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sawmill stood next in order up the stream, but has been abandoned. sawmill stands in the south part of the town on Cedar Swamp Brook. The early part of this century . . . sawmills, a grist mill tained upon Merricks Brook. These were carried on by members of the old families, the Devotions and the Waldos and others. . . . Most of the mills on the streams have been abandoned, but grist and sawmills are still maintained.

The paper mill in the south part of Chaplin was built by Peter Lyons, Esq. About a quarter of a mile below this was the old Howard saw and grist mill. A few years since, this mill was rebuilt and modified as a pulp manufactory.

Here [three miles above the paper mills] for more than a hundred years, have been a saw and grist mill, generally doing a thriving business. The mill is located in the northeast corner of the town. It was established first by Benjamin Chaplin. He sold it December 2, 1771, to Nathaniel Mosely. It was an old mill then.

The townsmen of Newington on October 25, 1677, authorized the building of a sawmill at the foot of the lake, and lots of twenty acres each, in the vicinity of "Pipe Stave Swamp," were granted by the town to Emanuel Buck, John Riley, Samuel Boardman and Joseph Riley on condition that they build a sawmill "to be up and fit to work" by the last of September, 1678. It is mentioned as in existence in the spring of 1680. This lake was in the half mile common, as were these lots which were called "sawmill lots." Settlers were attracted by the lake and its mill privileges, and the well-watered valley abounded in heavy timber. Pipe staves had been obtained there long enough for the locality to be named "Pipe Stave Swamp" in the vote of the town in 1677.

February 2, 1690, it was voted that "George Griswold and Joseph Griswold shall have liberty to make a mill dam across the river at the upper end of the meadow at Poquonnuck [Windsor] provided they build a good grist mill for the use of the town within three years' time, and keep the same in good repairs; and that they shall have liberty to build a sawmill at the same place as long as they keep the grist mill in good repair. Always provided that in case of the Griswolds failing to build the grist mill within three years as before said; then this grant is to return to the town." In Farmington one choice lot was set apart for the man who would erect a mill, and about the time the place became a town, 1645 or 1646, a sawmill was in operation. The erection of this mill was evidently a great boon to the settlers, for the records state that sawed lumber for buildings could then easily be obtained. The principal mills in the parish about the time the society was incorporated in 1754 were Judd's sawmill near the site of the first meeting house; Andrew's sawmill on the Plainville Road, built in 1757, and Hotchkiss' sawmill on Pond River near Horse Plain.

William Rosewell built a sawmill about 1672 on Beaver Brook above Great Pond, later known as Furnace Pond, in the township of Branford, New Haven County, and in 1697 Samuel Russell and others were granted the privilege of setting up a sawmill in the same township.

A sawmill was built and set in operation in 1786 at Woodstock Hill, Windham County.

The first sawmill in Marlboro, Hartford County, was built by Eleazer Kneeland in 1751 on Blackledge River. As late as 1870 large tracts of timber were cut, the lumber being shipped to Boston and eastern Connecticut for shipbuilding and railroad purposes.

Isaac Cutler's sawmill in Killington Township supplied all the local demand in 1709.

In 1692 Ginnings Hendee, Jeremiah Ripley and James Birchard were granted the privilege of the stream at Beaver Brook, Windham County, for building a sawmill, with a half mile adjoining for timber and pasture, provided the mill was completed within one year and that when the mill should be abandoned the land should revert to the town. In the following year Jonathan Ginnings and the Ripleys were granted liberty to set up a sawmill at "No man's acre brook." In 1700 liberty to build a sawmill on Goodman Hebard's Brook, and the privilege of the stream for damming and ponding were granted to several petitioners, with the privilege of taking any other stream if it should not prove satisfactory.

In 1706 Joseph Cary, John Backus, Joseph Dingley and John Waldo were granted the privilege of the stream at Willimantic Falls, Windham County, "to build a mill or mills at one particular place," wherever they might choose on the north side of the river, and to hold it as long as they and their heirs should maintain a good "sufficient" mill, with the privilege of raising a dam across the stream, also the improvement of forty acres of land, timber free, so long as the land should be left unfenced.

