USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Norwalk > The romance of Norwalk > Part 8
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In other ways had the town progressed: forks had come into style ; tea and coffee were used on special occasions ; real silver and cut glass began to appear on the sideboards; em- broidery and lace were introduced on the "best clothes" of the colonists ; gates and fences were placed around the homes and gardens took form and flower. The town now boasted a fine meeting house, a bridge across its river, two "ordi- naries", a fine minister's house with "seller", a corn mill, a saw mill, an ash house, and a school. That the hard life during the first half century of the town's existence agreed with the pioneers is evidenced by their longevity. In 1694, or 43 years after the settlement began, the names of most of the original settlers were still on the town records. For eighty years there was no general sickness and from 1715 to 1719 but 12 deaths occurred in the whole town.
Of the 12 deacons of the first church, the average age at time of decease was 74.6 years. Mrs. Hanford, widow of the Rev. Thomas Hanford, who died at the age of 73, did not pass on to her heavenly reward until September 12, 1730, when she was just 100 years old. One cannot help but mar- vel over this unusual record, especially in view of the lack of medical aid of any authority. In the early Norwalk days, there were no drug stores where prescriptions might be filled. Careful housewives grew their own herbs and drugs right in the back yard. Those who had not the time to grow the necessary ingredients for the medicine, or who had not
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the necessary talent for mixing said ingredients might buy prepared concoctions from the traveling doctors.
These "doctors" were not licensed physicians, nor were they products of any particular training. In fact, as late as the year 1721, there was but one regularly graduated physi- cian in New England, Dr. Samuel Douglas of Boston. Never could it be said that the physicians profiteered at the expense of their patients' misfortunes, because in 1730, in Massa- chusetts for example, a visit only cost 12 cents. By Revolu- tionary times the doctor's attendance fee had risen to 16 cents. Bloodletting cost 16 cents extra, which may have been one of the secret reasons why bleeding was so popular with the country's earliest physicians. "Cold Stomack" seemed a common complaint in early times. One would wonder, with so much liquor on hand all the time, why the colonists should be troubled with such an affliction.
OFFSHOOTS OF NORWALK
CHAPTER IX
Town Branches Out-Influence of Blue Laws Here- Rev. Buckingham In Trouble-Settlements In Danbury, Ridgefield, Greens Farms, Redding, Newtown, Darien, New Canaan, Wilton, Saugatuck.
THE first quarter of the eighteenth century found Nor- walk branching out in many directions: in 1702 the town took possession of many of the harbor islands; in 1725 Wil- ton became a separate parish ; by 1750 Danbury, Ridgefield, Greens Farms, Redding, Newtown, Darien, New Canaan, Wilton and Saugatuck all bore healthy settlements.
During the month of March, 1705, southern Connecticut was swept by one of the worst snow storms in history, a storm which effectively trapped the residents in their homes, held up all traffic and brought serious consequences to settlers in the outlying districts. Heavy, driving snow continued for nearly five days. Flakes were so thick that a man could see but a few feet before his hand, and the temperature was very low. All communication was cut off between Norwalk and the surrounding towns and no provisions of any kind came into the village.
As soon as the storm abated to any extent, rescue parties set out to homes in West Norwalk and Wilton to see in what straits the inhabitants were. Food, fuel and light were car- ried on sleighs to settlers in outlying districts, who perhaps had been without all three for days. When the weather cleared again, the men in the town commenced immediately to cut roads from Norwalk to South Norwalk and across to East Norwalk to reconnect people who had been lost to each other for the best part of a week. In some cases, the men
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worked days to dig through drifts and to unearth houses which had almost been covered by the mountains of snow.
BLUE LAWS
As time went on, in many ways did the town of Norwalk change; in few ways did the people change. Stern, dignified, serious minded, they ruled themselves and their neighbors with an iron hand. Echoes of the famous "Blue Laws," sometimes called the "Bloody Blue Laws" of New England were heard from time to time in Norwalk and were reflected in the severity of the punishment meted out for trifling mis- deeds. Much that is true and much that is untrue has been written about these Blue Laws. Some histories even go so far as to ignore them entirely, or else to brand them as fakes. But they weren't fakes. On the contrary. They were an out- growth of the criminal code of the New Haven colony and were duplicated in similar style throughout New England.
