Connecticut Historical Collections

Gr.ASTENiniRY was incorporated as a town in 1690 ; it was previously included within the limits of Wetlicrsfield. It is bounded n. by East Hartford and ^Manchester, k. by Hebron and Bolton, s. by Cliatham and iMarlborough, and w. by Connecticut river and Wethersfiuld.* Its length from east to west averages about nine miles, being aijout six in breadth. There are some fine meadows upon the bordei-s of the Con- necticut, back of which, upon the I'ise of land, the soil is a sandy loam, generally fertile and productive. In Enstbiiry, the cast society in the town, the lands to a considerable extent are rough and stony. There are five houses of worship, 2 Congregational, 2 JNIethodist and 1 ]''pis- co])al. The po])ulation in 1810 was 2,776 ; in 1S30, it was 2,960. Glastenbury was originally purchased by the proprietors from the In- dians. The deed from the cliief, granted a certain number of rods in width north and south, " hutting on the Great River, and rumiing three miles into the wilderness," These lots have many of them presented the same general featuies to this day, although subdiviiled among de- scendants and purchasers, until some of them ore only eight rods wide, though three miles long. The principal ]iroprietors and first settlers were of the names of NV'elles, W^yllis, Hale, Kimberly, Ilollister, Smith and Talcott. Thaddeus Welles, Esq. now resides uj)on the land which liis ancestor, I'homas Welles, ])urchase(i of iSotvheag, the great sachem at INIiddlutowu. These lands have descended from father to son, and liave never been out of the possession of the family for almost two hun- dred years. Sauuiel AVelles, the celebrated banker of Paris, and the late Gen. Arnold AVelles, son-in-law of Cicn. ^Val'l•en, who full on I^m- ker Hill, were of the same I'amily, and \ery recently ownetl aiiotlier tra<'t pnrehastil by the same ancestor. About the year 1()9(), the Legislature gave permission to all the in- habitants of that part of AV'ethersfield, 1} ing cast of Connecticut river, to associate together and be invested witti town privileges, " so soon as they could procure and settle a good orthodox minister." The Rev. Timothy Stephens was ordained their first minister in October, 1G93. Mr. Stephens appears to have tlied in 1725, at the age of CO. — An old bouse is now standing in the town, upwards of half a mile north of the Congregational church, called the "Talcott house," and is believed to be one of the oldest in the State. It was formerly stockaded, and it is said to have been once attacked by the Indians — marks of the as- sault are stated to be still seen. This house belongs to Col. Talcott, of the U. S. Army, superintendent of the U. S. Arsenal at Watervliet, N. Y., and has been in possession of the family about one hundred and fifty years. * A sriiLill tract \nthiii iht- buuiid^ of lilast.Tibniy lies on tin; u-fst iide vf Ci.tiiifcli,- ;ul rivcr; llie ciuim' iiltlnc. will be exjiluiijeel \]\ the uccoiiut of Wetherblield. 92 C I, A S T K N 15 U U Y Cotton Vactonj ullage, (!ltti,ttn'un i/. The al)ove is a western view of the village connected with the Hart- ford Manufacturint^ Co. This site is admirably situated for nianufactur- ing purposes. Konring Brook here passes lhrouL,di a very narrow de- file: the first datn above the factories has a fall of 50 feet, and the low- er dam 21 fi!i;t ; taken together these are believed to be the highest falls in New England used for manufacturing purposes. This establishment has 5,200 spindles and 135 looms in o|)eration ; 130 girls and 40 men and boys are employed. The village is situated about half a mile eastward of the main road to C'hatham, 8^ miles from Hartford, about li miles from Connecticut river, and 8 miles from Chatham quarry. There was foruu'rly a powder mill in this place, one of the (iist e\er built in this coiuitry : this was blown up in HIT and live persons killetl. The first appearance of this village siiikes the traveler with an agreea- ble surprise: considering the general face of the land in this section of the town, he is not prepared to find in such a shoit distance fiom xhe main roacl, such a romantic and beautiful specimen of interesting scene- ry.— From some of the eastern hills in this town, are some of the most delightful prospects to be seen in the State. The view end)races tho whole valley of the C'oimccticut — from where it enters the highlands in South Glasienbury to i\lount I'om in Massachusetts, including Hartford and all the intervening towns. '< In the eastern part of the town, there is a pond of about a mile in circumference, called ' Diamond pond,' from the circumstance of there being small pebbles or stones around its margin, having a peculiar bril- liancy. Near the center of the town, there is a mineral sj)ring, which though it has acquired no celebrity abroad, has been thought by men of science who have examined it, to possess valuable meilicinal quali- ties ; and for more than one hundred years has been known by thy name of the ' Pool at Neipseic,' G n A N li Y . 