Litchfield County CT Archives History - Books .....New Preston 1882 *********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ct/ctfiles.htm *********************************************** ************************************************************************ The USGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information must be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence. It is always best to consult the original material for verification. ************************************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com May 23, 2005, 4:16 pm Book Title: HISTORY OF THE TOWNS OF NEW MILFORD AND BRIDGEWATER, CONNECTICUT, 1703-1882 CHAPTER XIII. NEW PRESTON. 1722-1760. LOVE for the woods and the wilderness must have been an almost innate quality of mind in the first settlers of the western part of Connecticut. When Massachusetts had been settled but about one hundred years, one of its strong families emigrated to the town of Preston. New London County, in Connecticut, which was a country more recently settled than the former, supposing that here they should find a home for life; but scarcely a dozen years had passed before the father hears of the western lands in the forests of Connecticut, and removes with a part of his family now grown up, and again plants the standard of civilization in the picturesque, but then wild wilderness country, known now for many years by the name of New Preston, Litchfield County, Ct. The tract of land called "New Milford North Purchase" was bought in 1722, of the agents for western lands, for Windsor and Hartford, and the whole of it was taken from Waraumaugs Reserve: for that Reserve was bounded, originally, on the south by the old township of New Milford. But the North Purchase was bounded, when laid out, east on the Reserve, so that this "Purchase" did not extend as far east as the Reserve. The "Purchase" was six and a half miles in length, and one and a half in width, and the eastern boundary may have been half or three-fourths of a mile east of the present meeting-house at New Preston village. The northern boundary of that "Purchase" passed east and west near or a little north of the outlet of Waraumaug Lake, so that the present village of New Preston lies in what was the northeast corner of the New Milford North Purchase. In dividing this tract among sixty-four owners, it was attempted to complete the work in one survey, making two tiers of lots the whole length, and thirty-two lots in each tier; but when they were through with the first survey, there was so much land left that two other surveys were made, giving each of the sixty-four owners an equal amount each time. The thirty-second and thirty-third lots in the first survey are said to have been at the east end of the purchase, and hence bounded east by the Reserve. Considerable attention has been given to learn who first settled within the bounds of this North Purchase, without obtaining satisfactory knowledge on the question. For nine years after the deed was secured, no attempt, apparently, was made to settle any one on this land. Then the first division was made and a petition presented to the Assembly to have the tract annexed to New Milford and become a part of that township; but this failed, and all that was done during the next ten years was the buying and selling of some of the shares of the Purchase. In 1741, by an act of the Assembly, this tract of land was made a part of New Milford township, and immediately land speculations became a specialty, and the transactions increased until 1747, when the settlement began at what is now New Preston village. Two or three years before this last date, a few settlers had located on the western part of this North Purchase, the locality being called Merryall, and it is possible that some had settled in the southwest corner of this tract at or near what is now Merwinsville. First Settlers at Nerv Preston. "Mr. Edward Cogswell of Preston, New London county, Conn.,"bought of John Baker of Woodbury, and Caleb Mallery of New Milford, Sep. 10, 1745, a tract of land in the North Purchase, the "thirty-third lot in the south tier of lots," which must have been near the southeast corner of the purchase extending northward from the southeast corner, three-fourths of a mile, or to where the New Preston Cemetery now is. In the next three years he purchased other pieces of land in the vicinity, amounting in value to several hundred pounds money. He at once erected what was called then the Iron Works, one-half of which he sold in 1747 to Matthew Whipple; these works standing on the river just above the road that goes to New Preston Hill. Samuel Cogswell of Preston, New London county, bought of Caleb Mallery, June 9, 1746, "two shares;—lots 30 and 31, for £300 old tenor." The next day Edward Cogswell received a deed of land in the same vicinity, and the next spring both of these families were residing here, and therefore they probably settled here in the spring or summer of 1746. Jacob Kennie of Preston, New London county, bought of Jerusha Boardman (widow