Connecticut Historical Collections

•This town was first settled by persons from East Windsor, in 1716. It was originally a parish formed from East Windsor and J^olton, called North liolton. Jt was incorporated a town in 1S08. It is bounded n. by Ellington, w. by East Windsor and Manchester, e. by Tolland and Coventry, and s. by Bolion. The town is about 5 miles in length and upwards of 3^ in breadth. The greater part of the town is imeven, being agreeably diversified by hill and dale. The soil is generally a gravelly loam, somewhat stony, yet considerably fertile. The eastern part of the township is crossed by a range of mountains, which is the eastern boundary of the great valley of the Connecticut. The most considerable streams are the Hockanum and Tankerooson, which sup- ply water to several mills and fictorics. A cotton manufactory, for a long time the only successful one established in Connecticut, was erect- ed in the western part of this town by ]\Ir. Warburton, an Englishman. The manufacturing business is carried on in this town to a considerable extent. There are 4 cotton mills or factories, and 6 or 8 satinet llic- tories, now in operation, and 1 paper mill. Rock village is about 1 n)ile below Snipsic pond and 14 from Hartford ; it contains G satinet factories and 1 paper mill. Tankerooson, the cotton manufacturing vil- lage, is about 10 miles east from Hartford. 558 W I L L I N G T O N . The cut on the preceding page is a western view of the Congrega- tional church in Vernon, and olher buildings in the vicinity, 1'2 niilus from Hartford. The Hrst meeting house in the town was upwards of half a mile east, on the summit of a hill. The Rev. Ebenezer Kellog was the first minister in the place. The following is the inscription on his monument in the ancient burying ground. R("v. EbcnezL-r Kellog-, itied Sept. 3d, 1817, in ihe 81st 3-ear of his age and fiSth year of his ministry in lliia jdace. In yoniler sacred liouse he spent his breiitli, Now silent, senseless, here he sleefis in deatli, These lips again shall wake, anil ihen declare A loud Amen, to irLiihs iliey publislied there. W I L L I N G T O N . The township of Willington was sold and granted by the Governor and company for five hundred and ten pounds, to the following gentle- men : Roger Wolcoit, Ksq. of ^Vindsor, John Burr of Fairfield, John Riggs of Derby, Samuel Gunn and George Clark of Milibrd, John Stone and Peter Pratt of Hartford, and Kbene/cr Fitch. This sale took place in 1720. A few families had settled on the lands in this town previous to this time. "The settlers were from various parts of New England, and they moved on to the land one after another in a very scattering manner. The first minister settled in the town was the Rev. Daniel Fuller, who was ordained in 1728. Willington is bounded n. by Staflbrd, w. by the "VVillimantlc river, which divides it from Tolland, e. by Ashford, and s. by Mansfield. It is upwards of seven miles in length from north to south, and fom- tmd a half miles in breadth. The smiace of this town is hilly and broken, abounding with stone. The summits of the mountains and hills are generally covereil with granite and olher rocks. Iron ore to some ex- tent has been found in this town. The central part of the town is about 21 miles easterly fiom Hartford. ]l'iUingt.on, June, 1781. Whereas of late years, there has been advanced for a certainty, by a qunclv JJoclur, a lureigner, thai a certain erne may be had Ibi consumption, where any of the same family had before time died with the same disease; directing lo have the bodies i)f such as had died lo be dug u)!, and further said that out ol' the breast or vitals might be found a sprout or vine fresh and growing, which together with the remains of the vitals, being consumed in hre, would beau effectual cure to the same lamily: — and such directions so lar gained credit, that in one instance the experiment was thor- oughly made in Willington. On the lirst day of June instant, two bodies were dug- up which belonged lo the family of Mr. Isaac Johnson of that place; they both died with the consumption. One had been buried one year and eleven monllis, the olher one year, a third of the family then sick. On fuU'exainination of the then small re- mains by two doctors then present, viz. Doctors Grant and West, not the least discov- ery could be made ; and to pievciU misrepresenlations of Ihe facts, 1 being an eye wit- ness, confess that under the collin were sundry small sprouts, about an inch in length, then fresh, but most likely they were the produce of sorrel seeds which fell nndi-r the collin when put in the earth ; and that the bodies of the dead may rest quiet in their graves without interruption, I think tire public ought to beware of being led away by such an impostor. IMoses IIol.mks. 559 APPENDIX [The following account, roppcctinga tribe oflnilians win, funnrrly resided in RlaKlcnbury, was fur- liiKhcd by Gideon Welles, Esc), lo whose politeness the uuUiur la ;ilsu indubleJ for other fuels relating lo the history of his native town.] Tradilion