93 There were several seats of the Indians in Glastenbury, and this tract was considered fine hunting and fishinLT ground. They were all tribu- tary to Sowlieag, who was tributary to the Pequots, or in alliance with iheni, and they inuslered their warriors in aid of the quarrels of that powerful tiibe. The north part of Glastonbury was called the plains of JIanalibukc ; the south part, Naog ; and on the line of Chatham and Glastenbury were the meadows and hills of JVongnng ; m the southeastern ])art is the valley of If'asuc. Near the center of the town are the high hills and the celebrated pool at Ncipseic; still farther east and to the northeast are the higher peaks o( lloiiksett und Mlnachaug, The following inscriptions are from monumeiUs in the ancient bury- ing ground. Here litnh interred Ihe body of Tlioinns K imberly. L'.sq. une of l.is Majostics Jiislicrs of ilie Peace, and Uiioimn S|)eakeriri the ILiuse oi' llepresentiiiives, >.Vc. m all uliirli trusts his eniiiienl abilities distiiiguisiied liim. lie was the son of Eleazer Kiin- berly, Ksq. i\jjed 18 years, and 4 months. Boin Sept. 1(JS1, and expired Jan. '2;», Ai. 172!),— 3U. Here lyes the Body of ye Rev. Mr. Cliiliab Rrainerd, a zealous and faiilifnl minister of Christ, am! (ir.st Pastor of yeChineh in i:;i.sibnry, who deed. Jan. 1, \l\VJi, in ye lit-,! year of his a;,'e, and in ye 13d year of his ininistr^'. Reader! (jiie moment stand, and this sione uiii remind yon tliat Win. Welles, F.s([. on the l-3ih of April, A\. 1.778, in ye :>\\\\ yenrof liis ai,'e, e-vclian-jed iliis workl toran- ol.her; after bein:,' honored for many years as an aeceiitable servant ol tlie iiubiic.wilh many Inipnicmt u|iirL-s of trnsi ahd'euiifnh'iice. IJeic lies the niurtal [larts of Mr. David Hale, wlio p;iid lo nalnie lis last demand June 17th, ISDO, m the lllh year of his a-e, when his inmiuilal ]iait ].a.-,-ed to receive n more sublime de-ree unde'r the Great Areh above.— When in Life he was resneeled, So in death he was lamented. Gil AN BY. (iii.\N'nv is an extensive irregular towubhip, situated in the northern scctif)!) of Hartford County. It was incorporated as a town in 178G, ])revious to which it was a part of Simsbttry. It is bounded n. by the Massachusetts line, e, by Sulheld and Windsor, s. by Simsbury and Canton, and \\. by IJarkhanisied and llartland. The average length of the township from east to west is Di miles : the breadth from north to south averages more than 6 miles. There are two societies in this town, Turkey Hills and Salmon Brook. Turkey Hills is said to have derived its name from the numerous flocks of wilil turkeys which for- merly used to range this part of the town. Salmon Brook (the west- ern part ol" the town) derived its name from a brook of that name, jiassini^r through this section, in which salmon formerly used to betaken.' There are 5 houses of worship in this town ; 2 (x)ngregational, 1 Epis- copal, I Methodist, and 1 Universalist. Salmon Brook, which is 14 miles Irom Harifurd and 3 from the old prison buildings, is perhaps the largest village. In this place is the Episcopal church, and about twenty or thirty dwelling houses in the vicinity. 94 (^ U A N U Y , Di^erent appearances of minerals have been discovered in llie green- stone mountains and iiills of this town. The cavern, which was once occupied by tlie Slate as a prison, is now opened and worked as a mine by the " Phtunix Mining Company," incorporated by the Legislature of Connecticut in 1830. South view of Nc legate Frisoii Jiuildivgs. This place, formerly the State Prison of Connecticut, is sixteen miles from llarilbrd : the siiires of the ciuirches in the city can be easily seen from the jirison buihhngs. It is two and a half miles east of the New Haven and NorthamiMon Canal, and four or five miles westward of Con- necticut river. The buildings are situated on the western declivity of a range of mountains which cKtend southerly to ?Scw Haven, .terminating at the Kast Hock near lluit place. A range of luftv, precipitous and craggy rocks rises immedialcl}- uasl of tlie Prison; o\\ the west extensive val- leys are seen, with mouiiluins [jrcscntini;; irregular outlines in the distance. The appearance of tliis j)lace lijrcibly reminds the observer of the walls, castles and towers erected for the security of some haughty lord- ling of the feudal ages ; while the gloomy dungeons within its walls call to remembrance a Bastile, the prisons of the ln(|uisition, and other en- gines of oppression and tyranny.