USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Waterbury > The town and city of Waterbury, Connecticut, from the aboriginal period to the year eighteen hundred and ninety-five, Volume I > Part 37
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CHAPTER XXVII.
ATTACHMENT OF THE INDIAN OWNERS TO THE LAND-BUTLER -EARLY GRANTS-SAMUEL HIKCOX-SITE OF HIS HOUSE-AGREEMENT WITH HIS BROTHER THOMAS-DANIEL WARNER'S HOUSE-HIKCOX'S FULL- ING MILL-NAUGATUCK'S FIRST TWO SETTLERS DIE IN 1713- INHABITANTS BEFORE 1745.
N O section of our ancient township invites to indulgence in speculation more enticingly than does that now known by the name of Naugatuck. The historical facts that we do know, combined with the seeming allusions to other possible facts, reveal the temptations which historians meet to construct theories and indulge in the belief of them until they are left to hand them down to their readers as well-founded truths.
The natural gateway of the hills leading into the Straits of the Naugatuck, and its vicinage on Beacon Hill brook, called by the Indians Wecobemeas, had long been to the aborigines a favored region, and when the planters from Mattatuck appeared on the scene to gather hay and build yards for cattle, its original owners were inclined to assert their ownership. The familiarity of the Indians with each valley and hill was attested by the names which they knew them by, and which are repeated in the outcome of the treaty made between their owners and the men of Mattatuck in 1684.
The autograph deed* with its ten marks and its ten red seals made by eight dusky men and two dusky women, more than two centuries ago, lies before me-the deed by which they gave away, by name, twenty parcels of land-nine of them lying on the east side of the river between Beacon Hill brook, and the Fulling Mill brook at Union City. There is something of the old Hebrew grandeur of expression in the wording of this conveyance: "Weco- bemeas, the land upon the brook or small river that comes through the straits north of Lebanon and falls into Naugatuck river at the south end of Mattatuck bounds, called by the English Beacon Hill brook-and all the lands lying between that and the brook, called by the name Squontuck, that comes from the east and falls into the river at the hither end of Judd's Meadow." But alas! We have no
* See page 192.
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THE SETTLEMENT AT JUDD'S MEADOWS.
interpreter to give us the meaning of Wecobemeas, Wachu, Panootan, or any one of the twenty parcels "by their names dis- tinguished."
The following view is given as seen from the ledge on which the ancient bound trees stand, called the " Three Brothers."
THE VALLEY OF THE SMALL RIVER THAT COMES THROUGH THE STRAITS NORTHWARD OF LEBANON.
But we have reason to think that at least one white man dwelt in Naugatuck before the planters received the deed referred to. One Butler-perhaps a lonely Quaker-had wandered hither and built him a house in a sheltered and picturesque nook by an excel- lent spring of water within sound of the brook which bore his name -now Long Meadow brook. Of him we know only that the pro- prietor's records mention "Butler's house-Butler's House brook- Where Butler's house was." If we admit that he was a Quaker who had retired from active persecution to the wilderness, it is a simple matter to infer that as soon as the Puritans up the valley began their descent upon the meadows near his chosen habitation that he, being a man not given to contention, quietly closed his door and retired to the spot long known as "the Quaker's farm," or, in modern rendering, Quaker's Farms. Tradition has erroneously bestowed the naming of this region to Dr. John Butler of Stratford,
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HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
who owned the tract at a later date, and who it is easily proven could not have been the Butler of Judd's Meadows, or the person who gave the name to the Quaker's Farm.
Judd's Meadows extended from Derby line to the upper limits of the valleys of Hop brook and Fulling Mill brook. In the words of the aboriginal proprietors, "from Saugasset to Squontuck and Achetayquopaug "-inclusive as to the last two.
The earliest known occupation of the meadows and uplands by the planters was for the use of their cattle. This information comes through grants that were made, some of which remain of record. In 1699 Abraham Andrews received one "on the brook that runs through Benjamin Barnes's yard." This was neither a "door- yard" nor a yard for drying cloth, but an enclosure for cattle, designed to keep them in safety from wolves or other wild animals at night during the season of pasturage-a herdsman attending them during the day. The brook that ran through Benjamin Barnes's yard is that now insignificant stream along which the highway winds from Union City to the New England Railway station.
