Watertown History Page by Charlie Crowell

Watertown History Page by Charlie Crowell History of Watertown CT

Seen here are a pair of "peg legs" that belonged to Abijah Garnsey II (1743-1819) of Watertown. When he was 30 years old...
08/20/2025

Seen here are a pair of "peg legs" that belonged to Abijah Garnsey II (1743-1819) of Watertown.

When he was 30 years old, Abijah's leg was amputated, an operation that was very often fatal at the time.

It has been written that the leg injury was the result of an Indian attack but that’s untrue. Problems with Native Americans in Watertown had long ended, the last run in with Indians having been eight decades earlier.

A more believable report says Abijah simply fell down a cellar staircase.

He survived what had to be an extraordinarily painful ordeal, and walked with one of these wooden legs from then on. The reason there are two peg legs is that one was for everyday use, the other for going to church on Sunday and more dressy occasions.

The wooden legs are part of the Watertown History Museum collection.

I took this picture at the old Historical Society Museum on DeForest Street in 2011.

Abijah Garnsey (also spelled Guernsey) was born in Milford, Connecticut in 1743. He married Lucy Bellamy, daughter of Bethlehem's Rev. Joseph Bellamy, in 1772. The Garnseys had three children. Abijah's leg was amputated in February of 1774; the loss was recorded in a listing of deaths in Westbury. Abijah died in 1819.

Here’s an interesting Watertown item that was on eBay recently. This wool pocketbook dates way back and came with a note...
08/19/2025

Here’s an interesting Watertown item that was on eBay recently. This wool pocketbook dates way back and came with a note describing its history as follows:

“This was knitted from yarn raised and dyed on the original farm of 1200 acres owned by the first Garnseys who first came to Watertown and settled in what is now Gurnseytown and was once called “the village”. Told to me by my grandmother whose husband’s aunt owned the pocketbook.” - Emma Garnsey Bliss (1843–1925)

Emma’s father, Ebenezer Guernsey, was born in 1798 so her grandmother (who she quoted here) would gave been another generation older, dating back to the mid-1700s, which gives us an approximate age of this pocketbook.

In 1729 the Garnsey family settled in the section of Watertown now called Guernseytown. They were among the earliest settlers in town and arrived with slaves, cattle and all their blongings from New Haven, having walked the entire distance. They had hoped that their part of town would become the center of town. They even laid out roads thinking their plan would be successful. Some of the roads are still in use today.

In the end however, the first church and burial grounds were established on present-day Main Street thus making that area the center and the Gurnseytown area was relegated to rural farmland status.

This item sold on eBay for $1145.00.

See the comments for the accompanying note.

The WHS Class of ‘75 is still looking for some classmates as their 50th reunion approaches. Missing are:David AndersonGa...
08/12/2025

The WHS Class of ‘75 is still looking for some classmates as their 50th reunion approaches. Missing are:

David Anderson
Gary Anderson
Laurie Beals
Robert Bellemare
Donna Cash
Alan Choate
Janice Favale
Joni Fanceskino
Catherine Giordano
Bonnie Grassler
Suzanne Hillman
David Ingersoll
Sylvia Langlois
David Moody
Darlene Ransom
Steven Rinkavage
William Roberts
Phyllis Tweedie
Peter Young

The reunion is in October.

UPDATE: FOUND - 52 Academy HillHere's a mystery house that shouldn't be too difficult to locate. This colonial revival s...
07/31/2025

UPDATE: FOUND - 52 Academy Hill

Here's a mystery house that shouldn't be too difficult to locate. This colonial revival sits on a fairly steep grade but nothing in the background helps in identifying its location. This photo is from 1913. The house was probably rather new at the time.

Mrs. W. H. Jacob owned it in 1913. This was presumably Mrs. William Hearn Jacob. Her husband died in 1908.

It looks like the Jacobs lived in New Rochelle, New York and this was a summer residence. Mr. Jacob died in San Antonio, TX. at age 50. He had been in that city for just a short time, going there hoping the fair Texas weather would be beneficial to his poor health. His body was shipped to New York for interment.

