USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > The memorial history of Hartford County, Connecticut, 1633-1884, Vol. II > Part 42
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All the evidence so far collected goes to show that the territory now included within the limits of the town was occupied by Indians, at least as a hunting-ground, long before the appearance of the white man. Arrow and spear heads have been picked up by the hundreds, and flint chips by thousands. Soapstone pottery, stone axes, adzes, hoes, flesh- ers, hammering-stones, pestles, and stone drills are not rare ; and even two small fragments of clay pottery such as occur sometimes in south- ern mounds have been found. It may be said in general that every sandy plateau near running streams has yielded specimens abundantly.3 On a long, flat-topped hill, overlooking an extended valley, arrow-heads have been gathered in such quantities as to suggest the probability that a battle was once fought there or that it was a favorite camping- ground.
There are but three Indian names retained in the town, - Nashaway, a corruption of Nashauie (signifying " the half-way place ") ; Compound, or Acompound, the name of an Indian who in 1674 signed a deed to the proprietors of Mattatuck (Waterbury) ; and Wunris, the name of a spring in the southwest part of the town. According to Dr. Trumbull, all Indian names had a meaning, though owing to subsequent perversion of the words it cannot always be traced. Nashaway is the name of an extended plain just south of Southington Centre. It was probably given because it is " half-way " between the two mountains, or because it was a sort of debatable ground between two tribes of Indians. Com- pound (perverted to Compounce) is the name of a large pond near which the sachem of that name lived. The etymology of Wunxis may have been derived from Ongkoue, meaning "beyond ; " or Wangun, meaning " crooked, bent." In either case it is impossible to tell whether the name originally indicated some peculiarity of the place, or of the Indian who had his wigwam there. Tradition favors the latter supposition.
No Indian troubles ever occurred in the town. Two palisaded forts are said to have been built, but it is probable that they were intended for defence from distant tribes. Fear of the Mohawks led those living
1 The altitudes here given are above the Government bench mark established by Major- General G. K. Warren as reported by George H. Mauer, engineer in charge of New Haven Harbor improvements for the year 1871. It is mean low tide at Long Wharf, New Haven. 2 Wolf Hill is 322 feet high.
3 The largest collections in town are those of Luman Andrews, Howard Ackart, Amos Shepard, and Jacob Meserole.
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here to welcome the whites, and the first settlers seem to have succeeded in establishing and maintaining friendly relations.
When Farmington was chartered, in 1640, there lay south of the Pequabuck River a tract of land which, in comparison with the rich alluvial meadows farther north, presented no attractions to settlers. It reached from mountain to mountain east and west, and extended about ten miles south to the north line of Wallingford 1 (now Cheshire), which the New Haven colony had purchased of the Indians two years before. This tract was included in the charter of Farmington, under the phrase " with liberty to improve ten miles further." For more than fifty years it lay unimproved. Before the year 1700, however, the Wallingford settlement had spread to Meriden and Cheshire, and com- munication was established through this valley between Farmington and Wallingford on the lines of two or more well-marked trails.
About the year 1696 Samuel Woodruff, a son of one of the original proprietors of Farmington, established himself at a place afterward called Pudding Hill. He built a house there, and brought his family from Farmington in 1698. It is confidently believed that he was the first settler within the limits of Southington. The site of his house is still pointed out a few rods north of the residence of Adna N. Woodruff, a descendant of the fifth generation.
Between 1700 and 1712 houses were built at Clark Farms, North End, near Southington Centre, and possibly at Marion. The only one of these still standing is the "John Root place," now owned by Washburn Dunham, which is the oldest house in the town, being probably about one hun- John Root dred and seventy years old.2 The house now occupied by Mr. Levi C. Neal was
probably built about the year 1720, and is still in a good state of pres- ervation. The family names of the first settlers were Woodruff, Root, Bronson or Brownson, Newell, Scott, Barnes, Clark, Smith, and Cowles. Donation Root Sociaty Clerk The first five came from Farm- ington, the re-
mainder from Wallingford and New Haven. As early as 1720 this territory had acquired the name of Panthorn; and so lightly was it esteemed for the purposes of agriculture that the simile " as poor as Panthorn" was common in Farmington.3
In 1722 a large part of the present town was surveyed, and divided among the eighty-four proprietors of Farmington.4 The amount allotted to each was in proportion (in area) to his list. The location was de- termined by lot. By this survey most of the space between the moun- tains was divided into three tiers running north and south, each tier being four hundred and twelve rods wide and a little more than five
1 Wallingford included at that period most of the land in the present towns of Walling- ford, Meriden, and Cheshire, and a part of Prospect.