This region was subdivided by the English into meadows that were owned by certain of the proprietors-as Andrews's meadow at Union City west of the river-Welton's lot up Hop brook under the hills just above Andrews's meadow-the Deacon's meadow at the upper part of Naugatuck village and extending down to, if not below the bridge-Scott's meadow below the manufactory of L. & W. Ward. All of the above were the west side of the river. On the east side, across the highway from Grove cemetery (which is in Wecobemeas), lay "Ben. Jones's" lot. Hickox meadow was oppo- site the Ward manufactory, north of the river at the bend near the " Old Canoe Place." Above the burying-yard of 1709, was Thomas Warner's allotment. The miller, John Hopkins, obtained his por- tion of meadow at the lower extremity of the valley in the midst of a section of country naturally adapted to the raising of rye, an industry which at a later day became a leading specialty in that region-kilns being erected for drying the grain for shipment to foreign countries. Being comparatively near New Haven, the prin- cipal shipping port, the naturally superior lands in that vicinity were reckoned among the most valuable in the township for that purpose, and were appraised a hundred and forty years ago for more than their market value at the present time-that is, the river lands and those immediately adjacent, just above the straits. From the rapid and extensive spread of the landed possessions of the Hopkins and the Lewis families in all the region 'round about,
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THE SETTLEMENT AT JUDD'S MEADOWS.
the raising of rye must have proved a lucrative business in those days.
Samuel Hikcox, the son of Sergt. Samuel, deceased, had in 1702 a house at Judd's Meadows. The following is the grant that tells of its having been built : "Dec. 21, 1702. They granted Samuel Hikcox eight acres of land at Judd's Meadows against Hikcox meadow, where he has set his house, to take it about his house." He had probably followed a custom of that period and built his house before obtaining the land. This house was on the hill on the east side of the New Haven road of 1686, on the north side of the lower brook of the two that cross the road and run westward to the river, and occupied the site where Amos Culver lives. Because the house is mentioned in that year, he is accounted as the first permanent settler of Judd's Meadows. From the following ancient autograph agreement (found in 1890), between Samuel and his brother Thomas, it would seem probable that the house had not been inhabited in May of 1704, for the "chimblys " were only begun, and his barn was in building at that time. Consequently, Daniel Warner may have been his neighbor in the removal. The following is the bargain, which from the outline of the paper, seems to have been an indent- ured agreement. It was written by Thomas Judd, Jr.
This writing made May = I = 1704 witnesseth; That we Sam]] Hikcox and Thomas hikcox, both of Waterbury, by way of exchange have bargained as follows. First, that I sd Sam]] Hikcox by way of exchange have sold to sd Tho-s Hikcox as follows, my house and house lot situated in said Waterbury [with bounds]; three roods at the lower end of Munhan [bounds]; ten acres at Hikcox mountain [bounds]. 2ly, I sd Thomas Hikcox have for the fore sd bargain sold to sd Sam11, eight acres lying at Judd's Meadows in two pieces on the hill north from sd Samll's house butting on highway west ; elsewhere on common-the other piece being one acers and fourscore rods butting on the highway east; elsewhere on common. More, my whole right of that land at Judd's Meadows that was father Hikcox's, and said Thomas is to finish the barn that he has begun for said Samuel, and that this is our firm agreement, and that we do bind ourselves, heirs, execu- tors, administrators, to the faithful performance hereof and to give each other a confirmation of lands and house according to law is testified by our hands.
Witness
THOMAS JUDD, RICHCHARD WELTON,
SAMLL HIKCOX, his X mark THOMAS HICKKOX.
Further: said Thomas is to finish the chimblys that he has begun for said Samuel-also 8 acres that I, said Thomas, let said Samuel have by said Samuel's house, butting southwest on said Samuel's land which is on the same bargain above written, on the same obligation.
THOMAS HICKCOX.
Witness
RICHCHARD WELTON.
346
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
Although Samuel Hikcox's house is the first one mentioned at Judd's Meadows, it is quite clear that in 1696 a movement thither was in contemplation by a number of the young men. "Dec. 17, 1696, there was granted to John Richason, John Bronson and Joseph Gaylord a parcel of land at Judd's Meadows, butting south on Dr. Porter's meadow, west on the river, and north on the rocks, pro- vided they build and coinhabit according to articles," and the same day the same young men, with John Hopkins, received " 14 acres of land lying eastward from Benjamin Jones's lot at Judd's Meadows, butting north on the hill, and to run south." In 1697 Abraham Andrews received his little acre-and-a-half lot the east side of the brook that ran into Benjamin Barnes's yard. In 1699 Benjamin Barnes was granted six acres at the west side of the spring, against his yard; Edmund Scott was to have a piece of land that lay between his eight-acre lot and his meadow, and Edmund with Joseph Gaylord, four acres above where Butler's house was, for a pasture, the four acres to be equally divided between them; Daniel Warner, ten acres on condition that he would build and remain five years in the town, which grant makes it not improbable that Hikcox and Warner were building their houses at the same time.
