Early History of Industry in Putnam, Connecticut
In 1742 the Howe mills passed into the hands of Captain Nathaniel
Daniels, together with dwelling house, barn, malt house, shop and the
whole manufacturing stock of Quinebaug valley, viz.,." ye conveniences of
three coppers, two presses, one iron screw, two pairs shears, two iron
bars, a blue pot, paper for pressing and searcloth for malting." Noah
Sabin had succeeded to 'the mansion house and valley land of his father.
Peter Aspinwall had disappeared from public life and was probably sleeping
in his own grave yard, though no stone perpetuates his memory. Captain
Joseph Cady was succeeded by his son justice Joseph, a man of equal
probity and influence, the richest man in the community, and, according to
tradition, the first man to own a coach." William Larned died in 1747,
leaving his homestead to his son, Captain William, who sold the same to
Isaac Parks, whose name still clings to the historic hill and
neighborhood. Captain David Cady, Jonathan Cady and other descendants of
Captain Cady, Sr., were settled on farms west of Killingly hill. John
Felshaw had opened a popular house of entertainment at the north end of
the hill. The first practicing physician of this town, Doctor Thomas
Moffatt, had his residence upon the hill, as also Noah, youngest son of
justice Joseph Leavens. Simon Bryant died in 1748, leaving his homestead
to his grandson, Simon Larned. Deacon Jonathan Eaton died the same year.
His successor in the deacon's office, Lusher Gay, of Dedham, purchased the
farm originally laid out to Samuel Lee in 1738. Samuel Perrin was rearing
a large family in the pleasant Perrin homestead. Jonathan Dresser, Samuel
and Seth Paine, were residents of the Quinebaug valley. Captain Isaac
Cutler and his numerous sons still held possession of the mills and
privileges of the Assawaga, eastward.
Captain Nathaniel Daniels carried on his various business enterprises for
a number of years, and was prominent in many public affairs. In 1760, he
sold the whole establishment, viz., land, water privilege, mills, dwelling
house, together with his "clothier's, fuller's and grist mill tools and
utensils," to Benjamin Cargill, then of Mendon, Mass., a descendant of
Reverend Donald Cargill. Captain Cargill at once took possession of his
purchase and by shrewdness and good management increased and extended the
business and became very widely known throughout the section. Rival mills
at the Upper Falls now established by the sons of Deacon Eaton made
business more lively. A new road to Thompson was laid out "from Capt.
Daniels' land to another highway between Landlord Converse's and Martha
Flint's " in 1763-now known as " the Mountain Road " between Putnam and
Thompson, passing Origin Alton's and Stephen Ballard's. Messrs. Jared
Talbot and David Perry had set up grist and saw mills upon the Assawaga at
the site of the ruined Daniels' mills.
Killingly hill had now received another practicing physician. Doctor
Samuel Holden Torrey, son of the famous Doctor Joseph Torrey, of South
Kingston. His young wife, Anna Gould, of Branford, brought with her four
slaves as part of her marriage portion. His brother, Joseph Torrey,
settled east of Killingly hill, marrying a daughter of Reverend John Fisk.
Deacon Ebenezer, son of William Larned, whose wife was one of the eight
capable daughters of justice Joseph Leavens, also occupied a farm on the
same road near the Cutler farms. His brother, James Larned, a shrewd
business man and reputed usurer, resided near Felshaw's tavern. Among
other residents upon homesteads now within Putnam limits were Isaac Cady,
Sampson and Pearley, grandsons of Captain Sampson Howe, Hezekiah and
Benoni Cutler, Benjamin and Noah Leavens, Benjamin, Jonathan, Nedebiah,
Joseph, David and Isaac Cady, Jonathan and Samuel Buck and Joseph Adams.
West of the Quinebaug the residents were not numerous, the land being held
mostly by the Perrin and Sabin families. " Cargill's bridge " below the
High Falls, was rebuilt in 1770-John Grosvenor, Samuel Perrin and Benjamin
Cargill, committee. An attempt to lay out a more direct road from
Cargill's westward was defeated.
