Connecticut Historical Collections

Derby is bounded north by Oxfoid, southwest by the liousatonic, separating it from Huntington, on the east by ^Voodbridge, and south by Orange. Its mean length is about b^ miles, and its mean breadth di miles. The face of the town is diversified with hills and valleys, and with some fine tracts of alluvial upon the borders of the liousatonic and Naugatuc. There are two societies or parishes, Derby jjioper, and the parish of Great I lill, in tlie northern section of the town, Tliere are six houses of worship in the town, o Congregational, 2 Jilpiscopal, and 2 for jMelhodists. iSoiiihciist ciciv of Derby hnmling. The above engraving show^ the appearance of the village at Derby Landing, or Narrows, (as it is sometimes called,) as you enter it on the New Haven road, descending the hill, looking towards the northwest. The village is on the east side of the liousatonic, immediately below its junction with the Naugatuc or VVaterhury river. It consists of about 50 dwelling houses, A or 5 mercantile stores, and a nundier of mechanics' shops. These buildings are mostly built on three short streets running parallel with the river, and on the side of a high hill, which from its summit descends with considerable abruptness to the water, and of course ihe easternmost street is considerably elevated above the others. There are two churches in Derby proper ; 1 for Congregationalists and one for I'^piscopalians ; both situated aljout a mile noi'tli of the Landing. On the leit of the engraving, in the distance, is seen the Leavenworth bridge, leading to 'Huntington, crossing the Honsatonic river. The present bridge was erected in 1831, at an expense of about l^ or 14,000 dollars. Part of Birmingham is seen in the distance^ situated on 198 I) i; H 15 Y . the elevated point of land between the Naugatuc and Ilousatonlc rivers. There are two packets which ply weekly between this i)lace and New York. Considerable (juantitics of wood and ship tin;bcr arc exported, and sliip buildini,', to sonie extent, is carried on at tiie Landing. Derby Landing is about 11 or 15 miles from the month of the river, where it empties into Long Island sound, and SA miles northwest from New Haven. The river is navigable to the Landing, for vessels of about 80 tons, there being about lU fi.'et of water. e im =^^^^^^^^^«&^' "aK^s^W ■-- ^- . '- —-^^=z:^smi^^^j'rr^J£ ■ ■'v ';> ^-"" -•^'-^"'^^" v'"^^-^ Sontlicusteni view of Jiirmiiighaut, Derby, (IS3G.) The first settlers at the Landing were Thomas Parsons, Samuel Plumb, Joseph Hull, Ebenezer Chatfield, Ebenezer Johnson, and two families of Weeds. Thomas Parsons' house stood on the ground where the Episcopal church now stands; Plumb located himself about half a mile north ; Joseph Hull, llu.'gruat ^randfalhcr of Commodore Hull, had liis house about half a mile north of IMuiiib ; Challield settled a little north of Hull; Johnson huih his house about a mile s. k. of the Landing; he was a captain, afterwards a colonel. TiiQ Weeds located themselves about a mile n. e. of the Landing, at a place since called S<jHabbh hole. This place is said to have derived its name from the circum- stance of the two first lamilies who lived here having much contention with each other. Capt. Ethel Keeney, now living, was the first whhe child born at the Landing. He was born jNIarch 17ih, 1755. The engraving above shows the appearance of Birmingham, from the shore at Derby Landing. This village was commenced in 1834. There are at present, (July 1st, 18.3G,) about 'iO dwelling houses, and 3 mercantile stores : there is in, and about to be put in operation, 1 factory for making sheet copper and copper wire ; 1 for making augers ; 1 for making carriage springs and axles; 1 for making nails or tacks ; 1 for flannels and satinets, with some other minor manufacturing es- tablishments. The water by which the mills and factories arc put in operation is taken from the Naugatuc, by a canal which extends upwards D E u r. Y . 1 99 of a mile and a half norihward of the village. A steamboat is about to commence running between this jilace and New York. Pari of the Leavenworth bridge, over the Ilousatunic, is seen on the extreme left.'