Connecticut Historical Collections

a commendable zeal, by a public grant, and by private subscriptions, pledged about .| 1 8,000 of tlie endowment. These oilers, together with the other local advantages, fixed the university in its present location. The manufactories of the city and town are numerous. Among them are three for arms for the United States' service, 1 of broadcloth, 1 of cotton, 1 of webbing, combs, he. he. One manufactory makes 1,500 rifles annually, milling all the parts; another, 2,000 milled muskets ; another, 1,200 guns, which are cast. " One company makes 45,000 lbs. of cotton yarn ; and another, 30,000 yards of broadcloth." The value of articles manufactured in this place yearly is estimated at about ^700,000. The coasting trade of jMiddletown is extensive ; its for- eign trade considerable. In ISIG, more shipping was owned at this place, than any town in Connecticut. Vessels for Hartford, and other towns on the river, are registered here. The Connecticut is navigable to Middletown, for vessels drawing 10 feet of water. Its width oppo- site the city, varies from 97 to 80 rods. There is a horse-boat ferry between this place and Chatham. Two miles above the city is the vil- lage of Upper JMiddletown or Upjjcr Houses, which contains a post ofhce and 2 houses for public worship, 1 Bainist and 1 Congregational. Ship building has been carried on in this village for more than a century. Huo;h fVIntc, Esq., tlie first settler of Wiiitcstown, in the stale of New ^ork, was a citizen of Middletown. lie removed from this place with his family in 1784, and'penetrating beyond the Mohawk Flats, which then formed a barrier to the western seitlcment, located himself Qt Seilaghquate, now VVhitesboro' village, which, till then, had been the gloomy abode of wild beasts and savage men. l''ur the first four years after the commencement of this settlement, its progress was rather slow and discouraging; yet, in 1788, it contained nearly 200 in- habitants; and the same year, the town of German Flats, comprising this settlement, was divided, and a n(!w town established, which, in honor of this enterprising man, was called " li'hltcstojvn." This town- ship, with less than 200 inhabitants, comprised then almost all the western section of that state, which in 1810, contained 2S0,oM9 in- habitants; being about 20,000 more than the whole population of Con- necticut ; so that Judge \Vliite, who survived this period two years, lived to see the dreary wilderness, into which he was the first man to penetrate, and which once bore his name, contain a greater population than his native state. As was observed in his obituary notice, " Judge "White may justly be considered as the patriarch, who first led the children of New Eng- land into the wilderness; and it may he truly said, that he lived to see and enjoy the promised land." lie died in 1812, aged SO years.* lUchard Alsop, a poet of some talent, was a native of this town, and resided here during most of his life, lie was born in 1759, and was bred to the mercantile profession, but devoted himself occasionally to letters. His works embrace a variety of subjects. He published vari- ous translations from the French and Italian : he left a large number of Pease nml Giles's Gazetteer /'■ ■' 512 MIDDr. ETOWN. unpublished works behind him, one of them a poem of considerable length, called the Charms of Fancy. He died at Flatbush, on Long Island, Aug. 20, 1815. EXTRACTS FROM NKWSPAPERS. Middlctown, Nov. 2d, 17G5. Yesterday being ihe day prefixed to enslave America, by an unrighteous and up- pressivc , some of the principal gentlemen of tliis place, to shew the sense they had of their native liberty and freedom, which conchidcd with that fatal day, met to- gether, and agreed that the bell should toll all day with the tongue mnllled ; that min- ute guns should be discharged, and a pendant hoisted half-staff high, before the low n- house, which was accordingly done. All the vessels in the harboi^ hail their pendants struck half-mast high. The gentlemen being met about noon, drank several loyal healths ; and among the rest this was toasted — Liberty, property and no stamps — Con- fusion to all enemies of liberty, &c. In the evening, the young people dressed three images : two of them were dressed very grand ; one in an arm chair, representing a late ignoble lord ; tiie other, waiting on him, in a private conference, holding nji a piece of parchment to him, with these words wrote in large characters, '^ Let's inslmc America wilk stavips." 