Connecticut Historical Collections

Gideon ISlmncehu, the king or sachem of the Scatacook tribe, was a Pequot Indian. The last place of his residence, previous to his comin<i: to Kent, was in the town of Dover, N. Y. on Ten mile river, a few miles west of Scatacook. JNlauwehu, in one of his hunting ex- cursions, came to the summit of the mountain whicli rises almost pre- cipitously west of Scatacook, and beholding the beautiful valley and river below, determined to make it the place of his future residence. It was indeed a lovely and desirable place ; there were several hun- dred acres of excellent land, covered with grass like a prairie, with some few scattering trees inter3[)ersed. The river was well supplied with fish, and on the mountains, on both sides, was fotmd an abundance of deer, and other wild game. At this place Blauwehu collected the Indians, and l)ecame their sachem, and here the Moravians had a nour- ishing mission. A granddaugiiter of the sachem, Eunice l\Iauwehu, and two or three families, are all that novv (1836) remain of the tribe at Scatacook. The place where Mauwehu resided was sold by the state for about 3,000 dollars, the interest of which is annually appropriated for their benefit. This farm has been recently sold by IVlr. Raymond for 18,000 dollars. The tribe still possesses about 300 acres of land,- lying south of this farm ; the greater part of which, however, lies on the mountain west of the valley, and is valued from 1,500 to 2,000 dollars. " Tlicre is in this town, (says Dr. Tiiimbiill,) convincing^ evidence, that it was a prand seat of the native inhabitants of ihis counlry, liefore Indians, wlio more lately inhabited it, had any residence in it. There are ai row heads, sione pots, and a sort of knives, and vaiioiis kinds of ntensils, treqiienlly found by the Enj(lish, of such curious workmanship, as exceeds all the skill of any Indians since the English came into this counlry, and became acquainted with them. These were not only found when the town was first settled, but they are still found on the sides of Hou.'^atonic river. The history of the Indians in the town when tlie seltleinenl of it commenced, is well known. Mowehue, a sachem, who a few years before had removed with his Indians li om New- town to New Milford, about the year 1728 built him a hunting house at yealacook, in the northwest part of Kent, on the west bank of the Housatonic river. He invited the Indians at New Mill'ord, from the Oblong, in the province of New York, and from various other places, to settle with him at Scatacook; and it appears that he was a man of so much art and popularity among the Indians, that in about ten or eleven years, about the lime when the town was settled, he could muster an hundred war- riors. The whole number, piobably, was about tive or six hundred. These, like the other Indians in this state, and in most other states, hftve been greatly diminished. 472 N K W II A R T F O H D . Their whole number, nt iliis linie, is imt more than forty. The Moravian missiona- ries visited these Indians ubuiit the liiii« ol' ihe great relit^ions concern in tliis country. They came lirsl in the 3ear ITK), and visited the Indian village called Cliekameka, in the Oblong', in the province of New York. They, about the same time, came and preached to the Scatacoolc Indians, and in 1743, according to their account, the Scala- cook saciiem was bapii/.ed by them. In this place they formed a church, and hatl a flourishing congregation. They baptized 150 of the Kent Indians. It is universally testified, tiiat these missionaries were very inollimsive people; that they were well es- teemed and kindly treated by the people of the town while they tarried. They, how- ever, complain of themselves as ill treated, persecuted and imprisoned; but it could not be by the people of Connecticut. Wliat became of the In'dians who were first on the ground, before the English had any si.'tllements there is not known. When they mov- ed away, or to what place, cannot be ascertained. The probability however is, that they were connected with Philip's Indians in the war against New England ; and that in the slaughter which the Connecticut troops made of the Indians on the Housatonic, at the close of that war, numbers of them were slain, and that the rest were so alarm- ed, that they removed into Canada, as many other Iiulians did about the same lime." < J\EW HARTFORD. The township of New Hartford was liTanted to tl)e Hartford paten- tees. Tlie settlement cotnnienced about the year 1733, and it appears to have been incorporated soon after. The first settlers were from Hartford. Their names were John, Cyprian and Zachariah Watson, Joseph Gillet, Noah IMcrril, deacon Martin Smith, I'homas Olcott, Stephen Kelsey, l\latthew Gillet, John Andrus, Jonathan Marsh, Dan- iel Shepherd, Samuel Douglass, Eleazar Goodwin, and others. The first minister in the town was the Rev. Jonathan Marsh, son of the Rev. Jonathan- Marsli of Windsor, ordained October, 1739. He con- tinued in the ministry between fifty four and fifty five years. As this was a frontier town, some fortifications were erected for the defense of the inhabitants.