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 60
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In 1729 a road was laid out from the Farmington road to Timothy Hopkins's Hog-field. Beginning at the old saw-mill path (where the old Cheshire and the Meriden roads diverge), it continued in the path that goes to said Hopkins's to a little this side of Spruce Swamp, west side of the swamp to Jeremy's brook that comes out of Upson's
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meadow, and continued the highway in that path to said Hopkins's barn,* 12 rods wide all the way. This old path, here laid out, was probably the old second road to Farmington.
From Hopkins's barn it took its way over the brook, and up the hill, and "along by the path that now is, to the Samuel Hikcox land and north of it over the Mad river, and then came to the said path and then kept the path almost all the way to the Hogfield and then go eastwardly to said (Hopkins's) hog-field." From Hopkins's barn + the road was but 6 rods to the top of the hill beyond it. From that point 12 rods. May 29, 1729, a highway was laid out over Burnt hill to Buck's Hill path. It was in an old path. It ran up Cook street to Pine street, out Pine street to Burnt hill, up Burnt hill and on in the old cart path to the north end of the hill and down east- ward to Buck's Hill path.
In 1729 three highways were laid out at Judd's meadow, one of them through Oak and Maple streets to the river, down the river on the east side to Ward's island, across the island to the west side the river, down the river to the Straits mountain or near it, across the river to the mouth of Beacon Hill brook. Another one left the New Haven road near the bend below the Great hill (a portion of Mulberry hill) and went winding down into the valley at Grove cemetery, and on down the river side to Beacon Hill brook. In the same year, near Thanksgiving time, Stephen Hopkins and Joseph Lewis laid out the road that still is known as the Hopkins road. It began at the south side of the Fulling Mill brook and ran to the New Haven road west of Straitsville.
The first Hopkins road connected Stephen Hopkins's original home-farm on his hill with James Baldwin's grist mill at the old Fulling Mill site on Fulling Mill brook to the northward, and, with the New Haven road at Thomas Richards's house in the other direc- tion. The road was in the form of an ox-bow, with the lane lead- ing to the Hopkins house through the lots at the apex. The lane crossed the valley of the brook on which we think Stephen's saw- mill stood in 1734, and went up the hill eastward to his house. The second one (that ran to Straitsville) was known as the New Haven road, being adopted as a route from Waterbury to that city, by way
* The Elijah Frisbie house, now gone, occupied the site, and was, with little doubt, built by Timothy Hopkins before 1718, at which date his house, at this locality, is mentioned. It may have been merely his farm house, and he, with his family, may have been living in the one half of his father's house in town at the time his illustrious son Samuel was born-but the mention of this house in 1718 makes the place of Samuel's birth (in 1720) uncertain. The wise men of Waterbury in the eighteenth century, came, notably, from the East.
t In 1739 we find this one referred to as "the highway that goes from Capt. Hopkins's Farm house to town."
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of Pearl lakes (called in the layout of it "Spectacle ponds ") and the Potter cemetery, and many persons thought this was the orig- inal route.
The road "from Woodbury road towards Litchfield," began almost at the point where the middle road to Woodbury began in 1720. It was laid out in 1729. It ran from West Side hill to the rear of Westwood, to Richards's house on the Bunker Hill road, along by the west fence of the Common field to the gate at the upper end of Ben's meadow, then to James Williams's house, then to George Welton's house on the hill between Steel's brook and Tur- key brook near lower Oakville, then up over Patteroon hill and Hickcox mountain, lengthwise of both, and on over Scott's moun- tain to the northwestward, and at last reached Obadiah's brook north of Watertown centre.
In 1729 and in 1730 the particular and private highways through the northern meadows beginning at Steel's meadow and extending to Buck's Meadow field were laid out, also other meadow passages. Some of these were pent roads, "the proprietors of the Common field having liberty to keep up their fence, maintaining a Gate or Bars."
The upper road to Woodbury was laid out in 1730 by William Judd and James Porter. It is the first highway that we have where the length of the courses is given. It began at Isaac's meadow bars and ran one mile and 56 rods to Joseph Nichols's corner, but, after running five courses (215 rods) beyond the corner, the surveyors gave it up and continued to Woodbury bounds in the old and easy way.
