Norwalk

'The long Fitch-tenure of Gregory's Point com- menced Feb. 14, 1742-3, on which date the Point's possession passed from Thos. Benedict, Jr. to Samuel, the brother of Gov. Thos. Fitch, and Benedict's Point took again its old designation of Gregory's Point. The property now seems to have been Fitch-will-dis- posed of until it finally fell to Rebecca, daughter of Jonathan Fitch, and wife of James Mallory. Said Jonathan Fitch was a grandson of Samuel Fitch, the h'rst Fitch owner of the Point. On Aug. 8, 1825, Jas. and Rebecca Mallory sold the Point to I'riah Sey- mour, the consideration being $212.11. On March 17, 1830, Uriah Seymour mortgaged the property to Henry Belden, who sold it on Nov. 5, 1833, to Seth Seymour. Two days afterward, on Nov. 7, 1833, Mr. Seymour sold it to Curtis Peck of New York, for $800.00, who the same day disposed of one-eighth of it to Alger- non E. Beard for $100.00, and one-eighth to Arnot A. Nash for $100.00, and one-eighth to James Quintard for $100.00, and one-sixteenth to Thomas C. Hanford for $50.00, and one-sixteenth to Raymond Benedict for $50.00, and one-sixteenth to Daniel K. Nash for $50.00. The Point was, in 1708, also called Little Marsh, and the path to it was that year alluded to as "a common highway." It was, from early times, a landing-place. 50 Sension (St. John) Beach lays adjacent to Round Beach, and between Gregory's Point and Calf Pasture. It is old clamming ground. Calf Pasture was a name given by the first settlers to the extreme southward end of "The Neck." There the young animals were, at a proper time, driven from the parent stock and kept and cared for by persons regularly appointed by the pioneers for the work, or were " scowed " over to Calf Pasture island, somewhat to the southeast. Calf Pasture was fenced off from the planting and pasturage fields, and, extending from Charles Creek, it fronted Spruce Swamp, and was bounded on the east (at certain tides) by Half-Mile Island. Half-Mile Island, one of the oldest Norwalk English designations, lay in what the settlers denominated the "lower plantinge field." Its "island" appellation would appear to have been a misnomer excepting at certain tide periodicities. A portion of its eastern estuary (Campfield's Creek) after forming its boundary in that direction, swept anciently around to the west, thus creating a northern basin-border, the water of which basin, escap- ing at certain extreme "apogees" into the Sound on the south, and at a point not greatly distant from Spruce Swamp, afforded complete insulation, justifying, at such times, the locality's "island" descriptive. There can be but little doubt that charterer Matthew Campfield, who was a vicinity proprietor, looked longingly upon the island, but it was originally owned, first by Stephen Beck with and then John Ruscoe, the Huguenot, who held it until tempted by Samuel St. John, grandson of Matthias, the pioneer, to dispose, on Feb. \g, 1666, of a portion of it.' The island was traversed from east to west by a fertile semi-spine which, possibly, from time immemorial the debris-deposit of the sea had enriched, and the aborigines, with washed ashore marine-shell and blades, had cultivated. If its earliest story accorded with its somewhat later history, the finest corn in the old plantation was probably grown upon that ridge. So choice of the spot and so careful of its prolific characteristics was one of its long-gone tenants that he would permit only three stalks to a hill throughout its entire length. Pears,' peaches, and tempting plums have there been raised, and its soil-product- iveness for many seasons remained a distinguished mark of the sea-girt domain. The sheltered salt-grass meadow at the north of the island was formerly held as a distinct property. Caleb Hoyt neighbor, on the opposite side of the street, of Gov. Fitch, bequeathed it by will, Sept. 3, 1747, to his three sons. During the Revolutionary war there was a salt- works establishment upon the island. On Sept. 3, 1821, occurred the "great September gale" which visited the coast and - 1 he old Half-Mile Isle pear tree stood about one hundred and fifty feet eastward of the present Lang- ' After Mr. St. John's death, it became the prop- erty of his estate. His daughter Elizabeth, together with her hnsband, |ohn Raymond, cousin of loslnm ^.T" l"' "T"™ °« ">« PreSent "»W ..f Block Island Soid it i" ' ' dwelling house, a short distance from which was MIO,-k is^nd, sold it on June 29, 1728, to Thomas, father of Gov. Fitch. It afterwards fell to the Gov- ernor's brother Samuel, the grandfather of Moses lingers of Nliippan Point. a small orchard of hearing plum trees. There were these before, and the sea and land and blue sky, but not the " tangible joy in the grass and flowers " that there is to-dav. XORWALK. 