USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Redding > The history of Redding, Connecticut : from its first settlement to the present time > Part 3
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At the above meeting, John Read, Esq., was chosen to represent the society, "to pray for to be relest from paying country rates." The action of the General Court on this petition is given in Colonial Records, vol. viii, p. 176, as follows: "Upon the memorial of the Presbyterian so- ciety in the parish of Reading in Fairfield County setting forth to this Assembly their low circumstances, and praying a remission of their country tax : this Assembly do grant unto the said society their country tax for the space of four years next coming."
It will be remembered that the bill organizing the parish in 1729 ex- empted it from country rates for four years. In 1733 the Assembly granted them a further release of four years, and also imposed a "tax of three shillings per one hundred acres, on all unimproved lands laid out in said society for the space of four years, to be exclusive of those lands belonging to persons of the episcopal persuasion (who) by our law are discharged from paying taxes for the support of the ministry allowed by the laws of this Colony."
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HISTORY OF REDDING.
When the next quadrennium began in 1741, the parish seems to have been on a better financial footing, and no further taxes were remitted. Apropos to the above, it may be remarked that in 1737 the parish rates had risen to Is. Id. on the pound. Continuing our extracts from the parish records, we find at a meeting held August 22d, 1738, that "it was voted to try for town privileges in s'd Society," and Stephen Burr was chosen agent "to see if the town (i. c. Fairfield) will consent that s'd Society shall have town privileges."
This entry gives a hint of the rapid growth of the settlement, and of the energy and enterprise of its inhabitants. There were many reasons why they desired a separation: Fairfield was fourteen miles distant, and the interests of the two were distinct; then they must go to Fairfield to vote, to pay taxes, and to record deeds and conveyances. They could not even have their necessary highways laid out without the consent of that town; hence we find them making early and persistent efforts for town privileges, so effectually opposed, however, by the mother town, that it was not until twenty-nine years after that the town was organized.
In this year, 1739, the place for putting up warnings for the society's meetings was changed from Umpawaug to the mill-door. In the vote establishing a school in 1737, reference is made to the mill, and it is evi- dent that it was erected at a very early date. The miller and the black- smith were very necessary artisans in a new settlement, and grants of land were in many cases made to induce them to settle; if such was the fact in Redding, no record of it remains. According to tradition, the first miller was Jabez Burr, and the first mill stood on the Saugatuck, near the present dwelling of Ezekiel Burr, a short distance above where the Nobbs Crook road crosses the stream.
October Ist, 1740, it was voted to try and get liberty to have the north of Redding set off for a town, and in December "to have a pound erected on the highway southwest of Ebenezer Ferry's barn provided he will build it on his own charge," also voted that "Ebenezer Ferry be key keeper of the pound and have the profits of it." This was the second pound erected in the parish, the first being at Mr. John Read's. In 1741 they again voted to ask the consent of the town, that "we may have town privileges."
No further entries of importance appear until 1746, when Joseph Sanford was appointed agent for the parish to "petition the Superior Court now sitting in Fairfield to appoint a committee to lay out highways through the lands granted to Capt. Couch and Company in s'd parish" (these lands were in Umpawaug). In 1747 a list of the parish officers is given. They were as follows: Lemuel Sanford, selectman; Adam Clark, constable ; Daniel Meeker, David Knapp, grand-jurymen ; Thomas Taylor, James Gray, James Morgan, Joseph Hawley, Joseph Bradley,
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HISTORY OF REDDING.
Jabez Burr, surveyors of highway; Ebenezer Couch, Thomas Taylor, listers ; William Burritt, John Mallory, tithing men; Lieutenant Stephen Burr, Joseph Hawley, fence viewers; Allen Lee, key-keeper for the pound.
January 23d, 1749, it was voted that "Ephraim Jackson shall procure a copy of the doings of the General Assembly concerning highways in the country in this parish," and at the same time complaint was made against Daniel Deane, the Society's collector for the year previous, for his "mismanagement" in collecting the rate, and it was voted "that the committee shall prosecute him in case he shall not satisfy them." This action seems to have been carried to Mr. Deane at once, for he the next day makes this humble apology :
REDDING, January 24, 1749.
