to these parts," is apparent from the deed of renewal itself. The fathers of Hartford then honorably and satisfactorily paid for the township. This is a gratifying fact.
Soon as acquired, the land, one large portion of it required for immediate use, was at once distributed to the new proprietors, one part for houselots, and another for farms, for plow and meadow lots. In this distribution, as was just, the few settlers who had preceded Hooker and his party shared. The first part was in lots of about two acres each, and was arranged so as nearly to cover the present thickly settled portion of our city. Each Settler had one of these. The second part stretched in every direction out from the first, and was distributed to the Settlers in different proportions, according to their means, their contributions towards the purchase, sometimes according to their services, sometimes their necessities, and sometimes their dignity. Each grant was upon condition that the land should be improved, or else returned to the town. These lots, with occasional relaxations of the rule, were to be built upon within twelve months, and the houses, by way of precaution against fire, were to have each a ladder or a tree running to within two feet of their tops. In case any proprietor wished to sell, the town, paying only for any labor expended, was to have the preference as purchaser. It was to hold also in reversion all lots abandoned for four years by the removal of any grantee from the settlement, and could at any time, upon compensation made, run highways wherever deemed necessary.
These highways it is important to know, at least generally, if we would get a proper conception of Hartford, as originally laid out. Dull of course, Reader, the statement must prove to some of you, we are aware. But it is essential to our purpose-important to you if you feel interest enough in the town to be versed in its history. Start not then, "nor deem our spirit fled," if carefully and coldly we unbury for a moment the bones of Hartford, dry though they be, for our own city is their monument: Redeemed from worms and wasting clay, This chance is theirs, to be of use."
Walk with us then, if you please, to the foot of the present State House Square. This spot was fixed upon by the Settlers as a site for their Meeting-house. Running hence down present State Street, winding a little distance through present Front Street, and striking diagonally to the foot of present Kilbourn Street to the river, they laid out a highway which they called "Road to the Ferry," and also "Road to the Little Meadow." The meadow here mentioned was the level area, then much larger than now, which extends from Little River to the North Meadow Creek. At the foot of Ferry Street a "Town Landing-" was established. There was another "Landing," at the corner of present Arch and Front Streets-and running from this point north was a "Road from Little River to North Meadow," a name which the meadow still preserves-and running from the same point, on both sides of Little River, to near the present Railroad Depot, were two roads, called each "Highway by the Little River."
From the junction of the present North Main and Trumbull Streets, south to the bridge, was another highway called "Road from Centinel Hill to the Palisado." Centinel Hill was then quite an elevation, and for many years supplied the town with a sentry-place, and with dirt and gravel. The Palisado was probably some fortification. From the present State House Square again, turning at the corner of present Pearl Street, and running along the bank of Little River to the foot of present West Pearl Street, where the first site for a mill was chosen, was another highway called "Meeting House to the Mill," and which, continued on over present Lord's Hill, was called "Road from the Mill to the Country."
On the south- west corner of present Pearl Street, was a house lot set off to Seth Grant. From this point then north, in the line of present Trumbull Street, ,was another highway called "Centinel Hill to Seth Grant's House." From Centinel Hill, one road led off in the line of the present Albany Turnpike, and was called "Centinel Hill to the Cow Pasture,"-a pasture embracing about one thousand acres, and lying north of the turnpike and west of the present Windsor road. Continued on, this road was called "Cow Pasture to the Country." Another road led from the Hill named, to the North Meadow, and was called "Centinel Hill to the North Meadow." It joined the highway from Little River, and the two ran off, either through the meadow or along on the bank in the adjacent Neck, in a "Road to Windsor."
South of the present Main Street Bridge again, and running from it to a tract of about four hundred and fifty acres, which extended from the present Burying Ground on the New Haven Turnpike east to the South Meadow, and was called the "Ox Pasture," was another highway designated as the "Road to the Ox Pasture," and also as the "Road to Wethersfield." Nearly parallel with this, and running from the site of the mill heretofore mentioned, on by the present Trinity College, through Cooper Lane, thence diagonally, till it struck the south part of present Washington Street, past the present Insane Retreat, and so on to the large, level tract beyond which crosses the New Haven Turnpike, was a road called, the first portion of it, "Road from the Mill to the Country," and the second portion "Road front George Steel's to the Great Swamp." Nearly parallel again with this, but winding as it joins present Main Street, was another highway, present Cole Street, called the "Road to Wethersfield," or "to the Ox Pasture."
Intersecting these roads, besides that along Little River already mentioned, was another, which starting in present Washington Street, ran partly through present Buckingham Street and through Charter Street, down to the meadow then designated and now known as the "South Meadow." This road was called, its upper portion, "George Steel's to the South -Meadow," the part from present Main to Cole Street, "Giles Semith's to William Gibbon's," the part below "Road to the ,South Meadow" or "to the Indian's Land."
Various cart paths and alleys ran through the original plat as now described, and in every direction around and beyond it were land locations designated by a great variety of names, and set off sometimes to one, sometimes to a number of proprietors in common. Such were, besides some above mentioned, the West Field, Brick Hill, Bridgefield, Blue Hills, Pine Field, Venturer's Field, Poke Hill, Rocky Hill, Indian's Land, Soldier's Field," &c., and towards present West Hartford, reaching from Wethersfield to Windsor, there was a large strip of land called the "Commons," which was set apart for public use, for pasture, timber and wood. The rest of the town was reserved undivided in the hands of the Proprietors, to be distributed from time to time thereafter as occasion should require.
