Connecticut Historical Collections

The central part t)f West Haven is three and a half miles fiom the court house in New llaven. The fust clergyman in this parish was the Rev. Dr. Samuel Johnson, who was ordained in 1130. " In Octoher, 1722, he professed himself an Episcopalian, and left his people. lie was missionary at Stnitford many years ; afterwards president of Ne\v York College." " The Rev. Jonathan Arnold was the second minis- ter at West Haven, ordained 1725 or 172G. About the year 17.'34, he declared for Episcopacy. Having oliiciated as missionary at Derby and West Haven tliree or four years, he removed to Staten Island. The Rev. Timotliy Allen, the third niinister of ^Vest Haven, was or- dained 1738, and dismissed 1742."* The Kev. Natlian liirdseye, the next pastor, was ordained in 1742 : he was succeeded by the. Rev. INoah Williston, the (iflli pastor, who was ordained in 17G0. The Connecticut Missionartj Socicti/, an institution which has been of great and lasting advantage in a religions and moral point of view, had its ori- gin in this society. A lady of this jjarisli, (Miss Kimberly,) having liad four or five dollars presented to lier by iicr brothers, wlio were seamen, gave it into the hands of her pastor, the Rev. I'lr. Williston mentioned above, wlih a request that he uoukl apj)ly it for the purpose of supplying those that were destitute, with the ])reached gos|)el. INIr. Williston soon after attending the General Association, mentioned the gift and the object to his brethren, who, taking the subject into consid- eration, formed the society above mentioned. West Haven green, the spot on which the Congregational and Epis- copal churches are situated, is said formerly to have been marshy ground, and covered with abler bushes. It is now uncommonly plea- sant in iCs appearance ; and, although the churches are rather antifjuated in their appeaiance, there is an air of neatness and retirement about this spot that is sehlian ctjualled. About a mile south of the green is Savin Rock, a [)laci.' of some resort during the warm season of the year. It was at this place the Rritish forces landed when they invaded New Haven in July, 1779. Adjutant Ca!ni)bell was killed about one mile and a half north of the churches ; (see page 169.) A white hand- kerchief, marked with his name, was long preserved as a relic of this officer, and it is believed to be still in existence. He was possessed of an uncommonly line personal appearance, and his death was much re- gretted by the enemy ; but in the hurry and confusion of war, he was left behind, and his bloody remains were born to the grave on a sheep rack. Some of our people who were killed, were buried in the vicinity. Their bodies, however, were taken up by their friends, and re-interred in the places where they belongetl. The land of North Milford part of the town was surveyed and laid out in 1GS7, but was not settled till forty years afterwards. One Richard Bryan was the first who settled in that part of the town, and for many yeai:s it was called Bryan's Farm. At a town meeting in Dr. Dana's Century Serniuii o X r 0 11 ]> . 247 Milford, held on the 10th of December, 1750, It was " voted that money should be appropriated to the inliabitants o( Bryan's farm, for the purpose of setting up a school in winter, it being so well settled that cue is deemed necessary." The inhabitants of North IMilford attended meeting in Milford until 1805. They were incorporated as a society by the General Assembly, at their session in October, 1804. The number of })eiiiioner<j for this incorporation was fifty. Their fust regular society meeting was held December 3, 1801. The clnu'ch was organized on ^Vednesday, March 13, 1805, and was begun by (ive persons dismissed bom the churches in IMilford. Their (irst pastor, Eraslus Scranton, A. ]M., a native of Madison, was ordained July 4th, 1805. lie preached with them for about twenty five years, when he a>kefl chsmission, and removed to Burlington. While he continued with them, the society greatly pros- pered. The inhabitants of this parish, fourteen years before this, erected a meeting house, thirty six feet by thirty, on the green, where they had preaching in the winter season, by the alternate labors of tho ministers of Milford. The present meeting house of this society was raised June 27th, 1810, and dedicated April 17, 1811. There is a silver mine in this parish, on land owned by John Lam- bert, Esq., lying on the old country road. It was opened about twenty years ago, by xMr. David Lambert, the father of the present owner, who obtained a considerable (juatitity of ore, but having a large farm which required his attention, he did not long continue to work it. A valuable copper mine has lately been o[)ened in the same range of