of Rev. Daniel), "lot 32 in N. M. N. Purchase, Jan. 20, 1746-7, for £200 old tenor," and the next April purchased of Samuel Cogswell 187 acres, for £150. He settled here that spring (1747), and made several other purchases of lands within two or three years. He had a family, and they remained in the vicinity many years. Jacob Kennie was an influential, benevolent citizen. Zephaniah Branch purchased for £139, land of Samuel Cogswell and Edward Cogswell, and made his home here about 1749, and was in the place some years; but all the family seem to have disappeared long ago. Matthew Whipple, of "Ipswich in the county of Essex, in the province of the Massachusetts Bay, yeoman," purchased of Edward Cogswell, October 24, 1747, "one-half of the Iron Works in New Milford North Purchase, standing on a stream called Aspetuck, that comes out of a large pond, commonly called the West Pond; also one-half of the stream from the dam southwardly ten rods, with all the appurtenances, privileges, and accommodations belonging thereunto, with the privilege of the iron ore, as I the said Edward Cogswell have of Elisha Williams and Martin Kellogg; likewise, . . . . full liberty to use any spot of ground that is near said Iron Works that may be convenient to build a house or houses upon, necessary to the carrying on the half of said Iron Works; also, land for a garden and orchard or pasture near the Works, on the west side of the river, not to exceed ten acres." Whatever there were of these Iron Works at this time, they had been erected within two years previous, probably within one, and the two partners, Edward Cogswell, and Matthew Whipple, composed the first manufacturing enterprise within the North Purchase, and the second one within the bounds of New Milford, except that of leather. Nathaniel Bozworth of Rehoboth, county of Bristol, province of the Massachusetts Bay, bought of Jonathan Noble about ninety acres of land, the thirty-fourth lot, for £130, old tenor, November 7, 1743. He did not settle on this land, but on the 23d of May, 1749, he deeded one-half of it, "for love and goodwill and divers other good causes," to his son Nathaniel Bozworth, Jr., blacksmith, then already settled in New Milford. The boundaries of this thirty-fourth lot, in part, are: "Beginning at the southeast corner, . . . and running westerly by the highway till it comes to Steep Brook, and then bounded by said brook. Then beginning again at the said southeast corner and running northeasterly by the highway till it comes to a brook that runs across said highway into said Right of land, then by said brook westwardly until it comes within ten rods of East Aspetuck, then southwesterly ten rods for a corner, then northwesterly twenty rods, if it doth reach East Aspetuck River; then northeasterly till it comes to said river, then down stream by said river southeasterly from said river to Steep Brook, including forty-five acres; and I also convey to him fully one quarter part of the stream and land left and reserved, for building and improving water-mills and works, reserving a sufficient cart-way to and from the place proposed for said mills or works to the highway at the east side of said lot." The southeast corner of this lot must have been near,—perhaps a little northwest of—the Episcopal Church in Marbledale. Henry Dean of Preston, in the county of New London tanner, came to New Milford and. purchased at this place, May 1, 1749, of Edward Cogswell, land "on the east side of the stream called Aspetuck, near the new Iron Works," and in the description of boundaries is mentioned "a black oak tree, standing by the pond made to soak hydes in," showing that already the Tan Works were commenced. When the settlement had attained to these proportions a movement was successfully made for religious privileges in the community. Winter Privileges. "Oct., 1748. Upon the memorial of Samuel Averil and others, living in the southeast part of Kent, and Edward Cogswell and others, living in the northeast part of the town of New Milford, shewing this Assembly that they are situate at a great distance from the public worship in the towns to which they respectively belong, and praying liberty of this Assembly to hire an orthodox minister to preach among themselves six months in the year for such term of years as this Assembly shall think fit, with exemption from taxes, &c.: Resolved by this Assembly, that the said memorialists have liberty to hire an orthodox minister amongst themselves six months in a year for the space of four years next coming, with exemption from any ministerial charges in the towns to which they respectively belong for such of time only as they shall hire among themselves." In the spring of 1753, a petition was sent to the Assembly,— as hereafter follows,—which resulted in the establishment of an ecclesiastical society, according to the boundaries of the petition, by the name of New Preston, which name was in honor of the fact that a number of the leading men had come from Preston in this state, and therefore it was agreeable and appropriate to call it New