HISTORY OF THE TOWNS OF
NEW MILFORD AND BRIDGEWATER,
[LITCHFIELD CO.] CONNECTICUT, 1703 - 1882
By SAMUEL ORCUTT
Transcribed by Richard Clarke
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Not in the least did they or their families dream that their names, after one hundred and seventy years, would stand displayed on the pages of history as the twelve corner-stones of one of the most successful rural towns of the far-famed state of Connecticut. So little do the seed-sowers know what the harvest shall be. Long ages ago it was written: "There shall be a handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon." And it might have been said, shall be planted in all lands, for to such an extent, nearly, have been transplanted the men raised in New 'Milford; and it is literally true that a young lady raised in New Milford was the first American woman that sailed around the world. It was she that was Lucia, daughter of Samuel Ruggles, and is now the widow Lucia Tomlinson of New Milford, in her 89th year. It is pleasant to take some particular notice of the first twelve settlers, since they all proved themselves worthy of the highest encomium and of the most lasting remembrance. 1. John Noble, Sen., came here when forty-five years of age, having a family of nine or ten children living, some of whom did not settle in this town. He was a brave, enterprising, noble hearted man, or he would never have ventured into the wilderness to make a home for his family as he did. His dwelling house stood on the site of the present dwelling of Col Charles D. Blinn, or near it, which was a log-house, erected, probably, in the autumn of 1707. In 1714, he gave the north half of this home-lot to his son Stephen, who came at that time from Massachusetts, and upon this lot Stephen erected a house, a little north of his father's, and, after dwelling in it about a year, removed to that of his father's, and, after some years, sold his first one to his brother David. Prosperity, for a few brief years, filled his hands with work, in many public offices, as well as private labors, and his home with comparative comforts; but the great destroyer Death was destined to make a beginning in this new plantation as well as in all others, and, as he "loves a shining mark," made choice of the brave yet kindly heart that first raised a white man's home in this dense forest; and therefore, on the 17th day of August, 1714, his life-work closed, and his home was clouded with mourning, and his place left vacant. He was the first Town Clerk elected by vote of the town; was a surveyor of lands, a member of the Woodbury Church, and the first adult person' to be carried to the beautiful cemetery that now adorns the village of which he was the first civilized ornament. The land of his first home-lot remained in possession of his descendants until a very few years since. 2. John Bostwick, Sen., came from Derby, and earlier from Stratford, and was the second settler in New Milford. He settled here probably in the autumn of 1707, since his first deed, dated Dec. 2, 1707, says he was "late of Derby." The first land laid to him was lot number one of the town plot, ~vest side of the highway; but he had previously settled on the lot, and built a house near the site of the present residence of Miss Mary C. Boardman. The northern part of this lot he afterwards gave to his son Daniel, who kept a tavern on it many years, and who was an influential and active man in the town. He had a family of eight children, some of whom settled here some years later than he. He was an energetic citizen, and bore his full share of official work for the new plantation and town. The dates of the deaths of himself and two wives are unknown. His second wife was the daughter of Jeremiah Canfield, Sen., and sister to the first Samuel Canfield in this town, and his brothers. 3. Benjamin Bostwick, Sen., nephew of John above, came from Stratford a young man, and married Zeruiah, daughter of Moses Johnson of Woodbury, in 1711, and established his home on what is now Grove Street, where he resided until his decease in June, 1739. He was a successful farmer, carpenter, and cabinet-maker,-the inventory of his property showing him to be equipped with tools for these trades, and also indicating that his home and farm were models for those days in their furnishings and comforts. 4. John Noble, Jr., when 21 years of age, purchased a Right of land in New Milford, the same day with his father, June 22, 1706, and came with his father's family, in 1707, to New Milford. His house was on the east side of the green about where the Town Hall now stands. This house and lot he sold in 1730, and soon after settled on the plains, in the first house below Gallows Hill, where he resided until his decease in 1773, at the age of 88 years. He was Captain of the Train Band in 1732, was a prominent man in the town for many years, and was one of a number of persons who petitioned for society privileges in 1743, from the south part of the town which resulted in the parish and First Church of Newbury, and afterwards in the town of Brookfield. 5. Isaiah Bartlet was a signer of the petition in October, 1711, but in a similar one the next May his name does not appear. There was no land deeded to him, and the probability is that he soon removed. Two of his daughters, apparently, were afterwards married in this town. 6. Dea. Samuel Brownson, from Farmington, settled here, probably, in 1708. His house stood at the southeast corner of the sequestered square or green, southeast of Doctor Thomas Picketts, or directly south, and across the road from the present residence of Mr. Edward A. Thayer. He was elected Town Clerk in 1714, upon the death of John Noble, Sen., and held that office until his death in 1733. He was the first Justice of the Peace in the town, being also Judge in the New Haven County Court, and was in his day, probably, the most widely-known citizen of the town, unless the military man, Capt. Stephen Noble, should be excepted; and in every way he seems to have been a man of dignity, integrity, and responsibility, and much esteemed. He was the first deacon of the First Church in the town. Lydia Brownson, his wife, was a woman of decided efficiency, as may be seen in the list of physicians in this book; she being a peculiar honor to the women of the community and the nation, for she was probably, for some years, the only person that made professional calls as a physician, in the town, except Doctor Pickett. She married, 2d, Mr. Jonathan Lumm, and they removed to Derby. 7. Samuel Prindle, from Milford, was in New Milford and signed the petition in 1711. John Noble, Sen., laid out Mr. Pringles' first forty acres, on Second hill, before 1714, on the Right of William Fowler; which was recorded in 1717, and described as "lying upon the westerly side of the Second hill at a place called Pringles' Pitch So rods on the square, common land on all sides." In 1721, William Fowler deeded his Right, including this land improved, and another piece at the south end of the village, to Samuel Prindle and Joseph Bostwick. Mr. Prindle had paid all charges against the Right for seven years, by which he secured one-half of. the Right to himself. His dwelling stood at the south end of the village, a little east of the present site of Hon. A. B. Mygatt's residence. He died in 1750. 