History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

In 1870 a man nnnied .\cliilie Zajotti was killiMl by an explosion of fulminate at the works of the Union Metallic Cartridge Company, in East Bridgeport. On Sept. 18, 1880, a disastrous explosion of the same sub- stance occurred near the same locality, instantly killing three men. Philander Clark, Michael Dempsey, and Wilbur Fiershinger, and two boys, James Tobin and Joseph Sullivan, and completely demolishing the small building in which they were at work. The .shock of the explosion broke hundreds of panes of gla.ss in the vicinity, and was plainly felt for miles away. The accident was jirobably caused Ity carelessness in allow- ing the liilminatc, in which the men were working, to become dry, as, when moist, it is considered non-ex- plosive. The manufacture of exploders, in which this substance is used, has since been discontinued by tin- cartridge company. Bridgeport has always been a law-abiding city, and its records are not stained by many great crimes. A few ca-ses, however, are sufficiently horrible. In 17!i() a youth named Shelton Edwards was murdered ; the store, upon the corner of State and Water Streets, in wliich he slept, jdundered, and then set on fire to con- ceal the crime. The perpetrator was never discovered. Another mysterious ease occurred here on the even- ing of June '.i, 1872. Capt. George M. Colvocore.sses, a retired naval officer, was shot dead in a secluded street near the steamboat-landing, whether by an as- sassin or by his own hand was the subject of much controversy at the time. Rewards of seven thousand dollars for the arrest of the murderer and fen thou- sand dollars for the recovery of the securities sup- posed to have been stolen from the person of the vic- tim were offered, but have never been claimed, though detectives were busy for a long time investigating the ciuse. Capt. Colvocoresses had insurance policies upon his life to the amount of nearly two hundred thousand dollars, which the companies declined to |iay upon the ground that he had committed suicide. Suits were brought by his executor to enforce payment, but a compromise was finally effected. One of the most cold-blooded murders ever |>erpe- trated was brought to light here in September, 1878, when a woman of bad character, named Alexander, and one Hassett, the man with whom she was living, quarrcle<l and accuseil one annther of having munlccd Frank Weinbecker, a sailor, in the hope of realizing a few <hillars l>y selling his renniins for dis.section. The body was packed into a barrel and carried to New Haven, to the Medical School. Failing to dispose of it there and fearing detection, the barrel, with its BRIDGEPORT. Ill frlui-^tly roiiti'Mts, was ali;iii!l(iiicil in a Iniiclv placi' upiin the K:\y hunii'. wlirrc it iTiiiaiiinl until discov- i-icil ill till' maiiiKT aln-aily imiicatcil. Both tlie i-rimiiials aiv now serviiifr out si'iiteiicfs iif iiii|irisiiii- iiH'Ut till- liff ill the State iirismi, at Wetherstield. The- (ilil Stratfielil ur I'c(|ii(Jiin(ick Imryiiiji-iirimnd iip(m Niirth Avenue was used liy the early setth-rs. It eontaiussix hundred and torty fn-avestones, the iiiscriji- tiiins upon wliich have heeu eopied. tlie earliest date found heiiii; ICSS.:' Besides tliesi- are other rude stdiies without any letteriii<r, and not a few srraves entirely unmarked. Through the praiseworthy ert'orts (if Mr. K. II Laeey. this aueient Inirying-place has reeently lieen greatly improved. The remains of three minis- ters of tlie first eliureh in this eity — Charles ("haun- cey, Saiiimd ('(joke. and Kuliert Ross, whose unitnl pastorates c-nvered the ].(riiid of ninety-tlirei' years — rejiose here, ami a monniiicnt to their joint memory, either here or in Mountain (irove Cemetery, would not be an inapjiropriate trilmte, MdUXTAlN (tRuVE Ckmktichv eoiitaius some sev- enty-hve aeres, lieautifully situated near the western lioundary of the town, and ]iartially enrircled liy tlii' meandering course of the jpictty stream ralliil .\sh Creek. Within its limits repose the mortal remains of no less than five thousand seven liiindreil persons, about three thousand two hiindred of whom were originally interred here, the remainder liaving been removed from other grounds, — in particular from the old Division Street or Park Avenue burying-groiind in l.S7.'i. Although ineluding so many inhabitants, this city of the dead is not an (dd cemetery, having been incor|iorated as recently as lS4il, and opened with apjiropriate ceremonies .Tune 7, b'^otl. The first person buried within its limits was ('aniline, infant ilaughter of the late Hr. F. .(. .lud.~on. .Vug. 1, IS.'iO. Abont eleven thousand didlars — the profits of a very successful fair lield in St. Jidin's Hall in Dc'cember, ],S7,S — have reeently been e.xjiended in grading and beautifying the grounds. Uussell Tomlinson is jiresi- deiit and William K. Higliy is .secretary of tlie associ- ation. The directors are K. Tomlinson, William 1 1. Bishop, H. T. Shelton, William II. IVrry. X. Whe.der, W. R. Higliy, E. Birdsey, D. M. Read', and Kdwar.l Sterling. I'i;Mlil!