Early Norwich History - Part 4

Early History of  Norwich

Chenango County, New York

Chenango Union, January 31, 1907

 

Settlements were made in 1791 by Matthew Graves, Martin Taylor and Col. Monroe.

 

Matthew Graves built the first frame house in the town in 1798.  It first stood on the west side of South Broad street about "half way from canal to creek" says Smith and was later removed and still stands the second house north of the Canasawacta bridge on the west side of South Broad street.  It was his daughter Fanny, who married Hascall Ransford.

 

Martin Taylor was also implicated in Shay's Rebellion.

 

Col. William Monroe was a Revolutionary soldier.  He enlisted at the age of 14 as drummer boy and served through the war.  He came here form Winsor, Conn. and built a log house on west side park near corner of West Main and Broad streets intending to take up land.  But he finally settled on a farm on the Canasawacta that has since been known as Ben Frink farm, where he died.  The reason assigned for this change is as follows:

 

Mr. Leonard M. Cutting, who purchased township No. 15, came to Norwich in 1798 to try to induce those who had settled -?- to accept leases.  He visited their homes, among them that of Col. Munroe.  We are told that Col. Munroe was a large, powerful man, weighing about 200 pounds, while Mr. Cutting was "small in stature, but big in feeling" dressed in fashionable city attire with ruffled collar and cuffs.  Col Munroe was absent from home when Mr. Cutting called but returned soon after and followed Mr. Cutting to the home of John Shattuck.  Here there was some altercation between the two men and Munroe seized Cutting and doused him in a large swill barrel which stood near the door saying "You young stripling!  Call a Revolutionary soldier a liar will you?" 

 

The swill barrel, we read, was made of a hollow button wood log with a bass wood bottom and poor Mr. Cutting was soused to his neck.  Thoroughly discomfited he returned to New York as soon as his clothing could be suitably put in order once more, and soon afterward sold out the township to Dr. Stites and Anthony Lamb.  In the meantime Col Munroe, fearing a suit for trespass removed to a more secluded locality.

 

Among others who came in the early days were Josiah Brown, who settled near Woods Corners; and another Josiah Brown, who settled in 1795 on the farm next below the cemetery;  Manassah French, a Baptist minister who lived for a time about a mile below town; and James Gilmore who also settled south of Norwich.  His sister, a spinster, who lived with him, lived to be over 100 years old and his daughter married Col. Avery.  John McNitt, of Irish descent and a revolutionary soldier settled half a mile below Polkville.  He came bringing his wife and sons, James and John.  Numerous descendants of his reside in this vicinity.

 

Hezekiah Pellett and Deacon Elisha Smith came about 1794.  Mr. Pellett took tracts of land on the east side of the river across from the village and Deacon Smith succeeded Col. Munroe on the Guernsey farm, occupying at first the log house built by Munroe on the West Side Park.  In 1798 he built mills on the west side of Canasawacta near the present site of the Stone Mill. The next year, 1799, he built the house we know as the Guernsey Memorial Library. This building originally stood on West Side Park, facing Broad street near corner of West Main. It was moved to its present location in 1807 by its next owner Peter B Garnsey.