15ehiiul them on the stage, was a most forlorn image, with a fierce countenance, representing the D — 1, with n speared fork in iiis right hand, and a lanthorn in his left — (however cloven his feet were, his d — /-ship had gloves on his liands.) On the forepart of the stage was a large laniliDrn, live or six (eel high, and proportionally large, filled with lighted candles, (the night being dark and cloudy, made a grand appearance,) on the front oi which was wmie, in large characters. Lib- erty, Property, and no Stamps ; confusion to Lord H g, the D — 1 and Company ; God bletjs King George, Pitt, Conway, Barre, and all Patriots to Liberty. Amkn. Which was read off loud at every dooi in the town, streets and lanes, upon wliicii the company gave three loud and hearty cheers. , ♦ ♦ • The whole scene was over about ten o'clock; when the said images were taken off the stage, and treated with ihc ignominy their o 1 deserved, then burnt, and their ashes were stamped into the earth. Not less than eight hundred joined in ihisalTair; and, notwithstanding the number of all ranks, the whole was conducted and concluded with the ulmosl decency and good order. It would be amiss to omit, that our young children, that can hardly speak, have already learnt this lesson well — Liberty, Properly and no Stamps — whicii they sing along the streets. Middletmcn, Nov. 12/A, 1777. On my way from the army some time since, I fell in with four well dressed men, two of which were in uniform, all with swords and cockades. I supposed they were olh- cers of the continental army, going on business like myself. "We traveled to the iitxt inn, where we stopned fui refreshment, and met half a do/en more of these meek sol- iljers, for, on attending to their discuiirse, 1 soon found they were all itinerant traders. 1 fell into conversation with one of iheni, who informed me lie had mad? five thousand jKiuiids since the last year, by trade. I supposed he must have been a t'aige imjiorter of merchandize from abroad, but, on inquiry, found he had never risked a sliilling afloat, but had been buying and selling from slate to state, and from town to town ; he began with a liogshead of mm, (which he purchased with his tools, and creilit, hav- ing been formerly an exceeding good house carpenter :) lie sold this out by the small quantity to the troops at King's bridge last campaign, and by his industry this way liad acquired the above sum. This information led me to make inquiry into ihe other cha- racters, all of which I found of the same clan. Some had more, some Jess than my in- formant. I arrived soon after at my own larm, and found my hired man had commen- ced trader, and quitted my farm. I went after him, and found him, threatened him with the loss of his wages, if he did not return to liis duty and fulfil his engagement, whicli was for six months : he told me he did not value his wages ; he had made money enough to buy my farm, and asked the price : He had been trading in partnership w iih a baker, who had turned merchant, and could not read, and gave him half the proliis for keeping the accounts. I asked him why he wore a cockade : he said it answered for a pass, and he should have a uniform coat as soon as he conld find a tailor, which were scarce, as they had all turned traders. I pulled out my cockade, and got me a plain coat, and now on my way to join my regiment, having completed the business 1 came on. — Mr. Printer, 1 think it would not be amiss to lake up all these new created gentry, I'orm them into a regiment, send them to camp, and let them work at their old trades : they would be useful then ; they are a curse now. If you approve of this plan, please to communicate it to the public, through the channel of your useful paper. A SuR.Ai.TKiiN IN Tin; Continental Army. Golden Ball Tavern, Middletown, Sept. iCd, 1777. y ?. 3= I' M I I) 1) L K TOWN. 513 Cuurant,Hray'2od, 17110. " On the mornin,!,' al'lcr tlie earlliqiiake was ol)servp(1 at Middlelown, Conn, a sub- stance like luiney or biuier, cove rin;_f tin; grass and carili lor a considerable extent." — Webster on Pestilcnrr, vol. I. p. 2!»'2. The ancient burying ground in Mixldletown was laid out in 1650: it is situated in the north part of the city, on the banks of Connecticut river. A majestic elm is still standing in the yard, on the spot where it stood at the first settlement of IMitldletown. It measured in J832, at two feet from the ground, ':26 feet in circumference : at the height of ten feet, it measures 17 feet. It spreads from north to south 110 feet, from east to west 95 feet. — The following inscriptions are copied from monuments iu this yard. HeRk's a CKD.AR T.4I,I,, fiF.NTI.V WAt'Tl.n oV.R Fiio.M Great Bhit.*n'.s I.slk to thl-s wfstf.rn siiouk, Ne.ir kiktv years CRossiNc Tilt: ockan wrnr., Yet'.s anchored in the cuiave >'ROiM .storm on tide, Yet rememuer the rodv o.nei.v iierk, His ulksseo .sovi, eixt in a iik.iier .^i'Iiere. Here lies the body oCGiles Hamlin, 'squire, Adged Gl years, who departed this lite the fust day of September, Anno Dom. 1C8!>. Here lies interred the body of Mary, tlie virtuous consent of .Tabez Hamlin, Esq. and dttuxhterofye Hon'hlc ("hristoplier Clu istoplieis, F.s([. of New London, who fell asleep April ye 3d, A. D..!?:?!'., in ye 2-Jd )car of her a-e. EIMTAI-n. So i'air, so young, so innocent, so sweet, Sd I ipe a jiulj^ment, and so rare a wit, I'equire at least an Af,'e in one to meet: Jn her they met, but ioiij,' they could not stay, 'Twas gold too fine to mix without allay. In memory of Mis. Desire, lalcAvife of Mr. Abner lily, died Sept. 1st, 17G-J, a^rcd 48 years.