Connecticut Historical Collections

The Rev. Elisha Atkins, who was ordained pastor of this church in 1783, is still Hviiig, at the advanced age of 86 years. This individ- ual's name deserves remembrance, inasmuch as he has spent a long .life in unwearied diligence in the service of God and his country. He graduated at Yale College in 1773, and immediately entered upon his studies for the ministry. When the Revolution broke out, he entered the U. S. army, and served during the war as chaplain ; was present at the taking of Burgoyne, and witnessed various other important oc- currences where the division which he joined was engaged. He com- menced his ministry here, as already intimated, at the close of the American Revolution, and remained constant in his duties of pastor till within about four years of the present time. Since then, his strength failing, he has officiated only occasionally. In spite of his advanced age, he even now possesses considerable energy both of body and mind, and a health for which he is indebted to the severe exercise taken in youth. He is universally beloved by the members of his church. The Baptist meeting house was erected in 1807, and placed under the pastoral care of Elder Cooper. The old building siill stands on Chesnut hill. The new one, which is just completed, (1836,) stands about a mile south of the old one, at that part of the hill where it is in full view of the villages along " Pleasant Valley." Killingly contains an area of 57i square miles. The surface of the country is much broken. The principal streams are the Quiimcbaug or Assavvoggo Quinnebaug, the Five Mile, which joins the Quinnebaug at Danielsonvllle, and the White-stone brook, which empties into the Five Mile. These are all excellent mill streams. The \Vhite-stone brook has its origin in Killingly pond, formerly called Mashentuck pond, a jiiece of water partly in Connecticut and ()arlly in Rhode Island, which has lately been increased by building a dam at the outlet, in order to nllow the water to accumulate in wet weather. In this manner it has become one of the niost valuable streams possessed by any manufac- turing company in the state. The other streams are the Quanduck and Ivies branch, the latter issuing from a pretty piece of water, sur- rounded by forests, and called the Quinnebaug pond. The most (leli<i:litrul portion of Killinj^'ly, in respect to scenery, is around a small sheelof water, with an outlet to the Ciuinnebauy:, lying in the u-estern pait of the town, lounerly known to the Imliaiis; as Lake Mashapaug, but now called Alexander's Lake. It received its present appellation I'roin an individual ol'ilie name of iNell Alexander, ■who settled at that spot in 17-21), and was himself pioprielor of a {rreat portion of the town. As this person gained his wealtli in a manner which illustrates the antiquity of the propensily of the iahabilanis of this state to the once honored, yet now despis.ed employment of peddling, we will trouble you with a short notice of "his history. He came ['mm Scotland, with a great number of other emigrants, in a ship which was to land them at Boston. Just before leaving the ship he discovered a. gald ring upon deck, for which he could find no owner. Thus fortunately provided, after his arrival he pawned the gold ring for small articles of trade, which he peddled in Boston and lloxbury. He was very prosperous, and finally became able to redeem the author of his success, and pursue liis business without embarrassment. After a few years of constant activity, he acquired sufficient property to purchase a plantation of 3,500 acres in Killingly. The gold ring was transmitted as a sort of lalisviari, to his only son Nell, who transferred it to his only son Nell; who is now living at an advanced age, and lias already placed it in the hands of his grandson Nell; and so it will doubtless KILLING LY. 431 continue from Nell to Nell, agreeably to the request of the ftrst Nell, until Ihe " Inst knell of the race is tolled !" In order to view the scenery to advantage, the observer should station himself on an eminence north of the lake in question. The eye first meets a broadly extended sur- face of water, with a beautiful margin of sand and pebbles, skirted by woods of tall trees. A little further south appears a part of the lake smaller than the first, containing a beautiful little island, call- ed Loon's island, frequented by all kinds of birds of passage at different seasons of the year. Eagles not unfrequently alight here in their passage north and south. The fullest extent of the lake is one. mile. Its form is very accu- rately represented in the annexed sketch. Want of space will not allow us to be very minute in .describing it. lis beauties ^eem to have struck even the rude early settlers with admiration. We have been favored wiih the remains of a poem, written in a moment of inspiration. It was dis- covered in an old garret, and bears upon it the marks of time. We could recover only the following fragment, not remarkable for preserving very correct rliynie and measure, yet valuable as aifording a specimen of the quaint style of those limes. " Betweene Five Mile and Quinebaug, Whicii sounding through rockye Vales loud and hoarse. From every Hill and Meadow Bog ■ . Receive Supplies, and onward bende theire Course ; F.nclosed around by Groves and various Trees, With Shore of Sand and Skye of Blue, With Water gently rullled by the Breeze, '•.