Samuel Peters, Tory, lists them in his scathing book "Gen- eral History of Connecticut." Although many have accused Peters of manufacturing the blue laws out of whole cloth, such was not the case. Recent investigations have shown that practically all of the 45 statutes cited by Peters have been found either in the early New Haven colony records or among the codes of the various New England colonies, with but slight modifications.
The laws are also found with few changes in a book writ- ten by one Neal, many years before Peters wrote his book, which was in about 1789. They are also thoroughly dis- cussed in "An Examination of Peter's Blue Laws," in the annual report of the American Historical association for 1898, by W. F. Prince.
A few of them are reprinted herewith :
"No food or lodging shall be afforded to a Quaker, Adamite or other Heretic.
"No Priest shall abide in this Dominion; he shall be
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banished, and suffer death on his return. Priests may be seized by anyone without a warrant.
"No one shall run on a Sabbath day, or walk in his garden or elsewhere, except reverently to and from meeting.
"No one shall travel, cook victuals, make beds, sweep house, cut hair or shave on the Sabbath day.
"No woman shall kiss her child on the Sabbath or fasting day.
"A person accused of trespass in the night shall be judged guilty, unless he clear himself by his oath.
"When it appears that an accused has confederates, and he refuses to discover them, he may be racked.
"Men-stealers shall suffer death.
"A man that strikes his wife shall pay a fine of ten pounds ; a woman that strikes her husband shall be punished as the Court directs.
"A wife shall be deemed good evidence against her hus- band.
"Whoever brings cards or dice into this dominion shall pay a fine of five pounds.
"No one shall read Common-Prayer, keep Christmas, or Saints days, make minced pies, dance, play cards or play on any instrument of music, except the drum, trumpet and jews- harp.
"No gospel Minister shall join people in marriage; the magistrates only shall join in marriage, as they may do it with less scandal to Christ's Church.
"Married persons must live together or be imprisoned.
"Every male shall have his hair cut round according to a cap."
The insistence of the colony Blue Laws that the hair be cut round according to a "cap", was based on two purposes : first to insure simplicity of style and tidiness in cut; second, to prevent those who had lost their ears as a punishment for some infraction of the law, from covering their shame with long hair. The usual haircuts were accomplished in many instances with the aid of gouged out pumpkin shells.
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Thus originated the nickname "Pumpkin heads" as applied to New Englanders.
SAD SABBATHS
The reference in the blue laws to the sin of walking in the garden or of running on Sunday, gives but an intimation of the "sour and sad" Sabbaths "enjoyed" in early days. The Sabbath began Saturday evening at sundown and con- tinued until sunset, Sunday. It was rigidly observed, often right through till Monday morning. In one of the old Nor- walk tales, reference is made to Bouton Hoyt and Freelove Wright, both of whom were so strict about keeping the Sab- bath holy, that on Saturday night when the sun went down, the water was shut off at the Five Mile Raceway in Roway- ton and everything was still until Monday morning.
The children spent a more or less miserable time of it what with much Bible reading, no amusements of any sort, and stiff uncomfortable clothing. Ordinary living conditions were resumed as soon as the sun went down Sunday night. The Sabbath evening was visiting time for the older folk and courting time for the young. Only the children were left out in the cold for they were put to bed.
The first quarter of the new century saw many changes and improvements in the Norwalk settlement, including the formal possession of certain Islands by the town, the erection of another mill, the formation of a new burying ground, the sale of Gregory's Point, the building of the third meeting house and the beginning of trouble with the Rev. Stephen Buckingham. The Townsmen decided January 4, 1702 that whereas the town of Norwalk had had possession of certain islands in the harbor and also their improvement for more than 40 years, without suffering interference or claim by anyone, it was no more than right that the town should take formal possession of "Cockenoes Island known by sayd name, and Mamachimons Island, and the Long Island, and Camfield's Island, known by sayd names, and all other Is-
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lands lying in or adjacent unto the towneshipp of Norwalk."
The other large property change during the first quarter of the new century took place when the town granted a por- tion of Gregory's Point to John Benedict, at the same time reserving the right to the use of a road through Benedict's property to the end of the Point, which privilege was to re- main with the town forever.
In 1708, December 16, the Over River Burying ground, thought to be the second cemetery in the little settlement, was laid out on the west side of the Norwalk River, in South Norwalk. The first cemetery, where the sturdy pio- neers of the city now sleep, is on East avenue facing the junc- tion of Van Zant st.