In 1732 a highway ran along about where South Main street runs below the Mad River bridge to City Corners. It is described as " going through Mad meadow."
As early as 1735 began the exchange of highways. Perhaps the first one was that through Manhan, Steel's and the Hancox meadows.
The same year, a highway a third of a mile long was laid out at "John Allcox across his land," and another highway northward from this, " beginning a little east of Allcox barn and running north 80 rods."
"For the more convenient passing and re-passing of the people that live upon Waterbury River north and others," a highway was laid out from the spring at Buck's Meadow mountain. This road ran in a general direction southward and was intended to relieve the general discontent of the northern people at having such a hard road to travel to reach the meeting-house on Waterbury Green. It
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ran through the notch of Buck's Meadow mountain, through the Capt. William Hikcox and the Samuel Hikcox farms (about a rod west of Samuel's house), to Joseph Bronson's land, where it came upon the bank of the river, down to Hikcox island, and south to the upper end of Steel's meadow into the highway which was the universal passage up the meadows.
Henry Cook and others at the northward as early as 1731 had petitioned for and obtained a highway "from the (northern) extent of the bounds to Henry Cook's farm, and from thence to the high- way that goes by George Welton's house." This road began at "the head of the bounds," ran down along on the west side of the river, but not bounding on it except in two 60 rod runs-the first where it began, and the second near it. It crossed the West Branch and came down across Scott's Mountain where it touched Scovill's northwest corner and ran 104 rods to his southwest corner. Below, it joined the highway that John Bronson and John Scovill had laid out two years before, beginning on West Side hill at the Woodbury road and running "towards Litchfield." Thus we have the Litch- field road of 1729 finished in 1731 by this union on Scott's Moun- tain. The people managed to get along with it for seven years, and then William Judd and George Welton, who had been appointed "to lay out highways in the northwest quarter of the bounds and alter others if need be," changed its course along Scovill's land on the mountain and reduced its width from fourteen to four feet at that place. The distance from the head of the bounds to the point of union was about six miles.
In 1737 a highway began at the northwest corner of the bounds and followed the Woodbury line down, and then ran southwest from village lot in one tier to village lot in the next tier, until it reached Watertown. This was laid out as a Country road to Litch- field. It cannot be found in its former haunts to-day, so many have been the changes.
From this point onward the highways become too numerous for mention even. The era for agricultural development was come, and Waterbury lands at the village, and elsewhere, were in active demand. The history of highways now became, in a measure, the history of the town. From and including 1730 to 1741 more than fifty highways were laid out. One began at Capt. Hopkins' Round Hill lot, ran up that hill and across the Long hill to the highway on the Saw Mill plain; and another one ran from the highway over Long and Chestnut hills to Mantoe's rocks. It began at the bottom of the Long hill, ran northward and northeastward up the hill to the upper end of John Bronson's Chestnut Hill land (about a mile
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and three-quarters), when it turned northwestward 72 rods into the same highway from which it started.
The highways or streets in and about the city have been intro- duced in the narrative history to such an extent that their re-men- tion here is, perhaps, unnecessary, but it may be well to repeat that in the original village plot present Linden and Bank streets were one street, although not precisely in their present lines. Ancient Cook street came winding down the hill and probably joined this highway at Grove street; it was anticipated and provis- ion made for it, which appears in the record of a grant of 1686, which grant was of land near the head of Little brook (which rises on Drum hill). In 1687, or about that date, the highway is recog- nized as in existence. About 1708 Cook street, from Grove down to North Main, was substituted for the original Linden street route. In 1708 North Main street which is the final result of this ancient highway was turned farther eastward.
In 1729 there was a formal layout of Cook street from Grove to Pine, and from Pine eastwardly and on over Burnt hill, which lay- out has been given elsewhere. Four years later, in 1733, Cook street was formally laid out from Pine northwardly. In 1737 Pine street was laid out from Willow street to Cook street. It had been in existence as abundantly proved by grants and lay-outs of land from 1687 on down to 1737, at which last date it joined Cook street about a quarter of a mile above its present junction. The change to the new union took place about 1812. Bank street to Grand was in the original plan. During its history it has been known as the "Road to Beaver meadows," the " Road to Thomas Porters," and, in a few instances as "the Road to Judds meadows," for the reason that somewhere above present Meadow street the road divided, one branch turning eastward, crossing Great brook, going down about in the direction of South Main street, only farther to the westward. Somewhere about present Liberty street, it met with a highway that started on Mill plain near Union square. This highway ran southwesterly to the point of meeting, and the two proceeded together as a " Road to Judds Meadow," and went on through Mad meadow.