Abiel Lyon, of Woodstock, set up a sawmill on the Mashamoquet, in Pomfret, Windham County, in 1707.2

"Uriel Holmes built the first saw and grist mill in the North Hollow on the east branch of the Farmington [Hartford County]. In 1777 Stephen Bushnell built a sawmill at Mill Brook. There was another sawmill higher up the same brook. Samuel E. Woodbridge in 1818 built the sawmill now owned by Watson E. French. S. Roberts has a sawmill on the east mountain. These and portable steam mills have largely reduced the amount of timber. Most of the mills have gone to decay.'

About 1730 a church was built in Windham for which Jacob Bixby furnished 500 pitch pine boards at £3 a thousand. Henry Green, Junior, supplied white oak planks for the seats at 7 shillings a hundred, the slit work for the seats at 4s 6d a hundred and the heads at 9 shillings a hundred.

2In writing the above history of early sawmills and in compiling the subjoined table, showing number of sawmills in operation in 1819, the following authorities were largely drawn from: "The Colonial Records of Connecticut;" Camp's "History of New Britain," 1889; E. D. Larned's "Windham County," 1874; Bayles' "History of Windham County," 1889; the "Gazetteer of Connecticut and Rhode Island," Pease and Niles, 1819, and the "Statistical Account of Middlesex County, 1819. 3J. Hammond Trumbull's "Memorial History of Hartford County," published in 1886.

Following is a partial list of sawmills in operation in Connecticut in 1819, so far as can be gathered from the records available:

EARLY FOREST AND INSPECTION LEGISLATION.

Legislation designed for the protection of the forests, and to maintain the quality of the product is recorded as early as 1640, when the General

*1634

*1720

†1802

*1686

†1784
*1686

12

10

i2

Court of the colony passed an order, on February 8, for the better preser vation of timber, which read as follows, according to the "Colonial Records of Connecticut," the quaint orthography being retained:

And for the better prsearing of Tymber, that the Country may haue prvisions of the Pype staues [staves] for the furthering of the trade of Cotten Wooll, It is Oredred that no Tymber shall be felled fro wthout the bownds of these Plantations, wthout lycence fro the prticular Courte, nor any Pipestaues to be sould out of the Riuer wthout alowance fro the said Courte, nor transported into foraigne prts vntil they be vewed (by such Committee as the Courte shall appoynt) and apprued by such to be vendable, boath for the goodness of the Tymber, and due prportion & size thereof.

The prticuler Courte also is desired to take order for the veweing of the Pequot Country and disposeing of the Tymber there, as also the settled Inhabitants in those prts yf they see cause, so far as yt may be acted wthout chardge to the Country.

This order was repealed September 9, 1641, in the following language: The Order for the restreyneing of the felling of Tymber is repeled, pruided that no Tymber be falen wthin three myles of the mouth of the Matabezeke river, nor at unseasonable tymes, vizt. fro the beginning of Aprill to the end of Septeber, and that it be improued about pipestaues or such other merchantable comodity wthin on month after the felling thereof, or carted togather; and that the Tymber so improued shall not be transported fro the Riuer but for dischardge of debts of fetching in some necessary prvisions.

It is ordered that the size of the Pipestaues shall be 4 foote 4 inches in length, halfe an inch at least in thickness, besids the sappe; they are to be 4 inches in bredth, if vnder to goe for halfe staues, and non are to goe if vnder 3 in bredth. And there shall be appoynted in every Towne wthin these libertyes, one experienced man to vew & obsearue all such staues as aforesaid, and ech prcell by him approued of shall be sealed, who shall be sworne to that searuice. And all such prsells so approued & sealed, shall passe to the Marchant at 51. the thousand, to be deliuered at the Riuers mouth, at wch place the Country hath vndertook to prvid for Mr. Hopkins, by the beginning of June next, 70000, vizt. Wethersfield 30000, Wyndsor, 20000, Hartford 20000, if Mr Hopkins can pruid shipping and aford to giue that price.

