USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Litchfield > The history of the town of Litchfield, Connecticut, 1720-1920 > Part 3
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£ 49 10 0
Expenses for writing 20 deeds, to Mr. Fitch,
10
0
to Capt. Cooke for acknowledging deeds, 7 0
"for making out a way,
2 0 0
at Arnold's,
11 0
to Thos. Seymour for perambulating north line 1 6 4
66 at Arnold's, 1 0 4
Expenses at Farmington,
II
THE HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD
Feb. 10, 1718 .- At a meeting of the Committees, then sold 16 lots reserved by Marsh for Hartford's part, 37 17 9
At same meeting, paid by John Marsh for expenses, 12 0
At same meeting, loss of money by mistake in acc't., 3 0
April 14, 1719 .- A meeting of the Committees, expenses 6 0
April 27 .- At a meeting of the Committees, expenses, 7 0
By the earliest of these entries, we learn that John Marsh was sent out from Hartford to view the lands of the New Plantation, in May 1715. He may, therefore be regarded as emphatically the pioneer explorer of this township".
Dwight C. Kilbourn, in the Connecticut Quarterly, September 1896, has given us a most pleasing account of this memorable trip, which could to-day be made in a morning's ride. "So John Marsh left his wife, Elizabeth Pitkin, and their seven small children, to spy out this land rumored to be so wonderful, and started on what seemed to him a perilous journey, for the Indian lurked behind the forest trees ready for his scalp. He had had in his Hadley birth- place too intimate an acquaintance with their methods to think lightly of their presence, and then there were bears, panthers, and other unpleasant companions likely to greet him. With his horse and flint-lock musket he started,-the first dozen miles through Farming- ton to Unionville was through a settled country, with good farms and houses, then crossing the Tunxis and entering the wilderness of Burlington, he could only follow over the hills the trails of the hunters and trappers, and wind his way from one summit to another as best he could, through the deep valleys and gorges of Harwinton. Reaching the Mattatuck he forded it a little below the present railroad station at East Litchfield, at the old fording place, and began to climb the steep ascents to Chestnut Hill, and arrived there as the sun was beginning to hide itself behind the moun- tains beyond. Before him was as beautiful a panorama as mortal eye could rest upon,-the Lakes sparkling in the sunset, and the broad meadows around them with the newly started grass, a living carpet of emerald spreading before him for miles with here and there a fringe of fresh budding trees, all inviting the weary traveler to rest and refresh himself. Descending the hill he crossed the river near South Mill, and pitched his camp for the night near the big spring at the southern end of Litchfield Hill, where, a few years later he chose his home lot.
"All of this fair region which he had seen was called by the Indians 'Bantam', and comprises large portions of the present towns of Litchfield, Morris, Bethlehem, Washington, Warren, and Goshen; and for three days he explored the beautiful, fertile hills and plains. The Indians were friendly, the fish plenty, game abundant, and the spicy perfumes of the opening buds and wild blooming flowers wafted to his old Puritan heart a new sense that softened his soul and let him enjoy for once his natural blessings; instead of encountering dangers and tribulations, his journey had
----
12
THE HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD
been one of rest and pleasure. On the fifth day he returned to Hartford. What report he made of his trip is not now known. That he made a favorable report is almost certain, for the next January Thomas Seymour was sent to Woodbury to treat with the Indians about these Western Lands, was gone six days, and suc- ceeded so well in his negotiations that John Minor, the noted magis- trate of ancient Woodbury, executed a deed of land, from eleven Indians, covering substantially the township of Litchfield as origin- ally laid out".
