USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Waterbury > The history of Waterbury, Connecticut; the original township embracing present Watertown and Plymouth, and parts of Oxford, Wolcott, Middlebury, Prospect and Naugatuck. With an appendix of biography, genealogy and statistics > Part 10
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CHAPTER VIII.
ROADS, BRIDGES, &c.
ALL new settlements suffer much inconvenience and priva- tion for want of roads. To make good, or even passable roads, requires much time, labor and expense-sacrifices that new settlers can ill afford. And yet, civilization cannot go on-cannot even be preserved-without them. Of course, men will first build those roads which are most needed- which best serve to connect them with the world which they have left-with its people, its institutions, its machinery and its markets.
The first planters of Mattatuck found it convenient and necessary to keep a constant communication with Farming- ton. The Farmington road was the first that was opened. It was doubtless, for a time, a mere horse path, and was in a very imperfect state for many years. In its general course, it ran nearly east from the village, along just north of Specta- cle Pond, (at the junction of the new plank road and the old Cheshire road.) It crossed Beaver Pond (Hog Pound) Brook a little distance from its mouth, passed north of Beaver Pond through East Farms, occupying a position near the present road. At the east end it came out just at the boundary line between Farmington and Wallingford, (now Woleott and Cheshire.) There is no early survey of it on record. Our whole knowledge respecting it is gathered from land surveys, votes, &c., in which it is incidentally mentioned. Though a vote was passed in 1702, ordering that all surveys of high- ways should be recorded, this was not done till 1716 and af- terwards.
In May, 1731, an " upper road to Farmington" was in ex- istence, in the northeast corner of the town, at a place called Poland. Lands at Ash Swamp were situated on this road. It was probably a continuation of the Bucks Hill road.
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There is a record of a survey of a highway " from Farming- ton bounds to the town," bearing date Feb. 9th, 1754, which seems to be the old road which has been described, though this fact is not alluded to. It "began at Farmington south- west corner," and terminated in the village at Ebenezer Bronson's and John Scovill's corners, butting, as it passed through the town, "on each side on ye ends of each man's home lot as it is now fenced, the boundaries of said highway being set at ye corner of each man's lot." Distances are men- tioned in this survey, and the general direction, but not the points of the compass.
In 1686, New Haven and Mattatuck were ordered by the General Court to make a road between the two places as speedily as the work could be conveniently done. It was soon after alluded to on the town record as " our road that leads to New Haven," and land was laid out on it, at Judd's Meadow, in Jan. 1690-1. It was the second road connecting Water- bury with the other settlements. Its commencement was at Mill River. It ran in the direction of Baldwin street, continu- ing along upon the high ground on the east side of Naugatuck River, and some distance from it, passing a little east of the old burying yard at Judd's Meadow. It was used as the road to Judd's Meadow till 1721, (when a highway on the west side of the river was built,) and as the road to New Haven till the. present turnpike was constructed, about 1802.
In June, 1716, there was a survey of the " country road" to New Haven by Serg. Stephen Upson and Abram Andruss, which is recorded. It began "at the paith that goeth over the river a letel westward of the mill," " at the mouth of the mill treanch," and ended at the New Haven bounds. The road ran apparently where the old one did. The survey of the New Haven road is the first which is recorded. Distances and points of compass are not mentioned, and little can now be learned from it.
The third road running out of Waterbury, chronologically speaking, was the Woodbury road. It is mentioned inciden- tally as early as 1687, though it could not have been much used at that time. After the breaking out of the French and Indian wars, which followed the English Revolution, this be-
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came a more important and more frequently traveled road. It connected Woodbury with Hartford and the river towns. It was made use of, it is believed, to communicate with Al- bany and the military posts lying north of that place. The Waterbury people, in their petition to the General Court for assistance in building their new meeting house in 1691, while enumerating their burdens, speak of the trouble and expense of "the soldiers passing to and fro and their often entertain- ments." After Mr. Peck was disabled by illness, the inhab- itants of Waterbury went by this road to Woodbury to ob- tain baptism for their children. It passed up the West Side hill nearly where the present road runs across Breakneck Hill, north of the pond, in Middlebury.