* The iiouse of SheKlon Smith, Es([. is seen a lililo eastward of this, on the elevated ground above the copper factory. This edifice is elegantly situated, and commands a most beautiful and interesting prospect to the southward, particularly of the vihage at the Landing, and the pas- sage of the Ilousatonic through what is called the Narrows. A small round structure is seen on the right : this is the llcscrvoir, trom which water is supplied to the inhabitants of the village. It is raised fifty feet, from a w^ell under the grist mill, on the canal Ijelow. The village of llumphreysville, about four and a half miles nortii of Derby Lantling, owes its rise and name to the lion, l^avid lluuiplireys. The original name of this place was N(tu-]:o-(uiil:, \vliicli signifies in the Indian ianguuge one lari(e tree, so named hom a large tree which for- merly stood near Rock llimmon, about three fourths of a mile north of the falls. Naiigatuc, the I:mglisli pronunciation of the above word, was the name given to the stream passing througli the village. For a long period after the settlement of this place, it was called Chusc-town, so named from Chuse, the last sachem of the Derby Indians, who is said to have derived this name from his manner of jironouncing the word "choose." Mis proper name was Joe JMau-wc-hn : he was the son of Gideon INIauwehu, a Pequot Indian, who was the king or sachem of the Scatacook tribe of Indians in Kent. It appears that Gideon, previous to his collecting the Indians at Kent, lived in the vicinity of Derby, and wishing tu have his son broui^ht np lunong the white ])eople, sent Joe to Mr. Agar Toudinson of Deih) , wllh whom he lived during his minority. Chirse ])referring to live at I )i rhy, his liitlier gave him a tract of land at the lalls, called llie Imliitn J'n liI. lleie he erected his wigwam, about six or eight rods norlli ol' where the cotton factory now stands, on the south bonier of the flat. It was beautifull)' situated, among the white oak trees, and I'aced the south, lie niarrieil an Indian woman of the East Haven tribe. At the time Chuse removed here, there were but one or two white families in the place, who had settled on Indian hill, the height of land east of the river, and southeast of the cotton factory, in the vicinity of the Methodist and Congregational churches. These settlers wishing Chuse for a neighbor, persuaded him to remove to the place where the house of the late INIrs. Phebe Stiles now stands, a few rods north of the Congregational church. ^Vhen Mv. Whitimore built on the spot, Ciiuse removed back again to the fidls, where a consitlerahic nundjer of the Indians collected, and built tlieir wigwams in a row, a few rods east of the facloi'y, on the top of the bank, extending to Indian hill. Near the river, in the Indian field, was a large Indian burying ground ; each grave was covered with a small lieap of stones. iMr. Stiles, of this place, purchased this field about forty six years since, of the Indian proprietors, and in plowing it over, destroyed these relics of antiquity. The land on the west side of the river from this ])lace, wliere the Episcopal church stands, was formerly called Shrub oak. Both the Indians and the whites went to meeting 200 DERBY. on foot at Derby. Those of the whites who died here, wei'e conveyed on horse litters to be buried at Derby ; these litters were made by liav- ing two long poles attached to two horses, one of which was placed before the other ; the ends of the poles were fastened, one on each side of the forward horse, and the other ends were fastened to the horse behind. A space was left between the horses, and the poles at this place were fastened together by cross pieces, and on these was placed whatever was to be carried. Chuse lived at this place forty eight years, and then removed with most of the Derby Indians to Scatacook, in Kent, where he died, at the age of about eighty years. He was a large, athletic man, and a very spry and active hunter. He had ten childre'n.* Chuse and his family were in the habit of going down once in a year to Milford " to salt," as it was termed. They usually went down in a boat from Derby Nar- rows ; when they arrived at Milford' beach, they set up a tent made of the sail of their boat, and stayed about a fortnight, living upon oysters and clanis. They also collected a considerable quantity oT clams, which they boiled, dried them in the sun, and strung them in the same manner as we do apples which arc to be dried. Clams cured by this method were formerly fjuile an article of tra/lic. The Indians in tlie interior used to bring down dried venison, which they exchanged with the Indians who lived cm the sea coast fur their dried clams. Chuse used to kill many deer while watching the wheat fields; also great numbers of wild turkies, and occasionally a bear. Some of the whites also were great hunters; the most famous were Gideon Wasii- burn and Alexander Johnson. Rattlesnakes were formerly very nu- merous nhoui Niuuiph, near Rock Rimmon, and occasionally have been known to crawl into the houses in the vicinity.