Connecticut Historical Collections

"The inhahiiants of this town have lieen remarkable for their atlnchinent to tlie dillereiit dynasties thai have governed this country. In 17.')S, during the war between Great Britain and Fiance, the then Not tli Ameiican colonies made a noble elTbrl, aided by an army of n-Liulars, to close a war, (waged with savage ferocity, by the combined forces of French and Indians,) by taking Louksburg, a strong forticss, and key to the CJnlf and Biver St. Lawient-e, which \ias gloriously accomplished by the troops under the command of Geiieial Amhcist. The glad tidings were wafted on eagles' wings to every hamlet in the suireiiiig coimlry, gratitude wanned every lieart, and joy lighted up eveiy countenance; ctudial greetings cheered every bosom, and enormous piim|ikin |iies sinidvcd on every board. It was deemetl necessary that some further demon.-^lrations should be made, to sliow clearly the love ol' king and country that entwined around every ligament of tlieir hearts; caps were thrown high, and a lull chorus from stentorian lungs grandly echoeil from the surrt)unding liills. A de- cree went forth, that a cannon should be iired; no life-destroying instrument of that description had ever broken the silence of this part of the New Wmld ; Yankee iiigc- nuity was placed on the rack; an entire new article was invented, and would have been patented forthwith, hud fashion then led the way. A tiemendous (i(i/,e7i Ii'l; was brought from the forest, and without delay liansformed into a cannon of the caliber of 1-JO j)oiinds; t(j make all sure aiui establish the character of this new sjiecics of artillery, a son of Vulcan jdaced thereon massive hoops of iron ; — "a threefold cord is not easily broken," — and in accordance with this truth, a cordon of \v'ood hoojis were driven close over all, so that the infernal machine hail the appearance of a mummy dressed for the tomb. The work was accomplished ; the powiler horns were biiuight together and emptied of their contents; the gun was literally crammed, and removed to the summit of a hill, that the thunder thereof might be heard to the ends of the earth; a train was set and the match lighted; the assembled inuliitmle stood afar v[\' in breathless anxiety j ihe awful munifui was ajiproai'hing ; theicueh was applied to the t lain ; the niiiiiuii til niiM-bief ci c|ii .viowly Iowa ids the ehamljcr uf sleeping dusi, like the serpent to the car ol\iur iimther the, — '■ l.it by the biilliant spark', from grain to giain Runs the (jniek fire, along the kindling Ham ; ( )u the pain'd ear-drum bursts the siulilcii crash, Starts the red llame, and dcaib luiisues the iJash." In an instant, liope and fear, together wiili the object of ailoralion, were waited to terra' incogniia; m a fiery chariot. The fame uf the exploit spread over the whole world, and was written in the f.'hroni- cles of Ihe kings of iMigland; Lieorge the thud, in the iilenitude of his goodness, pro- vided a substitute made of pure bras,-,^ that his faithliil .^ubjeets might ever after sing peans to his victorious army. This mark of ins majesty's favor, however, was lost in passing the Atlantic Ocean. MANSFIELD. Mansfield* was funncrly comprised in the original limits of the town of Windhainj of \vhich it was the norlhern section. It was made a dis- * This town was named, it is said, from Major Moses M<tnfjichi of New Haven, who, in the Indian wars, routed a parly of Indians somewhere in this region. In con- sequence of this exploit, he received a grant of a targe tract of land, now comprised 552 m A N s r I E L 1) tinct town in 1703. Its Indian name was NaivbesetiicJc. Settlements were made here soon afier tliey commenced at ^Vindham. Some of tlic first settlers are said to have been of the names of Fenton, Royce and Hall. Patience Royce is said to have been tlje fust white child born in the town. Settlers by the names of Storrs, Porter and Barrows, from Plymouth, were in this town at an early period. In October, 1710, the Rev. Elcazar Williams was ordained as the first minister in the town. The township is bounded north by Willington and Ashford, west by Willimantic river, dividing it from Coventry, east by Chaplin, and south by Windham. Its average length from east to west is S miles; its av- erage breadth nearly six. The central part is 27 miles cast from Hurt- ford, 19 from Nbrwich, and 12 from Tolland. t/icast view of the rrcsbytcrian C/turch, Dhtiisjicld. The al)o\o is a ut'iiii view of the I'nsl'ijti rum clii and some other buildings in the \icinil}', in the centia This is believed to be the only Prcbbyterian cliurcl The members arc ruled, or governed, by 8 elders. The face of the township is uneven, being diversified' with hills and valleys: the eminences in general have consitlerable elevation. Be- sides the Willimantic, the town is watered by Nachaug river, and its tributary streams, the IMonnt Hope and Fenton. A larger qufinlity of silk is iii;iiiuf;iclured here llian in any oilier placejn the Unileft f iiiiUisirv was inlroduced into