Morning journal and courier., 1890-02-04
Cheshire Past ana Present.

Chez hire Past and Present.
CHESHIRE, Feb. 3.-When Wallingford
was settled 1t comprised what is now Meri-
den, Cheshire, and much of Prospect. The
early Inhabitants, like all pioneers, were con-
tinually prospecting for the best meadow
pasturage grounds near and far. Though
the first settlers kept within the i've
mile boundaries designated along the Quin-
nipiac river, In few years they had discov-
cred north and west other promising $50.
tions, which the more adventurous COW
eted. These began to be taken up between
the years 1890 and 1905, oven to the foot of
Prospect hills and the present Southington
borders. They had only to surmount "Cook
hill" to find spread before them q tract of
meadow rich and inviting, which to this day
affords valuable returns to the cultivators of
the soil. They pressed on over intervening
hills until the equslly valuable meadows of
"Msss Farms" were reached and occupied.
The meadows of "Broad Swamp" and
'Cheshire Street" were also taken up.
"Lathrop's Meadow" ives the most inviting
section near the present center Of Cheshire.
The question of who was actually the 6rst
man to locate and build . habitabls house
withing the bounds of Cheshire Ia still an
open one. It IL claimed by several families.
The Tuttles say 1t was Deacon Timothy Tut
tie. The Brookes, Hotchkisses. Hitchcooks
and Iveses have reasons for saying the same
of their ancestors. These several families,
with the Noses, erected cabins where mum.
bers of men spent the week between Sab
to their families at Wallingford Center for
the Sabbath. This continued for several
years.
Had these earlier inhabitants and their
successors to the present spent more money
and labor upon roads and in improving the
farms and less upon experiments with manu-
featuring interests, the result might upon
the whole have been moro satisfactory. Few
regions of country reward the intelligent
husbandman better than this of Cheshire.
There have, however, been some enter
prises which proved of permanent value. The
Button shop keeps it's forces quite regularly
at work. Its managers seem to have the
faculty of introducing new kinds of work as
Others decline. Mr. Titus B. Ives it's head
manager has been compelled to give up his
usual close attention to business by
the prevailing sickness, from which he does
not rapidly recover. He may take trip to
the South as means of recuperation. The
brass mill at Melville keeps its employees busy
very constantly. That enterprise sustains
pretty village of worthy Inhabitants in the
western section Of Cheshire, with an excep-
tionally nice school house and school, besides
chapel for religious services in which meet
ings, well attended by the people there, are
frequently held. The Cheshire watch shop
hands are hoping a forward movement viii
soon be made In that enterprise and they and
others find remunerative employment again.
Mr.. William q. Doolittle is still confined
to his room by rheumatism.
The wife of Norman Beach, one of our old
est residents, died this morning.
Rev. +. B. Stoddard, our aged resident
minister, has been confined several days by
lamenees.
Mr.. Charles Gillett, who has been very
low with pneumonia, Is slowly recovering,
| being able to sit up while.
The death of Mrs. John Miles of Cheshire
street occurred few Gays ego. She was of
| large family of Sandersons. Of whom only
| one now 10 living, Mr.. John Sanderson of
Bridgeport. he is seventy-seven years ole,
but was present at the funeral.
Large numbers have been sick with the
prevailing influenza, yet but few have died
compared with what seems to have been the
case in places about Cheshire.
| The newly graded road connecting the two
parts of the cemetery is q most creditable
piece of work which the open winter has fa-
vored the progress of. It makes fine drive
which will no doubt often be patronized,
even by pleasure seekers. Mr.. John L.
Foote, who has been much interested in
| these improvements, though one of our older
citizens, may be seen nearly every pleasant
day working with his own hands to add to
| these improvements. He thus, as he Will
tell Jon. "keeps up good appetite.
Cheshire people are considerably interested
representatives. One remarked upon the
situation, 1--WE sesm to have Reed that is
not shaken by the wind"