Connecticut Historical Collections

The first Eni^dish settlement in Ilarlford was con-iuicnccd in 1635, by Mr. John Steel and his associates from JNewtown, (now Canihridsro,) in IMassachusetts, The main body of the first settlers, with iMr. Hooker at their head, did not arrive till the following' year. "About the beginning of June, (says Dr. Trumbull,) INIr. Hooker, IMr. Stone, and about one hundred men, women and children, took their departure from Cambridge, and traveled more than a hundred uiiles, through a hideous and trackless wilderness, to Hartford. They had no guide but their compass, and made their way over mountains, through swamps, thickets and rivers, which were nol passable but wilii great didiculty. They had no cover but the heavens, nor any lodgings but those that simple nature ailurded them. They drove with them a liun- dred and sixty head of cattle, and l)y the way subsisted on the milk of their cows. iMrs. Hooker was boi-ne tliiough the wilderness upon a lit- ter. The peo|)le carried their packs, aims, and some utensils. They were nearly a iortnight on their journey." "This adventure was tho more remarkable, as many of this comjiaiiy were persons of figure, who had lived in I'^igland, in honor, allluence and delicacy, ami were entire strangers to fatigue and danger."* The Indian name of Hartford was Sitc/:iii<i-. A deed appears to have been given by ^Sunrkf/uasson, the sachem of the place, about 1636, to Samuel Stone and \ViHiam Gooduin, who ajipear to have acted in be- half of the first settlers. The town of Hartford is bounded n. by Windsor and Bloomfield, i:. by Connecticut river, s. by AVethersfield, and w. by Farmington and Avon. It is about six miles in length from north to soulli, and aver- ages about five in breadth. The western part of the town has a soil of * At llmt lU'i-idd, it is liclii'ved ihal the Inrc^l.s wore niiieli innrc pa.ssnl)!^ tlinii at pre.sLMit. i.)|-. Ilildicili.cil Oliiii, in dosL-i il.iii'_; ilu' new lands at ll,,' wcsi, .sa)-;,: "Wiiile iliL" red niL'ii |X)-sf>-^cd llir rniniir\-, and cvi'vv aiiliiinn set lire m liic l.iilcii leaves, tlie turests iire.,ented a i/nKst n^lile and enelianlin- appeai'anee. 'I'lie annual (irinj^rs pre- vented thcKioulli c)i sliinhs and nndei l,i usli, and de^uu iiiLMhe Knver hian.die.s of the trees, the eye inved will, d, iiL^lit, iiuin rid-e lu iu\-^<: a'nd luan lull to lull; wliicii, like the divisions oC an iinnnaise temple, weie ennwli-d u ill, innnniei able pillars, the branches ut \vlio.>e shalis jniei loekm'.', luiamd the ar( li ua.rk nf support to that lealy lOuC wliieh covered and eiuu ned llie w hole. IJni Mnee ihe \\ lute man look pvisses.sion, the annual lires have heen idi.'c ked, and the wo.nllands are nov,' lilled with shrubs and young trees, obstruelin- the vr^ion .ai every side, and .■unverlin^ ihe.-c uiice beauiiiiil lorcsis into a rude and tasteiesa uildeuiess." 32 II A U T F O 11 D , red gravelly earth, very rich and productive. That yiart near the river is covered with a strong clay, or a rich black mold. Tiie latter is prin- cipally in the valuable tract of meadow adjacent to Connecticut river. Hartford City was incorporated in 1784 ; it is over a mile in length upon the river, and about three fourths of a mile in breadth. The alluvial flat upon the river is narrow, being from 40 to 100 rods, and is connected with the upland by a very gradual elevation. It is sit- uated on the west side of Connecticut river, 50 miles from its mouth, in Lat, 41° 45' and Long. 4^ 15' e. from Wasliiiii^'ton. It is 128 miles N. E. New York, 34 n. n. e. New Haven, 15 n. Middletown, 44 n. w. New London, 74 w. Providence, 100 w. s. w. Boston, and 97 s. e. Al- bany. The legislature of the state assembles alternately at Hartford and New Haven, the odd years at Hartford. The city is rather irregu- larly laid out, and is divided at the south part by jMill or Little river. I'^iist view of the iStonv .liridgc in llartj'urd. Across this stream a fine bridge of free stone has been thrown, which connects the two parts of the city. This structure is 100 feet wide, supported by a single arch, 7 feet in thickness at the base, and 3 feet 3 inches at the center, the chord or span of which is 104 feet; ele- vation from the bed of the river to the top of the arch, 30 feet 9 inches. Another bridge, across Connecticut liver, 1,000 feet long, and which cost over ,^100,000, unites the city with East Hartford, Hartford is very advantageously situated for business, is surrounded by an extensive and wealthy district, and communicates with the towns and villages on the Connecticut above, by small steamboats, (now 8 in nimiber) two of which, for passengers, ply daily between Hartford and Springfield. The remainder are employed in towing flat bottomed boats of 15 to 30 tons burthen, as far as Wells' river, 220 miles above the city. The coasting trade is very considerable, and there is some foreign trade, not extensive, carried on. Three steam- HART FORI). 