Preston. Petition for an Ecclesiastical Society. "To the Honorable ye Generall Assembly to be Holden at Newhaven in ye Colony of Connecticut on The Second thursday of October Next A. D. 1753— The memorial of us the Subscribers Being Inhabitants of ye Northern Part of New milford and ye South and Southeast Part of Kent and a Place Called Meriall in ye County of Litchfield Humbly Begg Leave to observe— That your Honrs. Memorialists Live a Great Distance from ye Publick Worship of God by Reason Whereof we Labour Under Great Difficulty to attend Publick Worship. With our families many of us having Considerable families of Small Children Which many of them by Reason of ye Difficulty wee Labour under are, Destitute of the Benefit of Attending the Worship of God in any Place by Reason Whereof this Honorable Assembly hath in times Past Been Pleased to Grant to us the Liberty of winter Preaching Whereby we and our families have had the opportunity of Enjoying the Benefit of a Preached Gospel Amongst our Selves to Great Satisfaction and that time being Limited and now Ended—thereupon your Honours memorialist humbly Pray that this Honorable assembly would be Pleased in your Wonted Goodness to Grant us Release from our Difficulty and Grant to us the Privilidge of Being an Ecclesiastical Society with the Powers and Privilidges that other Ecclesiastical Societys in this Colony here With the Limits and Boundarys as hereafter Discribed (viz.) Beginning at the Southeast Corner of the new milford North Purchis then Run-mg Southerly Joyning upon Woodbury Line one mile, from thence runing a West Line to the foot of the Long Mountain Southwest of Capt. Joseph Bostwicks, from thence a North Line to a Place Called the Rockhouse Cobble and so that Course to Meriall Line and then a Cross Meriall to Kent Line and then runing East to 4e Southwest Corner of James Lakes fame then Northerly to the Northwest Corner of John Henderson's farme that he now lives upon then Runing East to East Greenwich Line then Runing South to the Southwest Corner of East Greenwich then Runing East upon East Greenwich Line to Shipauge River thence Runing Southardly on sd River to Woodbury Line Then Runing westerly on woodbury line to the first mentioned Bounds or such other Lines and Boundaries as your Honours shall think most Convenient, or to appoint a Comtcc to Now Settle and asartain the Same or in some other way Grant Relieve to your memorialist as you in your Grate Wisdom think fit and your memorialists as in Duty Bound shall Ever Pray. Dated September ye 12th A. D. 1753. Jacob Kinne, Josiah Churchill, Samuel Cogswell, David Mackwethy, Mica Palmer, Samuel Cogswell, John Cobb, Caleb Rude, Joseph Miles, Nathan Hawley, David Averill, Moses Averill, Thomas Morris, Samuel Waller, John Bemen, _____ _______ _____ _______ Stephen Noble, John Keeny? nathnel case, his enoch X _____ mark, Jeremy Dawes ? Benjamin Darling, Joseph Corey, Josiah Caswell, Ichabod Palmer, thomas hotchkiss, Gilead Sperry John hawniss Reuben Mackwethy, Thomas Bemon, John Benedict, Daniel Farrill, Jehiel Murry, John Bostwick, Benajah Bostwick, Samuel Averill, Samuel Lake' Of these names, Joseph Miles, Nathan Hawley, Stephen Noble, John Bostwick, and Benajah Bostwick, were from New Milford. Capt. Joseph Bostwick was within the boundaries of the society, and his name may be one of the two which could not be copied from the original petition at Hartford, they being covered by repairs on the manuscript. Two or three others may have been originally from New Milford, and living in the western part of the new society. The names of all the men within the limits of the society are not on this petition; the reason is not apparent. Nathaniel Bozworth was one; his brother William received land here in 1751, from his father; and Edward Cogswell and Zephaniah Branch do not appear. William Cogswell came a few years later, but was here in 1757. Since writing the above, it has been ascertained that Nathaniel Bozworth, Zephaniah Branch, and several others, resident in New Preston at that time, were adherents to the Episcopal Church; and hence as early as 1766 or 7, an Episcopal house of worship was erected in that place—a further account of which may be seen in connection with the sketch of St. Andrew's Church, of Marbledale. Site for a Meeting-house. "Dec. 21, 1754. I, Jacob Kene, . . . in consideration of love and good will towards the society of New Preston, and in view of setting up or accommodating the public worship of God in said society, . . . do freely give . . . one acre of land to erect a meeting-house upon for the public worship of God, . . . part of the farm I now live upon, . . . that part on which the County Court's committee have affixed a stake for the meeting-house of said society, together with a two-rod highway from said stake southeast, unto a ten-rod highway that is between the 1st and 2d tier of lots in the New Milford North Purchase." This was the site of the first meeting-house on New Preston Hill, it being but a little distance from the present church edifice at that place. In December, 