This deed is given herewith in full, from Woodruff's History, pp. 13-15. "To all people to whom these presents shall come - Know ye that we CHUSQUNNOAG, CORKSCREW, QUIUMP, MAGNASH, KEHOW, SEPUNKUM, PONI, WONPOSET, SUCK- QUNNOKQUEEN, TOWEECUME, MANSUMPANSH, NORKGNO- TONCKQUY - Indians natives belonging to the plantation of Pota- tuck within the colony of Connecticut, for and in consideration of the sum of fifteen pounds money in hand received to our full satisfaction and contentment, have given granted bargained and sold and by these presents do fully freely and absolutely give grant bargain sell and confirm, unto Colo William Whiting, Mr. John Marsh, and Mr. Thomas Seymour, a Committee for the town of Hartford,- Mr. John Eliot, Mr. Daniel Griswold, and Mr. Samuel Rockwell, a Committee for the Town of Windsor, for themselves, and in the behalf of the rest of the Inhabitants of the Towns of Hartford and Windsor,-a certain tract of Land, situate and lying, north of Waterbury bounds, abutting southerly, partly on Waterbury and partly on Woodbury,-from Waterbury River westward cross a part of Waterbury bounds, and cross at the north end of Woodbury bounds to Shepaug River, and so notherly, in the middle of Shepaug River, to the sprains of Shepaug River below Mount Tom, then run- ning up the east branch of Shepaug River, to the place where the said River runs out of Shepaug Pond, from thence to the north end of said Pond, then east to Waterbury River, then southerly as the River runs, to the north end of Waterbury bounds upon the said River; which said Tract of Land thus described, To Have and to Hold, to the said Col. William Whiting, Mr. John Marsh, and Mr. Thomas Seymor, Mr. John Eliot, and Mr. Daniel Griswold, and Mr. Samuel Rockwell, Committees for the Towns of Hartford and Windsor, as aforesaid, in behalf of themselves and the rest of the Inhabitants of said Towns, to them, their heirs and assigns, to use occupy and improve, as their own proper right of Inheritance, for their comfort forever; together with all the privileges, appur- tenances and conditions to the same belonging, or in any wise appur- taining. And further, we the said Chusqunnoag, Corkscrew, Qui- ump, Magnash, Kehow, Sepunkum, Poni, Wonposet, Suckqunnok- queen, Toweecume, Mansumpansh, and Norkgnotonckquy, owners and proprietors of the above granted Land, do for ourselves and our heirs, to and with the above said William Whiting, John Marsh,
I3
THE HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD
Thomas Seymor, John Eliot, Daniel Griswold, and Samuel Rock- well, committee as aforesaid, them, their heirs and assigns, covenant and engage, that we have good right and lawful authority, to sell the above granted land,-and further, at the desire and request of the aforesaid committee, and at their own proper cost and charge, will give a more ample deed.
And for a more full confirmation hereof, we have set to our hands and seals, this second day of March, in the second year of his Majesties Reign, Annoq. D. 1715.
Memorandum; before the executing of this instrument, it is to be understood, that the grantors above named have reserved to themselves a piece of ground sufficient for their hunting houses, near a mountain called Mount Tom.
Signed sealed and deliv- ered in our presence.
Chusqunnoag
his mark. [L.s.]
Weroamaug R his mark. Corkscrew
his mark. [L.s.]
Wognacug
20 his mark.
Quiump
his mark. [L.s.]
Tonhocks + his mark.
Magnash + his mark. [L.s.]
John Mitchell Joseph Minor.
Kehow 8 his mark. [L.s.]
Sepunkum
his mark. [L.s.]
Poni
his mark. [L.s.]
Wonposet
his mark. [L.s.]
Suckqunnockqueen
- his mark. [L.s.]
Taweeume Aero his mark. [L.s.]
Mansumpansh L
his mark. [L.s.]
The Indians that subscribed and sealed the above said deed, appeared personally in Woodbury, the day of the date thereof, and acknowledged the said deed to be their free and voluntary act and deed. Before me JOHN MINOR, Justice."
The Committees, named in this deed, conveyed all their interest in said Lands, to the Towns of Hartford and Windsor, by Deed dated August 29, 1716.
"The title to this Township", continues Woodruff, p. 16, "having been entirely vested in the Towns of Hartford and Windsor, and in
I4
THE HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD
certain inhabitants of Farmington; in 1718, a company was formed for the settlement of the Town. The Township was divided into sixty rights or shares, three of which were reserved for pious uses. Purchasers having been found for the remaining fifty-seven shares, on the twenty-seventh of April, 1719, deeds of conveyance of that date, were made, by committees of the Towns of Hartford and Wind- sor, and certain inhabitants of Farmington, conveying to the pur- chasers the whole plantation called Bantam. Exclusive of the three rights reserved for pious uses, the consideration paid for forty- eight of the shares was £229.10.0., in bills of public credit. That paid for seven shares was £31.4.0. The deeds of the above fifty-five shares, are recorded on our Records. How much was paid for the remaining two shares, which were purchased by John Marsh, does not appear. The three home lots, with the divisions belonging thereto, forming one twentieth of the whole plantation, devoted to public purposes, were, one home lot with the divisions and commons thereto pertaining, to the first minister, his heirs forever; one, to the use of the first minister and his successors; and one for the support of the school. As the Township included about 44,800 acres, the cost per acre did not exceed one penny three farthings.