5< worked great destruction. The afternoon had been dark, and a few minutes before sun- down it became evident that a terrible visitation of wind and rain was at hand. The storm is said to have commenced at Norfolk, Va., an hour or so before noon. It reached Norwalk at about 6 o'clock in the evening, and it spent itself on the Massachusetts coast at mid- night. It overtook the Norwalk packet, THE SLOW AND Easy, Uriah Selleck1 owner, and sank it. It leveled between one and two hundred large chestnut trees standing on some four acres a few miles out of Norwalk, and unroofed houses in every direction. The Nor- walk shore was in its direct path, and Half-Mile Island and other marine sections were particularly exposed. The storm of 1833 shifted much of the sand of this same island from the east side to the west side, and on Dec. 17, 1833, the tide rose to such an extreme height that it made three distinct islands of the one. On Feb. 5, 1845, the island is said to have been surrounded by banks of snow six or seven feet high. After the farm use of Half-Mile Island by the St. John's, Raymond's and Fitch's, the frame of a dwelling2 which formerly stood on the path to the " Ballast," was thither removed, and the beach's orient end became the site of an humble but happy home-hearth. Grandmother Gregory3 was the head, for many years, of this hearth-stone, and was ever and anon seen standing at her southeast-facing door, looking at the sails in the offing, or listening to the plaintive note of some distant sea bird.4 'The Norwalk wharf of this sailing vessel ad- joined the present coal yard of Charles T. Leonard. Uriah Selleck there had a store, at the rear dock of which the first steamboat put upon the Norwalk route had wharfage. His business partner, at one time, was Samuel St. John of New Canaan, the father of the late VVm. and Prof. Samuel St. John. Mr. Selleck had married, May 18, 1784, Hannah Smith of Darien, and a direct descendant of Mr. VVm. Haynes, of Haynes' Ridge. These had two children, Zalmon and Nancy, the first of whom, born March 31, 1795, was the father of Mrs. Maria (Selleck) James of Wall Street, Nor- walk. The Uriah Selleck home became, afterward, that of Matthias Hubbell, in Main Street. Kvart Quintard, born 1798, in South Norwalk, commenced learning his trade (cabinet-maker) in the house, still standing, northwest cor. of North Avenue and Camp Street. Zalmon Hanford was the occu- pant of the premises, and the rooms in which Chas. . R., father of Gen. Wm. T. Sherman, had enjoyed old Samuel Camp's evening musicales, were now appro- priated as furniture quarters. During Mr. Quintard's apprenticeship Mr. Hanford removed to the Uriah Selleck house, which he occupied until about the time of its purchase by Matthias Hubbell. Mr. Hanford there built the cabinet shop that was afterward moved and used by Mr. Quintard, on the site to-day known as 152 Main Street. 3This dwelling was the home of Abraham Greg- ory, which stood a short distance below the ancient uurying-ground. 3She was the widow of John Betts Gregory. Her husband was the son of Abraham and Elizabeth (Betts) Gregory, who lived where the late Henry Marvin resided, on East Avenue, and south of the ancient Beacham Lane. It was the oaken frame of Abraham Gregory's house which was removed in 1831 to Half- Mile Island, and formed the west end of old Mrs. Gregory's cottage at the Point. John Betts Gregory learned his trade (potter) of Absalom Day of "Old Well." After his marriage to Olive, born 1786, daugh- ter of Aaron and Hannah (Weeks) Raymond, and grand-daughter of the soldier, Simeon Raymond of " Old Weil," he had a good business offer from Huntington, L. I., which he accepted. He afterward established a pottery in Clinton, Oneida Co., N. Y., which required a building 140x40 for his operations. He returned in 1831 to Norwalk, and bought from Samuel Hanford Half-Mile Isle, paying for the same $325-°°- He there built a kiln for the burning of earth- en and stoneware. The kiln was erected during the cholera year (1832) by masons Lewis and George Raymond of "Old Welt." The business was here kept up until 1840. Mr. Gregory died July 22, 1842, leav- ing a widow, who survived him until 1883. His child- ren were Charles E., who lived at the present Lang- don west-end entrance, and was drowned; Geo. W., who resides in Saugatuck ; John W. ; Mary Jane (Mrs. Rev. W. B. Hoyt;) Harriet (Mrs. Rev. Harvey Camp) and Eliza (Mrs. Gay.) 4The notes of a species of sea-fowl, heard thereat, were, especially at shut of day, soothingly pathetic. X ORWALK