Connecticut Historical Collections

In 1754, Norfolk was sold at public vendue at ^Middletown, the second time, cKcepiing Brown's right. Soon after, a number of fami- lies moved into the town, and the settlement made considerable pro- gress. The town was incorporateil in 175S; at this time there were 21 families. In 17G1, the Rev. Ammi R. Bobbins was ordained as the first minister. At the lime of his settlement the number of fami- lies in the place had increased to sixty, i^'rom this time there was a gradual increase of inhabitams, till abotit the year 1M)0, when the number of families had increased to about two iumdred and ninety, comprising a population of 1,049. Since this jjcriod the spirit of emi- gration to the west has retarded and reduced the ])opulation. In 1810, the population was 1,441 ; in 1830, the population was 1,485, being an increase of 44 in twenty years. Tliis town is elevated and mountainous. The soil is a primitive gravelly loam, generally cold and stony, but has considerable depth, and affords good grazing. Formerly large quantities of sugar were made from the maple : more than 20,000 lbs. have been manufactured in a single season ; but since the hmd has been cleared by proizrcssive settlements, and in consequence of the dustruction of the maple trees by some tornadoes, the business has greatly declined. The tiairy busi- 61 482 NORFOLK. ness compi'iscs the principal interests of tlic town. A stream, called Blackberry river, runs near the center of the place, and a little west- ward of the Congregational church falls over a ledge of rocks 30 feet in height. This is an excellent site for mills, of which there are sev- eral near this spot. East view of jS'orJb/k, [central 'part.) ■ The above is a representation of the Congregational church, and most of the buildings in the immediate vicinity. This little village has a small open square, or green, in front of the church, and is uncom- monly neat and beautiful in its general appearance. About half a mile north is another village, in which arc 2 wuolen and 3 sythe Victories. There are, perhaps, in both places, about 30 dwelling houses, and four or five mercantile stores. The central part is 35 miles from Hartford, 17 from Litchfiekl, I'Z from Hudson, and GO from Albany. Llkhjkld, Ihaiiihr 5, 178C. (.V.;. D[)S.) We learn from Norfolk, lliat on the 23d ult. lour wolves appeared in iluit neighbor- hood, immediately afler the good people had assembled to prefer their annual adora- tions, and as it was iina^'ineil tho:^e voracions animals intended an attack on thehaiin- less tenants ot the fold, information of their visit was ^ent to the place of worshiji, Avhen about 80 men turned out to go in pursuit of, and destroy them. I'iie whole of this formidable body, well armed, moved in a circulai' I'oi'm, to an adjacent monnlain, the supposed retreat of these carnivorous unwelcome guests, and having by this judi- cious movement had the good luck to surround them, the whole were made prisoners; three surrendered at discreticm ; the other, havmg bioken through their ranks, was shot in making his escape. The whole party then retiretl to an inn, and spent the day in joy and festivity. The coldness of the weather at the northward, must certainly have compelled these createres to lake shelter in our woods. The following inscription is from a monument in the burying ground, upwards of half a mile north of the Congregational church. Rev. Ammi Ruham Rubbins, a I'aiihful minister of his blessed Lord. He was born in Branfurd, August 'Jj, 1710, ( ). S., and giaduated at Yale ("oil. 17(^0. At the age of twenty one, he was ordained llie lirst ^iistor of Noilolk-, IJe lived to bury all thai called him to the charge, and with the anxious fcehngs ol a father, addressee! his flock 1' L Y M O ir T 11 . 483 as children. He was humble, yet zealous ; peaceable, yet bold, in his master's cause. In the duties of his olhce, he was sincere, lender, and aOectionale. His doctrine, and his life reflected credit on each oilier. And in his dcalh, he strikingly exemplified Ijiat resignation to the divine will, which he steadily jn cached toothers. "SVhcn called for, he said, " let ineg:o and receive mercy." He died on the .'Ust day of October, 1813, a"ed 73. PLYMOUTH. Plymouth became an independent society in llie town of Waterbury, in 1739, by the name of Noiilibiuy. At this time ^Vcstbiu-y ])elonged to this society, btit was afterwards incorporated as a distinct society, re- taining its name. Afterwards both of these societies were incorporated as towns. INorthbury was incor[)oratctl as a town, by the name of Ply- mouth, in 1795. i^^fufftrt -**¥^la l^axt view of ihe central part of Flyniouth. Tl is bounded n. by Ilarwiiiton and Litchfield, e. by Bristol, w. by Watertown, and s. by Waterbury and Wolcott. Its average length from north to south is 51 miles; its breadth nearly 5. The townsliip is qtiite uneven and hilly; the soil is a gravelly loam, abounding with jirimitive or granite rocks. The town is watered by the