Norwalk After Two Hundred & Fifty Years

The delay in this publication is due to several causes — principally to the difficulty of gathering the material for the various chapters. Only those who have passed through the ordeal of such a compilation can understand the trials that have come to the com- piler in the preparation of this volume. Only a small portion of the material offered for the work has been rejected. It has been thought wise to issue the pub- lication without waiting for those who at this late day are in default in their promised contributions. The compiler is responsible for the order of arrange- ment. For his errors of judgment he solicits the public's kind indulgence. SAMUEL RICHARDS WEED, Chairman of the Committee on Statistics. Norwalk, July, 1902. THE NORWALKS' HISTORICAL AND MEMORIAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION HE 250th anniversary celebration of the town of Norwalk owed its origin to the action of the Norwalks' Historical and Memorial Library Association. The plan and scope of the celebra- tion were worked out by a commit- tee appointed nearly one year before the celebration itself. Indeed the Association voted to hold a public celebration of the founding of Norwalk, at one of its earliest meetings in 1899. This association was organized October 5th, 1898, in pursuance of a call for a public meeting signed by the following citizens: Henry I. Hoyt, F. St. John Lockwood, C. M. Selleck, * Thos. K. Noble, A. B. Woodward, Maria P. James, E. J. Hill, -f Russell Frost, Robt. Van Buren, C. A. Quintard, E. Hill, John H. Ferris, Samuel R. Weed, Edward Beard, Frank A. Ferris, J. G. Gregory, J. R. Marvin. Nellie S. Weed. The association at its first meeting elected the fol- lowing officers: President — F. St. John Lockwood. Vice President — Frank A. Ferris. Secretary — Samuel Richards Weed. Treasurer — John P. Treadwell. The number of members enrolled rapidly increased and by the date of the celebration the membership was nearly one hundred, of whom a large per centage were Life members. Rev. R. S. Storrs, Rev. Dr. A. J. F. Behrens, (both since deceasedy Robert D. Benedict, Esq., and Chas. J. Hoadley, State Librarian, were made Hon- orary members by unanimous vote of the association. On May 3d, 1899, the question of celebrating the 250th anniversary was referred to a committee. On Oc- tober 4th, a report of the committee was presented out- lining a plan and a written request was also presented, signed by the Selectmen, that this association take the initiative in the proposed celebration. A larger com- mittee was appointed to prepare further details, who re- ported on November 8. 1890. a program for the several days. This report contained several recommendations which found their proper place in the final program. On December T2th, 1900, the committee reported a plan for a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the found- ing of Norwalk on September 11, 1901, and providing for the appointment of special committees composed of citi- zens of the Town of Norwalk and of members of the association to carry into effect the details of the plan. This report was adopted and the co-operation of the Selectmen invited in accordance with their official request of October 4th, 1899. The P^an was communicated to the Selectmen and at a public meeting it was voted to appropriate $2,500 to aid in the proposed celebration. On January 9, 1901, the committees were appointed to take charge of the celebration as follows: Executive Committee — A. B. Woodward, Chair- man. Finance Committee — E. O. Keeler, Chairman. Invitation Committee — C. M. Selleck, Chairman. Literary Exercises Committee — Rev. C. M. Shelton, Chairman. Statistics Committee — Samuel Richards Weed, Chairman. Parade Committee — Gen. Russell Frost, Chairman. Program Committee — Samuel Richards Weed, Chairman. Subsequently in the organization of these commit- tees some changes were made in the chairmanships and as the work progressed a large number of committees were appointed to sub-divide the labor. Great credit is due to all the committees who labored faithfully to carry out their several duties. The record of the celebration and its brilliant success in every detail of the program furnish the strongest tribute to their untiring zeal and labor. Their work was done faithfully and for the honor of our town. The Norwalks' Historical and Memorial Librarv Association became an incorporated society by an act of the Legislature approved May 2d, 1899. Its meeting's are held on the second Wednesday of March, June, September and December. Its officers are the same as are above given with the exception that John H. Ferris is now Vice President, in place of Frank A. Ferris, who declined a re-election. The association is already the possessor of many valuable historic relics, and its object is to acquire and preserve such memorials of the Colonial and Revolutionary history and of later periods as should by right remain in Norwalk. By hearty co-operation in these objects a collection may be secured which will be invaluable to posterity, and it is