* New Hartford is 20 miles northwest from Hartford. It is bounded north by RarkhamstiMl, east by Canton, west by Torrington, and south by luirlington and Harwinton. It is six miles in lengtli, and averages about the same distance in breadth. The township is hilly and moun- tainous, containing a range of ujouiitains of considerable elevation, con- sisting of granite and other primitive formations. In the northern part of the town, the ])erennial or evergreen region of Connecticut commences. Here several years since was an exten- sive tract of forests, called " Green Woods," but they are now reduced, roads having been openetl through them, and considerable portions cleared. The Farmingion river passes through the northeastern sec- lion of the town, affording good sites for mills, k,c. The town is also watered by numerous stnall streams, rtinning in various directions. Tiie lands are best adapted for grazing. The following engraving shows the appearance of the village, as it is entered from the north, upon the Albany road. It consists of about 30 dwelling houses, 1 cotton factory, I machine shop, and 4 mercantile stores. The village is mostly on the west side of the Farmington river, ♦ Dr. Trumbull. N K \V II A 11 T F 0 it D . 413 Nortlitrn vicio of JSeiv Hartford, {North village.) situated in a deep valley, the hills and mountains rlsinf^ immediately on every side, excepting the valley through which the river and turnpike passes. The Congregational church is seen on the extreme right of the engraving. The mountain is sometimes called Bare Spot Mountain, from the circumstance of a bare spot, destitute of trees and shrubbery, being found on its summit. This village is about 2A miles north of the old Congregational church and town house, 20 miles from Harfford, 16 from Litchfield, 45 from New Haven, and 75 from Albany. About three fourths of a mile to the southeast is another village, afjout the size of the one described, which has been built up in the course of (ive or six years past, called Kellogg, or lower village ; it has a woolen factory, and an establishment for manufactiu-lng machinery for making woolen cloth. Besiiles the two Congregational churches, there is one for the 13aptist denomination, situated in the southwest [wrt of the town. Ill the eastern part of this town there is a ronp:h and mountainous rlislrict, formerly designated Sa/aih\i Klngduvi, and the few inhabiiants who lived hero were in a meas- ure shut out from the rest of mankind. An inhuhiiant of the town invited one of his rieis:tibors, who lived within the limits of this disirier, to go and hear Air. Marsh, the first minister who was settled in the town. Ife was prevailed upou to e;-o to church in the forenoon. In the course of his prayer, Mr. Marsh, ainong other thinijs, praj'ed that Sataii's kiui^doni. miL'/tl. be (leslrpijcd. It apfiears that the inhahitant of this dis- trict, took the expression in a literal and tan^jible sense, having probably never heard the expression used but in relerence to tiic disiiiel wherein he resided. Being asked logo to meeting in the afternoon, he refused, stating thai Mr. Marsh had insulted him; " for blast him," s;iid he, " when lie prayed for the destruction of Satan's kingdom, he very well knew all my interests lay there." The following are extitiets fi'om the town records, * At a town meeting, Dec, 10th 17.")fl. — Cornniiltee a)ipoin«ed tc/ make application to Mr. Baulden to come and settle in the ministry, and if he refuse, then to Mr. Rohords, and if he refuse to accept of the caul, then to ISfr, Marsh, .smi to Rev. Mr. Marsh of Windsor, and if he refuse, then to Mr. Timo. Woodbridge. 'Adjourned to May 22, 1739, when il was voted and unanir/iously agreed, that it is needlul to proceed, and that we will proceed to built a meeting house, &.c. Mr. Stephen Kelsey appointed 60 V-. 474 NEW JI I I- F O n D . agent to solicit a coniiiiillcc from liie CiLMi. Assenibl}', (o dt'lermine upon liie silo for the meeting house. Maiiiiew Ciilet and Sauil. Jicuhaui, (juoiistois, to tune or set the psalms. Jime 2G, 1739— Voted lo give Mr. Marsh a ^salary of £100 yearly for i years, and after that to adtl five jHunuls a year till it anu)Lini lo £110. Voted lo give Mr. Marsh £2 5.S. for each Sabljath he shall preach till he is seliled, he lo board himself. July 21, 173'J. — Voted to give Mr. Marsh £100 a year lor three years, and after that lo add £10 a year till it amount lo £150. Voted, that ve will proceed to build a meet- ing house, &c. and the length shall be 50 foot.s, and the bredth 40 foots. Sept. II, 173!). — Voted lo add 5 fools lo the length of the meeting house. Voted, that ihe ordmalion of Mr. Marsh be on the 2d Wednesday of Oelober next. Voted, that the time lo begin to raise the meeting house be the 20th May, 17-10. Commillce may hire a.ssislance to rai.se ihe house, il'it cannot be done (Jlherwise. Voted, that ihe commillce make a sutabel preparation of Uquer for the raising of the meeting house.