In June, 1720, Isaac Bronson, Timothy Standly and Thomas Judd laid out a "rode towards Woodbury," commencing at " the weste bars," being twenty rods wide for a distance up the hill, running by Isaac Bronson's farm (at Breakneck) and ending " at the going down of Wolfpit Hill to the Bridg Brook at Woodbury bounds." At what points this road de- viated from the old one, I am unable to say. "The old path " is referred to in only one instance.
In Dec. 1766, there was a resurvey of the Woodbury road, commencing at Obadiah Scovill's (now Mrs. Bennet Bronson's) corner, (being four rods and eleven feet from Andrew Bron- son's corner opposite,) and running one hundred and seventy- six rods to the bridge, the highway being three rods wide. On the other side of the river, the road was eleven rods wide, and on the hill, twenty rods wide. The old river crossing was some ten rods below the present bridge.
The road to Bucks Hill was next in order. Feb 25th, 1702- 3, "Sergt. Bronson and Ens. Stanley were appointed a com- mittee to lay out a highway from ye highway at ye town to Bucks Hill and a passage from Bucks Hill to ye common fenc at Hancox Meadow and one to Ash Swamp." Another committee, consisting of Doct. Warner and Richard Wilton, were chosen to lay out a road to Bucks Hill, in 1715. But there is no rec- ord of a survey at either of these times; but in 1724, Ephraim Warner and John Bronson "laid out a highway to Bucks Hill, beginning at the Claypits, [west corner of North Main and
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Grove,] six rods wide where the path now is," and running to Edmund Scott's pasture, then twenty rods wide to Obadiah Scott's house, thence in the path to the east end of Bucks Hill to Richard Welton's house, thence northward in a path to Hancox Brook Meadow.
The following town vote relates to the continuation of Wil- low street, up the hill north of Mrs. Bennet Bronson's dwelling. It is the earliest formal record concerning a highway ont- side of the original town plot.
Oct. 26. 1713, at atown meting the town determin that the highway to run northward by the common fens from John scouils on the est sid of the fens shal be the sam breth [breadth] as tis a gainst said scouils lot till it coms to the extent of said scouils land estward from the fens.
A highway towards Westbury through the common field was laid out by Nathaniel Arnold and Thomas Barnes, in Nov. 1729. It began " at the road on the hill against Manhan Meadow," (where the house marked Timothy Church stands,) and " continued twenty foot wide as the path now goes " to the upper end of Manhan Meadow .* It then crossed the river and bore westward and northward across Steel's Meadow to Steel's Plain east of J. G. Bronson's house. This road was subse- quently changed at its commencement near the village, so as to begin at " the country road that goeth to Woodbury before we come to Manhan Meadow Hill," crossing the plain and a small brook, and continuing on the hill side, near where the present road runs. At the other end, or Steel's Plain, it was continued west and north, at the foot of the hill up Steel's Brook and on the west side, and so on to Scott mill, Wooster Swamp and the village, in the northern and northwestern part of Westbury.
That part of the present Watertown road which is next to the covered bridge was not laid out till November, 1753. It began three rods from the top of the river bank, and ran
* In Eliot's Indian Bible, Munhan, Manhan, Munnahan Mannahan, &c., are the Indian words for an island. Manhattan, the Indian name of New York Island, is doubtless the same word in another dialect. There are indications, (or used to be,) that Manhan Meadow was once an island, and that a part of the river, at no very distant period, ran down upon the east side next the hill in the course of the canal of the Water Power Co., and so continuing through the old Long Cove and along the line of the Naugatuck railroad till it met the Great Brook. This was low ground, and throughout its extent there was, in the writer's memory, a chain of miniature lakes or ponds.
Jaac Browsen
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"northward forty four rods to a heep of stones three rods from the bank on the west side of Bronson's Island." It then ran a little more eastward nine rods to an apple tree three rods from the river bank ; then northward one hundred and thirteen rods to a rock three rods from the top of the river bank, bound- ing east on said bank ; then a little west of north twenty rods ; then "northward," in all, one hundred and ninety-four rods, terminating at a heap of stones "between Joseph Bronson's and Obadiah Richards" at "the passage that comes from Tompkins to Isaac's Meadow."
From the description of this road, it would seem that the river above the bridge (or a branch of it) at the date mention- ed, ran down across the meadow three rods from the highway. The road was designed to give the Westbury people and those living north up the river, access to the lower bridge.
