The Newtown bee., 1905-02-17
Newtown. Friday, February ,7. 1905
THE HOME CIRCLE.
IN THE CONNEcTIcU HIGHLANDS

IN THE CONNEcTICU [ HIGHLANDS LIME ROCK, THE FAIR VILLAGE AMONG THE HILLs-WHERE JOHN KERNICK- ERBACKER, DUTCHMAN, EARLY ERECTED HIS HOME AT THE MOUTH OF THE SALMON FELL-KILL-HISTOE- 1CAL ARTICLE-BY REV R. H. GEs- NER.
 ["Exclusive permission is granted THE NEwTowN BEE by Francis Ire velyan Miller, Editor of the Connecti- cut Magazine, for reproduction of. the following important historical article from that publication" Very sin cerely yours,-TThe Connecticut Maga- zine. Francis T. Miller, Editor,
 Rev R. H. Gesner, the writer of this article . Is g grandson of Dr Abranam Gesner. the in ventor of kerosene oil, and a son of the late A. H. Gesner, a distinguished clergyman of the Episcopal church. MT Gesner was gradu- ated from St Stephens college with honors in 1888, and from the General Theological Semi nary III kN0W l AoEh III A'ou, IoCoiSAuS OAo u0- gree of B. D. for high rank in the following year. He has been rector of several import ant parishes in New York State but for the past nine years has been in Connecticut. He came from the venerable parish of West Ha ven in 1899 to the rectorship of Trinity church. Lime Rock. Mr Gesner has for some yea rs been 8 writer on the staff of ths New York Church man and the Church Standard of Philadelphia ant has contributed verse regu arly for the Boston Evening Transcript. He has we'll deserved reputation as public peaker and preacher-Editor.
 Beautiful as are the villages of fam ous old Litchfield, none excel in love- Illness of situation, salubrity of climate and delightful air of thrift and neat ness, the assemblage of comfortable homes and tasteful public buildings that form the village of Lime Rock. The maJor part of the town extends along the tongue of land that shoots out from the precipitous sides of a rocky range of hills that fringe the southern edge of the town of Salisbury. A mile away the Housatonic flows peacefully through broad meadows on it's tOrtuOus course to the Sound. Con- ing down through a gap in the range of hills, the Salmon Fell-Kill, formed by the confluence of three smaller streams, the chief of which rises on distant Riga, furnishes water power to the old mill at the upper end of the village, and gliding down through the vale past the shops finds peace for it's iron-stained waters on the bosom of the Housatonic. Three miles to the northward, over steep Norton Hill, lies Lakeville, and four miles and a half to the northeast the churches of Salisbury Center lift their spires against the blue slopes of the Tagh- kanic range.
 Small as the village of Lime Rock is, comprising perhaps some seven hun dred souls, it is in many respects an historic locality. The earliest settler in this part of the town of Sails bury, was Thomas Lamb, "a shrewd and hardy speculator, Indian interpreter and Jack of all trades" Lamb owned what is now known as the Davis mine and brought from it in 1734 the ore which supplied his forge at Lime Rock under what is now known as Forge mountain where now stands the great blast furnace whose ever-glowinp chimney belches flame against the blackness of the night. On this spo, in later years Canteld and Robbins manufactured from the Salisbury ores wrought iron for the rife and muske1 barrels which were made at the United States armories in Harper's Ferry anc Springfield.
 The other name most closely asso. ciated with this part of the town o1 Salisbury, which in early days went by the name of "the Hollow," is that o John Kernickerbacker, as his name k spelled on his tombstone. He was ont of the Dutch settlers who for the mos part, took up their abode in Weatoque the northeastern part of Salisbury about 172O. This man settled near tn. mouth of the Salmon Fell-kill and tht old homestead stood on the site of tn, residence of John l.. Owen. The olc house was pulled down to make room for the more modern dwelling of it! present owner. Kernickerbackel owned large tract of land hereabou and gave the land for the beautiful Gods acre in which, oddly enough, hi body was the first to repose. The olo slate stone may be seen in prominen, place in the well-kept cemetery. Il bears in clearly defined characters tn, following inscriptions;
 Here lies the body of
 MT John Kernickerbacker,
 Who departed this life
 Nov. 10th, 17S6. AE. 76.
 This mortal body mouldering back tt
 dust
 Shall rise again to mingle with the
 just,
 And Death, the conqueror, no more
 enslave,
 While honest virtue triumphs o'er the