Connecticut Historical Collections

The Rev. Tiioinas Clap, afterwards president of Yale College, was the second minister in Windliain. He was ordained in 17-26, and preached in ilie place till 1740. Mr. Chip received £000 settlement, £100 annual salary, and £10 yearly for his wood. I'he i\ev. Stephen White was their next ])astor, and was ordained in 1740. He continued in the ministry 53 years, till his death, January 9th, 1693. Mr. White, in his half century sermon, preached Januaiy 1st, 1790, says, — "AVhen I came to this town, there were some of the hrst settlers livinf,^ They are now dead, and almost all the next generation, in those days there were scarce any that were not professors of religion, and hut few in- fants not haptized. No families that ware praijcrUss. Profane swear- ing was little known ; and o))en violations of the Sahhath not practiced as is common now, and there were no Deists among us. The people, as a hody, were fearers of .the Lord, and ohservers of the Sahhath and its duties. J3ut the present day is peculiar for men's tin-owing olF the fear of the Lord. Declensions in religion have heen increasing for ahout 30 years [jast. Such as profanencss, disregard of the Sabbath, neglect of family religion, unrighteousness and intemperance, the im- bibing of modern eriors and heresies, and thu cr)-ing prevalence of in- fidelity against the clearest light. Southwest view of U'illijnanlic, IVindhatn. The borough of Willimantic is a flourishing village, 26 miles east from Hartford, 3 west from ^Vindham, 44 from Providence, 16 from INorwich city, and 16 from Brooklyn. It contains at this time nearly 2,000 inhabitants. The village is built principally on one street, on the northern side of the Willimantic, and extends from west to east neaily a mile, and contains three houses of worship, 1 Congregational, 1 Meth- odist, and 1 X3aptist. The engravini^ shows the appearance of the western part of the vil- lage, as it is entered upon the Hartford road. The buildings seen on the left are those of the ^Villdhum Co. cotton factory. WINDHAM. 417 There are G cotton factories, in all of which upwards of 13,000 spin- dles are run. Tliere is also a satinet factory and a paper mill. This village has been built in the course of \2 years past. There was a kind of "State Armory" erected during the Revolutionary war, at the southern extremity of the village, for the purpose of manufac- turine: Ore arms for the state. SoutJi wester a view of Frog Pond, JVinJham. Much pleasantry has been indulged at the expense of the inhabitants of Windham, on account oi' a singular occurrence which happened in the year 1758, by which the inhabitants were very much frightened. The following is from a sheet recently jjrinted in the comity, entitled "Lawyers and Bull-frogs," and will show the cause of the fright. There is probably considerable exaggeration in the hUrotluclion, as well as in the song, though the founilation of the story is believed to be a matter of fact. It is inserted as an amusing relic of the times. " On a dark clouily dismal iiiglii iu the month of July, A. D. 1758, the inhabitants of Windham, a small town in the eastern pait of (lonnef-licnt, had retired to rest, and for several hours, all were wrapped in prolbiind repose — when suddenly, soon after midnii^lit, the slumbeis uf the jieaeeful iiihabilants were disturbed by a most terrilic noise in the sky right over theii lieads, which to many, seemed the yells and screech- es ol' infuriated Indians, and othejs had no other way of aeeminting fur tlie awful sounds, which still kepi increasing, but-by supposing the day ol judgment liad certain- ly come, and 10 their lerrilied imaginations, the awful uproar in the air seemed the innnediate precursor of the clangor of the last trumpet. At intervals, many supposed they could disiingni-ih the calling out of the iiariicular names, as of Cols. Dyku and Eldeukin, two eminent lawyers, and this increasid the general terror IJutsoon there was a rush from every house, the tumult in the air still increasing — old and young, male and female, poured forth into the streets, " in jmiis naturalUius," entiie- ly forgetful, in ilieir hurry and consternalion, of their nether habilinu-nis, and with eyes upturned tried to pierce the almo.st pal|)alile darkness. My venerable informant, Avho well recidlects the event, says that some daring '^spirits," conchaling there was nothing supernatural in the hubbub and ujiroar over head, but rather, that they heard the yells of Indians commencing a midnight attack, loaded their guns and sallied forth to meet the invading foes. These valiant heroes, on ascending the hill that bounds the village on the east, perceived that the sounds came from that quarter, and not from the skies, as first believed, but their courage would not permit iheni to proceed to 448 w I N D H A ar . the daring extremity of advancing eastward, until they had discovered the real cause of alarm and