In the various wars in which the colonies were concerned, the future
Putnam bore her proportionate share. Ensign Samuel Perrin served actively
in the French and Indian war, his wife supporting her family mainly
through "the hard winter" of his absence by a crop of carrots raised by
her own hands. Samuel, oldest son of William Larned, served as first
lieutenant of Captain David Holmes' regiment. James Wilson was so
unfortunate as to be carried captive into Canada, returning just in time
to save his wife from a second marriage. As the revolutionary war came on
the whole valley was stirred. The old Cady homestead, upon the decease of
Captain Joseph Cady. was purchased by Darius Sessions, son of Nathaniel
Sessions of Pomfret, and then deputy-governor of Rhode Island, one of the
prominent leaders among the revolting patriots. The house, already "old,"
was thoroughly reconstructed, enlarged and beautified, transformed into a
stately, colonial mansion. Governor Sessions also took much pains with his
grounds and farm, making, according to President James Manning, " truly
wonderful " accommodations. In this fine country seat many patriots found
a safe retreat from the constant alarms and perils of the seaboard, making
it almost a war office and place for general consultation. Killingly hill,
with its lofty banner and bonfires, the South Neighborhood Elm, a noted
place of rendezvous, are memorable revolutionary localities. Even more
sacred is the little triangular common at the junction of the Woodstock
and Pomfret roads, west of the Drill river, where Captain Stephen Brown
paraded with his company before marching to Cambridge after the Lexington
alarm. Three giant Sabins were in this company, of whom at least one,
Ichabod, was slain at Bunker hill. Elihu Sabin was also in that battle,
and lived to delight many hearers with the story of his experiences, and
especially of that last charge of ammunition which he kept in reserve
until hotly pursued by a gallant British officer. " And did you kill him?"
the boys would ask eagerly. " Well, I don't know exactly," he would
answer, " but the last I saw of him he was getting off his horse."
With the adoption of the federal constitution and the quickening of
business enterprise all over the United States, new life developed in the
Quinebaug valley. Ebenezer Bundy came into possession of the Eaton farm
and privileges after the removal of the Eaton families to western
Massachusetts. He built a new dam or reconstructed the old one, his grist
mill being set upon the rocks, near the bank of the river, the site now
occupied by the north end of the mill owned by the Putnam Manufacturing
Company. Great efforts were made to secure a road direct from this point
to Larned & Mason's store in the South Neighborhood, which was now the
headquarters of mercantile enterprise. but just at this juncture public
men were too much occupied with the new town question to give attention to
road making. Captain Cargill meantime was greatly extending his business
operations, buying land east of the river, setting up a gin distillery,
building new mills and houses. In 1787 he completed the new grist mill,
fitting it up with all the best art of the day. with three complete sets
of grist mills and a bolting mill. A blacksmith shop, and two trip
hammers, a fulling mill, and mills to grind scythes and " churn butter "
were among his achievements. Mr. Timothy Williams of Woodstock, speaks of
Captain Cargill's new enterprise with much enthusiasm, "Viewed from lofts
at Cargill's mills " (the first and second were used for mill purposes); "
the third a Baptist meeting room; 4th, a large, convenient, well
replenished granary." With such accommodations and the best attendance, it
was no marvel that the establishment took precedence of all other mills in
the section, farmers in neighboring towns driving by their home mills
because of the superior quality of Cargill's grinding.
The captain was a genial, whole-souled man, the life of the business and
settlement, delighting in his large family and varied business
enterprises. The rude rhyme in which he incorporated the names of his
eleven children almost parallels that of the famous" Hutchinson Family"
song. His oldest daughter, Lucy Cargill, married as his second wife,
Doctor Albigence Waldo, of Pomfret, the most noted physician and surgeon
of his day, a man of varied gifts and attainments. Mrs. Waldo sym-pathized
in her husband's literary tastes, and was herself a writer and poetess,
especially noted for her proficiency in the " art of letter writing."
Cargill's Mills was thus noted for literary society as well as a business
center. The third meeting of the first medical society in Connecticut was
held at Cargill's, September, 1786. Still there were no residents at the
mill beside the Cargill family and those employed by them. A block of
three wooden houses was built west of the grist mill by Captain Cargill
about this date, which survived some years after Putnam was made a town.
The Pomfret Factory grave yard," west of the old factory, must have been
opened at this time, as the children of Mrs. Waldo were buried there. Many
of the descendants of Captain John Sabin were also buried there. His
original homestead, the old historic Sabin house, had now passed into the
hands of his grandson, Cornet Jonathan. Not far from the house but on the
east side of the road, so that it came within the limits of the present
Putnam, stood a quaint old house with diamond windows, known as the "Silas
Sabin place," and a little north of it stood the " Peter Sabin house."
Silas and Peter Sabin were brothers, descended from Deacon Benjamin of
Pomfret, who bad contrived to get possession of some of the John Sabin
land, for which, it was said, they paid a trifling yearly rental. The
wives of Cornet Jonathan and Silas Sabin were sisters, daughters of May,
so that these three families were very closely connected. They were all of
immense stature and fine singers, social and hospitable, and most heartily
improved their remarkable social privileges. Still another pleasant Sabin
homestead was that of the revolutionary veteran, Deacon Elihu Sabin, and
his excellent wife, a favorite resort for young and old.
