Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1915-11-05
HISTORIC POMFRET
ave tread the paths their feet have
worn
We sit beneath their orchard trees
The doodell Place in Abingdon

we sit Oenealn lhslf otcnaFu trees
The doodell Place ia Abingdon
Following the windham road few
rods south of the historic Priest Lyon
house, then taking lane TO the left
one comes TO the ruins of a house, only
the foundations of a chimney, stone
fireplace and the front door stone-all
that remains of the zechariah Goodell
house. James Russell Lowell says,
"When the first occupants have de
parted the house should be burned and
a monument set up inscribed In mem.
DRY of a homer No memorial stone
here but one more beautiful, magnif-
ieent elump of lilacs that must have
been planted by the original settler
Around many deserted homestead,
buildings gone, foundation stones re-
moved and cellar filed and grass
grown, the lilacs are found, hardy and
persistent, fitting memorial of the
sturdy, lf.rellant pioneers.
IL is traditional that just prior TO
100 few settled south of the Wood
stock line. OF this number was
Thomas Goodel His young wife,
whom he had left In Roxbury, becom-
ing anxious, sci out In the dead of
winter taking her spinning wheel
with her and by the aid OF chance
ride now md then in primitive sleds,
reached, late one afternoon, the little
settlement la Woodstock where she
was Urged 10 remain but declining
kept ON to her husbands cabin. Prob.
ably Zechariah was the first white
child born within the limits OF Mash
moquet Purchase. After the allot.
ment of the Second division of the
the course of few years, bought large
tracts extending from the brook north
of the Congregational church, south
for nearly a mile for nj an early day
Easter hill belonged TO that family.
The Gooaells were of Huguenot orr
gin. Zechariah married Hannah Che
ney and had a large family of children.
His son, zechariah Jun, also married
a Hannah Cheney. The Congrega-
tional church is on land bought of
Captain Zeehariah Goodell In 1851 for
twenty pounds old tenor Several
generations OF the family lived in the
house, the last Of the name being the
elderly brother and sister, Harvey and
Matilda, both blind, who died few
years after 1870 The place was the
early home Of their nephew, William
Goodell, who In speaking of his boy
hood said, al am a graduate of the lit
tie red schoolhouse. William Good
ell was prominent leader in the anti
slavery movement, was editor OF an
anti.slavery paper, wrote books and
pamphlets for the cause and was one
of the committee that drafted the Dec.
laration of Principles OF the American
Antislayery Society in 1888. Rev.
Samuel j. May said, civilian Good.
ell was one of the sturdiest, most sa
gacious and sloyal OF our fellow labor
ers.n Mr.. GoodeIl had fine presence
and pleasing personality and was an
effective speaker before legislative
committees. lie was one OF the found
ers of the American Missionary Asso-
citation and in this connection IL should
be noted that his grandson, William
Goodell Frost, lis president of Befea
College, Kentucky.
A large slab of gray sandstone In the
old burying ground has this inscrip-
ton:
Ia Memory of Capt. Zechariah Goodell
d Mrs. Hannah His Wife
he Died Deem We 18th 1855
in ye S3rd Year OF his Age IL
She Died Nov ye 5lh 1884 in
ye S0th Year of her Age
They Liyid Together IN ye Married
State
5s Years IL in Their Death