History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

May 21, IS.w, Hamilton Commandery, No. H, of Norwalk, was instituted, ofheers were ehosen, and three members — William R. Higby, James L. (iould, and James E. Dunham — received the honor of knighthootl. The first piiblie ai)pearanee of this body was at the fu- neral of Alexander Hamilton, a prominent citizen, from whom the Commandery took its name, who died .\ug. 27, 18.')7. Its tweiity-tiftli anniversary was celebrated May 20, 1880, by a])i>ropriate exercises, including an interesting historical sketch by William R. Higby, which has been published. Officers of the Com- mandery at this time are: William E. Seeley, E. C. ; Hugh Stirling, (ien. ; William R. Higby, Treas. ; W. B. Osborn, Rec. Following are the dates of organization of several of the other Ma.sonic bodies in this city. Want of space forbids giving any account of them at this time: Jerusalem Cha|)ter, No. U, R. A. M., Oct. 21, 1813. Jerusalem Council, No. lli, R. and S. M., in 1827. De Witt Clinton Lodge of Perfection, May 11, 1858. Pe<iuonnock Chajjter, It. C., June 1, 1S58. Washington Council, I', of J., June 1, 1838. Lafayette Consistory, S. P. of R. S., June 1, 18.38. As will be seen by what has been written, the mem- bership of the order in this city is at this time over six hundred. Though not professing to be a charita- ble organization, it does not a little for the relief of the sick and suflering, and in this res])ect is certainly worthy of all praise. GASLIGHT COMP.\SY. The Rridgeport (iaslight Company was incorporated in 184!'. and. as already mentioned, commenced busi- ness in December, 1X51, with seventy -six j)rivate con- sumers and twenty-six public street-lamp.s. Among the original corporators mimed in the charter were Horace Nichols, R. B. JIa.son, W. P. Burrall. Philo llurd, and Hanford Ly<in. H. K. Harral was the first president of the company, and P. C. Calhoun the first trea-surer. After the decease of Mr. ilarral, in .Inne, 1854, his place was filled by Hanford Lyon, who hehl the office until April 2, lSC8, when he was succeeded by Amos S. Treat, who has ever since been president. The original co.st of the works was seventy-five thou- .sand dollars, but more than one hundred and seventy- five thousand dollars additional has since been ex- peiuh'd U])on them. The late .John Cornwall was sec- retary and treasurer for twenty years, from 1854 to 1874, and C. A. (terdenier, the present superintendent, has been connected with the company since 1864. Officers of the company at the ]}resent time are ; Hon. Amos S. Treat, President ; William B. Hincks, Secretary and Treasurer; Charles A. Gerdenier, Su- perintendent ; Samuel C. Trubee, William H. Perry, William R. Higby, A. C. Hobbs, Henry L. Clark, Horace Nichols, Sidney B. Beardsley. Amos S. Treat, William B. Hincks, Directors. Glt.\I5J-EI.KVAToI!. The following account of this building is taken from an article entitled " The Trade and Manufactures of Bridgeport," in the " Municipal Register" for 1876. " Bridgeport has the only grain-elevator on the coast between New York and Boston. It was erected in 1871 by the enterprising firm of Crane & Hunl. and grew out of their connection and experience with the grain trade in the West. It is forty by fifty feet at the base, and one huntlred feet in height. It is run by a twenty-five horse-power engine and the labor of five men, and is capable of taking in and storing eight thousand bushels of grain per day of ten hours from either railroad-car or boat at the dock. Grain is brought in bulk in rail-cars from any i>oint in the A\'est, or by water in canal-boat, barge, or schooner from any of the larger markets, and here conveniently and economically handled and then distributed to the vari(ms points of consumption. As many sis one and a half million bushels of grain have passed through this elevator in a single year. Mr. J<ihn Ilnrd is tlie present .sole proi)rietor." With proper attention Bridgeport Harbor ought to be one of the best upon the Sound. Systematic im- l>rovements were begun by the Vnited States govern- ment in the summer of 1872, and are still in progress. Before dredging was commenced there were but five and a half or six feet of water at low tide at certain points where there is now twelve feet. The intention of the government engineers is ultimately to make the channel three hundred feet wide and twelve feet deep from Long Island .S.nml to the lower bridg?, and to extend the present breakwater to a jioint thirteen hundred and eighty feet from the eastern shore. The effect of the breakwater, it is thtrnght. will be to keep the channel from filling u|i again, and thus make the improvements of a i>ernninent character. Above the lower bridge the harbor has been much injured by encroachments, .some of the docks and piers having been built out much farther than sbmilil have been permitted. BltllMiKl'ORT. liM llllRSE-RAILRiiAD. | Tile tirst (.