Land from Cornet Sabin, and other tracts from various parties, increased
Ebenezer Bundy's farm to at least five hundred acres on both sides the
Quinebaug. Renewed petitions for a road from Larned's store to Bundy's
mills excited much discussion and some opposition in Thompson. Though much
addicted to road making, this young town was chary of cost. When it was
decided in 1797 that a turnpike was actually to be laid out through West
Thompson, renewed efforts were made to procure a direct road from Larned's
store to Bundy's mills at the Upper Fall, and thence west to intersect the
stage road near Abel Alton's. The committee reported in favor of such
road, but their report was rejected again and again. It was not until Mr.
Bundy offered to build a good substantial bridge, at his own cost, over
the Quinebaug, and the owners of the land volunteered to give what was
needful, fence the road and make it passable, that the town reluctantly
consented to allow it. This road, as laid out, began twenty-six rods west
side the Quinebaug, then across the river where Eaton's bridge had
formerly stood, then in a straight line up hill and down to intersect the
old road from Thompson meeting house to Cargill's, near the house of Isaac
Parks. It made a very direct route from Woodstock and the Quinebaug valley
to Larned's store and on to Providence, but the steepness of the hills
made it a very hard road to travel, and children going to Bundy's mill on
horseback were often pitched head over heels descending these declivities.
Cargill's mills had now been thrown into market. The death of Doctor
Waldo, and of some of his own children, had broken the health and spirits
of the good captain, and he felt unable to compete with his enterprising
rival above. In his advertisement in 1793 lie sets forth in glowing terms
the peculiar advantages of his " noted inheritance," with land of the most
valuable kind, water sufficient to grind three hundred bushels the driest
day ever known, and prophesies that the place is and must be a place of
great trade." In 1798 he effected a sale to Moses Arnold and John Harris,
of Rhode Island. In 1800 Arnold's share of this purchase was sold to
Jeremiah and -Nehemiah Knight, of Cranston. "Knight & Harris " ran the
various mills and works for a few years, under the superintendence of Mr.
Nehemiah Knight, afterward governor of Rhode Island. A store was now
opened in one of the three Cargill houses. Some local improvements were
accomplished by Mr. Knight, who beguiled his lonely hours in this isolated
valley by laying out " a solitary walk " on the tongue of land between
Quinebaug and Mill rivers. This walk, rechristened " Solitaire," was long
a favorite rural resort. Captain Cargill removed to Palmer, Mass., with
his widowed daughter and the remnant of their families, but his name and
memory were long preserved. While for a hundred years the vicinity of
Quinebaug High Falls was widely known as a crossing place, fishery and
mill site, it had few residents and fewer school and religious privileges.
Its scattered families attended church and school in whichsoever of the
three towns they chanced to be located. During the revolutionary war a
strong Baptist element developed, through the labors and influence of
President Manning of Brown University. A Baptist society was organized in
the Quinebaug valley, taking in residents of Pomfret and Killingly.
Reverend Mr. Kelley labored with them as a pastor, holding services in
convenient residences, which were well attended and productive of much
good. One of the rooms in Captain Cargill's mill was used for a Baptist
meeting room. Mr. Tanning was very anxious to establish a Latin school in
this valley, to serve as a nursery for the college," foreseeing its
probable development.
Methodism met with equal favor. As early as 1792 a noted Methodist
itinerant, John Allen, was allowed to hold a religious meeting in
Cargill's press room. His plain and pungent preaching struck conviction to
the hearts of the hearers. A number of young women professed conversion,
and soon were gathered into a class. They were joined by three young
men-Elijah Bugbee, William Gary and Noah Perrin. The latter was appointed
class leader, and opened the hospitable Perrin house for public services.
Pomfret was included in New London circuit, and made a regular preaching
station. A number of respectable families joined with the -Methodists--the
Sabins, with their grand voices, Perrins, Garys, Cadys, Bucks, etc.
Wonderful meetings were held in the Perrin house and Cargill's meeting
room. The Methodist singing and the fervid exhortations and prayers
carried everything before them. In 1795 Pomfret circuit was formed, with
169 professed Methodists; Jesse Lee, presiding elder; Daniel Ostrander and
Nathaniel Chapin, preachers. Though meeting much opposition from the
established churches upon the hill-tops, the Methodists continued to gain
ground in the valley, and became an element of much power.
Back to: Putnam, Windham County,
Connecticut History
Source: History of Windham County, Connecticut,
Bayles, Richard M.; New York: W.W. Preston, 1889 Back to: Windham County, Connecticut
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