In Dec. 1721, there was a highway laid out to Judd's Meadow,* on the west side of the river. It began at Long Meadow bars and passed down the river a distance, then over the hill and across Hop Brook, and ended at Joseph Lewis' home lot.
To reach this road, people went in at the south meadow gate, followed the course of the present turnpike to the lower end of Mad Meadow, and crossed the Naugatuck River at the "Long Meadow riding place," at the foot of Benedict and Burnham Manufacturing Co's race way.
The river road to Plymouth (now called) did not exist at an early period. There was one, however, laid out on the west side December, 1735, from Steel's Plain northward to Buck's Meadow Mountain, for the accommodation of the inhabitants living in that direction. On the east side of the Naugatuck, there was the pent road to the upper end of Manhan Meadow. From this point, it was extended (at a very early date, doubt- less) to Hancox Meadow, for the accommodation of the farm- ers. There was a passage above for those living upon the river, north ; for in 1738, it was stated by the people of North-
* March 26th, 1699. " Abraham Andruss, Sen., John Warner, Sen., and John Hopkins were chosen a committee to lay out a passage to Judd's Meadow."
Where it was proposed that this passage should be, or whether the committee did anything on the subject, does not appear.
7
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bury, in their petition to the Assembly for "winter privileges," that to get to meeting at the center, they were obliged to cross the river nine times, and to pass through ten gates and sets of bars .* In October, 1745, a regular highway was laid out from the mouth of Spruce Brook, south, on the river bank, twelve rods wide, to Hancox Meadow. In December, 1772, a committee was appointed " to go and view a proposed pent road the east side of the river through Hancox Meadow to Northbury and make report."
The present turnpike road from Plymouth to Salem (Naug- atuck) bridge, there to unite with the Strait's turnpike con- necting New Haven with Litchfield by Watertown, was fin- ished in 1702. It was an open highway and a great under- taking.
I suppose that the first bridge over the Naugatuck River was built on the Woodbury road, in 1736, probably a little below where the present bridge stands, in accordance with a town vote passed in 1735. In Dec. 1736, there was a tax laid " of three pence on the pound to pay the charges of the bridge and other town charges." These are the first notices of a bridge to be found on record. In a petition to the General Court for " winter privileges," in October, 1732, the West- bury people mentioned as one of the reasons why their prayer should be granted, that they were separated from the meeting. house by "a great river which is called Waterbury River, which for great part of the winter and spring is not passable." It is fair therefore to conclude that no bridge was in existence in 1732, and that the notices which have been referred to in 1735 and 1736, relate to the first bridge.
In the spring of 1740-41, the bridge was carried away or much damaged by a flood. A vote was passed to " repair " it, and Lieut. Thomas Bronson and others were appointed a committee " to look after and save what timber can be found." In the fall, however, the bridge had been again swept away, and a committee was chosen to rebuild it, and to
* A letter before me from Mr. Noah M. Bronson of Medina, Ohio, dated July, 1855, when the writer was eighty-eight years of age, states that in passing down the river from Jerico to Waterbury village, with a team, after the Revolution, one was obliged to cross the stream six times, and remove from twenty-five to thirty sets of bars.
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"take advice in what form or manner" to construct it. They were to have "a discretionary power whether to hire it done by the grate or otherwise." In order to defray a part of the expenses, it was decided, in February, 1743-4, to ask the General Assembly to make " the bridge built over the Nauga- tuck River in the country road to Woodbury a toll bridge."
In February, 1748-9, it was necessary again to rebuild the bridge on the Woodbury road, " the timber and plank of the old bridge " to be used. £80 were appropriated for this pur- pose. In 1758, a bridge was built by Isaac Bronson and George Nichols. Five pounds were voted them the next year. In September, 1761, they petitioned the town for thirty pounds, saying the whole cost of the bridge had been about sixty-five pounds lawful money," and that it was hard for them to bear the whole charge. It had not been made a public bridge at this time.
In December, 1745, Capt. Samuel Hickox requested the town to assist him to erect a bridge over the river at the up- per end of Hancox Meadow, (where he had a mill.) "They allowed him to call out Waterbury men and Bucks' Hill men and those of the old society, excluding Judd's Meadow men, that are obliged to work in the highway, one day, provided he allow a pent road through his fields and maintain gates and furnish a good cart bridge."
