History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

James W. Hyatt " SOS, .wa Asa Hill facing oO'J " Jacob Lockwood " 570 Gbas. Isaacs " 571 " Tbos. Benedict between 57-2, .57:i Joseph W. Hubbell " 572,573 ** Anson Richards " .572, 57;5 David M. Fillow " .572,67:! REDDING. Portraitof Thos. Sanford facing (jj:i " Lemuel Sanfmd between 024, r,i5 " .Tames and Stephen Sanford " 024,025 " .Touathan R. Sanford " 024,025 J. W. Sanford " 024,025 " Jesse L. Sanford facing 025 William H. Hill " 020 " Walker Bates between 020, 027 " Cortes Merchant " 020,027 " Edward Slercliant facing 02S " T.M.Abbott between 028,029 Nash Couch " 02S, Gi9 " U. B. Rumsi'y " 02S, 029 M. U. Wakeman, I.I.D " 028, 029 " William B. Hill - facing 03IJ " D. C. Ryder between 0:iO, 031 " Ebenezer F. Foster " 031), 031 RIDGEPIELD. Residence of D. H. Vahlcn facing 004 " Phineas C. Lonnsbury " 078 Portrait of Siunnel S. St. John " 682 " D. It. Valden between 082,083 W. W. Beers " 082,683 SHERMAN. Portrait of John 0. Nortb.ip facing 690 Albert Barnes " 691 "' Theodore C. Rogers 091 STAMFORD. Portraitof George Baker 716 " Isaac Quiutard facing 738 Wm.H. Dibble " 739 " Benjamin L. Waite " 740 Alfred llovt " 741 IWOK Portrait of iNaac Selleek facing 742 " Natb.iiiirl K. ,\dalns* between 742,743 " Timothy Reynolds " 742,743 " John Cla-(Ui " 744,745 W. W.Scoheld " 744,745 " Seth S. I'ook facing 745 " David Walerbnry " 74r. '* Itiehmond Fox between 740,747 \V. II. Trowbiidge, M.I) " 740,747 Cbanncy Ayres, M.D " 748,749 " Charles C. Lockwood " 748,719 T..LDiUskam .". facing 749 STRATFORD. Mapof Aliiient Stratfor.l facing 750 First Episcopal Cliiircli in Cimm-clicnt 703 TRUMBULL. Residence of .\an.n Sli.nvooil facing 770 J(.se|ib II. Williams- ! " 7S2 Did Home of I,e«is FainlOId " 794 Portraitof EI.en Kaiivhild " 795 " Daniel Fain bild betweeji 790, 797 P. N. Fairchild ■' 790,797 " Le Grand I.;. lieers* facing 797 Elliot M. liearilsley " 798 " Miles liealdsley between 79.8, 799 " D. S. Edwaids " 798,799 " John E. Suinun-rs '. facing 799 " Aniliew Tail between 800, .801 " William Tail " 800, .sol Frederick S. Sterling " 800, .801 " George Dyer, M.D " .800, .SOI " All Brinsmado " .802,803 " Charles Beach " 802,803 " Plumb 1!. Gregory lacing 803 J. H. Williams 803 Elbert E. F.ilwards facing .S04 Residence of Elbert E. Edwards between 804, 805 John C. Malb-tt (with liortraiti " .804,805 T. A. JIallctt ^^^illl poitrail) " .s04, 805 Portrait of Albert S. Coari " 804, .803 Samuel Seeley " 804,805 WESTON. Portrait of G. W. Biadley facing 800 HenryA. Ogden " 808 D. D.Coley " 810 WESTPORT. Memorial Church of the Holy Trinity facing 825 Residence of JIi. J. L. Phipps " 82s Portraitof R. H. Winslow " 835 Residence of the late Sloriis Ketchum .8.30 Portrait of Morris Ketchum facing 8:10 Views at '* Hokanum" on pages 8;i7, 838 Portrait of Daniel Nash facing S39 Ge.ugc. B. Bouton, M.D " 840 ,bihn W. Tayb.r between 840,841 Burr Jennings " 840. ,841 Francis Bulkley facing 842 ' WILTON. Portrait of Sturges lii-nuett facing 802 " Lewis (llinstead between 802, 803 Elbert Olmstoad " .802, ,803 Samuel Kccler... " .802, .803 " John B. Sturges facing 803 William II. Taylor " 804 BETHEL. Portraitof Willis Judd between ,874, 875 George M.Colo " 874,875 SUPPLEMENT. F.ac-SiuOle of Contiin-ntal Currency 878 |)nTNi\«:M\p of