Connecticut Historical Collections

* Tlie citizens of Hartford have quite recently laised L&OO dollars for the purpose of iuiprovinf.' the ancient bui yi'iy j^iound : all the old monuuienib liave been replaced and repaneif; graveled walks have been n)ade, nninerous sliade and other trees liave been set out, and it is e.Kpeeled iliat during the piesentyear (1837) a handsome obelisk, inscribed with the names of the hrst settlers ol the town, will be erected. This well merited token of respect to the memory and ashes ol the venerated dead, is in accord- ance with the be^l feelings of our nature, and it is ho[)ed thai this honoiable example of the citizens of Hartford, will be folluu-ed in other places. 60 HARTFORD. Worden to London, and from thence to New England, and dwelt at Saybrook foit four years — it is at the mouth of Connecticut river — of which I was commander, and tliere was born unto me a son, named David, 16.J5, the 29th of April, the first born in that place, and 1638 a dau^hier was born, named Mary, 30ih of August, and then I went to an inland of my own, wliicli I had bought and purchased of the Indians, called by them IMonchonack, by us Isle of ^Vigl)t, and there was born another daughter, named Elizabeth, the ]4ih Septeinber, 1641, she being the first child of English parents that was born there.'* R An epitaph on M Samuel Stone, Deceased ye 61 - YEARE OF HIS AGE Ivi.Y 20 16(i3. NeWENGLANd's glory & her RADIANT CROWNE, Was he who now on softest bed of downe. Til Gi.oRious resurrectioiv morne appeare, Doth safely, sweetly sleepe in Jesus here. In nature's solid art, &. reasoning well, TiS KNOW.NE, beyond COMPARE, HE DID EXCELL: Errors corrupt, by sinnewous dispuje. He did oppvgne, &. clearly them confute: Above all things he Christ his Lord pref'errd, Hartford, thy richest jewel's here interd. The above inscription is on a plain slab of red sandstone or freestone, about five inches in thickness, raised on blocks of the same, a short dis- tance from the ground. Another slab of the same material is by its side, on which is an inscription in memory of Mr. IIi)(jker, styled by the au- thor of the Magnalia " the light of the western churches." This in- scription has been put upon the stone in the course of a few years past ; the engraving is in imitation of the ancient method of making letters. In memory of ihe Ilev. Thomas Hooker, who, in If3;i6, with his assistant Mr. Sto .e, rennoved to Hartford with about iOO persons, where he planted ye first church in Con- necticut, an eloquent, able and faithful Minister of Christ. He died July 7lh, iEt. LXI. The following lines respecting iNIr. Stone, are from " The Wonder- workitig Providetice,'' ^c. said to ha\c [jccn written by ('apt. Etiward Johnson, the (irst .settler, atul for man)- years representative in the Gen- eral Court, for \V'^oburn, Mass. Capt. Johnson was from Kent in Eng- land ; he died in 1672. " Thou well .smooth'd Slo-Ae Clirisls work-mansljip to be ; In's Church new laid his weake ones to support, Wiih's word of mij^ht his foes are fuil'd by thee; Thou daily dost to ifodlincss e.xhort. The Lordly Pielaies people do deny Chrisls Kingly jiower Iltizauna toprociaime. Mens in£)uths are stopt, but Stone poor dust dtiih tr\', • Throughout liis Churches none but Christ duth raigne. Mourne not Oh Man, thy youth and learning's spent ; In desai t Land, my Muse is bold to sa\', For glorious workes Clirisi hishaiii hiilierscnl; Like that great worke of Ressuriectioii day." The following is on a plain upright marble slab, in the western part of the yard. The General Convention of the Universal Churches, in memory of their dear de- parted Brother, the Rev. Klhanan Winchester, erected this monumental stone. He died April I8th, 1797, agedlG years. 11 A R T I" O 11 D . 'Twastliine to preach with aniiTinled Z(?al The ghjrics ol' llie I'l-.sliiiiiKni moi n, When Sin, Dealli, Hell, llie power of ( 'hi Lst -I, nil feel, And Liijhl, Lile, Iniiuuilalii-,-, lie bum. CI The following are copied iVoni moniuucuis in the new burying ground, north of the city, on the Windsor road. IIIPPgiiKu^ ^ T)r. Strong^s Momuiicnt. Beneath this nioniinient are .lepcisiied ihe leuiains of ihe Ri'V. Natiia;. SmoNG, D.D. Pastor of the Church in ihe Fii'.st lOcele- inslical Society- in IJaitlbrd. En(lo\ied willi rare talents, and eminent lor learning and eloquence, he zealously devoted hiniself to the cause orReligion : and, alter many years ol' (hilhlul services, approved and blessed by ihe Holy Spirit, he I'eel asleep in Jc>ns, derjdy lainenled li\- his li lends, the people of his charge, and the ehuich of Christ. " J^lesscil are the dead who die in the Loid, for they rest from their labois." On Ihr iij>l>.'::tl, side. This monument is erected by the First Eeeh-.siaslical Sociel}- in Ilaitlbid, in mem- ory of the Rev. Nathan Strong', D. D. Iiurn IGlh (Jclober, 171H, oidumed 5lh'januai v 1774, died -Jjlh December, lbl(J. " ' In memory of Mary Ann Dodd, wlio departed this life March 2G, 1813, aged 'J7 years, wife of l'.