There is an entry in 1704 which would make it appear that Hikcox and Warner were not the only inhabitants south of Squon- tuck brook in that year. This entry, together with the constantly increasing grants after 1700 (although no house is specifically mentioned in the records left to us), is certainly suggestive of more than two resident families. The item is: "The proprietors gave Judd's Meadow men leave to set up a pound for themselves on their own charge for impounding their own cattle, and such as are left out in the field when men are at work with them there." Had the "Judd's Meadow men" been but two, the permission would surely have mentioned Hikcox and Warner by name-as distinguished from the planters who merely went there to cultivate their fields. The same fate probably befell the first attempts at settlement in present Naugatuck, as elsewhere in the township. Daniel Warner's house is not mentioned until 1706, when he received "a piece of land south of his land his house stands on-to but on Samuel Hikcox's land south," but, in grants before that time, he had been given " two or three acres on the south side the brook where the old path went over the brook"-and "a piece on the hill at the north end that he had of John Warner extending north to the end of the hill at the hollow where his cart path goes up," and "seven acres between the brooks called Daniel Warner's brooks,'
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THE SETTLEMENT AT JUDD'S MEADOWS.
and six more joining to his own land-all of which, taken together, betoken a certain resident familiarity, and occur from two to four years before his house is mentioned.
For five or six years, or from 1706 to 1712, when Zachariah Bald- win from Milford appears, we obtain no intimations of a new inhab- itant-and yet-in 1709 when Mary Andrews, the wife of Daniel Warner died, it will be remembered that when the town sequestered the land on Pine hill for a burying yard, it was done with the consent of the neighborhood. Two families, living perhaps a mile the one from the other, could not have constituted a neighborhood-even in 1709. In that year Samuel Hikcox " was granted the liberty of that stream called Daniel Warner's brook (or Squontuck) from the east side the going over the sd brook, and a place for conveniency of damming, so long as he shall maintain a fulling mill, and conveniency of land to pass and dry cloth." A pound-a burying yard-a fulling-mill, or the prospect of one, within the first seven years-and but two men, two women, and twelve children in Judd's Meadows for ten years ! The improbability of the statement is evident. It is clearly a case of insufficient record. The supposition, based upon the known condition of the Samuel Hikcox house in 1704, is that his eighth child, Gideon, born Sept. 6, 1705, was the first English child born at Judd's Meadows. The most careful gleaning of Waterbury records has failed to give additional sign of inhabited occupancy during the ensuing eight years-Zachariah Baldwin's venture in 17II excepted .*
In June of 1713 Samuel Hikcox was summoned from the scene of his activities by the dread disease that fell upon Waterbury in that and the preceding year. His son Samuel-nineteen-died in July, and Daniel Warner in September, leaving two widows-one young man, Ebenezer Hikcox, not yet twenty-one-and twelve children-seven of the number being under seven years of age, as the inhabitants of present Naugatuck in 1713.
In the inventory of Samuel Hikcox's estate, his " house, home- stead and land adjoining" are valued at £40, while his "fulling- mill" is estimated at forty shillings. Five parcels of meadow land are mentioned, one of twenty acres (the Deacon's meadow). The widow was given, in the distribution, the south end of the house next the brook. The north end was allotted to Ebenezer, who married the next year. To baby Silans (Silence), born after her father's death, was given "half the Iland, a lot in Hancock's medo, part of a bogey medo north of Woodbery Lower rod," (now called the Clay hole), and, after her mother's decease, she was to have six
* See page 281.
348
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
plates, a brass mortar, a "becor" and a right in the Deacon's meadow. Mrs. Hikcox and her son Gideon continued to live on the place, and Gideon ultimately became the owner of the homestead, by purchasing the rights of his brothers in it. It may be mentioned here, that conflicting statements, made elsewhere, in regard to this house place-as, that the house sold by John Hikcox to James Brown and used by him as an inn, was the Samuel Hikcox place, arose through the ambiguity of one conveyance and the want of another-also, that a mistake was made by Bronson in supposing that the brook which ran down by Samuel Hikcox's house was the Fulling Mill brook, and, that the New Haven road referred to, was the later and more eastern road, often called "the Hop- kin's road." Dr. Bronson also has placed several early settlers at Judd's Meadows that I have been unable to find, doubtless through oversight.
