A history of the town of Sharon, Litchfield County, Conn., from its first settlement.

Preface

1147145

The author of the following pages, was requested by his fellow citizens of the town of Sharon, to prepare an address to be delivered at the celebration of the one hundreth anniversary of their first town meeting, on the 22d day of December, 1839. This request was complied with, but the short period in which it was prepared, rendered it, necessarily in many respects, imperfect, and in some, inaccurate. By the advice of many friends he has been induced to embody the facts connected with the history of the town, in the form here presented, and to commit the work to the press for the benefit of the inhabitants of his adopted town. The labor of making the researches has, necessarily, occupied much time, and no effort has been spared to make the work accurate in its details. In preparing sketches of the many citizens of the town, who are brought to notice in the last chapter, the personal history of more than two hundred individuals, many of whom have been dead for a half century, has been investigated, and many names which had long since gone into forgetfulness are brought to light. It is not unlikely that in this part of ihe work some errors may have intervened, but it is believed, thaf in almost every instance, accuracy has been attained.

If the work shall prove interesting or useful to the citizens of the town, the labor incurred in its preparation will be well repaid.

Sharon, March, 1842.

HISTORY

Chapter I

Containing a concise history of events which led to the sale and settlement of the township.

The North-western part of Connecticut, was sold and settled at a much later period than any other portion of the State. As early as the year 1686, nearly all the lands in the colony had been disposed of, except those lying north of Waterhury and Woodbury ^ and west of Simshury. Under the Charter of Charles II., obtained in 1652, the colony of Connecticut, though nominally dependant on the crown, enjoyed, in fact, a strictly Republican form of government ; the only service they were required to render to the crown of England, being the one fifth part of the produce of such mines of gold and silver as should be discovered. Charles was succeeded by his brother, James II., a prince of very arbitrary and vindictive propensities, and no sooner was he firmly seated on his throne, than he began to manifest his tyrannical disposition by causing the charters, which had been granted by his 1* c

IIISTORV OF THE predecessors, to be vacated, and by assuming to himself the right of appointing governors for the different colonies. It was feared by the people, that these Royal governors would seize upon all the public lands which had not been sold and granted by the colony, and measures were taken to prevent such unjustifiable proceedings. It was believed, that if the public lands were sold, and the title to them guarantied by the governor and company of the colony, they could not be seized for the king, and under this impression, the lands within the limits just mentioned, were on the 26th day of January, 1686, conveyed to the towns of Hartford and Windsor. The grant, however, did not include the lands west of the Ousatonic River, the assembly probably supposing, that, on account of their great distance from the settled parts of the colony, they were beyond the reach of the royal governor's rapacity. In October, after the grant just mentioned, Sir Edmund Andross came into the colony^ and by virtue of a commission from King James, took upon himself the administration of the government, and continued in it about two years, or until the deposition of King James, when the people quietly resumed their ancient form of government under the Charter.

The lands above mentioned being deemed of little value, and the more fertile parts of the State being but thinly populated, it was more than thirty years before any attempts were made to settle them. About the year 1722, the public attention was turned to the western lands, as they were called ; and as they began to rise in value, the towns of Hartford and Windsor laid claim to them, under the ancient grant which had been made to them under the circumstances which have been mentioned. This claim created a strong excitement throughout the colony, and a long and bitter

TOWN OF SHARON.

controversy ensued, which resulted in a division of the lands between the towns and the colony.