The other branch of Bank street (still remembered as a low, sandy way from Meadow street to the river, and over which the alder, pussy willow and hazel-nut bushes presided, nodding their consent to the passage of an ordinary vehicle, but covering their garments with fringes of hay as often as the venturesome owner of a load dared to risk his tons down the overgrown passage) went on in about its present course, passing close to the eastern terminus of
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the now absent Hop Meadow hill, crossed the river, threaded the sand hills as best it could until it came to Meadow lane near the school-house, through which it wandered and wound to Town Plot height. Bank street on-the-hill was not laid out until 1780. The very earliest way up Town Plot was, it is thought, up the border of Sled Hall brook.
The present road from Town Plot to Platt's mills, or its repre- sentative, was laid out in 1740, and is described as beginning "4 rods west of James Hull's corner at the south end of the old Town Plot lot," and running south generally to the "southeast corner of Silas Johnson's house lot," where it met the west-side Judd's Meadow road. In 1740, a short highway was made in Northbury, which began: "Att A highway that Goes Northward and South- ward by the house they meet in A Saboth dayes and we Run East- ward About fourty three Rods to the River." The above highway began "between the sd meeting house and John How's then dwel- ling."
The earliest Town-Line road noticed was made about the time that the duties of the perambulator became burdensome. It began "at the lower corner of our bounds joining to Wallingford bounds" and ran the length of the township at that side, and up to the Farmington road. It met this road by Shelton Hitchcock's house. A stone still marks the place of meeting. In its 2 rod course it passed through lands of Mr. Turney, Gideon Hotchkiss,* " Hickcox land," Mr. Southmayd's, Mr. Hall's, and common lands.
The road from Watertown to Middlebury, as originally laid out, was surveyed in 1741. It began at the Woodbury road at Break Neck hill, ran a little west of Josiah Bronson's house, through Isaac Bronson's farm, to the northwest corner of "Prince's alias John- son's farm," to the southeast corner of and through Stephen Up- son's, Capt. Judd's, Thomas Upson's and Tuttle's farms, through
* The following letter, written by Gideon Hotchkiss, when in service in the French and Indian war, to his son Jesse, also in service at " No. 4," has just been found, and will be of interest:
SARATOGA, August 16, 1757.
After my tender regards to you, hoping that these lines may find you in good health as I am at present and so was your mother and brothers and sisters, and all your and our friends when I came from home. You will hear the melancholy news of our upper fort. I understand you was well the last I heard from you. I am glad to hear from you and of the welfare of all our friends. Give my love to Lieut. Beebe and to Cor. Weed, and tell Cor. Weed that I would not have him send any letter to me but what he is willing every one should see, for they break almost all open that comes. You will hear the reason of our being here. I have not time to write for the men are now agoing and so I must conclude with a word of advice to you beseeching of you to seek to him that is able to deliver you and to sanctify and cleanse you from all sin. O my son I beg of God to fit you for a dying hour, this is the only time, now while you are in health.
GIDEON HOTCHKISS.
Jesse, the then young soldier of 19 years, lived to return from that war, but lost his life in the later war, dying, "with the army," September 29, 1776.
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Stephen Upson's 30 acre farm to the notch of Jeremiah's hill (where a road is to-day). Beyond the notch it was laid out through lands of Stephen Scott and Richard "Saymour" before it joined the Litchfield road just west of Watertown village. In the same year there was a lower road from Westbury to Woodbury.
The Westbury meeting-house is mentioned in connection with a highway in 1742, and the "Parish Meeting-House " at Northbury in 1743.
In 1744, among the highways laid out, was the one at Thomas- ton, from the river to the last monument at Farmington bounds. This road was 8 rods wide where it ran through common land. A road was run up from Shelton's orchard on Buck's Hill to meet this Thomaston road to Farmington; one was laid out from Walling- ford bounds to "a place called Hog Pound brook" on the Farm- ington road, and one on Twelve-Mile Hill.