> Lake Mushapaug douthe meele oure View 1" To account for the origin of this lake, a singular tradition has been handed down to us by the aborigines. It is as follows : " In ancient times, when the red men of this quarter )jad long enjoyed prosperity, that is, when they had found plenty uf game in the woods, and lish in the puiiils and rivers, they at length (i.xed a lime for a general powwow, a sort of festival lor eating, drinking, smoking, singing and dancing. The spul chosen for this |UH|)o.se was ;i sandy hill, or mountain, covered with tall pines, uccupying the siliiaiion wheie the lake now lies. The powwow lasted four days in succession, and was to continue longer had not the Great Spirit, enraged at the licentiousness which prevailed there, resolved to punish them. Accordingly, while the red people in ilnmen^e mimliers were cajier- ing iihout upon the summit of the mouutain, it suddenly "gave way" beneath them, anil sunk to a great ile|nh, when the water from below rushed up and cohered them all except one ^ood vld squaw, who occupied one of the |)eaks, which now bears the name o( Loon's Island. Whether the tradition is entitled to credit or not we will do it justice by allirming that in a clear day, when there is no wind and the sur- face of the lake is smooth, the huge trunks and leafless branches of ^'^/'n'«7i//c pines maybe occasionally seen in the deepest part of the water, some of them reaching almost to the surface, lu such liuge and fantastic forms as to cause the beholder to startle ! As regards the other portions of tlie scenery there is nothing remark- able. The hills are still covered with forests ; but the vales, through whicli flow the principal rivers, are lined with factory villages. The population of the town is now about 4,000. The ancient forests are last yielding to the axe of the farmer, who supplies the villages with wood. The game in the woods, and fish in the ponds and rivers, are not as plenty as formerly, to the regret of the old inhabitants, who look upon factories and other improvements as an evil. The soil is hard, but productive under proper cultivation. The animals reared upon it are robust and healthy. The same may be said of the inhabitants. This town, however, has possessed no very distinguished men " wlio have gone off the stage." 432 K I L L I N G L Y . Yet it were injustice not to mention the name of one no longer living, who became celebrated in ike chase. 1 mean Mr. Prosper Lejingwcll, a respected resident of this place, who, though he followed the humble occupation of hunting, yet became so ex- pert, and enjoyed a reputation so widely extended, that I might deeply wound the feelings of all his now aged companions in the same profession, who revere him as a superior spirit, were I to omit to notice him in speaking of this town. It were useless to attempt to detail all the events which marked the career of this famous sportsman. He was the terror of the foxes and rabbits for ten miles around. Many instances I might relate to illustrate the degree of skill to which he attained, but let one sutiice. It is said that on one occasion, while returning home from hunting, he met three foxes advancing towards him " all in a row." As his gun was not loaded, he seized a stone and directed it as well as he was able, in a straight line towards their heads. Won- derful to tell, he brought them all down! He gazed a moment in astonishment. He found he had struck the first in the nose, the second in the hip, and the third in the forehead — all with the same stone! The first was not quite dead, the second was badly lamed, but the third showed no signs of life whatever. While chasing the second, the first recoveied and scampered away. Had he sprung upon them the moment he saw them fall, he might have secured the three. Killingly is the greatest cotton mnnufacturing town In the state. Of the cotton factories we give the following recent statement. On the White-Stone nrook. Spindles. Hon. Ebenezer Young's, - 2,500 Richard Bartlett's, - - 400 LeOingwell's, - 3,000 Valley Mills, - - - 1,200 A.F. Alexander's, - 1,200 Thomas Pray h Co., - 1,200 Hutchins, - - - - 1,500 On the Five Mile. Ppindlcs. Killingly Factory, Ballou's, Amesbury's, - Ruggles's, - 1,628 - 1,500 - 1,500 - 2,000 Dayville, Danielson, Williams's, on Qu - 1,500 - 2,800 nnebaug, 2,500 Total, - - 11,000 Total, - - - 13,428 Total for the whole town, — 24,428 spindles, with looms in propor- tion. The trade is carried on mostly with Providence, R. I. Besides these cotton factories, there are 3 woolen mills, 1 furnace, and 1 axe factory. There are but few otlier manufactories of much consequence.