Connecticut western news., 1911-03-09
CANAAN'S PIONEER DAYS
PriValions. Dangers and Struggles of
 the First Settlers,


 the First Settlers.
 The following interesting reminiscence of the pioneer days in Canaan was copied by the late William Adam, many years ago from paper han led to him by the widow of Nathaniel Stevens, Jr. There Is no clue to the identity of the author, but 1t constitutes valuable as we'll as interesting and instructive chapter of Csnaan's history. The original spelling is preserved:
 -"When Canaan was first settled it was first wild wilderness, ,excep three Dutch families who lived on the Ousatonic river. The first family of English that moved into the town was Samuel Bryant from Stamford. Ot. He came in May 1738 and John Franklin drove his OK team, that was the first OK team that was driven into the town, He settled down near where the Blackberry river emties into the Ousatonic He had six sons-And his seventh was the first English child that was born in Cauaau It was James Bryant Esq. that after wards lived in Nobletown, York state.
 "The next family that moved into the town were Daniel Lawrence and Isaac Lawrence and the Hewitt family from Plainfeld. They were eleven days on their journey and they arrived the 2nd day of June 1738 with their families They had to cut their way through from New Hartford to Canaan. Daniel Law renee had some boards. He set up some croches and made him a hut to shelter him. Isaac Lawrence unloaded his goods under pine tree, and had not a board to cover him but the boards of his cart. He had dug hole ill the side of hill, and laid up some logs ten feet one way and twelve the other. Next day he went to Sheffield and got some boards and covered it, and there he lived with his family one year, and. ten men besides his own family. Then he built log home by fine spring where he lived several years, and people kept moving into town very fast from all parts of the country.
 "The produce of the earth was very f1ns-exceeding good corn the first year. and punkins exceeding large and every thing seemed to f1ourish-There were places where the Indians had planted corn where the trees had grown very large among the hills, aud they ploughed up pestles and pots very beautifully made of free stone. And arrow -pikes a multitude. And it was, supposed that there was settlement of Indians in that place in times past. Isaac Lawrence dug up bones and ashes when he was digging his seller the earth. They were thought to be mems bones by people who saw them.
 ''The first winter there was a great deal of snow and no rain all Winter, but was very forward Spring and fruitful Summer. The second Winter was very but there was one man found dead'i i'll the snow, It was supposed that he sat down on a log being in liquor and fel asleep and pitched down into the snow where his breath thawed the snow so that it strangled him. He was found not far from Forbes Iron works. His name was Blackburn.
 "The third Winter was very severe, vast deal of snow, and extreem cold so that some cattle froze to death, but it was a very fruitful Summer after it. Deer were very plenty about here. And some Indians lived about here that seemed to be very friendly. They be- longed to Stockbridge and Pennington.
 ''One day the wife of Isaac Lawrence was up in her chamber and she heard noise she looked out and she saw thirty