USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Norwalk > The romance of Norwalk > Part 15
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The stage coach of post Revolutionary times was not the romantic looking vehicle now pictured in thrilling wild west holdups. It was a huge sort of box mounted on springs, having four seats to accommodate eleven passengers and the driver. There were no windows nor protective cover- ings other than a canvas or leather top equipped with side curtains which might be lowered at the passengers' desires. Since there were no backs to the seats, the last seat in the coach against the rear of the vehicle, was the most pre- ferred and was usually reserved for the lady passengers. All well and good if such lady passengers arrived in fair time to take their places, but if they had the misfortune to be late, they must needs straddle all the other seats and pas- sengers in front, in order to reach their places. Nothing could have been more uncomfortable than stage travel in
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those days. The seats were hard and backless, the pas- sengers were rattled and jolted over the bumpy roads. In summer, the sufferers were stifled by the heat and choked by the dust; in winter they were covered with windblown snow and numbed into insensibility by the freezing weather unmitigated by warmth from even the smallest of stoves within the coach.
The stage driver was a dignified and imposing being in those days. In his own community he was a prosperous and respected citizen. On his box, he was king of all he surveyed. £ Picture him driving up through Norwalk in the winter time, his bearskin cap drawn tight about his red face, his greatcoat buttoned close. From time to time he slowed his horses long enough to drop a package from Aunt Julia into the waiting arms of Mrs. Raymond or Mrs. Bailie, or perhaps to give a message of comfort brought from a far away town to an anxious mother or sister. Time and again passengers were witnesses to little scenes when perhaps a careworn mother, anxiously waited by her garden gate until the important stage driver slowed up his steaming horses just long enough to lean over and shout: "John's better, fever's all gone." Drivers in those days did other things beside handle horses and deliver passengers. They carried messages of all kinds and handled letters, papers and pack- ages. Some even made shopping trips while in town, for their customers along the line. One boasted that he bought spring bonnets for all the young ladies on his route who couldn't get to Boston and that he never made the mistake of purchasing two alike! A remarkable man!
In 1789, the coaches left the stage office kept by Charles Beekman in Cortland st., New York, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, arriving in Boston just about a week later. Today the trip can be made by an express train in a little more than six hours. The cost of travel varied, according to the ideas of the stage line owner, from about five and a half to eight cents per mile.
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OLD NORWALK INN
By the time the stage coach reached the Connecticut House, or the "Norwalk Hotel," as you like, in Norwalk, a large crowd had gathered to greet the travelers and to hear the news. Of the actual appearance of the hotel, we have only the most meager of accounts. We do know, however, that it was of large and imposing appearance, for those times, made of wood, with a flight of steps lead- ing to its main doorway. Inside, the Connecticut House was no doubt like any other inn existent in those years, contain- ing a number of "chambers" upstairs, and a large tap room, a kitchen, and a sitting room or parlor for women and rich parties, downstairs.
The tap room where ales, beers, wines and liquors were dispensed, boasted a large sanded floor, ample seats and chairs of various description, low ceiling with revealed rafters, a huge fireplace at one end, and at the other end probably a rude writing desk for the use of the travelers, and for the landlord when he must make out his bills. The bar, at the back of the room, close to the kitchen, was equipped with a portcullis grate, if it followed the trend of the times, which it no doubt did. This grate was a sort of sliding door, above the counter, and it might be closed at will. Big jugs and small jugs, Indian bowls, fat mugs and slender mugs, colored glass beakers from Holland and quaint wooden hinged tankards lined the shelves about the bar, while nearby stood rows of barrelled wines, spirits and brews. Before the fire on the great hearth, often 18 or 20 feet square, the travelers sat on a winter's night and scorched their chilled bones. Pleasant indeed was it to drowse in the warmth while the wind whistled shrilly out- side, and to smell the tantalizing odors emanating from the large roast of beef which revolved endlessly on the spit turned by a trained "spit dog." Landlord Reed of the old Norwalk Inn was a man of great importance in the community, as were all landlords. During the 18th
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century a hotel proprietor was usually the postmaster of the town, captain of the train band (a group of musical aspirants who appeared in connection with the soldiers on the annual or semi-annual training and muster days), and he was generally a holder of some of the most important offices in the community.