This contention with Hartford and Windsor had retarded the sale of the western lands, but that difficulty was now adjusted, and the Assembly took measures, soon after 1730, to effect this object; and for this purpose they were surveyed, and laid out into townships of suitable dimensions. At the session in May, 1782, Edmund Leivis, Esq., Capt. Stephen Nohie, and Mr. William Gaylord* were appointed a committee to view the colony lands west of the Ousatonic River, and to lay out a township in the northern section of them. They were also endowed with discretionary power to lay out a township on the south of the one just mentioned, if, upon viewinfi^ the lands, they should be of opinion that they were of such a quality as to render them a desirable place for a new settlement. This committee entered promptly upon their duties ; and by their report, dated at New Milford, October 9, 1732, it appears they laid out both townships. The north township, now Salisbury, they denominated *' #/ic township of 31," and the south township they called N. S. The remainder of the country lands were afterwards annexed to Kent. —

* Mr. Lewis, who was placed at the head of this committee belonged to Stratford, and was the County Surveyor of Fairfield County. He had been employed, through the whole of the preceding year, in surveying and running the boundary line between the colony of Connecticut and the province of New York, which was a work of very great labor. He had also been employed, years before, in laying out country grants in the south part of the territory, and of course was well acquainted with all this region of country, then in a state of nature. Mr. Noble was the second son of Mr. John Noble, of New Milford, who is reputed the first settler of that town. Mr. Gaylord was also one of the first settlers of New Milford, and was originally from Windsor. He was the patriarch of the Gaylord family, which settled in the northwest part of that town, called Gaylord^s farms, or straights^ in which the Gaylord name still prevails.

The boundaries of the second township are thus described by the committee: — "Then having taken a view of the whole tract, we proceeded and laid out a second township, which begins at the south-west corner of the aforesaid township of M, it being a stake set in the ground, and many stones laid to it, standing on the east side of a pond, as above set forth ; and from thence the line runs south 12J D. W., with the line of partition between said province of New York, and the colony of Connecticut, nine miles to a heap of stones laid on a rock, in the aforesaid line of partition, and is about two miles east from Captain Sackets' dwelling house,* which is the south-west corner bounds of said second township, — from thence we run the south line of said second township E. 9J D. south four miles and a half and 115 rods, to the Ousatonic River, where we marked a white oak tree, and laid many stones to it, for the south-east corner bounds of said second township, and we have marked many trees and made many monuments in the said south line. — Thus we have surveyed and laid out the township of N. S., and it is bounded north on the township ofM., south on the country lands, west on the aforesaid line of partition between the province of New York and the colony of Connecticut, and east on the Ousatonic River." The above work was completed October 7, 1732.f

* Captain Sacket lived near Kline's corner, in Oblong, N. York. He was an old sea captain, and was the first white person who lived in Amenia, having been settled there as early as 1725.

tThe opinion of the committee, as to the quality of the lands west of the Ousatonic River, is here given in their own language, and it will be read with much interest by those who are acquainted with its present condition and value. " Furthermore tl.ese may certify the Hon. the General Assembly, that as to the quality of the aforesaid described and laid out lands, in the said townships, we find them like a great part of the rest of the lands in this government, some good and some otherwise ; we find the good and fertile lands in the north township to be considerably scattering,

TOWN OF SHARON.

An attempt was made at the session of May, 1733, to sell the new townships which had been laid out in the western lands, and a committee was appointed for that purpose, but it does not appear that any thing was effected. The Hartford and Windsor lands, being more accessible, and nearer to the settled portion of the State, probably afforded a more desirable field for the enterprise of new settlers, and the colony lands were neglected.

At the session in October, 1737, however, the Assembly took effective, and eventually, successful measures to accomplish their object. It was ordered that the townships should be sold at auction, at different times and places, and committees were appointed for that purpose, who were authorised to give deeds to the purchasers.

The township of N. S. was disposed of in the fol-

and that there are country grants laid out in it to the quantity of about 3,50U acres. There are six ponds in said north township, which we judge, all of them, contain not less than 2,000 acres. — There is at the north-west corner of said township, on Poconnuck Mount, a large piece of rough waste land, we think not less than 4,000 acres. The remainder of the lands in said township will, in our judgment, be serviceable for plowing, mowing, and pasturing ; and will, with the inhabitants there, and the farms, accommodate a sufficient number of inhabitants for a town.