1753, the society voted to lay a tax of twelve pence on the pound to Eire a minister for the season; and to build two school-houses by subscription, for the use of the society. In November, 1754, it was voted to build a meeting-house 36 by 26 feet, with five windows, of twelve lights each. In December, 1766, it was voted to build another meeting-house forty by fifty feet, which was inclosed three years later, but was not entirely finished until 1798. The Rev. Noah Wadham was the first settled minister in the society, beginning in 1757. He was induced to resign his place and accept the position of pastor in the settlement of the first colony in the Wyoming Valley, Pa., in 1768. The Rev. Jeremiah Day was the next pastor in New Preston, beginning in January, 1770, and continuing until 1806. This family have become very widely known through their professional positions for many years in Yale College. During the labors of the Rev. Charles A. Boardman, from New Milford, for twelve years, from 1818, the New Preston Society was known as one of the most efficient and successful of Western Connecticut. New Preston Burying-Place. On February 1, 1757, Benjamin Mallery, of Kent, and James Terrill, of New Milford, as a committee of the New Preston Society, purchased of, Samuel Cogswell, for twenty shillings, lawful money, a certain piece of land, "bounded west by Joseph Wheaton's, south and east by said Cogswell's land, and north on highway;" said land is purchased and devoted for a burying-place for the east end of New Preston. [1] For this land a warrantee deed was given, without reservation or consideration except as above stated. The ten rod highway running through the north purchase east and west, passed this burying-place on the north side. [1] New Milford land records, B. ix., 320. The following secured the site of the first school-house, which doubtless was near the present one, near the dwelling of Mr. Gould C. Whittlesey:— "December 13, 1762. Voted that the inhabitants of New Preston Society may have liberty to build a school-house on the highway near Captain Nathaniel Bozworth's shop, in the most convenient place as they shall judge, so as not to incommode the public road." Captain Bozworth's blacksmith's shop stood, probably, north side of the highway, a little way west from the present school-house, in New Preston Village. In that part of the New Preston Society which lay within the bounds of New Milford township, the following names are found on the assessment list for 1800: Ichabod, Bostwick, Justus Dimon, Oliver Bostwick, Eli Daton, Zachariah Bostwick, Ebenezer Edwards, Richard Barnum, David Hill, David Bostwick, Jonathan Hill, Thomas Buckley, John Hatch, Joseph Bostwick, Samuel Hill, Jr., Andrew Bostwick, Ephraim Lyon, Joseph E. Bostwick, Read Marsh, John Cogswell, Wanzer Marsh, Edmund Clark, Stephen Morehouse, Jr., Stephen Morehouse, Henry Straight, John Morehouse, Jr., Benajah Stone, John Morehouse, Gideon Starr, Benjamin Northrop, Jared Sperry, William Nickerson, Canfield Stone, Epenetus Platt, Jr., Daniel Stone, Elnathan Peet, 3d, Ithiel Stone, Daniel Peet, James Terrill, Jr., Elnathan Peet, 2d, Leman Terrill, Joseph Peet, Jared Terrill, Samuel W. Peet, Job Terrill, Jr., Julius Stone, Joseph Waller, Benjamin Stone, Jr., Winthrop Woodin, Ebenezer Smith, Eseck Wheaton. The total assessment on the New Preston list in New Milford town for 1800 was $10,129.71. The total assessments of the New Milford township for 1800, including Bridgewater, and excluding New Preston, was $75,982.04. The total assessment within the Bridgewater Society in 1804, the first year of their organization, was $15,158.43. The total assessment of that part of Newbury (now Brookfield) Society, lying within New Milford township, in 1787, the last assessment before the organization of the town of Brook-field was .£2,371 22s. 6d. The valuation of church property and the Town House in 1822, was recorded on the Assessor's list as follows: Congregational, Old Society, $1,500. Congregational, Bridgewater, 1,000. Episcopal, First Society, 1,000. Baptist, First Society, 500. Friends, First Society, 300. Town House, 200. 14 School-houses, 700. _______ 5,200. For many years the assessment list contained the valuation of the property in the town, and also a percentage of the same as the list upon which taxes were collected. These two lists stood, in 1822, as follows: "Total amount of the whole town for 1822. Valuation. Taxable. First Society, $1,055,765.00 $44,971.56 New Preston, 133,694.00 5,874.48 Bridgewater, 233,844.00 9,976.67 $1,423,303.00 $60,822.71 Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY OF THE TOWNS OF NEW MILFORD AND BRIDGEWATER, CONNECTICUT, 1703-1882, BY SAMUEL ORCUTT AUTHOR OF THE HISTORIES OF TORRINGTON, WOLCOTT, AND DERBY, AND THE INDIANS OF THE HOUSATONIC AND NAUGATUCK VALLEYS, CONNECTICUT. HARTFORD, CONN.: PRESS OF THE CASE, LOCKWOOD AND BRAINARD COMPANY. File at -- http://files.usgwarchives.net/ct/litchfield/history/1882/historyo/newprest45gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ctfiles/ File size: 20.9 Kb