Norwalk

*Eslhrr Ir.rn Fclmeoi 1.".. 17.~.7. ilaoghu-r *.l Oiakim antl H;inii.ili (Street) K.tvni*.n*l. married l|tiSt 12«l) llcvkiah. sun of fir. In. ill im.l Hannah |I.i«*w.m«I> ki>j:ers (|i.ij;i ITVt, anil rcsiilcil ih-j.1 nnrthof the Charles K. Sherman Mttiii Street liousv. \lr. Kcn-kink K..jjirs (mill'. |Ui>:i- tsf) IVJW mini 1 1 1 Mrs. SliiTinioi. iiml thi' iliivllinK- of both lln->»- win.- ttnxan-ataniliitg in ftctiii Jew* l.iv. U» n>tuukrr of Unli.uli.,,, In America, made hi- lirsl visit to Xor natk mi WVdiwMkiy. jtttM II. 1 WW rvmliiii- I Ik Imvn at almot + u'diirk r. u Hi* first call mwW apis-ar l.i ban- Uvn msm Mr. k.i-.;.r.. fomi u I i hf asti-il the nM- ,.f |H.r r.N.m. ,,, u-liich It. I1..I1I :i -s r- licc As Mr k..-. r. ».,. 11. .1 ;,i I , In- « ,1. I, li 1I1 it si* must tUvlitH' Mr l^v a/tcr *itu^*"*li"- tin ncighlNirin;; .nvlninl as a ci»miiik-nl palbcrin^ s|rit. finally Willi rot" Ilk' I Mtgfcwaj In. mini: lis Iti.Bir.. anil there prc-arllcd Xtu limdalMl's maiden XMIf-h.! senium, the- (IM Isinv. "ye must Is boflt njtnln." Tlu- Intel "i in. ttmfei* rjan-enmpliani.v with Mi hw'li rei 1 lies I i. . .Il.it hi the Inter tin I tlmt the cnttflt iifNorivnlk Xti tttotdbM raw Hi ■ i-l m it-:i I clnli I- home of tin- «nM twtj After the day ..1 Bfiakin h';n nil Our father) tin- old fniiiiU In Isili Hi l-H!l".l n| lis - lVa-hni = l>Hl Stovt lli.tnii.nl »l'.ri'l was ^nvh.w.l l>v Al-al..m I'.", llio'ii-ll wb.ru- lialki- gfag /iiit tli- iir^ammlii.w ■•! the N.m n --IL M. tb.-li-t u-ii ,i ... .i,v..ui[Ji.i».l is.v js-igc :»;*.i NOBW A L K from the fact that on December 5. 1774, the father, Eliakim, was the hrst named of a com- mittee of twenty chosen to act in a matter of Continental Congress emanation. The - Ely Neck" road wound from Isaac Hoyt's west as far as the corner of the pres- ent Spring and West Streets, whence it diverged to the left until was reached the "Whistle- ville" Consolidated bridge of 1899, whence it bore to the right and then taking a generally southerly direction ended at Beldeu's Point. Some of Norwalk's older citizens, Seymour, Wilcox, Smith. By x bee, Daniel and Raymond Hoyt, lived along its line. John Hoyt1 lived on the height (Whistleville) near the turn in the Ely Neck road. -The Flax Hill Road (West Street of iSSy). from which the Ely Neck path diverged, was one of the oldest designations of ancient Norwalk. and the name (see page 126) is per- petuation-worthy. It commenced, to speak exactly, at the flower adorned yard of William and Lydia Seymour (site to-day of South Norwalk Franklin Street School). A sparkling brook from the Indian woods (Bull Run of 1896) crossed the base of the hill which extended wet along its present layout as far as "Fox Hollow,"- a region now headed by the Dr. Burke home. The next rise (west) was " Roton Hill." John Raymond lived at the eastern extremity of Flax Hill. The liberty pole and parade ground were at its summit (north side, opposite Senator John \. Ferris' home, 1S96) and the Wood's5 lived near its western extremity. ^rubbabel, the vomi.gest son of Walter Hoyt, the Norwalk settler, had four sons and two daugh- ters. His third son, Daniel, who was horn January 1, ltixl, married at about the age of twenty-three and had John, born December 3, 1716. who married Sarah, daughter of James and Deborah (Stewart) Pickett, and granddaughter of James1'1 and Rebecca (Keeler) Pickett, and of James1 and Experience Stuart, all of Norwalk. John and Sarah Hoyt had John, horn May s, 17.",.", who married, June o. 17S.'i, Ruth, born February 3, l',"tU. daughter of Stephen and Mary (licuedict) Gregory, and granddaughter of John3"1 and Mary (Smith) Gregory. John and Ruth Hoyt lived on the high ground immediately north of the 1N0N Railri.ii. I bridge at " W histleville." Mr. Hoyt was a large laud ow ner. He was very success- ful in his grow th and afterward manufacture of flax. Near his residence stood a large building to which flax was brought for fabric-preparation. From far and near the grain was brought for treatment bv Mr. John Hoyt After pulling (not cutting) ii in the field root, stalk and head were "crackled," beaten, hetch- cheled and bleached. It was now ready for making up. Mr. Hoyt made quantities of cart rope from the vegetable. Flax manufacture was quite an industry with him. 3This wild extended from the west foot of Flax Hill 11s far down as Belden's Neck. The stream which passes near the Wilson Point Oil Works of 1X9G seems to have coursed t.. a greater or less extent the Fox Hollow district. At the termination ..I this dis- trict, and directly east of "Witch Lane," exists to- day a small romantic patch which, ere the hand of progress shall invade it. is entitled to preservation as a veritable NarainaUc haunt. 