Of the house-lots those chiefly were first improved, by the erection of buildings, which lay along Little River, and the present Main, Front and Cole Streets. In present Arch Street, Hooker and Stone and Wm. Goodwin and Richard Webb planted themselves, and on the opposite side of the river, among others were Andrew Bacon, Nathaniel Ward and Andrew Wakeman.
Along Front Street, among others, were James Olmsted, Timothy Standley, William Bull, William Westwood and Stephen Hart.
Along Alain Street, among others, were John Steele, our first Town Clerk, Richard Olmsted, Richard Lord, Clement Chaplin, John Pratt, John Talcott and Nathaniel Ely.
South of West Pearl Street, and on the banks of Little River, were Thomas Stanton and Nathaniel Richards.
Along Trumbull Street, among others, were William Wadsworth, John Clark, Thomas Burchwood and Thomas Hale.
On the road from present Buckingham Square to Washington Street, were , among others, John Moody, Richard Lyman and Thomas Bull.
Along present Cole Street, were at first Thomas Hosmer and William Whiting, and subsequently Edward Hopkins, John Webster, Thomas Wells and George Wyllys, four Governors, as they became, of Connecticut. On this street now lives our present Governor, his Excellency Thomas H. Seymour. Boston, also, the last of the Negro Governors, lived and died upon it. Five Governors of Connecticut from one street in Hartford, besides a sixth one of ebony! The fact is most remarkable! It deserves commemoration. A petition for this purpose is in progress, praying that the present name of the street in question may be changed to "Governor's Street." Our municipal officers cannot we think but make the change. It will be pleasing, appropriate, and we doubt not, find favor with all.*
This last location doubtless has some history. What it is we know not, but think that the present worthy Treasurer of the Town can enlighten the Public about it. We invite him to do so. And by way of compensation we will treat him in advance to the first record establishing the office which he now holds, and appointing the first officer.
" Feb. 14, 1659, Ensign John Talcott was chosen by a vote of the Town, to be a Town Treasurer, or husband for the town, to preserve the town stock, until the Town see cause to alter their order."
"Husband for the town PI Goodenough! We had always hitherto wondered at the confirmed celibacy of the present excellent successor of Ensign John Talcott. For him no love "learned in a lady's eyes," no courtship's smiling day, no rosy bondage, no babies dear! " In vain to soothe his solitary shade, Has Love his notes in mingling measure played." Yet, consistently with the Record, he could not have yielded to the siren without committing bigamy, and being a gentleman of singular uprightness, he is "fain not to sin." It is perhaps fortunate for the town, that its present Husband has no other wife!
[The Treasurer cheerfully complied with the suggestion in the note above, as will be seen hereafter. Ed.]
Behold our town now, Reader, platted, nearly as we can plat it in brief description. Take a pen or pencil, if you feel interest enough, and draw it! You will in this way get an idea of its appearance, sufficiently correct for the general purpose we have in view. But we will furnish you with a map of it soon, an exact one. It is afoot.
Meanwhile look at Hartford as it is forming-fast! The Settlers are busy providing shelters for themselves houses and huts. Listen to the reverberation of their axes, the buzz of their saws, the blows of their hammers! They are felling trees, shaping timber, sawing boards, cleaving shingles, digging cellars, digging wells, and carting earth and stones. Their stock is turned out in wood and meadow to crop and graze. Already milk-maids sing, perhaps to some "responsive swains." Plows are busy opening here and there the virgin soil. Bareheaded Indians in fantastic attire- their hair stiffened by paint and bear's grease into the straightness of cock's-combs and crests, or falling in thick, heavy plaits about their tawny necks-come, in fringed shirts and skirts, and beaded breeches, leggins and moccasins, up from the North and South Meadows, where they soon began chiefly to hut, to supply the new comers with corn and game, and receive in return trinkets and wampum.
The children of the whites their fathers are thinking of a school-house for them, and will make it. So pass the week-days to the Settlers, in bustle, labor, contrivance for present subsistence, and preparation for permanent conveniences and at that fortunate "purple" period of the year when zephyrs fling their fragrance through the clear, blue sky, and "the insect youth are on the wing," and herds low for their young, and warblers pour their notes while the Rivulet, as the Settlers often beautifully called our present Little River, chimed over the rocks and pebbles in its bed, and the winds gently swept the skirts of those far spreading woods, which to them were "far more free from peril than the envious court." And Sundays, and "Lecture Days," how careful the devotion! Regularly on these occasions, and morning and evening daily, collected either in some house or in the open air, perhaps in some barn or beneath some spreading oak, as were the New Haven Colonists at first, the pious Settlers of Hartford proffer unquestionably to Heaven the warm request,
"That He who stills the raven's clamorous nest, And decks the lily fair in flowery pride, Would in the way His wisdom sees the best, For them and for their little ones provide, But chiefly in their hearts with grace divine preside."
We will look at their progress in another article.
SCAEVA.
*A cheerful response was given to this suggestion, and March 10th, 1851, by a unanimous vote of the Common Council of Hartford, Cole Street became Governor's Street. stare at them, as they pass, with wonder not unmingled with fear, then turn to their sports again beneath the trees, " And many a gambol frolic on the ground, While the loud laughter titters round."