Connecticut Historical Collections

New Canaan was incorporaK.'d as a town in ISOl, This town was formerly Canaan parish, lying in tin; tcnvnships of Norwalk and Stam- ford, incorporated as a parish in l7o!. The first society meeting was held .luly Isl, 1731. Tin; next year liiere were '17 menihers of the society — 30 on the Norwalk .side, and 17 on the Slandord side. Ponus street was annexed to Noilh Standord in Mtiy, 1788. The Rev. John Eells of iMillord, was the lust minister ; he was ordaineil in .hme, 1733 ; he resigned his pastoral charge in 17-11. He died in New Canaan in 1765. in his 85tli year. The Uev. Robert Sillinian, the next pastor, was ordained in 171-2, anil contituied in the ministry in this place till 1771. William Drunnnond, born and educated in Scotland, and or- dained there by the presbytery of (JchtLTarder, in the synod of Perth and Sterling, was installed pastor in this place in 177^2. lie was dis- missed and deposed lioni the minisli-y in 1777. The Rev. Justus ]\Iitchell, of \\'oodhury, was ortlained liere in 1783; he died suddenly in 18()(). New Canaan is bounded n. by the state of New York, w. by Stam- ford, s. by Stamford and Norwalk, and e. by Wilton. It is 6 miles in length, and 4 in breadth. Tlic surface of the township is mountainous, containing spines or ridges, composed of rock and stone, which extend from north to south llndiiudi the town. The soil is a hard gravelly loam, being stony, but tolerably well timbered, and generally good for culti- vation. The manufacture of shoes and leather is the principal manu- facturing bnsini?ss done in the town, the yearly value of wdiich is esti- mated at 400,000 dollars. 49 /. 386 N E W C A N A A N East view of tilt ctntral part of New Cciiuuul. The above is an eastern view i)f the eciitiiil part of New Canaan. The buihiing on ihe extreme li^ht, with a s(jnaie lower, is the Episco- pal chiireh, recently erected ; the buililiii^f seen standing nearest to ii, is the town honse. '^rhi; (.'onLne^ational chnrch, witli a spire, is seen on the left. This .bniidin^; was t-icrti/d in Ho^, and is the second bouse of worship ; the first stoorl a little south. 1'he IMetliodisl cburcb is about half a mile south of this place. The building with a small steeple or tower, in the central part of the engraving, is the New Ca- naan Academy, e.siablished in 1815. ''J'his respectable institution is now under the sup(.'riniendence of Mr. Sdas Davenport, who is both piinci|)al and proprie-tor. It stands on an elevated and commanding situation, having a fine inospect nf I.oni^ Kland sound and the inter- vening coimtry. This place is ."> miles n. w. fiom Noiualk, 37 from New llaviMi, and 50 I'rom New York. About two miles north of the Congregational church, in a tiaet ol' wootis, was a place of resort for all the Indians in the vicinity. There are three excavations out of the solid rock, the largest of which will contain about S gallons, and ano- ther about 5; the third will contain about 1 quart. These cavities arc on the side of a rock, one above another, the largest being at the top. Pestles, stone axes, and other Indian implen)ents, have been found about this sjK^t ; the rocks bear the appearance of fire. The cavities above mentioned were doubtless formcLl by the Indians, for the purpose of pounding or grinding their corn. The following inscription is from a monument in the old grave yard, seen in front of the Congregational church. In memnrv of the I'.ev Justus Miichell, A. M, V. I). M., pastor of ihe eluircli of Clirist in New Canaan, who liiud sinldfiily in the hoiu" ol sIimj]), i2-lili Sept. A. D. IbUO, in the 52il year of hit; n^e, and 'Jjtli of his ministry. In \Ai> ilcatli was lust to liis con- jsorl an aiieciioaaie and beloved huiband ; to his children a kind revered parent, coini- v^ NEW FAIRFIELD. N E W T 0 AV N . 387 seller and guMe; to his flock a faithful, learned and venerated pastor; to the Church of Christ a britrht orriament and example; to the poor a liberal beiiulactor ; to the dis- consolate a ciiiulurier and liit-nd. In doctrine uncori-upt, in language plain, And plain in inannLT, deceni, ^ulL■Hlll, chaste, Afiectionaie in loolc, and ninch iinpres-^'d, Ry liini the viohiled law sj)i<ke out .«. Its thunders; and liy him m strains as sweet As angels use, the goopcl wlii.NpL-rVl pe;ice. ' !./■ NEW FAIRFIELD. New Fairfield was ,ti;raiiio(l l»y llic General Assembly in 1707, to a number of the inhabitants of b'aiiti(.'l(l. The town was orii^inally Ibiir- teen miles in extent iVoni north to sonih. The first seiilemeiit appears to have been in the year 1730, in that [)ari of the town called tlie lower seven miles. Several circmnstances retarded the settlement of the town, for nearly thirty years after it was i^ranterl by the legislature. The Indians in this part of the colony were judged to be less friendly than usual, and there were reports of a desiifned attack fron. a large body of French and Indians from Canada. The line between Connecticut and New