UONN. HISTORY OF ■ FAIRFIELD COUNTY. CONNECTICUT. CHAPTER I. GEOGKAPHICAIi AND DESCRIPTIVE. Fairfield County it< lociited in the s-outliwestern part of the State of Connecticut ami is bouudcd as follows: On the north by Westchester Co., N. Y., and the counties of Litchfield and New Haven, in Connecticut ; on the east by Litchfield and Xew Haven Counties ; on the south by Long Island Sound ; and on the west by the counties of West- chester, Putnam, and Dutchess, in the State of Xew York. It is separated from New Haven County by the Housatonic River, which also separates it in part from Litchfield. Tlie southern part is deeply in- dented by tlie waters of the Sound, which form some of the best harbors on the Connecticut coast. Oysters and clams of excellent (juality are found in abun- dance along the coast. The surface of the county along the Sound is level and very fertile. In the interior and northern parts it presents, chiefly, a bold outline of irregular hills and deep valleys. The soil is generally strong and fertile, and the county is one of the richest farming- districts in the State. Fairfield County is not rich in minerals, for neither the useful nor the precious metals abound to any ex- tent,— at least, not in paying quantities. About fifty years ago iron-ore was found in the southwestern part of Reading, near Branchville, but after being worked a short time was abandoned. Coal was dug for aliout thirty years ago near Georgetown, and a silver-mine was worked in 1765 in the northern part of Wilton. Silica and feldspar quartz liave been found in large quantities in the eastern i>art of Ridgefield and the western part of Reading, which are now being worked quite extensively. ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY. Fairfield County was organized at a C<jurt of Elec- tion held at Hartford Jlay 10, 1660, at which time John Winthrop was Governor of the colony. 2 The bounds of the county were described as fol- lows: " This court orders that from the east bounds of Str:itford to y"^ west bounds of Rye shalljc for future one county W'' shalbe called the County of Fairfield, And it is tirdered that the County Court shalbe held at Fairfield on the second Tuesdav in JLirch and the first Tuesday in November yearly." At the date of organization of the county it em- braced but five towns — viz., Fairfield, Stratford, Nor- walk, Stamford, and Greenwich. As the jiopulation increased other towns were f<n-med, until at the present time there are twenty-three civil sulxlivisions, as fol- lows : Bethel, Bridgeport, Brookfleld, Danbury, Da- rien, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwicli, Huntington, Mon- roe, New Canaan, New Fairfield, Newtown, Norwalk, j Redding, Ridgefield, Sherman, Stamlbrd, .Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport, and Wilton. In 17(U "Cap" Nathan Gold was apjiointcd Judge of the Countie Court and Court (if Probates in the eountie of Fairfield." "Justices of the Peace ami (Quorum ajipointed for the Countie of Fairfield are : M' Richard Blackleech, M' John Wakeman, M' JIathew Sherwood, M"' Peter Burre. Justices of the Peace appfiintctl for the Coun- tie of Fairfield are : Capt" James Olmsted, Capt" John Minor, Capt" James .Tuilson, M'' Sam" Hoyt, W Sam Peck, M' James Beebe." CIVIL OFFICERS FOR THE YEAR I7!l2. JUIKIES OV THE COUSTY Col'RT. Hon. Joseph Piatt Cook, Chief Judge; Hon. John Chandler, Lemuel Sanford, Philiii Burr Bradley, Hon. James Davenport ; I>avid Burr, Clerk. