Norwich bulletin., 1914-07-25
FRANKLIN, Connecticut
SHORT SKETCH OF WHAT WAS
 FORMERLY PART OF NORWICH. i.

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 FORMERLY PART OF NORWICH. ].
 The town of Franklin, once called West Farms, on account of lying to the west of the Norwich Society. was bought from the Indians in 1859 for about seventy pounds. It is. in area about nine miles square. The Indian chief, Onkus, and his sons, who orig mated from Mohegan, made the bar gain.
 John Aver. who resided in Massa- chusetts, became involved in serious trouble with the Indians of that state. and in order to save his life fled to West Farms, where he settled at what is still called Ayers Gap, it being named after him. He was the first white settler of Franklin. He lived mainly by trapping and hunting, and the only thing which troubled him was rattlesnakes. These crawled into his house and frightened him greatly. He was told if he would keep hogs 1t would drive them away. Accordingly he purchased some and SO rid his home of the troublesome visitors The descendants of MT. Aver still live in Franklin.
 Micah Rood moved to Peck Hollow 1 in 1899 from the east side of the She tucket river. It is where he lived that the Mike apple is said to have origin ated. This apple has bright red spot l like a drop of blood near its core. It is still wonderful to children. and the strange old tradition is still related to them.
 It is said a pedlar once came to Mi- cah Rood's home with a large display of wares. Micah invited him to the house, but while under this apple tree
 killed him. The next year the apple | Al wml ~w~ a tree, and in each fruit was red spot. this being sure evidence of Micah's guilt. This greatly troubled him, and he grew sad and melancholy. He | changed from the prosperous farmer | to pauper, and died a paupers | death.
 Near Ayers Gap is a cave in the | ledges called The Dragons Den" This is said to contain a number of | rooms, but no person living has been
 known to explore them all. Persons go- | ing there usually enter only two or l three rooms.
 A story is related about an Indian woman once being offered a large sum | of money if she would go into the cave and ten about what she saw on l her return. She entered the cave and
 soon a splash was heard. She was | never seen again, and it was believed | that she was drowned in a pool of wa | ter which must be in the cave.
 On the other side of the Gap, far up
 on the hill is hut made of stone.
 where, it is said, an Indian by the name of Ashbow once dwelt.
 i In 17S2, about the time of the Revo- lution. West Farms was separated
 from Norwich. This proved more sat-
 isfactory to the people of West Farms l as they could manage the local affairs
 to suit themselves.
 It was at this time in the history of Franklin that the famous Rev. Sam
 uel Mott became its pastor. He was a graduate of Union college, and under his instruction more than forty young
 men were prepared for college, about
 twenty of these being from Franklin. The people were called to church on
 the Sabbath morning by the beating
 of a drum, services being held all day
 The men rode on horseback with their wives seated behind them, while the
 children and poorer people went afoot
 The men wore knee brooches. silk
 stockings. and silver buckles on their shoes. The women's hair was piled
 high on their heads, and altogether the appearance of these people was
 much the same as of those in the
 colonial days.
 | On entering the church one might
 see in each corner a tything man, with slender rod in hand. keeping order
 These men kept strict order, and in
 the reports it can be found that peo- II ping during service, the men and wom-
 en not being seated together in
 church.
 Soon after the church was built the people began to think of schools A l school was started on Meeting House
 Hill, which was kept open six months
 a year. The great hindrance was the
 lack of book, the teacher possessing 1 about all in the school. It was so fal
 for all of the children to attend one
 school that a school was started which moved from place to place, staying si1 weeks in district. and this proved
 much more satisfactory
 On the east side of the town is Pau. tipaug Hill Turning to the left at thu
 top of this hill you can go to the She !; tucket river by keeping on through tn, , woods. You may also turn at the tor of Pautipaug Hill, which is ofr thu main road. and go to Baltic. The worc ' Pautipaug means a bay or small bod, of water, and it is difficult to see wh, l it should be given to a portion O . Franklin.
 Pleasure Hill is on the road turnin, off the turnpike. This Is a summe 5 resort for some people, and in this wa, may have derived the name. Keeping 5 on up this hill is another hill caIIet Scott Hill From here one can see long distance on a clear day. One ma, 3 see into Willimantic and Lebanon. am 5 the ocean can be seen with a tele
 scope.
 A great many changes have take r place since the Indians roamed. tn l forests and built their wigwarns o 3 the hillsides. Where one might one
 have heard the warhoop, 1t is nov
 l drowned by the shriek of the Iocomo . tive, and instead of few log cabin
 1t is now covered with comfortabl z dwellings.
 c. L. W. North Franklin Conn