History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

This town was granted to twelve proprietors, who made a division and allotment of riglits and surveyed it about 173(i-.'J7. The grant comprised the present towns of New Fairfield and Slicrman, called the " Lower and the Upper Seven Miles." The choice of location in tlie allotment was won by Ebenezer Burr, of Fairfield, who, not having explored the township, chose the centre lot in the " Lower Seven Miles," which, when located and surveyed, included a large j)art of wliat is now called " Short Woods," a moun- tainous portion, and the least valuable of any of the townshii)s. The remains of a dwelling occupied by some of the descendants of Elienezer Burr still exist near the residence of Richard Barrett. The southea.stern portion of the town,ea.-<terly from Wood Creek, was surveyed by Thomas and John Ed- wards,of Stratfonl.itl 17'i7. Tlu'irsurvey comprised a tract of two hundred and tliirly-six acres, and included a part of the farms now owned by B. B. Kellogg, Esq., and Mrs. H. G. Betts. This portion of the town was then called the " Apple-trees," from some ajiple-trees which it is said were planted by the Indians, and were standing witliin the recollection of persons now living. On a portion of this tract surveyed by the Edwards were an Indian village and l)urying-ground. JIany stone implements and curiosities of Indian workmanship are turned up by the plow in cultivat- ing the soil, some of which have been presented to the Smithsonian Institution, at Washington, by Mr. B. B. Kellogg. The ridge of land northerly from Neversink Pond was surveyed by Unesimus Gould a little later in the same year of the Edwards survey. A large tract of swamp-land, covered with pine, now known as " the Pine Swamp," had previously been surveyed by Tliomas Reed. Gould's survey commenced at the soutliwest corner of Reed's pine swamp, and running westerly over the hill to near the south end of " Bear's Pond," and then soutlierly by the swamp around the south end of the ridge by Neversink Pond, thence northerly to the place of beginning, taking in all the upland. In the swamp northerly from Neversink Pond was formerly a heavy growth of white cedar. This was considered of so much value by the first proprietors for the purpose of making pails, tubs, and wooden- ware, which were all home-made, that this tract was surveyed and divided into twelve lots, which still re- main as originally surveyed. The title to some of these lots is rather vague, in consequence of their not having been distributed or properly conveyed in the settlement of the estates of the proprietors or their descendants. THE PIONEERS. Among the early settlers were Medack Roger-, grandfather of D. B. Rogers, of Danbury, Jeroe Scud- dcr, who lived in what is now Centerville, Thoma- Burse, the Beardsleys, the Penfields, Squire Tread- well, grandfather of L. P. Treadwell, treasurer of the Union Savings Bank of Danbury, and Amos R. Ste- vens. The latter was in the war of the Revolution, and W!Ls an ancestor of Hon. Ezra Stevens, who represented this district in the State Senate. The Manzer family were at one time prominent in the affairs of the town. There were five sons in the family, to each of whom the father gave a farni. He was a large landholder, and owned nearly the whole northeastern part of the town. The names of otlier settlers may be found in the history of the Congrega- tional Church. The Kelloggs were early and promi- nent settlers. (Sec biography of Hon. B. B. Kellogg. ) THE DR.^IN COMP.\XY. A iK'titiim for the organization of this conqiaiiy was granted by the Superior Court in September, ISSO, and S. L.' Warner, of New Milford, and R. B. Kel- logg, of this town, were a|>pointcd scavengers. The petition was presented by proprietors of the extensive NEW FAIRFIELD. 455 su-:iiii|i-l:iiiils situated in tlio towns of Xew Fiiirfield, Jirookliflil, and Xl'W MiU'ord, with i-rrtain described bounds name<l, for the i)Uri><ise of draining and ini- jjrovinj; sueh lands. ilessrs. Warner and Krlb\<;g were ibreeted by the court to call a meeting; of the imiprietors, to be held at Mr. Kellofig's residence, to appoint a third scaven- ger and other officers. The meeting was held < >ct. 1 1, 1880, wdicn D. H. Wanzer, of Xew ^Milford, was elcetcd tbird scavenger, C. D. 11. Kellogg clerlv, A. E. Knowles, of Xcw Milford, collector, and 1!. Jl. Kellogg, treas- urer. These swamp-lands comprise a tract estimated to contain near three thousand acres, a large portion now unimproved and unprodin-tive, except lor a growth of wood on some i)ortions, most of which has sprung np since it was partially drained under a grant from the Legislature passed in 1842. Previous to that time it had been a vast quagmire, uuich of it covered with water the greater part of the year, a feeding- and resting-place for the wild geese and ducks in their migrat(iry fliglits I'rom the sea to the northern lakes and return, the paradise of the niuskrat, the mink, and the otter, and where the far- mers sometimes turned their swine during the summer months to feed on the wild roots which