History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

In the beginniiii; of this war Greenwich had no VdUinteer companv, and several of tlio inliabitants were pressed into tlic service. "James Green," says the late D. JI. Mead, " now long since dead, used to rehite that while a company of young peo])le, himself among the number, were quietly enjoying them.selves at the tavern (then kept by one Mead, but now occu- ! pied as a dwelling-house by Epcnetus Snifhn, Esq.), they were surprised by a press-gang and several of ; them forced into the service, while he with a few others escaped from a window. After this time a I regular volunteer company was raised. This com- pany seems to have marched directly to Ticonderoga in 1759, and joined the Third Connecticut Regiment. One of the company, a Mr. Coit, residing in King Street, was niounte<l upon a rather sorry nag, which by the time the comi)any had reached Nine Partners, in Dutchess County, had become quite leg-weary, and Coit, thinking perhaps that all is fair in time of war, took a noble horse from a pasturage and turned liis own there instead, without any whys or where- fores with the real owner. His new horse did him good service during the comi)any's stay at Ticonde- roga, which was but little more than a month ; and on his return the company halted, that Coit might deliver the horse to his owner. So well pleased wiui the latter with the boldness of Coit that be made the whole com])any sto]) for the night at his house free of expense. After the war Mr. Coit went to Vermont and settled tliere permanently ; several years after, having become wealthy, he came to Greenwich in his carriage, and visited all liis old comrades of the vol- unteer company." Greenwich formed an association for the relief of the soldiers, of which Mrs. Abraham Mead was presi- dent. An ancient powder-horn is still preserved by Col. Thtmias A. Mead, upon which is almost perfectly de- lineated the relative positions and forts of the hostile armies while at Ticonderoga. This work wa.s done by Dr. Amos Mead, who wius surgeon of the Thinl Connecticut Regiment, while at Ticonderoga. The horn beside this chart has engraved upon it this in- scription : " Anif« Mead Snrgn of ye :M Ouui Reg Ticonderoga Octolter 1T.'»9.'* At a town-meeting March 2, 1756, it was "Furtlicrmorc voted that Mr. Neheniiah 3fcad shunKl have llticrty to aetl the Town ntm'k of Powder as sotui as he tan conveniently to ye Towns l^Ofl ailvnnlage and lay out all the money Ihat he shall pell said IHiwder for, in iiowdur that is good and put the same into Town stock as soon m he conveniently can." In 1757, Decembe*»«d, Monday, " Vote4l to Mr. Kdmund llr»nu and aasocintcs lit>erty to build a saw mill on Ilolveueck brook at llaugrooL" By this agreement Brown and his associates were to build and keep in repair the bridge at Hangroot, and be responsible for damages that might thereby occur by accident to any person. The following record, taken with other similar ex- tracts, shows that in 1758 the town-meetings were held alternately in all the places of worship in the town : " At a Town meeting of the Inhabitants of the town of Greenwich, legally warned and attended at the House Tluilt by the Professors of the Church of Kngland in the Society of Horseueck on the top of the great bill on the Third M inJay of Decemtior A. D. 17JS, being yo Ifith clay of wii 1 montli," etc., etc. But on the 15th day of December, 1760, it was *' Fnrllier Voted to Build a Town ITouse and leave it to the authority and select men how large it shall lie and where it shall stand." " Further Voted that the Ruto for building the Town House shall be paid by the first day of September next." In 1767 the following petition was presented :it town-meeting, relating to the dock at Coscob : *' To tile benevolent iuh:tbit.iutsof the Town of^reenwich, in Fairfitli County, the petition of Nathaniel Close, of said Greenwich, HuuiMy showeth, that your Petr. beitig under a necessity of a store-houBc, as his performing a weekly Paiiquet or stage boat from here U> Xcw York lays l»oth liiiu and the iidiabitauLs under n great di8;idvantag<'. in Ilespecl ho hath no pnijier pla_*e to store the elTect-f of his Freighters, niu* for theni to store what effects ami pnjdnce they severally bring when Ills vessel is not there to Receive it ; which Disadvantage hath been sen- sibly Felt during the last summer. He therefore Prays Liberty of this meeting, that he may be permittee! to build a store-house of 26 feet by :tn, ailjolning the Dank, between the Dwelling house of Mr. John Bush ami the Gristmill of David Hush, so as to leave alsjut sixteen feet flitm stii 1 mill to sd store, for a cartway, if need be, A that he may build it by the bank ii'tjoiuing thereto, ,^ to sd mill Pon<l ; and as your Petr. conceives a House s(j liuitt would IncomilMde no particular Persiui, but Ite a Geneml pndit to the inhabitants, as weJl as .vour Pelr. He then- fore hopes that yiui, gentlemen, in your Prudence will grant his Request and your Petr. as in duty bound shall ever pray. " X.vTH.