Connecticut Historical Collections

Sacred to the memory of Maj'r General William Hart, eldest son of Rev. William TIart of Saybrook, who was born June '21th, 1746, and died August OQlh, 1817, in the 7- year of his age. fn youth, active and enterprising, he early entered on mercantile pursuits, and sustained a character of unquestionable integrity and extensive respect- ability. By his talents, he rose to some of the first civil and military honors of this stale ; and commanded iinusnal influence at home and abroad. He loved order — was an able couns(dlor — a professor of religion — a benefactor to the church — a pillar to Society : and has left a memory respected by his friends, instructive to his family, and honorable to the place in which he liveii. " One eye on death, and one full fix'd on heav'n, Pecoine a mortal and iinmoitul man," Mary Ann Hart. — The silver cord is loosed, — The Golden Bowl is broken, — The dust returns to the earth as it was, and the Spirit to God who gave it,— But the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be rai,sed. 10 TOLLAND COUNTY. Tolland County was incorporated as such in 178(3. It was formed from Hartford and Windham Counties. It is bounded n. by INIassa- chusetts, E. by Windham County, s. by New London County, and w. by Hartford County. It is irregular in its form. Its greatest length from north to south is about 30 miles. At the north part it is nearly '^0 miles in breadth; at its southern extremity it is but five miles in breadth. Tolland County, as it respects its suiface, soil, &ic. may be divided into two distinct sections, the eastern and western. The west- ern section, lying within the great valley of the Connecticut, is a hand- some level or undulating country. This tract is generally free from stone, and the soil, though somewhat light, is warm, fertile and pro- ductive, and well adapted to the growth of grain. The eastern section, which embraces the largest portion of the county, is within the granitic range which extends through the state. A considerable proportion of forest lands still remain in this part of the county. The improved lands afford tolerable good grazing, but are not very well adaj)ted for a grain culture. The manufacturing interests of tiie county are res[)ecta- blc and nourishing. The following is a list of the towns, with their population in 1S30. Tolland, . . 1,G9S Ellington, . . 1,455 Stafibrd, . . 2,515 Bolton, . . 744 Hebron, . 1,937 Union, . . 711 Columbia, . . 962 Mansfield, . . 2,(3G1 Vernon, . . IJGI Coventry, . . 2,1 19; Somers, . 1,129 Willington, . . 1,305 Population of the county in 1820, 14,330; in 1830, 18,700. TOLLAND. ToLLANi> was originally purchased of the native Indians by a num- ber of gentlemen in Windsor. In 1715 it was incorporated by the As- sembly, and the settlement of the town was commenced by two I'aini- lies. The progress of the settlement was slow; the number of families in 1720 was but twenty eight. About one half of the township, com- prising the south part,. was claimed by a number of persons who were legatees of .Joshua Uncas, sachem of the IMohegans. This proved n source of considerable difficulty, as the legatees commenced suits at law against the settlers. The j)roprietor3 holding under the Windsor claim- ants were obliged, at a dear rate, to purchase quit claims of the lega- tees of Joshua. The Rev. Stephen Steel was tlie first minister of this town. He commenced his labors in 1720, and continued liis ministry for about thirty seven years, greatly beloved and revered by his peo- ple. Mr. Steel was from Hadley, Mass. The first settlers were of the names of Chapman, Stearns, Grant, West, Carpenter, Aborns, Abbot, Lathrop, Nye and Dimock. The Chapmans were from Windsor ; they located themselves about 2^ miles westerly from the court house, T O I. r, .\ N D , 511 near the Hartford road, in the vicinity of Snipsic pond or lake. Jolin Stearns settled about 2 miles eastward of the court house ; Zebulon West about 3 miles south ; the Govers, Carpenters and Samuel Aborns, located about 21 miles north. Ebenezer Giant, from East Windsor, settled on Grant's hill, about 2j miles south from the courthouse; Nye and Diinock settled near Willimantic river, about 4 miles east. SjHlh iicw of (he cotfrdl part nf Tollnnd. Tolland is hounded n. by a narrow section of land in Ellington, ex- tending eastward, called '' the E(|uivalent," w. by Vernon and Eilmg- lon, E. by the Willimantic river, dividing it from Willington, and s. by Coventry. It is upwards of six miles in length from north to south, and five and a half in breadth. The township is rough and uneven,^ being mountainous ami stony, but some of the valleys and borders of streams consi^l of loam, which is warm and