Connecticut Historical Collections

While the war continued against the French in Canada, Connecticut made great exertions, and did more most of the time tlian double her proportion, compared with the rest of the colonies. In the year 1759, she liad more than six thousand men in actual service. At this period the militia were more numerous than at present, according to the popu- lation, as all from the age of sixteen to sixty, were obliged to hear arms. In the year 17G'2, the New England colonies reiuh;red very important services in the reduction of Ilavanna and IMariinitjue. It was, how- ever, a fatal enterprise to most of the IN'ew iMiglimd troojis ; of nearly 1000 men, who were engaged in the expedition, not 100 returned. Such as were not killed in the service, were swept away by the bilious plague. After the definitive treaty of peace, signed at Paris, Feb, lOtli, 17G3, which ended the Froich irurs, the extunsion of SL'tlk'ments, commerce, W'ealth and jiopulatiou in Coiuiecliciii, wlm'c exircinuly rapid. "After the peace, an almost boundless scope of commcice and enterprise was given to the colonists. In these lavoraijle circumslances, with the re- turn of thousands of her biave and industrious inhabilaius to the culti- vation of their fields, and the various arts and labors of peace, the colony- was soon able to exonerate itself from the debt contracted by the war." These prosperous circumstances continued till the beginning of the Revolution. Coimecticut, by her charter, granted in ]G()-2, extended from Narra- gansett river on the east to the JSoulh Sea on the west. exce|)ting such lands as were then ofcupied i)y prior settlers. Nearly nineteen years afterwards, William Pemi obtained a grant of lands on the west side of the Delaware river, extending northward to the '13d degree of latitude ; this covered |)art o( the territory embraced in the Connecticut charter. For nearly a centiuy after the charter was obtained, Connecticut neg- lected to claim these lands, which lay westwaril of the colony of New York. But after she had granted all her lands ea'^tward of that colony, a eompany was formed with the de-iL;!! of planliiig (he lands wiiliin her charter, on the Susijuehannah. This company was lornieil in 1753, and the next year a purchase was maile IVcmu the sachems of the Six Nations of a large tract, at Wyoming. In 1774, the setilement was formed into a town, called W^e.,imoieland, which sent representatives to the Assembly of Connecticut. The treaty of the Connecticut men with the Indians, and their pur- chase of the lands, excited the jealousy of the propiietarii.'S of Pennsyl- vania. They proceeded to take a deed of the same lands from some of the chiefs, who declined signing the deed to the Connecticut purcha- sers. Grants of land were made by Pennsylvania, and settlements be- gun, which excited warm disputes, and an attempt was made to drive the Connecticut settlers from the lands by force of arn)s. In 1770, the Legislature of Connecticut sent certain questions to England to be pro- posed to the most able lawyers thei-e, respecting her title to the lands in question. The answers -were favorable to her claims, and she de- termined to support them. But the Revolutionary war suspended the controversy, until 17S1, when both states agreed to appoint coinmis- OUTLINE HISTORY. 29 sioners to settle the dispute. An act of Congress was passed, constitu- ting tliese coiiiniissioners a court to hear and determine the controversy. In IN'ovenilicr, 178:2, tlie coniuiissioners met at Trenton, N. J. This court decided tliat Coiniecticut had no right to the hinds in question, and that the territory comprised in the chartered limits of Pennsylvania helonged of right to her. Although Connecticut acfjuiesced in the de- cision at Trenton, yet she maintained her claim to all the territory within the range of the north and south boundaries of the state, as expressed in the charter, lying west of Pennsylvania, and extending to the INIis- sissip|)i. ^Villl a view to obtain the implied sanction of their charter claims, Connecticut in 17SG, by their delegates in Congress, ceded to the United States all the lands witliiu tlie charter limits, west of Penn- sylvania, excepting a tract li20 nulcs in length, adjoining that state on the west. This cession was accepted. A jiart of the reserved lands, amounting to half a million of acres, was granted by the state to the inhabitants of New London, Fairfield and Norwalk, whose property had been destroyed by the enemy during the Revolutionary war. The remainder was sold in 1705, and the money arising from the sale con- stitutes the School FmuJ, for the support of schools throughout the state. The title of Connecticut to the reserved lands, was conhrmed by Con- gress in 1800. This territory, now forming part of the state of Ohio, is still called the Connecticut or IVtstcrn Reserve. Diu'ing the great struggle of the Revolution, Coiniecticut was one of the foremost in the confederacy in resisting the tyranny of Britain, and was lavish of her blood and treasure in sustaining the conflict against her