\MEL Close. " December, 21»t, 1707." The above was passed, and the acting selectmen were ai)pointed a committee to select the e.xact site of the building, which w;is afterwards erected. " At a Town meeting of the Inhabltiints of the Town of GieenwKli legally warned anil liolden on the ,'dh day of May, 17CS, tliisquestii'ii is put to vote, whether this town, in coiyiinction with the Town of N'oi- wnlk, ill the Cimnty of Fairfield, will send their agent to the next en- suing .Xssembly to prefer a memorial to sd Assembly, that the Court House and Goal in said county of Fairfield may be built at said N'orwalk . Resolved in the afflrmativo." .Vfterwards, in the following October, after the se- sion of the As.sembly, in reference to the same sub- ject the town voted, that *' Whereas, the Town of Norwalk. in corOuncliun with several other towns In the Coiinly of Fnirfiehl, Preferred a memorial to the tieneral Assembly, lieMat New Haven. iiitVtobor last, and now lyes U'fore said .\HseniMy to lie heanl at the adjournment, in January ne.\t, praying Ihat the said Town of Norwalk may Ik) the Head or county ti>wn, ,Vc. ; and wheri'os Mr. David Itiisli signe<l the s-iiiie as agent, for and in behalf of said Town It Is then-fore now votwl and agreed that this Town allow, and appnivi-s of the said Davhl Bush's signing said Memotial as agei>t for this Town, and he is Iiereby fully Impowertyl and anthorlseil In lb- liiinie and behalf of this town to apjieor and Prefer s«l Memoiial to a Final determination In the General .\8Sembly, and that it is the earne»-t Request and Desire of the Inhabitants of Ibis low n, that the General Ai- senibly wouM lake the matteni containe<l In salil memorial unto their wise conaideration, and Grant the Prayer thereof, and that a copv of this GREENWICH. 3T1 vote mity be used in tlie Tryal of sd memnrhil, in ni.lrr v> sigitifyo tlie niiii'ls of tlio in]ialiitant3 uf tliis town iu tlie premises." In 1773,— "Kurtlier voted, tlio Town in sd meeting Grant Lilierty nnto David Biisli, npon his Petition for building a mill upon stirkliii's brook Stick- lin'a brook under the overseeing of a Commilti'e by sd Town appointed to grind for Town Inliabitants, and not to put them by for strangers. Voted in tlie alTirnuitive. " Kdward llrusli. Nehemialt Mead, and Deliverance Jlead, .Tabez Mead jun., Xathanitd Finch, and Caleb Jlcad, enters their protest on ye pro- ceedings of sd meeting in sd vote," EARLY MERCH.ANTS. Anionjr the earliest merchants at Cireenwich were J. & B. Brush, in about the year 1827. This lirni also liad a store at Coscob. Kna])p & Busli were also early merchants there. Jabez Mead was a jnoneer merchant at Mianos, and Reuben Fincli at Stanwick. The "red store" on West Street was built by Abra Smith. On Hound Hill, Xathaniel Kntipp, father of 0. C. Knajip, was an early merchant. PHYSICIANS. Among the physicians who have jiraeticed in this old town, and some of whom are still here, are men- tioned tlie names of Shadraclc Mead, Darius Mead, Sylvester Jlead, James H. Hoyt, Barto F. White, Joel W. Hyde, D. W. Teller, James H. Brush, Fran- cis M. Holly, James L. Marshall, John C. White, and Leander P. Jones. L.WVYEll.*. ■ The first ]iermanent Gamaliel of tlie law in Green- wich Wits Julius B. Curtis, who now resides in Stam- ford. The present attorneys are Col. H. W. R. Hoyt, E. Jay Walsh, firm of Hoyt & Walsh, and IMyron L. Ma.son and Frederick O. Hubbard, firm of Mason & Hubbard. POST-OFFICE. The first post-office at Greenwich was established at an early day, and was kept in a building which stood on the premises now owned by W. H. Knapp. It was subsequently removed to the place now occupied by Jacob T. Weed. The postmasters have been as follows : Isaac Mead, Stephen Holly, Samuel Close, Dr. F. M. llf)lly. In 1840, J. E. Brush was appointed, and the ofiice moved to present site. In 18.53, Samuel Close was reappointed, and the office removed to a new build- ing, which stood on premises now owned by William Scofield. In this building, also, Stephen IloUey had ke]it tlie office. In 1861, Mr. Brush was reapjiointed, and the office came back. In 18GG, William B. Wes- comb held the office three or four weeks, when John Dayton received the appointment, and remained post- master until 1869, when Mr. Brush was reappointed, and is the present incumbent. The present postmaster at Stainvick is (Jeo. A. Lockwood ; at Round Hill, O. C. Knapp; at Mianos, Allen J. Phinney ; at Glenville, Webster Haight; at Riverside, William F. Thall ; and at Baiiksville, . The office at Riversville has been <liscontinued. CHAPTER XXXVI. GHEENWICH (Continued). THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION'. Itesolutions in Answer to f'outiuenfal Congress— Letter to the Delegates — Committee of Inspection and Safely — Committee appointed for Sui>- plying Necessaries to Families of Continental SoMicrs — Charges against Rev. Jonathan 5Iurdock — Incidents of the Ili'Volution — C.iv- ernor Tryon's Expedition to Greenwich — Rivington's i'less— The King Stieet Skirmish — The British in North Stamford— Tutnam's IJiile, etc.