History of Fairfield County, Connecticut
The province of the historian is to gather the threads of the past ere they elude forever his grasp and weave them into a harmonious web to which the Art Preservative may give immortality. Therefore he who would rescue from fast-gathering oblivion the deeds of a community and send them on to futurity in an imperishable record should deliver "a plain, unvarnished tale," —
"Nothing extenuate, Nor set down aught in malice."
In such a spirit have the compilers of the following pages approached the work of detailing the history of the county embodied herein, and trust they have been fairly faithful to the task imposed.
It has been our honest endeavor to trace the history of the development of this section from that period when it was in the undisputed possession of the red man to the present, and to place before the reader an authentic narrative of its rise and progress to the prominent position it now occupies among the counties of New England.
That such an undertaking is attended with no little difficulty and vexation none will deny. The aged pioneer relates events of the early settlements, while his neighbor sketches the same events with totally different outlines. Man's memory is ever at fault, while Time paints a different picture upon every mind. With these the historian has to contend; and, while it has been our aim to compile an accurate history, were it devoid of all inaccuracies that perfection would have been attained of which the writer had not the faintest conception, and which Lord Macaulay once said never could be reached.
From colonial and other documents in the State archives, from county, town, and village records, family manuscripts, printed publications, and innumerable private sources of information, we have endeavored to produce a history which should prove accurate, instructive, and in every respect worthy the county represented. How well we have succeeded in our task a generous public, jealous of its reputation and honor, of its traditions and memories, of its defeats and triumphs, must now be the judge.
We desire to acknowledge our sincere thanks to the editorial fraternity generally for much valuable information, which has greatly lessened our labor in the preparation of this work, and also to each and every one who has assisted us in its compilation, and would cheerfully make personal mention of each, but it is impracticable, as the number reaches over a thousand.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER I.
GEOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE 9
CHAPTER II.
Bench and Bar 10
CHAPTER III.
MEDICAL HISTORY — THE AGRICULTURAL, SOCIETY 23
CHAPTER IV.
MILITARY HISTORY 43
CHAPTER V.
MILITARY HISTORY (CONTINUED) 54
CHAPTER VI.
Population and School Statistics 64
CHAPTER VII.
BRIDGEPORT 65
CHAPTER VIII.
BRIDGEPORT (CONTINUED). — PEQCONNOCK, OR STRATFIELD, FROM THE FIRST SETTLEMENT BY THE WHITES TO THE BEGINNING OF THE REVOLUTION 68
CHAPTER IX.
BRIDGEPORT (CONTINUED). — BRIDGEPORT AND VICINITY IN THE REVOLUTION 77
CHAPTER X.
BRIDGEPORT (CONTINUED) 85
CHAPTER XI.
BRIDGEPORT (CONTINUED) 94
CHAPTER XII.
BRIDGEPORT (CONTINUED). - THE PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF BRIDGEPORT 106
CHAPTER XIII.
BRIDGEPORT (CONTINUED). - PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF BRIDGEPORT, CONCLUDED.
CHAPTER XIV.
BRIDGEPORT (CONTINUED). - CATALOGUE OF UNION VOLUNTEERS, RESIDENTS OF BRIDGEPORT, WHO ENLISTED IN CONNECTICUT REGIMENTS DURING TEH REBELLION 129
CHAPTER XV.
BROOKFIELD 169
CHAPTER XVI.
DANBURY 177
CHAPTER XVII.
DANBURY (CONTINUED). - THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION 182
CHAPTER XVIII.
DANBURY (CONTINUED). - VIEW OF DANBURY IN 1815-20 195
CHAPTER XIX.
DANBURY (CONTINUED) 205
CHAPTER XX.
DANBURY (CONTINUED). - ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 210
CHAPTER XXI.
DANBURY (CONTINUED) 220
CHAPTER XXII.
DANBURY (CONTINUED). - MISCELLANEOUS - THE PRESS, ETC. 229
CHAPTER XXIII.
DANBURY (CONTINUED) 238
CHAPTER XXIV.
DANBURY (CONTINUED). CIVIL AND MILITARY 247
CHAPTER XXV.
DARIEN 266
CHAPTER XXVI.
DARIEN (CONTINUED) - ECCLESIASTICAL, CIVIL, AND MILITARY HISTORY 270
CHAPTER XXVII.
EASTON 274
CHAPTER XXVIII.
FAIRFIELD 278
CHAPTER XXIX.
FAIRFIELD (CONTINUED) 284
CHAPTER XXX.
FAIRFIELD (CONTINUED) 287
CHAPTER XXXI.
FAIRFIELD (CONTINUED) 317
CHAPTER XXXII.
FAIRFIELD (CONTINUED). - MISCELLANEOUS 335
CHAPTER XXXIII.
FAIRFIELD (CONTINUED). - ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 346
CHAPTER XXXIV.
FAIRFIELD (CONTINUED). - CIVIL AND MILITARY 356
CHAPTER XXXV.