" In the second township w^e find two ponds, which may contain 500 acres. There is laid out in it, of country grants, 400 acres, and a considerable quantity of rough land, yet we find such a quantity of feasible lands in it, (and not so much scattering as in the first township,) as will, in our judgment, accommodate a sufficient number of inhabitants for a town,

" Theremainder of the country lands there, is about eight miles in length, and at the south end, we judge, about three fourths of a mile wifle ; which we find, the greatest part of it, to be very rough and mountainous; yet we find some feasible land in it, — which is all at present supposed to be needful by your Honors' most obedient servants to command.

Edmund Lewis, ) Stephen Noble, > Committee.

Wm. Gaylord, ) New Milford, October 9, 1732.

lowing manner : — It was divided into fifty-three equal shares, or I'igJits, as they were called, of which one was reserved for the use of the ministry, forever, one for the first minister, and one for the support of schools in the township. The remaining fifty rights were ordered to be sold at auction, on the second Wednesday of October, 1738, at New Haven, to actual settlers only. The committee appointed to sell the township, were Samuel Eels, Esq., Joseph Whitings Esq., and Captain Isaac Dickerman. The deeds which this committee executed to the purchasers, are on the town records.*

Chapter II

Some account of the Indians who inhabited the territory of Sharon, before its settlement by the whites.

There were considerable numbers of Indians residing within what is now the territory of Sharon, be-

* The rights sold for about 300 or 350 pounds each, being an average of a little more than 1,000 dollars for each right. There has been divided to each proprietor of a right, more than six hundred acres of land, so that tlie township sold for a little more than one dollar and fifty cents per acre. I'he following provision is contained in each deed : — " Always provided, and these presents

are upon this condition, that if the said , shall by himself

or his agent, within the space of two full years next after the date hereof, enter upon the said granted premises, build an!> finish an house thereon not less than eighteen feet square, and seven feet stud, subdue, clear, and fence six acres of said land, and continue thereon for the space of three successive years, commencing after the two years aforesaid, (unless prevented by death or inevitable Providences,) and do perform all duties and orders, pay all taxes that shall be granted, then the aforesaid deed shall remain in full force and virtue."

TOWN OF SHARON.

fore its settlement by the white inhabitants. Their principal village was on the eastern border Indian £*ond* where they had made considerable clearings, and where their chief resided. There were numbers of them, too, on the borders of the other pond, and in the valley of the Oblong River. They were never so numerous as to prove dangerous to the safety of the settlers ; but as there was a numerous tribe at Schaghtikoke, in Kent, and at Wetaug, in Salisbury, and many more at Stockbridgc, in Massachusetts, and, as during the wars with the French, which were frequent at that period, the frontier settlements were sometimes exposed to their incursions, the first inhabitants of Sharon fortified several of their houses by palisadoes, into which they were sometimes gathered during the night, when danger was apprehended. One such fortified house was fitted up in each neighborhood. — It does not appear, however, that these Indians ever practised or attempted any injury to the whites, or that there was any difficulty between them, except such as arose from conflicting claims to lands, or from the mischievous propensities of the whites, who sometimes committed depredations upon them.t It appears, how-

* The Indian name of this pond was Wequagnock; the name of the Oblong River was Webotuck. The Dutch name was Minkinkill, or Mink Brook.

t These Indians were favored with the labors of the Moravian Missionaries, who visited these parts early in the last century, for the instruction of the heathen. One of these missionaries, of the ndLxne of David Bruce, died in this town in 1749. He was a Scotsman, and labored many years, preaching the gospel in this region. His bones now repose on the eastern border of the Indian Pond, within what was formerly the Indian village, on land now owned by Andrew Lake. The stone erected over his grave is yet in a state of tolerable preservation. The following is the epitaph : —

David Bruce, From Edinburgh in Scotland, Minister of The Brethren's Church Among the Indians, Depart 'd 1719.

ever, that the inhabitants, generally, cultivated a spirit of kindness and friendship towards them ; and the records of the town furnish evidence that their grievances were redressed with as little delay as possible.* In this way they were kept quiet, and gradually disappeared from the town. The last of them departed iii about fifteen years after the settlement commenced, having sold their lands to Tliomas Barnes. The names of those who signed the deed were Nequiti^ mnug and Bartholomew, and they were the last of the tribe who had their head quarters at the Indian Pond.