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. Robert Fairchild, Daniel .ludsoii, Robert Walker, Abijah McEwen, Daniel Fairchild, .Vbraham Brins- made, Alijah Sterling, Dondare Silliuian, Daniel Morse, Joseph Strong, Samuel Squire, Andrew Row- land, Ebenezcr Jessup, George Burr, Thaddeus Betts, Eliphalet Lockwood, M.athew Mead, Samuel C. Silli- 'J 10 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTi', CONNECTICUT. man, John Davenport, Jr., Charle.s AVrbb, Ri-ubcn Scofield, Amos Mead, Jabez Fitch, Samuel \S'ake- inan, John McKay, Benjamin 5Iead, John Benedict, Daniel Corley, EH Mygate, Daniel Taylor, Thnddeua Benedict, Danlmry; Thoma.s Taylor, Nchcmiah Beardsley, James Potter, ZacchaniM'Towncr, Alexan- der Stewart, Jabez Bottslord, William Edmonds, Henry Peck, Stephen Betts, Thaddeiis Benedict, Redding; Daniel Duncan, Tiniotliy Ru^gles, Elii<ha Mills, Daniel Bernet, Joseph Smith, John Sherwood, James Clark, Dudley Baldwin, Pliilip Xicliols, David Bnrr, Daniel Towner, Jabez H. Tomlinson, Andrew Hill. ATTORNEYS. State's Attorney. — Andrew Rowland. I'rarlicinr/ Altonn-i/^. — .\ndrew Rowland, Jonathan Sturjfcs, Dudley Baldwin, Joseph Xoyes, David Burr, Lewis Burr Sturges, Fairfield; Tlionuis Fitch, Taylor Sherman, Norwalk ; Thaddeus Benedict, Samuel S. Smith, Redding; John Davenport, Stamford; Wil- liam Edmunds, Nehcmiah Stronp, Xewtown ; Elisha Whittlesey, Danbury ; William A. Thom]'snn, Green- wich ; Joseph Jlelker, Robert U. John.son, Stratford ; Isanc Mills, Huntinj;ton ; Samuel Burr Sherwood, Weston. Elijah Abel. .SHKRIFF. DEPITY SHEniFFS. David Maltby, Matthew Reed, Zachariah Lyon, Aaron Morehouse, Amos Hoyt, David Beers, Heze- kiah Clark. JAILERS. Jesse Benedict, Frederick J. Whiting. TOWN CLEBKH. Nathan Bulkley, Fairfielil; Robert Walker, Strat- ford; Samuel (inimmoii, Norwalk ; John Hoyt, Jr., Stamford ; Jabez Fitch, (ireenwich ; Benjamin Smith, Ridgetielil ; Maj. Taylor, Danbury ; Amos Hubbell, New Fairticld ; Caleb Baldwin, Newtown ; Lemuel Sanford, Rcd<linjr; Nathan Wheeler, Weston; Elisha ilills, Huntington; Aslibel Ruggles, Jr., Brookfield. The following citizens ofFiiirfield in 17;M were members of the Conneclicut Society for the Pnuno- tion of Freedom, and for the Relief of Persons un- lawfully Inilden in Bondage: in the towns of — Fairjie/<l.—llcv. Andrew Elliott, Rev. Dr. Dwight, Rev. Hezekiah Ripley, and Andrew Rowland, Esq. JfiDiliiKjInii. — Elisha Ue.xford. S'.nilforil.—^vv. Stei>. W. Stebbins. Orr'nm^h. — Rev. Isaac Lewis. /."' Tlionuis Keeler, E-iq. A / '.—Rev. .Medad Rogers, Dr. Jame« Pot- ter, Col. Neheminh Beardsley, D.iniel Towner. Itniibiirij. — Isaac Ives, Esi). .Vorim//-.— Rev. Justuttj^litchcll. COURT-IIOfSES AND JAILS. Fairfield is a shire county, the courts being held alternately at Bridgeport and Danbury. The first courts were held in the town of Fairfield, and the first court-house was erected in 1720. This was destroyed by the British in 177'.», anil rebuilt in 1704. In 18")3 the court.s w'ere removed hom Fairfield to Bridgeport, and the jail, which was in process of construction in Fairfield at that time, now forms part of St. Paul's Church, Fairfield.