" To Mr. Jehu Burr, Mr. Stephen Betts, and Mr. Samuel Sanford, Com- mitee men for said Redding:
" GENTLEMEN, I understand you have declared that there is some mismanagement in the rate that I have to gather in the year 1748, and you seem to think that I have done the same, and if you insist upon it, I desire your forgiveness : in so doing you will much oblige your hum- ble servant.
" DANIEL DEANE."
In 1754 the parish again applied for town privileges without success, and again in 1757 with a like result.
The next attempt in 1766 was successful, and the Assembly of 1767 passed the long-desired act of incorporation.
It will be noticed that nothing is said in the records concerning the tribe of Indians inhabiting the parish, but from other sources we learn that quite important changes had taken place among them. Their chief, Chickens, after causing the settlers no little trouble concerning the deeds which he had given them, had been induced in 1749 to remove with most of his tribe to Scattacook, in New Milford, and there were now but a few scattered families remaining in the town. No less than three peti- tions of Chickens, complaining of the injustice of the settlers, are pre- served in the Colonial Records. The first, presented to the General Court of May, 1735, asked that in accordance with the provisions of his deed to Samuel Couch in 1725, the Assembly would appoint a committee to lay out to him, his children, children's children, and their posterity, so much land near his wigwam as they should deem necessary for his and their personal improvement; and the Assembly appointed such a com- mittee.
No report of the action of this committee is preserved in the archives ; but ten years later, in 1745, Chickens again petitioned the Assembly to
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HISTORY OF REDDING.
appoint a committee to view his lands for the same purpose, and the As- sembly appointed such a committee "to repair to and upon said land, and having due regard to said deed of conveyance, with the savings and reservations therein contained, to survey and by proper meets and bounds set out for, and to the use of the memorialist and his children, such and so much of said lands as they shall be of opinion-(on hearing all parties or persons therein concerned)-ought to be allowed and set out to said memorialist and his children. The third and last memorial, presented in 1749, is a very interesting document, and is given in full.
" The memorial of Capt. Chicken alias Sam. Mohawk of Reading in Fairfield county, shewing to this Assembly that in his deed formerly made to Capt. Samuel Couch, late of Fairfield, deceased, of his land lying between the township of said Fairfield, and Danbury, Ridgefield and Newtown, he had reserved to himself so much of said land as a com- mittee, appointed by this Assembly, should judge should be sufficient for himself, his children and posterity, for their personal improvement, which said reserve has since been set out by proper meets and bounds in two pieces, containing in the whole about one hundred acres as per the surveys thereof may appear, reference thereunto being had: and showing also that John Read, Esq., late of Boston deceased, had surveyed, and laid out to him two hundred acres of land by the appointment of this Assembly, at a place called Scattacook bounded as in the survey thereof on record: and also shewing that the land aforesaid, laid out to the said John Read, Esq., is much more convenient and advantageous for him, the said Chicken, being well situated for fishing and hunting, and that he had made and executed a deed of exchange of his aforesaid hundred acres, lying in two pieces as aforesaid in the parish of Reading to the said John Read Esq. and to his heirs, which said deed bears date October IIth, A. D. 1748, and in consideration thereof did receive of the said John Read Esq. a deed bearing date the day aforesaid well executed to him the said Chicken and to his heirs by his attorney John Read Esq. of said Reading, being fully authorized thereunto, of the aforesaid two hundred acres ; praying this Assembly that said deeds, executed as aforesaid, may be allowed of, ratified, and be admitted as good evidence in the law for conveying and fixing the title to the several pieces of land aforesaid."
This petition the Assembly granted, and Chickens and his tribe soon after removed to the reservation at Scattacook. His grandson, Tom Warrup, however, remained in Redding, as will be more fully related.
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HISTORY OF REDDING.
CHAPTER III.
Town History.
The Act of the General Assembly incorporating the town was as fol- lows :
"AN ACT FOR MAKING AND FORMING THE PARISH OF REDDING INTO A DISTINCT TOWN BY THEMSELVES.
"Whereas, this Assembly are informed that the Parish of Redding in the northwesterly part of the township of Fairfield is very remote from the main body of that town, and that they are by their situation almost entirely prevented from attending the publick meetings of said town, and that they suffer very great inconveniences thereby, and that for them longer to continue as a parish of said Fairfield is very inconvenient : Therefore,
"Be it enacted by the Governor and Council and Representatives in General Court assembled and by the authority of the same, That said Parish of Redding be and they are hereby erected, made and constituted within the limits and bounds of said parish a distinct Town by themselves with all the liberties, privileges and immunities which by law the other towns in this Colony have and do enjoy, and that said new constituted town shall hereafter be called by the name of the Town of Redding, with this limitation and restriction, that but one Representative which said new constituted town shall at any time chuse to attend the General As- semblies shall be at the publick expence.