When coaches arrived in Norwalk from New York, the time was evening, since it took a full day to come up from the "city." The stages made about 40 miles a day in good weather, and 25 in poor. Jovially the travelers were greeted on their arrival at the Connecticut House and forthwith supper was prepared. The customers sat at long board tables, or small square ones. Menus were varied and a good supper included roast beef, ham, cold fowl, bread, rump steaks, fish, cake, pie, tea, coffee and bread and milk for desert. A small amount of liquor was allowed with the meal. It may have been any one of a number of different drinks, for there were many. Perhaps it was rum or cider, sack (sweet wine) canary, spiced or mulled wine, "Black Strap" made of rum and molasses; or "Scotchem" made of apple jack, boiling water, and a dash of mustard.
American "creaming flip" was the favorite drink. This was made in a great earthen pitcher filled two thirds full of strong beer, sweetened with sugar, molasses or dried pumpkin, according to taste and flavored with about a gill of New England rum. Into this was thrust a red hot logger head made of iron and shaped like a poker. The poker made the liquor foam and bubble and gave it the burnt, bitter taste so much desired. The flip was served in great tumblers, often without handles. Sometimes there were delicious dishes at table; curried oysters, roast duck, or perhaps calves' head soup flavored with wine.
Following a heavy supper with much meat and little desert, but plenty of liquor, the hotel guest was in fine condition to go right to his bed. Nor did he wake later, if the landlord slipped into the room, shoved him over to one side of the bed and made room for a late arrival under
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the same sheets. Breakfast was early, and included meat, fish, eggs, cider and even pies and puddings. It was gobbled in haste, for the coachman was always in a hurry to get on the long road again.
Much of Norwalk's history just after the Revolutionary War may be gained from bits of tavern records. The inns of the time were something more than just stopping places for over night stage coach guests. They were gathering centers for the entire community and mirrored much of the life of the town. Here oyster bargains and sales were made; prices of the town's farming produce were named; news was learned; entertainments were held. On the bulletin boards, mines of information in themselves, were lists of jurors to be called, notices of sales, advertisements for lost and found dogs, cats, horses and slaves, and legal notices of all sorts. Traveling showmen stopped at the tavern to exhibit queer animals they had trapped. On Thanksgiving Day there were turkey "shoots" in the yard; little plays called "drolls" came to the tavern from time to time; last but not least the tavern was the scene of the drawing of the lotteries, lotteries which lured half the town to the inn and crowded the place with an excited, money mad mob.
The lottery, which shortly became a licensed and highly approved form of gambling, was used for all sorts of things by all sorts of people. Were a church in debt, a college in need of money, a poorhouse desirous of a new addition, or if a canal, bridge, turnpike or public building had to be erected, then a lottery was announced. Norwalk, of course, was caught and held in the lottery swirl and more than one civic betterment movement was fostered by money obtained in this manner. First mention of a lottery, appears in the Norwalk town records under date of April 11, 1791, as follows: "At the same meeting, the Select Men are directed to prepare a Memorial to the next General Assembly for Liberty of a Lottery for raising a sum of Money for the purpose of Building an Arch Bridge by the Mill."
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Two years later, in April of 1793, the townspeople again appealed to the General Assembly for their lottery, this time asking that it be allowed "for building an Arch Bridge at the Falls." It is believed that the falls referred to, and of which mention is made in many of the old references to Norwalk, are the same which may still be seen half covered over, through the back window of Tristram and Hyatt's dry goods store on Wall st.
"RESURRECTION"
In October of 1793 Taylor Sherman was appointed to find out what it would cost to build a stone bridge at the falls. When the cost was found to be prohibitive, a wooden bridge was definitely decided upon. Between the years 1788 and 1800, the work of "resurrection" in Nor- walk continued in earnest. Bridges were built, new roads laid, old buildings repaired and mills erected. In March, 1788, it was voted to rent the ferry from Norwalk to Huntington, Long Island, for a term of five years.