"It was provided in the Deeds, that, 'the Grantees or their sons, should build a tenantable house on each home lot, or on their division, not less than 16 feet square, and personally inhabit them, by the last day of May 1721, and for three years ensuing; and do not lease or dispose of their share for five years hereafter, without consent of Inhabitants or first Planters'.
"The title thus acquired, was immediately after still further confirmed by Act of Assembly in May, 1719, as follows:
"At a General Assembly holden at Hartford, May, A. D. 1719: Upon the petition of Lieut. John Marsh of Hartford, and Deacon John Buel of Lebanon, with many others, praying liberty, under committees appointed by the towns of Hartford and Windsor, to settle a town westward of Farmington, at a place called Bantam:
"This Assembly do grant liberty, and full power, unto the said John Marsh and John Buel and partners settlers, being in the whole fifty-seven in number, to settle a town at said Bantam; the said town to be divided into sixty rights, three whereof to be improved for pious uses in said town. And the other fifty-seven shall be, as soon as may conveniently be, settled upon by the under- takers, or upon their failure, by others that may be admitted. Said town to be in length, east and west, eight miles three quarters and twenty eight rods, and in breadth seven miles and a half, being bounded eastward by Mattatuck River, westward the bigger part upon the most western branch of the Shepaug River, and south by Waterbury bounds and a west line from Waterbury corner unto Shepaug River; said town to be known by the name of Litchfield, and to have the following figure for a brand for their horse kind,
NORTH STREET
-- -----
SOUTH STREET
15
THE HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD
viz: 9. And the same power and privileges that other towns in this Colony do enjoy, are hereby granted to said town'.
"A Patent was afterwards granted to these Proprietors, dated May 19, 1724, which may be seen in the Appendix.
"The township was originally divided into sixty home lots of fifteen acres each, as near as could conveniently be done, and any deficiency there might be, was made up to the owner of the deficient lot, elsewhere; and still farther divided from time to time, into Divisions and Pitches of 4, 20, 60, and 100 acres.
"A few individuals commenced the settlement of the town in the year 1720. In the year 1721, a considerable number, chiefly from the towns of Hartford, Windsor and Lebanon, moved on to the tract." Kilbourne says, p. 28, that the first settlers who came in 1720 were Capt. Jacob Griswold, from Windsor, Ezekiel Buck, from Wethersfield, and John Peck, from Hartford.
"The choice of home-lots", continues Woodruff, p. 19, "was decided by lot. The first lot selected was about half a mile south of the Court House, and next to Middle Street or Gallows Lane". All these selections of lots are shown in Plate I, as well as the names of the old streets. The second choice was half a mile still further south; the third three quarters of a mile west of the Court House, the site of the present Elm Ridge. The eleventh choice was the lot thirty rods next west of the County Jail corner, which sub- sequently the Town voted, was not fit for building a house upon. The Library corner on South Street was the twenty-fifth choice. The County Jail corner on North Street was the thirty third choice. Ten lots were selected on Chestnut Hill, on both sides of the road.
"The home lot of the first minister, was located on the corner of North and East Streets, where now stands the house owned by Miss Edith D. Kingsbury; and the twenty acre division appurtenant thereto, was laid adjoining on the north. The home lot and twenty acre division for the use of the first minister and his successors, adjoining on the north; and the home lot and twenty acre division for the school, adjoining the latter on the north.
"The highway from Bantam river, running westerly through the village, was laid out twenty rods wide, and called Meeting House Street, now called East and West Streets. That now called North Street, twelve rods wide, was called Town Street. That now called South Street, eight rods wide, was called Town Hill Street. That now called Gallows Lane, twenty eight rods wide, was called Middle Street. That now called Lake Street, four rods wide, was called South Griswold Street; and that now called North Lake Street or Griswold Street, eight rods wide, was called North Griswold Street. That now called Prospect Street, twenty rods wide, but soon reduced to seventeen rods, was called North Street.
"The first Church, Court House, and School House stood nearly in the center of Meeting House Street, the Court House about oppo- site the center of Town Street, the Church east, and the School House west of the Court House".
-
CHAPTER III.
THE INDIANS.
According to DeForest (History of the Indians of Connecticut, 1852), Litchfield County was, before the coming of the white men into the State of Connecticut, 1630-1635, almost a desolate wilderness, so far as human habitation was concerned. He estimates that the Indians in the whole State at that time did not exceed six or seven thousand, and that these were clustered in small groups along the shores of the Sound and along the larger rivers, where the lands were best adapted for corn and where they could depend largely on fishing for their food supply. The occasional raids of the Mohawks from the Hudson River were a further discouragement to the Connecticut tribes from inhabiting the western forests of the State. As the white men arrived in increasing numbers, the Indi- ans were pushed back into the western wilderness, so that probably their numbers in Litchfield County increased very much between 1630 and 1720; but their total numbers in the whole State decreased proportionately much more. Many were killed in the Pequot, Philip's, and the French and Indian wars; while those who withdrew into the western wilderness found the lands much poorer for corn and the fishing greatly inferior.