The new meeting house, the third in the town, to which reference is made in a foregoing paragraph, provoked the usual quarrel. Some stood for a new meeting house, others for the repairing and enlarging of the old. The first meeting on the subject was held December 11, 1717. By the time the second meeting came around, in January, the yeas and the nays were so loud and so confused that an amicable settlement was not possible. In fact the meeting seemed unable to discover on which side the majority stood. In order to settle the question, all those in favor of fixing up the old house were asked to march out of the meeting first and be counted; and all those in favor of erecting a new gather- ing place were to march out second, and allow themselves to be counted. Thus was the dispute settled, 26 being in favor of repairing and adding to the old house, plus Lt. Taylor who "declared himself to be of that mind though he passed not out;" while 30 were in favor of a new meeting house, plus two others, who for some reason, "passed not out."
August 17, 1720, work was finally begun on the new meet- ing house, which was again placed on East ave., but still farther up than the other two, in the direction of Norwalk. It was built with broad stone steps and boasted a bell, taken from the old meeting house. The new building was not to be used for town meetings, but only for religious gatherings,
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for "what is consistent with, and agreeable to the most pure and special service of God, for which end it was built and now devoted." After the town found itself shut out of the new meeting house, business gatherings were held in the "north" or "upper" schoolhouse. However, it was found advisable in 1726, to build separate quarters for the town meetings. After considerable discussion, it was voted, not to erect another new building, but to build instead, an addi- tion to the upper schoolhouse, this to be used solely for town gatherings. According to the Rev. Nathaniel Bouton in his "Historical Discourse of the Two Hundredth Anni- versary of the Settlement of Norwalk in 1651," after the school addition had been used as a town meeting hall for a time, a new hall was built near where the present Town House stands, 1746; and a third was erected on the same spot in 1779.
MINISTER IN TROUBLE
The Rev. Stephen S. Buckingham now began causing the townspeople a little trouble, quite a little trouble; so much trouble in fact that they were forced to call almost as many town meetings to settle his problem as had been necessary for the problem of the second meeting house, which were generous enough. Readers will recall the grand welcome given the Reverend gentleman when he arrived in town in 1695, the welcome including a beautiful house with "seller," a garden, a plot for cultivation, free firewood and eighty pounds a year. Alas, alack, that the townspeople should have been so shortsighted as to put a "seller" in the path of the Rev. Buckingham, for verily, it proved his undoing.
First rumblings of the storm ahead were heard on Febru- ary 18, 1725 or 1726, the records are not clear which year, when the town determined that "something shall be done in order to regulate ye difficulties ariseing in the town about ye Reverend Mr. Buckingham." Seven men were forthwith ap- pointed to present the grievances of the town to the ministers of the county. In the meantime, until the matter should be
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settled, Mr. Buckingham's salary was stopped. The town was taking no chances. It is a significant fact that not once in the town records does the real reason for the Reverend's troubles appear nor do any of the early church society rec- ords disclose the rock of perturbation. One Phebe Com- stock did make note, however, of the trouble quite casually in her memoirs. She said only: "Often heard people speak of Mr. Buckingham; he was an excellent preacher, but it was said that he drank too much; and that was the reason that he was dismissed."
The county ministers formally gathered to discuss the question, their meeting being followed by a number of local town meetings all on the subject of "what to do?" Matters came to such a pass in 1727 that the townsmen came right out and said the whole trouble was caused by: "the said gentleman's frequent visit to ye house of Mr. Lines with some other remarkable occurrences," what, the records do not disclose. Rev. Buckingham resigned February 24, 1727, after 30 years in the ministry. He had been ordained No- vember 17, 1697.
The year 1727 found the people divided in religious be- liefs. Some belonged to the First Congregational church, otherwise called "The Prime Ancient Society," which was formally organized in 1727, while others adhered to the Church of England faith. As early as 1729, the Episcopa- lians appear to have held services here in a tiny ramshackle building on Newtown ave. in the vicinity of the present St. Paul's church. This building served until 1742, when the building afterwards destroyed by Tryon, was erected. It is believed that the Rev. Henry Caner of Fairfield was the first Episcopal minister to preach here.
