Connecticut Historical Collections

CANTON. Canton was first settled in 1740, and was incorporated as a town in 1806. The town was formed from the west section of Simsbury and the eastern part of New Hartford. It is bounded N. by Granby, s. by Avon and Burlington, w. by New Hartford and Barkhamsted; and e. by CANTON. Simsbury. It Is about eight miles In length from north to south, and nearl •four miles in breadth. The population in 1830, including Collinsville was 1,437. The township is hilly and mountainous^and the prevaihn character of the soil is a coarse gravel, which is hard, dry and stony. The first settlement was made at the east village. This place vva formerly called Suffrage, from the circumstance, it is said, of one of th first settlers experiencing an unusiuU share of sullering at the commence ment of the settlement. ff'tstcni view of Collinsville, in iJanlon. The above is a view taken on tiie western side of the Farmington river, and shows as much of the village as could be conveniently given in one view. The bouses of the workmen are principally on the west side of the stream, a part of which are seen on the left of the engraving. These buildings, which are built precisely of the same form, are com- pactly set together on the side of a hill rising with considerable abrupt- ness from the water. These houses are painted white, and when con- trasted with the deep green foliage in the immediate vicinity, jiresent a novel and beautiful appearance. Collinsville is IG miles from Hartford and 16 from Litchfield, and contains upwards of 500 inhabitants, who are principally engaged in the manufacture of axes, of which they make from 700 to 800 daily, and of a superior kind. This village was estab- lished by Messrs. Collins h Co. in 18:26, who at that ])criod set up an edge tool manufactory at this place, and at one time 300 men were employed in the business. The following inscription is cojiied from a monument in the old bu- rying ground in Canton. In Miemoryor l")i':u;". Tlu.iiias llidw dl, uluHlcpaitrd lliis life T'^ec. 3d, 180-2, in tlie Glthyearuf liisai,'e. Uiislinkx'ii in lii.- yrrai iniihs of ij.c (^.^|H■i, in ilii.s he was as an iron pillar, and stcadl'asi as a wall .jlliiass. [U- livL-d and dud in llie confidence of hisbretluen. Bill though dead, Iw yet spuakcth lo the Cliuieli, to his liimily and to all who knew hun. Thou tomb shall sale retain thy sacred trust, Till lile divine reanimate his dust. 72 EAST ir A n T r cud. EAST HARTFORD. Tins town is ])len.sa[itly situated on the east side of Connecticut river, bounded n. by East Windsor, e. by ^lanchester, s. by Glastenbury, and w. by Coiineclicut river, separating it from Hartford. It is nearly 6 miles in leuf^tli from north to south, and about 4 miles in breadth. ]\Iost of the inliabitaiits in this town live on one street, about three fourths ol"a mile from and paiallel with llie river. This street is thickly settled from Glastenbury to East Windsor. i\ VJ vitit of iht Lungugatiuiutl (.hunh, Liti.1 HailJunL The above is a northeastern view of the Congref,'ational Churcli in East Hartford street, erected in 1335. It is beautifully situated at the entrance of the principal avenue to Hartford city. Tlie most striking feature in the appearance of Ea^i Hartlord street, is the long row of large spreading elms situated in the center of the street ; these, with the shade and other trees on both sides, afford in summer a delightful prospect to the eye, which is rarely equalled. The meadows in this town, adjoining the Connecticut, contain an extensive range of some of the best land in the State. In the spring season these meadows are usually overllowed by the freshets of the river, which render them very j^roductive. The causeway connected with the bridge over the Connecticut, extends about a mile in a straight line, across the meadows, to the main street in East Hartford, and forms a fine and jirospective avenue to the city. Leaving these meadowSj you rise ratlier a sleep acclivity of fifteen or twenty feet, into a level plain country, extending across the entli'e lengtli of the township, and nearly three miles to the eastward. The soil is fertile, and a large proportion of it is fitted for almost every kintl of cultivation and pro- duct. An excellent mill-stream, called the Hockanum river, enters this town from the northeast, and winds its way through nearly the center of the town, and unites with the Connecticut about a mile below Hart- EAST 11 A 11 T F O It 1) ford bridge. On this stream are many valuable mill seats, tliat give fa- cilities to matiLifacturing operations, which are here cairie;! on to a very- considerable extent. East Hartford was for many years distinguished beyond