tells of a biave tribe of aborigines wliicli occupied a position a little sotith of the center of the town, known by the name of the Red Hill Indians, They weie a branch of the Pequots,aiui between them and the Mohawks there weie unsparing and relentless hostilities. The Red Hills had a fort on n verv preciinlous tiill, which was strongly fortified on the cast, but towards the river, on the west, the besiegect relied principally on large logs and stones, wliich they rolled down upon their enemies, if tlicy attempted to ascend the einincnce. Spies and friendly Indians informed the Red Hills of the advance of their enemies, who immediately gathered their women and children within the fort; and, on several occasions made a gallant defense,— repelling the Wohaw \<>, with great loss. At length the Mohawks, whose numbers far exceeded those of the Red Hills, and who had usu- ally made their most des))erate ellbrt by trying to ascend the hill, resorted to stratagem. Word came to the Red Hills that the "Mohawks were coming," and thev hastily gathered their little tribe within the fort. liUt the Mohawks did not make their ap- pearance, and after wailing for some time in vain, the Red Hills despatched a small number up the river, for the purpose of reconnoiiering. Near the upper part of East Windsor or Enfield, the parly struck upon a trail, which they followed in a southeast- erly direction until they came to the head waters of Roaring Brook, near Minachaug mountain. Here all traces ceased, — ikj trail, nor track, nor scent, could be found. Subsequent events showed that the Mohawks had at this place entered the stream, and, that they might not be traced, liiid waded down the entire distance to near the inouth, where were the fort and village of the Red Hills. ,The scheme was success- I'ul. The hapless Red Hills were surprised, and e.xpci icnced more than savage ven- geance. The Mohawks spared not one of the race. This horrid butchery is said to ]iave taken place about the period when the hist settlers emigrated to Connecticut. Although the whites had no part in this tragedy, tlie bloody legend was remembered and told, and the froward child was often subdued by the terrific exclamation, "the Mohawks are coming." I For tlio follnwlns n.-cciuiit of rhnplin lb.' muhor is iihl. lu.'d lo Walter GoihIcU, Kso. of Chnplin : it was not received in liiii.' lo have it in.Mib.l in ils lej;..!!!!- plaer ] CHAPLIN. Chaplin, a small township in the westerly part of AVindham County, was formed from the towns of Mansfield, Hampton, and a small section of the town of Windham. It is bounded N. by Ashford, k. by Hampton, s. by Windham, and w. by Mansfield. The principal part of the township, however, was included in the limits of Mansfield. It is hve and a half miles in length Irom north to south, and averages about three and a half in width, containing about nineteen S(juare miles. Aiiinot; the original teltlfrs in the enstrrly .seclloii of said Mansllrld, was Draroii BiMijaniin Chap. liM, uho iniH.vi'd from that part of the town of llainjUoii wliic-h fornirrly liiloiii;i'd to I'oiiifrel, and localr.l hiiiisfll near wiii-n-IlK! mceliji!,' house now stands, in Uie jircMiil town of Chaplin. 'I'o liisen- rr-rtic rllurls, in a (rival uicasuri', was nwni;; th,.- foniiatjori of asoci.lv lare, whli'li was incorporated by the Lcgislalure in 1>U'.I, and eallr,| Chaplin, allrr ilie naiio; of Us fiiriid and hi iirfaLlnr. In 18->2, this soeifly ohtain.d an art of iiK-or()orati..ii, as a town, by ils pivsKiu name. A cliuicli was formed here, May 31sl, IHIO, willi whomlbe U.'v. David Aviiy lahoiv.l as an cvan-rlisi sonn !eii"th of time: but it remaini.-d witlioot any srttkal nnnibter uiilil the year ltt2U, wlien the Hev. Jured Andrus was or- dained as pastor, Deeemhrr 'J7lh. Jfis nilnisli-y coiitiiRuil ten ycaiR, wlien he was dismissed in confiequencc of .'-•ome dissatisfaction among tlie people of his eharge. His sui-cossoi-, liir Kev. I.-nt rt. Jluugh, was ordained August 17tli, 1831, and conlinurd as slated pastor nil Krc rii.h,-,- '.'(lili, l,s:;i;_ xvln.-n ii,j was ilisiiiis.-icd in compliance Willi his previous recpitst. The ccch si,i.-ih,,| -,„ niy hire have a periiiaiunt fund, aniouiiliiig to $0,1)00, secured by bond and mortga(;i', Ih. iiii.r,.-,! ,,1 whirli Is annually ajiprooriatrd " lowardihe Fupportof the giLSpel niinistiy." AmuoHilir piuuipal ilojims of this Imid, was Deacon Brniamin Chaplin, who conlribiiti/d I In.' sum of 'Auiil. ami hy oi lii.-r indivuliial subseri|ilioiis It was iiKri.MSi.'d"lo the sum before mentionr-d In works of benrvoleiic.; and cliaiiiy, Dcacnn Chaplin was ever lound among the foremost of hiB day. He was an econoniir;t of the "oldBchool," and tlie btrict attention with 5G0 A 1' P K N D 1 X . Which li« managed his farman.l n!) liis ilninrslic ronrr-nis, .nabledhiin tnacrnimilalc wpaltli rnpullv Jind to add yearly to his possrvsio,,.. ui.iil h,' U ,■:.,„.- ll.ruwii. rat un,t tin,,, ul' ^,U00 unts vi lun 1 u'l^ Chidinga v..Tyc,Hisi,l.i-„l,l,. i,;,,lnl il„ inun whirl, now brarslii.s name.