The widow of Daniel Warner married Isaac Castle and removed to Woodbury. Samuel Warner, the eldest son living at the time of his father's decease-then fifteen years old-made his home in the house at a later date, and his eldest son, Daniel, seems to have been the first man born in Naugatuck who lost his life as a soldier in the service of England. He died at Cape Breton before 1745.
Benjamin Richards was the third young man who tried to estab- lish himself at Judd's Meadows. He purchased meadow land next the "Deacon's meadow," and laid out his bachelor land on the Great hill up Toantic brook. He appears to have selected a build- ing site on the plateau at the southeast corner of the Great hill. In the description of his lands, mention is made of "Calkedes lot " -the reference intended being to the sale made by Conkapatana and Tom Indian, his son, of "a small piece of land" in 171I. Whatever progress young Richards may have made towards build- ing remains undiscovered, for his work was arrested by death in 1714.
The fourth settler was Joseph Lewis, who made his residence in "Conkapatana's lot," south of Toantic or Butler's House brook and west of the river, in 1714. His house was west of present Ward street, a little below its junction with the river road. In 1714 also, John Barnes settled in the Hop Brook valley near the old stock yards in present Union City. It is said that a part of the frame of his house is still standing and in use. In the same year Obadiah Scott built a house at the extreme southern part of the township near Beacon Hill brook and on the old New Haven road near its junction with the turnpike. This house was about two miles below Naugatuck center.
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THE SETTLEMENT AT JUDD'S MEADOWS.
In 1716 Thomas Richards was living at the same place. A cartway "led " between the two houses. In 1716 John Hikcox had a house on the New Haven road, south of the Samuel Hikcox house-Ebenezer Hikcox, his brother, also had a house north of the Samuel Hikcox house. Samuel Warner, son of Thomas, laid out the land on which Butler's house stood and was living on it in 1718. There is a ledge near his house site often called Indian rock. He also laid out the first land in Millville center, where Abraham Warner and Daniel Williams afterward lived, and where Marshall Whitney now resides. In 1718 also, Samuel Scott-War- ner's brother-in-law-had a house by his side on Butler's House brook.
In 1717 Hezekiah Rew of Milford and James Brown of New Haven began the purchase of lands at Judd's Meadows, and before 1722 were resident there. In 1722 came Samuel Chidester (a brother-in-law of Joseph Lewis) from Wallingford.
In 1726 John Andrews went down and built a house at present Gunntown near a spring, not far from the well known brick store built by Samuel Gunn. He was the first permanent settler in that neighborhood.
In 1728 Joseph Lewis, Jr., had a house in the Towantic meadow, below the site of the old Church in Gunntown.
In 1729 Abraham Warner (youngest son of Daniel, deceased,) settled at present Millville.
In 1730 Edmund Scott 3d, was living on Great, later Gunn hill, and Samuel Barnes had a house near his brother, John Barnes, on Hop brook. In the same year John Johnson and Isaac Bronson were resident at the "South Farms" as the region was sometimes denominated.
In 1732 John Weed was living in Towantic meadow, west of Gunntown.
In 1733 Jonas Weed was on Twelve Mile hill, and Joseph Weed was on Straits mountain, near the top of the mountain. In the same year Job Pierson was on the same mountain. About 1735 Thomas Porter left his large house, that stood until after 1840 on Bank street-the Waterbury National Bank building now occupying its site-and built a house on land at Judd's Meadows that had been given to his father by the town in 1686. The house that he built is, according to tradition, still standing and known, I believe, as the Whitney house. Tradition also claims that it was removed from its original site. It was an inn during the War of the Revolution and Thomas Porter, a grandson of the builder, was inn-keeper. The old house gives evidence of its age. James Baldwin-a brother-
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HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
in-law of Thomas Porter-he who culled the shingles for the meet- ing house, probably went down at the same time.
Daniel Williams left present Oakville, and about 1735 he is found on Straits mountain.
In 1739 John Lewis had a house southwestwardly of Joseph Lewis.
In 1740 Thomas Matthews was living on or near the Woodbury line and near the southwest corner of the township.