^lisha Dodd. " Pleasant be ihy rest, O lovely beam, soon hast thou set on our hills." On the same monument are recorded the deaths of three young chil- dren of Mr. Dodd. Tiiis is accompanied with another beautiful and expressive quotation from Ossian, viz. "They fell like three young Oaks which sioud alone on theliill. The traveler saw the lovely trees, and wondered how they grew so lonely. The blast of the desert came by night, and laid their green heads low. Next day lie retained, but they were wuii- ered, and the lieath w as bare." This monument, erected as a tribute ol filial aflection, is sacred to the memory of the Rev. James Cogswell, D, D.* 1 le was born .Ian. (J, 17-JO, and died Jan. ii, l.^^)7. Si.xty years a faithful laborer m the vinevard of his J.ord: coiinentlv distinguished by those ♦ An affecting anecdote, showing the "ruling passion strong in death," is related respecting Dr. Cogswell. Duiing his last illness, he forgot his dearest friends, and even his own name. When asked if he remembered his son, Mason 1 (a son with whom he lived, and to m hom he was much attached ;) he replied, " 1 do not recollect that ever I had a son;" but when asked whether he remembered the Loid Jesus Christ, he revived at once, exclaiming, " O yes, I do remember him; he is my CioD and Rk- DEEMEll." 6-2 AVON, mild and humble virtues which ndorn the Chrislian character, as he lived, so he died, a shiiiin<? example ufl'aiUi. When hiii dearest friends were forj^ulten, Ciiiust siill liv- ed in his reuieiiiljrance. He expired triumphantly, cxelnimiii!,' "I du remember him : he is my Cud and n)y redeemer." United in death, here rest the remains of Mason F. CoLrswell, ]\I. D. who died Dec. 17th, 1S:51), a-ed (U) years— ;uul of Alice Co-swell, who died Dec. 30, 1S:50, aged 25 years— the Father, ilistin-nishud for his jnivute virtues and public spirit, and his pro- fessional worth: and the'd.mi^'htei, (though deprived of hearing; and speech,) for her intellectual attainments and loveliness of character. The Ameiican Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, which under Providence, owes its oiij^nn to the father's tenderness towards his child, and his sympathy for her fellow suflercrs, will stand an enduring monument to their memory, wlien this shall have perished. AVON. This town was orii^inally a parish in the north part of Farmington, by the name of Northington, It was incoiporateci as a distinct town in 1830. It is bounded n. by Canton and Slmsbury, e. by Hartford and Bloomfield, w. by Burlington, and s. by Farmington. It is about 6 miles in length, and upwards of 5J in breadth. This township is for the most part a level and fertile tract of land, in the valley of the Far- mington river, between two mountainous ridges, on the east and west. The population of the town in 1830, was 1,025. J^astfrn view of Avon. The above is a representation of the central part of Avon, as it ap- pears to the observer while descending Talcoit nioiiniain to the west- ward. This place is 9 miles from Hartford, and G north of Fartiiington. Farmington river runs nearly at the base of this mountain at this ])lace. Its course is seen in the engraving, by the tops of the trees and bushes in the fore ground, inuncdiately before the person who is looking to the westward : immediately above the head of the person represented, is seen the Baptist church, without a spire, having eight windows on the AVON. G3 east side. The Congregational cliurch is seen beyond. Tlie New Haven and Northampiun Canal passes between these churches. The ancient IVoi thington meeting house stood a few rods from ih^ Farminglon river, about lA miles s. e. of the Congregational church seen in the en- graving : it was burnt down nearly twenty years since.* The meeting houses now standing in the town, tliree in number, 2 Congregational and 1 Baptist, were built immediately after the okl one was destroyed. m^i^--^ ^iM&mSm&Mi View of Monte Video or JVadstvorth's Tower. In the north eastern corner of this town, about two miles north from tho main road which passes over Talcott mountain, is " Wadsworth's Tow- er," so called from Daniul Wadsvvorth, Esq. of Hartford, who erected it, and also a summer-house and other buildiu'js in the immediate vicin-