Anyone recognize the home?

William Hearn Jacob (1858-1908)
Mary Phelps Jacob (1866-1949)

General Precision was a Depot Street manufacturer that produced many different inexpensive guns around the 1960s and 197...
07/13/2025

General Precision was a Depot Street manufacturer that produced many different inexpensive guns around the 1960s and 1970s.

The guns were designed to look like pre-Civil War pocket pistols, while using modern ammunition.

While neat looking little guns, they are not really considered collectible today - prices tend to be around $100 or less.

Here’s a rare panoramic photo of the old Warren House. Gone since 1927, the grand old Victorian inn was once Watertown’s...
07/13/2025

Here’s a rare panoramic photo of the old Warren House. Gone since 1927, the grand old Victorian inn was once Watertown’s claim to fame.

The Warren House was built in 1866 and served as a hotel, and to a degree, was the social center of Watertown and the surrounding area for years. It stood on the corner of DeForest Street and Middlebury Road where Taft School's side lawn is today.

By the 1890s, the hotel was in a state of decline.

In 1892, Horace Taft, brother of President William Howard Taft, came along and opened his all-boys boarding school in the hotel. Later, in 1927, after having built enough new school buildings, Taft had the old place torn down. He said he had always considered it a firetrap.

The old hotel was easily the most photographed structure in town, and certainly among the most beautiful.

Here’s a much overlooked Watertown home. This sits at 1106 Main Street. When built in 1911, it had a commanding view of ...
07/13/2025

Here’s a much overlooked Watertown home. This sits at 1106 Main Street. When built in 1911, it had a commanding view of the Steele Brook valley, farm fields, and the hills beyond. Today the view is of the Watertown Plaza.

The cement steps don’t appear to be used much. A driveway to the left takes the occupants up to the house.

MYSTERY SOLVED - The location of this house has long been a mystery. I posted this photo in 2010 and again a last month ...
07/09/2025

MYSTERY SOLVED - The location of this house has long been a mystery. I posted this photo in 2010 and again a last month and no one recognized it.

Then yesterday Karen Giroux messaged me. She recognized the old home as 22 Falls Avenue. (See the comments for a present-day look at the place)

It’s another example of one of these “lost” homes hidden in plain sight. If there was any doubt, comparing the hills in the distance seals the deal.

Despite being labeled as “Oakville”, the house technically sits in Waterbury as Falls Avenue serves as the town line between Waterbury And Oakville and this house sits on the Waterbury side.

Being labeled “Oakville” was not an error however. This part of Falls Avenue, up in Newton Heights (behind the Pin Shop factory) and down Watertown Avenue a ways, were all considered unofficially part of Oakville in the old days.

People from these areas could walk to Oakville for shoppping, churches, movies, etc., vs the much longer trip to downtown Waterbury.

Anyways, thanks Karen. Another mystery solved.

Here’s a newspaper notice of the passing of Mrs. Frederick Judd. This was published November 9, 1891. If you do the math...
07/07/2025

Here’s a newspaper notice of the passing of Mrs. Frederick Judd. This was published November 9, 1891.

If you do the math, Mrs. Judd was married at age 14, a fairly common occurrence back then.

Mrs. Judd’s husband died in 1903. Here’s his death notice:

Frederick Judd, 82 years of age, died at his late residence Thursday night at 12 o'clock. Mr Judd was born in the northern part of town and lived on the farm during all his life. In 1845 he was married to Miss Belinda Hickox. Their sorrowing children are Mrs. Marion Howland of Warren, Charles Judd of Oakville, Mrs. Sarah Buckingham of Milford, Frank Judd of Watertown and Mrs. Anne Mattoon of Oakville. Up to a short time ago Mr Judd was in excellent health, but was taken suddenly ill at the home of one of his daughters and from this illness he never recovered.

—————————————

The other article tells of two men who went to Waterbury looking for a good time. It ended tragically near the Judd home on their way back home.

Here’s another road named after a prominent local farm, in this case, Judd Farm. The Judd family, specifically Thomas Ju...
07/07/2025

Here’s another road named after a prominent local farm, in this case, Judd Farm.