The first pastor of the new Congregational church was the Rev. Moses Dickinson, who was invited to Norwalk June 26, 1727. He was a man about 35 years of age and he came from New Jersey. It was said of him that "Princeton college was born in his brother's dwelling." It was also said of him that he came of excellent family, and was of
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appearance so striking, that when he walked up the new stone steps which had been built in front of the East avenue church meeting-house, the hearts of all the girls in the neigh- borhood skipped a few beats. He died May day, 1778, at the age of 83 after being a minister for more than 50 years.
NORWALK OFFSHOOTS
Norwalk was growing and growing fast, branching out in every direction, and substantial settlements were being made in all the outlying districts. Of course, it was not to be expected that Norwalk could control all the land over which its settlers first roamed and in 1725 we find Wilton, the oldest daughter of Norwalk, becoming a separate parish. In that year, on December 7, Norwalk signified its willing- ness "that the inhabitants of Kent, Belden's Hill and Chest- nut Hill and so upwards, become a parish or village by themselves." New Canaan and Saugatuck, also "parish off- shoots" of Norwalk, the parent stock, now boasted promis- ing little plantations.
On all sides of Norwalk, civilization was creeping in. By the year 1750, Danbury, Ridgefield, Greens Farms, Redding, Newtown, Darien, called in those days Middlesex, and the aforementioned Wilton, New Canaan and Saugatuck, all bore healthy settlements, and roads of various degrees of mudiness and ruttiness lead to all. Darien had been settled about the same time as Stamford, 1640. Greens Farms, the oldest settlement in Westport, was originally called Maximus, a corruption of the Indian name, Machamux. The settlement was begun in 1648, when "it was agreed that Thomas Newton, Henry Gray and John Green shall have liberty to sit down and inhabit at Machamux." Daniel Frost. and Francis Andrews were later added to the above three who were the proprietors of the settlement for the next 20 years.
Danbury, of course, had been settled long since, in 1685 by eight families, seven of whom came from Norwalk. They
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were : Thomas Taylor, Francis Bushnell, Thomas Barnum, John Hoyt, James Benedict, Samuel Benedict, Judah Greg- ory and James Beebe, the latter being from Stratford. In Redding, the first grant of lands was made to Cyprian Nichols on October 13, 1687. New Canaan received her first permanent visitors from both Norwalk and Stamford, shortly after 1700. Newtown was purchased July 25, 1705.
Ridgefield was purchased for one hundred pounds in 1708. In May of that year a petition was presented to the General Assembly of the state by a number of inhabitants of Norwalk who wished to buy land there. The property was subsequently purchased from Catoonah, sachem of the Rampoo or Ramapoo Indians by John Belden, Samuel Kee- ler Sen., Matthew Seamer, James Brown, Benjamin Wilson, Joseph Birchard, John Whitne, Senr., Matthias St. John, Benjamin Hickcock, John Beebe, Samuel St. John, John Bouten, Joseph Keeler, Samuel Smith, Jr., Jonathan Steven, Daniel Olmsted, Richard Olmsted, John Stirdevant, Samuel Keeler, Jr., Joseph Bouton, Jonathan Rockwell, Edmond Wareing, Joseph Whitne, Daniel Hait, Thomas Hyott, James Benedick, Joseph Crampton, Ebenezer Sension, Mat- thew St. John, all of Norwalk and Thomas Smith, Thomas Canfield and Samuell Smith of Milford.
New Canaan became a separate town in 1801. When the Norwalk fathers met in session, April 13, 1801, and "put to vote whether the town would do anything respecting the memorial to the General Assembly May next, by the inhabitants of the parish of Canaan, praying to be incorpo- rated and made a town," the matter was "past in the nega- tive." September 21, 1801, Wilton made a petition to the General Assembly to become a separate town, and Norwalk voted to oppose the petition. The town was formally or- ganized in 1802. Darien became a separate town in 1820. Of the years of effort necessary for this final realization, we shall speak later. Westport was incorporated in 1835 from portions of Norwalk, Fairfield and Weston.
NORWALK IN 1750
CHAPTER X
Business Good-Large Property Purchases-History of Silvermine Artists' Section-Mid-century Home Life In Norwalk-Few Holidays-Dreary Christmas-Cheerful Thanksgiving-"Bundling."
