The Newtown bee., 1897-06-04
THE VIEWPOINT BEE. VIEWPOINT, FRIDAY, JUNE4
 CIRCULATION: JANUARY 1, 1882 6. LAST WEEK, 3I(
Tn Fairi~Id County.
BETHEL.

A IlerS or DanDury, The IaylOr an
 Hoyt families were most numerous Later on the Judd, Morgan, Whitloch = Shepard and others. The origin of tn
 name of this locality it is said, "cam
 from the fact that the first settlers du . large pits for 8 wolf trap" The sides o
 the pit was dug under, 80 that an anima could jump in but could not jump out
 These pits were bated with live lamI
 from the flock of sheep that every farm
 CT kept to clothe and feed his family. 4
 few stray wolves was the pest of tb early inhabitants and a price was SC upon their heads. They must be exter
 minated in order to save one of the mos
 useful animals of the new country, thu
 sheep. Hence the name Wolf Pits. w } are indebted to an old resident of Vol Pits for most of our early history and tht
 geneology of the Taylor family, one o1 the most numerous families of the flrs
 settlers of Danbury and many of then
 lived to great age. Uncle Levi Taylor lived all his life in Wolf Pits and the house is now standing where he resided nearly all of his life. He lived to good age. The little brown story and 8 hal1 house stands in the bend of the road IusI before you turn off of the Wolf Pits road to go to Putnam and from Bethel. Lev and his wife Lucy had two children, a daughter, Lucy, and son, Levi. Lucy died unmarried. Levi worked his fathers farm for many years and died in Danbury, leaving son and daughter. Uncle Levi and his wife both became in their old age bed-ridden. Both for some cause lost the use of their limbs. Uncle Levi became great reader of the Bible and he was blessed with an excellent memory. He read the big book through and through again and again. He could quote passages of scripture give chapter and verse. His assistance was often sought for to clear up disputes on Bible questions, among his neighbors and sometimes the village preacher. Uncle Levi furnished many anecdotes of the | first settlers that he had heard told by his great uncles and great grandfather who were still living when he was quite big lad. There was no schools nearer then what was then the small village of Danbury, four and five miles away to walk morning and night. The farmers boys in those days attended school but 8 few weeks in the year and many of them did not attend at all. The education of the girls was considered of no account. Thpir aduoa tiOn NonaisfaS in laarninu to spin, weave, knit and mend we'll before they were fit to become wife they must learn to cook and milk the cows, make butter and cheese. All these things the girls must learn and perhaps not be able to write her own name or add simple column of figures. Old names of places still cling to WolfIPits. The. lower south east part of the district was called Puppy Town and Bogus Woods. Further up toward wild cat line we find Old Maids Bridge, Pulling Mill Brook, Pulling Ridge. Nathan Taylor lived on Pulling Mill Ridge. He was 8 cloth maker and had a fulling mill near Old Maids Bridge. Nathan and Mary Taylor were the parents of large family of sons and daughters. Among the number was Phineas and Cliul. The latter lived in the old homestead where now lives a son of the late William Ferry. Phineas in early life moved to the bridge, now Bethel, and later On built the house on the corner of Main and Chestnut streets, now occupied and owned by the ice man, John M. Signor. Uncle Phireas Fay Tor, as he was called, was the grandfather of the late .Phineas Taylor Barnum. But few of the descendants of the old families of Wolf Pits sare still living. MT and Mrs. Eli Hoyt are aged people and live In the south part of the district in the old homestead of MT Hoyt's father who was better known by the name of Uncle Shove Hoyt. He had a large family of boys and the writer has often heard the old man say that he could plant more corn in a day than any boy he had raised and perhaps he could as he was spry old man. Mrs Faircbild Morgan is an old inhabitant and lives in the old Mor- gan homestead with her two daughters, Flora end Laura. William F. Hoyt, not chased among the old people, lives inIthe old Hoyt homestead that was occupied by his father, Joshua Hoyt, and perhaps his great grandfather. MT and Mrs Hoyt have recently been made happy on the birth of & son who will probably perpetuate the name of Hoyt in the dis trlct. Samuel Mead lives in the upper part of the district and has as lived in the old Starr homestead for over 50 years. Descendants of the Shepard family are still living on the Street. Jacob Fay has spent most of his life in and around Wolf Pits. He has been hard working man and has raised a large family of sons and daughters, ,who are taking the place of the old settlers, owning little homes and becoming the land owners of the district. A new class -of young people are buying up the old homesteads and lands of the Taylors, Hoyts, Judds and Morgans. They have & good school and live not far from church and Sunday schools. All can learn to read, write and spell and we trust that the young ladies can all write their names and keep the house neat and tidy and perhaps enjoy life better than the first settlers of Wolf Pits nearly two cen turies ago.
 PANTRY THIEVES ABOUT.
 Pantry thieves are the pest of the town. Tramps and beggers had better give Bethel wide birth. They are sus- pected of being the thieves who rob the people of their breakfast as the saying