The Judd family, specifically Thomas Judd, arrived in the area in 1684. He and 35 other proprietors purchased the land from the Paugasuck Indians marking the beginning of Waterbury, of which Watertown would later be spun off in 1780. Thomas Judd had previously settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1634.

Eventually, some of the Judds settled in what is today northern Watertown. The farm later became Judd Farm Day Camp.

It is interesting to note that Judd Farm Road intersects with Guernseytown Road which was named for another early Watertown farm family, the Garnseys, who arrived in 1729.

Ball Farm Road was named for Oakville’s Bennet Ball who owned the farm where the road (and other streets) were laid out....
07/07/2025

Ball Farm Road was named for Oakville’s Bennet Ball who owned the farm where the road (and other streets) were laid out.

Mr. Ball died on September 5, 1903. The following is his obituary:

——————————————————

Bennet Ball, one of the oldest and most well Ilked residents of Oakville, died at his home this morning at 7:30 o'clock in his 78th year (actually 81).

He had been in failing health for several months, and the end was to him almost a happy release.

Bennet Ball, the youngest son of Timothy and Betsy (Brisco) Ball, was born at Bucks Hill, Waterbury, May 19, 1822. He learned the cutler's trade and worked during some ten years for the Waterville Cutlery Co, and also a few years in Waterbury.

His heart was, however, always bent on the farmer's life, and in 1881 he bought of Daniel Frisbie (the deceased Sarah Jane Eggleston's father), the farm where he had been living ever since.

Mr Ball was one of the most thorough and successful farmers in this town and was ever very fond of his land and its products.

He married Miss Emma A. Bailey of Wolcott, January 1. 1850, and she, with four of the chidren, survive him. The children are as follows:
Argus B., Harry Bennet, Frank, and Harriet Ball (the latter is now Mrs Thorpe), besides two sons who died in infancy.

Although everybody knew that Mr. Ball was obviously approaching his end, his passing away this morning caused a general sensational feeling in this locality The funeral services will be held at bis late home Monday, 1:30 p. m., with interment at Bucks Hill.

———————————-

The funeral of Bennet Ball took place yesterday
afternoon at 1:30 o'clock from his late farmhouse on K**b Hill. Dr. Anderson of Waterbury read the funeral service, the pastor of the late Mr. Ball being absent that day. Many beautiful floral tributes were offered by relatives and friends. The pallbearers were three sons of the deceased, Argus, Harry and Frank Ball, also three grandsons, namely Bennett, Henry and William Ball. Among several who attended the funeral from out of town were some of the late Mr Ball's relatives from Philadelphia. The interment was in Buck's Hill Cemetery where many of the old settlers of that locality were awaiting to join the funeral procession.

—————————————

Mr. & Mrs. Ball had celebrated their fiftieth anniversary on January 1, 1900.

Toward the end, Mrs. Ball hired men to run the farm. One of the men, William Lease, was hired in April of 1902 until April of 1904.

The farm was considered part of the K**b Hill neighborhood of Oakville.

Because the Ball Farm was so close to Main Street and the center of Oakville, it was one of the first to be sold to developers for home building purposes.

In 1917, Mr. Ball's farm/homestead was divided into 256 building lots described as “some of the best lots in town".

His wife:

Emma Ann Bailey Ball (1831-1920)

Their children:

Argus Bailey Ball (1850-1945)
Harry Ball (1854-1927)
Benjamin Ball (1858-1859)
Harriet Ann "Hattie" Ball Thorpe (1860-1938)
James Lynch Ball (1869-1872)

Here’s another clipping from 1891. In the old days you could rent a horse and carriage from the local livery stable. In ...
07/05/2025

Here’s another clipping from 1891. In the old days you could rent a horse and carriage from the local livery stable. In this case, things didn’t work out.

Andrew Curtis Hard was born in New Jersey in 1828 and died in Connecticut in 1900 at the age of 71. He lived in Watertown where he was married to Mary Russel.

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Watertown, CT
06795

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