"And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That said Town of Redding shall have and hold their first Town Meeting for the choice of their town officers for the present year some time in the month of June next, which meeting shall be warned by a warrant signed by any justice of the peace in the county of Fairfield, to be directed to some indifferent person to serve, which warrant shall appoint the time and place at which said meeting is to be held, and shall be served at least five days before the day appointed for the holding said meeting."
It was passed at the May session, 1767, and a meeting was held, June 15th, 1767, in accordance with its provisions. Colonel John Read was chosen Moderator. Lieutenant Stephen Mead was chosen clerk for the year. and the following town officers elected: Stephen Mead, Ephraim Jackson., Daniel Hill, selectmen : David Lyon, Asahel Fitch, Daniel Hull, constables ; Benjamin Hamilton, Zalmon Read, fence viewers; Peter Fairchild, Lemuel Sanford, Jr., David Jackson, listers ; Thomas Fairchild, Jonathan Couch, grand-jurymen : Gurdon Merchant, town treasurer ; Paul Bartram, Thomas Fairchild, Eleazer Smith, Jr.,
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HISTORY OF REDDING.
tithing-men; Ebenezer Williams, Ebenezer Couch, pound keepers; Ger- shom Morehouse, sealer of leather ; Benjamin Meeker, Jonathan Mallory, sealer of weights; Ephraim Jackson, Captain Henry Lyon, and Gurdon Merchant, a committee to take all proper and lawful methods to clear the highways. The town by vote made the pound by Elizabeth Sanford's the "Town pound," and votcd "to use the school house by the old meet- ing house for ye place for holding ye town meetings in ye future." The second town meeting was held September 28th, the same year, at which "it was voted and agreed that whereas the people being within one mile of the Southeasterly end of this Township, and in the Northwesterly end of the town of Fairfield, are about to petition the General Assembly to be held at New Haven in October next, to be annexed to this town, we are willing and desirous to receive them, and that we will assist them to endeavor to have them annexed to this town by appointing an agent for that purpose," and Colonel Read was appointed such agent. Shortly after they began agitating the question of building a town-house, and in November a meeting was called to provide "for the building or purchase of a Town house and pound." The first mention of a turnpike in the town is found in the records of a town meeting held in 1768, wherein the Highway Committee are instructed "to lay out a road from the School-house in Lonetown, so called, east, through Col. John Read's land to consort with a highway lately laid out from the road that leads from Danbury to Fairfield, west, through Andrew Fairchild's land, to s'd read's land," and Colonel Read was given liberty to keep a gate at the west end by the school-house, "he having given land to the town." The same year the town offered a bounty of 3s. on every "wile cat" killed, and 2s. for every grown fox, and Is. for every young fox. A meeting held September 20th, 1768, appointed a committee to act with a commit- tee of the Superior Court to lay out a highway in Redding from west to east, in rear of the long lots. This will be recognized as the road leading from Boston District to Hopewell, though portions of it must have been in use long ere this. In the records of a meeting held October 6th, 1768, we find a striking example of the towering ambition of the town fathers : this meeting appointed a committee to "present a memorial to the Gen- eral Assembly, praying that Redding be made a County town." Decem- mer 26th, 1768, the selectmen were instructed to "set the districts for the law books belonging to this town, and to enter the names of those persons in each district that hath a right by law to said books, in said books."
Several highways were laid out during this year, and the next: one across Sturgis' long lot, beginning at the upright highway above Ebenezer Andrus' barn, "to run southerly slanting down in some suitable way until it comes to the cross highway Southeasterly from said barn." The county road from Danbury to Fairfield, originally laid out six rods wide, was reduced to four rods, and Stephen Mead, Gurdon Merchant, and
1
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HISTORY OF REDDING.
Lemuel Sanford were appointed a committee "to lay out the County road, four rods wide, exchanging where it shall be thought necessary, and all at the Proprietor's cost." A highway was also laid out from Samuel Smith's, southerly to the bridge below Daniel Perry's grist-mill.