33 boals foi'm a daily line between here and New York. Tlie nianufac-' lures of this city, by a late return made to the secretary of the treasury, exceed JdiOOOjUOO per annum; amony these are various manufactures of till, copper, and slieet iron ; block tin and pewter ware ; printing presses and ink ; a manufactory of iron machinery ; iron founderies, saddlery, carriages, joiners' tools, paper-hanginys, looking-glasses, um- brellas, stone ware, a brewery, a web manufactory, cabinet lurnitin-e, boots and shoes, hats, clothing for exportation, soap and candles, 2 man- ufactories of machine and other wire cards, operaieil by dogs, &ic. &.c. INIore than twice as many books are published here, annually, as are manufactured in any other place of equal population in the United States. There are 15 periodicals; 12 weekly newspapers, (5 sectarian,) 2 semi-monthly and 1 monthly.* The city is well built, and contains many elegant public and private edifices. The state house, in which are the public offices of the state, is surmounted by a cupola, and is a very handsome and spacious building. The city hall, built for city purposes, is also spacious and elegant; it has two fronts, with porticoes, supported each by six massy columns. In the city are 12 |)lace3 of public worship — 5 for Congregationalists, 1 E[)iscopal, 2 Baptist, 1 Metliodist, 1 Universalist, 1 Roman Catholic, and 1 African ; several of these are very handsome, and the Episcopal, a Gothic edifice, is much admired for its elegance. There are 5 banks, a bank for savings ; 3 fire and marine insurance offices, an arsenal, museum, 2 markets, 5ic. The American Asylum for the deaf and dumb, the Retreat for the insane, and Washuigton College, are all beautifully located, in the im- mediate vicinity of the city. The population within the city limits in Sej)teniber, 1835, was nine thousand and eight hundred. " The American Asylum for the education and instruction of deaf and dumb persons, was founded by an association of gentlemen in Hart- ford, Conn, in 1815. Their alteniion was called to this important charity by a case of deafness in the family of one of their number. An interesting child of the late Dr. Cogswell, who had lost her hearing at the age of two years, and her speech soon after, was, under Providence, the cause of its establishment. Her father, ever ready to syn^paihize with the affiicted, and prompt to relieve human suflering, embraced in bis plans for the education of his own daughter, all who might be simi- larly unfortunate. The co-operation of the benevolent was easily se- cured, and measures were taken to obtain from Europe a knowledge of the difficult art, unknown in this country, of teaching written language tlu-ough the medium of signs, to the deaf and dumb. Eor this purpose, the Rev. Thomas H. Gallaudet visited England and Scotland, and ap- plied at the institutions in those countries for instruction in their system; but meeting with unexpected difficulties, he repaired to France, and obtained at the Royal Institution at Paris, those qualifications for an instructor of the deaf and dumb, which a selfish and mistaken policy had refused him in Great Britain. Accompanied by IVIr. Laurent Clerc, himself deaf and dumb, and for several years a successful teacher under Daiby and Dwight's Gazetteer ol' the United Slates, 1833. 5 34 n A H T F O R D . the Abbe Sicard, IVFr. Gallaudet retmnecl to this country in August, 1816. The Asyhiin had, in May preceding', been incorporated by the state legislature. Some months were spent by Messrs, Gallaudet and Clerc in obtaining funds for the benefit of the institution, and in the spring of 18 17, the Asylum was opened for the reception of those for whom it was designed, and the course of instruction con)menced with seven pupils. Vieio of the American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb. " As the knowledge of the institution extended, and the facilities for obtaining its advantages were multiplied, the number of pu])ils increased from seven to one hundred and forty, which for several years past has not been much above the average nundjer ; and since its commence- ment in 1817, instruction has been imparted to four hundred and sev- enty seven deaf and dumb persons, includinn its present inn)ates. "In iSll), Congress granted the institution a township of land in Alabama, the proceeds of which iiave been invested as a permanent fund. The principal building, of which the above is a front view, was erected in 1320, and the pupils removed to it in the spring of the fol- lowing year. It is one hundred and thirty feet long, fifty feet wide, and, including the basement, foiu* stories high. Other buildings have been subsequently erected, as the increasing numt)er of pupils made it necessary ; the principal of which is a dining l)all and workshops for the male pupils. Attached to the institution are eight or ten acres of land, which atiord ample room for exercise and the cultivation of vege- tables and fiuits for the pupils. -