Litchfield enquirer., 1851-08-28

ther found in Laud or Mather, had be- come extinct, and neither witches or Quakers, the prayer book or Christmas, produced penal Legislation. Before l75l, this county was attached to New Haven and Hartford; but at the October ses. sion of the Legislature in thet year, a county was organized, and Litchfeld made the shire town. Judge Church, in this connection, pronounced beautiful eulo gium upon LitehfieId County.
 Go where you will (said he.) in this broad country, and speak aloud her name and you will hear the response" "That is my own, my native land," from men in every station of life. The first officers of the county were William Preston, Chief Justice; Oliver Wolcott, Sheriff: Isaac Baldwin was the fist clerk of the courts, who was succeeded by Frederick Wolcott, each holding the office not far from forty years and Samuel Pettibone, hIng's Attorney. In those days chang es Tn the law offices were not frequent, and MT. Pettibone and his immediate successor, were the only representatives of royalty in the county Judge Church then traced the history of the county through the old French war, making oc> casional allusions to the primitive habits of the people. No four wheeled carriage was known until after the revolution, and the travel over the hills was done on horseback. on saddle and billion.
 In l734, Thomas Lamb erected the first iron forge in the county. The ore was transported from the beds to the for> ges in bags upon horses, and soon the manufacture of this necessary article be- came extensive, and it grew to be kind of circulating medium, and promissory notes were more often payable in iron than in cash. As to the ecclesiastical history oftbe county. Judge Church tho't it more properly con6ded 10 other hands. There was little of religious Controversy in LitchGeld county. It's ministers were men ofpeace-honle men, and cared more to be good than to be quarreling upon points of doctrine.
 The children of Litchffcfd have sDread themselves over ihe whole country. Yer mont is the elder born child of this county: from it, her first settlers went, and it has given her her first Governor and three sub. sequent ones; three Senators in Congress. and many ofher most distinguished citizens.
 In tue revolutionary stEuggle, Li,chfield was almost unanimous in favor. of the De> claration of Independence, and though she possesses no battle fields, she contributed Ss mufhto the cause in men and money as any county in the country. Her contribu, tons; were so great, that even at this time. with her present population, more could hardly be collected for any cause. The equestrian statue of King George. .tha, stood uPop the Bowling Green, in New York, was brought to Lilchfeld, to the house of Gov, WoIcoIt. and melted up by his daughters and two other young ladies, into 4O, ,00G bulletts. to supply the American army. 1s Judge Church then alluded to the Wy .oming Valley, Pa, formerly a portion If this county and ot.t he siaie of Connecticut.
 In H87, Dr.. Hurlbut came from Berk. shire Co. Mass, to raise troops tor Shay & rebellion. but tue General Assembly de- sfeated tlie attempt
 ' ln1794. Thomas C"lller fi,haE of, Hon John A. collier. of. N. Y., and, h,> br rner of Ohio established the "We+kly Mon.- tor" the first paper In, the aounty.
 Judge Church alluded tO the emigration from the Coungy to the West, to the schools and education of the county, nnd to her it. lnstrious dead. of the learned professions, and others.