CHAPTER III. Country Grants.— Daniel Jackson.— Home Lots.— First Settlers

The township was sold, according to the order of the Assembly, on the second Wednesday of October,

* At a town meeting, March 23, 1745, " Voted, That Mr. John Williams shall be an agent to go to the Assembly in May next to get a taxing on our lands, and to acquaint the Assembly that the Indians are uneasy about their lands."

Voted, That William Spencer and Garrit Winegar shall be a committee to agree with the Indians about the mare that Samuel Dunham^ Jr.^ unjustly took from them.

December 8, 174.5, William Spencer and Thomas Hamlin chosen fence viewers, both for the English and Indians, and to prize the damage done to the Indians, in their fields, by creatures belonging to this town.

March 6, 1746. Voted, That Messrs. Timothy Phelfs and Garrit Winegar^ be a committee to enquire about the damage complained of by the Indians, and if they can find just reason to suspect any particular person to have done said damages, that they, in behalf of said Indians, bring actions agninst him, the cost of which the town will defray, if no particular person can be convicted of it, — Extracted, from the ancient Town Records.

1738. It will be observed, that the committee who laid out the township, mention in their report to the Assembly, that there had been laid out, in countfy grants, about four hundred acres. This was land lying near Hitchcock^ s Corner. One piece was laid out to Samuel Orvis, of Farmington, containing 300 acres, and another piece was laid out to Jonathan Bird, of the same place. Both pieces were laid out by Mr. Lewis, the surveyor before mentioned, about the time of the original survey of the township. This grant included a tract of land of the very first quality, and extended as far north as to include the farm of the ate Captain Asa Hitchcock, Orvis and Bird never occupied their lands, but, before the year 1734, sold them to one Daniel Jackson, and the patent was taken out in Jackson's name, and the land, for many years after, was called Jackson^ s Patent. Daniel Jackson was the first white man that ever lived in Sharon. — His house stood where the house belonorinff to the Sharon Manufacturing Company now stands. He was originally from Newtown, in Fairfield County, but at the time of his purchase he lived in Dover, New York. His son, Jehiel Jackson, who was known to many persons now living, and who once lived where Clark Maxam now lives, was the first white child born in Sharon. Mr. Jackson lived but a few years in the town. In February, 1739, he sold his Patent to Garrit Winegar,* a Dutchman, and himself removed to Great Barrington, Massachusetts. This last named gentleman built a grist-mill at the corner within the

* The fertile valley of the Oblong had early attracted the attention of the emigrants from Germany, who had settled at what is called the German Camp, on the Hudson River. When Sharon was settled, the Delamater family was established at Leedsville, and the Winegar family at Hitchcock's Corner. Vlrick Wine^ gar, a native of Germany, was the patriarch of the Winegar family, so numerous in this region, and he was the father of Garrit Winegar.

limits of Sharon, and it was at this mill that the corn was ground which fed the first settlers of Sharon.*

Immediately after the sale of the township, a number of the purchasers came on for the purpose of exploring, and to determine in what part of the town the settlement should be made. After exploring the lands and viewing their situation, it was found that the centre of the township was very unfavorably situated for the town plot. It was on a high ridge of land, where the face of the country was forbidding and uncomfortable. After mature deliberation, it was determined to fix the settlement on a street, laid out about sixty rods east of the present town street, and to run through the whole length of the township. This location was afterwards abandoned, because of the lime rock which pervaded it to such a degree as to render it exceedingly difficult to procure a supply of water.