8. Major John Bostwick, Jr., came here with his father in 1708, and married Mercy Bushnell of Danbury, Jan. 30, 1712, and made his home on what is now Grove street; and his descendant, Mr. John R. Bostwick, is still residing on the old homestead. He became one of the most prominent and active men in the town; was lieutenant of the Train band many years. and afterwards major in the regiment; was elected deacon of the First church in 1733, and he and Capt. Stephen Noble were the first representatives of New Milford in the legislature. He also, apparently, gave some attention to the study of law, for the following action was taken in town meeting: "Dec. 12, 1737. Voted, that Dea. John Bostwick shall be allowed ten shillings for the use of his law book for town meetings, and for the use of particular persons as they shall have occasion." He was fourteen years of age when he came to New Milford, twenty-six when he was married; died in 1741, aged fifty-two years, leaving five children, all sons, two of whom, like himself, were very prominent citizens of the town for many years. 9. Zachariah Ferriss from Stratford, settled here, probably in 1708, on a lot a little way south of the Town Hall, and extending south to the corner of Main street, and east across Great brook; and his first forty acres lay directly east and adjoining his home-lot. This was the same land, most probably, as that he ploughed in June, 1706, when there were no settlers here except Indians. When Mr. Ferriss had ploughed this land in 1706, the New Milford company prosecuted him for trespass, and Col. John Read plead his case in court.. It must have been, therefore, that Mr. Ferriss laid claim to this land under the deed which was given by the Indians to Henry Tomlinson and others of Stratford, which, having been received under a permit from the General Court in 1670, under no restrictions or conditions, was as much a legal deed, and received as honestly as any deed then existing in the colony. The deed had stood on the records, sanctioned by a court decision, more than thirty years, when the General Assembly gave the permit to the New Milford Company, and their deed was received, upon the specific conditions that the plantation should interfere with no other titles. It is no wonder, then, that in fifteen trials in court before the governor and his assistants, a jury gave Col. Read the case, and his deed as valid; but it is surprising that on the sixteenth trial the land was given to the New Milford company without a penny's allowance to Col. Read. Is this called Christianity? And when the title to the land was secured in this way, against right and Christianity, by professed Christians as they were, it is no wonder that it took them twelve years thereafter to build a meeting-house, amidst great privations and almost extreme poverty; whereas, had they received Col. Read under a liberal consideration of the money he had placed in the enterprise, and treated him as a Christian brother, the plantation might have been settled at once, and the meeting-house built in a third of the time it was. Zachariah Ferriss was brother-in-law to Col. John Read, he having married, probably, the sister of Col. Read. Mr. Ferriss was a very efficient business man, placed on committees of importance; he served in many official capacities; surveyed more land, apparently, than any other man in the town during the first one hundred years, unless Col. Elisha Bostwick should be excepted. He was town treasurer a number, of years, when taxes were paid in various kinds of grains, which were stored, and sometimes accumulated on hand from year to year, until by some special town vote the accumulation was sold in a summary manner. He might have been styled, or would be at the present day, the President of the Bank of Town Deposits. Samuel Brownson sometimes was elected to this office, but after a number of years Roger Brownson more frequently bore the burdens of this office. Mr. Ferriss adhered to the First church through life, although his wife and several of his children became Quakers. No record of his decease has been found. 10. Roger Brownson, from Farmington, settled near his brother Samuel on what was then the Woodbury road, perhaps a little way south of the residence of the 'late A. S. Rogers. When his brother died he became Town Clerk, and held the position fourteen years. He was also Justice of the Peace for a number of years. There were no more reliable men in the town than he and his brother, for they were elected continually in the highest places of trust, and proved themselves worthy of the confidence imposed upon them, Roger being town treasurer many years. He died in 1758. 11. John Weller, Sen., from Springfield, Mass., settled in New Milford before December, 1710, since at that time he was here, and entered into an agreement with Thomas Smith to work the land which had been laid to Smith-lot number two, east side of the street-and in 1722 he bought Thomas Smith's Right, and in 1723 was living on this home-lot, next north of John Noble, Jr's. He was a substantial farmer; bought several pieces of land besides the one Right; was not prominent in town offices or enterprises, but served his part well. He died in 1734, leaving a number of Sons and their families, to each of whom he had given quite a farm. His son John was a prominent man, his farm being a little below the mouth of Rocky River, and which is now owned by Col. Win. J. Starr. 12. Thomas Weller, of Westfield, Mass., bought of John Noble one-half of a twenty-four shilling Right in 1707, and settled here probably before 1710; was here in 1712, but was residing in Woodbury in 1715, when he sold several pieces of land in New Milford. Only one of the first twelve families came from Milford, unless Isaiah Bartlett was of that place, which would make only two, and therefore it could hardly be said that the place was settled at first from Milford. It was settled by Milford people as original proprietors, but they were very slow to come here themselves. Four of these families were from Northampton and Westfield, Mass., four were from Stratford, and two were from Farmington. They were all poor people, strictly speaking, being able most of them-not all-to buy a Right of land, and to have a little left with which to commence a farmer's life in the wilderness. The Bostwick families possessed more property than the others, and they have held their own comfortably well ever since. They are so steady and untiring in the same line of work that they must win if death does not rob them of their allotted time. Then, also, they had a good start, which fact, if attended to, is more than half the race, in the short life any one may live in this world. These were the twelve pillars of the First Ecclesiastical Society, and of the town; but not of the church, for when the church was organized, some of them had removed from the town and others had come in.
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