York was not settled till 1731. The grant by Connecticut of the tract called the Oblong, to New York, as a compensation for lands set- tled on the Sound, disappointed the pioprietors, and narrowed the town- ship several miles, as to its western extent. It was incorporated as a town in 1740. The first minister in the present lowushi|) was the liev. 15enajah Case, uho was oidaineil in 17 1-2. New Fairfield is now but about live miles in extent from north to south, with an average broadih ofabout four and a luilfiuiles. It i-; boun- ded N. by Sherman, w. hy tlu; stale of i\e\v Yoik, E. by New Mdford, and s. by Danbury. Tlie township is biokcn, ha\ing several granite ridges exieudiug through it ; the soil is hard ami gravelly. It is watered by Rocky river, a mill stream which runs in a northerly direction, and discharges itself into the Ilousatonic. The central part of the town is 64 miles southwest from Hartford, and 7 miles north of Danbury. NEWTOWN. The ancient Indian name of this lownshij) was Pohtatuck, being the name of a stream which intersects the town. In 170S, the General Assembly made a grant of the tract of country comprising the township, and incorporated it as a town the same year, by the name of Newtown. The principal seat of the Indians in this town appears to have been at the mouth of the Pohtaiuck, a mill stream which enters the Housatonic. The township is rather irregular in its form, being nearly a triangle in its shape. Its length from northwest to southeast averages about eight miles, with an average breadth of more than six. It is "bounded N. w. by Brookfield, n. e. and e. by the Housatonic river, which se- 383 N I', \V T 0 \V N parates It from Southbury, av. by Danbiuy and Roacling;, and s. w. by Monroe. Tlie surface of die town is liilly ; many of the eminences are extensive and coniinnous. Tbe soil is principally a gravelly loam, with some sections of sandy loam, generally fertile and productive. Jt is well adapted to the culture of grain, and is also favorable for fruit, there being many valuable orchards in tlie town. There are 5 churches in the town ; 2 Episcopal, 1 Congregational, 1 Baptist, and 1 iMetho- dist. South viciv of Ncictuwn. The borough of Newtown is situated on the southern termination of a ridge of elevated land. After ascending the hill, from the south, there is u i)road and K'vi'l street, about eighty rods in extent. 'J'he borough is mostly built on this street : there aie about '10 oi- 50 (hvell- ing houses, 3 churches, 1 Congregational, 1 JOpiscopal, and 1 ^letli- odist ; and 4 mercantile stores. . This place is 10 miles I'rom Danbury, 25 from New Haven, and 2:2 from Fairfield. The above engraving shows the ap|)earance of the village as it is entered bom the south. The Episcopal and Congregational churches are seen at the south end of the principal street, near the southern descent of the bill, 'i'he houses are not distinctly seen, on account of the trees standing before them. Tbe flourishing village of Sandy, Hook is situated about li miles n. E. of the central part of Newtown, at the foot of a rocky eminence or bluff, from the top of which is a fine pros|iect of the surrounding country. A fine mill stream (the Pohtatuck) runs in a northerly course through the village, at the base of the bluft', which rises almost perpendicularly to the height of one hundred and sixty feet. Near Mr. Sanford's cotton factory, at the northern extremity of the village, some tracer of coal have been discovered. The village contained in 1834, I cotton, I hat, 1 comb and 2 woolen /Victories. There was N 0 n W A L K . asD also 1 machlno shop, and 1 esUiblishment for working brass. Tlie vil- lage contained about 50 laniilies in 1634 ; it is at the present time rap- idly increasing. The following inscriptions are from monuments in the burying ground, nearly a mile south of the village of Newtown. Here lyetli iiilerred the earthly remains of the Rev. John Beach, A. M, late mission- ary t'ldtn ye vi'Merabh; society for the piopai^'aiion of the gos\M'\ in Corei'^n parts, who exchanu'cd tins lilV lui- liiiuiui laliiy on ihc I'.tih day oI'Mal-cli, I7SJ, in the b'-.'d year of his ajje and 51st ) ear ul lii.s nuLi-iiy. The .sucLl rcUR'inljrauce oflhe just Shall lluiiiish when he .sicup.s in duit. Reader let this Tahlet ahide. The following Inscriptions are from five monuments which stanil near each other, separated in some measure from other monuments in the yard. Ill memory of Anna, wife of Amos Shep- ard, died in 1821, ajrod G3. Behold the orient star ap|)earing, Harbinger of endless day ; Hark ! a voice the dai hness cheering, Calls my Heeling soul away. Rise, may every grace attend tliee, RibC and seek lu meet me there. Sylvia Ann, wife of Henry Judson, who' died Feb. 6th, IB-JG, aged 23. O happy, ha[ipy place ' AVheie saints and angels liieel, Elam Shepaid died Jan. Im, H'Jt'., aged Cj; Where >ve .-^hali .see each other's face years. | And all our burthen greet. Soon my cries .shall cease to grieve thee,]