fertile. On the western boundary of the town is a large body of water, called Snipsic jjond, be- ing two miles in length and 100 rods in width. Some of the most val- uable land in tiie township is in the vicinity of this pond. There is also a pond called Skungannig, in the central part of the town, upon Great (juantities il part which beavers were formerly taken by the Indians of cranberries are now gathered upon its borders. The village in the central part of this town consists of about forty wcW appearing houses, pleasantly situated on an elevated plain of about half a mile in extent from north to south, narrow, but of su/licient width for a wide street. This place is IS miles east from Hartford, and 52 from ISew Haven. A range of mountains rises innnediately to the west of the village, dividing this part of the state from the great valley of the Connecticut. The view shows the central part of the village, embra- cing most of the public buildings. The first building on the left is the Tolland County bank. The next building by its side, with a steeple, is the court house for the county ; the next is Col. Elijah Smith's tav- ern. Col. Smith was the first post master, and has kept a public house 542 BOLTON. on tills spot ever since the year 1800. On the opposite side of the street is seen another tavern, to which the county jail is attached. The Baptist church, with u stjuare tower, is seen in the distance : the post oflice is kept at this tinip in the basement story of this building. Tlie Methodist churcli is situated at the northern extremity of the village, on the west side of the street. The Congregational church, the largest building in the place, stands at the south end of the village, and being in the street, is a very prominent object in that direction. The view being taken in the central part of the street, looking north, of course this church could not be represented in the engraving. The following inscriptions are copied Irom monuments in the grave yard, south of the village. Here lies the body olihc Rev. Mr. Stcplieu Suel, the woiihy paslor of llie r'htneh of Christ in Tuliaiid, who departed this lile ihe llh .if Det'endjer, A. I>. IT;')!), in the CGdyear of his age, ;uid tiie 37lh otitis iiiiuistiy. I'or inc to live is (Jiiiist, and tu die is gain. Here lies interred the body of ye non'l)le Zebulon West, Esq'r. sometime Justice of ye quorum, Judge of probates. Speaker of ye Lower House of As.scnibly, and menihei of ye Ilon'ble Couneil, wIkj lived tnueh rispecled and died greatly lamented, on ye lib day of December, A. D. 1770. ^laiis Anno G.'ith. Heaven waits not the last moment owns her friends On this side death, and points liieni out to men : A leemre silent, but of sovereign ))o\\er — To vice confusion, and to virtue peace. In memory of Samuel Cobb, Esq. agentleman of public cdncation and distinguished abilities, who longt?rved his generation as a physician and minister of justice, logreai ncceptanee, and in his life and death was an example of sobriety and virtue, and evi- denced the inlluences and consolalions of Reiignm ; lived much esteemed, and died universally lamented, on ye bih day of April, A'. I). I7H1, Anno /Elalis G5th. The great, the good, (he wise, the just, Must all in lime be lurn\l to diisi; Then learn to quit terrestiial tu's. Thai you may soar above the skies ; , And then enjoy the blissful lavor. Of Jesus (.'hrisl our Lord and .Savior. Tupt. Amos Fellows was. aptivaU'd by ye llrilish troiips.inye f'^land of New ^'oik, Se)il. l.'S, 177(), and was chisely confined loi sevei.il inonihs, and lliere siillei .'d repeat^ ed hardships, probably insup])ortable, and died in cajniviiy, Eeb. Ill, 1777, in ve ISth year of his age. His remains are theie still, and that his meinoiy may be jierpelua- ted, this monument is here creeled by his son. A tiibule of a tear is due to luni who in his country's cause has lost his life. BOLTON. The settlement of this town commenced about the year 1710, by a number of settlers, piinciptilly fi'om the towns of Ifarlford, Windsor and Wethersfield. The (irst town meeting was held in 17^20, the year it was incorporated. In 17i25, the inhabitants obtained liberty of the (leneral Assembly, to ibrm a church. The first minister of the town was the Rev. Thomas White, who was ordained in 17^35. The town is bounded n. by Vernon, w. by jManchester and Glasten- bury, li. by Coventry, and s. by Hebron. It is upwards of 5 miles in COLUMBIA. 513 length and 3 in breadth. The soil is a coarse, hard, gravelly loam, rather cold and sterile. It aflbrds, however, tolerable grazing lands. The township has an elevated situation, hilly and stony, being within the granitic re<Tion of the eastern section of the state. Bolton Stone C^iKtrnj.