December 20, 1790, "Thaddeus Betts, John Hanford, Moses Hanford, Gersham Raymond and John Byxbee were appointed a committee to view the circumstances of five mile river (Rowayton) with respect to Building a Grist mill on the same and make report." Seven years later, Samuel Grumman, Joseph Silliman and Roger M. Sher- man were appointed to "prepare a grant to Isaac Richards for Liberty to build a Grist Mill on Five Mile river." Application for a corn mill had been made a few years previous to the above, in 1793, by Abel Belknap, who wanted to erect his building "on the river between the Mill called Thatchers and That Called Keeler's mill."
Repairing old roads and building new, constantly taxed the town treasury. There was the new road to Fairfield; later, a new one to New Canaan; still later, a new one to Wilson Point. And all the time, leveling, widening and draining of the old roads went on. In order to meet a
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constant financial deficiency, the selectmen levied highway taxes. Every year at the annual December meeting, when town elections took place, the highway tax, two or three pence on the pound was laid. The townspeople might work out their taxes on the road if they saw fit. In fact, the town preferred such method.
PIGS CAUSE TROUBLE
Of all the troubles, which the Norwalkers experienced from the year 1788 to the close of the eighteenth century, the one which appears most insistently in the town records, concerns the nuisance of swine, geese and cows which were running at large about the town. If we recall correctly, the great William Shakespeare and his friends thought nothing of having chickens in the parlor, pigs in the dining room and cows in the kitchen, and evidently the Norwalkers were of one mind with William. The selectmen seem to have had a very difficult time regulating traffic among the various animals which arrogantly roamed the streets. Every two or three years they found it necessary to pass yet an- other law in a hectic effort "to do something" to curb the nuisance. In 1790, they met in solemn conclave and decided "that swine may go at large on ye Common in the Town having a ring in the Nose." During the next 60 years the matter of proper discipline of swine, geese, cows and horses was constantly brought before the town meeting. At various times the selectmen decided: "that all swine with a ring in the nose and all geese which one wing is clipped will be permitted to go at large on the Common in this town. That sucking piggs shall be exempt for being pounded by the Hayward (keeper). That all sheep, swine and geese may go at large provided sheep be fettered with good leather fetters, swine be well rung in the nose with a good ring and geese have one wing clipped. That the law of 1830 allowing swine to go at large provided they be well rung in the nose be repealed" it having proved useless.
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Lastly "that horses be restrained from going at large on highways and commons."
SLAVES ARE FREED
Slavery became particularly distasteful to the colonists in the north during the latter quarter of the 18th century. The War of the Revolution was a great educator and to the New England colonists curtailment of freedom in any form for anyone, black or white, seemed abhorrent. Con- necticut people owned many slaves. As a matter of fact there were more beings in servitude in the year 1790 in this state, than in all the other New England states com- bined. At that time there were no less than 2,764, the number being reduced during the next ten years to 951.
Norwalk residents owned slaves, plenty of them. But after the Revolution the fairer-minded of the people here came to the conclusion that the blacks had just as much right to the ordering of their own lives, as had the whites. Accordingly, many of the Norwalkers, voluntarily set their servants free. By the year 1800, there were still 41 slaves in Norwalk. By 1810, the number had been reduced to 12; by 1830, to two; and in 1840 Norwalk was declared free of all slaves.
METHODISM INTRODUCED HERE
The last few years of the 18th century in Norwalk were notable for the fact that Methodism gained a firm foot- hold here. Under a great apple tree on the corner of Main st. and North ave., Jesse Lee, minister, preached the first Methodist sermon in New England, in the little town of Norwalk. This occurred on the sunny afternoon of June 17, 1789. When Lee came to town he met rather a cool reception. He had reason to believe that one Hezekiah Rogers who lived on the corner of Cross st., would allow the meeting to be held at his home. Mr. Rogers was away at the time, however, and Mrs. Rogers feared to allow the congregation inside. So Lee went to the house
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next door, where lived an elderly lady and asked permission to bring his gathering into her orchard. But she objected on the ground that so many people would trample down her lawn. Nothing daunted, Lee went into the street and there by the wayside, under a great apple tree before a handful of people, gave his first Methodist sermon in New England.
