The Press., 1906-04-18

Gh6 way WHERE IL uo0S noG OOAnSAu0
with the present highway, and is still
we'll known by it's ancient name of
stMaior Wolcott's road It trav-
ersed nearly the line which we now
travel from the river up the hill past
Mr.. Nichols to where you see bot
tie painted on q rock, then almost
directly south to the line of Mr..
Bently's present farm, then east again,
passing within q few rods of where
we now are and continuing about the
same course to Geo. Sparrow 8, then
more northerly to the south side of
the burying ground, then directly to
Wilmington Hill, and then partly in
the present travelled course and partly
little south of it to the old Ashford
line, which was at Heath's corner.
The town in after years made many
attempts to prevent entertainments
on this broad highway, but to little
avail. Ten rods is too great width
for q country road, simply for the
reason that towns can't take care of
and keep in proper condition SO much
land. Finally, in 1909, the Tolland
County Turnpike company was incor-
porated, and Major Wolcott's road,
where it was not occupied by the
turnpike of four rods wide, was aban-
doned to the adjacent land owners.
Such was the end of the magnificent
highway scheme of the founders of
our town. On the goth of June,
1927, the proprietors met and made a
division among themselves of all the
lands which they had not previously
sold. Each one insisted on having a
slice of the little cedar swamp at the
south end of the town. The place of
the proprietors' meeting was at the
house of John Cady, who lived very
near where Mrs. Mary Newcomb now
lives, owned farm of 1875 acres and
had the first saw mill, and perhaps
grist mill, there which was ever
erected in this town. Wellington was
created town by act of the general
assembly in the May session of 1927.
There we're then about 20 families in
the town. On the records of the
general assembly, in the act creating
the town, the name is spelled evil
lington,'' precisely as we spell it
now. The name, however, in the
early days, both in the colony and
town records, appears sometimes as
Wilmington and sometimes as Yelling
ton, but in about 40 years after the
first settlement the practice became
confirmed of writing Wilmington. 1t
was undoubtedly intended to name
the town after Wilmington, place in
the county of Somerset in England.
Among the first acts of the town after
it's organization as such we're efforts
to get little more territory. Ash
ford was very wide and Wilmington
was very narrow. So, in October,
1927, they succeeded in getting
mile in breadth from the whole west
side of Ashford annexed to Willing
ton, as far as parish charges were
concerned, and two years afterwards
the annexation was made complete
for all purposes. The limits of the
town were then established as they at
present remain. The first actual set
tier within our limits was Francis
Fenton, a son of Robert Fenton of
Mansfield. He established himself
just over the line from Mansfield, on
what is now called the Henderson
place, about the year 1717. His son,
Francis, was born there March 16,
l171S. He had no title to his farm
until 1924, when he bought of the
proprietors 40 acres for els. He
always took a prominent part in the
affairs of the town, became a very
extensive land owner, gained the rank
of captain, was the ancestor of all the
race of Fentons of the south part Of
the town, and died January 25, 1881.
His wife, Ann, lived till July l +,
1885. His youngest son, Elijah,
born February 6, 1876, attained the
rank of major, and Immediately on
receipt of the news of the battle of
Lexington started for the seat of war
with SO Wellington men. Major Fen
ton died October 10, 177G. He was
the father of John Fenton and grand
father of Mrs. Marilla Smith, who
is now living in this town. This
lady tells me that she is the only per-
son nov living in Wilmington who
ever had the name of Fenton. Lieut..
Nathaniel, the second son of Capt.
Fenton, born April 10, 1920, was
grandfather of the late Chester Fen
ton. Nathaniel Fenton dying at the
age. of 38, his widow, whose maiden
name was Rebecca Chamberlin, mar
ried Timothy Holt and was the grand
mother of the late Gen. Orrin Holt.
Captain Fenton had a brother, Sam
uel, who settled in this town at least
as early as 1922. He lived north of
wilmington Hill, and he also had very
numerous descendants. Thomas Jen-
nings was on the ground with several
SONS as early as 1921. His farm was
just north of the cedar swamp, the
Henry o. Holt farm. His descend
ants have lived here till quite recent
times. Joseph Parsons and John Mer-
rick came from Springfield about the
year 1926, and set up their homes in
the immediate neighborhood of the
place where we now are. The former
had a farm Of 14S acres, including
these grounds. Perhaps some present
remember when his son, Capt. Joseph
Parsons lived where MIR. Bently does
now. John Merrick had 1913 acres
next east of this farm, and extending
from Maj. Wolcott's road about a
mile south. His sons, John, Jr., and
Stephen, were born before he came
here, and his son, Joseph, and his
daughters, Mary, Ruth and Abigail,
ofkor houo mot hoon oh1o RI find