THE town of Norwalk by the year 1750, boasted two churches and two schools, one at the south end of the town and one at the north end. There was steady travel along the Boston Post Road from Boston to New York. New York newspapers occasionally reached Norwalk, for the metropolis boasted a "people's voice" as early as 1721. Boats too, plied between Norwalk and New York. By 1750, there were substantial settlements of houses in East Nor- walk, Norwalk, known as "The Bridge," in "Over River," which included parts of South Norwalk and West ave., and in "Old Well," South Norwalk.
Business was progressive, money was fairly plentiful and large sections of property were purchased by residents. In January, 1750, there is recorded that Ralph Isaacs bought of John Seymour of Norwalk, the land which is now covered by the Town Assembly Hall building, the adjoining stores, the railway station, the bank and Glendening's drug store.
ORIGIN OF SILVERMINE
How did Silvermine, that portion of northern Norwalk which now harbors such a large artists' colony, get its name ? That has always been a most interesting question. Deduc- tion, no doubt in this case correct, would be that there must at one time have been a silver mine in the vicinity. Accord-
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ing to D. Hamilton Hurd, historian and author of a compre- hensive history of Fairfield County, there was such a mine, and he speaks of it in his accounts of both New Canaan and Wilton. What is more, local people have been over the ground where the mine is supposed to have been located, and discovered great holes which give every evidence of once having been "worked."
The old silver mine, according to modern locations, ap- pears to be on property, known as the Austin Lord farm, now in the hands of the Lord descendants, close to the old New Canaan and Wilton road, and back of the present prop- erty of Clifton Meek of Silvermine. The mine itself is on the west side of the farm. Fred Buttery of Silvermine tells of having been over the property many times and seen the holes, in the woods on the Lord farm. That Silvermine takes its name from this mine, there can be little doubt. Old records give several different spellings to the settlement in- cluding: Silver Mines, Silver-Mine, Silver Mine and Silver- mine.
A number of Norwalk people were involved in the work- ing of the mine in 1765, when it was owned by Alexander Ressique or Ressigue of Norwalk, whose property on the outskirts of the town, covered more than 40 acres. Of the mine itself, Hurd tells an interesting tale. Locations, as given in the document may prove a little confusing, but it should be remembered that Wilton was once part of Nor- walk and that where Wilton property is mentioned it was formerly owned by Norwalk men.
Of the various frauds perpetrated in connection with the mine and of what finally happened to the "diggings", Mr. Hurd writes :
"A silver-mine is located in the Northern part of Wilton, near the residence of the late Charles Sturges, about an eighth of a mile east of the old Danbury turnpike. It ap- pears that it was originally divided into shares and worked a short time before the Revolutionary War, and the manager or overseer, after having sent away all the ore that had been
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dug, under pretense of having it examined, suddenly left 'between two days', leaving the shareholders minus the amount of their subscriptions and also their share of the 'rocks.'
"After it was known for a certainty that the superintendent did not intend to return and resume work, the stockholders began to look around to see if there was not some property left that could be made available toward paying them for money invested and labor rendered. Tradition says that all the property to be found consisted of an old negro slave and a pair of oxen which were sold for the benefit of the credi- tors. It is also said that many persons in comfortable circum- stances who had subscribed liberally toward working the mine, were by this operation considerably reduced in circum- stances."
Mr. Hurd then goes on to give the "Indenture", copied from the town records of Norwalk, which includes the con- tract for working the mine and the names of the parties engaged. The indenture was made in May 17, 1765 be- tween Alexander Ressique of Norwalk on the one hand and Samuel Betts, Nathan Hubbell, Matthew Mead, Matthew Merwine, James Olmsted, Jr., Silas Olmsted, Joseph Rock- well, Jr., Jesse Ogden, all of Norwalk, and Matthew Foun- tain of Bedford, New York.
The contractors were given liberty to "dig, search, work for, and raise all such lead 'oar' or copper 'oar', tin 'oar' and all other 'oars' and minerals which could be dug up, on the property belonging to Ressique situated and lying in the town of s'd Norwalk, near the dwelling house of Azar Belden, in quantity about forty acres." The would-be miners were also given liberty to erect and build "cupolus, smelting house, store houses and any other buildings," they might deem nec- essary, and were to be allowed to use whatever clay, sand, stones and timbers on the property, they might need. In return, Alexander Ressique was to have one eighth of all ores and minerals mined, "after the same is pounded and washed and fitted for refining" Norwalkers who bought
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