History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Mr. Samuel Beers was once high-sheriff in the town. His grandson, Mr. W. A. Beers, wichls tlic ))en gracefully as contributing editor of the Soufhport Timrs, which has the following history : " The first paper published in Fairfield was issued as the Snidli- port Advertize)-, published by Messrs. J. H. AVood, J. F. Jennings, and Thomas Bradley for one year, after which the name wa.s clianged to Southport Chronicle, with the same proprietors excepting George Baker, the jjresent editor of the Stamford Adrorate. Two years later the original partners withdrew and Mr. Baker associated with him Mr. Benjamin F. Bulkc- ley. Three years later the Chronicle Association was organized, C. M. Gilman, Esq., editor, with a capital of three thousand dollars. It is now an independent con.servative paper, having for editor Rev. Henry A. Van Dalseni, of Southport. Contributing editors, William A. Beers, of Fairfield; William H. Smith, of Mill Plain; Chas. H. Gray, of Greenfield. (Sec "Colonial," No. r>U.) By the etibrts of W. A. Beers the Times has ae- f)uired its popularity, and his articles are IVeipienth' copied in the New York papers as works of much merit. No. 8. This "colonial" was built by David (")sborn, where he brought his wife Mary Beers (see " Coltniial," No. 7 ) Osborn. Here were their three .sons — llezekiah, Daniel Beers, and David — born, whtmi their parents saw make a beginning in life. Hezekiah built him a house, occu|iied now' by Mrs. Burr demons (belnng- ing to Mr. Frederic Sturges), and there he brought his wife, Nancy, daughter of Peter and Sartih Brad- ley Perry. (See " Colonial," No. 0.) Hezekiah fol- lowed the sea and was caiitain of a vessel. He moved to 151ack Rock; from thence they accompanied their children to Verona, N. Y., where they died. She was nearlj' one hundred years old. The sons went to Kansas, and were there located at latest reports. Daniel, born May 5, 1779, took the Jiouse built for He/.ekiah, and brought his wife, Sally Wakeman, a near descendant of the Rev. Samuel Wakeman, an- ct!stor of most of the Wakemans in town, of whom Andrew P. Wakeman is at present a prominent and efficient town officer. Here were born Jlrs. Eben Burr,* of Fairfield, and Mrs. Lyman Wilcox, of Illinois. David married Rebecca Sturges, daughter of Benjamin Sturges, to whoiu the grant was given on Mill River for a fulling-mill. He (David Osborn) built the house occupied by Miss Rebecca S. Carew, and, in company with his father, David kcjit a coun- try store on the corner opjiosite the new graded school-house and Miss Carew's. There was also a slioemaker's shop attached to the store. The father died in 1813, aged seventy, with the typhus fever, which was then an epidemic. Two bachelors, Jona- tlian and Aaron Beers, were afraid t(j jiass a house where there was a victim of the disease, but they both took it and died with it. The son David died in 181"). The store w'as moved to the premises now owned by .Mr. Charles Smith, son of Master Elnathan Smith, who was aide-de-camp to Gen. Washington. He afterwards taught a select school on Mill Plain. There is one lady living (Mrs. Elizabeth Meggs, now seventy-nine, who was born on the spot where St. Thomas' church (Catholic) now stands, since it was removed) who attended his school, and who relates that he would in his last years go to sleep, and the children would tickle his nose. While the store stood on the Smith premises it was occupied by Maj. .Sam- uel Beers (brother of Mrs. Mary Beers (.)sborn and father of Mr. Henry J. Beers), who was deputy sheriff of the county and kept the jail, and there he died. This store was then moved to the iiremises of Mr. * See " Special Houses," No. 2. 294 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. Samuel Perry (see " Colonial," 6), who used it in his cabinet business or as a shop. It was moved ajrain on the highway above Mr. Ebenezcr Hurr's and converted into a dwelling, owned at present by James Flanagan. From the family of David and Mary Osborn have descended four generations, wliicli constitute a goodly portion of Fairfield and form a worthy line. In ISTC) a centennial i>arty was held here, whidi proved to be a family gatliering, as many of the grandchildren and great-grandcliildren formed a large share of the company. Dre.sses were there that prob- ably were worn in tlie same house one hundred years before, and had figured at balls and jiarties at that date. Tlie oldest dresses worn originally belonged to Miss Abigail Burr, sister of Gen. Gerslion\ liurr. " Hats and cloalcs that had ridden on horseback with their owners five or ten miles to hear some famous divine expound the doctrines of Christianity were present ; also ancient wedding-dresses were displayed, looking as well as when they decked the brides for whom they were made, all of whom have long been sleeping the peaceful sleep that knows no waking."