"At the time of the Litchfield settlement, therefore", says Albert M. Turner of Northfield, "the woods were not by any means full of Indians; and though Litchfield was for some years a true frontier town, the settlement became immediately too strong to fear being overcome by them. All the same the terrors of Philip's war must have been constantly present in the thoughts of the colony", and we shall see presently something of their fears and alarms.
Cothren (History of Ancient Woodbury, 1854), gives by far the most detailed account of the Pootatuck tribe, tracing them back to 1639. Their principal encampment was near the mouth of the Pomperaug River, so named by the English after their sachem, Pom- peraug, who died ten or twelve years before the arrival of the first settlers in 1673. The Wyantinucks, of New Milford, he con- siders also a branch or clan of the Pootatucks, and their sachem in 1720 was Weraumaug, whose name appears in the Litchfield deed of 1716 as a witness. At least three of the signers of that deed seem to have signed earlier grants to Woodbury settlers, though the spell- ing of the names varies somewhat. Thus Corkscrew in earlier deeds appears to have been called Cocksure.
Probably the Bantams, like the Wyantinucks, were mere out- lying fringes of the Pootatucks. The Scatacooks of Kent, who were
17
THE HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD
the last Indians in the County, did not exist as a tribe until 1735, when they were collected from various scattered remnants by Mau- wehu, himself a Pequot and a wanderer.
The chief relics of the Indians to-day are the arrow-heads, which are still turned up occasionally by the plough. Thirty years ago they were very common, though now they are rarely found. An admirable collection of these, from different sources, will be found in the Litchfield Historical Society's rooms, embracing many differ- ent shapes and colors. Occasionally the arrow-head was grooved in such a way as to make the arrow rotate, so that its flight would be more direct and its effect on entering the body more deadly. Usually however rotation was provided for by the feathering. Occasionally larger objects, pestles and mortars, spear-heads, axes, bowls and. rude knives have been found. A fine collection was unearthed in a grave or deposit by the late Amos C. Benton, when he opened the sand- pit west of his residence on the South Plain. In the autumn of 1834 a piece of 'aboriginal sculpture' was found, of which a long account is given in the Enquirer of October 2, 1834, beginning, "A discovery of a singular carved stone image, or bust, representing the head, neck and breast of a human figure, was made a few days since on the Bantam River, about forty or fifty rods above the mill-dam, half a mile east of this village". Kilbourne, p. 66, says that this curious relic is preserved in the Cabinet of Yale College. Since this was written, unfortunately, all trace of the image appears to have been lost. It is not in the Peabody Museum, nor is there any record of its accession.
One other relic of the Indians survives in their signatures to the deeds of their lands. These Kilbourne omitted as being mere scrawls. We have copied them from Woodruff's History. Possibly some at least were individual marks, like a brand. Certainly in some of the Woodbury deeds, Nonnewaug's mark is quite plainly a snowshoe, and perhaps some of those on our deeds have their meaning if we could read them. At any rate, these marks, how- ever rude, were made by the red man himself, and add a distinctive touch to the deeds.
In his Centennial Address, 1851, Judge Church spoke rather bitterly of these deeds, p. 26: "There are other monuments", he said, "to be sure, of a later race of Indians; but they are of the white man's workmanship: the Quit-claim deeds of the Indians' title to their lands! These are found in several of the Towns in the County, and upon the public records, signed with marks uncouth and names unspeakable, and executed with all the solemn mockery of legal forms. These are still referred to as evidence of fair pur- ehase! Our laws have sedulously protected the minor and the married woman from the consequences of their best considered acts; but a deed from an Indian, who knew neither the value of the land he was required to relinquish, nor the amount of the consideration
THE HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD
he was to receive for it, nor the import nor effect of the paper on which he scribbled his mark, has been called a fair purchase!"
