tinct town in 1703. Its Indian name was Nawbesetuck. Settlements were made here soon after they commenced at Windham. Some of the first settlers are said to have been of the names of Fenton, Royce and Hall. Patience Royce is said to have been the first white child born in the town. Settlers by the names of Storrs, Porter and Barrows, from Plymouth, were in this town at an early period. In October, 1710, the Rev. Eleazar Williams was ordained as the first minister in the town. The township is bounded north by Willington and Ashford, west by Willimantic river, dividing it from Coventry, east by Chaplin, and south by Windham. Its average length from east to west is 8 miles; its average breadth nearly six. The central part is 27 miles east from Hartford, 19 from Norwich, and 12 from Tolland.

Northeast view of the Presbyterian Church, Mansfield.

The above is a north view of the Presbyterian church in Mansfield, and some other buildings in the vicinity, in the central part of the town. This is believed to be the only Presbyterian church in Connecticut. The members are ruled, or governed, by 8 elders.

The face of the township is uneven, being diversified with hills and valleys: the eminences in general have considerable elevation. Besides the Willimantic, the town is watered by Nachaug river, and its tributary streams, the Mount Hope and Fenton.

A larger quantity of silk is manufactured here than in any other place in the United States. This branch of industry was introduced into the country by Dr. Aspinwall of this place, above seventy years since, who established the raising of silk worms in

in the limits of this town. The tradition is, that Major Mansfield received his name, Moses, from the following circumstance; his parents, who resided either in North or East Haven, in crossing the East river in a canoe, were upset, and their infant, whom they were taking across the river in order for baptism, floated away from them. Being well wrapped up in blankets, the infant floated down the stream and lodged among the rushes, where he was taken up, having received no injury. His parents intended to have named him Richard, but from the circumstance of his being taken from the water and from the rushes, he was called Moses. He was a major of the militia, which was the highest military office in the county; he was also a judge of the county court, and an assistant judge of probate.

New Haven, Long Island and Philadelphia. At this period half an ounce of mulberry seed was sent to every parish in Connecticut, and the legislature for a time offered a bounty on mulberry trees and raw silk; 265 lbs. were raised in 1793, and the quantity has been increasing ever since. In 1830, 3,200 lbs. were raised. Two small silk factories have been established in this town by an English manufacturer, with swifts for winding hard silk; 32 spindles for doubling; seven dozen of spindles for throwing; 32 spindles for soft silk winding; and 2 broad and one fringe silk looms. There is machinery enough to keep 30 broad silk looms and fifty hands in operation. There are in the town two cotton factories. Screw augers and steelyards are manufactured here.

The inhabitants of this town have been distinguished for their ingenuity, enterprise and industry. About sixty years since Mr. Daniel Hartshorn of this place, invented the buzz saw, now so useful in the mechanic's shop. At the first he used it by hand, for cutting the teeth for horn combs. About this time, Mr. Nathan Palmer, a house joiner, and Andrew Hartshorn, a blacksmith, invented the screw auger. Steelyards were manufactured by Mr. Hanks, spectacles and surgical instruments by Mr. Fenton, at an early date. The double wheelhead was invented by Mr. Horace Hanks, about the year 1800, for the purpose of spinning silk. It was first used in the family of Mr. Wright. The first silk reeled from the cocoons was the work of the wife of the Rev. Mr. Martin, who had been in France, and had seen the operation in that country. Most of the manufacturing business done in this town, has been performed, in the "republican style," each one for himself in his own family.

The following inscription is from a monument in the yard a little south from the Presbyterian church.

Here lies the body of ye Rev. Mr. Eleazer Williams, pastor of ye chh. in Mansfield. Descended from venerable ancestors, but more nobly born from above; and with faithfulness, prudence, zeal and courage, improved the gifts and graces his divine Lord had intrusted him with; in ye work of the ministry here, being found with his loynes girt and looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus to eternal life, at his master's call, he quietly fell asleep in Jesus, Sept. 21st, 1742, in the 55th year of his age, and ye 32d year of his pastoral work.-Them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

SOMERS.