In 1745, there was one from Edmund Tompkins's saw-mill to the road at the West Side bars; from the north end of Jeremiah's hill, to Woodbury bounds; from the country road to Litchfield, to Wood- bury bounds; from Break Neck, to a highway between the houses of Gunn and John Weed. A number of highways in the south- west quarter were also laid out.
In 1745, Stephen Kelsey was living on the old New Haven road on the farm lands lately owned by Charles Lounsbury, and a road (now perhaps represented by Lounsbury or Glen street) was laid out, described as "from the south end of Mad meadow to the high- way that goes by Stephen Kelsey's house."
In 1746 the village highways and cross highways were laid out. In Northbury parish, 1747-1748 were the harvest years for highways. They grew in a day and "sprang into being on all sides.
In 1748 the line between Waterbury and Farmington was ad- justed on the 15th of April, and on the 25th, Samuel Hickcox, Thomas Porter and Daniel Southmayd met three men of Farming- ton at the southwest corner of that town (south of our Farmington road) and amicably perambulated north on the line to the Eight- mile white-oak tree, and "with good agreement renewed each monument." The above point had been a disturbing one to the proprietors for some twelve years-the controversy having been between them and the proprietors of the Hartford and Windsor west lands.
During the summer of 1748, and for the entire year of 1749, not a highway was laid out or altered; probably owing to the "great sickness " of those years.
36
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HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
In 1750, Mr. Southmayd records that a highway was for- merly laid out to Meshadock and not finished (perhaps inter- rupted by the death of a member of the committee), and he then records the unfinished portion of it, and ten more high- ways. Of the number, was one from Ebenezer Richardson's house on the Woodbury road to the road from Hop Swamp to town; a new one to Derby bounds; one from the highway a little north of Eliakim Welton's house to Farmington bounds (about two miles) ; also one of 100 rods in length and 4 rods wide, described as "from the highway that lyeth upon the old Town Plot up to Sled Hall brook, beginning on the north side of the brook and running northward between Nichols's and Southmayd's and Bronson's land to the twenty rod highway."
One may be pardoned for leaving highways for a moment to say that this land of Southmayd's was sold in 1773 by John Southmayd, his grandson, of East Had- dam, to William Adams, who un- doubtedly built the house here pictured at some time be- tween 1773 and 1781, for William deeded it to his son John in 1781 (15 acres with a house on it), and no house was men- tioned when he bought the twenty- six acres. Adams owned four of the Town Plot lots and all the way to the brook. John bought out the other heirs and in one of his pur- chases from them mention is made of the old saw-mill dam, on Sled Hall brook- possibly of 1674, certainly of a later day, for the Adams family owned rights in a saw-mill there a century later. Early in the present century John Adams sold his 60 acre farm, with house, barn and cider-mill, to Edward and Levi G. Porter. In 18II they sold it to Eli Terry of Plymouth. In 1813 Eli Terry sold it to Samuel Chipman, and the proposed clock factory became a bark mill. The house built by William Adams is standing in 1895.
In and after 1750 the records are burdened with numerous alter- ations and changes made to accommodate individuals. As an instance, Mr. Southmayd desired Cook street, on the west side of his Little Brook pasture, to be altered, and it was done to suit his wishes. His pasture lay along Little brook above Grove street. The same day Grove, west to Willow street, was re-stated. At this date, William Adams owned the St. Margaret property and its
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vicinity. Robert Johnson, whose house figures extensively in high- ways, lived at the southwest corner of Cook and Pine streets, and Sergt. Thomas Barnes was living in the old Johnson house of 1890. Likewise, the highway on the old Town Plot against the south bars was changed from the north to the south side of Lieut. Thomas Bronson's and Stephen Upson's lots, at their desire, and-occasionally it happened that after a highway was laid out past a man's farm, if he bought land across the road, the highway would, at his request, slip around to the other side of his new land in the most accommo- dating manner. In a few instances, after the laying out of a high- way, the bounds became lost and the work was all gone over again. This occurred notably in a Scott's Mountain road .*
In 1753, " Upon the Desire of Lieut. Jacob Blackslee and many other of the Neighbours," a highway that went up Twich Grass brook was altered, because where it was laid "some part of the way was so bad that it was very difficult to make It Feazable to Travill In." In the alterations made "the town was put to no charge, for the inhabitants that requested it bore the charge of it." That part of the highway to Derby the west side or Twelve Mile hill was also "found to be unpassable " and a new one laid out from Hawkins's corner to the east side of Toantic brook, to Derby bounds. Where new highways were laid out through a man's land in alteration of an old one, the old highway was given to him in exchange. See " The Town and Tompkins's Agreement, Vol. I, of Highways, p. 122. The simple acknowledgment of this exchange on the highway records, signed by land owner and the selectmen, was sufficient evidence of title for town or individual. From 1750 onward, these changes in highways are so numerous that to follow them is im- practicable. One meets agreements like the following, in 1754:
We have agreed that the highway laid across our farms shall run by Daniel Sanford's door between his house and barn straight across to Ezekiel Sanford's house, from thence to Samuel Peck's house on the west side, and from thence south about forty rods, and from thence west to the highway between Mr. Hall's and my land.