2 Timlow's "Sketches of Southington."
3 According to tradition, a Cheshire man who came into Farmington one hot day asserted that in pulling through the sands at the South End his oxen panted to the tips of their horns.
4 Farmington Records, Field-Book of Stephen Walkley, Sr., county surveyor.
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and a half miles long. Two subsequent divisions took up all the land which had been assigned to Southington parish up to 1739.1
In 1721 the inhabitants of Panthorn asked of the Farmington society leave to set up preaching among themselves for the winter season ; and in consideration of their having hired Mr. Buck 2 to preach among them, one third of the tax laid upon them for Mr. Whitman's support was abated. In 1722 they begged for a separate ecclesiastical society, and the Farm- ington society " made chovce of Mr John Hooker, Left Samel Wadsworth, & Ens" Same Newel for theyer committee to consider & make theyer Reply or draw up what they society clark Jndg Reasonable con- cerning a motion made by ye southern ffarmers moncing this Society Jam Andres for theyer consent that they might become A ministerial Society amongs themselves," said committee's opin- ion being "that con- two pence buthe sidering ye weekness & Inability of ye said ffarmers at ye present it is Nearest theyer he proprietors that we general, cont to get a duty to content them- selves for ye way they are Now In for another of the year or years." One- A true copy of records tested by half the petitioners' tax go to the was abated at this time,3 and in December, 1723, the old society reluc- tantly consented to the formation of a separate for allso games pike is chosen to notefie organization. moderators the aere
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In May, 1724, a me- morial signed by Ben- jamin Denton for him- self and the rest of the inhabitants of Pant-
horn was presented to the General Assembly, begging for " the privi- lege of a parish." The petition was granted in two weeks' time. In
1 These were Little Plain division and Shuttle Meadow division.
2 The Rev. Daniel Buck, of Wethersfield, who was graduated at Yale in 1718.
8 State Archives.
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SOUTHINGTON.
response to a petition in 1726 liberty was granted to lay a tax of " one penny per acre per annum on all unimproved lands for the space of four years ensuing ;" and the name Southington, a contraction of South Farmington, was given to the new society. For the next fifty- three years the history of the town in its civil capacity is included in that of Farmington. Although a separate parish, it continued a part of the old town, and all existing records as to civil affairs are depos- ited with the Farmington archives. From records of the court of Jared Lee, who appears to have been the principal resident justice from 1750 to 1775, it would seem that offences of a nature purely ecclesiastical formed a prominent feature in civil trials.1 Among the cases tried by him are some for " neglect of public worship," " rude and idle behavior," " whispering and laughing " in meeting, " laughing between meetings," "breach of Sabbath," "playing cards," "swearing," " drinking strong liquor to excess," etc.
In 1771 the inhabitants of the society of Southington memorialized the General Assembly for incorporation as a separate town.2 The town of Farmington objected to this movement, and the request of the me- morialists was refused. It was renewed in 1772, and again refused. In 1779 a third memorial was presented. fortified by the copy of a con- senting vote of Farmington, pressed with such cogent reasons for the step that the Assembly yielded.
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The accompanying map gives the successive outlines of the town, with varied shadings indicating the three divisions among the proprietors mentioned on page 367. As originally incorporated it was represented
1 These records are now in the possession of F. A. Ilart, M. D.
2 State archives.
VOL. II .- 24.
SCALE OF MILES
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MEMORIAL HISTORY OF HARTFORD COUNTY.
as about seven miles from north to south and eight miles from east to west, and its grand list as being nearly twenty thousand pounds. The north and south lines have since been but slightly changed, and the distance north and south was probably a rough statement of the east line. The distance east and west was more accurately given. The town was then wider than now: a strip about two miles wide was taken from the west side in 1796, when Wolcott was incorpo- rated. This strip had been taken from the Southington society in 1770, to help constitute the society of Farmingbury, which was formed from Sonthington and Waterbury. When Farmingbury was incorporated as a town, in 1796, its name was changed to Wolcott,1 in honor of Oliver Wolcott, who was then lieutenant-governor of the State and gave the casting vote in favor of incorporation.