SOMERS is bounded N. by the Massachusetts line, w. by Enfield, E. by Stafford, and s. by Ellington. It is about six miles in length from north to south, with a mean breadth of about five miles. The central part of the town is 22 miles N. E. from Hartford, and 12 s. E. from Springfield, in Massachusetts. There is 1 Congregational and 1 Methodist church in the town; there is also a considerable number of Baptists, who are associated with the Baptist churches in the neighboring towns. The western section of the town is generally smooth and level, and free from The eastern section is hilly and mountainous, with some heights of considerable elevation, affording an extensive and interesting prospect of Hartford, and the beautiful valley of the Connecticut.

stone.

Somers was formerly the southeast part of the ancient town of Springfield, granted by the General Court of Massachusetts to Mr. Pyncheon and his company. It was afterwards incorporated with the town of Enfield, and was part of the same ecclesiastical society, and so continued to be until about the year 1726, when it was made a distinct ecclesiastical society, by the General Court of Massachusetts, by the name of East Enfield. The town of Enfield, when incorporated, extended from Connecticut river to Stafford, ten miles. The first person who moved on to Somers was Benjamin Jones, of Welch extraction. He was from Enfield; and in 1706 moved on to this tract where he resided in the summer, but moved back in the winter, and at other

*This was near the foot of the mountain, on the principal road which passes through the town from Enfield to Stafford.

times when danger was apprehended. But no permanent settlement was made until 1713, when Edward Kibbe, James Pease, Timothy Root, and John M'Gregory, with their families, joined with Jones, and made a durable settlement. Soon after, several other families became residents in the town, by the names of Horton, Killam, Wood, Collins, Cittron, Davis, Sexton, Parsons, Blood, Purchase, Rockwood, Felt and Fisk. Their first pastor was the Rev. Samuel Allis, who was ordained in March, 1727. In 1734, the General Court of Massachusetts incorporated the society as a town by the name of Somers. It is said to have been thus named at the request of Gov. Belcher, in honor of Lord Somers, for whom he had a peculiar respect and veneration. The town first transacted its business under the government of Connecticut, in 1749.

West view of Somers, (central part.)

The above is a view of the central part of the town, where the two principal roads intersect each other at right angles. The principal village is situated on a street running east and west, and extending about a mile. The building on the extreme right is the Methodist church, recently erected: there are perhaps 30 or 40 dwelling houses within half a mile of this building: the Congregational church is about half a mile to the north. There are in the village 4 or 5 mercantile stores, and one establishment, owned by Ebenezer Clark, Esq. for the manufacture of ladies' straw bonnets, being, it is believed, the only one of the kind in the state. At present about 30 hands are employed, and about 100 hats manufactured daily. Part of the material, or straw, of which they are formed, is imported from abroad. Mr. Clark commenced the manufacture of these hats or bonnets about six years since.

"In the year 1775, a malignant fever prevailed in this town. It began about the first of August, and raged three months. This sickness had been immediately preceded by the scarlet fever and dysentery, which carried off a number. Thirty six persons died that year, most of whom died of the fever, about one in twenty nine of the whole number of inhabitants in the town. It seized its patients with great violence, and frequently brought life to a close by the eighth day, and sometimes as early as the sixth. It rarely failed of attacking every person in the house where it entered, in its early stages. The people in general were filled with great consternation. Nurses were procured with great difficulty, and, in some instances, the sick must have suffered, if recourse had not been had to legal coercion." "The scenes of distress which opened among the sick and dying, can be remembered by us who were eye witnesses, but cannot be described."

* Dr. Trumbull.

The following inscription is on Dr. Backus's monument, in the grave yard by the Congregational church.

Sacred to the memory of Rev. CHARLES BACKUS, who died Dec. 30th, 1803, Etat. 54. As a minister of Christ, he faithfully declared his counsel, and was wise to win souls to God. As an ecclesiastical counselor he was skillful; and as a theological preceptor, he was deservedly celebrated. As an Husband, Father and Friend, he has few equals, and perhaps no superiors. He expired, repeating the angelic song, Luke 2d, 14th, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men.

STAFFORD.

STAFFORD is divided into two societies, or parishes, Stafford and West Stafford. It is bounded N. by the Massachusetts line, w. by Somers, s. by Ellington and Willington, and E. by Union. It is about 8 miles in length from east to west, and upwards of six in breadth. The face of the country in Stafford is hilly, and in West Stafford mountainous, abounding with primitive rocks. The prevailing soil is a gravelly loam, hard and dry, generally favorable for grass.