•flWrt to sll|J|ily WaUr liy pilirsto the pcoplo TIic Hri(Ij;'('iinrt Hoi-so-Riiilri):iil ( 'unipMiiy was in- cil' liridficpcjrt was madr liy \lr\ . ICIijah W'atrniian ciirponitcil ill 1S(>") with a faiiital i>\' our IhiihIiciI alidUl the year 181S. Crrtaiii s|iriiins nl' piuv water tliiiiisanil ildllai-^, till' cliartrr of the (iiiiipany ^iviiij; iirar the present corner of (tolilen Hill anil Ilewit it periiiissioii tii extrinl its line Irmii the staitiniz-poiiit , Streets were deepened and eleared out, and the water near I'eiuUroke Lake, in East Bridgeport, to ]\[oiiii- eoiuhieted down town and throiii;li the priiiripal streets tain (irove ('eiiielery and Ulaek Iioek, with a hraiirh in wooden ]iipes, or rather liored-ont loi;s. 'I'lieeiiter- lo the railroad depot at the loot of l'"airlirlil .\\iliile. prise was lontiiuied, at first hy Lewis ( '. ."seuee, who Cars tirst eoinmeneed runniii.a' from the Sterling 1 loii-e siieeeeded Jlr. Waterman about the year ISliH, and to the eastern terminus Jan. 2'i. LSfitJ, and while the afterwards in May, !&?>'■', hy Jesse Sterlin^r, Ste|ihen road was a novelty it was lilnrally ])atroni/eil. 'I'lie llawley, S. I>. Jones, Niehols Xorthrop, and their as- present western terminus is at the junetion of fair- sociates, who were ineorporated in May, 1S.'!:1, under tield and I'linton Avenues, the leiiiith of traek lour tlir name of the i'.riilire|iort and I iolden 1 1 ill Aipieduet miles, and the rate of fire tive cents. Nine i;n> and ( 'iim|iany, with capital often thousand dollars, the forty-one lioisi'~ are owiii'd by the company and three water heiiig olitaineil IVom the souiee already men- hundred and thirty thousand eifrht hundred and folly- tioned. sivcii |iasseiijrers were carried durinp: the past year. In IS.Mi, the need of a more extensive supply of ( hiicers ol the eorporation are : Alliert Kaines, I'lrs- water, partiiailarly for lire purposes, lieiiii; felt, the iilent ; Frederick lliinl. Secretary and 'rreasnrer ; P.. ( 'iimmon ( "ouncil ji ranted to Xatliaiiiel < inene 1 a^cnt V. Lasher, Siiperiiiteiideiit ; X. AVheeler, 1'. 'I'. I'.ai- of the rei|iii>nnock Mills, in Xortli Ihidiieport), and iiuiii,('. \. [lotehkiss, James Wilson, Kicdiriek llnrd, lo his assii;;iis the exclusive privilei:!' id' laying' down Alhert J^aines, J. J. (iorhani. Directors. water pipes in the public streets, on condition of his furnishiiii;- the city and the inhahitants with a full ■^' ''^ supply of pure water for domestic, mechanical, .and Idle need of a well-conducted hosjdtal in a eily of all oi'dinary usis, hoth |)ulilic and private. The the size of Ihidiieport for the relief of eases of acci- l'>ridi;e|iort Water Company was incorporated liy Mr. dental injury and the treatment of patients who ean- Greene and others for this ]iurposc in the year IS-'i:!, not reccixe proper care at their homes is very a[iparent. with a capital of one hundri'd and si.xty thousand To llr. ( ieoriic F. Lewis heloiifis the credit of first dollars, and durinir the followinj; year a distrihulinjj,- attcmiitiiif; to supply this want. At his siiii'ficstion a reservoir in X'orth Bridceiiort was con.structcd and hci|Uest was inserted in the will of his aunt, the late pipes were laid tliroU>;h the princijial streets of the Jliss Susan llulil)i.ll, id' West Stratford, for liaindin^ city, the source of sup|dy liiiii^; the water of the Pe- a hospital in this vieinity. In .laniiary, fsTS, the ipionnoek Kiver, which was ]ininped up into the rcs- I'.ridfieport Hospital was ur^ianized as a hody corporale ervoir. hy the Lcfrislaturc. Following arc the olticers of the The enterprise did not pro\e remniieralivc to the corporation: P. T. Harnuin, President ; K. F. Pisliop, stockholders, and, lioinls to the ainonnl of ninety \'icc-President ; (ieorge F^. Lewis, Secretary and Treas- fhoiisand dollars liaving been issueil, the com]iaiiy iirer; .larratt Mm-ford, William B. Hiiicks, Kobert J. eventually fell into the hands of the bondholders by White, Executive Committee; P. T. P.a in ii in, Samuel foreclosure, and in June, ISoT, a charier was granted \\'. I'aldwin, < le(n-i;e F. Lewis, F. B. Hall, K. W. Hun- to a new coriioration composed of the bondholders, iiell. E. F. Bishoii. Itnbert J. White, Amos S. Treat, ' By this idiarter William S. Knowlton, N. Cn^ciie, .1. William B. Hincks, Charles B. Hotchkiss, Jariatt H. Washburn, Joseph Kichardson, and others became, Morlbrd, Samuel C. Trubee, Directors. under the nameof the Bridire)ii)rt HydraulicCoinpany, The amount of Miss Hubbell's bequest was tliiileen the successors of the Bridgeport \\'atcr ( 'ompany, and thoii.saufl four luindred and seventy-nine dollar^, to- the posscs.sors of all its rights and franchises. Serious gethcr with a lot containing about one acreof land on complaint having lieeii made tiir a long time both as Mill Hill .\veiiue. West Stratford. By accainiulalion to the want ofa suttieient supply and as to the i|uality of interest upon the investments, and by collections ul' the water furnished, an ae| was passed by the ( ien- taken up in bidialf of the ohject by churches and so- iral Assembly, July 2, 1S7:1, authorizing the city to