Naugatuc, which passes through its western section from north to south, and is a fine mill stream. The manufiicturc of clocks is an important branch of business in this town, there being seven clock factories, two of which are very extensive. The above is a representation of the Congregational and l-'.piscopal churches, in the central part of Plymouth. Tiic village immediately around the churches consists of about 30 dwelling houses, 3 mercantile stores, and a number of mechanic shops, and is on an elevated situation, commanding an extensive prospect to the westward ; it is 22 miles from Hartford, and about 31 miles from New Haven. The Episcopal church is seen on the right ; above this building in the distance is seen the Con- gregational cluuch in Koithficld, standing on the summit of a high hill, 484 R 0 \ ij u ii V . 4. J miles distant. Tho road seen in the engraving is the Hartford turn- pike ; it passes the Congregational church, and descends for nearly a mile into a deep valley, extending from north to south about one mile and a half: this place is called Fhjmonth Hollow. Here is a flourish- ing little village, containing 1 cotton and 3 clock factories. The clock factories belonging to Mr. Terry and j\Ir. Thomas are extensive. The manufacture of small wooden clocks, it is believed, first originated with Mr. Terry, about twenty years ago; since this period, the manufacture of this kind of clocks has been widely extended, and forms a very im- portant branch of manufactuies in this part of the state. In the soirth part of ilii.stowu, near ihe Natigaluc river, lived Mr. John Sutliff, a rcspeclable miller, who died [iciliaps 10 or 1-J yea is si nee. Mr. Siuliff, wiien a young man, became possessed wiih tlie idea, ihat by di^'ging; into llie mouniain near his lioiise he siionki be able to liud silver, gold, and other jMecious metals, lie expected to lind the silver and gold in a state of fusion, so tliat he could dip it up with a ladle, fie commenced diggmj,' by the Waierbury road, near the Walertown inrnpike. In digging into the mountain, in order to avoid the roclcs, stones aiid other obstructions, liis course became veiy eirciutous, and while digging as he siip)H)Scd into the moun- tain, lie ill fact gut round under the turnpike road. 'J'his '.vas lound to be the case in the following manner. Some person traveling on the road, hearing a noise under ground, beneath his feet, conjectured that it must be Suilill'digging. Having obtained assistance, he accordingly dug down and I'ound Mr. Sntliif, who was (inile angry in being interrupted in this inanner. Allhougli perfi;etl\- sane on all otlier subjects, he continued digiring a liltlc almost every day for the grcaiei- jKirt of his hie, for a period of perhaps 30 or -10 yea is, till the inlirmiiies of old age roinpeUed him to desist. Dr. Si/Ivnnus Fansher, a native of this town, and now a resident of Southbury, has devoted nearly forty years of his life to the extension of the vaccine or Icint •pock inoculation, as a remedy against that scourge of the human race, the small pox. For his discoveries in expediting the kine pock, he has recently received a diploma from the " Royal Jcnnerian Society of London." About the year 1S02, when the kine pock had become appareiuly extinct in this cotmtry, it was ftnnid that a number of persons in Danbury and Goshen had taken the infection or vints^ from milking cows. Dr. Fanshcr stales, that he took the virus from the pustule (in the milk nuiid's hand, and inocidated an in- fant with it, and it proved to bo the genuine kine pock. Dr. l'\ also states, that he has known several instances where the infection has been taken, without any apparent connection with the cow; and it is his be- lief, that the infection is taken from some shrub or plant, from which, when discovered, we shall know something of the origin of the small pox, and have a sovereign remedy against it, at hand. JJesides Danbury and Goshen, the genuine kine pock, or cow-pox, has been found exist- ing in Plymouth, Newtown, Southbury, Oxford, Woodbury, Meriden, Middletown and New Hartford. ROXBURY. RoxBUUY was originally a part of Woodbury, and was incorporated in 1801. It is liounded n. by Washington, e. by Woodbury, s. by Southbury, and w. by New IMilford. It is about six miles and a half in length from north to south, and nearly four in breadth. The town- U 0 X U U 1{ V ■1S5 ship is diversified with hills and valleys. The soil is a {gravelly loam, interspersed with some small tracts of sandy loam. The lands are well adapted to grazing, hut afford considerahle grain. The town is watered on its western horder hy the Shepaug, a considerahle hranch of the Hou- satonic. Ahout two miles northwest of the center of the town, in Mine hill, a silver mine was wrought to some extent hefore the Revolution- ary war, hy some foreign miners. A shaft was sunk to a considerahle depth. In digging for silver, a species of iron ore, called " steel ore," was discovered. Nuithcastern view of Uoxburi/, [voiiral jxn't-)