GREENWICH 366
CHAPTER XXXVI.
GREENWICH (CONTINUED). - THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION 371
CHAPTER XXXVII.
GREENWICH (CONTINUED). - ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 381
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
GREENWICH (CONTINUED). - CIVIL LIST - MISCELLANEOUS 389
CHAPTER XXXIX.
HUNTINGTON 409
CHAPTER XL.
HUNTINGTON (CONTINUED). - MANUFACTURING INTERESTS 413
CHAPTER XLI.
MONROE 427
CHAPTER XLII.
NEW CANAAN. — THE FIRST SETTLEMENTS. — THE OLD PARISH 437
CHAPTER XLIII.
NEW CANAAN (CONTINUED). - ECCLESIASTICAL AND EDUCATIONAL 440
CHAPTER XLIV.
NEW CANAAN (CONTINUED). - CIVIL AND MILITARY. - LODGES, ETC. 442
CHAPTER XLV.
NEW FAIRFIELD 454
CHAPTER XLVI.
NEWTON 459
CHAPTER XLVII.
NEWTON (CONTINUED). - CHURCHES - LODGES - SCHOOLS - CIVIL AND MILITARY HISTORY, ETC 462
CHAPTER XLVIII.
NORWALK 482
CHAPTER XLIX.
NORWALK (CONTINUED). — SKETCHES OF THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS 488
CHAPTER L.
NORWALK (CONTINUED). — UNPUBLISHED TRADITIONAL FACTS IN
THE HISTORY OF NORWALK 494
CHAPTER LI.
NORWALK (CONTINUED) 506
CHAPTER LII.
NORWALK (CONTINUED). — DOCUMENTARY AND CIVIL HISTORY 515
CHAPTER LIII.
NORWALK (CONTINUED). — MISCELLANEOUS 545
CHAPTER LIV.
NORWALK (CONTINUED). - MISCELLANEOUS 548
CHAPTER LV.
NORWALK (CONTINUED). — ECCLESIASTICAL 558
CHAPTER LVI.
REDDING 574
CHAPTER LVII.
REDDING (CONTINUED) 577
CHAPTER LVIII.
REDDING (CONTINUED). - THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION 590
CHAPTER LIX.
REDDING (CONTINUED). - ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 600
CHAPTER LX.
REDDING (CONTINUED). — MISCELLANEOUS 614
CHAPTER LXI.
REDDING (CONTINUED). — CIVIL, MILITARY, AND DOCUMENTARY HISTORY 620
CHAPTER LXII.
RIDGEFIELD 631
CHAPTER LXIII.
RIDGEFIELD (CONTINUED) 639
CHAPTER LXIV
RIDGEFIELD (CONTINUED) 650
CHAPTER LXV.
RIDGEFIELD (CONTINUED) 662
CHAPTER LXVI.
RIDGEFIELD (CONTINUED). - MISCELLANEOUS 676
CHAPTER LXVII.
SHERMAN 684
CHAPTER LXVIII.
STAMFORD 692
CHAPTER LXIX.
STAMFORD (CONTINUED). - THE SOLDIERY OF STAMFORD - THE HEROES OF FOUR WARS 701
CHAPTER LXX.
STAMFORD (CONTINUED) 707
CHAPTER LXXI.
STAMFORD (CONTINUED) 714
CHAPTER LXXII.
STAMFORD (CONTINUED) 721
HAPTER LXXIII.
STAMFORD (CONTINUED) 724
CHAPTER LXXIV.
STRATFORD 750
CHAPTER LXXV.
STRATFORD (CONTINUED). — THE REVOLUTION, ETC 756
CHAPTER LXXVI.
STRATFORD (CONTINUED). — WITCHCRAFT AND KNOCKINGS - ROMANCE AND TRADITION 759
CHAPTER LXXVII.
STRATFORD (CONTINUED). — CHURCHES, LODGES, SCHOOLS 761
CHAPTER LXXVIII.
STRATFORD (CONTINUED). — CIVIL AND MILITARY, ETC 768
CHAPTER LXXIX.
TRUMBULL 772
CHAPTER LXXX.
TRUMBULL (CONTINUED). — CIVIL AND ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 776
CHAPTER LXXXI.
WESTON 805
CHAPTER LXXXII.
WESTPORT 811
CHAPTER LXXXIII.
WESTPORT (CONTINUED). - ECCLESIASTICAL 819
CHAPTER LXXXIV.
WESTPORT (CONTINUED) 827
CHAPTER LXXXV.
WILTON 813
CHAPTER LXXXVI.
WILTON (CONTINUED) 847
CHAPTER LXXXVII.
WILTON (CONTINUED). — MISCELLANEOUS 853
CHAPTER LXXXVIII.
BETHEL 864
SUPPLEMENT 87
Read the Book - Free
Download the Book ( 81.3 MB PDF ) - Free
Fairfield County was organized at a Court of Election held at Hartford May 10, 1666, at which time John Winthrop was Governor of the colony.
|