The following interesting entry appears in the records of a meeting held March 6th, 1771 : "Voted and agreed, that whereas a Plan hath been proposed of moving to the General Assembly in May next for the erecting a new county, to consist of the towns of Danbury, Newtown, Ridgefield, Redding, and New Fairfield, we are willing and desirous that said towns shall be erected a county, and that we will assist them to endeavor to have said county established." The committee appointed for this pur- pose were David Lyon, Gershom Morehouse, and James Rogers.
In October, 1773, the General Assembly passed a resolution, "to assert, and in some proper way support their claim to those lands con- tained within the limits and bounds of the charter of this Colony west- ward of the Province of New York"-an act strongly disapproved by the people at large. Town meetings were called to protest against it, and a convention comprising delegates from twenty-three towns met in Middletown, and adopted a petition and remonstrance to the General Assembly against the proposed action. Redding's atti- tude in the matter is shown by the following extract from the doings of a town meeting held March 14th, 1774: "Whereas it is the opinion of many of the freemen and other inhabitants of this Colony (and of this meeting in particular) that if ye above said Resolve be carried into execution it will inevitably involve the inhabitants of Connecticut in a long, expensive, and fruitless Litigation with Mr. Penn, therefore this meeting appoints and delegates Messrs. William Hawley and Peter Fairchild to attend a meeting to be held at Middletown on the last Wednesday of Instant March, to concert some Proper Methods in order to put a stop to so disagreeable a procedure." But the project of the Assembly was never carried into execution: within a few months an invading army was hovering about its coasts, and the sturdy, bellig- erent little Colony found other vents for its pugnacious spirit.
In the Revolutionary War, to which period we are now come, Red- ding played an important part : her people were fully alive to the im- portance and direfulness of the conflict, and bore their full share of the burdens it imposed ; but the town records during this period refer but rarely, and then briefly, to the great conflict.
The first action of the town in regard to the war is found in the rec- ords of a town meeting held April 2d, 1777, when a committee consisting of Messrs. William Hawley, Zalmon Read, Thaddeus Benedict, David Jackson, Gershom Morehouse, Stephen Betts, Jr., William Heron, and Daniel Mallory was appointed "to hire a number of Soldiers to serve in the Continental army." It was also voted that the "sum or sums the
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HISTORY OF REDDING.
said Committee promise to, or do pay, to those soldiers that do enlist themselves as soldiers to serve in said army, as a bounty over and above what the Government bounty is, shall be paid by way of town rates, and the Selectmen are ordered and desired to make a rate to collect the money." In the records of the same meeting is the following significant entry : "Hezekiah Sanford, Seth Sanford, Daniel Mallory, S. Samuel Smith, William Hawley, Stephen Betts, Jr., Jonathan Couch, Stephen Gold, and Hezekiah Read, are appointed a committee to take care of the families of those soldiers that are in the service of their country"; and this also, under date of May 5th, 1777: "David Jackson, Seth Sanford, Thaddeus Benedict and John Gray are chosen Selectmen in addition to, and to supply the place of Stephen Betts and James Rogers taken pris- oners by the enemy in their expedition to Danbury."
The above-named gentlemen were released when the British re-em- barked at Norwalk. September 18th, 1777, it was voted "that the in- junction or request from his Excellency the Governor and the Council of Safety be complied with, and that the Committee procure and get double the articles if they can, mentioned in the Governor's said request, and that said Committee be paid by the town, the extra charges that the said articles may cost more than they are set at in said request." March 23, 1778, David Jackson, Zalmon Read, and Ephraim Robbins were ap- pointed a committee to provide clothing for the army. May 8th, 1778, Asahel Fitch appears as a committee, "to take care and provide as the law directs for Nathan Coley's family." At the same time he, with Capt. Zalmon Read, was appointed a committee to provide "shirts, shoes, stockins and other articles of clothing for the Continental soldiers." December 17th, 1778, another committee was appointed to care for the families of soldiers as follows: Nehemiah Hull for Nathan Coley's; Elijah Burr for Stephen Meeker's: Ebenezer Couch for Elias Bixby ; Nehemiah Sherwood and John Read for Jeremiah Ryan, and William Hawley for Samuel Remong. July 30th, 1779, Micayah Starr, Thaddeus Benedict, and Stephen Betts were appointed a committee to prepare clothing for the soldiers, and a tax of 2s. on the pound was levied to pay for the same. Several of the records are very annoying from their in- completeness ; the following for instance of a meeting held September 2d, 1779: "Voted, to ratify the proceedings of the County Convention held Aug. 10th, 1779, and to appoint a Committee to carry into effect what was recommended in the first resolve of said Convention." Not a word is said as to the object of the Convention, nor is any report of its proceedings given. From other sources, however, we learn that it was called to devise measures to prevent further depreciation of the paper currency, and also to consider what course should be pursued in dealing with the Tories among them.