The first town-meeting of Southington was held Nov. 11, 1779; Jared Lee, Esq., was chosen moderator, and John Curtiss, Esq., clerk. The first select-
Javed Tee Luft peace ~ men chosen were Jonathan Root, Major Asa Bray, Captain Daniel Lankton, Captain Zacheus Gillett, Ensign Justice Peck. Samuel An- drus was chosen town clerk, and Timothy Afa May Clark treasurer. The first constables were Amos Root, Ensign Job Lewis, and Mark Harrison. The number of inhabitants at this time was probably nearly the same as three years later. Accord- Lachaus Fillet ing to the census of 1782 there were in the town: males under sixteen years of age, 426 ; males above sixteen and under fifty, 375 ; males above fifty, 108: total number of males, 909; total number of females, 948; aggregate number of white inhabitants, 1,857; Indians and Samuel andres negroes, 27: total, 1,886. The recorded number of persons admitted as freemen in 1780 is 105. Between that time and 1791, 107 were added, making in all 212. Others must have been free- men by virtue of citizenship in Farming-
Job Lewis
ton or elsewhere.2 During the same period, 112 are recorded as having taken the oath of fidelity enjoined by law. The law was re- pealed in May, 1791. The last to take the oath were Mr. Asahel Hooker and John Bray, who, with Noah Lyman and Valentine Wight- man, had been admitted as freemen that same day.
The names of freemen whose descendants of the same surname still reside in the town are Andrus, Atkins, Atwater, Beckwith, Barnes, Buck, Barrett, Cowles, Crissey, Carter, Cook, Clark, Curtiss, Dunham, Finch, Frisbie, Foot. Goodsell, Grannis, Gridley, Hart, Hitchcock, Hall, Johnson, Judd, Jones, Lewis, Merriman, Matthews, Moore, Norton, Neal, Newell, Potter, Pratt, Pardee, Peck, Pond, Porter, Root, Smith, Shepard, Thorp, Tyler, Webster, Wightman.
1 Timlow's Sketches.
2 Neither Jonathan Root nor Asa Bray, members of the first board of selectmen, is re- corded as made freeman in Southington.
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SOUTHINGTON.
From 1779 to the close of the war in 1783 frequent town-meetings were held, at which a large share of the business pertained to the re- crniting and support of soldiers in the Continental army. From the latter date to 1796 there was little business transacted beyond the or- dinary routine of town-meetings. A noticeable fact in the early history of the place is the small number of votes cast at State and town elections. Such records as have been preserved show that the total vote cast was seldom equal to half the number of voters. In 1809 the vote of the town at election of governor stood one hundred and thirty-three Federal to forty-four Republican. At this time the whole number of freemen must have been nearly four hundred. After the Federal party ceased practically to exist, the Whig party ruled the town until 1832, when the Democrats were for the first time successful.
Among the conditions imposed on the ecclesiastical society of Panthorn at its organization was the raising of one hundred and fifty pounds " currant money which shall be lawfully Layd out for ye building of sd first meeting House." This was built in or near the present en- closure of Oak Hill Cemetery, between 1724 and 1728, and was about twenty-six by sixteen feet, and had neither cellar, basement walls, nor steeple. By 1752 it had become so small and dilapidated that permis- sion to build another was obtained ; and this was erected in 1757, just north of where the Jeremiah furtifs soldiers' monument now stands.1 A steeple was erected and a bell put in in 1797. The present house of worship was completed in June, 1830. The pre- cise time when the church connected with this society was organized is not on record so far as known, its earlier records extending back only to 1728. Its pastors have been the Rev's Daniel Buck, 1721-1725; David L. Ogden Jeremiah Curtiss, 1728-1755 ; Benjamin Chapman, 1756-1774 ; William Robinson, 1780-1821 ; David L. Ogden, 1821-1836 : Elisha C. Elisha C. Jones Jones, 1837-1872: Heman R. Timlow, 1873-1876 ; Cy- rus P. Osborne, 1876-1880 ; Milan C. Avers, 1880 -. The present membership is three hundred and twenty-three.
The written records of the First Baptist Church 2 begin in 1780. On the printed minutes of the Danbury Baptist Association it is called " the church of Farmington " up to 1790, when twenty-five members are reported. In 1801 it is called "the church of Southington and Farming- ton." From 1816 onward it is named " the church in Southington." It was transferred to the New Haven Association in 1825. On the min- utes of that association the date of organization is given as 1738, and
1 The location of this building has been a great subject of debate. An old survey of Stephen Walkley's states : "Centre of Cheshire Turnpike is forty links from door of old meeting- house, and one hundred and twenty-seven links west from the front of the new meeting-house, on a line with the north side of the steeple." This fixes the following facts : that the old meeting-house was one hundred and ten feet west of the present one, and that its front door was in a line with the north side of the steeple of the latter.
