Middlesex County CT Archives History - Books .....Leesville 1887 *********************************************** 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 20, 2005, 12:48 am Book Title: The Old Chimney Stacks Of East Haddam CHAPTER XI. LEESVILLE. One of the first settlers of Leesville was Capt. Jonathan Kilburn, whose house stood on the hill.. near the present schoolhouse. The Captain was a. man of considerable influence in his day. He seems to have been enterprising, eccentric, and ingenious. The mill-house near the present Leesville dam stands over what was then called "Salmon Hole," a deep hole from which were caught large numbers of salmon. The large chasm in the ledge, just east of this house, is a monument of Capt. Kilburn's perseverance, he having burned it out by the use of fire and water. He then built a trough from a spring on the hill some distance east of the village to the bank which towered above the present school-house, and by thus washing away this mountain of sand and sending it through the chasm, filled up "Salmon Hole," and made the fertile garden spot around the old mill- house. Afterwards he erected a dam across the river where the present dam is, and about the year 1765 built an oil mill, the first in the State, near where the present cotton mill stands. In his old age, Capt. Kilburn became considerably involved, his principal creditors being the Lords, who were, for those times, wealthy merchants, living at the Landing, and to whom fickle fortune transferred the old man's property. George Lord lived where Richard Gelston now resides, Samuel Lord built the brick hotel which subsequently became the Champion House. George and Richard Lord moved to Leesville, and through their energy and means this splendid water privilege became partially developed. Over the oil mill they erected a woolen factory and a clothier's works, where they fulled and dressed their cloth. They also had a bark mill, and erected a saw mill, carrying eight saws, and sawing a length of seventy feet. The woolen mill had five spinning machines, and consumed about ten thousand pounds of wool annually. The place arose to the dignity of a name, and was called Lord's' Mills. A cotton factory was next erected at the same spot. On the night of the 30th of March, 1815, these mills, with a large portion of their contents, were consumed by fire, occasioning a loss of about twenty-five thousand dollars. The origin of the fire was never ascertained, but from some circumstances which subsequently came to light, suspicions were directed to the crew of a British vessel which lay near the mouth of the river, the English being at that time bitterly opposed to American manufactures, then in their infancy. Notwithstanding this heavy loss, the Lords, the summer after, erected a fine brick building, 65x35, four stories high, with a loft in the garret. Into this they introduced machinery for the manufacture of woolen cloth, using sixteen thousand pounds of wool a year. In 1816, they introduced five hundred cotton spindles, which they afterwards increased to two thousand. They also had in this building a machine room, where all the wood, brass, and iron machinery were made and repaired for the establishment. Fortune's wheel finally turned disastrously for the Lords. Owing to severe losses they were forced to mortgage their property heavily to the State of Connecticut, and a foreclosure was the result. The place was purchased by the sons of Dr. Samuel H. B. Lee, of New London, who gave to it the name which it still retains. The Lees afterwards sold the mills to Enoch and Samuel Parsons. Soon afterwards a company was formed, consisting of Parsons, Chapman, D. B. Warner, and S. S. Card. After holding the property about eight years, they sold it to Ackley Cowdrey, through whose agency a joint stock company was formed. About twenty-two years ago, the new mill was destroyed by fire, and on the ruins was erected the present mill, which is owned by the East Haddam Duck Company, and run for the manufacture of cotton duck. It uses about two hundred thousand pounds of cotton per year. The Lords went from Leesvilie to New Connecticut, which they purchased. It appears that at one time Richard and George became so disastrously involved by their losses at Leesvilie that they were sent to jail for debt. Three of the daughters married Burroughs, one of them a Member of Congress. Samuel went to Spain and brought a load of gold, as he called it, to this country. The ore upon being assayed did not prove to be the genuine article, yet the cargo was found not entirely worthless. It brought considerable money, but a fraction, however, of what its owners anticipated. Of the Kilburn family, Jonathan 2d. went to Killingworth. Jonathan 3d is now in Middletown: owns the Farmers' and Mechanics' Hotel. Aaron worked for some time in a silversmith's shop, run by one Wm. Johnson. He now resides in New Haven. The original Capt. Kilburn left another enduring monument to his memory in the shape of a large stone basin, capable of holding two or three barrels of water, which now stands as it has stood for years in front of the old Kilburn House. Capt. K. dug out this solid rock, placed it there as a reservoir, drilled a hole through the bottom, and connected it with the spring on the hill by a wooden pipe composed of bored logs. Into this cool reservoir for many years there bubbled up a spring of pure cold water, affording a convenience and a comfort which our farmers of the present day seldom enjoy. The Leesville of to-day is a pleasant village of about fifteen families, the heads of which are worthy citizens, noted for honesty, frugality, and— Democracy. During all the Republican administrations of the past twenty-five years, it has had to depend on a democratic post-master or close the office. The large house in the centre of the village—also a centre of hospitality—has for many years been occupied by Mr. Charles Wright and his stalwart sons. John A. Wright kept a store here for many years. At present (1886), he is located at Thorndyke, Mass., and has recently been appointed postmaster at that place. Additional Comments: Transcribed from: THE OLD CHIMNEY STACKS OF EAST HADDAM, MIDDLESEX COUNTY, CONNECTICUT, BY HOSFORD B. NILES, Author of Genealogy of THE NILES FAMILY. NEW YORK: LOWE & CO., Book and Job Printers No. 210 Fulton Street. 1887 File at -- http://files.usgwarchives.net/ct/middlesex/history/1887/oldchimn/leesvill23gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ctfiles/ File size: 6.8 Kb