* These garments are stored away carefully for future use, — fitting habiliments to wear in these old liouses once in a liundrcd years. The Osborns have been very numerous in Fairfield. Among the stones in tlie old graveyard one reads, — " Here lyos Buried tho Body iif Cap* John Osborn, wliu ilol>artcd this lifo Octl»lh, A. D. ITOO.inyo 78th year of liis ago." The name has undergone changes, as the following is found : " Here lyw yo Body of Mn(. Ahigail Ofbutij wife to Mr. Sannicl 0*buH, Aged about 44 ypttnf. Dwc* AugllBt ycSth, 1 7 2 4." A new stone-cutter or improvement in spelling is shown on her husband's stone : •' Here Lyes Buried the BiKly o( M' Siimuel OAorn^ who dejmrtcMl this I-ifo April 2nil, Anno Doml 1752, Agwl 72 Ycare." The next stone underwent more changes, as that was to " Benjamin <W>oni«, who ileparted this Lifo July ye 2.', 1770. Aged 47 Ycari." Longevity was a feature among the Osborns. Deacon Daniel O.sborn died in 1804, aged seventy- nine years. He was tlic politest of husbands. In those days it was the custom for milkmaids or house- wives to do the milking, so he used to drive up the cow, hand Mrs. Osborn llie pail, and brush away the * Thun wrote an eyc-wltne« to the Brilffepori StiimUirJ. flies while she milked. Mr. Howes Osborn died 1807, aged eighty-five. Mrs. Howes Osborn died 1S12, aged eighty-one. (See " Colonial," No. 48.) Hon. Thomas Osborn was member of Congress, and served two terms in tlie House of Representatives. His residence was that occupied at present by Mr. Henrj- J. Beers, of Fairfield. Hon. Thomas Osborn wa.s a lawyer. He and Deacons Cliarles Bennitt and Samuel A. Nichols were executors on Hon. Roger M. Sherman's estate. Mr. Osborn's son, Arthur D., is a la«-yer and clerk of the courts in New Haven, Conn. This colonial property fell by purchase or otherwise to Capt. ,r. AVakcman Davis, who had five children born here, of wliom one son, William, die<l from eat- ing stramonium-berries. The next day there was no more stramonium on the place, as a scythe cropped every plant of the species. Capt. Davis made repairs on the place, which after- wards came into the possession of Jlr. Walter Jen- nings, now a resident of (ireen's Farms. He was an extensive landliolder in ]\Iill Plain, owning the prem- ises of Aaron Oould and property in possession of Charles Smith, also a portion of Andrew Thorpe's property. The name of Jennings is associated with real estate in the same district to some extent to this day, the princi[)al representative being Horace Jen- nings, who has been engaged in the grocery business, but, sutlering greatly by three fires, has turned liis attention to agriculture. Mr. Walter Jennings sold this colonial to Andrew Thorpe (son of Capt. Sturges Thorpe), who went to New York in his youth, learned a branch of cabinet- making, and l)ecaine a member of the firm and amassed a handsome fortune. He built a fine country- seat on the site of his father's (Capt. Sturges Tliorpe) hou.se, facing the green on Mill Plain, whicli he occu- l)ied till his death, which occurred July 4, 1877. His property remains undivided. Mr. Tliorpe wished to improve his property by ex- tending bis lawns, so he exchanged this colonial with Mrs. Charlotte Burr and her sons, David and Cliarles Bulkeley, for their home contiguous to his grounds. He removed their house and fences, while they moved into tlie colonial, which they occupied for some twenty years, when Burr Perrj- purchased it and newly covered it and made a square twii-story house of it by raising the long roof side and changing the chimney. It is now used for a teneineut-house. No. 9. What remains of the old house on the Perry homestead has the following history : It, with the mill- property, belonged to Richard Ogden, and is recorded in 1680. In 17(i') tlie mill was burnt; it then stood on what is now called Laurel Brook. Some of the oak- timbers which helped form the dam rejiutefl as the first in Fairfield are yet on the original foundation. Proofs are given of a dam's being there, as the old deeds are given of land lying in the old mill-pond. Mr. Ogden was too jioor to rebuild the mill, so the town bought back the site. FAIRFIELD. 295 It was next purchased from the town by Joscj)]! Perry list), son of Nathaniel and Hester Lyon I'erry, and fjrandson of Richard, the first Perry settler, who received " May ye 18th, 1649," a grant from tlie town of " one common lott, contayning two acres and ten rods, more or less," etc. "Also one parcel of land in the Newfield" (now Bridgeport). "Also one jiarcel of meadows in ye meadows before ye town," etc. " Also one parcel of meadow by tlic harbor."