 1814, aged 76 years. Zeviah the sister of Isaac was marriel to Abiel Fairchild an l their house was about three-fourths of a mile northwest of Pinesbridge. Mr. Fairchild was an excellent man. One of his neighbors said of him that he was an "Israelite indeed, in whom there was no guile."
Benajah Johnson died April 13th, 1763, age 1 59, and his remains were carried on a horse litter to the original burying ground of Derby. His widow, Sarah, died May 7th, 1773, at the house of her daughter Mrs. Fairchild. Her remains were interred in a new burying ground which had been begun about five years previous to her death,-about 1768- on a terrace above and west of the Nangatnek railroad, about a mile above the depot in Seymour. This place of burial was abandoned before the year 1800, when the present Pinesbridge cemetery was chosen and given by Alexander Johnson, son of Timothy. This early burying ground of 1768 is now in the woods and over- grown with bushes and entirely neglected. The last burial in it was that of a umlatto by the name of Shubael, son of Pero, a pure blooded African. When it was proposed to bury the remains of Shubael in the Pinesbridge ground, Mr. Alexander Johnson forbid it and so they took them to the gromid in the woods. The grave stones of Benajah Johnson and Sarah his wife were placed by their son Isaac and are still standing.
39
SEYMOUR AND VICINITY.
Timothy Johnson and Abigail Brewster, sister of Sarah (Brewster) Hawkins were married Feb. 21st, 1725. Their house was a little way below Pines bridge at a crossing place on the Naugatuck, where his grandson Elijah died in 1847, aged 75. They had but one child, Alexander, who was born in 1730, and died m Sept., 1817, aged 87. Timothy and his wife were both bur- ied in the old burying ground of Derby. When he first removed to this wild place he found a young Indian called Toby, who lived about half a mile north west of Pines bridge from which Toby's Rocks took their name.
Mr. Johnson and his wife were very much annoyed by wild animals and snakes, especially by bears which came down from Rock Rimmon and de- stroyed their crops. After a while they went back to Derby, where they lived several years and then returned. Alexander Johnson and Hannah, his wife had a large family, mostly sons. Timothy, (born Jan. 21st, 1766; died Jan. 21st, 1836;) David, Elijah, Nathaniel, Charles and others. There was one danghter who married Moses Clark of Nymphs. Her maiden name was Abigail Brewster Jolson and some now living remember her as "annt Nabby."
The dead wore buried in Derby till abont a hundred and ten years ago, when a few were buried in the burying ground opposite Rock Rinnon. The principal mode of carrying the dead to Derby was on a horse litter which was extemporized as follows : Two horses with saddles were placed with their heads in the same direction, one forward of the other about seven or eight feet, and a long stout linen bag turned or looped up at each end was put over each saddle to receive the ends of two long smooth and strong poles, one on each side of the horses and two or three cross pieces were put on the poles between the horses On this litter the coffin was placed lengthwise and fastened to the cross pieces by cords. As the horses moved on the bearers walked on each side and steadiel the coffin. The mourners and their neigh- bors followed on foot and on horseback. The roads in those days were narrow and rough. When the distance from the house to the burying ground was not more than two or three miles, the coffin, placed on a bier, was usually barne on the shoulders of bearers, four and four. The coffin was often made of whitewood boards and colored with lamp black, but the most costly were made of cherry.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.