distress, which pervaded the whole village. Towards morning the sounds in the air seemed to die away In the murning, the whole cause ot alarm, which produced such distressing apprehensions among the good people of the town, -was apparent to ail who took the trouble to go to a certain mill pond, situated about three lourlhs of a mile eastward of the village. This pond, hereafter, in the annuh ^f Fame, forever to be called the Frog Pimd, in coiiseciuence of a severe drought, which iiad prevailed many weeks, had become nearly dry, and the Bull Frogs (with which it was densely populated) at the mill (ought a pitched battle on tlie sides ot the ditch which ran through it, tor tlie possession ami enjoyment of the fluid which re- mained. Long and obsiinutely was the coniest mauitiiineil ; and many tliousands of the combatants were found defunct, on both sides of itie iliich, the next morning. It liad been uncommonly still, lor several liours before the hallle commenced, but sud- denly, as if by a preconcerted agreement, every frog on one side of the ditch, raised the war cry. Col. Dyer, Col. Dijcr, and at the snine instant, from the opposite side, re- sounded tlie adverse ^Uuul oi Eldcrkiii too, Elitcr/ciii too. Owing to some peculiar stale of the atmosphere, the awful noises and cries appeared to the distressed Wmd- hamites to be directly over their heads CfOoJ people all, both great and small, Of every OLCiijialion, I pray draw noar, unci IfiiJ an cur To this our true lolutioii. 'Twns of a friglit, happen'd orir. night, CaiLsed by Uiu buli-lnig nalicm, As strange" an one as evtr vva.s kiiuwii, 111 all our gL'rieralicjn. Thu frogs we hear, in hullfrng nljirf, Their cliiirister had hiirncl, The saddi'st loss, and grratubl cross, Tliat ever they eiidui'id. Thus being deprived, tlicy soon (-oiitrivcd Their friemls to stnd to, gr(!itiMg, Even to all, both great and siiiuU, To hold u general meeting. Subject and lord, with one accord, Now came Willi liowrl.s yearning, Fortostijiiilj' and iiiialily, And lit a Iru^' lur I laniing. Jiat.-ly, For to supply, The p);.rr„r Ihrir d..r,,sc(l, Tliei-e didlhry llud on.; In ih.i Wlucli soon their sorrciUB ea Thisbeiiii; done, the glonou.s s ll.'ihu down and night iu\\iau With gr.-al d, 'light, th.'y spent i III iiuisie and in dancing. And when they broke in hiiiglittr. It did surprise both learned and wise. As you shall llnd hereafter. A negro man, we understand, Awoke iiiid heard the shouting, lie ne'er went abroad, but aw.ik'd his lord, Which lill'd their hearts with doubting. With one accord, they went abroad. od I'hile ■d no doubt. e jiidgnioiit day, The bullfrog bhout apj To them like claps ol Which made them say. Without a doubt was C(jiiiiiig, For in tin: air, they did decUue, Was very awful dramming. Those lawyer's fees would give no case Tho' well they're worth indiling; To pray they kneel— alas, Ihev feel The worm of conscience biting. Being thus dlBmayed, one of them said, He would make restitution, lie Would restore one half or iiime'. This was his resolution. Another's heart was loiicli'd in part, liut not luick'd to the ceiiltr; Uatiier than pay one half away, ills soul he said he'd venture. T!i ate 1 will And a.s I llepeii sjieed, ' «'ay led Still, unto the hill, .s.- men they did rally. I'Ut of the valley, they went, with one ccuseii : great nun, returned then, lb wnitliaud malice, Md all, holh great and jmal jth .iudji' and Jury, Ti. Ih e lH.g=' I J. rove 1. This III 1' iji npl.' ,ll \\ null iile a m H..>i in despai isl wonderful did fright I'g lilt ben 11 i>ol irayer. Law ,„::>. in- •ei er 'ol l.ucifer called aiidKlderkin, v Dyer, you kno d an (dd negio. -u uiust coine loo; w well enough, his name was (;nir. Now I'u I ma No massn, says Pnti; what httle comlu ke it no doubt, my longer Khali I be a I'm no rt I ha time IS slave. V glad enough, jilst out, Asf, I). The Ai r 1 di UK .arable, rguiUv lere lay lir uut ( as still ^usl ptiut, as a m lie, oiise, his hole. As ft e,u\y, ^liiit, he began to repent, l\u a Uible he ne'er had known, His Iile was, so bad, he'd give half he had, 'I'o old father Stougbton for one. Tliose armed men, they killed then, And scaljj'd about two hundred. Taking 1 say their lives away, Ai^l then their camj) they plundered. Those lusty frogs, they fought like dogs, Tor which I do commend tliem, Hut lost the day, for want, I .say. Of «eajinns to defend them. WOODSTOCK. 449 I liad tills story set before iiip, JuNt as 1 have \vi il il, It being so new, so stiyiige aiul true, I could not well omit it. Lawyers, I say, now froin this day, Be honest in your dealing;. Anil never more inrrrii.se .vmir store, Willie you the iioor arc killing. For if you do ill, I'll have you know, Conscience again will smite you, Tilt: luill frog shout will ne'er give out, l!ut rise again and tight yon. Now I.iiwycrs, Parson, Bull I'rogsall, Ibid you all farewell, And unto vun I loudly call, A lieltLT Idle lo tell. W O O D S T O C ]v .