oppressions. Her soldiers were applauded b}' tlie commander in chief of the American armies for their bravery and fidelity. In the last war with (ireat Rritain, in the first conflict on the ocean, the first flag was struck to a native of Connecticut: on the land, the first flag whlrji was taken, was also burrendereil to one of her sons. The founders of Connecticut were men of intelligence, virtue and piety, and understood the great principles of civil and religious liberty; iicnce they laitl the foundations of those institutions which distinguish her among her sister states of the Union. Ever republican in her form of government, she has in effect, ever been a free and independent com- monwealth ; and whilst the other colonies were suflering under the dom- ination q{ Hoyal Governors, she has from the beginning, been governed by rulers of her own choice. After the declaration of indejiendence, Connecticut did not follow the example of most of the other states, and ado|>t a written constitu- tion, but continued the government according to the ancient form ; a statute being enacted, the session following the declaration of American independence, July 4th, 1776, which provided that the government should continue to be organized and administered according to the pro- visions of the charter. This form of government continued without any very essential alteration till 181 S. In this year, a convention of dele- gates fiom the several towns, elected by the people, convened in Hart- ford, and after a session of about three weeks, framed a constitution of civil government for the state. This being submitted to the electors 30 ir A r. T 1' o 11 n cor n r y . on the 5th of October, 1818, was ratified by them by a majority of fifteen hundred ami fifty four \oto?. Ahhoii;:j,h small in hur lurrituiial limits, Cnmiccticut can boast of dis- tinguished men in almost every (lepartmenl in life. For patriotism and love of country, she can point to a Sherman, her Trumbulls, and her martyrs Hale, Lcdyard and ^Vooster. i-'or bravery, bold and daring enterprises, she can point to an Allen, JvitDU, Arnold and Lcdyard" " In theology," (says the Edinburgh Review,) " Jonathan Edwards is the very Euclid of divines; and the Americans would do well, in claim- ing due honor for their geniuses, to put him at the head of the list, for the country never produced a greater." In holy zeal and devotion to the sacred cause of Christianity, as a missionary, David Brainerd stands con- fessedly the first in modern times. For men of genius in the various de- partments of science, the mechanic and other ails, Connecticut is second to none of her sister states. Trumbidl, J>;ulu\v, Dwight, and others, are among the first of Ameiican poets; and Tiumliull, in every thing that constitutes a great historical ])ainier, is the liist among his countrymen. HARTFORD COUNTY. Hartj-ord County was constituted such in 1G6G. Its original limits comprised an extensive district of coimtry on both sides of Connecticut river, the entire county of Tolland, most" of the counties of Middlesex and Windham, and a [.art of the counties of IJichfield and New London. The present extent of the county is about ^0 miles from north to south, and averages 25 miles in breadth from east to west. It is bounded n. by Hampden County in Massachusetts, i:. by Tolland County, w. by Litchfield, and s. by the counties of .Middle-ex anrl x\ew Haven. This county as a whole, m ivsouive^, wealih auA population, will rank before any other in the stale; ami in many respects, bufore any in Ps'ew Eng- land. ^ The valley of the Conii(?cticufis justly celebrateil for the extent anil richness of its meadows; ami there is no section throughout its whole course, where they are more enlarged or fertile than in this county. The soil generally is rich, various^and fertile, and is for the most part highly cultivated ; well adapted to a grain culture, particularly that of rye and Indian corn, of which large quantities are annually- raised. ^ The county is intersected nearly in the center by Connecticut river; in its western part by a range of gieenslono mountains, called in some parts the Talcoit i\Ioimtaiiis. It is watered by several streams, among which are the Farmington, Hockanum, Scantic and Podunk rivers, all of which discharge tlieir waters into the Connecticut. A great variety of manufactures is carried on in the county, many of which are extensive, and emph^y a considerable amount of capital. They will be noticed in the account of the several towns. The follow- ing 13 a list of the 3e\eial towns ui the county, with the population ac- cording to the census of 1830. 11 A U T F O JM) . 31 Hartford,- - 9,780 1 East Hnrlfoixl, 2,237 j IManchester, - 1,576- Avon, - - 1,025 1 East AN'iiicbor, ;3,5:37 i Marlborouol), 701 Berlin, - - 3,037 . Enlielcl, - - 2,12!) I Sinisbury,^ - 2,221 Jiloonnfield, - Eariuiumon, - 1 ,!)01 ; Southington, - 1,811 Bristol, - - 1,707 1 Glastonbury, 2,9SO Siiniehl, - - 2,690 JJurlington, - 1 ,301 j Granl.y, - - 2,722l Wethcrsfield, 3.853 Canton, - - 1 /137 1 llariland, - - 1,22] I Windsor, - 3,220 IIARTEORD.