The Press., 1921-04-14
skungamaug In Civil War Times.

The Skungamaug community or dis trict took it's name from the pond of the large brook running through the central part of the town of Holland, and is, divided from the eastern dis tricts by the wide Buffcap hill, and nearly two miles of wooded territory, as measured from BOwler's westward along what is now the Willington- Holland State road.
 The Hale family, in Civil War days, were the occupants of the first house in the community beyond the woods; and Baker Hale of Co. K. 22 Conn, Inf. died July 31, 1865.
 Moses Seaver lived next; adjoining the deepest sand drift in Holland, from which a branch road led south ward to the home of Austin Gary and his daughter. A little west of SeaVer's ran Skungamaug brook, to Lathrop's gristmiI1, run during my Holland life by Thomas c. Lathrop, descendant of John LathFop of the south part of the town; brother John and Hope were the pioneers, from Falmouth, Mass, 1726. Across the bridge, and on the oppositeor north side of that road stood the large, old fashioned house of Pen D. Benton and his son, Henry; offshoots from the numerous old Benton family of the northwest T1I inc hnUOn6 house of Sherman Chapman, the blacksmith, a descendant of Herbert Chapman of Saybrook. Here now lives Abiel Metcalf. On the same plot, between the Chapman's and the present extension on the south side of the cemetery, stands the long tene- ment house, as it appeared to be, though the inhabitants were not much in evidence Farther west, at the cross roads, and on the south side of the main road, was the tWO-Story house then occupied by George Eaton. The Eatons lost a married only child, Mrs. Bugbee, but adopted a boy and girl. Mr. Eaton was the leader of the choir ill the Methodist church at Holland Street, and my first Sunday school teacher The straight road | westward passed SlIungamaug school house, the house of Gardner Webster and the house of William Richardson, for several years the superintendent of the Methodist Sunday school; far ther on, the house of Ransom Finley ! N.sx T c,t sSVN of woodsnear Levi Gary's house. Levi had William, Charles B., Dana, and Levi Jr.; and some time after my father left Holland, the Gary family settled in Stafford Springs.
 A road at right angles to the forego- ing, ran north, in front of the school house, past the cemetery, and then the Charter home, and through woods and l fields for about half a mile until it crossed the Plains and Holland Street road, and ran past the house and saw mill of Asa Brooks, brother of James Fisk Brooks of Stafford. Something like a mile northeastward it passed the farm of HoratiOn and his son i Spencer Grover, and after another interval joined the Buffcap- Stafford | Springs road near the Edward Kel- logg's place.
 Starting back at George Eaton's corner, the main road veered south ward from the old straight-west road, for nearly three fourths mile, across a near-plain: the only house directly on the way being that of William | Webster; but fork to the left, be- yond Webster's led down to Austin Roots by the side of Skungamaug brook. Crossing bridge and up half a mile of steep hill reached the Gib- son place and by continuing far enough southwestward, through the
 woods,one would would reach the TiIison and present Latan neighbor- hood, and Cornell Greens farm. But
 to continue the main road. From Webster's a gradual upgrade, at the top of which stood Mir Cobb's little house, and the rather neat larger one Eof Jacobs, the principal shoemaker in town. From this Vantage-point, we, like Bunyan at the Delectable noun Etains were in sight of the City Going down into the valley, we pass
 ed William Clark's and at the lowest part, Joseph Clark's house, and silk
 factory. Here was the pond where ;I the Baptists and Methodists had bap- Etizings. Tn full sight, at the foot of | County Hill, was the Fuller place I (Lucius S., and Howard) but this be- l longed rather to- the Street; and pos l sihly the Clark,s did also. Skunga-
 maug. cemetery was opened little | T@NE e Apl A e.. Al.