tin aI I States. This braiieh of of this place, above se\ ",v •y was introduced into I'i; since, who eslabJiil ch in Mansfield, part of tho town, in Coimecticul. iry l)y Dr. Aspinwall sin'' of silk \\'oini in the limits of this town. The tradition is, that Alajoi Mansfield received his name, Moses, from the followin;j; circnmstanee; his parents, who resided either in North or East Haven, in crossings the l<'ast river in a canoe, were npset, and their infant, whom they were taking across the jiver in order for baptism, lloaled away from them. Be- ing well wrapped up in blankets, the infant Hoaied down the stieam and lodged among the rushes, where he was taken nj), having receiveil no injuiy. IJis parents intended to have named him lliehard, but from the circumstance of his being taken fiom the water and from the rushes, he. was called .Miif(S. lit: was a major of the militia, which was the highest military ollice in the county ; he wa^ alfo a judge of the county court, aud au a.^sislam luilgc'of j.iobatc-. s () ni K R s . 553 New Haven, Long W.iiid and Pliihrdrliihia. At il, is period half cin ounce of mul- berry seed was sent to every jiansli in Cuuiiccticm, and tlie legislature lor a lime of- fered a bounty on mulberry trees anil raw silk; CGf) lbs. were raisetl ui 17I):f, and the quantity has been increasing ever since. In 1>(30, :i,'J()0 lbs. were raised. Two small silk factories liave been established in this town by un English manufacturer witli swifts for winding hard silk; 32 spindles for doulilin:,'; seven dozen of spindles for Ihrowing; 32 spindles for soil silk winding; and 2 broad and one fringe silk looms. There is machinery enough to keep 30 broad silk looms and fifty hands in operation. There are in the town two cotton laclories. Screw augers and steelyards are manu- lactured here. The inhabitants of this town have been distinguished lor their ingenuity, enterprise and industry. About .sixty years .since Mr. Daniel liartsliurn of this place, invented the bu^z saw, now so useful in the mechanic's shop. At the fust he used it by hand, lor cutting the teeth for horn combs. About this time, Mr. Nathan Palmer, a liouse joiner, and Andrew Ilarishorn, a blacksmith, invented the screw auger. Steelyards were manufactured by iVfi. I lanks, spectacles and surgical insirunients by Mr. I-'enion, at an early date. The double whcelhead was invenlcd by Mr. Horace tJaiiks, about the year 1800, lor the purpo>e of sjiiiuiing silk. It was hr.st used in tlie (amily of Mr. vVnght. The first sillc reeled from the cocoons was the work of the wife of the Rev. Mr. Mariiii, who had been in France, and had seen the operation in that country. Most of the manufacturing business dune in this town, has been perlbrmcd, in the "republican style," each one for hiinscll in his own family. The following inscription is from a monument in the yard a little south from the Presbyterian church. Here lies the body of ye Rev. Mr. Elcazer Williams, pastor of ye chh. in Mansfield. Descended from venerable ancestors, but more nobly born from above ; and with laith- lulness, pruilence, zeal and courage, imprcjved the gifts and graces his divine Lord had intrusted him wiili; in ye work of (he ministry here, being found with his loynes girt and looking for the mercvof the Lord Jesus tu etnnal life, at his master's call, he quietly fell asleep in .lesus, Sept. -Jlsi, 171-2, in th.' r.r)ili year of his age, and ye 32d year ol his pa.sioral work.— Them that sleep in Jesus will (Jcni bring sVith him. SOMERS. SoMERS is boiuuled n. by the IMiissacIiusetts line, w. by Enfield, e. by Siaironl, and s. by JOlhnytnn. It is about siK miles in length from north lo .south, with a mean brea.tllh of about five miles. The central part of the town is 22 miles n. k. from llariford, and 12 s. e. from Springfield, in Massachusetts. There is 1 Congregational and 1 Methodist church in the town ; there is also a considerable number of Baptists, who are associated with the Baptist churches in the neighboring towns. The western section of the town is generally smooth and level, and free from stone, The eastern section is hilly and mountainous, witli some heights of considerable elevation, allbrding an extensive and interesting prospect of Hartford, and the beautiful valley of the Connecticut. Somers was formerly the southeast part of tlie ancient town of Springfield, granted by the General Court of Mas.-,achusells to Mr. Pynclieon and his company. It was alterwards incorporated with the town of Enlield, and was part of the same ecclesias- tical society, and so continued to be until about the year 170G, when it was made a dis- tinct ecclesiastical society, by the General Court of Ma.ssachusetts, by the name of East Enfield. The town of Enfield, when incorporated, extended from Connecticut river to Sta/iord, ten miles. The first person who moved on to Somers was Benjamin Jones, of Welch extraction. He was from Enfield; and in 1706 moved on lo this tract where he resided in the summer,* but moved back in the winter, and at other