rocks, by the J\e\v York INIining Company. It is said there are indi- cations of coal in the north part of the town. Asbestos is abundant in the serpentine rocks, which abound in the southern section of the township. O X F O R D . OxFOUD was incorporated as- a town in October, 1798, previously to which time, it belonged to the town of Derby. The Rev. Jonathan Lyman appears to have been the first clergyman in the j)lace. He was ordained in October, 1745. It is fourteen miles northwest from New Haven, and forty southwest from Hartford ; bounded north by Middle- bury and Waterbury, on the southwest by the Housatonic, separating it from Newtown, on the west by Southbury, on the east by Rethany, and on the south by Derby. Its length from northeast to soutluvest is about eight miles, and its breadth nearly five. The surface of the township is uneven, being diversified with hills and valleys. The pre- vailing soil is a giavelly loam ; the eastern and western ])arlsof the town are generally fertile and productive. The central part, through which the main road |)asse3, is considered to be the poorest land in tho town. There are in the town three satinet factories, and an extensive hat manufactory, owned by JMessrs. Hunt Sc Crosby. A number of ex- tensive manufacturing establishments are about being erected on the Naugatuc. 248 O X 1- O 1{ D . 'U. O-iJunl, [cciitnil lutrt.) Tlie above eri[i;raviiig is a soiitlicastein view of the central part of Oxford, The biiihhiiL,^ with a (.'othic tower is the E))iscoj)al church ; part of the Congrcgaiioual church is seen on the extreme right. The elevation seen in the hack-grounJ is called' "' Governor's" hill," so named, it is said, from its being principally owned, many years since, b/a Mr. Bunnell, who was considered by his neighbors as a lordly kind of a personage, and had considerable to do with the law, being engaged i^n many law-suits for the support of his real or imaginary rights. From the important and consequential airs he assumed aniong his neighbors, he probably received the designation of " Governor." f^uu!ccr Fanna is a jjlcasant part of Oxford. It contains an Episco- pal cliurch, which is about two miles from the center of the town. About one mile and a half south from tlx; center is the " Park," former- ly a place for deer. About eighty or ninety years since, a Mr. AVooster owned and enclosed about one hundred acres of land for the purj)ose of keeping deer. It is said that he had the. exclusive privilege by law of restraining any [)erson from hunting deer in the limits of" the Park." Upon the outside of part of the enclosure there was a kind of pre- cipice, from which the deer when pursued would sometimes leap into the enclosure, much to the mortification and disappointment of unpri- vileged hunters. About one mile south of the central part of the town is a remarkable mineral spring ; called " the l\)ol," from the circumstance of its waters- being efficacious, and much used for the cure of the salt rheum and other complaints. " Once in a month a yellowish scum will collect upon the surface of the water, which in a few days will run off, and leave the pool perfectly clear. In the coldest weather this spring never freezes; in the dryest season it is as full as at other times." PROSPECT. 249 PROSPECT. Prospect was incorporated as a town in 1S57. It was formerly the parish of CoKunbia, and was foriui-'d fVoni the towns of Cheshire and Waterbnry. It isjjounded north by Waterbury and Cheshire, east by Cheshire, south by Bethany, and west by Waterbnry, It averages about (ive miles in length, and four in breadth. Tiie central part is about seventeen miles from New Haven, and about four west of Chesli- ire. The townshiji is elevated and comnjands an extensive j^'oxpect, from which circumstance its name is derived. The surface of the town is hilly, mountainous, and stony. The inhabitants are principally farmers. There are two houses of worship, one Congregational and one Methodist. Some three or four years since, the Congregational clergyman and some of tlie most influential members of tlio church and society adopted the sentiments of the Ferfcciionists, which caused some excitement in this and some of the neighboring towns. In New Haven county this doctrine appears to have originated with a student belonging to the the- ological class in Yale College ; several of his associates in the institu- tion also en)braced the same sentiments, and from them it spread to some extent in several towns in Connecticut. A large proportion, how- ever, of those who embraced tlie doctrines of the Perfectionists, have since altered their 0|)inions, and have returned to their former belief. The following is believed to be a correct summary of the doctrines and opinions iield by the Perfectionists.