Certainly the price of fifteen pounds paid to the Indians for the township of Litchfield does not seem a munificent sum now-a-days; but it can easily be pointed out that the Indian himself had no legal title to the lands he was conveying, that the lands were of no value to him except for hunting and that he distinctly reserved for his own use the best hunting land, that on Mount Tom. Surely, when we recollect the general treatment of the American Indian by the whites, the Litchfield deeds may be considered as a model of fairness! In connection wtih the Indians' reservation of rights on Mount Tom, it should be explained that this name probably means the 'Indians' mountain, Tom being the generic name applied by early settlers to any Indian, just as the English soldier is called a Tommy, though for quite a different reason doubtless. Possibly, Tom was an affectionate diminutive of Tomahawk? Certainly, the expres- sion Indian Tom is found not infrequently in old writings. Here is an anecdote from the Monitor, January 30, 1787: "The Indian tribes consider their fondness for strong liquors as a part of their character. A countryman who had dropped from his cart a keg of rum met an Indian whom he asked if he had seen his keg on the road; the Indian laughed in his face, and said: "What a fool are you to ask an Indian such a question; do not you see that I am sober? Had I met with your keg, you would have found it empty on one side of the road, and Indian Tom asleep on the other".
Of direct adventures with the Indians only two authenticated stories are preserved, both by James Morris, in his Statistical Account, pp. 96-97: "In May, Captain Jacob Griswould, being alone in a field, about one mile west of the present court-house, two Indi- ans suddenly rushed upon him from the woods, took him, pinioned his arms and carried him off. They travelled in a northerly direc- tion, and the same day arrived in some part of the township now called Canaan, then a wilderness. The Indians kindled a fire, and after binding their prisoner hand and foot, lay down to sleep. Gris- would fortunately disengaging his hands and his feet, while his arms were yet pinioned, seized their guns, and made his escape into the woods. After traveling a small distance, he sat down, and waited till the dawn of day; and although his arms were still pinioned, he carried both the guns. The savages awoke in the morn- ing, and finding their prisoner gone, immediately pursued him; they soon overtook him, and kept in sight of him the greater part of the day, while he was making his way homeward. When they came near, he turned and pointed one of his pieces at them: they then fell back. In this manner he travelled till near sunset; when he reached an eminence in an open field, about one mile north-west of the present court-house. He then discharged one of his guns, which immediately summoned the people to his assistance. The Indians fled, and Griswould safely returned to his family.
1
19
THE HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD
"The capture of Griswould made the inhabitants more cautious for awhile; but their fears soon subsided. In the month of August of the year following (1723), Joseph Harris, a respectable inhabitant, was at work in the woods alone, not far from the place where Griswould was taken; and being attacked by a party of Indians, attempted to make his escape. The Indians pursued him; and find- ing that they could not overtake him, they shot him dead, and scalped him. As Harris did not return, the inhabitants were alarmed, and some search was made for him; but the darkness of the night checked their exertions. The next morning they found his body and gave it a descent burial. Harris was killed near the north end of the plain, where the road turns towards Milton, a little east of a school house, now standing; and for a long time after this plain was called Harris Plain". It is said that the body of Harris was found at the foot of a large elm near the corner of the plain. This elm has long since disappeared; a younger tree now stands alone near the same spot, and bears a small tablet. A monument to Harris was placed in the West Cemetery in 1830 by popular subscription.
"There has been but one instance of murder in this town", wrote Morris further in 1814, p. 98, "since its first settlement, and that was perpetrated by John Jacobs, an Indian, upon another Indian, in the month of February, 1768. The murderer was executed the same year". This murder created so much excitement, that a distinguished divine from Farmington, Timothy Pitkin, was asked to preach a ser- mon to the condemned man before the execution. This remark- able discourse has been preserved in an old pamphlet, described at length by Dwight C. Kilbourn, (Bench and Bar, 1909, p. 341).
In spite of the fact that the Indians did no serious damage to the inhabitants, beyond the murder of Harris, the possibility of trouble was always present. The condition of Litchfield in its very first years is well described by Kilbourne, p. 37, "Here and there, little openings had been made in the primeval forest, by the axes of the settlers. Forty or fifty log cabins were scattered over the site now occupied by this village and its immediate vicinity. A temporary palisade stood where our court-house now stands, and four others were erected in more remote parts of the town for the protection of the laborers at the clearings: all soon to give place to stronger and more permanent structures. The nearest white settle- ments were those at New Milford on the south west and at Wood- An almost bury on the south, both some fifteen miles distant. unbroken wilderness stretched westward to the Dutch settlements on the Hudson, and northward two hundred and fifty miles to the French villages in Canada. Without mail or newspapers, and with no regular means of communication with their friends in the older towns, they seemed indeed shut out from the world, and dependent on their own little circle for intellectual and social enjoyment. Is
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