2 Compare Timlow's Sketches, pp. 287-294.
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MEMORIAL HISTORY OF HARTFORD COUNTY.
thenceforth all Baptist authorities agree in assigning that date. The truth seems to be that the body of worshippers from which the church was formed were at first scattered from Wallingford to the northeast corner of Farmington (now Burlington) ; that for some years whatever meetings were held were in private houses at convenient points, draw- ing their congregations from Southington, Farmington, Bristol, and Wolcott. In 1801 those residing in Wolcott and Bristol came together in one church, and those in Southington and Farmington in another. When at length records began to be preserved, the Southington church John Neminan was treated as the parent organization. The Rev. John Merriman (formerly pastor of the church in Wallingford) took up his permanent residence in Southington about 1750, and soon afterward fitted up a room in his house for Baptist meetings. The Baptists in Southington did not sever their legal connection with the Congregational Society until 1793. Their first meeting-house was built in 1792, on the hill in Center Place. Their present meeting-house was finished in 1833. The membership is one hundred and fifty-nine. The ministers have been :
The Rev's John Merriman, 1738-1770; John Wightman, 1770-1780 ; Andrew Hopper, 1842-1843 ; Sammuel Richardson, 1843-1844 ; Stephen Gorton, 1781-1789 ; Calvin Hulburt, 1790-1795 ; Daniel Wildman, 1797-1798; Nehe- miah Dodge, 1799-1802 ; Eliada Blakeslee, 1803 (from 1803 to 1815 occa- sional preaching) ; David Wright, 1815-1819 (no records from 1819 to 1824) ; Irenus Atkins, 1827-1839 ; E. C. Rogers, 1839-1840; S. W. Palmer, 1841- 1842; William Pattison, 1844-1846 ; G. W. Derrance, 1847-1848 ; Daniel Robinson, 1849-1853 ; N. Judson Clark, 1854-1856; Joshua Fletcher, 1857- 1862 ; J. Barber, 1862-1863 ; A. L. Freeman, 1864-1873; A. P. Buel, 1874- 1878 ; J. E. Wilson, 1879-1880; G. E. Nichols, the present pastor, installed June 22, 1881.
" The first service of the Episcopal Church," says Timlow, "was held at the house of Captain Daniel Sloper, who as early as 1781 had left the Congregational society and paid ministerial rates to the Rev. Samuel Andrew, 'missionary at Wallingford and adjacent parts.' Several per- sons who had desired baptism of children under the Half-way Covenant, and had been denied by Mr. Robinson, naturally connected themselves with the Episcopal Church, as they were obliged to pay minister's rates somewhere." For several years monthly services were held, up to 1787 or 1788. After 1788 the Rev. Reuben Ives, rector at Cheshire, labored here, and in 1791 a church was erected. The first confirmation was made in 1816. In 1819 there were forty-four families and thirty communicants. In 1828 the parish was united with that of St. An- drews, Meriden, and in 1829 the building was consecrated by Bishop Brownell. In consequence of a revival in the town in 1831, sev- eral members united with the Baptist and Congregational churches, and in 1840 the Unitarian movement absorbed most of the parish. Zealous attempts to build it up failed, and from 1864 to 1875 regular services were discontinued. In the fall of 1875 the Rev. George Buck, now of Northford, began services, and was succeeded by the Rev. Walter Roberts, now of Ansonia. The mission is now in charge of
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the Rev. William Johnson, of Bristol, and the number of actual communicants is twenty-five.
The Universalist Church was organized Feb. 16, 1829, under the name of " the First Society of United Brethren in the towns of South- ington and Cheshire," and its annual meetings were to be held alter- nately in those two towns. Its original members in the former place were those who seceded from the Episcopal Church in 1828, when an attempt was made to conduct it in accordance with the doctrines and polity of the Prayer-Book. Public services were held in private houses for some four years, but in 1838 the congregation had so dwindled that it was thought expedient to disband ; since that time only occasional services have been held.
A Unitarian Society was organized in legal form in 1840; Jesse Olney, the author of school-books, was instrumental in its organization, and was one of its prominent supporters afterward. After some ten years of prosperity the society languished, and in 1855 was disbanded. The pastors were the Rev's James Richardson, Jr., 1846-1847; E. G. Holland, 1850-1853; II. J. Hudson, 1853-1855.