Hurd in his history of Fairfield County insists that "the first Methodist sermon was preached in this place by a young minister named Cornelius Cook in 1787, but Method- ism was formally introduced into Norwalk, as indeed in New England by Jesse Lee." Lee is generally given the credit. Mr. Lee continued in his work until he had formed a circuit which included Norwalk, Fairfield, Stratford, Mil- ford, Redding, Danbury and Canaan, now New Canaan. In this circuit the oldest society was Stratford, and Redding was the second. The first Methodist church in New Eng- land, according to the Rev. H. B. Munson, formerly of the Norwalk M. E. Church, was built in Weston and called in honor of the pioneer, Lee's Chapel. Bang's history verifies this statement. There is now a church in Ridge- field called the Jesse Lee M. E. Church.
One of the Jesse Lee converts was Rev. Moses Hill, grandfather of Mrs. Helena Hill Weed of Wilson Point, Mrs. Elsie Hill Levitt of Ridgefield and Miss Clara Hill of Mexico. Mr. Hill, after his conversion, became a religious circuit rider and traveled all up and down the Maine coast, forming Methodist societies in the little towns. Both his first and second wives were Maine girls whom he met in his organization work. Sometime later, Rev. Hill was called to Hartford to preach. While there he was stricken with paralysis of the throat and was unable to talk. So beloved was his wife by the church congregation that its members asked her to preach in her husband's stead, until he should have recovered. This she did. After a second stroke, Rev. Hill came to Norwalk, studied to be a homeopathic
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physician and preached from time to time in the Norwalk Methodist church.
The Methodist church was organized in this town in 1790 and services were held for some years in South Nor- walk "in the old red schoolhouse that stood on the site now occupied by the store of Nash Brothers." A number of prominent citizens became affiliated with the Methodist organization and worked hard to spread the new religion. One of them was Absolom Day, who was a Methodist convert from New York city. He opened his home to meetings and did everything in his power to give Method- ism a firm foothold in the town. In spite of his efforts, however, it seemed doomed to an early death. It was not until the day of the last scheduled service that the towns- people came to life. Several received a religious awaken- ing and suddenly, without warning, a revival broke out. So many thereupon joined the ranks that there was great difficulty in securing any sort of accommodation.
In 1816 the first Methodist church was erected in South Norwalk and dedicated in 1817. From that time until 1834, Norwalk continued as part of a circuit, served by two or more itinerant ministers, each preaching in regular turn. Among them were Elijah Hebbard and Abram S. Francis. Luther Mead was the first regular Methodist minister in this town, installed in the year 1834. Rev. Walter Duncan in an article on Methodism in South Norwalk, printed under date of 1901 in the book "Norwalk After 250 Years," wrote :
"In 1836 the first parsonage was built, the land having been given by Absolom Day. It was situated on what is now South Main st. This property was abandoned in the year 1851, and the next year the present grounds were purchased. The building purchased with it was used as a parsonage until 16 years later when the present building was substituted.
In 1843 the second Methodist church building was erected in South Norwalk, a building which would seat no
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less than 450 persons. In 1856 the old edifice was enlarged and its seating capacity increased to 600. The uptown Methodists drew away from their brethren in South Nor- walk in the year 1858 and formed their own organization known as the Second or Norwalk Methodist Episcopal church.
First gatherings of the new organization were held in Phoenix hall on Wall st., with Dr. Asa Hill. The ground on which the present church now stands, corner of West ave. and Mott st., was purchased for $1,600 and in the fall of 1859, work was begun on the new church building. It was rapidly nearing completion when it was destroyed by a terrible gale, February 10, 1860. The church people were in a quandary as to what was best to do. Finally the builder agreed for an additional $2,500 to go forward and complete the building, according to the original contract. Nathanial Mead was the first pastor in the new church, 1860 to 1861. In 1868 the Rowayton M. E. church was organ- ized. The East Norwalk M. E. church was organized by the Rev. Thomas G. Osborne on the seventh day of Decem- ber, 1871, with 34 members. It was then called the Fourth M. E. church of Norwalk and Rev. D. A. Goodsell was the first pastor. The present church, corner of East ave. and Van Zant st., was erected in 1890.