In January, 1748-9, twenty-two pounds were granted to Capt. Hickox towards " a good eart bridge at his mill," a flood having swept away the old one. Abraham Hickox and John Hickox, (sons of Capt. Samuel,) received from the town, March, 1764, " three pounds as a donation," for the cart bridge which they had built over the "Great River," at the same place, the other having apparently shared the fate of the first. Twelve pounds, in provision, were appropriated, in February, 1767, for still another bridge at Hancox Meadow.
A cart bridge in Northbury was about being built in 1747, and £22 money, old tenor, were voted Dec. 8th, of that year, to be paid when the bridge was completed. It was situated,
* The reader will understand that £1 old Connecticut currency was the equivalent of $3.83 1-3 U. S. currency.
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according to the record, "where the highway is laid to the river, east from Mr. John How's house." Five pounds were granted in February, 1759, to the society of Northbury for their encouragement in constructing a cart bridge over the river at that place. Probably the old bridge had been de- stroyed by a freshet, and the balance of the cost of replacing it was borne by individuals.
In 1761, eleven petitioners applied to the General Court for relief, saying that they had built a bridge over the river near the center of Northbury, at an expense of £70, and that the town refused to pay for it. The town was ordered to pay £30 and keep the bridge in repair.
In January, 1748-9, a grant of twenty-two pounds money, old tenor, was made, for the first time, apparently, for con- structing a bridge over the Mad River, a little below Mr. Jon- athan Baldwin's mill, on the road to Judd's Meadow.
On the report of a committee, March 5th, 1753, the town "voted that Judd's Meadow men should draw one hundred pounds money, old tenor, out of the town treasury towards the building a bridge over the river at the mouth of Toantick [Long Meadow] Brook," provided " that there shall be no far- ther demands on the town for building or repairing a bridge in that place." In February, 1759, however, the town gave Capt. Thomas Porter five pounds for building a bridge "in that place ;" and in September, 1761, twenty pounds for the same or another bridge.
Five petitioners, in 1767, applied to the General Assembly, and asked that the town might be ordered to pay for and keep in repair a bridge which they had erected over the Naugatuck at Judd's Meadow, at an expense of £50. The town paid twenty-five pounds for a cart bridge ; and four years after- wards, or in December, 1771, accepted the bridge as a town bridge. Before the elose of the winter, it was again carried away by a flood, as was the Northbury bridge.
December, 1757, the town voted to pay Mr. Joseph Bron- son five pounds " towards ye building a cart bridge over ye river near the upper end of Manhan Meadow, provided he shall complete such bridge by ye first of December next." There are still remaining slight traces of the eastern abutment
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of a bridge a few rods above the river crossing to Steel's Meadow. Joseph Bronson lived where the Alms House now stands. The bridge was a private one, and probably did not remain long.
At the same time, (Dee. '57,) five pounds were voted to Capt. Thomas Porter for a good horse bridge which he pro- posed to build over the river at Beaver Meadow.
It will be seen from the preceding notices that the work of constructing and repairing the bridges over the Naugatuck was exceedingly burdensome. The freshets in those days are believed to have been more frequent and destructive than now. The bridges, too, were less substantially built, and the people undertook to maintain too many of them.
It may surprise the present generation to know that the thought was once entertained of improving the Naugatuck River, and then using it for the purposes of navigation. De- cember 21st, 1761, Abraham Hickox and Stephen Upson, Jr., petitioned the town that men might be permitted to "work at clearing the river," and have their work allowed as high- way work, " it having been conjectured that the river from Waterbury to Derby might be made navigable for battooing." There seems to have been no action on the petition.
CHAPTER IX.
INDIAN WARS: THE GREAT FLOOD : THE GREAT SICKNESS.
FROM 1689, when William and Mary aseended the throne of England, to the peace of Utrecht, in 1713, with the excep- tion of about four years from 1697 to 1702, England and France were constantly at war. The English colonies were of course involved. During all this time, the Indians of Can-
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ada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and the eastern and northern parts of Maine, were under the influence and control of the French. Marauding parties of Indians, or French and Indians, made frequent hostile expeditions to the infant settle- ments of New England, destroying the crops, driving off the cattle, firing dwellings, and massacreing the inhabitants, or carrying them into captivity. The colonies, particularly the weaker ones, were kept in a state of perpetual alarm. During this whole period, Waterbury was a frontier town and much exposed from the small number of its people, the want of for- tified places and its distance from effectual succor. It was not till 1720 that Litchfield was settled on the north, affording protection in that direction. With Woodbury and Derby on the west and south, our fathers had little intercourse for many years.
