Connecticut western news., 1910-12-29
OLD CANAAN VALLEY
EARLY INHABITANTS AS
 STEVENS RECALLS THEM

Days When Seamstresses Worked by
 Candle Light and the Future Deacon
 Sat Up and Snuffed the TalloW
 Dips" for Them.
 Editor News: The letter written by Lyman Rockwell (by the way, he was a schoolmate of mine) and published in The News few weeks ago, has sug- gested train of thoughts in my mind regarding the inhabitants of the north. east part of the town, now known as Canaan Valley but as the "Woods dis. trict' sixty or seventy years ago.
 was born at Canaan Valley, March 13. 1882, and was number six in fam fly of nine children, eight of whom lived to grow to manhood and womanhood, one dying at the age of one yesr, and four of whom are still living. My grandfather, Abel Stevens, with his wife, came to the Valley from Stoningtoa, Conn, probably about l775 or 1780 brini- : inF all their effects, including one child, on two horses. He cleared the groanu and built him home on the site now occupied by his grandson Abel G. Stevens. He was the father of ten child ren-seven girls and three boys, the, girls all being older than the boys.
 My father. Sanford P. Stevens, was the oldest of the boys and was, born in October 1790 and died in November 1883, aged 93, the youngest dying at 89, and the other at 93 years and i've months. The girls nearly all lived to good old age. This much for the Stevens family.
 And now word regarding the fami- lies living in the Valley district as re- member them in my early school days. which may be Of interest to some of the older readers of The News and perhaps to some of tho younger. I will begin at the west side of the district on the road leading from Clayton, in those days known as East Sheffield. to the Valley school house, calling the people by the familiar names they were then known by, most of them as town uncles and aunts,
 First, Uncle Daniel Spaulding on the place where Mr. Knight now lives; next an old house near Ivy Swamp Brook, occupied by poor fainily-I do not re- member their name. Next the place known as the Webster place, first occn- pied by Metho list circuit preacher, then by Jacob Watson, then by man named Beardsley who sold to MT. Web ster. Next J. B. Mead near the old Methodist church where they had preach ing about once in two weeks at four o'clock Sunday afternoon by the Metho- dist circuit preacher. Next the Quaker meeting house on the corner green. op- posite the school house. where they held meetings every Sunday (Firss day) at eleven o'clock. for one hour.
 Next, going north from the school house, the old North place occupied by different families. in a part of which Miles T. Granger, afterward Judge Granger, taught select school next to house occupied by Joel Rockwell, shoemaker. Next the old store where Miles Rockwell now lives. then known as "Granny Gleason's s Store" afterward occupied by T. B. Strong, father of George P. Strong, Moses (Squire) Bene- dict, and Abes Ford who. Ford, built new store opposite the oldsone, filled it with goods then removed them in the night and set fire to the building but did not succeed i'll burning it and was found out and punished. In the basement of the old store lived son-in-law of Granny Gleason" Harvey Warner, who had family of ten children.
 Across the Tobey hill road lived Uncle Moses Benedict. whom I mentioned be- fore, and opposite him across the road leading to New Marlboro Joel Crofut, a blacksmith, and little farther north his father, Comfort Crofut, who was ad- dicted to telling big yarns which used to amuse the boys Across from him just over the hill near the Whiting River lived Uncle Asher and Aunt Sally Donalds and still farther north Uncle Jim Granger, father of the late Judge Granger, who later lived and died at North Norfolk.
 Now starting east from the store we first come to Uucle Salmon Hawley, l grandfather of Salmon Barlow, who was an eccentric old gentleman who always kept big fat horse and usually attended church at North Norfolk but always made his wife walk up the hills, which was a good part of the distance. Next, Uncle George Tobey, then consid- cred wealthy man, probably worth six or eight thousand dollars. Next Uncle Jesse Moses, who had two daughters, Ann and Phoebe, maiden ladies who were addresses, and who went aroand to different families sewing, making | men s and boys garments. They always