Northwest view of Stafford Mineral Springs Hotel.

This town was surveyed in 1718, and its settlement was commenced in the spring of the following year. The principal settlers were twelve in number. Two of them, Robert White and Matthew Thompson, were from Europe. Samuel and John Warner were from Hadley; Daniel and Josiah Blodget, from Woburn; Cornelius Davis, from Haverhill; Daniel Colburn, from Dedham; John Pasco, from Enfield; Josiah Standish, from Preston; Joseph Orcut, from Weymouth; and Benjamin Rockwell, from Windsor. The first minister, Mr. Graham, was settled in 1723.

There are several minerals in the town, of which iron ore is the most important. Several mines of it have been opened. The ore which is principally used is the bog ore, and is of an excellent quality. In 1779, Mr. John Phelps and others built a blast furnace on a large scale. low ware, cannon, cannon shot, and a great variety of patterns for manufacturers, and other descriptions of machinery, were cast. In 1796,

Hol

another furnace was erected by Mr. Nathaniel Hyde and company. This, also, is upon an extensive scale.

The mineral springs in Stafford have justly acquired considerable celebrity. They are situated upon a stage road, between Hartford and Boston, six miles from Tolland court house, and 24 miles from Hartford. The view shows the appearance of the hotel, and most of the other buildings connected with the establishment, as viewed from the stage road which passes by, a few rods to the north. The principal spring rises behind the building nearest the hotel, on the banks of a stream, one of the branches of the Willimantic river. There is another spring a few rods westward.

The Indians first made the settlers acquainted with the virtues of these springs, when, in the year 1719, this part of the country began to be settled. "It has been their practice, time immemorial, to resort to them in the warm season, and plant their wigwams round them. They recommended the water as an eye water; but gave, as their own particular reason for drinking it, that it enlivened their spirits." It is said, that in 1766, these springs were carefully examined by Dr. Warren, who then had thoughts of purchasing the land on which they rise, with a view of establishing himself upon it. Subsequent events transformed the physician into a soldier, and Dr. Warren fell in the first great struggle of the Revolution, with the rank of a major general, at the battle of Bunker's hill. Dr. Willard afterwards put Dr. Warren's plan into operation, by building a large hotel for the reception of patients and others. The establishment is at present owned by Mr. Jasper Hyde, and its former reputation is fully sustained, and it is a place of much resort for the purposes of health or pleasure during the summer season." There are two distinct springs, the medical qualities of which are considered as essentially different. One of them contains a solution of iron, sustained by carbonic acid gas, a portion of marine salt, some earthly substances, and what has been called natron, or a native alkili. This spring has been known and used for a length of time, and has been pronounced by chemists to be one of the most efficacious chalybeate springs in the United States. The other spring, the medicinal virtues of which were not known till about the year 1810, contains, according to the opinion of Professor Silliman, (who examined it in that year,) a large portion of hydrogen gas, of sulphur, and a small proportion of iron."-" These springs did not acquire much celebrity until about the year 1765, when a case occured calculated to establish and extend their reputation. It was an effectual cure of a most obstinate cutaneous complaint which had completely baffled all medicinal skill, and resisted all other applications. The publicity which was given to this case soon raised the reputation of these springs; and a consequence of which they immediately became a place of resort of persons afflicted with various diseases."

UNION.

"THE settlement of this town begun in 1727. The first and principal settlers were William McNall, John Lawson, and James Sherrer, from Ireland. The progress of the settlement appears to have been slow, and the town was not incorporated till 1734. It is bounded N. by the Massachusetts line, w. by Stafford, E. by Woodstock, and s. by Ashford. Its length is between five and six miles from north to south, and its breadth averages about the same distance. The central part of the town is about 33 miles northeasterly from Hartford.

"The surface of this town is broken, being hilly and rocky, and the soil generally unproductive. Mashapaug pond in this town is a beautiful expanse of water, and covers an area of about 800 acres. The population of Union in 1830 was seven hundred and eleven. "This town," says Pease and Niles's Gazetteer, "furnishes a striking example