By an act of the colonial government, the people of Water- bury, during much of the time of which I have been speak- ing, were required to keep two men employed as scouts "to discover the designs of the enemy, and to give intelligence should they make their appearance." They performed this duty in rotation. Elevated places which overlooked the vil- lage and the meadows where the men labored during the day were selected, where the sentinels were placed. Newel's Hill, east of Willard Spencer's, was one of these places, and the' high ground back of the house occupied by the late Daniel Hayden (David Hayden on the map) was another. The re- cords show the preparations which were made from time to time for defense :-
April 9th, 1700. The town voted [in consequence of apprehended trouble from the Indians] to fortify Ens. Stanley's house and if it should proue trouble- some times and ye town see they have nced, two more should they be able.
Att ye same meeting ye town agreed by uoate for ye building ye fort about ensign Standly's hous that the town go abought it forthwith, al men and boys and teams yt are able to worck and to begin to morrow, and he yt shall neglect to go on with the worck till it be dun shall forthwith pay to the aduantage of yo worck 2s 6d for a man and 6s for a team a day.
Aprill: 15th, 1703 ye town desired ye towns men to prouid a town stock of ami- nition according to law as soon as they can conveniently and if need be to caus a rate to be mad for to purchis sd stock.
[At the next meeting in Oct. ] the town mad choys of Left Timothy Standly for to keep ye town stock of ammonition: for ye town. [Each town was required by
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statute to keep "a barrel of good powder, two hundred weight of bullets, and three hundred flints, for every sixty listed souldiers, and after that proportion." Left. Stanley commanded the train band; of course it was meet that he should have the charge of the "military stores."]
March ye=25=1704= ye town agreed to fortifi Mr. Southmaid's hous, and deak judd Left Stanly and tho judd iur was appointed to stake out each man his proportion according to their gran leauey.
In May, 1704, the General Court designated Waterbury as one of the frontier towns. They ordered that ten men should " be put in garrison" in each of the towns of Danbury, Wood- bury, Waterbury and Simsbury.
Feb 31 1706-7 the town agreed to buld the foert that is at left standlis strong. at the same meeting the act was past to build a nue foart at the east end of the town at the place wher they shall agre dek thomas judd was chosing comiti to asist the townsmen laying the sd foarts out and to state euiri [every ] man['s] pre posun [proportion] acording to his leui.
An alarm was spread through the country early in 1707, in consequence of intelligence that the French and Indians of Canada were planning a descent upon the colonies. It was reported, too, that the Indians of Woodbury and New Milford -the Pootatucks and Wiantenucks-had formed an alliance with the enemy. A council of war was convened in Hartford in February, and it was resolved that the frontier towns upon the west, which were most exposed-Simsbury, Waterbury, Woodbury, and Danbury-should be fortified with all possible despatch. As Waterbury had sustained great losses from the floods, it was resolved that the Governor and Council, as an encouragement to the work, would recommend to the Assem- bly an abatement of the country rates (colony taxes) of the town .*
The people of Waterbury bestirred themselves in due time. The work of " cutting bushes" was laid aside. A statute, in those days, required the seleetmen of every town to warn every male person from fourteen years old to seventy (with certain exceptions) to work one day in each year "in cutting down and clearing the underwood in any highways, commons, or other places agreed on by the town," the objeet being to improve the pasture, &e. It was this work doubtless that was
* Trumbull's History of Connecticut, I, 235.
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to give way to the pressure of impending war. I copy from the record :-
June ye 23-1707 ye town by uoate considering our troubles and feere of an enemie do agree to lay a sid cuting busshis which was warned for this day till after micalmast, and this day forthwith to go abought finshing and repayring ye forts, and to finish them by wensday next at night [;] and he or they yt shall neglect to do their part of sd foorts according to ye intent of this act and direction of ye com ty shall be proseeded against by distress as ye law directs in rates [;] ye price of ye worck to be stated by ye com ty-att the same meeting Leiu~Tim Stanly serj. Isaac brunson and stephen ubsou sen' was chosen a com ty with ye townsmen for ye above sd worck.
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