grew in abun- dance in this water-covered mar.sh, losing sight of them for weeks, and sometimes months, until time for fattening in the fall, when after a long and weary hunt they would be found in a semi-wild state, but in a much improved condition. The commissioners apjioiuted in 1842 made a survey of the stream, having to navigate it in a boat, and also of what was called the "outlet." This is a narrow gorge between what is known as the Cireen Pond Mountain and the high ridge directly east. , The ob- struction nuiy have been formed by a sli[i from the mountain in some former period, thereby causing the inundation of a large tract of land, the water gra<l- ually wearing a partial channel through the obstruc- tion in the course of years, leaving the accumulated vegetable deposit a store-house of undeveloped wealth, waiting for the intelligence of some age to appreciate, develop, and utilize its fertility. The conunissioners had the prejudices of many of the then proprietors to contend against. They looked upon it as a Nazareth out of which no good could come. Many a stray steer or cow liad broken from its enclosure and wandered into the treacherous bog, and found a resting-place for its bones, or if discov- ered in season been hauled out with ropes by the combined strength of the neigldioring fanners, who often, after a hard day of labor, were called upon at sunset or dark to assist in [mlling from the mire. It seemed to them "casting bread upon the waters" with no hope of return. The commissioners had the stream cleared of ol)- structions and deepened the outlet, copending about fourteen hundred dollars, which was paid by an as- sessment on tlu' proi)rietors. The draining was only partially accomplished, but the result fully pmved the wisdom of the )irojectors. i^onie of the moii' elevated ])ortions have been cultivated and now made into val- uable meadow, and, with further improvement which the scavengers now appointed have in view, it is be- lieved the whole can l)e converted into most valuable lands for meadow ami general agriculture. FIIiST C(:iN(iI!E(iATll(\,\b CII tHiCII.s The church was organized Nov. [>, 1742. The first pastor was licnajah Case, and on his settlement two hundred aeri-s of laud were given him by the town- proprietors. When Ml'. Case was st'ttlcd, or how long he re- mained jiastor, we have mjw no means of ascertain- ing, as the first leaf of the church records' was lost years ago. The first entry on the society's record was in 17.3.3. There had been a dilliculty with Mr. C.ise, it ajipears, tliroughout most of his jiastorate. The society was trying to settle it with him, and voted to leave it to outside parties. At the same time they were extending invitations to their " Danbury neigh- bors" to join with them in society business and privileges, referring to a district on the north part of Danbury, called I'endirokc, some of whom acceded to their invitation. Tlie ])robability is that Mr. Case'.s pastorate extended to ]7"i.3 or thcreab(iUts. Rev. James Taylor was installed pastor in 17.38, and in ]7(>4 (■om])laint was made against him that he left the doi'trines and ]irinciples of the church, and had drawn oil' a j)art of the i)eople, and met in a IH'ivatc house for worship. The following is the pro- test of a part of the society: " WJiei-e/is, At a nit'Ctiiii,' of tlio South Soricty jli N('\v FairfieM, Hc'Ceni- bcr thy Otli, 17H+, thr SocifI,v. b.v a nisOor vote, iiivitfd Mr. .lames Tajlor into thf (iiL'ctiii;:;. house to jiifjich, although Ik- has, nolwilhsIainUng his caiiijiatioii vows, ojR'uly (lesLMttil liis jiastoial oirin-, tast otl with yeeni- irij; rontt'iiiiit the rchjiiims foiistitiitiou of ttiis itilouy, ami separatnl fidlii tiir Filst Chuixli in this .Socit-t)*, ami has with otlicrs set up and maintahiHa nit-i-linj: in a inivato house on the Lol'il's tl.av, to the liistulh- anei: of tlajse thjit wolship in the meeting-house, ctmtiar.v to a law of this colony in that ease luaile ami ] loviUed ; ami it is Juilgeil hy a united eouiieil of Iiotli (!onfioeialio!i8 in this eonnty of Faiitield that he, ye sd Mr. Taylor, oufiht not to I'O employed or eneoiirajied in exereising any I'art of the ministerial olTiee. The sutiseriheis, looUing upon sd BIr. Taylor to he an intruder into ye saered woik of the ministry, think ourselves in duty hound to enter a protest against sd vote, :ls witness our hamls on ye sd ilate above. "JoUN liEAKnSLKK, NKIir-MIAn ItEARDSLKi:. "OliAniAlI IJF.AnTiSI.CE. I'KTKK I'K.NflKLD. " UhNJAMlN* TAVLort. GtIU;oN ItKARDSLEK. ".I.niN FAinrini.n. Jo:^iaii liKAitnsi.EE. " Ei.NA'iiiA.N IIai-l. DAvin \Vaki:lee. "I»AMEt, Smith. Setii Tieowiumhoe. "I'HiNEA.s liEAnnsr.F.E. Elijah FAiioiin.n. ''Hezekiaii Odf.j.l. "•Test: ' .Samcel TitownniDOE, " .S<ieiV/;/'fi C/trt." A vote was passed in society's meeting " ye 21st day of JLiy, l/fio," that they would not employ Mr. Taylor any longer, and Mr. Taylor would not give up * Contributed by D. B. llogcrs. 456 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. the use of the parsonage land till in 1768, when Rev. J()soi)li Peck wa.s called a,s pastor.