We have mentioned thirty-one persons resident in Judd's Meadow between 1704 and 1740. Of this number, during the years included between 1704 and 1740, Joseph Lewis was the richest man -in 1734 his taxable possessions being rated at £206, but in 1739 Stephen Hopkins won the race by a single pound. Twenty-three years later, in 1762, Nathaniel Gunn surpassed Stephen Hopkins by
three pounds. Therefore, the men mentioned were the three richest men in present Naugatuck down to the close of the Ameri- can Revolution. The other rich men were Thomas Porter, Thomas Richards, Gideon Hikcox, Samuel and John Lewis, Thomas Matthews, and James Brown. The above statements are based only on the taxable amounts, as given in the rate-book of the listers from 1730 to 1784.
THE FULLING MILL SITE.
The fulling mill of Samuel Hikcox at Judd's Meadow was prob- ably the outgrowth of an earlier mill on Great brook at Waterbury center. No positive evidence of the existence of such an enter- prise has been found, but a portion of that brook, it will be remem- bered, was sequestered very early for that purpose, and it is not improbable that Samuel Hikcox himself carried on the business at the center before his removal.
The outline history of that mill-site for a century is interesting, and may, perhaps, be given as an instance of what may be gleaned from old records. From 1713 to 1730 we find nothing in relation to it. In 1730, Ebenezer Hikcox-the son who remained at the home- stead-laid out the land anew, which is described as being "at the place where his father set up the Fulling Mill." In 1733, a mill of some sort was on this land; whether it was the old mill of Samuel or a new creation of his son does not certainly appear. In 1733 Ebenezer sold to Hezekiah Rew "the mill and the house over the mill." In 1735 Rew sold the mill, and apparently the house with it, to James Baldwin, who prospered in its possession for fifteen years, owning a grist mill and another mill. In 1750 or 1751 Bald- win sold his possessions, including a 200 acre farm, to May Way
35 I
THE SETTLEMENT AT JUDD'S MEADOWS.
and William Hoadly of Branford. May Way soon sold his half interest in mills and land to Richard Smith of Woodbury, who immediately appears to have "set up the frame of a house" on Thomas Porter's land, and before purchasing it. The house he built was south of Fulling Mill brook, between the river and the New Haven road, while the mill was north of the brook and east of the New Haven road-the Daniel Warner house being on the same side of the road, but south of the brook.
Before Smith had finished his house, Jonathan Beebe of Lyme appeared on the scene and was so attracted by the advantages of Judd's Meadow for business that he made him a tempting offer which Smith accepted and Beebe became a resident. During all these transitory scenes William Hoadly-known by his friends (tradition tells us) as "Black Bill"-remained the apparently satis- fied and unmoved owner of the undivided one-half of the 200 acre farm, including mills and dwelling house. Mr. Beebe doubtless brought Eastern ideas and notions from New London and Lyme into the valley, and Mr. Hoadly probably preferring the old ways, the two men agreed to divide their possessions. Consequently each became the owner of a strip here and a parcel there of good, bad, and indifferent lands. Hoadly eventually became sole owner of the grist-mill and it is thought of the saw-mill also, Mr. Beebe retaining a right to lay logs by the mill, and possibly a right in the mills. When the lands were divided, as above shown, the old Daniel Warner homestead (called at the sale a small house) was also divided-the dividing line passing through the chimney. By the time Mr. Beebe had completed his new house and fence, he conveyed all that he owned east of his new fence to Mr. Hoadly.
In the course of time-Mr. Beebe having become, by the grace of The General Assembly, a Lieutenant, wrote: "Being advanced in years, and being called to the Wars," and made his will.
Mr. Hoadly seems to have lived and died in the occupancy and possession of lands, mills, and houses. He built a new house for his own use, and gave the old one to his son William, who became successively the owner and occupier of the premises. The long holding of the Hoadlys gave to the locality a name that became a landmark for several generations.
William and Jude Hoadly, being brothers and of one mind, remained in the ownership of the old "fulling mill region " on Squantuck brook-Jude living on the hill, south of the brook in a house built by Zera Beebe, and which house is standing at this date, (1891)-William remaining in the homestead of his father.
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HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
Jude was noted for his ingenuity as a designer and worker in wood. He had a "shop" in that vicinity, if not on the brook, where he manufactured spinning wheels, and received (it is said) "a land grant about 1770 for services in the old French War." In process of time Jared Byington came upon the scene and it would seem, that having purchased lands from Hoadly, he " set up" a mill to manufacture nails. Jude Hoadly and Jared Byington agreed to make a division of lands and other interests and also the very water rushing down from the hills. Hoadly was to use it two weeks and Byington two weeks-alternating in its use.
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