PAPERS-PAUPERS
CHAPTER XVIII
Norwalk has Newspaper in 1800-Early Advertising and News-Norwalk Has Population of 5,000-Darien Be- comes Town After Long Struggle-Care of Poor Occa- sions Trouble-First Almshouse-Present Naramake Home
The first newspaper in southwestern Connecticut was published in Norwalk in May, 1800 by a printer named Picket who came here from Danbury. Mr. Picket's paper was quite small, scarcely larger than a sheet of letter paper. According to account, "it was printed on an old time Ben Franklin Ramage Press with wooden platen and requiring four impression pulls for each paper ; so that almost literally the more subscribers the paper had the worse its owner was off."
The most up-to-date news from New York city was no less than ten days late ; intelligence from Washington was a month old, while news from Europe was three months past date. The unbelievable sluggishness with which news traveled in those days is exemplified in the fact that al- though George Washington died December 14, 1799, Bos- ton did not know it until December 24, ten days later. And that was considered fast!
In 1818, Roswell S. Nichols and Philo Price purchased the Picket concern and commenced issuing the "Gazette" once a week. The old copies of the paper including the very first may be found in the Norwalk library. The first copy appeared on May 6 and was a four page paper half way between the size of a tabloid and that of a regular newspaper. The publication was full of foreign news, ex-
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tracts from books, editorials, jokes and quaint advertise- ments but practically no local news. As a matter of fact there were only two items which pertained to the vicinity of Norwalk, both weddings, one in New Canaan and one in Wilton. So different is this ancient Gazette from the newspaper of today that it is interesting to stop a moment and see what it holds within its pages. News of the Spanish Main, of doings in Buenos Aires, of snow in Albany, rain in Raleigh, of new ships in the British navy, of a drowning in Pittsburgh and of a clipping from the history of Massa- chusetts fill the columns of the first page. The only thrilling piece of "yellow journalism" is a bit of news about an inch long headed "Scandal." This sets forth that one Jonathan M. Beach of Cambria, N. Y. "lately jumped out of a third story window at Buffalo in a fit of insanity which instantly terminated his life."
Advertising plays a part in the first edition of the Norwalk Gazette, 1818, as it does in the following editions, but it is a minor part. Lacking are the large display advertisements of today. The advertisers set forth their wares in black and white and let it go at that. Bark, hides, paints, grave- stones and groceries were announced for sale, the advertise- ments all being about the same size and seeming importance. A little more exciting was the advertisement of the Norwalk Packet which speaks of the fine bar aboard ship, saying :
"The new superior fast sailing sloop packet, Samuel Daskam, master, is intended solely for the accommodation of passengers, having three elegant and spacious cabins with 42 berths. The proprietors assure their friends and the public that no exertions will be spared for the accommoda- tion of passengers. The bar will be well furnished with the best of liquors, wine, porter and so forth. She will leave Norwalk every Tuesday and Saturday and New York on Mondays and Thursdays." From the above it would appear that there were 14 berths in every cabin.
Astoundingly vague were some of the advertisements discovered in the lost and found columns. Witness the fol-
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lowing: "Twenty dollars reward for the mare of John Comstock." The mare's description includes only: "Her mane generally lying on both sides of her neck unless con- siderable pains is taken with it."
Modern advertisers when racking their brains for some new "line" with which to attract the public, might find it possible to catch the eye of the customer with something unique like this: "November 7, 1821: To the Dull of Ap- prehension : Whereas you don't seem to fully understand the import of long sentences, I will treat you to a couple of proverbs, short but sweet and easy to be understood : Lawyers' houses are built with fool's money. A word to the wise is sufficient. D. S. Bartram. Two Fresh Rum Hogsheads for sale."
DARIEN'S STRUGGLES
The year 1800 found Norwalk with a population of 5,105 people including the residents of Wilton and New Canaan, both of which settlements were part of Norwalk then, New Canaan becoming a separate town in 1801 and Wilton being formally organized in 1802. Darien did not become a separate town until 1820 and then, only after a terrific struggle in which Norwalk blocked her every effort to become independent. May 3, 1804 the town fathers de- cided "to oppose the petition of the inhabitants of Middle- sex," (former name of Darien), to become a town. On subsequent dates, May 12, 1806, May 9, 1808, September 10, 1808, May 7, 1810, and October 8, 1810, Norwalk in each and every case decided to oppose the petition. May II, 1818 appeared the following in the town records of Norwalk :
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