All the individuals who came on to explore in the fall of 1738, returned to their families except one, who was William Goodrich. He brought his family with him, and spent the winter, which was a very severe one, with no other neighbors than the Indians, nearer than the Dutch settlements in the Oblong. The next spring, however, brought a large accession to the number of inhabitants, and from that period the settlement of the town may be said to have commenced.

By the sale of the township, each purchaser of a right had become possessed of one fifty-third part of the town, except JaclcsorCs Patent^ which he held in common with the other purchasers. Provision had been made by law for the division of the land among

♦Captain Wine^jar wr)s a respectable and worthy man, and enjoyed llie confidence of the citizens of Sharon* havin^i; often been appointed to various offices. He died in 1755, and in his last will he made provision for fourteen children, to wit : nine sons, haac^ Hendrick, Ulricl, Garrit, Joh7i, Samuel, Johannes, Jacob, and one infant; and five daughters, to wit: Susannah, Hannah, Catharine, Mary and ElizabeLh.

TOWN OF SHARON.

the owners, from time to time, as they might wish, and the settlers took early measures to effect that object. The first division was into lots of about eighty acres each, which was to furnish the Home lot or residence of the proprietor. A Committee was appointed to lay out a lot of eighty acres, which was called the Standard lot, and all the other lots were made to conform to this in value, the quantity to be more or less, according to the quality. The highways at the centre of the township were so laid out as to form squares of a half mile each ; some of the home lots were laid out w^holly on one side of the street, and some on both sides, according to the situation of the land. The Standard lot was the one adjoining Jackson's Patent, now owned by John B. Lovel. The settlers principally located on the main street leading from Jackson's Patent, now Hitchcock's Corner, to Salisbury. Some, however, settled on the mountain and some in the valley, and in the course of a year or two nearly the whole territory of the first society was occupied. A large proportion of the first inhabitants of Sharon were from Lebanon and Colchester, in the county of Windham ; some few were from Norwalk and Stamford, in Fairfield county, and several families were from the Old Plymouth Colony. As they removed into the town they located themselves upon the several flome-lots which they had taken up, and by the next fall, were all comfortably provided with homes and other necessaries.

Chapter IV

Xncorporatlon of the town— First town meeting — Rev. Peter Pratt—Meeting house— Dcatiis, &c.

During the process of locating and settling the township, the inhabitants enjoyed no corporate privileges, nor had the town received any other name than that given it by the committee who laid it out in 1733. After so many inhabitants had removed into the town as came in the spring and summer of 1739, it became important that they should be invested with the usual privileges of towns, and that they should receive a corporate name. A meeting was accordingly holden, and Captain Jonathan Dunham was appointed agent to make application to the assembly for a charter, with the usual privileges of towns. The assembly, at its session in October, 1739, upon the memorial of the inhabitants, presented by captain Dunham, incorporated the township by the name of Sharon, and authorized captain Dunham to call the first town meeting.* This was holden, under the direction of

* The following is a copy of the act of iticorporation :

At a General Assembly holden at New Haven, in his Majesty's Colony of Connecticut, in New England, in America, on the second Thursday of October, being the 11th day of said month, and continued by several adjournments until the 31st day of the same month, annoque Domini 1739. Upon the memorial of the inhabitants of the southernmost town on the west side of the Ousatonic river, shewing to the assembly the number of settlers now in said town, and the circumstances they are under, and praying for the countenance and favor of this assembly, first, in allowing them to be formed as a town, and to have^he privileges of other towns in this colony, also to call and settle some orthodox minister in the work of the ministry among them.

Resolved by this Assembly, that the inhabitants of said town, qualified as the law directs, shall have and enjoy all such rights and privileges, and have such powers as are usually granted to

TOWN OF SHARON.