Though the Methodist Church of Southington as at present organ- ized is of comparatively recent growth, its foundation was laid near the beginning of the present century. The first class was formed about 1816, but for nearly forty years only occasional preaching was enjoyed, and meetings were generally held at private houses. In 1858 regular preaching services were begun, which have continued to the present time. These were held in halls, a part of the time in Southington Centre and a part in Plantsville. The present house of worship was finished in 1867. The pastors have been : the Rev's S. D. Brown, 1858-1859 ; A. B. Pettis, 1859-1860 ; John Barnhart and E. T. Clark, 1859-1861 ; F. P. Tower, 1861-1863; William McGurn, 1863-1864; William A. Natty and S. H. Smith, 1864-1865; A. M. Allen, 1865-1868; I. E. Smith, 1868-1871 : R. H. Loomis, 1871-1873; H. E. Burnes, 1873- 1876; George B. Dusinberre, 1876-1878 ; Arthur McNicholl, 1878- 1880; Joseph O. Munson, 1880-1881; William H. Stebbins, 1881- 1883; Joseph Vinton, present pastor. The present full membership is one hundred and twenty-three, with thirty-three probationers.
The corner-stone of the St. Thomas Roman Catholic Church was laid July 4, 1860. The church was finished in December, 1860. As the congregation increased it was enlarged by the addition of a wing on each side, and has now the largest audience-room of any church in the town. It has sittings for eight hundred and seventy worshippers. The Rev. Thomas Drae was the first resident priest, from Sept. 4, 1862 to Oct. 7, 1867 ; the Rev. P. J. Creighton, from Oct. 7, 1867, to the present time. He is now assisted by the Rev. P. Byrnes.
The Congregational Church in Plantsville was a colony from the Congregational Church in Southington. The society was organized in September, 1865. The church was organized Dec. 20, 1865, with sixty- three members, mostly from the church in Southington. Their house of worship was finished in 1867. The first pastor was the Rev. William R. Eastman, 1866-1876 ; the present pastor, the Rev. L. F. Berry, was installed June 13, 1877. The present membership is three hundred and three.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized in 1867. At first
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MEMORIAL HISTORY OF HARTFORD COUNTY.
services were held on alternate Sundays in Southington and Plantsville. A chapel was finished in 1872, and since that time services have been held regularly, -for a part of the time every Sunday, and for the re- mainder, once in two weeks. The pastors have been the Rev. G. A. Schmidt, from 1867 to 1869, and Charles Graeber (pastor of the church in Meriden), from August, 1869, to the present time. Its present mem- bership is forty.
The Baptist Church of Plantsville was a colony from the Baptist Church in Southington, and was organized Aug. 13, 1872. Its present house of worship was dedicated in 1874. The pastors have been: the Rev's W. C. Walker, stated supply from Aug. 13, 1872, to Aug. 1. 1874; T. A. T. Hanna, from July 1, 1875, to Jan. 1, 1881 ; W. K. Lord. from July 1, 1881, to 1884; present pastor, the Rev. E. S. Gardner. Its present membership is ninety-two.
The Marion Chapel Association is a body of Christians of various denominations, who by reason of their distance from the churches to which they belong have associated for the purpose of sustaining public worship in their neighborhood. They have no separate church organization. Their chapel was built in 1875. Since that time preach- ing has been maintained and a Sunday school regularly held. The chapel has sittings for about one hundred and twenty-five. In all these churches except the Second Congregational and the First Baptist the pastors have recently been changed.
The first schools were established by the Congregational society. For this reason no records are found previous to 1798,1 when school societies were established by the General Assembly. Prior to the year 1780 it is probable that eight-possibly nine - school-houses had been erected. In 1798, when the records begin, nine districts were estab- lished. There are now eleven districts, in four of which the schools are graded. In these schools twenty-three teachers are employed. The number of children enumerated in January, 1881, was 1,363; the num- ber of different scholars registered, 1,183; the average number regis- tered in each term, 907 ; and the average attendance, 697. The first school of a higher order was sustained by an organization in 1813 of about thirty citizens, under the name of the Grammar School Society. A building was erected, but it is not known how long the school con- tinued. Two private schools were afterward established in private houses, one of which continued two years, the other, four. In 1833 an academy where the classics and higher mathematics were taught was established in the old Baptist meeting-house, and maintained ten years or more. In 1843 an academy was established in a building erected by the Congregational society and aided by a fund left by Sally Lewis. This continued till succeeded by one further endowed by Addin Lewis,2 who left $15,000 for the purpose, $5,000 of which was for the erection of a suitable building. This, named Lewis Academy, was finished in 1858, and since 1848, when school societies were abolished, has been under the control of the town. In 1882 it was constituted a free high-school.
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