No record of the proceedings of this convention, interesting and im-
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HISTORY OF REDDING.
portant as it would have been, is found. It was held at the dwelling- house of Captain Stephen Betts, on Redding Ridge. January 23d, 1780, the town voted to appoint a committee of nine "to procure and hire nine soldiers to enlist into the Connecticut Line in the Continental army, for the town of Redding." This committee consisted of Stephen Betts, Ezekiel Sanford, David Jackson, Nathaniel Barlow-brother of the poet -Asahel Fitch, Hezekiah Read, Elijah Burr, Ephraim Robbins, and Hezekiah Sanford. The committee were also instructed "to use their utmost diligence to hire nine able bodied efficient men to enlist as afore- said, during the war or for three years, or six months, and that they en- list them at such sum or sums of money in any price, or such quantity of provisions of any kind as they shall judge reasonable and just." Six months later, June 26th, they voted to instruct their committee to give to each soldier they enlist for six months, ten bushels of wheat per month or the value in hard money when paid, besides they shall receive the bounty the state offers, but the town shall receive their wages." The same offer was made to the drafted men. This offer was probably taken in the belief that the town could more readily collect the wages of the soldiers than they could themselves.
November 20th, same year, it was voted, "that the town will lay a , tax on provisions to supply their quota of provisions for the Connecticut Line in the Continental Army, and that a rate bill be made apportioning to each individual his proportion of each kind of provision to be raised, viz. flour, beef, and pork, according to his list for the year 1779. George Perry was appointed Receiver of the flour collected by the town, and sworn to a faithful discharge of his trust. Russell Bartlett was appoint- ed Receiver of pork and beef, and was also sworn. At the same meeting a committee was appointed "to repair to the camp and ascertain the num- ber of soldiers of the town now in camp." This order was several times repeated, but none of the reports of the committees are preserved. The following significant entry appears in the records of a meeting held February 5th, 1781 : "Voted not to abate assessments for purposes afore- said (i. e. tax, on provisions) on Enos Lee, James Morgan, Hezekiah Platt, Daniel Lyon, Abigail Lyon. Sarah Phinney, David Knapp, James Gray, Abigail Morehouse, Ezekiel Hill, Andrew Fairchild, and Sarah Burr, who have each of them a son or sons or a son or sons in law gone over to the enemies of the United States." At this meeting several who had refused to pay the tax levied for hiring soldiers were assessed double rates. March 28th, 1781, Captain Gershom Morehouse and Lieutenant Nehemiah Hull were appointed a committee "to collect the tents belong- ing to this town"-probably those furnished for the winter encampment of the troops ; at the same time a committee was appointed "to vindicate our claims to the Connecticut Soldiers." April 16, 1781, it was voted
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HISTORY OF REDDING.
"to divide the people into eight classes according to their several lists in order to raise seven soldiers, and one Light Horseman to serve for one year as coast guards." It was voted "that the sixth class ( for procur- ing men to serve in the guards at Horse Neck till ye first of March next) shall procure a light horseman and horse, and that the town shall pay said class all it shall cost them more to procure a man and horse, than it shall cost the other seven classes on a medium."
July 5th, same year, a tax of three pence on the pound was laid "to pay last year's six months men, to be paid in Silver, or Gold, or wheat at six shillings a bushel, and to be collected and paid to the selectmen before the 10th of July Inst."
The next fall, October 30th, 1781, George Perry was chosen "Receiv- er of Grain and flour on the half crown Tax, Benjamin Meeker and Isaac Meeker to receive the grain and flour on the two sixth's tax, and William Hawley Esq. to receive the Beef and Pork on said tax, and to provide casks and salt said provisions as the law directs."
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