not regarded as a vissionary project that the association may some day own its own building and have suitable rooms for the display of its historic treasures. BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT. Incorporating the Norwalk Historical and Memorial Library Association. Resolved by this Assembly: Section 1. That F. St. John Lockwood, Frank A. Fer- ris, Charles M. Selleck, Thomas K. Noble, Nellie S. Weed, Robert Van Buren, Samuel Richards Weed, Asa B. Woodward, Russell Frost, James G. Gregory, John P. Treadwell and Chas. A. Ouintard and all other present members of the Norwalk Historical and Memorial Liter- ary Association, a voluntary association, now existing in the town of Norwalk, and such other persons, as may be associated with them, are hereby constituted a body po- litic and corporate by the same name for the purpose of promoting and encouraging Historical and Geneological research in said town and for the further purpose of pro- moting useful knowledge in said town and its vicinity. Section 2. Said corporation may purchase, receive, hold, sell and convey real and personal estate for the purposes of its organization, which property while owned by it and used for or contributing to the promotion of said purpose shall be free from taxation, except such part of its real estate as may be leased or rented for other purposes. Section 3. Said corporation may make and carry into effect such by-laws, rules and regulations not inconsistent with the law's of the State, concerning the number of its members, the manner in which they shall be chosen, the care and management of its property and affairs and generally for the promotion of its objects, as shall from time to time be deemed necessary or proper. Approved May 2, 1899. A true copy. HUBER CLARK, Secretary of State. INTRODUCTORY HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NORWALK. LARGE portion of the territory which constitutes the present town of Nor- walk was the purchase from the Abori- gines, in 1640, by Roger Ludlow, a New England immigrant, in 1630, from old England. Mr. Ludlow's purchase (February 26th, 1640) em- braced the Norwalk lands lying east of Norwalk or Norwalk River and on the twen- tieth day of the following April, Daniel Patrick a fellow passenger with Ludlow to America and a Ludlow fellow, Pequot fighter in New England, bought from the In- dians, that portion of the town of Norwalk which now lies west of the Norwalk river, the northern limit of both purchases being a point some twelve miles north from "the Sea." (Long Island Sound). Ten years intervened between the Indian sale and the English settlement of the town. Daniel Patrick met, during this period, with a violent death but Mr. Ludlow maintained, all this while, a residence in Fairfield, de- signing, it would appear, that Norwalk should be the ul- timate home of his two sons for whose use he reserved, in his agreement with the settlers, in 1650, two< of the most available residence lots in the plantation. That Mr. Ludlow's purchase and subsequent sale of Norwalk was something more than a mere commercial [The accompanying testimony under the date of June 15, 1687, is worthy of preservation "I Thomas Fitch of Norwalke, doe testify that about the yeare 1650, 1 heard Mr. Ludlow formerly of Fairfield, say that Norwalke had libertie from the Court with Fairfield Deputies consent, to purchase a tract of land lying npon the east side of Soaketuck River and that against Compoe Rocks," etc.] transaction seems supposable from the tenor of his 1650 "agreement" proper with the on-coming planters. He himself appears to have affixed Sundry "conditions," one of which in conformity, perhaps, to a Colonial regulation of his own framing, ran that some thirty families at least must constitute the settling community, that these must be '"approved" and that an "orthodox" minister must be 13 placed over them, in which connection it is interesting to note that the first Norwalk minister's wife was the daughter of Mr. Ludlow's New England partner and Windsor neighbor and close friend. It is a tradition that the earliest Norwalk comers, led by the surveyors, Richard Olmsted and Richard Webb, cut their way through the forests lying; between Hartford and Norwalk and fording the Saugatuck some two miles from its mouth arrived j first at the "Rocks" from whence after a brief tarry they wended in a souther- ly direction and finally established themselves in what is now known as East Norwalk building, it is believed, their "companie house" close by the ancient "Fairfield Path" which is in 1901 denominated "Fort Point Street." The street called to-day East Avenue was Norwalk's primus path. Along it the settlers built their first dwell- ings and the original proprietors limited their growth on this path or street to the upper end of "Goodman Hoyt's" or "Meeting House" hill. This was the extreme north- ern boundry of the original settlement which, however, soon transcended this boundary and extended quite to the northward, reaching in 1664, the "Whitney Mill" at the foot of the "Mill Hill" of the current year.