()KK ClOMKTKKY is situateil ill East liridgc- ptn-t. north of Olil Mill (ireen, and bordi'riiig upon Stillnian's I'ond. It was ehartereil October, ixn.and originally contained but one acre id' ground, to which seventy-seven rods were added in 1.S44. From l.Sii2 to 1872 the old ground, being bill, was suH'ered to be- come overgrown with underbrush, and burials in it ceased. In 1872 the charter of the a.ssociation was * Tlie writer is ih.li-l.tcil t.i Sir. 0. I'. Di-xter. .if New Yolk, fur a copy of tlifsc iii..iTiiitiuns, uiiil rc^n-ts tliut wiiiit of i.pfire piyvriiLs its piiMi- catinii Mith tliis mtirl'-. i|.. oiiiiiiKiIly iiit.'ii(ii.il. amended, iiennissiou being given to jiurchase one hundred aeres of land, to sell the old ground, and to remove the dead to the new inclosure. Sixteen acres of land were accordingly purchased in the above locality. No reeoril of burials previous to ,\pril, b*^74, can be found. lUirials since that date unmlier three linndred and si'venty-one. The ollieers of the association are: Presidc'iit, .\li .\udrews; Secretary, A. C. Parker; Treasurer, < ieorge B. Mallory. Paiuv Cemetery, in Xorth Bridgeport, was organ- ized in 1S7S. It is situateil a short distance west of Berkshire Mill-pond, and contains about forty-four aeres. Seventv-five interments have already been made here. The officers of the cemetery are: Presi- dent, It. T. Xicliols; Secretary and Treasurer, .loseph .'-^. French; Su]ierintendent, Edgar 8. Nichols ; Direc- tors, P), T, Xicliols, ('urtis Thompson, .1. A. Nichols, E. S. Xicliols, Joseph S. French. There are also two Roman Catholic cemeteries, — one between .Vretic and Shidton Streets, in East Bridge- port, which fronts upon I'eiiibroke Lake, and the other upon that pleasantold thoroughfare called Grove Street (in early days Cooke's Lane), not far from the western terminus of the hor.se-railroail. Here are a few cpita|ilis eopieil from the old luirying- grouiid upon Park Avenue, incorporated in ISII, but diseontiiiiieil and the remains removed elsewhere in l.S7;-l : ■■ IiiMlli is a il.'l.t 111 iiiitiui- iliU', Wliirli I liavc paiil, anil mi must yiill." " In .voiillifiil liioiini ilratli iiif iiii- il.iwii, Tlit-ie tu await the tniiiiin-t"s somiil. Iti-pi-iit, lii'Iii'Vi', wliilc you liavf time, Fill I was taUi'ii ill my piiiiii-." ''And what is life'/ "lis Init a Huwer Tliat bulls anil lilossoins fur an liuiir. But death comes like a wintry da.v, .\iiil cuts tlie invlty tlowii away." CIll'Iil'IIES. At the present time there are twenty-six churches in Bridgeport, belonging to ten different denomina- tions,— viz., Baptist, Congregational, Pnitestant E]iis- eopal, Jlethodist Eiiiscopal, Presbyterian, Roman ('atholie, I'niveisalist, ('lirislian, .\dvent, and Ile- lirew. Full [larticulars of the early history of the oldest tlirin — the I'irst Congregational, St. .lohn's Episco|ial, and the First ^[ethodist — have aln-ady been given. Mention of the others will follow, but the s)iace given to each will be unavoidably (piite limited. The First Baptist Crn'Rcii was constituted Sejit. I'tl, 1S.'-17, with thirty-nine members. Tlie society had been formed previously. — .Inly 24, IXIi.'i, — and the sum of three thousand ihiUar.s raised by subscription, which was pai<l for the house of worship just vacated by St. .lohn's ICpiseopal Society, — a wooden building upon the corner of State and Broad Streets. This sum was collected through the efliirts ol' Ibv. .lames H. Liiisley, of Stratford. A regular minister was not obtained 112 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONXEf'TICUT. until 1838, when tlic Kev. Jo.seph W. Eaton, from Boston, was settled. His successors in the ministry here were: llev. Daniel Harrinf^ton, 1840; Kev. Wil- liam Smith, 1842; Rev. William Reid, 1846; Rev. Dr. A. G. Palmer, 18.')4; Rev. J. L. Hodge, D.D., 1857; Rev. A. M. Hopinr, D.D., 1861; Rev. M. H. Pogson, 1877. The present house of wor.-shij), a substantial brick structure costing seventeen thousand dollars, was built upon the site of the former cliurcli in 1860. In 1878 it was reiiaired and a luimlxT of improvements made, at an expense of about one thousand three hundred dollars. The number of communicants is now 325; membership of the Sunday-school, 283. The East Washington Avenue Baptist Chitkch was organized Jan. 30, 1874, with forty- seven members ; Rev. (.'. W. Ray was the first pastor. The ]irice i)aid for the church, which fronts upon Wasliiiigton Park, and originally belonged to the Bethe-sda Mission Sunday-school, was ten thousand dollars, and about three lliousand five hundred dollars additional was expended in repairs and improvements. Rev. W. M. Inger.soll is now the ])astor, and the church has increased to 158 members, with a Sunday- school of 175.