Captain Dunham, at the house of Natlianiel Skinner, Esquire, on the 11th day of December, 1739, old style, which is the same as the 22d day of December, new style, being the anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. The several town officers were appointed, and the town fully organized for municipal purposes. For the information of the present generation, and to show in what way the business of this meeting was conducted, its proceedings are here copied from the records, preserving accurately the orthography of the original.

" The Inhabitance of Sharon aplying Themselves to the Genral assembly in October Last Past for Town Priviledges, Cap Dunham was mad Choice of to Represent the Town to the Assembly, and having obtained the Desiar of the town he being ordered by the Assembly to Warn the Inhabitance in order To Chuse town officers which Being Dune the Inhabitance being met on the 11 day of December In ye yeare 1739 at the house of Nathll. Skinner In Sharon And then opened the meeting as the Law Dricts

Cap Dunham Was Chosen moderator

Leu Jabez Creppen John Sprague and Cap Jonathan Dunham Was Chosen Select men for the year Insewing

Nath Skinner Was Chosen town Clark James Smith was Chosen Constable and Sworn as the Law Directs other tovirns in this colony and that said inhabitants shall have liberty to call and settle some orthodox minister of the gospel in the work of the ministry in that place, taking the advice of the ministers of the neighboring churches, and that the town hereafter be called by the name of Sharon. And captain Jonathan Dun- Aamof said town, is hereby appointed and empowered to cause the inhabitants of said town to meet in said town on the second Wednesday of December next, to choose town officers in said town for the year ensuing.

2^

George Way was Chosen Granjuery and sworn as the Law Directs

Ebenezer Mudg William Tickner Ebenezer ffrisbie and Cornelus hamlin Was Chosen Surveys of high Ways and Sworn as the Law Directs

Jeremiah foster Samuel Mudg and Thomas Creppen Was Chosen fence vewers and sworn as the Law Directs

Samuel Comstock Was Chosen Colector

Nathl. Skinner Jun Was Chosen Leather Sealer

Nathl. Skinner Jonathan Dunham and John Sprague Was Chosen a Com'tt. to go after a Minister.

Nathl. Skinner and Lew. Jabez Creppen chosen a Com'tt. to Lay out a Beuring Place

It was farther voted that a Note or Warning In writing set up at The house of John Sprague and Nathl. Skinner and at Garrit winegars mill Six Days before a town meeting Given Reasons of Said Meeting, Shall be a Lawful Warning for a town meeting.

farther voted that Swin haven a Ring in their Noses Shall be accounted an orderly Greater."

We have seen that at the first town meeting measures were taken to procure a minister to preach the gospel to the inhabitants. They evidently contemplated the employment of a minister in the early settlement of the town, and such, too, it seems was the intention of the Assembly in sequestering two rights for the support of the gospel. This aid was afforded in order to assist a community which must necessarily have been weak and feeble in its infancy, in having a supply of the word of life, and the benefit of religious ordinances. Prompted by these encouragements, the first inhabitants of Sharon took early measures to settle a minister. The committee appointed at the first town meeting made application to Mr. Peter Pratt of Lebanon, a candidate for the ministry, and a graduate of Yale College, of the class of 1736, and on

TOWN OF SHARON.

the 8th day of January, 1740, the town called him *' upon trial lor some convenient time," and laid a tax of fifteen shillings on a right for the payment of his services. His labors were acceptable to the people, and on the 14th day of March following, he was invited to settle over the church and conorregation in the work of the ministry. The town voted him a salary which would amount to about two hundred dollars per annum.* Mr. Goodrich and Mr. Sprague were appointed to treat with Mr. Pratt and to present to him the offers of the town. These were accepted by him, and the time fixed for the ordination was the last Wednesday in April. It is supposed that it took place at that time, and that the services were performed in a private dwelling, as no place of public worship had been provided at that time.

The ministry being thus established, the next business in order was to provide a place of public worship ; and to this object the attention of the town was soon

* Town meetihg, January 8, 1740,

Voted that Mr. Feler Pratt, shall be called by us upon trial for some convenient time.