any other town in the Stale, for the variety and amount of its manufactures. In 1775, a gunpowder mill was built here, under the especial patronage of the colony. It is believed to have been the first mill of the kind erected in the country. Iron works, consisting of an anchor shop, a forge and slitting mill, were built in this town in 1782. Anchors, mill screws, nail rods, gunpowder, paper, snulf, glass, &lc. were among the manufactures carried on here in 1784, with spirit and success. The making of paper, at present, is the principal manufactur- ing business carried on within the limits of the towt). There are five large paper mills, which are situated in a village called Scotlatid, about 2^ miles eastward of the Congregational church, at a place formerly- known by the name of " Pitkin's falls." From one establishment in this village, the U. S. Congress is furnished with paper by contract. This town was formerly included in the limits of Hartford. It waS incorporated as a distinct town in 1784. The fertility of the soil, af- fording an easy cultivation of Indian corn, and the multitude of fish with which the rivers in this vicinity were stored, rendered this place a favorite residence of the native Indians. At a meeting of the inhabitants of Hartford, Jan. 1 1th, 1640, it was ordained, " that all the upland on the east side of the great river, from Podunk river to Pewterpot river, shall be divided to the three miles' end ; that is to say, half a mile of it to be measured and staked, and each man's proportion to run up the country to the three miles' end." And on the same day a conmiittee was appointed to order the highway in the meadow, on the east side of the great river. The original set- tlers generally located themselves on the rising ground back from the meailow, where several of their cellars are still visible. In 1G77, a more rapid and ex.tensive settlement of this town appears to have taken place. Se\eral new highways were laid out in the course of that year. In 1094, an ecclesiastical society was constituted, and early in 1703, the Rev. Samuel Woodbridge, their first settled clergyman, was ordained. The church and people here were united during the life and ministry of I\Ir. Woodbridge, wlio labored with them forty three years. He died June 9th, 1746, aged 63. The Rev. Eliphalet Williams, D.D. his successor, was ordained JMarch 30Lh, 1748. For more than fifty years he was a settled minister in this town. The Podunk tribe, which dwelt in this and the adjoining town of East Windsor, were a ferocious and warlike people. Tontonimo, their first sachem with whom the English bad any acquaintance, commanded two liundred bowmen. When the council of ministers assembled in Hartford, in 1657, the famous Mr. Elliot, hearing of the Podunk Indians, desired that the tribe might be assembled, that he might have an opportunity of offering Christ to them for their Saviour. By the influence of some of the principal gentlemen, they were persuaded to come together at Hartford, and J\Ir. Elliot preached to them in their own language, and labored to 10 i 74 r. AST iiAiiTroni). instruct them concerniiiL; ilitir Clicator and Uedecmcr. When ho had finished his sermon, and explained the nialter to them, he desired an answer from them whether they wouhl aecept of Jesus Christ for their Saviour, as he had heen oirered to them ? l)iit their chief men, with great scorn and resentment, utterly rtfused. They said the En^hsli had taken away their hmd^, and were now altempiing to make tliem servants.* " In the year 1056, a Podunk Indian, named \Vcaseapano, murdered a sactiem, who lived near iMattaheseck, now Middletown. Seaquassin, th(! existing sachem of the trihe, complained of the outrage to the magis- tracy of Connecticut ; and said that tlie Podunk Indians entertained the murderer, and protected him from the merited punishment. Seaquassin at the same time engaged Uncas in his cause ; who also conqilained, that Tontonimo enticed away many of his men ; and protected an ln(nan who had nmrdered a Molicagan. Uptju these complainis the magis- li'ates summoned the parlies hefore them. Sea(juas-in and I'neas, after ohserving that the murderer was a mean fellow, and that the man mm- dered was a great sachem, insisted that ten men, friends of Wuaseapano, should he delivered up, to he put to death, as a satisfaction for the crime. Tontonimo insisted that the satisfaction demanded was excessive; par- ticularly as the murdered sachem luul killed Weaseapaiio's uncle. The Governor endeavored to convince the complainants that the demand was excessive; observing, that the Eiigh,h in cases (jf murder, iiunisli- ed only the principal, and such as were accessory to the crime.