'This was an old " Flax Hill " family. Flax was grown all about the neighborhood, and in the days of Tryou's British occupancy of Eaton's Neck, Long Island, the English soldiers who were wont to rum- mage and raid the Connecticut coast strip twi.vt "Shippan" and "Coinpo," made their marauding visits as far inland as the Byxbies' and Woods' Flax Hill neighborhood. " Dap," the familiar name (given, it is thought, by a grandchild) by which the first Nor- walk Byxbee (John) was known, lived peacefully immediately west of the only store, in ls!n>, on Flax Hill. lie was well known near Eastham, Mass. . from w hich vicinity he came to Norwalk and planted him- self on Flax Hill. The Wood's were neighbors who raised fine poultry, a tact w hich came to the Long Island depredators' attention. These military men made Mr. Wood an offer for his "game." but he was disinclined to consider it. The temptation was too strong for the English, w ho, consequently, paid a nocturnal call to the poultry yard on the " Hill." The next morning the proprietor discovered his loss, but found the following explanatory note, to which was attached British coin, both note and coin being tied to the neck of one of his coveted brood: " 1 'caeon Wm id, your geese are good, And stealing is but slander; We've bought your geese for a penny a-piecc And paid it to the gander." The Wood's seem to have originated in Jamaica, L. 1. "I leacon" Wood was evidently a descendant of Jonathan Wood1", who brought the name to Nor- walk. Dolly Wood, w ife of Nathaniel Raymond (son of Eliakim1") was possibly the daughter of Electious Wood. Saiil Flections had two daughters, Dolly and Elizabeth, to whom he refers in 1775. Illl KAMI Y.t. i \NNnN MdMK >»f |..ic>- >M iIimI ll't Tlic ilW >iv!i- bum ulimv. m« httttl, nlu-r tin- l.mliw I )iiiri'lia«i'. Iij William Craw, tin MUui i.l l In lull Mnrtin S. Cmu Tlir sunt Wall, wllii'll h'MIUo Illl' LHHIHils. in ilk'ilU'lll IUl'IIM>ra1>U* Irinn 1 1 l.'icl tlillt (|nil. tame* I mhiiIu HI. Willi ilivll lllf llln-L M|»tlU-Ht uli*v'll, it i* IH'oImiiMi ill Ilaittiinl, anil l.lllkT ihl INAMrMI kcv. Fram-t* M ctutl |aim-H r.iimtwiti i>l llml t-ily. tmili, yi-ar* itf|i*ma. 41 pyftlotti lrti|» >imt Huh ^hmv MlnuiMM [lcu:i* ii»linj: l1utui$*1i Nnrwjilk. til r<»HU' l'i»r Ni'xv Yurk. aiul rvlli'lilliu Mill Hill al ilu-l* miM<H»li tlu |nivau Oiiiiimii I .• 11 1 roail t..i \t»Hk liijjlma.v KWiiiiin -nnl »mlilviily In llu- till tliv hnr»v |ilmi)jvil irtvf lit* MtV)i. ninyliiji 1x11 yiliiiif. wiili him Mr luxalwin nvi.virnl lnniwli In 1 neat iiml iiiiivnt in tin- nwtmpoUf in rawttmt linn (tin IjMwj Itowtlwiii «n» mi inimmu- tlcnry T. M-lumt. »■ — In.i Mttliff ll.lil l llcl«l*ll M til. l;aicll\lil Cllllli Hank. X..r«nlk NORWALK It is a tradition (page 127) that Washington on one of his Boston trips suggested or actually made a re-survey of some part of Flax Hill. There seems, however, to be no evi- dence of this. THE SAMUEL CANNON HOME. " MILL HILL" CREST. This Norwalk family seat facing the harbor overlooking "The Bridge" and having for its "vicinity" the Dr. Uriah Rogers and Hezekiah Belden estates, was the home of Samuel and Sarah (Belden) Cannon. Samuel Cannon, as was true of his "Commodore" father, was stirring, and with his wife, who was of Nor- way's staunchest blood (Haynes, Bartlett, Betts and Belden) headed a strong house- hold. "Commodore" Cannon would sometimes go as far as the Oblong to place his grain or other orders, and his son Samuel probably knew the widely stretching Norwalk ter- ritory as well. The plate-portrayed Mill Hill home was a spot dear to the Cannon children. LeGrand, the only son, appeared to possess the ardor-temperament of his Cannon grandfather and Belden uncle. Norwalk saw but little of him, as in his younger manhood he established himself in Troy, N. Y., where his wife's relations were a power. Mrs. LeGrand Cannon (see page 272) was a granddaughter of one of the proprietors of what is still known as the " Rock House Woods," a large forest-stretch extending westerly and northwesterly of the station known as "Cannons " on the Danbury division of the Consolidated road. Job Burlock held, with the DeForests, a large land tract in this section. He was loyal to the king and compelled, conse- quently, during the war troubles, to reside elsewhere. He evidently returned from the prov- inces to Norwalk to look after his property, and here, so runs the Layton testimony, fell dead at his door step in the romantic district referred to. Mrs. Job Burlock appeared afterward at St. Johns, New Brunswick, "with one child." She, it is believed, married, second, an English officer, and the whilom maiden of the diversified Norwalk Pimpewaugh Wold disap- pears from the history of her native town. Her name, however, (and that of her foreign hus- band, page 272) is legibly inscribed upon our records.