Norwalk After Two Hundred & Fifty Years

There was also his greatly distinguished son, who figured in the French and Indian wars, from 1754 to 1763 — in which Norwalk's patriotic grandsons of the first settlers had a full share of service, at Cape Breton, Louis- burg, Montmorenci and Crown Point. While Governor Fitch was honoring his native town as the head of the Connecticut colony, his son, Col. Thomas Fitch, was leading his soldiers in the battle of Crown Point. Sel- leck's history is my authority for saying that while he was thus engaged, an English official, in derision of the appearance of his Continental command near East Al- bany, wrote the jargon which has become national — "Yankee Doodle came to town Riding on a pony," and it is the historian's personal conviction that the horse thus made immortal also came from Norwalk. The boyhood neighbor of Col. Fitch, and who mar- ried his sister, was another descendant of Capt. John Thacher, who commanded with great valor the galley "Lady Washington" in the battle of Lake Champlain, and who being wounded and captured by the British, had his sword returned to him in recognition of his bravery. Thus the development of the colonies — and of the town — was going on, and with it the unconscious, but steady, evolution of the Englishman into the Yankee, with their fundamental differentiations. The climate, the abrogation of the caste feeling which lives upon rank and titles, continued to evolve a distinctive spirit and traits. Environment was changing the characteristics or heredity. The English face and features were passing and the special qualities of the American appeared. The contentions, which had been somewhat sharp, between the motherland and the colonies had already slackened 138 the loyalty of many, so that they were not unready in spirit and temper for the Declaration of Independence in 1776, when the evolution of the Englishman into the Yankee was completed. This colonial period of transition has much of interest in it, as the comforts and luxuries of the old world came to the new. The church was still the germ of the town and in the meeting house the people were still divided in their worship as they were in the days of their fathers. The old men in one place, the old dames in another, the voung men and maidens prudently removed far apart, nourished their faith and their principles. They took their time for it. There, in the presence of Almighty God, it was not for man to be in haste. Not tor short prayers nor short sermons did they congre- gate. They settled themselves down for a regular religious siege, which would not be raised for three or five hours. Sermons and prayers in our day are not of this longtitude, but the sermons now are much wider in latitude. They are shorter and sometimes thinner. These people did not come to the church for mental di- version, nor for oratory. They were there for instruc- tion, for an educative, thorough-going discussion^ of great themes. They had no use for sermonets. With- out newspapers, lectures or modern entertainments, the sermon had no competitor, and because of the emphasis put upon it, it must not be weak nor little. It must not deal with little themes. It must be large and strong. The meeting-house in Norwalk never lacked hearers who demanded this, and its ministers were men of such brain power and moral earnestness that the history of these days in the town is honorable. Nevertheless, with all their virtues, I cannot say that these early ministers were more loyal to duty or to the spirit of true religion than are their successors of to-day, in the more complex and perhaps less appreciated Christian service of our time. Their meeting-house never knew the heat of any fire except that which was in the minister's theology. That was sufficient even when the mercury hovered about zero. When the era of the beautiful colonial architecture came in, it did not put itself greatly in evidence in Nor- walk. Nevertheless the furnishings of the homes when wealth had come were made richer. Brassware supple- mented the English pewter. Mahogany was the new 139 furniture, sideboards with curving fronts, swell-front bureaus, long, oval mirrors, bedsteads with arched canopy frames, while the tankards were put aside for fluted decanters and wineglasses. A new social eti- quette and stately manners were affected. The table was graced with silver spoons, and forks had been introduced. Tea costing several dollars a pound and coffee and choco- late appealed to new tastes on special occasions. Tin- ware was displacing the earthenware crockery and cook- ing grew to be a fine art. Even now in its decadence, there are echoes of it that could well-nigh convert one to the theory that the days of glory were in the past. Those mercies have gone from the sight and tas'te of men now living. When our grandmothers went to hea- ven they took the secret with them. We find that the schools