SAMUEL PECK, EZEKIEL SANFORD, DANIEL SANFORD.
Our Watertown road of to-day dates from Nov. 27th, 1753, begin- ning at the bridge, and running to the upper Woodbury road, above the present school-house. The rest of the way was laid out later and went through Edmund Tompkins's land by way of an exchange for an older highway. The last highway that Mr. Southmayd recorded
* See Vol. I, pages 117 and 118, Waterbury Highways.
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was laid out May 8th, 1755, and recorded May roth, and is, I think, the only one to which he failed to append his name. The highway was from Dr. Powers's corner to a former highway at Timothy Porter's corner. It ran from Bedlam (in present Middlebury).
The first one recorded by Thomas Clark was the formal layout of the Farmington road from Farmington bounds to Willow street, in 1754. From the southwest corner of George Nichols's house lc (on which the new High School building will stand), across to Mr. Jonathan Baldwin's line on East Main street, was nine rods From Baldwin's land on the south side, the line of the street wa run to Center Square on Ebenezer "Wakelee's " land; on the nort' side of the street on Thomas Bronson's and James Nichols's land t. the same point "Through the Town street" to Willow street, it wa laid the same breadth as it then was, "butting on each side on the ends of each man's house lot, as it was then fenced," and the bound aries were set at the corner of each man's lot by Thomas Clar !- John Scovill, John Judd and Thomas Porter, until they came t Ebenezer Bronson's and John Scovill's corners, or to the long-tim: Judge Kingsbury and Judge Bronson corners-now belonging t Frederick Nuhn and F. H. Humphrey.
The first money paid by the town for land for a highway appea in the case of Isaac Castle, who at the time had gone to Northbur to live. The highway eastward from Northbury bridge was turne through his land, and he accepted the old highway and nine shi lings in money. By 1758, highways began to receive their thiru. alteration, or layout. At this time the surveyors were giving much attention and time to the requirements in the southwe quarter. In 1759, the selectmen of Waterbury and Litchfield havin. met and perambulated the town line and agreed on the placing of the monuments, they discharged each other from service for three, years.
When we find in the year 1762, about twenty highways laid out, or re-surveyed with alterations, in a single neighborhood, the effort to catch even glimpses of the swift changes taking place in the township and condensing them in a single chapter seems futil ?, and the question of where the men were found to work them is serious one, although one day's work in the year for each man, h perhaps, been increased to four days at that period.
In 1765 a re-survey of that part of the Country road to M. Haven was made "from Gideon Hikcox to town." . It began at house (the late Josiah Culver's last homestead) in Naugatuck, : retraced the old route down the hollow between the cemeteries that point connecting with the road that led to the old first bridg
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where the dam now is) and ran by Beebe's land, by or through Capt. Thomas Porter's land, by Beebe's house, on the west side of William Hoadley's mill, and between Tinker's house and Thomas Porter's house (given to Thomas, by his father, Capt. Thomas, thir- teen days before). This survey places this old house, still standing, within fourteen rods of Hoadley's mill, on the bank of the brook, hus giving us information concerning its removal since that date, which tradition confirms. One leaf of this survey is missing, also a jeaf from the re-survey in 1771 of the Hopkins road of 1729, which gan from James Baldwin's mill, Hoadley's in 1765, east to Hopkins' farm, and southwest to the New Haven road.
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