February 5, 1650, the General Court ordered that no person should buy of the Indians, directly or indirectly, any timber, candlewood or trees of any sort or kind within the jurisdiction.

OFFICIAL INSPECTION OF FOREST PRODUCTS.

The "Public Records of Connecticut" show the following enactment, August 10, 1667, which is interesting because it embraces inspection rules and provides for an official inspection of forest products:

And for the due regulation of staves, be it further enacted by the authority afore said that in all seaport towns within this Dominion where staves are usually shipped off to be transported by sea, the selectmen or townsmen shall annually or otherwise as need shall be, choose one or more known and skillful person or persons within their town to be viewer and culler of all staves and heading to be transported. They shall be presented and sworn to the faithful discharge of their office at the next season of peace to be holden at such county and such viewers shall have power to cast by all such staves as they judge not to be merchantable either in respect of wormholes or want of assize; and that all merchantable staves be of the dimensions and assize as following,

that is to say; pipe staves to be in length four feet and a half and in breadth three inches and a half at least, without sap, in thickness three-quarter inches, well and even hewed and sufficient for use, all hogshead staves, whether of white oak or red oak, to be in length, three feet and two inches or upward; all barrel staves to be in length thirty-one inches, well and even hewed and drest and of a proportionable breadth and thickness; all heading for pipe staves to be in length twenty-eight inches and for hogshead and barrels suitable to the cask to be made thereof. And the viewer shall enter into a book the number of such staves as he approves and give a note thereof under his hand and shall be allowed two shillings per thousand for every thousand of staves he shall so search, as well the refuse as merchantable, to be paid by him who sets him at work; and all staves put on board any ship or other vessel to be exported not viewed and appointed as aforesaid shall be forfeited, the one-half to his Majesty, his heirs and successors and the other half to him or they that shall seize, inform and sue for a sum as directed: and if any master or other officer of any ship or other vessel shall receive on board such ship or vessel any parcel of staves not viewed, culled and appointed as aforesaid and so served by a note under the viewer's hand, the master of such ship or other vessel shall forfeit the sum of five pounds for every one thousand of staves so unduly received, to be disposed of for the uses and in manner aforesaid.

And it is further enacted by the authority aforesaid that from henceforth no Boards shall be cut of any pine, spruce or cedar at any sawmill within this Dominion for sale or exportation but such as shall be well sawed of the thickness of one full inch or half an inch; and all half inch Boards to remain in whole or half stocks pinned together; and no single boards shall be counted and passed for merchantable but such as are one full inch in thickness and stocks and half stocks to be full half inch thick; and all to be well and even sawed. Nor shall any man make any boards about the just and true measure thereof, either sawn or marked contrary to this act upon the survey of any sworn measurer or culler of boards to be thereto appointed; the one half of which forfeiture to be paid his Majesty and the other half to him that will inform and sue for the sum by bill, plaint or information in any court within this Dominion.

RESTRICTIONS OF TRADE.

The first attempt to limit the exportation of timber from the Colony of Connecticut was made when the following enactment was adopted by a Court of Election, which was held in Hartford May 12, 1687:

.. Whereas the transportation of timber cut out of this Colony proves prejudiciall to the publique, this Court orders that henceforth there shall be no timber transported out of any township within this Colony without licensse from the towne within whose bownds the sayd timber grew and was gotten, upon the penalty of forfeiture of the timber soe shipped to be transported. And the master of any vessell that receives on board any timber without license as aforasayd, be it boards, slit worke, or staves, or any other timber whatsoever, he shall pay a fine of forty shillings for every breach of this order, the one halfe to the towne where the offence is committed, the other halfe to the county treasury; provided, this order respects no such sawmills as are erected by order or liberty obteyned from the Generall Court.

It is allso ordered, that if any taner or taners in this Colony shall fall or cutt downe, or cause to be cutt downe, any trees or wood in the comons, for barke, within any towne bounds, without lycense first obteyned from the towne, shall forfeit five shillings for every tree they shall fall or cutt down or cause to be fallen or cutt downe, the one halfe to the complayner, the other to the use of the poore of the towne where the offence is committed.