at this time had increased their studies. Arithmetic, through decimal fractions to the climax of the ''rule of three," was added, and con- siderably later, grammar as a study, and algebra, and the elements of geometry. Geography was not taught until nearly the end of the century. Those who were preparing for a liberal education sought the tuition of the minister. In the way of trade and commerce the custom of barter had yielded to the more complex organization of society. There was a freer circulation of money and there were stores and shops in Norwalk. Two-wheeled carriages, called chaises, were in town in 1750. New York held a direct trade with Europe, and vessels from our harbor knew the way to New York. Among those whose ambitions tended to social distinctions fashion was not a little bit of a god even then. Ruffles and em- broideries, silk gloves, white silk stockings, poplin and gauze fans and ribbons, with gold and silver ornaments were all here. This also was the era of wonderful stitching, from the samplers up to the marvelous illus- trations of what could be done with a needle. Mean- while— as in the later days of the pioneer period — the shoemaker went from house to house, the tailor like- wise, to cut, fit and make the clothing — the cooper to make and hoop barrels for the cider and the soap, and barrels for beef and barrels for pork. Even in this colonial stage individualism had enough to satisfy itself. Each home had its ceaseless industries. The pork and hams and sides of bacon and tongues must be preserved for winter use. The sheep were sheared at home; the 140 wool carded and woven at home. The flax was made ready for spinning at home. The skilful woman could spin two threads with one hand while the foot kept the treadle of the flax wheel moving and a baby slept in her lap, and could look as pretty as a picture while doing it. Matters were after this manner when the warnings of war were heard in Norwalk. It was Thaddeus Betts — a descendant of the pioneer — who made application to the General Assembly in behalf of the town for six can- non. He procured them "with a hundred round shot to suit them and grape shot in proportion.'' As the war came near to 'our coasts, the exposed location gave the people especial reason for alarm. What they feared came. British soldiers under General Tryon, and hired Hessians under General Garth, on July 7th burned to the ground the neighboring town of Fair- field. Norwalk next was the expectation, and such small household goods as could be concealed were hid- den away. Governor Trumbull ordered the continental troops at New London to "hasten to Norwalk with all possible dispatch," but before the orders were received Norwalk was in ashes. These house-burners landed on both sides of the river — at "Fitch's Point" and at "Old Well" — on Saturday afternoon of July 10th, and with the light of the Lord's day, July nth, they were seen concentrating at "Grummon's Hill. ' There Tryon sat overlooking the town, safe with his 2,500 soldiers against a few continental companies, while he wrote his orders. At six o'clock in the morning the torches were lighted and eighty dwelling-houses (some accounts say 132), the two churches, 87 barns, 22 storehouses, 17 shops, 4 mills and 5 vessels were consumed, together with the crops of hay and wheat which had been gathered. The general, who never distinguished himself by any nobler or more dangerous service than this, then left what had been the town and left his record. The next winter, uncommonly severe, came to these largely houseless people without adequate provisions and in great privations. Poverty was the common lot. The ordinary necessities of life were only to be secured by almost prohibitory prices. Salt was $27.00 a bushel, molasses $20.00 a gallon. It was lived through, however, and there are those in this presence who have heard the story of it directly from those who could say, "all of which I saw and a part of which I experienced." Two years later, in October, 141 1781, down in Virginia, the end came. With the surren- der the British drums beat the air 'The world's turned topsy-turvy," and Lord Cornwallis thought it had. In- deed it had. While the great body of the people had been willing to bring about this issue, the element loyal to the British government was much more troublesome than current history shows. To some, the allegiance to England was a matter of Church, to others of conservatism, and to others of a cowardly confidence that Great Britain would win, and that they would be present when the band-wagon would come to town. These were those who secretly aided the British and betrayed their own neighbors. Norwalk had all kinds. After independence was secured, those who did not remove, inherited the "Fourth of July" with as good grace as necessity re- quired. Now, after a century and a quarter, the records of this part of our history may well be forgotten.